The '''Western Rite''' is a strand of Orthodox Christian worship based on the minority liturgical traditions of tradition within the ancient pre-[[Great Schism|Schism]] Orthodox Church of the West. Western Rite Orthodox Christians hold in common the full Orthodox faith in common with their brethren of the [[Byzantine Rite]] but celebrate Western forms of liturgy. Liturgical diversity, both between and at within the East and West, was common before the [[Great Schism]], yet not as diverse as like in today's time. At present, all of the [[bishop]]s who care for such [[parish]]es are themselves primarily users followers of the Byzantine Rite.

In 1864, 44-year-old [[Joseph Julian Overbeck]], was [[chrismation|chrismated]] into the [[Orthodox Church]]. Overbeck was a former German [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] priest from Germany who had left the priesthood, after becoming disillusioned with papal supremacy, . He became Lutheran and later married, was [[chrismation|chrismated]] into before joining the [[Orthodox Church]]. He then published, in In 1866, he published ''Catholic Orthodoxy and Anglo-Catholicism'' , which contained the groundings for his work for the next twenty years. A year later, be began publishing a periodical, ''Orthodox Catholic Review'', aimed at putting forward Orthodoxy and rejecting Catholicism and Protestantism.

The year 1867 saw Overbeck, with 122 signatures from the Oxford Movement, petition the Church of Russia for the establishment of a Western Rite church in full communion with the Eastern Rite. A seven-member synodal commission was then formed, and invited Overbeck to attend. The idea was approved, and Overbeck set about submitting a draft of the proposed Western liturgy. The base of Overbeck's submission was the 1570 rite , which added in an epiclesis and the Trisagion hymnto the Tridentine [[Mass]]. This rite was submitted in 1871, and was examined and approved by the commission. Overbeck focused his efforts on the Old Catholic movement, who had rejected Papal Infallibility. He continued to engage in polemics with Catholics, Anglicans , and Orthodox converts using the Byzantine riteRite.

In 1876, Overbeck issued an appeal to the various Holy Synods, travelling traveling to Constantinople in 1879. There he met the Ecumenical Patriarch, who authorised authorized him to deliver sermons and apologeticscreate apologetical material. in In 1881, he had some success was had when the Ecumenical Patriarchate agreed that the West had a right to a Western church and rite.

However, it went no furtherhis successes did not establish the Western Rite. Overbeck's marriage after his Catholic ordination was a canonical impediment to his ordination to the Orthodox priesthood, ; the Holy Synod of Greece vetoed his scheme amongst the Orthodox Churches, pressuring Constantinople to retract its previous endorsement; the ''Orthodox Catholic Review'' ended its run, ; and by 1892 , he admitted failure due . Overbeck reposed in 1905. One Western Rite parish briefly entered communion with the Orthodox Church in the Nineteenth Century. In 1890, a Swiss Old Catholic parish in Wisconsin pastored by Fr. Joseph Rene Vilatte approached Bp. Vladimir (Sokolovsky) about being received into Orthodoxy. Bishop Vladimir received them on May 9, 1891; however, Fr. Vilatte was consecrated to the episcopacy by hierarchs of the [[Church of Greece Antioch (Syriac)|Syriac Orthodox Church]] in India, among them Metropolitan [[Julius of Goa|Alvares Mar Yulios]] of the timeGoa, on 29 May 1892. Overbeck reposed in 1905He eventually led his parish back into Old Catholicism.

[[Image:Fon-du-Lac CircusAlexander_Turner.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Episcopalian Consecration of Reginald Weller as co-adjutor bishop of Fond-du-Lac, 1900Former Antiochian Western Rite Vicar General Fr. Alexander Turner celebrating Mass.]]

The Western Rite continued. In 1890 a Swiss Old Catholic parish in Wisconsin, pastored by Fr Joseph Rene Vilatte, was received by Bp Vladimir (Sokolovsky); however1911, Fr Vilatte soon led the church into Old Catholicism. In 1911 Arnold Harris Mathew, an Old Catholic bishop, entered into union with the Patriarchate of Antioch, but parted ways left the Church soon after, leaving behind a model for future Western Rite groupings to join Orthodoxy.  A western Rite diocese was established in Czechoslowakia in 1898. A Polish independent catholic group was established as a Western Rite Orthodox diocese in 1926. The Orthodox Church ofg France was established by an Ukase of the Moscow Patriarchate in 1936. This was reestablished under ROCOR after WW II. In 1926 , the small six-parish ''Polish Catholic National Church'' was received into the Polish Orthodox Church. It celebrated the Liturgy of St. Gregory, flourishing and flourished as Orthodox until wiped out by the Germans during WW IINazis. It is conceivable that the Germans saw the Western Rite Orthodox, mostly under the Russian Church in France and Poland as a potential danger and trerated them accordingly. Both suffered terminal/near terminal damage. [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-five.html] [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-four.html] Saint Tikhon (Belavin's) involvement in the Western Rite has been one more enduring. While he was head of the Russian mission in America, some Episcopalians were interested in the possibility of joining Orthodoxy while retaining Anglican liturgics. St. Tikhon, sending the 1892 Book of Common Prayer, enquired as to the viability of such an idea; in 1904, the Holy Synod set up a Commission which reported in 1907, permitting the adaption of services taken out of the BCP, including many notes on how such adaption should be carried out in an Orthodox manner and permitting individual dioceses to carry out the adaption. St. Tikhon did not receive any Episcopalians who used the revised Anglican forms, but the Holy Synod's decision laid the groundwork for the reception and liturgics of the Russian Orthodox Western Rite monasteries and their missions [http://www.orthodoxresurgence.co.uk/Petroc] and the Antiochian Orthodox [[Western Rite Vicariate]]. [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-five.html]

The Antiochian Archdiocese received has presided over the most stable and successful group of Western Rite parishes, . The Archdiocese received the [[Society of Clerks Secular of St. Basil]], in 1961. Upon reception, they the SSB became the [[Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate]], and their leader, [[Alexander Turner]], becoming an Orthodox priest and the Vicar-General of the Vicariate until 1971. At his repose, Fr . Paul W.S. Schneirla became Vicar-General. On January 1, 2009, Fr. Schneirla retired, and Fr. Edward Hughes became Vicar-General of the Western Rite.

Besides the parishes that were in the former Society, other parishes have been received into the Western Rite Vicariate of the Antiochian Archdiocese, especially because ofthe of the theological and practical devolution of the The Episcopal Church(TEC). Added to this, a number of several Western Rite missions have been founded, some growing into full parish status.

The Church of Russia received a New York Old Catholic monastic community in 1962, Our Lady of as Mount Royal Monastery, under Abbot Augustine (Whitfield) which later moved to from Woodstock, New York, to St. Nicholas Cathedral in New York City under the omophorion of Archbishop John (Wendland) of the Russian Exarchate of North America. LaterIn 1975, this community was received by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, under Archbishop Nikon (Rklitzsky)of ROCOR and was again relocated. In 1993, part after the retirement of the monastery Abbot, Dom Augustine (Whitfield) of Mount Royal, the prior of Mount Royal, Fr. James (Deschene) was reestablished as blessed to found Christ the Saviour Monastery ("Christminster" colloquially) in Providence, Rhode Island, under Bishop [[Hilarion (Kapral) of New York|Hilarion of Manhattan]] (since transferred ). As of 2007, Christminster relocated to Sydney)Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Its present superior abbot is Dom [[James (Deschene)|James Deschene]], while the rest under Abbot Augustine continues to commemorate the ROCOR Metropolitan at Jacksonville, Florida.

====Australia and New ZealandElsewhere====

Western Rite Orthodoxy, in [[Orthodoxy in Australasia|Australia and New Zealand]], has arisen mostly from Anglican and Continuing Anglican communities. Archbishop Metropolitan [[Hilarion (Kapral) of New York|Hilarion (Kapral) of Sydney, ]] of ROCOR, received Saint Petroc Monastery some communities under his omophorionomophor; while others have been received by Bishop [[Gibran (RamlawiRamlawey) of Australia and New Zealand|Gibran]] and Metropolitan Archbishop [[Paul (Saliba) of Australia and New Zealand|Paul]], successive both under the Church of Antioch hierarchs.

While the Antiochian western rite Other small groups are indistinguishably part of following the Antiochian Archdiocese, the ROCOR Western Rite all stems from Saint Petroc Monastery which has a paruchia of some ten Orthodox Study Societies and Monastery missionshave been received, but usually have either had little impact, or have declared their independence soon after their reception.

====Rest The [[Oriental Orthodox]] churches also have some Western Rite parishes. The Syrian patriarchate of Antioch consecrated Antonio Francisco Xavier Alvarez as Archbishop of Ceylon, Goa, and India in 1889, authorizing a Roman rite diocese under him; in 1891, the Syrians consecrated the aforementioned Joseph René Vilatte as archbishop for the American Old Catholics. Vilatte, however, returned to the World====Roman Catholic Church at the end of his life. Many independent churches now claim to be under his "succession".

The Russian Orthodox Church established several ==Liturgy in the Antiochian Western Rite Parishes in South America during the episcopate of Bishop Alexander (Mileant) of Buenos Aires. These were former Roman Catholics. Vicariate==

==Liturgy==North American Antiochian Orthodox Western Rite parishes generally follow one (or sometimes both) of two types of traditional Western liturgical traditions. The majority celebrate the [[Liturgy of St. Tikhon of Moscow]], which is an adaptation of the [[Eucharist|Communion]] service from the 1928 Anglican ''Book of Common Prayer'' and ''The Anglican Missal in the American Edition,'' as their Sunday liturgy. Until 1977, all Antiochian Western Rite parishes celebrated only the [[Liturgy of St. Gregory the Great]], which is a modified form of the ancient Mass authorised by the Holy Synod of Russia in 1870 and similar to that known to Roman Catholics before the liturgical reforms of Vatican II in the 1960s. Many parishes within the Western Rite Vicariate continue to celebrate the Gregorian liturgy. However, most AWRV parishes celebrate more than one weekly liturgy, and many of the Tikhonite parishes celebrate the shorter Gregorian liturgy depending on weekdays. The complete Roman rite of Benediction is also authorized. Russian Orthodox Western Rite practice is now mostly governed by the Saint Colman Prayer Book - a complete book containing the Sarum Liturgy (Usus Cascadae)its type, the English Liturgy (adapted from the 1549 BCP and Sarum), the Liturgy makes less use of Saint Gregory (Usus Providentiae) (the adaption of the rite authorised by the Holy Synod of Russia done by Abbot Augustine and used both in the Mount Royal and Providence monasteries) or else the complete Benedictine liturgical practice of Christ the Saviour Monastery. The Saint Colman Prayer Book also contains the majority of the occasional services, simplified breviary and lectionary resources needed by a parish throughout the year, for the most part adapted from the Sarum original. Generally speaking, the Western Rite liturgy has much less repetition litanies than its corresponding elements in the Byzantine rite, and generally has a more brisk, succinct manner to itRite. Clergy Celebrants wear the traditional distinctive Western vestments, and the faithful follow pious devotional customs peculiar particular to their tradition, as well. The Sarum Liturgy celebrated of a Sunday will take in excess of two hours, the English Liturgy around an hour and a half and the Saint Gregory Liturgy about three quarters of an hour

:Metropolitan Antony was well aware that the Western Rite was "a work for specialists." The new Western Rite usage of the Archdiocese was to be guided by "a Commission of Orthodox Theologians," an advisory committee of qualified clerics or laymen to advise the Metropolitan and determine "the mode of reception of groups desiring to employ the Western Rite, and the character of the rites to be used, as well as the authorization of official liturgical texts." The first WRV Commission, convened by Metropolitan Antony in 1958, was composed of Fathers Paul Schneirla, Stephen Upson, [[Alexander Schmemann]] and [[John Meyendorff]]. Schneirla, Schmemann, and Meyendorff in particular had seen the Western Rite up close in France, as it had been approved in the Russian Ukase of 1936. Schneirla recalls Schmemann's work in particular as being key, as he was familiar with the Liturgical Movement within the Roman Catholic and Anglican communions. Schmemann was particularly instrumental in joining together the separate Rites of Initiation of the Rituale Romanum – Baptism, Confirmation and First Holy Communion – into one unified rite, according to the Orthodox understanding.

:In January of 1962, the official Western Rite Directory was issued, "establishing liturgical usages and customs and discipline," drawing on principles gleaned from the 1904 Moscow Synodal response to Saint Tikhon, the authorization of Western Rite offices by Metropolitan Gerassimos (Messarah) of Beirut, and the 1932 Russian Ukase of Metropolitan Sergius.[http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-eight.html]

By far the largest group of these Western Orthodox parishes is represented by the [[Western Rite Vicariate]] of the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]]. Other Antiochian Western Rite parishes exist in the [[Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand]]. The [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] (ROCOR) also has a small number of Western Rite parishes in addition to three monasteries: one located in Canada, one in Tasmania, and one in Florida. Missions and parishes of the ROCOR Western Rite use either the Rite of St. Gregory in one of varying uses (Sarum, Christminster, Mount Royal, or Overbeck), the Gallican Rite, or "The English Liturgy," an English Use service based upon the Sarum Use but which adapts a few elements of the 1549 ''Book of Common Prayer''. Christminster Monastery in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is a Western Orthodox [[Rule of St. Benedict|Benedictine]] monastery, which celebrates the Liturgy of St. Gregory. St. Petroc Monastery in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, celebrates the [[Sarum Use]]. St. Petroc has a number of dependencies that follow its liturgical usage, as found in the ''Saint Colman Prayer Book''.

The Dom Augustine (Whitfield), the [[abbot]] of the Monastery of Mount Royal from 1963 until retirement, once remarked to St. [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside RussiaJohn Maximovitch]] (ROCOR) has several monasteriesthat it was difficult to promote Western Rite Orthodoxy, whereupon the saint replied: "Never, never, never let anyone tell you that, located in Australia order to be Orthodox, you must also be eastern. The West was Orthodox for a thousand years, and the USAher venerable liturgy is far older than any of her heresies." [http://www.christminster.org/history.htm][[Image:Confeitor. The formerjpg|left|thumb|Hieromonk Aidan (Keller, Saint Petroc MonasteryROCOR) celebrating a Sarum liturgy.]]In 2008, uses the Metropolitan [[Sarum RiteHilarion (Kapral) of New York|Hilarion]] liturgy in English and the English Liturgyof ROCOR [http://theyorkforum.yuku. Such com/sreply/12977/t/Western -Rite missions and parishes as ROCOR has are attached -Orthodox-News.html blessed] Hieromonk David (Pierce) to this monastery and use either assist Dom Augustine Whitfield "in the continuation of the Sarum or work of Mt. Royal"The English Liturgyat Hieromonk David's monastery, Holyrood," an English Use service based upon in Florida. Hieromonk David utilizes the 1549 Anglican ''Book ordinary compiled by Mount Royal monastery, and is preparing for publication of Common Prayer'' but incorporating certain elements the books of the Sarum UseMount Royal use.

[[Abbot]]In late 2008, Metropolitan Hilarion received a hieromonk of the Milan Synod, Augustine Father Aidan (WhitfieldKeller), who led and blessed the Our Lady publication of Mount Royal Monasterya new edition of his seminal work, into communion with ROCOR, records that Saint [[John Maximovitch]] told him: "Never, never, never let anyone tell you that''Old Sarum Rite Missal'' for his personal prayers, while he serves a Byzantine parish in order to be Orthodox, you must also be easternROCOR. The West was Orthodox for a thousand years, and her venerable His liturgy is far older than any had previously been blessed by the Western Archdiocese of her heresies."the [[http://wwwMilan Synod]].christminster.org/history.htm]

The [[Orthodox Church of France]]—Western rite communities can also be found which is currently of ambiguous status are not or, are no longer, in communion with regard to world Orthodoxy, but at one time was cared for by St. [[John Maximovitch]] and later by the mainstream [[Orthodox Church of Romania]]—also uses a Western Rite liturgy based on ancient Gallican liturgical materials, though often supplemented by Byzantine elements.

It should also be noted that there are a number of groups who follow various Western rites and may call themselves The [[Orthodox but are not part Church of or in communion with the historic France]] was once cared for by St. [[Orthodox ChurchJohn Maximovitch]] such as and later by the [[Holy Synod Church of MilanRomania]]—also uses a Western Rite liturgy based on ancient Gallican liturgical materials, with some Byzantine supplements. The Orthodox Church of France currently functions as an "old calendarist" group, has a few communities including one monasteryindependent body, and is not in communion with the United States, which worship according to various Western rites[[List of autocephalous and autonomous churches|mainstream Orthodox Church]].

* [[Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate]]

* [[Christ the Savior Monastery (Providence, Rhode Island)|Christ the Savior Monastery]], USACanada

* [[Wikipedia:Western Rite Orthodoxy]]

* [http://www.orthodoxresurgence.co.ukcom/Petrocpetroc/ Saint Petroc Monastery ROCOR Tasmania]

* [http://www.occidentalorthodox.org.uk/ Worldwide directory of canonical Western Rite Orthodox communities]* [http://www.stgregoryoc.org/links/western-rite-parish-directory/ Antiochian Western Rite Parishes] (North America, with links to parish sites)* [http://www.rwrv.org/ Russian Western Rite Vicariate]

* [http://memberswww.aolstgregoryoc.comorg/FrNicholasarticle/the-divine-liturgy.htm -according-to-the-rite-of-saint-gregory/ Text of the Liturgy of Saint Gregory]* [http://orthodoxanglican.net/downloads/tikhon.PDF Text of the Liturgy of Saint Tikhon], though not in its authorized form.* [http://www.orthodoxresurgence.co.ukcom/Petrocpetroc/sarum.htm Text of the Sarum Rite Liturgy] as corrected for use within [[ROCOR]] by His Grace Archbishop Hilarion* [http://www.orthodoxresurgence.co.ukcom/Petrocpetroc/english.htm Text of the English Liturgy]*[http://orthodoxie.free.fr/the_divine_liturgy_of_saint_germanus.htm Text of the Divine Liturgy according to Saint Germanus of Paris]]* [http://www.stmichaelwhittier.org/resources/osboff7.pdf Office and Prayers of the Oblates of St. Benedict] (PDF) - Western Rite oblates.*[http://www.allmercifulsavior.com/Liturgy/Liturgics.html Liturgical Texts Project] (PDF) - Compilation of numerous liturgical texts.*[http://www.antiochian.org/sites/default/files/ordinary_and_canon_rite_of_st_gregory.pdf The Ordinary and Canon of the Mass], according to the Rite of St. Gregory of Great, revised 2012 translation blessed for use by Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America.*[http://rocor-wr.org/Altar-Size-Mass-of-St-Gregory-WR-Missal.pdf The Order of the Divine Liturgy According to the Restored Ancient Roman Rite of St. Gregory the Great], authorized by the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia]].

===BookBooks===* ''[http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=23809 Children of the Promise: An Introduction to Western Rite Orthodoxy]'', by Fr. Michael Keiser.ISBN 9781418475826* ''[http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail~bookid~40659.aspx Offering the Lamb: Reflections on the Western Rite Mass in the Orthodox Church]'', by Fr. Michael Keiser. ISBN 9781425970819* ''[http://books.google.ca/books?id=s8nfEy1H8QcC&source=gbs_navlinks_s Liturgies of the Western Church]'', by Prof. Dr. Bard Thompson. ISBN 9780800614287* ''[http://www.archive.org/details/MN41674ucmf_0 The Ancient Liturgies of the Gallican Church]'', by Rev. J. M. Neale, 1855. ''(In Latin with some English notes)''

===Introduction and History===<!-- * [http://www.receive.org/index.php?submenu=23 An Introduction to Western Rite Orthodoxy]: Interview with Fr. Paul Schneirla and Fr. Michael Keiser on [http://www.receive.org/ Come Receive the Light] (audio)Sent message to Seraphim Danckaert at OCN to see whether this is online. ~Magda --->* A Short History of the Western Rite Vicariate, by [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/ Benjamin Andersen]: [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/short-history-of-western-rite.html Part 1], [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-two.html Part 2], [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-three.html Part 3], [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-four.html Part 4], [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-five.html Part 5], [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-six.html Part 6], [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-seven.html Part 7], [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-eight.html Part 8], [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/2004/09/western-rite-history-part-nine.html Part 9](permission required)

* [http://www.orthodoxresurgence.co.ukcom/ Orthodox Resurgence] Movement for Western Christians seeking reception in the Orthodox Western Rite.

*[http://www.westernorthodox.com/overbeck.pdf The Western Rite and the Eastern Church: Dr. J. J. Overbeck and his scheme for the re-establishment of the Orthodox Church in the West(PDF)], by Fr. David F. Abramtsov, University of Pittsburgh, 1959

===ApologiasVideo===*[http://westernorthodox.blogspot.com/2009/01/video-fuller-christmas-eve-mass-with.html Video] of Dom James Deschene celebrating Midnight Mass for Christmas 2009 at the Oratory of our Lady of Glastonbury, the chapel attached to Christminster Monastery.*[http://stpaulsorthodox.org/Media/SaintPaul.wmv Video] on the Western Rite from St. Paul Orthodox Church, Houston, Texas ===Apologiae===

* [http://www.westernorthodox.com/Lux-Occidentalis Lux Occidentalis(PDF)] ''The Orthodox Western Rite and the Liturgical Tradition of Western Orthodox Christianity, with reference to The Orthodox Missal, Saint Luke's Priory Press, Stanton, NJ, 1995'' by the Rev'd John Charles Connely (PDF)

* [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com/ Occidentalis - A Weblog of Orthodox Catholic Christianity in the Western Rite tradition](permission required)

* [http://web.archive.org/web/20070222203921/http://homepage.mac.com/gthurman/iblog/C931234280/index.html Fr. Matthew Thurman's blog, Western Rite section] (archive) - consisting primarily of original documents written by Fr. Alexander Turner and other WRV clergy.* [http://occidentalis.blogspot.com Occidentalis] - maintained by Subdn. Benjamin Andersen (WRV), this blog is a source for this OrthodoxWiki entry.(permission required)

* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/westernriteorthodoxy/ Western Rite Orthodoxy]: Discussion of Western Rite Orthodoxy, focusing the [[Western Rite Vicariate]] (Antiochian). Most active participants are members of the Antiochian WRV.

* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Occidentalis/ Occidentalis]: Dedicated to promoting Yahoo discussion group on the "Old Sarum Rite Missal" published Western rite; moderated by a monk formerly Father Aidan (Keller).* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Orthodoxwest/ Orthodoxwest]: Yahoo discussion group on Orthodoxy in the West and sponsored by the Eastern Archdiocese of the Milan Synod; moderated by Father Symeon (Bensimon-Kilmer).