THE
P RTAL
September 2011
Page 4
An Essex Group
Jackie Ottaway and Ronald Crane
visit the South Benfleet Ordinariate group
Once
upon a time, Southend-on-Sea was the playground for the
East End of London. Then came the hard years. The holiday-makers
had departed, the once famous pier suffered fires, the pier railway –
like the town – was run down.
However, in recent years things have been looking
up in this corner of South East Essex. Chic eating and
drinking places are appearing at Leigh-on-Sea. The
Southend pier railway now runs at weekends. The
railway line from Southend to Fenchurch Street, once
known as the “misery line”, now boasts a good service
with fast and frequent trains.
adamant that
they had no
regrets about
joining
the
Our Lady of Benfleet
Ordinariate.
Holy Family Church
They all lived near Holy Family Church except
Clifford, a fork-lift truck driver, who had quite a way
South Benfleet nestles on the outskirts of Southend. to travel. Yet, he and his wife were the first to join.
It is commuter-land. Many of its inhabitants are exiles His wife, Helen, being ill, started out on the journey
from the East End who have moved out along the knowing her illness was serious. The journey would
Thames estuary.
end in a different way for her. Clifford is rightly proud
of his wife’s courage and faith.
The Ordinariate at South Benfleet is small, no more
than fifteen people; but they have an enthusiastic priest
Clifford found the time of Mass difficult. In fact the
who is married to a dynamic wife. Fr Lee Bennett and whole group echoed his thoughts on the time. 6 o’clock
Helen are a good team. Northerners by birth, they are on Sunday evening not being the best time for Mass.
now at home in Essex.
Everyone present wished it was in the morning.
commuter-land
Fr Lee has been made Assistant Priest in the Parish Structures
of the Holy Family, Benfleet and the Ordinariate
They have a Treasurer, a Finance group, and over
worships there at 6pm every Sunday.
coffee after Mass each Sunday the whole group talks
through problems and opportunities. In the autumn
no regrets
they are starting a Pastoral group.
When we visited, there were twenty-two at Mass.
The numbers swelled by some other Catholics who
Chris Findlay, a retired commodity trader, hoped
find the time convenient. Although many Ordinariate they would grow in numbers, but felt that they had to
members were on holiday, those who were present concentrate on consolidation for the time being. Lyn
stayed behind after Mass to talk with us. They were Perry, a retired Office manager, said it was too early
in the day to talk of growth, survival was their main
concern.
close relations
There are other Ordinariate groups nearby in
Hockley, Ipswich and Colchester and they have close
relations with them all, especially Hockley.
Helen and Fr Lee
The local Catholic community had been most
welcoming and they had very good relations with
them. Barbara, a retired carer, said that their children
went to Holy Family School. She lost her faith, and then
her husband died. She went to the C of E Church, Saint
Mary’s and found Fr Lee there. When the Ordinariate