Telling our story

Today we should begin by wishing our rebellious colonials "Happy Independence Day". Our week began in an unusual encounter; an English Texan meeting a Texan Englishman. Fr Allan Hawkins, from Dallas/Fort Worth visited us with his wife Jose - they are now American citizens - and met our Texan ordinands, Darryl Jordan, who had recently achieved British citizenship.

Darryl (l) and Fr Allan in conversation - between them, Margareta and Jose

 

We had all packed into the small Hall after Mass so that Fr Allan could tell us about his journey from the Church of England, via the Episcopal Church, into the Catholic Church - first, the Anglican Provision and now the Ordinariate. By another strange coincidence we had visitors with us who came from Swindon - where both Fr Allan and our own priest Fr Brian Copus, had served. Small world

 

 

It was, as you can see, quite a squash.

 

Then last evening I had some explaining to do: Fr Marcin, the Polish priest in our neighbouring parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, New Milton, had invited me to speak about the Ordinariate to some of his parishioners.

 

 

He wanted this rather formal picture for the record - he has recently discovered some of the ancient trasures of the parish and put them on display - maybe one day we shall feature in an exhbiition of ancient treasures. Meanwhile, I must go off to say Mass at his Church which I do most Thursdays.



The Ordinariate Grows

The grass was still being mown at the Church of the Holy Redeemer, on the outskirts of Salisbury, as we arrived. In the distance Bishopsdown glowed in the evening sun. David Boundy was to be ordained priest in this church by Mgr Declan Lang, Bishop of Clifton, to serve in the Ordinariate. It is good that Fr Keith Robinson, the Pastor of that Group, will now have a colleague.

The Group shares the church with the local parish, and evidence of the generosity of the Parish Priest, Fr Michael Fitzpatrick, is the notice on the church door announcing the Ordinariate's times of services. Perhaps other parishes will follow suit? Or maybe most already do and it's just that I have not experienced it. Fr Keith was previously Vicar of St Martin's Salisbury, and Fr David had assisted him there in his retirement, so it is good that the same team is now working together in the Ordinariate.

There were four Deacons of the Mass, and ten concelebrating priests. The diversity of chasubles indicated old friends of Fr David from the diocese of Plymouth (David had parishes in west Cornwall and north Devon), from Clifton (where the Cathedral is in Bristol, but the Diocese covers Somerset and stretches as far east as Salisbury), from Portsmouth and London and, of course, from the Ordinariate. Servers came from all the Catholic parishes in Salisbury.

Making a dash for the Reception after Mass

Afterwards there was a photocall; Fr Keith is on the left here, next to him Mgr Andrew Burnham, then Bishop Declan and the newly ordained Fr David.

Money, Money, Money

Whenever we get together to talk about the Ordinariate, the question of Finance always arises. In his first Press Conference on being appointed as the Ordinary, Fr Keith spoke of the way members of the Ordinariate would have to get used to supporting the ministry of their clergy. It is very good, therefore, to be able to reproduce (from The Anglo-Catholic - thank you, Christian) the following information:

"The Catholic Bishops' Conference has advised that a Restricted Fund has been established to hold donations towards the formation and support of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in England and Wales, under the auspices of the Catholic Trust for England and Wales (CaTEW). There may be a facility in the future to make donations by standing order, but for the present, donations can be made by cheque, made out to CaTEW, and sent to:

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales
39 Eccleston Square
LONDON
SW1V 1BX

Donors are asked ensure that a note is enclosed with the cheque indicating that the donation is for the Restricted Fund for the Ordinariate".

I have posted off my first cheque today, with a note asking to be told when the Standing Order facility is available; and also saying I would like tax to be reclaimed on this and future payments. If all of us heading for the Ordinariate were to convert our present donations to the CofE into a regular payment to the Ordinariate, and add more as we are able, it would show just how serious we are about getting the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham off to a good start.