The Portal Archive November 2012 | Page 12

THE P RTAL

November 2012 Page 12

Friends of the Ordinariate

We wondered how she came to be involved with the Friends of the Ordinariate . She said , “ It started by growing up in a home with both Anglican and Catholic cultures . It is a deep part of my make-up . I became involved in local Catholic issues and saw the Ordinariate and thought how encouraging it was - wonderful !

The spiritual energy it brings to the Catholic Church is encouraging and imaginative . Benedict XVI has breathed new life into a moribund ecumenical movement .

Then I saw an advert in the Catholic Herald . I had met Peter Sefton-Williams ( Chairman of the Friends ) at my Church in Balham .

I offered to help the Friends . He invited me to the Support Group . With Bush House about to be no more , it was heaven sent . I could bring my journalistic skills to bear and help with fund-raising .”

raising awareness

“ Fund-raising goes hand in hand with raising awareness . Many people can be fired with enthusiasm for the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham . We have a Priest-Affiliate scheme . These are Catholic Priests who are affiliated to the Ordinariate .

We hope they will have a Second Collection on one Sunday a year and allow an Ordinariate Priest to give the Homily . We have fifty or sixty signed up so far . We hope to cover the whole of England , Wales and Scotland .

follow-up letters

“ Also , I am writing lots of follow-up letters to people who have contacted the Ordinariate , and also to people who might care to give generously . Of course , there will be articles and I hope to gain publicity for the Ordinariate .

“ There is to be an Epiphany Service , I hope , at Saint Mary of the Angels , Bayswater on 10 th January at - I think - 7pm . The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School Schola Cantorum will provide the music . Perhaps some of your Readers will be able to come along ?

annual National Collection

“ We want to educate people and encourage them to write to the press in support of the Ordinariate , and maybe the Bishops will allow an annual National Collection in Catholic parishes for the Ordinariate . We are going to ask them anyway .

“ I am not sure I will write for The Portal every month , but there will be an article or an Advert . There will be news of events and accounts of events past . I hope we shall show how the Friends are helping the Ordinariate and how The Portal can help the Friends . The main drive is to encourage Diocesan Catholics to support the Ordinariate .

“ I feel I do not know the Ordinariate Groups enough . A friend of mine from the BBC took me to an Ordinariate Ordination . It was the Ordination of Fr Rob Page . I went on the coach with his Ordinariate Group . They were so full of joy , it was wonderful . It was exciting .”

Welcome to the team

The Portal is very happy to welcome Catherine to its team of writers , and we are very pleased to help with the work of the Friends of the Ordinariate . We know The Portal is read by many Diocesan Catholics and by many non-Catholics . It is to be hoped that all our readers will assist Catherine in her new work and respond to her Portal articles .

pleasure to meet with Catherine

It was pleasure to meet with Catherine and chat about The Portal ( she said some very kind things ) about the Ordinariate and about the Friends . We look forward to her articles ; that first one ought to appear in the December issue .

Dates for your diary

Ocean to Ocean Piilgrimage

The Pilgrimage of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa from Vladivostok to Fatima in defence of life and the family will be in Great Britain 5th - 16th November 2012 Many thousands of people have venerated the icon as it has travelled across Europe more details on www . ordinariate . org . uk

Ordinariate Pilgrimage to Walsingham

Saturday 22nd June 2013