The Portal February 2018 | Page 12

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