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The Portal is the monthly review of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham
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R TALTHE PThe PorTal is the monthly review of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham
June 2013
Keeping the Faith
is the monthly review of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham
56 Woodlands Farm Road, Birmingham B24 0PG - [email protected] The Magazine is free and may be downloaded from www.portalmag.co.uk
Editorial Board: Ronald Crane, David Chapman, Jackie Ottaway, Cyril Wood,Aidan Nichols, Len Black Assoc Editor: Gill James Advisor: Mark Woodruff
The PorTal is grateful to our many generous supporters for their financial assistance.
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Photos © the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham
Contents 3 Editorial: Pilgrimage to St Augustine’s Ramsgate
4 To the Principality! – Jackie Ottaway and Ronald Crane
6 Auntie Joanna writes . . . A roomful of busy ladies
7 Anglican Luminary: Miles Coverdale – Fr Keith Robinson
8 Snapdragon – Dignity and value
9 “A Living Rosary” – Will Burton has an idea
10 The A - Z of the Catholic Faith: E – Fr Stephen Wang
11 Holy silence and solitude – Jackie Ottaway
13 Presteigne – Harry Schnitker
14 The Future of Christianity in Britain
15 Ordinariate Groups – where to find us at prayer
17 The FAITH MOVEMENT invites you to a DAY OF FAITH
18 Letters to the Editor
19 The Ordinary’s Diary and Ordinariate Group News
20 ..to be my lawfully wedded…? – Arnold Herron
Contributors ◊ Jackie Ottaway and Ronald Crane are members of the
Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham ◊ Dame Joanna Bogle DSG is an eminent Catholic Journalist ◊ Fr Keith Robinson is the priest of the Salisbury Group ◊ Snapdragon views the world from the Midlands ◊ Harry Schnitker is an academic at Maryvale, Birmingham
◊ Fr Stephen Wang is dean of studies at Allen Hall Seminary, Chelsea, London
◊ Will Burton prays his Rosary along the Old West River ◊ Catherine Utley is the Fund Raiser for the Friends of the
Ordinariate ◊ Arnold Herron is a regular Pilgrim to Our Lady of Walsingham
June 2013 Volume 3 Issue 30
June 2013 Page 3RTALTHE P
EDITORIAL
Pilgrimage to St Augustine’s Ramsgate by Jackie Ottaway and Ronald Crane
THE jouRnEy ought to have been easy: just a couple of hours around the M25. In the event, it took over four hours. Rain and a number of road accidents meant the journey was slow and tedious. At one point we did just twenty miles in two hours! This kind of driving is so energy sapping, so when we arrived, it was supper and an early night.
That was on the Friday. Saturday morning was a different thing altogether, a bright sunny day and just right for a Pilgrimage. The good weather lasted all day and went a long way to helping us all enjoy the occasion. We found the church and parked the car. After erecting the Portal roller posters in the porch, we settled down for Mass.
All just perfect The Church that contains the Saint’s relic is beautiful,
as one would expect from a building designed by A W Pugin. The Mass was beautifully sung by the singers from the Ordinariate Group in Deal and their, more than accomplished, organist, Jamie Rogers. We had lovely hymns and the Mass music was by Andrea Gabrieli. It was all just perfect; inspirational in fact. Fr Lindlar preached a challenging homily. He linked Walsingham and Ramsgate in the context of the English Saints and the Anglican Patrimony of the Ordinariate. We were left in no doubt that we were in great company. Cuthbert, Aidan, Becket, Thomas More - all were with us on our Pilgrimage. Although separated by time, we are one in the Faith.
After Mass we walked to the nearby Lookout Café for an enjoyable bacon sandwich for lunch. It was idyllic sitting outside in the sunshine overlooking the bay and the sea.
Saint Augustine’s Cross We had been given various directions to the next
part of the Pilgrimage at Pegwell Bay. Either we
misunderstood, or they were not clear, but a number of us ended up at Saint Augustine’s Cross instead, traveling via the Ferry Port! Thus we missed the actual procession. Nevertheless after waiting just a few minutes the Procession arrived headed by a cross and acolytes. They had walked and
sung for some two miles. What a witness!
treated to a homily It is a tradition going back to Saint Augustine himself,
who preached near the site of the Cross, that pilgrims are treated to a homily here. Mgr Keith Newton’s homily at the Cross was to the point for the occasion and very much in the tradition of the great saint. Our Ordinary referred to the great Saint in the context of the Ordinariate and Evangelisation. Our devotions over at Saint Augustine’s Cross, we drove to the Sisters at Minster for tea.
interesting people The tea was good and there were lovely cakes. We
had a chance to meet old friends and make some new ones. It never fails to surprise us how many interesting people we meet when on Portal business. This occasion was no exception. Maybe you will be reading about some of them in future editions of The Portal!
All too soon we were on our way. It had been a lovely day, and one we shall remember for a long time. It is important for the Ordinariate to get together. Perhaps we need a few more such occasions spread across the country?
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to the Principality! Jackie Ottaway and Ronald Crane visit Presteigne
LLAnAndRAs in Welsh means the parish of St Andrew, or Presteigne in English, lies on the river Lugg just on the Welsh side of the border. In 2001 it had a population of approximately 2,400. Once the county town of Radnorshire, it now feels as though time has passed it by. It styles itself the “Gateway to Wales”.
Nevertheless, Presteigne is a beautiful place with lovely people. According to Country Life magazine, it is one of Britain’s top 10 small towns. Who are we to disagree with that?
friendly, warm, welcoming We arrived at the Church of Our Lady’s
Assumption and Saint Thérèse for Mass at 9 am. It is a curious building, but not unattractive. It had been a Carmelite Convent chapel and shaped like the letter “L”, with one arm, which had been the nun’s area, now doubling as the Hall, the altar is at the point. Although on the Sunday we attended, there was just one person present who could be described as “young”, the congregation of sixty or seventy were very friendly, warm and welcoming. The Mass was celebrated beautifully by the Parish Priest, Fr Michael Akopghiran OP, assisted by Fr Brian Gill.
We enjoyed a splendid lunch with Fr Brian Gill, the Ordinariate priest, his wife Ann, and members of the local Ordinariate. We asked Fr Brian to tell us about the Ordinariate in Presteigne.
God provided “The parish of Presteigne, though in
Wales, is in the Church of England, in the Diocese of Hereford. Having been the Rector for 8 years, when the Church of England went off the rails with its new doctrines, especially on the Sacred Ministry, I resigned. A number of my parishioners, who felt that they had been un-churched, asked me to stay and minister to them.
Ten persons attended our first Mass and we became a congregation of the Traditional Anglican Communion, in order to preserve genuine Catholic Anglican traditions and work for the re-unity of the Catholic world. It isn’t normal practise, and I think even now, when you are the Rector or Vicar of a Parish and you resign or retire, you shouldn’t stay in the Parish. It isn’t
fair on your successor. But because they begged me to stay, we did. God provided us with this place where the drawing room was large enough for a Chapel and we’ve had Mass here since 1994.
fully absorbed “We were accepted for the Ordinariate in
2012 from the TAC. We are fully absorbed into the Catholic Faith. We are small and scattered and some of the original members have died. The Diocesan
congregation, if I differentiate the two, said we have brought fresh life to their Parish. In Presteigne there is Andrew, Ruth, Ann and myself. Then there’s Roy and Stephen. There are others but they are scattered in the area.
disillusioned “We have people who are
sympathetic and used to come to me here as Anglicans. I am convinced that when we have our own familiar liturgy, many of them will come. I hope so, because they are disillusioned by a Church they feel they no longer belong to.”
A good relationship Father Brian described relations with the
local Diocesan Catholics as “Very good. Tremendous! I have a good relationship with the Bishop of Menevia.
“We are not financially sound. We have no such thing as an Ordinariate finance group. The few people that joined with us
regard themselves as Ordinariate but that’s as far as it goes. They’ve been completely absorbed into the local Church, where they help in every way they can.”
Jackie asked Fr Brian if it mattered that people considered themselves Catholic more than Ordinariate? Fr Brian answered, “Well, I do believe that the Pope’s dream was the right one, because we need to bring this country back to Christ. The Church of England has lost its way.
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“Being an Anglican, I was taught to be obedient to my Bishop. When the Ordinary is around, I’m obedient to him, but I am in the Diocese of Menevia, so I have to be obedient to what they do and the Bishop is very sympathetic. I use the Customary for the Daily Office.
traditional liturgy “A number of parishioners from
Bucknell (a neighbouring Parish where I had been the Vicar) came to my ‘do’ and were very moved by it and the very friendly and welcoming attitude to them of both the Bishop and the congregation. When we have our own traditional liturgy with which they can feel at home, I believe they will come. I do feel (I may be wrong) that if I could have a liturgy they can fully associate with, and hymns, they would come, and then move on from there, but I cannot do it on my own.”
Ronald asked, “On the principal that you are what you pray”? Father Brian responded enthusiastically, “Yes!” Turning to the problem of distance, Fr Brian told us, “It is hard. The distances are so great. We went to the Walsingham pilgrimage last year, and I go down to London to Ordinariate events. The trouble is how to persuade my group, who are so absorbed as Diocesan Catholics, to come along with the Ordinariate to these special things.
no form of public transport “In the not too distant future we will have
to reconsider our remaining in this area because of my age, the size of our house, the lack of suitable public transport in this area, I don’t drive anymore, and the need to be more accessible to my family. I’m thinking we should go where there is a practising Ordinariate Parish, where I could possibly help to build up the Ordinariate.”
Roy Phillips and Steve Law Earlier we spoke with Roy Phillips, a retired Works
Study Engineer, and Steve Law, a retired Sales Manager. They both thought their Ordinariate Group to be very friendly and worthy of respect. Roy had been concerned that the Church to which he belonged “no longer exists“. “I was left in a void”, he told us. “One day I was walking when I saw a sign in a house window. It read ‘No Mass today’. Then the door opened and a well-dressed man came from the house. I mentioned the sign and he told me it referred to the TAC. I knew what that meant. It turned out he was the Chairman
of Hereford Forward in Faith. We had a chat. It was 8th May 2012. The priest, Fr Brian, contacted me and told me about the Ordinariate. That is how I came to attend the Assumption. It is a lovely little church, I feel
comfortable in it.”
twenty miles to attend Mass
Steve said he had been well received by the Diocesan Catholics. He described his welcome as “Impressive!”. Roy used the word, “warmly”. Both felt that Mass at 9am was just right. Roy said, “I get
up early on Sunday as I have a three-quarters of an hour journey to get to Mass.” Steve travels a return journey of twenty miles to attend Mass but said the
early morning was OK. “It does me good to get up early!” he joked.
A “secret” Steve did not think it mattered if the
Group grew, and added that he could not see it getting any bigger. He thought it was a “secret”. “I am not sure people have even heard about the Ordinariate at all. We are widely spaced, increasingly so. Around
here there are more sheep than people!”
falling apart In this he differed from Roy, who thought “It likely
will grow because of the direction the C of E is taking. It is falling apart. The Scriptures have not changed, but the C of E has! I know people who are thinking of becoming Catholic. Of course, we are influenced by the building and many C of E churches are very beautiful.”
Mission and Evangelism When we asked if they had any thoughts
about Mission and Evangelism, Steve laughed and said an emphatic “no!” Roy said, “No. It is not something I have thought about.” Both men described relations with other Catholics in glowing terms, but knew little about relations with the C of E, the Church in Wales or the TAC.
Roy said that a National Ordinariate Day, “would arouse my interest.” For Steve, it depended what it was. “In principle, yes, I am pleased to be a member of the Ordinariate.”
Thank you Fr Brian and Ann for your welcome. It was lovely to meet you again, and members of the Ordinariate in Wales.
oan
naJ
writes
Auntie
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A roomful of busy ladiesA RoomFuL of busy ladies, coffee brewing, a cheerful buzz of talk, and great wads of heavy envelopes and Jiffy Bags being unpacked on a couple of long tables set together. This was the Ladies Ordinariate Group starting on the task of reading all the entries for the Children’s Handwriting and Artwork Project.
Religious educationLaunched with the help of a modest grant from an
ecumenical Christian group, this Project aims to help Catholic and Church of England primary schools in their work of religious education. The Project is a simple one, and this 2013 pilot venture has been most successful, so we will be repeating it on a wider scale next year, and in the years to come.
Study the PsalmsA one-page brochure was
designed, inviting children at RC and C of E primary schools throughout Greater London to study the Psalms. A choice of half a dozen Psalms was given, the children were encouraged to read them – perhaps having them read out by the teacher in class, or reading them aloud together – and then to choose some lines (minimum of 4 lines, maximum of 6) and copy them out in good handwriting.
The Psalm could then be illustrated in any way the child chose – collage, use of fabrics, glitter, finger-painting, stencilling, the lot – and the child should then add, in one paragraph, the reasons for the choice of the Psalm. Volunteers then addressed envelopes and mailed out the brochures.
impressed with the standard We have been really impressed with the standard of
the work sent in. There is some beautiful artwork – deer at running streams, the Lord as the Shepherd, the earth held gently in God’s loving hands.
The lines of the psalms have been written out with great care. And, perhaps most touching of all, the children’s reasons for choosing a particular psalm include many that are thoughtful, beautifully-expressed and in some cases rather moving.
We have been able to obtain some lovely books as prizes – the grant given by the ecumenical group enabled us to have a glorious morning shopping at a good religious bookshop, and we came away with some £200 worth of children’s Bibles, prayer-books etc. There are some really beautiful and good quality
Christian books for children these days - hardback books, paperbacks, all sorts of books, all with lovely illustrations. There will be some prize-winners in every school that has taken part in the project – and every child participating will receive a small commemorative booklet.
Marathon task Every single entry to the Project
was carefully read and those that merited prizes were double-checked, and the awards agreed. As I write this, arrangements are in
hand for the marathon task of wrapping and mailing out all the prizes.
deeply worthwhileThe Ladies Ordinariate Group is an energetic and
dedicated group of women – and it needs to be, because we seem to have given ourselves plenty of work to do! Working on this Project has been time-consuming but also deeply worthwhile, and we have a lot of ideas for next year’s project – and for the years ahead.
Enjoy ourselvesDid I mention that we also find time to enjoy ourselves?
We are having a pilgrimage trip to Whitstable in Kent – Mass, a talk about Vocations, lunch, the Rosary in a garden setting, and some time by the sea. That’s in July. More info on: [email protected]
Dame Joanna Bogle DSG
AnglicanLuminary
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Miles Coverdaleby fr Keith Robinson
so wHo is this Coverdale we keep hearing about, especially in connection with the Psalms? Well, he is a gifted character of the English Reformation, most famous for his translation of the Psalms in the Book of Common Prayer. Set to their own distinctive musical form – Anglican chant – they are characteristic of English worship, and now in the Ordinariate’s Customary of Our Lady of Walsingham, remain a continuing consolation to many former Anglicans.
hotbed of reformed debate
Miles Coverdale was born in Yorkshire (in Coverdale) in 1488. Ordained a priest in Norwich (1514), he entered the Austin Friars at Cambridge. Cambridge was at this time a hotbed of reformed debate, and this influenced Coverdale greatly. All his life he moved gradually in a more Protestant, even Puritanical, direction. After 1531 he left the convent, becoming a secular priest and an effective, if controversial, preacher.
first entire Bible written in EnglishBut his great interest was in translating the Scriptures,
and the Coverdale Bible (published in 1535) has the distinction of being the first entire Bible written in English. To be honest, Coverdale had almost no Greek or Hebrew, and did not look to those original languages. But he was proficient in German and Latin (and a little French) and his Bible was therefore Englished out of those European languages. What the work lacked in textual accuracy it possessed in vivid and memorable English. It formed the basis of Henry VIII’s “Great Bible”, ordered to be set up in all parish churches in 1538, and the much later King James (Authorised) version of 1611.
nothing to equal it in EnglishApparently, it is also his translation of the Roman
Canon which is at the root of the version in the present Book of Divine Worship. But it is the Psalter which, amazingly, continues in widespread daily use. Admittedly, there are moments when one has the distinct impression that he hadn’t the faintest idea what it was that he was translating: for example Psalm
58:8. Yet, more often, there is nothing to equal it in the English language: for example Psalm 139:6-11.
Well-known for his preaching
Several times, Coverdale lived abroad; he seems often to have lived on the edge of authority. In 1542 he had married, contrary to the rules. Between 1543 and 1547 he was the Lutheran Pastor at Bad Bergzabern. Soon after the accession of the boy king Edward VI he returned to England and, well-known for his preaching ability and
interest in Scripture, was welcomed to the new king’s court and was made the King’s Chaplain.
he was not persecuted He was closely involved in the preparation of the first
Book of Common Prayer. It was probably because of his oratorical gifts that Edward appointed him Bishop of Exeter, where the resistance to reform had been so strong. It is ironical to think that such a man was enthroned in Exeter’s magnificent bishop’s throne, one rather scornful observer remarking, “with the Bishopess also sitting aside him”. Such glory was actually very unpalatable to him and, unsurprisingly, Mary immediately deposed him upon her accession in 1553. However, he was not persecuted and was allowed to move to Denmark. In 1559 he returned again to England but was not reinstated to Exeter. He refused the offer of the See of Llandaff in 1563, probably because he had scruples about wearing vestments. He continued to attract great crowds as a preacher, often preaching in St Paul’s Cathedral and, from 1564-1566, he was Rector of St Magnus the Martyr, London Bridge, where his remains now lie.
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dignity and valueFAiRLy REcEnTLy we celebrated a feast that was introduced into the liturgical calendar relatively recently, by Pope Pius XII on May 1, 1955 – that of Saint Joseph the Worker. It is, you might say, a second and less important feast than the great feast of St Joseph celebrated on 19th March, but still its own right very important.
It was introduced in response to the Communist “May Day” celebrations. Pope Pius had granted a public audience to the Catholic Association of Italian Workers on 1st May 1955, whose members had gathered in Saint Peter’s Square to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their society, and
used the occasion to institute the new feast, which he proposed to the Church and the world as a way of recognising the dignity and value of all human work. As he said on that occasion, “We intend that all may recognise the dignity of work, and that this dignity may be the motive in forming the social order and laws, founded on the equitable distribution of rights of duties”.
Work hard in poor conditions The recent tragic events in Dhaka in Bangladesh,
where hundreds of workers were killed when the building they were working in collapsed, has brought to our attention what we tend to forget, and actually rather like to forget - that there are many in the world who work hard in poor conditions for very little money, who can not provide the basic necessities for their families, and will never achieve the financial security that most of us enjoy, even in a recession.
Credit must be given to PrimarkIt is too easy to forget the plight of workers in a
Bangladeshi sweat-shop, as we congratulate ourselves for having picked up a bargain in a high street fast-fashion store supplied by them. Credit must be given, I think, to Primark, which has pledged compensation to the victims of this disaster who worked for its supplier in Dhaka - long-term aid for children who have lost parents, financial aid for those injured, and payments to the families of the deceased. We can only hope that other retail outlets supplied by the same factory will follow suit. But then, do we actually have to bear some of the blame and responsibility?
A sacred trust For Christians, celebrating the value of labour and
protecting the rights and dignity of those who work is not simply a political or economic agenda; it is a sacred trust that we cannot ignore. It is a trust rooted
in scripture - think of the prophet Amos who roared with anger at those who “sell the needy for a pair of shoes”, or “trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth” (Amos 2:6-7).
Catholic Social teaching Key principles of Catholic Social Teaching are that
all workers have a right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, and to safe working conditions.
They also have a fundamental right to organise and join unions; the economy should serve them, and not the other way around. People have a right to private property, but no one should amass excessive wealth while others lack the basic necessities of life.
the common good and dignity Catholic Social Teaching is also clear that the
vocation to pursue justice is not just a task for Chief Executives and Boards of Directors; it is a call to all of us to work with others to shape the institutions of which we are a part.
In the countless daily decisions and choices we make in our workplaces – and in the shopping mall – social justice, the common good and the dignity of men and women can be upheld or not.
St Thomas Aquinas Church, HamThe four important documents of the Second Vatican Council
The series of open meetings at St Thomas Aquinas Church, Ham to discuss the four important documents of the
Second Vatican Council continues:Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (1965)
– Tuesday 25th JunePastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World
(1965) – Tuesday 24th SeptemberThe meetings are organised by members of the Ordinariate of
Our Lady of Walsingham and begin at 7.30 pmRefreshments will be servedContact – Fr Peter Andrews
[email protected] - 07753827967 St Thomas Aquinas R C Church, Ham Street, Richmond TW10 7HT
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“A Living Rosary”Will Burton has an idea
“FoR mE, prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven, it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy; finally, it is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus.”
So wrote Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. They are wise and wonderful words. As an aspiration of the heart, prayer brings us close to God our Heavenly Father.
Of course there is the old adage ACTS, where each letter stands for a part of prayer. A = Adoration: C = Confession: T = Thanksgiving: and S = Supplication.
We all pray. Every Sunday and Holy Day we gather around the Altar to assist in the offering of the Holy Sacrifice. Every day, we say our own private prayers, we read the Holy Scriptures, we meditate.
Yet somehow the most commonplace prayer among Catholics combines the private and the public. This is The Rosary. The Rosary incorporates all four of these parts of prayer which is, perhaps, why it is so popular in Catholic circles.
Prayer changes thingsPrayer is important. It is a strange, but true, fact
about Catholic Christianity that prayer changes things. Quite how this works I have no idea! I know God has everything in His charge. I know He listens to us. Yet I know He does not dance to our tune. So I have no idea how prayer works, but I know it does.
Who prays for the Ordinariate?Contemplating these momentous and wonderful
facts one day, I thought about the Ordinariate. Who prays for the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham? Who prays for the Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter? Who prays for the Ordinariate of the Southern Cross? I suppose the honest answer is that many people do, both Ordinariate members and non-members.
in common with others
How powerful a prayer would it be if many people prayed together every day for the Ordinariates? This prayer would be private, yet public: In private and at the same time in common with others.
the whole Rosary offered every day
The Rosary would be the perfect choice. Many people could pray one mystery each day, and in the usual order of those mysteries. Then the whole Rosary would be offered each and every day without it becoming a burden on any one individual.
Join us in this wave of prayerIf you would care to join us at The PorTal in this wave
of prayer, just send us an e-mail to [email protected], or write to “The Portal Magazine, 56 Woodlands Farm Road, Pype Hayes, Birmingham, B24 0PG“. Tell us who you are and where you live. We will allocate you a mystery.
Just one mystery a dayYou pray this mystery on the 1st day of the month.
Then you proceed through the other mysteries, in turn, on the remaining days of the month. Just one mystery a day, and we all start in a different place, so the whole Rosary is prayed each and every day!
A list of intentions To add to the meaning of this great prayer, we will
send you a list of intentions - just two or three each day. You offer your mystery for each days’ intention. In this way, every Group will be prayed for by name every month, as will our Ordinary and his Assistants.
Let us surround the Ordinariate with this wave of prayer, a truly Living Rosary.
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The A - Z of the Catholic Faithby fr Stephen Wang
E is for…
Eternal LifeTHERE is a natural longing in the human heart for peace, friendship, love and happiness; for a life that is purposeful and worthwhile. And there is an even deeper longing, sometimes quiet or hidden, to discover the ultimate meaning of life, to know the love of God, and to share in a destiny beyond the horizon of death. As St Augustine wrote: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
Through faith, Christians know that all human beings have been created by God for eternal life with him. We are his children, made in his image and likeness. Despite the tragedy of the Fall and our own sinfulness, we are searching for him, and he is constantly reaching out to us in love.
Through the Incarnation, death and Resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ, and through the gift of the Holy Spirit, God the Father allows us to share in his own divine life even now – through faith and the sacraments.
If we stay faithful to Christ, and die in peace with him, we will live forever in heaven. There, in a communion of love with the Most Blessed Trinity and with all the angels and saints, we will find the perfect and everlasting bliss that our hearts have been longing for.
EucharistTHE Holy Eucharist, the Sacrifice of the Mass, is the source and summit of the Christian life. It is one of the seven sacraments, instituted by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, when he asked his Church to “do this” in memory of him.
There are two main parts to the celebration. In the Liturgy of the Word, Christ gathers us together, speaks to us through the readings from Sacred Scripture and through the homily, and calls us to be transformed through his living Word. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, Christ becomes present amongst us at the consecration of the bread and wine, and we are made present to his redeeming sacrifice on Calvary.
We meet Jesus Christ himself in a unique and incomparable way, who is truly present with us in the Blessed Sacrament - in his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. We are united with him and with each
other as we receive Holy Communion. Through the Eucharistic sacrifice we are united with God the Father, offering him thanks and praise, through the power of the Holy Spirit. The sacrifice of the Mass and the sacrifice of the cross are one and the same sacrifice.
The Holy Eucharist is the greatest act of worship possible on earth. It helps us to deepen our faith, to grow in holiness, and to offer our whole lives to the Lord. It inspires us to go out to serve and evangelise others. The graces of the Eucharist help the living and the dead. Through this sacrament we are united in love and communion with the whole Church throughout space and time, with all the angels and saints, and given a foretaste of the joy of heaven.
EvangelisationTHE literal meaning of the verb “to evangelise” is “to share the Good News”. This is our vocation as Christians: not just to live our faith silently, but to share it with others, to proclaim Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, so that they may come to faith and share in the salvation he brings.
This is what Jesus commanded after his Resurrection: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
Evangelisation includes sharing the core Christian message about Jesus Christ with others (proclamation); helping people to grow in their knowledge and understanding of the essentials of the Catholic faith, especially as they prepare for the sacraments (catechesis); and helping them come to Christian maturity by strengthening their faith, hope and charity (formation).
There are different ways of giving witness to our Christian faith, many of them quiet and unobtrusive. But the evangelisation carried out by the whole Church and by each individual will always include some form of proclamation; it will have some element of explicitly trying to share the Good News of Christ with others, and inviting them to know him and his
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holy silence and solitudeJackie Ottaway meets Brother harold Palmer
THE cATHoLic history of Northumberland is long and distinguished. The county itself is beautiful, with the sea to the East and the Cheviots to the West. Driving from Alnwick, the countryside became more remote and rugged.
The roads got narrower, and the pot-holes deeper. Eventually the SatNav instructed me to turn off the road and on to a rough track. Getting out of the car to open the five-barred gate, I stepped into something really nasty; wet, smelly and squelchy. As I drove to the buildings, the track went uphill and the wind became much stronger. Eventually I arrived at Shepherd’s Law.
franciscan heritageBrother Harold was at the gate
to meet me. He is a kindly and rather elderly man in a rough habit which displays his Franciscan heritage. Our greetings over, he said, “Let us go into the Chapel”. It was right by the gate, a beautiful stone building with a porch, a nave, a chancel and a sanctuary; just like a small Parish Church in fact. Inside the silence wrapped itself around me and drew me into the holiness.
Stained glass windows, icons and statues decorated the Chapel, but it was the wonderful silence that held me. Before long however we walked across the grass to Br Harold’s house and into the parlour. It was warm and cosy. Coffee was produced and we settled down to chat.
A hermit for forty-two yearsBrother Harold has lived at Shepherd’s Law as a
solitary for forty-two years. He told me his story, “I was sent to Glasshampton Monastery in Worcestershire as a temporary cook in 1958. The white walls of the monastery spoke to me. I was twenty seven years of age. The Monastery had been founded by Fr William Sirr in 1918 to live a life of prayer and silence in a monastic enclosure. The Society of Saint Francis (the Anglican Friars) were to look after the place until such a community arose. However by the 60’s a case was made that SSF was an heir.
i had to work to pay for it“By that time, though, the call to contemplative
life remained. SSF had sent me to the Friary at Alnmouth in Northumblerland. It is the things that happen to one, rather than one’s own plans!
“I was at Alnmouth for five years, and in 1969 went back to Glasshampton. At a conference for Anglican Religious in Oxford, I met the Reverend Mother, Mother Mary Clare of the Fairacres Community. I owe her and the sisters, a great deal, through the teaching of Fr Gilbert Shaw, their Warden, who had been a disciple of Fr William.
In the course of time she encouraged me to seek an eremitical vocation. SSF agreed, but I had to work to pay for it. I became an Hospital Orderly in London.
“Let’s get on with it!”“I was able to visit Mount Athos and then Italy to
see places of eremitical Life. Then I found Shepherd’s Law by accident. I knew the CofE Curate in the village. We were out looking for a suitable place and a saw the ruins from the road. He said, “It’s just a ruin, an old shepherd’s cottage,” but something made me say “Let’s go and see it.“ Straightaway, I knew it was where I was to be. Then I had second thoughts, until a parcel arrived in the post containing a trowel, a measuring tape and a plumb line, as much as to say, “Let’s get on with it!”
Church – in whatever ways are appropriate. Our “witness of life” (our love, our service, our prayer, our sacrifices) always needs complementing by our “witness of words” (our humble attempts to speak about the love of God in Jesus Christ).
If we pray for opportunities to evangelise, even in small ways, then they will come; and if we seize them with courage and humility, this will be a great gift to others, and help us to grow in our own appreciation of our faith.
A to Z . . . continued from page 10
June 2013 Page 12RTALTHE P
Then another thing happened! I was asked by a French Capuchin Friar to enter into a twinning arrangement of shared visits with an emphasis on prayer for Christian Unity. So it was off to France for the first of regular exchange visits.
i fought the cattle for fresh water “I came here on Easter Day 1971, it was April 12th. I
lived in a caravan with no running water. I fought the cattle for fresh water and built a house myself with people coming to help. Subsequently the Guest House was built in the 1980s. Eventually the Chapel was built by two men in seven years. It is dedicated to Saint Mary the Glorious Mother and her Solemnity is on 22nd August. It was dedicated on 18th September 2004.
Public profession “This place was called, indeed
is called, Shepherd’s Law. In Northumberland ‘Law’ is a hill. Since coming here I have discovered the monastic tradition of Northumbria: Saint Aidan, Saint Cuthbert, Saint Wilfrid and so many others. I have been on my own since 1971. Friars from Alnmouth would bring things. Bishop Alec Graham was a great support. In 1996 I sought Full Communion with the Catholic Church. It was a realisation that that was what I was! It was not a sense of conversion. I made a public profession of what had already happened. The only way I could do this was to leave SSF and I asked to be released from my Anglican vows on the day I was consecrated as an Hermit by the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle.
Anglican form of worship continue“The Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, Ambrose
Griffiths, was a Benedictine. He said I should continue with the Anglican form of worship. Bishop Kevin Dunn was also very good to me, and Bishop Cunningham is good too.
“Because I was a lay person, the Trustees agreed that I could stay here. I hope and pray that Shepherd’s Law will become a small monastic community, a Skete in fact. There are plans for this with a Cloister and a Guest House.
“I cook for myself and I have a quad-bike for shopping in Alnwick. Oh, and a mobile telephone but
I don’t switch it on very much! “
A great bell As I was taking my leave, Br Harold pointed out
a great bell hanging just outside the Chapel Porch. It was, he said, the Saint Magnus Bell. “Cast in York about 1500 it carries the inscription (in Latin), “Once I was, Now I am, resounding Thomas”. It hung in
Saint Magnus’ Church, Bessingby near Bridlington. This Church was rebuilt in such a way that there was no room for the bell. It was going to a museum, but the Church authorities decided not to allow this. It had to be used as a church bell. So it was advertised and he applied to have it. That is how it came to Shepherd’s Law.”
daily timetable “From time to time people come
and stay. The Daily Timetable follows a monastic pattern:
0700 Matins . . . Breakfast 0900 Tierce 1200 Sext . . . Dinner 1400 None1700 Evensong 1930 Supper 2030 Compline1100 on Sundays: Mass at the Parish Church
An inspiring dayIt was a great privilege to visit Shepherd’s Law and
to meet Brother Harold - a holy man in a holy place. We pray that his vision will be realised. Thank you, Brother Harold, for an inspiring day.
friends of Shepherd’s LawThere is a group of Friends of Shepherd’s Law.
Richard Sharp is the Secretary, and you can contact him at:
Richard SharpFriends of Shepherd’s Law16 Front StreetGlantonNorthumberland NE66 4AJ
Guests who wish to go to stay should bring their own sheets or a sleeping bag. The address is:
The Hermitage of Saint Mary and Saint CuthbertShepherd’s LawAlnwickNorthumberland NE66 2DZ
June 2013 Page 13RTALTHE P
Presteigneby harry Schnitker
iT sEEms, at first, counterintuitive that the Ordinariate group of Presteigne, being on the Welsh side of the border, should have little to do with the Anglo-Saxon saints. However, modern and ancient borders are not always coterminous.
Presteigne was firmly to the east of Offa’s Dyke, therefore belonging to the Kingdom of Mercia. To the local population, Presteigne would have been known as Llanandras. However, there was also an Anglo-Saxon border garrison.
Church or holy Place of St AndrewThe political situation is a great deal clearer than the
religious one. It is notoriously difficult to reconstruct the pre-Conquest Welsh Church, particularly in this part of Wales. One would, for example, imagine that the history of the Cathedral Church of St Asaph was easy to trace: it is not. Much can be reconstructed from place-name evidence, and this is certainly the case with Presteigne. Its Welsh name signifies the Church or Holy Place of St Andrew, to whom the present parish church is dedicated.
The church is certainly old; some of its walls date back to the tenth century, and are, therefore, Anglo-Saxon. Some assume that there was a Welsh church here before the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons, but there is no archaeological or literary evidence for this. It would seem instead that the name Llanandras was used by the conquered Welsh to describe both military settlement and new church. This is also a good indication that the church played a significant role in local government, which was, in effect, an extension of royal government.
the embodiment of the enemyGiven the mutual dislike between Anglo-Saxon
and Welsh Catholic clergy, as witnessed in the pages of St Bede’s Ecclesiastical History, it will come as little surprise that the Welsh Church, now pinned firmly behind the Dyke, was seen by the Mercian monarchy as the embodiment of the enemy. This has given rise to all sorts of fanciful interpretations. It is simply not true that there was a Welsh or Celtic Church separated from Rome. The Welsh are most clear on the importance that the Welsh clergy attached to Rome.
Papal missionSt David, for example, was believed to have studied
under St Paulinus of Wales, the Papal missionary to the Anglo-Saxons, and to have been consecrated
whilst on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Obviously, David was very much part of the world-wide Catholic Church and it is improbable, to say the least, that he would have been able to study with Paulinus if the two men had held different doctrines.
This does not mean that the Welsh had no devotion for St Andrew. Indeed, very often one encounters double dedications in Wales, some linking St Andrew with St David, including St David’s Cathedral. This also happened in the Anglo-Saxon world, as, for example, at Wells, where St Andrew was paired with the Welsh saint Cyngar. One sees this type of double dedication all over the world: it pairs the local with the Apostolic-Roman in a very deliberate way.
The ancient church of Presteigne/Llanandras may have received its titular because St Andrew was international. Under its roof, Welsh and Anglo-Saxon could come to worship, safe in the knowledge that their small community formed part of that wider Apostolic Church.
Catholic League Centenary 2013Tuesday, July 2nd 2013 – Foundation Day
Church of the Assumption, 12 Warwick Street, London W1B 5NB5pm Afternoon Tea & Reception
6pm: First Centenary Festival Lecture: Gregory Dix and the Necessity of the Papacy
The Revd John Hunwicke, Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham7pm: Solemn Sung Mass (Roman Catholic)
The Rt Revd Keith Newton, Celebrant(Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham)
Preacher: The Revd Michael Rear, President of the Catholic League, Preacher
Saturday, July 6th 2013 – Inauguration DayChurch of St Magnus the Martyr, London Bridge, EC3R 6DN
12 noon: Solemn Sung Mass (Anglican)The Revd Philip Warner, Celebrant
(Rector, in succession to the Founder, the Revd Henry Fynes Clinton)Preacher: The Revd Canon Dr Robin Ward, Principal of St Stephen’s House, Oxford
1.15pm: Lunch Reception2.30pm: Second Centenary Festal Lecture:
The Quest for Unity – 100 Years of the Catholic LeagueJudge Michael Yelton, The Anglo-Catholic History Society
RSVP to [email protected] www.unitas.org.uk
June 2013 Page 14RTALTHE P
the future of Christianity in BritainCatherine Utley reports on a talk organised by the friends of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham
cHARLEs mooRE, the former editor of The Daily Telegraph, whose authorised biography of Margaret Thatcher is published on Tuesday [23 April], is to give a talk on the future of Christianity in Britain at an event in London being organised by the Friends of the Ordinariate.
Moore, a former Anglican who converted to Catholicism in 1994, is an honorary Vice-President of the Friends which was set up to support the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham - the structure established by Pope Benedict to allow Anglicans to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church whilst retaining much of their Anglican heritage.
Brompton OratoryAt the invitation of the Provost and the Fathers of
the Oratory, the event will take place in the Little Oratory, Brompton Road, London on Thursday June 13. It will begin at 6pm with Evensong and Benediction with the Ordinary, Monsignor Keith Newton, presiding. Music from both the Anglican and Catholic traditions will be provided by the well-known Oratory choir. Charles Moore’s talk will follow in St Wilfrid’s Hall next to the Little Oratory.
Moore is one of Britain’s most respected journalists. He writes three columns a week: two for the Daily Telegraph, one for The Spectator magazine. For the last sixteen years he has also been writing the authorised version of Margaret Thatcher’s biography. The first volume is published on Tuesday; he is now engaged on the second volume.
Interviewed by the Catholic Herald after the Ordinariate was established, Charles Moore said of it: “If it’s true that in my Father’s house there are many mansions, there should be a good Anglican mansion, which is Catholic but has Anglican characteristics and where Anglican spirituality can flourish in a Catholic way.”
He said that he had agreed to become a Vice-President of the Friends because, for former Anglicans, joining the Catholic Church was
often like arriving in a foreign country and not knowing anyone. “So one should do one’s best to help, not only for their good but for the good of the Catholic Church, because the Catholic Church always needs new ideas and new blood however venerable it is.”
As well as raising much needed funds for the Ordinariate, the Friends’ main aim is to help integrate it more fully into the hearts and minds of all Catholics.
Friends of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of WalsinghamSupporting the Vision of the Holy See for Christian Unity
Guest speaker
CHARLES MOOREI VOW TO THEE MY COUNTRY
The Future of Christianity in Britain
The Friends’ Spring Event on Thursday 13 June 2013 begins with Evensong and Benediction at 6.00 p.m. in the Little Oratory, Brompton Road, London SW7. Monsignor Keith Newton, Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, will preside. The talk by Charles Moore, former editor of the Daily Telegraph and Margaret Thatcher’s authorised biographer, will follow in St Wilfrid’s Hall where refreshments will be served. £10 payable at the door. All are welcome. For more information, email [email protected]
June 2013 Page 15RTALTHE P
BLAcK counTRy Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Cannock Road, Wolverhampton, WV10 3PG MAss: 3rd Sunday of the month: 11.30am, also on Mon 7pm and Wed 9.30am ContACt: Fr Christopher Marshall: 01902 672633, 07889 414023, [email protected] or Fr John Lungley: 01902 896292, 0788 172 2321 - [email protected] - [email protected]
BRisToL St Joseph, Camp Road, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 2EN MAss: 2nd Sunday of the month: 12 noon, followed by lunch in the Hall and Evensong and Benediction at 2:30pm ContACt: Fr Peter Clarke: 01935 850408 - [email protected]
cHELmsFoRd Blessed Sacrament, 116 Melbourne Avenue, Chelmsford CM1 2DU MAss: Sunday: 9.30am and 11.30am, (on 1st Sunday of the month specifically Ordinariate), also on Mon to Sat at 9.15am with RC community ContACt: Fr Ivor Morris: 01245 354256 - [email protected]
coRnwALL St Augustine of Hippo, St Austell, PL25 4RA MAss: Sunday: 5.30pm, also on Wed 7pm ContACt: Fr John Greatbatch: 01822 612645 - [email protected]
coVEnTRy St Joseph the Worker, Cannon Park, Coventry, CV4 7DU MAss: 11am - also Mon 7pm, Tues 10am, Wed 10am (with parish); Thurs 7pm, Sat 10am (followed by Adoration & Confession)Coffee morning: Sat 10.30-noon ContACt: Fr Paul Burch: 024 7669 3752 - [email protected]
dEAL St John the Evangelist, St Richard’s Road, Mongeham, Deal, Kent CT14 9LD MAss: Sunday: 11am, 6pm Evensong ContACt: Fr Christopher Lindlar: 01304 374870, 07710 090195 - [email protected] or [email protected]
dERBy St George, Village Street, Derby Derbyshire DE23 8SZ MAss: Sunday: 9.45am - 1st Sunday of the month: 11am St John, Midland Road, Stapleford, Nottingham, Notts NG9 7BT ContACt: Fr Peter Peterken: [email protected]
EAsTBouRnE St Agnes, 6 Whitley Road, Eastbourne BN22 8NJ MAss: Sunday: 4pm ContACt: Fr Neil Chatfield: [email protected]
HARLow The Church of The Assumption, Mulberry Green, Old Harlow, Essex CM17 0HA MAss: Sunday: 10am, Evensong and Benediction 6pm ContACt: Fr John Corbyn: 01268 733219 - [email protected]
HEmEL HEmPsTEAd St Mark’s, Hollybush Lane, Hemel Hempstead HP1 2PH MAss: Sunday: 9am, also on Wed 8pm ContACt: Fr Gordon Adam and Fr Tim Bugby: [email protected]
HocKLEy, EssEX St Peter’s Eastwood, 59 Eastwood Road North, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex SS9 4BX MAss: 1st Sunday of the month: 10am, also on Holy Days 7.30pm; St Pius X, Southend Road, Hockley, Essex SS5 4QH MAss: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Sundays: 10.30am, also on Fri 9am ContACt: Fr Jeffrey Woolnough: 01702 525323, 07956 801381 - [email protected] or Fr Bob White: 01268 543910 - [email protected] - www.hockleyordinariateolw.blogspot.com
iPswicH Holy Family & St Michael, Kesgrave Suffolk IP5 2QP MASS: 2nd Sunday of the month: 11am. CONTACT: Fr David Skeoch: 01473 612178 - [email protected] - www.ordinariate.org.uk/ipswich
London, wALTHAmsTow Our Lady and St George, Shernhall Street, London E17 9HU MAss: Sunday: 6.30pm ContACt: Fr David Waller: 020 8520 2036 - [email protected]
EAsT London Our Lady of Lourdes, Wanstead, 51 Cambridge Park Road, London E11 2PR MAss: Last Sunday of month: 1pm - followed by a “Bring and Share” Lunch ContACt: Fr Rob Page: 020 8550 4540 - [email protected]
mAidsTonE, KEnT Chapel of Our Lady, 37a Barming Road, Wateringbury ME18 5BD MAss: Sunday: 11am, also on Thurs 7pm - 1st Sunday of the month: 9.15 am at Pembury, also on 1st Sat of each month: 1pm, followed by lunch and Rosary Prayer Group (must be pre-booked - please phone 01622 813916) ContACt: Paul Gibbons: 01622 754812
Ordinariate GroupsWhere to find us at prayer
June 2013 Page 16RTALTHE P
mAncHEsTER oRdinARiATE Mission St Joseph, Mary Street, Heywood OL10 1EG MAss: Sunday: 11am, also on Tue 7.30pm, Holy Hour: Thur 12 noon, Bible study: Mon 7.30pm, 2nd Sunday of the month: Evensong 4pm House Mass at The Old Coach House, 3a Bostock Road, Broadbottom, Cheshire SK14 6AH 4th Sunday of the month: 6.30pm ContACt: Fr Andrew Starkie: 01706 625512 - [email protected] - www.manchester-ordinariate.org.uk
noRTH BiRmingHAm Holy Cross & St Francis, Signal Hayes Road, Walmley, Sutton Coldfield B76 2RS MAss: Sunday: 12.30pm. ContACt: Ronald Crane: 0121 241 8730 - [email protected]
noTTingHAm St John the Evangelist, Midland Road, Stapleford, Nottingham, Notts NG9 7BT MAss: 1st Sunday of the month: 11am, Sun 9am, Thur 7pm. ContACt: Fr Simon Ellis: [email protected]
oXFoRd Holy Rood, Folly Bridge MAss: Sat (of Sun) 6pm, Mon 9am, Tues 9am, Thu 6.30pm, Fri 12.30pm (Latin) - all at Holy Rood - also Wed 10am (at Oxford Oratory) ContACt: Mgr Andrew Burnham: 01235 835038 - [email protected] or Fr Daniel Lloyd: 01865 749466 - [email protected]
PoRTsmouTH St Agath, Market Way, Landport PO1 4AB MAss Sat 11am (Low), Sunday 11am (Solemn) ContACt: Fr John Maunder - [email protected]
PREsTEignE, wALEs The Assumption of Our Lady and St Thérèse, Kings Turning Road, Presteigne LD8 2LD MAss: Sunday: 9 am (with parish), Wed and Fri 9.30 am (with parish)
On other week days, especially Major Feasts when there is no Mass in the parish church,
the traditional Ordinariate Mass (BDW) is celebrated in The Chapel, 7 Hereford Street, Presteigne LD8 2AW ContACt: Fr Brian Gill: 01544 267063 - [email protected]
REAding St James, Abbey Ruins, Forbury Rd, Reading, Berkshire RG1 3HW (next to Reading Gaol) MAss: Sunday: 9.15am. ContACt: Fr David Elliott: 07973 241424 - [email protected]
sALisBuRy The Most Holy Redeemer, Fortherby Cresc, Bishopdown, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 3EG MAss: Sunday: 11am, Wed 6.30pm, 2nd Sun of the month: 6pm Evensong ContACt: Fr Keith Robinson: 01722 504807, 07722 653367 - [email protected] or [email protected]
scoTLAnd: EdinBuRgH St Kentigern, Parkgrove Avenue, Edinburgh EH4 7QR MAss: 2nd Sunday of the month: 1pm - inVERnEss, Fortrose St Peter and St Boniface, Cathedral Square, Fortrose IV10 8TB MAss: 1st, 3rd, 5th Sundays of the month: 11am. sTiRLing Holy Spirit, 1 McGrigor Rd, Stirling FK7 9BL MAss: 2nd Sunday of the month: 4.30pm. For ABERdEEn, gLAsgow and sToRnowAy - please contact us for futher information. ContACt: Fr Len Black: 01463 235597 or 07836 365719 - [email protected] or Fr Stanley Bennie: 01851 703259 or 07768 660612 - [email protected] - www.scotlandordinariate.com
Please help us keep this information up to date by letting us know of any changes - or if your group
wishes to be listed ... email us at [email protected]
‘nothing is more common than for men to think that
because they are familiar with words they understand the ideas they stand for.’Bl John Henry newman
Forms of words for making a bequest in favour of the Personal Ordinariate
of Our lady of Walsingham in your Will
I GIVE to the PERSONAL ORDINARIATE OF OuR LADY OF WALSINGHAM, 39 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1BX, the sum of _________ pounds (£ ) and I DIRECT that the receipt of the Treasurer or other proper officer of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham shall be good and sufficient discharge to my Executor.orI GIVE the residue of my estate to the PERSONAL ORDINARIATE OF OuR LADY OF WALSINGHAM, 39 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1BX, and I DIRECT that the receipt of the Treasurer or other proper officer of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham shall be good and sufficient discharge to my Executor.
June 2013 Page 17RTALTHE P
Year of Faith 2012/13The FAITH MOVEMENT invites you to a DAY OF FAITH at St Patrick’s Church, Soho Square, London W1 on June 18th 2013, starts 11 am
Special guest speakers: Rt Rev Philip Egan, Bishop of Portsmouth 3pmGeorge Weigel, Papal biographer 7.30pm other speakers include Canon Luiz Ruscillo,
Director of Education, Diocese of Lancaster. The Day will include Mass, lunch, Adoration of the Blessed sacrament, opportunity for confession.
tickets : £20.00 , includes lunch and supper.Daytime only: £10.00 includes lunch.Evening only: £10.00 includes supper.Book your place now! send cheque payable to
FAItH/KEYWAY to: st Peter’s Church, Bishop’s Rise, Hatfield, Herts AL10 9Hn. Please give your name, postal address and email and enclose a addressed envelope .Programme for the day:
11am Arrival. Coffee and pastries.11.25 Introduction and welcome11.30 speaker: Canon Luiz Ruscillo, Director
of Education, Diocese of Lancaster: tHE YEAR oF FAItH: tEACHInG
AnD CELEBRAtInG tHE FAItH
12.30 Break. opportunity for confession
12.45 MAss In st Patrick’s Church.
1.15pm Buffet Lunch2.30pm ADoRAtIon oF tHE BLEssED
sACRAMEnt in st Patrick’s Church.3pm GUEst sPEAKER: Rt Rev Philip Egan,
Bishop of Portsmouth: tHE YEAR oF FAItH: CHALLEnGE AnD oPPPoRtUnItY4.00pm tea4.30pm Benediction in st Patrick’s ChurchBreak (optional History Walk around the local
area, led by Joanna Bogle)6.30pm Drinks and Buffet7.30pm Guest speaker: GEoRGE WEIGEL: tHE YEAR oF FAItH: oUR EVAnGELICAL MoMEnt
Ordinariate Pilgrimageto
The Holy Landwith THE PORTAL
led by Mgr Keith Newton11th - 18th November 2014
Eight Days - £1399 - from London Heathrow
In conjunction with Pax Travel 57-59 Rochester Place
London NW1 9JU
Full Details, Itinerary and Booking Form fromwww.portalmag.co.uk
FESTIVAL WEEK
THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD In the Care of the Ordinariate
A Brief History of EWTN Thursday 20th June
6.30pm Raymond Arroyo
Feast of the Precious Blood Monday 1st July
7pm Solemn Mass Mgr John Broadhurst
Sunday in the Feast
Sunday 7th July 11am Solemn Mass Mgr Keith Newton Hog-Roast Lunch
3.30pm Evensong & Benediction
Parish History Walk Monday 8th July
7pm Dame Joanna Bogle
O’Meara Street, London SE1 www.preciousblood.org.uk
FESTIVAL WEEK
THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD In the Care of the Ordinariate
A Brief History of EWTN Thursday 20th June
6.30pm Raymond Arroyo
Feast of the Precious Blood Monday 1st July
7pm Solemn Mass Mgr John Broadhurst
Sunday in the Feast
Sunday 7th July 11am Solemn Mass Mgr Keith Newton Hog-Roast Lunch
3.30pm Evensong & Benediction
Parish History Walk Monday 8th July
7pm Dame Joanna Bogle
O’Meara Street, London SE1 www.preciousblood.org.uk
FESTIVAL WEEK
THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD In the Care of the Ordinariate
A Brief History of EWTN Thursday 20th June
6.30pm Raymond Arroyo
Feast of the Precious Blood Monday 1st July
7pm Solemn Mass Mgr John Broadhurst
Sunday in the Feast
Sunday 7th July 11am Solemn Mass Mgr Keith Newton Hog-Roast Lunch
3.30pm Evensong & Benediction
Parish History Walk Monday 8th July
7pm Dame Joanna Bogle
O’Meara Street, London SE1 www.preciousblood.org.uk
FESTIVAL WEEK
THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD In the Care of the Ordinariate
A Brief History of EWTN Thursday 20th June
6.30pm Raymond Arroyo
Feast of the Precious Blood Monday 1st July
7pm Solemn Mass Mgr John Broadhurst
Sunday in the Feast
Sunday 7th July 11am Solemn Mass Mgr Keith Newton Hog-Roast Lunch
3.30pm Evensong & Benediction
Parish History Walk Monday 8th July
7pm Dame Joanna Bogle
O’Meara Street, London SE1 www.preciousblood.org.uk
FESTIVAL WEEK
THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD In the Care of the Ordinariate
A Brief History of EWTN Thursday 20th June
6.30pm Raymond Arroyo
Feast of the Precious Blood Monday 1st July
7pm Solemn Mass Mgr John Broadhurst
Sunday in the Feast
Sunday 7th July 11am Solemn Mass Mgr Keith Newton Hog-Roast Lunch
3.30pm Evensong & Benediction
Parish History Walk Monday 8th July
7pm Dame Joanna Bogle
O’Meara Street, London SE1 www.preciousblood.org.uk
FESTIVAL WEEK
THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD In the Care of the Ordinariate
A Brief History of EWTN Thursday 20th June
6.30pm Raymond Arroyo
Feast of the Precious Blood Monday 1st July
7pm Solemn Mass Mgr John Broadhurst
Sunday in the Feast
Sunday 7th July 11am Solemn Mass Mgr Keith Newton Hog-Roast Lunch
3.30pm Evensong & Benediction
Parish History Walk Monday 8th July
7pm Dame Joanna Bogle
O’Meara Street, London SE1 www.preciousblood.org.uk
FESTIVAL WEEK
THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD In the Care of the Ordinariate
A Brief History of EWTN Thursday 20th June
6.30pm Raymond Arroyo
Feast of the Precious Blood Monday 1st July
7pm Solemn Mass Mgr John Broadhurst
Sunday in the Feast
Sunday 7th July 11am Solemn Mass Mgr Keith Newton Hog-Roast Lunch
3.30pm Evensong & Benediction
Parish History Walk Monday 8th July
7pm Dame Joanna Bogle
O’Meara Street, London SE1 www.preciousblood.org.uk
June 2013 Page 18RTALTHE P
Letters to the Editor
from fr Paul Benfield
I am grateful to receive the electronic link to The PorTal magazine each month and read it with interest. I was particularly interested in the May edition with its articles on the Huntingdon Group and the the bridge at St Ives, since I grew up not far from those places. However, there was one inaccuracy in the article on the Huntingdon Group.
Keith Barker is quoted as saying ‘To be told by a resolution passed by the General Synod that we were not loyal anglicans was the last straw!’ General Synod has never passed such a resolution and the position remains in the Church of England that those who support and those who dissent from the ordination of women to the priesthood and epsicopate are both loyal anglicans.
As you know, we are still grappling with how this might work out in practice. I am sure you will agree that it is important, as people search for the right way forward at this difficult time for all Christians, that no-one is swayed by inaccurate information.
With all good wishes to you all Fr Paul Benfield Vicar of St Nicholas, Fleetwood Member of General Synod
from david Murphy
After reading the report in May’s edition of The PorTal about the Ordinariate group in Huntingdon, I must admit to being very concerned.
The comments made by priest and faithful are unfortunately rather pessimistic, especially such expressions as “not viable”, “subsumed”, “swallowed up”. Being an idealist myself, I can see a lot of potential in the regular Evensong, actively supported by the local Parish Priest, in the Group’s participation in activities organised by Fr Professor Brent in Cambridge, in the fact that the Group have their own Pastor and Pastor’s wife although only small in numbers.
Six people appear in photographs in the article, although there is only talk of three(?) and there appear to be a number of sporadic guests or friends, who even include some ex-Anglicans (potential Ordinariate members?).
And what about the former friends who went to Sacred Heart and whose camaraderie the Group
misses? If they see an active and welcoming Ordinariate Group maintaining Anglican traditions while being Catholic who is to say what the future might bring?
The fact that the Catholic parish is already home to three traditions, Keralan and Polish groups alongside the English Catholics, and seem to have no problem in incorporating a fourth tradition., is also a positive omen.
So I think that I would try to view the possibilities for the future on the whole more optimistically. And what about the beautiful small bridge chapel in St. Ives, which is already used for Catholic worship? What an ideal place for a small Group to establish a mass centre, to find an identity and attract new friends!
Bon courage! David Murphy Ordinariate Expats (another very small group who are full of hope)
The views expressed in these letters are not necessarily those of the EditorsLetters for publication should be sent to:
The Editors, The PorTal, 56 Woodlands Farm Road,
Birmingham B24 [email protected]
Show your support for the Ordinariate
Our Lady of Walsingham badge & cufflinkssold in support clergy
stipends - available from: John Worley48 Lawn Lane
Hemel Hempstead HP3 9HL Badges: £4 each
Cufflinks: £12 (pair)please include SAE - cheques payable to: Ordinariate OLW
Coat of Arms of the PersonalOrdinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham
available from:Ordinariate Lapel Badge, 274 Imperial Court,
Kennington Lane, London SE11 5QNCost: £5 (inc P&P) - cheques payable to: Ordinariate OLW
Please remember to include your name and address
June 2013 Page 19RTALTHE P
the Ordinary’s diary for June 2013the Right Revd Monsignor Keith newton24 Golden square, london W1F 9JRTelephone numbers to be confirmed email: [email protected]
8th 1800 Preach, Westminster Cathedral 9th All Day Westminster Cathedral 11th 1100 Ordinary’s Council, East Hendred 13th 1800 FOTO event, Evensong and Benediction followed by talk
by Charles Moore, the Brompton Oratory 14th 1930 40th Anniversary of Ordination, Our Lady of Lourdes,
Wanstead 15th 1030 Speak to Brentwood Pastoral Council
16th 1030 Our Lady of the Assumption, Warwick Street 18th 1100 Day of Faith, St Patricks Soho 20th 1030 Ordinariate Clergy Plenary meeting, St Patricks Soho 22nd 1200 Pilgrimage to Walsingham 23rd 1100 Mass, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Wickford 29th 1030 Ordination to the Diaconate of Andrew Harding, St John’s Seminary Wonersh 30th 1600 Mass, Eastbourne Mission, St Agnes Eastbourne
Ordinariate Pilgrimage to Walsingham
Saturday 22nd June 2013led by Monsignor Keith Newton
Noon: Angelus and Solemn Mass at the National Shrine2:30pm: Holy Mile and Rosary Procession to
the Anglican Shrine3:15pm: Sprinkling at the Anglican Shrine
Pilgrims are invited to bring a picnic lunch
ALL WELCOME!
Monsignor John Broadhurst19 spencelayh Close, Wellingborough, Northants NN8 4UU Tel: 010933 674614 [email protected]
Monsignor Andrew BurnhamTel: 01235 835038 email: [email protected]
Ordinariate Group newsWeston-super-Mare
On Sunday 14th April at St Joseph’s Church, Weston-super-Mare, several people from South Wales joined the congregation at our noon Mass, to witness Fr Peter receiving Rodney Care into the Catholic Church. Rodney, from Newport, was accompanied by Eleanor his wife, who acted as his Sponsor.
In support were his friends Alan and Marilyn Jones from Chepstow and Philip Jones from Cardiff. All three are already members of the Ordinariate. Several members of the Nottingham Ordinariate Group were visiting us, swelling the congregation to about 50 people.
After Mass a buffet lunch was held in the church hall, and a celebration cake was cut by Rodney. It was a splendid day, which will be long remembered by our group members and our visitors from ‘across the water’.
Summer Celebration in Scotland
On Sunday 23rd June Ordinariate members from all around Scotland will come together for an Ordinariate Celebration Mass at 1pm in St Kentigern’s RC Church in Edinburgh. This will be a traditional rite sung Ordinariate Mass at which members of the Stirling Schola Choir will be present to sing the Missa de Angelis.
This is first Ordinariate event in Scotland aimed at bringing together the many scattered Ordinariate members around the counrty and the first of a number of events being planned to make the Ordinariate better known in Scotland. As well as all members of the Ordinariate in Scotland an invitation is extended to all friends and supporters to join in this Special Celebration of the Ordinariate in Scotland. More information at www.ScotlandOrdinariate.com
June 2013 Page 20RTALTHE P
..to be my lawfully wedded…? by Arnold herron
unLEss THE House of Lords comes to the rescue, we shall have same-sex marriage sometime next year or even later this year. There has been a row about this, but David Cameron and Nick Clegg, with assistance from the Labour Party and the coalition government, will get their way. There is great rejoicing at Stonewall.
truly equal marriage At last, a truly equal marriage
law. Everyone may get married, male and female, male and male, female and female. Marriage has been opened up to everyone. No one is to be excluded. The issue is one of equality, and “right thinking” has triumphed.
One man with one woman
Against this is the argument that by passing this Bill, marriage itself has, in fact, been redefined. Once, marriage was the joining of one man with one woman, “forsaking all others until death do us part”. For some time the “till death do us part” has been shelved, with easy-to-get divorce. Now we are doing away with the “one man and one woman” bit as well.
In order to facilitate this change, such concepts as adultery and consummation have, I believe, been abolished. This should give the game away, but no, the modernisers just carry on regardless.
Language has been hijacked Language has been hijacked. First it was the word
“men”, this being restricted to mean “male” instead of “people”, as it had always been understood. Now, “marriage” is to mean something different. How long before “marriage” includes more than two people?
Procreation and nurturing of children There was a time when marriage was for three
reasons: the procreation and nurturing of children; to control man’s “carnal lusts”; and the mutual help, comfort and support of the couple. Notice the order. We have placed the third first, and done away with the first two in the process.
the world will be a better place Do we really imagine that the world will be a better
place because of this same-sex marriage law? Do we really think children will be better off with two daddies, or two mummies? Do we really think it will be better if
more and more children are to be brought up by people other than their natural parents?
“hard cases” Of course, there are children
who are brought up by people who are not their natural parents. Foster parents and those who adopt do a wonderful job, but these are “hard cases”. The majority are brought up by
their natural parents; surely that is as it ought to be?
Air-brushed This redefining of marriage puts all its eggs in the
basket of the couple who get married. Children, and the place of marriage in society, have been air-brushed out of the picture.
questions Three questions come to mind. What horrors await
us at the end of this road? In the future, will we ever be able to trust the political parties who dreamt up this hair-brained law? How long will the church be able to remain involved in marriage under the law in this country?
As to the last question, would it be better if the church withdrew from such marriages? This would, of course, require those married by the church alone to forgo any tax or other benefits bestowed upon the married by the state. Would this be a price worth paying?
WHAT YOU CAN DO?
The very important House of Lords vote on the Second Reading of the same sex Marriage bill takes place on Tuesday 4th June. There are a number of things which can be done in the days leading up to Tuesday’s vote.
• The Coalition for Marriage’s latest update: http://c4m.org.uk/downloads/update1.pdf
• Prayer in Parishes on Monday 3rd June, perhaps a time of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for the protection of Marriage could be promoted.
