THE
P RTAL
December 2018
it is my hope something will happen, and soon the
first advert goes out to the Catholic Herald looking for
young men to come and try the life alongside the old
hermit for a few months, or a few weeks. Hopefully
something out of that will grow to something more
permanent. We will wait and see if anything happens.
That is my plan for the future; a community here and
hopefully eventually an extension of that with non-
resident Brothers who can be deployed around the
Ordinariate.
Page 13
His parents encouraged him to go. He went from the
choir to serving at Holy Communion. In the school
holidays he spent a lot of time in or around the village
church.
He went on to study church music at the Royal
School of Church Music in Croydon, playing the organ
and learning the art of choir training. He trained as a
music teacher and also taught RE.
He was at a school in north London for twenty five
“When I was an Anglican I belonged to the Oratory of years. For the last eight years he was Lay Chaplain, as
the Good Shepherd. We were intentionally dispersed. well as head of RE.
There was a great joy in that. You had your own home
but we met together four times a year at chapter, for
Br Robert joined the Ordinariate of Our Lady of
retreats. There was that kind of network of support. Walsingham in November 2014. He took up the story,
Now it seems to me that the Ordinariate is a classic “The day it was announced that the Ordinariate was
case for an order such as that. We have groups all over going to be set up, I went into the tiny school chapel,
the place. Not a territorial diocese in that sense so if and the tears streamed down my cheeks. I thought this
we had Brothers around the Country who were linked is what is necessary, and thank God and Pope Benedict.
to this house I think it would be very helpful and very But I was still employed at a Church of England school
powerful. But I make these plans and I tinker about and was still Church Warden and Director of Music
on the computer and write up draft constitutions and at St Marys Wellingborough. Life was a little bit
rules and we see where we are going. Of course it is up complicated.
to God and is his decision.
“It was after I took retirement aged 57 Bishop Lindsay
“It started by trying to find a way of being able to Urwin offered me a part time job at the Anglican
accept into the Ordinariate individual Religious shrine. That’s when moving to Walsingham became an
coming from other communities in the Anglican option and once I decided to do that then it was fairly
church, because as Sister Jane Louise found, and I easy a couple of years on to switch to the Ordinariate.
found, you are on your own basically when you come I was on the Anglican shrine staff for three years,
in. There is nothing to join. We have a women’s Order, first in the sacristy then as Head of the Education
of course, up in Birmingham, but there is nothing for Department, then I became a Catholic. I think I was
men. When someone comes in, well he’s either got to the first Catholic regularly to lead Shrine Prayers in
be a hermit or give up his religious life formally. I was the Anglican Shrine because I was still shrine staff.”
trying to find a way for people to come in under one
umbrella. I had a conversation with Fr Tomlinson. He
A good number of my neighbours work at one or
is very keen to resurrect the Gilbertines as I’m sure other of the Shrines in Walsingham. Because I insist
everyone knows. He put it to me that this is obvious on being a visible Religious I walk up and down this
to become a Gilbertine. And the more I looked at it hill and nine times out of ten people respond warmly;
the more obvious it became as they originally used the even the teenagers. Having the Blessed Sacrament look
rules both of Augustine and Benedict. Benedict for over this estate, they don’t know about, it but I know
the enclosed nuns and Augustine for the Canons out Jesus is at work up here.
there. I thought something along those lines might
work but I need to create it for men only to start with,
“I have a single guest room here with en-suite
but the same structure could have a women’s branch.” shower room and this little sitting room. It is open to
clergy, Religious, seminarians and students. I’ve had
As a child Br Robert lived in a village in north a Deacon stay and he gave Benediction. Usually it is
Buckinghamshire where there was an ancient church. students needing a rest or trying to work out their
He went to the village primary school. A new Rector vocation. Word of mouth is spreading a bit.”
came who was particularly good and encouraging and
although his parents were not religious, when he was
We are immensely grateful to Brother Robert
seven years old, Br Robert joined the choir and that’s Augustine for allowing us to invade his hermitage.
really where it all began. Even at aged eight, he was His silent, and hidden, work of prayer, praise and
aware of the presence of God in Church.
meditation is to the benefit of all in the Ordinariate of
Our Lady of Walsingham.