THE
P RTAL
May 2012
Page 3
Portal News
The Thoughts
of Will Burton
Congratulations to
Fr James Bradley and Fr Daniel Lloyd, our colleagues in the
Communications department of the Ordinariate. You will have seen the pictures and read the account of
their Ordination to the priesthood. As Monsignor Newton points out elsewhere in this edition of The Portal ,
the Ordinariate goes from strength to strength.
Tick Fen
For those not good with hills, yet
fond of walking, there is a wonderful
place for walking on the flat. It is in
the Fens of Cambridgeshire and
has the evocative name of Tick
Fen. Nestling between the towns
of Somersham and Chatteris, Tick
Fen is as flat as can be. Skylarks and
plovers with the odd heron delight
the eye, and the rich black soil and
the wind all combine to make it a
great place to walk.
close to the Holy Father’s heart. This
too, has to be at the centre of the
Ordinariate. On this subject there
is an interesting booklet produced
by the United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops. It is called
Disciples Called to Witness and
may be downloaded – free of charge
– from their Web Site at www.usccb.
org or this direct link to the Disciples
Called to Witness page - www.tiny.
cc/called-to-witness. Of course the
spelling is American, but don’t let
that bother you too much.
Fathers James and Daniel give
their first blessings to Mgr Andrew
On my April walks, dodging the Burnham and Mgr Keith Newton
The booklet makes the point
showers and the occasional downpour, I have been that before one can evangelise others, one needs
thinking about Anglican Patrimony. It is a popular to be evangelised oneself. It deals with how local
subject: Why, there is even a magazine that has it as a churches may develop a culture of witness rather
regular feature. But what is it: this Anglican
than of maintenance. We learn some
Patrimony? Is it Choral Evensong, a certain
key components of an Outreach
style of worship, Tudor language? Perhaps
Programme: and there is a list of
it is our history, who we are as a people
additional resources.
rather than as individuals. Of course it
could be that it is the wrong question.
Although some of the points made are
more applicable to the USA than to the
Ecumenism
UK, the general thrust of the argument
Could it be that we ought to be asking
is relevant on this side of the Atlantic.
about what the Ordinariate is for,
Our Groups could learn a great deal for
rather than about its Patrimony? As the
this little booklet.
Ordinariate is the product of a positive
Ecumenism, surely Christian Unity ought to be at the
The booklet makes it clear that the New Evangelisation
heart of the Ordinariate and what it is for? The Holy is not an isolated subject. It needs to be approached in
Father has not just talked about Ecumenism, he has a holistic way. Personal commitment goes alongside
taken action. The Ordinariate is a manifestation of real parish life and liturgy, the family with catechetics, and
Ecumenism; therefore we must be about Ecumenism hospitality and trust with prayer and the Sunday Mass.
ourselves. This is not a mere optional extra; it has to be
at the heart of who we are as a people.
This little booklet is a valuable resource for our
Groups, and it makes the important point that the
New Evangelisation
New Evangelisation is for every Catholic, not just the
Alongside Ecumenism is the New Evangelisation, so clergy.
Anglican Patrimony