THE
P RTAL
December 2012
Page 4
Abbey ruins in Reading
Jackie Ottaway and Ronald Crane
visit the Reading Ordinariate Group
Nestling among
the ruins of Reading Abbey sits the Catholic Church of Saint James, Reading.
It is a beautiful Pugin building that suits the 0915 Sunday Ordinariate Mass rather well. We were there for
Remembrance Sunday and the Requiem Mass for the fallen. It was moving as well as beautiful.
Fr David Elliott
The Group’s priest is Fr David Elliott,
head of Theology at the Oratory
School. He told us, “The group is really
good and great fun. It has all worked
out really well, although I am very
busy with sixteen-hour days. At School
60% of the 420 boys are Boarding. We
also have a Prep School. It is the only
Catholic Boys Boarding School. The
rest are now co-ed.
Evangelicals are having
problems in the Church of England
“As far as the Ordinariate is concerned, we have
to cast our net wider than just Anglo-Catholics.
Evangelicals are having problems in the CofE. Women
Bishops is a symptom not a cause. Others may have
different symptoms, but the cause is the same and it is
still their problem.
“We have noticed that Catholics
in England have been persecuted
for such a long time, even their
Churches tend to be hidden away
round the corner or behind the
hill.
from a lot of different
churches
“What is nice about our Group
is that we all come from a lot of
different churches. Unlike many
other Groups, we are drawn from
five or six different churches.
People travel some distance to
come here. The impetus came
from a small group at Holy
Trinity, Reading, but now you
cannot tell who came from where! We do not think of
ourselves as being from Saint whatever it is. We are all
Ordinariate now.
“We have received two people into the Group since
the initial receptions and we have two receiving
instruction, as well as another chap
nibbling. We are eighteen in all.
Being at Saint James’
works very well
“Being at Saint James’ works very
well. In an ideal world we would have
a 1030 Mass, but it is not the worst
time in the world. It is a slot that was
free and it suits us. We get on very well
with the people here at Saint James’. I
stand in for the Parish Priest, Fr John,
when he is away.
a time for things to bed down
“The last eighteen months have been a time for
things to bed down. The first wave have come. I was
not replaced at Holy Trinity. A new priest went to Saint
Giles’ Reading. The Archdeacon of Berkshire, Norman
Russell, has been lovely and he
and Nicholas Cheeseman, have
been very kind. There are those
who avoid you. Our Cantor still
has links with Holy Trinity and
maintains links with the people
there.
a net contributor
to the Ordinariate
centrally
“As far as finance goes, we are a
net contributor to the Ordinariate
centrally. Because of my work
at School the Ordinariate does
not need to pay me. We are in
the black. We know the habit of
giving is very important and we
are happy to help the centre.
the entire Triduum at School
“At Christmas and Easter we use the Oratory School
Chapel. Some staff come, along with some boys. We
did the entire Triduum at School. Some of the boys
formed a choir and some of the Anglican parents
came. It is a real witness.