THE P RTAL
January 2014
God was doing some pruning
“Sister Wendy has said it’s as if God was doing some
pruning and pruning can hurt, but it puts you where
God wants you. We came back to Walsingham on 1st
February 2013. Sister Wendy is training to be Chief
Sacristan at the National Shrine of Our Lady, and
sings in the choir. She has a ministry to the staff as
well as to the pilgrims. I am the Youth Missionary for
the Shrine. There is a vision for the National Shrine of
Walsingham and we are very much part of that“.
Youth 2000
Sister Wendy told me about
Youth 2000. “It is not the
Anglican Youth Pilgrimage.
There is a lot more spirituality
about it. These young people
know why they are there.
They know their Rosary. The
Blessed Sacrament gets 24 hour
adoration. It’s amazing.”
taster days
Sister Jane Louise continued,
“We will be providing taster
days, so schools and parishes
who have never been to
Walsingham can find out what
being on pilgrimage is like, and
making it youth friendly. Also
spiritual weekends for older
teenagers where they actually get
in touch with their faith, being
amongst fellow Catholics, being
able take time out from the chaos of their lives and the
temptations that they face. We do some things with
the Anglican Shrine and are hoping to put Sprinkling
in as part of the programme.
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reconciliation and bringing people together under
Our Lady’s name.”
Sr Wendy said, “I get on very well with the staff
around here. We have the ministry of mirth! The shop
likes me to go in because I’m not averse to appearing a
complete idiot!”
thinking of joining the Sisters
I asked about those women who might think of
joining the Sisters. Sister Jane
Louise responded: “At the
moment, we cannot provide
accommodation, but if there are
any ‘enquirers’ we will find them
somewhere to stay and they can
come and pray with us, eat with
us and learn about our ethos.
Ecclesia Projects Youth
“I also work with Ecclesia
Projects Youth - an ecumenical
Christian based outreach to
young people who are unchurched. We provide a safe
environment where they can
meet with their friends and
find help with problems such as
family life, drugs and alcohol.
out on a limb
I asked them about the fuss
when they joined the Ordinariate
Sr Wendy Renate
and their life now. Sister Jane
Louise said, “When we first made the decision to join
the Ordinariate, the media went crazy. We were glad
when it died down, but the negative side is that we
then felt very much out on a limb.
a bridge
We do feel on the margins as there is no local
“We see ourselves as a bridge between the Catholic Ordinariate group. We have never been attached to
and Anglican Churches, and any other denomination. an Ordinariate group, though we have been warmly
When we launch the second draft of our constitution embraced by Catholic parishes. As far as Ordinariate
it will be under the title of ‘Our Lady of Reconciliation’ is concerned, it’s as if we disappeared over the horizon.
– that is our ethos. If we can have a process of healing Being able to talk to you today brings that horizon a
in reparation for what’s happened in the past, we can bit closer again.
be reconciled to one another, and then we can be
reconciled to God and to Christ because we are part made yourself known
of his body. Perhaps Sister Wendy and I can create that
Both Sisters agreed that it would be good if people
understanding within our little part of the world in made th