THE
P RTAL
February 2018
Page 12
The Ordinariate’s
youngest Group
Jackie Ottaway and Ronald Crane visit this new group in York
Y ork is
a beautiful city; a city well known for its ecumenical associations. It was, therefore, a joy
when T he P ortal received an invitation to visit the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham’s newest
group that is based there.
This group is unique. Its leader is John
Konstantin Tee, an Ordinariate Seminarian.
The group meets in the Anglican Church
of St Mary’s Bishophill Junior. On a Friday
evening at 7pm they sing Evensong, led as
they are by a Catholic Layman. For mass,
Fr David Stafford from Sheffield, makes the Adrian Tellwright
journey on a Saturday evening to celebrate
the vigil mass. This happens monthly or so.
St Mary’s is a beautiful church, and the
oldest in the city. The Bishop of Beverley
told T he P ortal , “I was happy to support
the local Parish Priest in welcoming the
Ordinariate group to use the Church.”
It was a cold evening when we made our
way to the church. However, opening the
door revealed a warm and beautiful interior.
Evensong was sung. We all sat in choir. It
was lovely. Ronald was invited to address
the congregation about The Portal, before
Richard Hawker spoke about the work of
the Friends of the Ordinariate.
Claudia Wardle
Afterwards we all walked to the local fish Duncan Scott
and chip shop where supper was bought. We
ate supper in the Tower Room at St Mary’s,
and washed it down with some rather
pleasant sherry! It was a group of which one
would want to be part. One of those present,
Mike Forbester, told us that we were eating
in the oldest part of the oldest church in the
city, right beneath a Roman arch: stunning. Eileem Smart
We discovered that it is not only the
Ordinariate that worships at St Mary’s, the
Russian and the Greek Orthodox as well as
a group of Copts do so as well. It is a truly
ecumenical centre.
The Group is a mixture of Ordinariate
members,
Diocesan
Catholics
and
Hattie Pack
Anglicans. John Tee started the group as
Mgr Keith Newton told him to “Just get
on with it!” People just came along and
joined him. Some came because a friend
brought them. Duncan Scott was there at
the founding of the Group. “I can honesty
say in all humility, that I am the founding
rock of the Group” he told us, to laughter
from others. He continued, “When Fr
Stafford came and celebrated mass here,
it was the first Catholic Mass celebrated
here since 1558! York is a great place for
an Ordinariate Group; historically it is an
Eccesiastical centre.”
We noticed that there were people who
had been unable to attend Evensong, but
still came for supper. It is becoming a real
community.
John Konstantin Tee told T he P ortal ,
“’Just get on with it’. With the Ordinary’s
words still ringing in my ears I was faced
with what appeared to be an impossible task.
To form, ex nihilo, an Ordinariate group in
the historic city of York. I wasn’t a Catholic
priest, had no congregation and no church
building. However, that is not entirely true.
There was within the whole city of York
that most rare of species, a member of the
Ordinariate! I had met Duncan Scott, a
young and personable fellow, at the Oratory
in Formation in York where he often served
at the Extraordinary Form Mass. It was a
start at least.
“I was blessed to meet Father David
Stafford following a Mass in the Ordinariate
Use of the Roman Rite at the Oratory in
Formation. Without further delay Duncan,
Father David and I repaired to the Eagle
and Child hostelry for refreshments and
eager conversation. It was a portentous