THE
P RTAL
March 2013
well as a short Mass at 5:30pm on Saturday evening!
Michael was more practical, “If the Ordinariate has
people drifting away to become Diocesan Catholics,
the bridge will have gone and the Ordinariate will have
lost its identity”. Martin took up this theme, “We have
to ask, ‘what is the Ordinariate for?’ The Ordinariate is
important for the Catholic Church.”
mission and evangelism
Turning to mission and evangelism,
Michael pointed out that Fr Ed was vocal
on the local Churches Together. However
Martin was worried that the Ordinariate
was being kept quiet, “Many have never
heard of it,” he said. This group had been
welcomed into the Catholic Church. Yet
Lydia felt a twinge of sadness at leaving
Saint Barnabas, “There were a lot of younger Marion Chase
people there. It felt like a family was
splitting up. Michael said many
thought they would go back to the
CofE after a bit, but none did! Martin
said, “It was a natural progression for
us. We had prayed for unity and unity
was offered: we accepted.”
positive, diverse
Page 5
better. Relations with the local Baptists are good.
“We can nearly pay our way. I was promised two
days a week at the local Hospital Chaplaincy. This
did not materialise. Now we are financially short.
The Ordinariate pays my stipend. The Diocese looks
after the building, and my mass stipend goes into the
Ordinariate account from which my stipend is paid.
“There are three baptisms coming up. We
had two weddings last year. We are attracting
young families. Established families found
the change very difficult. Catholics arriving
in the village find us attractive.
“Music is one way we express our Anglican
patrimony. Also the manner in which we
have a traditional celebration but use the
new Mass. Preaching is strong and
distinctive. I look to the whole
community rather than see myself
as Chaplain to the Catholics. We
have a Steering Committee made
up of five from the Ordinariate and
five from the parish. Our big plan
is to build a common room on the
car park which would allow us to
have sacred space. It is a bad homily
when one folds up the church after
Sunday Mass.
After a lovely lunch, we settled
down with Fr Ed. He told us about Fr Ed and Hayley Tomlinson
the Pembury Ordinariate Group, “We
are positive, diverse in age and background. We are
family friendly. “We have made massive progress. The Fr Paul and the Maidstone Group
Catholics at S Anselm’s had two weeks’ notice that we
“There is a very good relationship with Fr Paul
were coming. They felt threatened - who wouldn’t? Yet Gibbons and the Maidstone Group. They worshipped
quickly unity and harmony reigned.
with us while they prepared to join the Ordinariate.
They have now gone back to Maidstone. We still
“Seventy-two came across. One or two became join together for some feasts and they join with our
Diocesan Catholics. No one has gone back. We have monthly “I Believe” evenings.
ended up at Pembury. It is a village and that is difficult.
We cannot just have a village agenda because we are National Assembly
“We would probably join with a national Ordinariate
wider than that. Also some new families have joined
us. We can have between forty five and seventy at 0915; event if we had enough notice and there was substance
to the event. What we really need is something
with between thirty and forty at 1100.
rather like the Forward in Faith National Assembly;
a blank canvas
something over two days and with real substance.
“The great thing is, we have a blank canvas. New
houses have been built at Pembury so it has become permanent place of worship
something quite large. It is good that we are at
“Where shall we be in ten years’ time? That is a
Pembury. It is a dual purpose building and we have good question; perhaps a permanent place of worship
plans to build a hall, so church can be church. We need in Pembury with a full congregation that acts like a
sacred space. We are not in danger of being swallowed Minster to other smaller groups in Kent and East
up. Our identity is secure.
Sussex?
“Relations with the local Catholics are positive. There
Thank you Fr Ed, and Hayley, for your welcome, for
was suspicion at first, but it is getting better. With the lunch and for your frankness. We had a wonderful
CofE, relations are bad. In the village here it is getting time with you, your family and your Group.