page_title: Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter / History
caption_attribution_description: English: The Chancery building of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter in Houston, Texas.
context_page_description: The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter is a personal ordinariate of the Roman Catholic Church—a jurisdiction within the Church, the equivalent of a diocese, for priests and laypeople from an Anglican background, that enables them to retain elements of their Anglican patrimony after entering the Catholic Church. Its territory extends over the United States and Canada. Former Methodists and former members of communions of "Anglican heritage" such as the United Church of Canada are also included.
  The ordinariate describes itself as "a structure, similar to a diocese, that was created by the Vatican in 2012 for former Anglican communities and clergy seeking to become Catholic. Once Catholic, the communities retain many aspects of their Anglican heritage, liturgy, and traditions". It has also been described as "a special kind of diocese confined to specific national territory - much like a military ordinariate that serves members of a national armed forces".
caption: Chancery building in Houston, Texas
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