THE
P RTAL
October 2011
This Group does not have a
Committee, but they do have people
appointed to do certain jobs.
asked: how did we relate to the Diocese
and so on?”
At present Fr David is still living in
the Clergy House at Saint Saviour’s
with the Area Bishop next door! “This
is OK.” He said, “We get on very well.
There were a few nasty rumours at
the beginning, but they were quickly
sorted out.”
Finance is a problem. Fr David is
half-time with the Ordinariate and
half-time on Diocesan strength,
so that makes things easier. “The
Bishop of Brentwood has been very
generous” Fr David said, “I expect to
be appointed in charge of a Diocesan
Parish in October, so that will help.”
Jackie wondered if they had thought
of a Mass centre outside a Catholic
Parish Church? Fr David replied,
“Financial resources do not allow
us to think about that yet. We could
not afford to buy or even rent.”
Ronald highlighted the danger of the
Ordinariate coming second best to the
Diocesan responsibilities? Fr David
responded that as the Pastor he had
to think of both. The Diocese sees the
Ordinariate Group as being the first
call on his time he assured us.
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Claudette Stephens and
Great Granddaughter Tiyan
Fr David is rather against plans for
church-growth. “I don’t do plans” he
said. “The Hand of God works though
all things. On the Day of Pentecost
they were faithful and the Lord
added to their number; Mission and
Evangelism?
This is what the Church does when
she lives and breathes. There are
forty-two people in our Ordinariate
Group, yet that is larger than many
non-Catholic congregations. I am
interested in the interaction between
the Ordinariate and the Catholics of
the Parish. Is it the intimacy, is it the
preaching?”
Louise Gage
With regard to growth, it was clear
that Fr David and thought and prayed
about this. He said, “Clearly, disaffected
Anglicans would not turn up at 6:30pm
on a Sunday evening. It takes energy
and momentum, and people have
Marcella Kaikai
found they have amounts of these
that they did not know they had. They
do not feel disaffected. We are very
Anglican with our Hymns, and so on,
yet renewed in the Catholic Faith.
Just by going through this process
you become a missionary, it helps you
to begin to bring along friends and
relations, people wander in off the
street. Most of those who have become
Catholics have friends who are mostly
NOT Catholics. That may only last a
generation, unless we make sure it
continues. There is incredible interest
in this, there is genuine interest.”
Margaret Clarke
Turning to other Ordinariate
Groups in the area, Fr David drew
attention to Fr Rob Page and the
Group at Leytonstone. It is clear a
close bond exists between the groups.
“Most members of the Groups know
each other,” Fr David said. “We had a
united Corpus Christi.”
Jackie was keen to ask if Fr David
and his group would be keen to join
some kind of national Ordinariate
event? “Fr David almost pounced on
the question. “Our folk see themselves
as belonging to Fr Keith. We would be
very keen to take part in an Ordinariate
event, a Family Day say, to which we
could invite our Catholic friends –
especially so if it were national.
Before we took our leave we asked
Fr David where he thought his Group
would be in ten years time? “Ask the
Holy Spirit!” He said with a smile.
“Twelve months ago, any answer I gave
would not have been near to what has
happened. Worshipping, growing and
at Saint George’s, and evangelising and
teaching, I expect.”
It was a privilege to visit this group,
and one feels that it is in good heart
and up to the challenges that will
undoubtedly face it in the future.