Rejoice with those who rejoice...

"Just like the early Church" is the constant refrain of one of the members of our Ordinariate Group - and increasingly I believe she is right. Whereas in large congregations, the names of the sick go past making little impression, with us we seem to recognise each person; "yes, that's John's dad - he's having a hard time just now... Ah yes, Ray - such a dear man - was Head Server, now he is confined to his nursing home, but he receives the Blessed Sacrament each week". And so it goes on. Today though was a day of happiness; for one of our members had been to the Royal Marsden for a consultation about his cancer, and there the Professor was far more positive and helpful than anyone had been before. So we rejoice with those who rejoice.

There is a marvellous commitment among the members of our Group. When we heard about the lecture at Buckfast (over 100 miles West of us here) our organising genius, Madeleine, set about finding details. Eventually some went by car, others by minibus, and we were the farthest-flung group to hear Professor Tracey Rowland on the New Evangelisation. It was good to hear how much the Holy Father has taken from the teaching of Blessed John Henry Newman. Some of it was pretty hard going, but we were glad to know that before long we shall be able to read what Professor Rowland said, and ponder it at greater leisure. There are pictures from the day on Flickr, posted by Fr Bradley on the Ordinariate site. [Above, the Blessed Sacrament Chapel where we celebrated Mass, and before leaving sang Evensong.] Most of us were home again soon after 8pm (many having set off around 6am) and everyone managed to get to the 9.30 Mass today. We are beginning to get a few enquirers joining us, so there are more to add to our prayers.

Now the Group is gearing itself for the big day in September; on 22nd at Noon in Sacred Heart church, Bournemouth [picture above], Deacon Brian Copus is to be ordained a Catholic Priest, together with Deacon John Maunder from the Ordinariate Group at St Agatha's, Portsmouth. We have been given responsibility for organising the day, so Fr Bruce Barnes, the Parish Priest of Sacred Heart, comes over soon for a meal to begin planning. At the same time we are making contact with the Portsmouth Group to ensure that we are not going off at a tangent. Please pray for these two candidates for the Priesthood; and pray too for the Church of England, preparing for an important Synod in a week's time. Romans 12.15 seems especially appropriate just now.

Patrimony & Newman

We know about the Holy Father's devotion to John Henry Newman; perhaps this passage from the Apologia planted the seeds of Anglicanorum Coetibus? In the final section of his Apologia he writes how "national influences have a providential effect in moderating the bias which the local influences of Italy may exert upon the See of Peter". "Catholicity", he says, "is not only one of the notes of the Church but... one of its securities". Yet after considering America and the influence of the French in the church there, he hopes that "all European races will ever have a place in the Church". Then he comes to the passage which attracted me especially:
"I think that the loss of the English, not to say the German element, in its composition has been a most serious misfortune. And certainly, if there is one consideration more than another which should make us English grateful to Pius the Ninth, it is that, by giving us a Church of our own, he has prepared the way for our own habits of mind, our own manner of reasoning, our own tastes, and our own virtues, finding a place and thereby a sanctification in the Catholic Church".
It seems to have been an awareness that, despite the restoration of the Hierarchy to England, Pius IX's objects have not been completely achieved which has encouraged Benedict XVI to complete that work. Many have been puzzled to discern just what is the Anglican Patrimony of which Anglicanorum Coetibus speaks. We could do worse than follow the lead of Blessed John Henry by determining to bring with us into the Ordinariate 'our own habits of mind, our own manner of reasoning, our own tastes, and our own virtues'. That will be far better than chasing down the blind alley of Prayer Book versus Sarum Use or of the English Missal versus the American Book of Divine Worship. Liturgy is a sideshow compared with the breadth of the Patrimony which Newman adumbrates.

Early One Morning....

So, being not quite retired but not permitted to function as a priest, and having attended a mass last evening, this was to be a morning in. Bliss. Then late yesterday I was asked to do a radio interview. I should have said 'No' at once; but thought it could do no harm, it was only local radio, at an hour when no-one would be listening. So, foolishly, I agreed.

The programme was to go out live at 7am today. I would be rung, and interviewed over the phone. Accordingly, rather than a lie-in I was up betimes, the Office said, ready for Radio Solent. Spot on 7 the phone rang. The young lady was terribly sorry, but there was some breaking news in Portsmouth - alas, the item was chopped. I might have asked what the important news might be, but decided it was better not to know; probably a cat stuck in a tree or a fire in a waste-bin.

It did make me realise how the Church's news which so engrosses us comes way down the list in the world's interests. I thought some of my readers (well, one of the two of you) might enjoy this little joke at my expense.

While I'm on, though, there was a very good letter sent to me which had been intended for publication in New Directions. They must have been pressed for space, since they did not print it. Here in part is what Fr Heans had to say:

I recently came across the following from Newman’s Certain Difficulties Felt By Anglicans in Catholic Teaching (1850). He is addressing his friends who are still hanging on in the C of E:

“I know how it will be… the news that the anticipated blow has fallen, and causa finita est. A pause, and then the discovery that things are not as bad as they seemed… a contested election, or other political struggle, theology mixed with politics… and a sanguine hope entertained of a ministry more favourable to Apostolical truth. My brethren, the National Church has had experience of this, mutatis mutandis, ... before”.

At the risk of being called unkind, I wonder if this rings any bells? Oh, and if you should be in striking distance of Beckenham you would be very welcome at St Barnabas' Church (Oakhill Rd, BR3 6NG) this Wednesday at 7pm where Fr Peter Geldard will be speaking and answering questions on the Ordinariate. Fr Geldard is Catholic Chaplain to the University of Kent in Canterbury, and was at one time Secretary General of the Church Union.

All Saints Galore

St George had borrowed another's shield

We pushed Halloween aside this morning at St Francis' Bournemouth, and celebrated All Saints. Some of the children represented certain of the Company of Heaven; I was introduced to St Sebastian with a tennis racquet - patron saint of Sportmen, I was told - I suppose it was because he became a dartboard for his persecutors. Then we had Francis (of course) with a collection of furry animals, St Vitus (in tutu) as Patron of Dance, and a very regal St Adelaide. I'd had to google her; born 931, daughter of Rudolph of Burgundy, betrothed as a child to Lothair of Provence. When Lothair died, leaving her with a young daughter, she was imprisoned for refusing to marry the son of Beringarius who succeeded Lothair. It is all exciting stuff .. and she is also called Adelheid. But no doubt you knew that already.

We sought for Saints in the Congregation

Then we got down to the business of talking about who is and who is not a saint. The epistle teaches us that we are children of God; and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. So we went through the congregation finding potential saints... since Saints is what we are all called to be. We wondered about John Henry Newman; had be been a Saint all the time? Surely he had; the Church simply reassures us about this when it Beatifies or Canonises its saints. And today is for all the thousands which no one can number, unbeatified, un-named, yet all part of that company which no man can number - the Company of Heaven who share the Bread of Immortality with us, at the Table of the Lord.

Tomorrow it is All Saints again, this time in the approaches to Canterbury... a confirmation at Harbledown.

Walsingham

A great place for catching up with old friends, is Walsingham. The last four days FCP held its annual Pilgrimage/Retreat/Conference, and very good it was. Well attended, but also very well addressed. Fr Owen Higgs spoke about Keble, Fr William Davage tackled Pusey, and Fr Jonathan Baker gave his paper on Newman. When the next FCP Acta comes out, it will be worth binding in vellum and putting on library shelves - terrific talks all of them, making us re-assess our (or at least my) rather simplistic ideas about Keble the Poet, Pusey the Scholar and Newman the giant of them all. Especially good to be given these progenitors of the Oxford Movement in the new dawn of Anglicanorum Coetibus.

The Administrator of the Shrine, Bishop Lindsay Urwin OGS, gave us generously of his time - and spoke from the heart about the competing pressures he feels just now; pressures which, in smaller ways, many of us would echo.

Brother Paschal SSF made up the Staggers quartet. He was our Chaplain, and I have never found the holy mile from the slipper chapel more devotional or helpful than under his leadership.

The organisation of these few days is in the hands of the FCP executive, but none works harder than the Chairman, Fr Stephen Bould, or the Secretary General, Fr Brian Tubbs. Both will continue in office (by acclamation) with the intention of keeping the Federation on as even a keel as possible during the impending next stage of the 'parting of friends'. Many of the younger priests are likely to have moved on before the 2011 Pilgrimage.

Among other friends who just turned up while we were there I met Fr Paul Berrett and June, who were holidaying nearby. They are an advertisement for retirement, looking and sounding well and happy. I am due at Fr Paul's former church, St Francis' Bournemouth, on Sunday, so shall be able to take their greetings to his ex-parishioners.

It was not all old chums; there were new ones, too, and it was a delight to meet Fr Lee Kenyon and his people from Canada. I had heard about their parish from Fr Ed Tomlinson's blog, and it was good to discover such an enthusiastic bunch, delighted to be able to respond to the Pope's offer.

A Retreat is partly a time for looking back; and although priests are tempted to say "Parish X where I served has gone to the dogs" or "I wonder what good I did in parish Y" it was a great personal boost for me to recall that our three main speakers and the chaplain had all been students at St Stephen's House in my time there. I claim no credit for myself in their scholarship or piety; only, perhaps, in having had the wit to offer all four of them places at the House.

Staggers Reunion

St Matthew's Willesden is a back-streets Anglo-Catholic gem; so it was a delight to be invited there by Fr Daniel Humphreys for their Feast of Title; and a great kindness of Fr David Houlding to convey me there from Waterloo. Without his sat-nav I would still be looking for St Matthew's. Imagine, arriving on time with Fr Houlding ... wonderful. Since this was my Sunday Mass, earlier in the day I was able to assist (in front of the Tele) at the elevation of John Henry Cardinal Newman to being a Beatus. What a triumph Pope Benedict's four days in England have been.

An added bonus was to have so many old friends in choir at St Matthew's - not concelebrating, for this was a good solid High Mass - Eastward facing and all. Great singing (Praise to the Holiest, of course) and a super supper. Where there are West Indians (these mostly with their roots in Grenada, I'm told) the food is always wonderful. Curried goat is a special favourite. And Fr Humphreys produced an undeserved present, a bottle of Sancerre, saying it was a wine I had mentioned on my blog. It is certainly a favourite... perhaps I should be careful what I say, though, about single malts or premiers crus!

Among others who were present perhaps I might mention two old lags from St Stephen's House, that very selective blogger Fr David Clues, and the guardian of the Episcopal Sofa (ask him) Fr Colin Patterson. The whole evening was just lovely, a great way to end the Pontiff's visit to England. Now I must prepare sermons for next weekend in Essex - a 50th of Priesting and a Confirmation. The St Matthew sermon from this weekend should be on the Anglo-Catholic blog before long.

You will find more about St Matthews at http://www.stmatthews-willesden.org.uk/