THE P RTAL
January 2014
UK Page 2
a real progression here. We
need to advertise ourselves
and make ourselves known. It is an
historic and interesting building.
Everyone here is marvellous. We
are taught the faith and the social
life is fantastic.”
Sunday is fine.” They did not have a
view about the demise of the naval
dockyard, but hope things do
not get any worse. As to how this
would affect the local, Christopher
told us, “Hard to say.
We are such a small proportion of Gill and Benn Taylor
the overall population. There must
be lots of Anglicans out there who
have not heard of the Ordinariate.”
They both declared they were happy
here and with the Ordinariate.
Adam and
Paul Pettigrew
Adam Pettigrew (24) and his
brother Paul (28) are the ones who
live in Basingstoke and travel the
round trip of some thirty miles every
fortnight. They are “cradle Catholics”
but are supportive of the Ordinariate
at St Agatha’s.
Ben Taylor
Ben Taylor (19) is at Warwick
University. He and his mother Gill,
a housewife with three sons, had
come to St Agatha’s as a result of the
ministry of Fr John Maunder, Ben’s
teacher.
at the heart of a new
community
This church building was once at the
heart of a working community. The
war, redevelopment and changing patterns
have all taken their toll, but thanks to the
vision of Fr Maunder and the St Agatha’s
Trust, a new lease of life beckons.
Edward and Peter Maunder with Bertie
Ben told us, “Fr John was my teacher at
school and it was natural that we came to
St Agatha’s“. Gill described her welcome
into the Catholic Church as “wonderful, life
changing, the highest calling. We were ready
for it and were received with open arms”.
They had noticed the congregation
growing slowly but steadily. It had struck
them that the Catholic Church was good at
attracting young people. A fact they saw at
work at St Agatha’s.
So far, the building has been restored to
Christian worship, first through the TAC
and then through the Ordinariate. But the
building sits in the centre of an area with
little or no housing. If the nearby shopping
centre is redeveloped, it will place St
Agatha’s at the heart of a new community.
Ian Cressdee
Sam Conway
Sam Conway (19) works in a pub; he
had not finished work until 1:30 in the
morning, but managed to arrive as Mass
was ending. He is awaiting Confirmation. Lesley Cresdee
Fr Maunder taught at his school. Sam
got an A* in RE (well done!) and came
to St Agatha’s.
“As I grew older the building became
more important to me,” he told us.
“I discovered my own spirituality.
From academic interest, grew faith. Luke Stutters
The building drew me. I hope to be
confirmed soon, and admitted into
the Ordinariate.”
At present, their main evangelistic tool
is the church building itself. Should St
Agatha’s become the heart of that new
community, this could put the Christian
Faith, in the shape of the Ordinariate,
right at the centre of commercial life
in down-town Portsmouth.
Malcolm Powell
Really fantastic
Sam described the congregation as,
“Really fantastic. People from as far
away as Basingstoke come. There is Samuel Conway
Joanna Emerson
Anglo-Catholic gem
We had a good time at St Agatha’s,
Portsmouth. It is a gem of the AngloCatholic movement of the late
nineteenth century, now come back
to life in the Ordinariate, and one of
the few places where the Ordinariate
has its own building.
Should you find yourself in
Portsmouth, you can be certain of a
warm welcome at St Agatha’s. Mass
is at 11am every Sunday.