THE
P RTAL
June 2016
Joanna Bogle DSG has been visiting
T
he Darlington group has become something of a
Auntie Jo a n
The
Ordinariate
in Darlington
Page 4
legend in Ordinariate circles, so there was a certain amount of
excitement at Bogle Towers when an invitation arrived for a St George’s
Day Dinner at the group’s headquarters in Gainford.
And it turned out to
be even more splendid
than I had imagined.
This
Ordinariate
group celebrates in
style: food, drinks,
company, were all
magnificent,
but
in addition to that,
St George arrived
in armour, we had
Henry V’s speech
before Harfleur, there
was glorious singing,
witty
after-dinner
entertainment, and
the evening was
rounded off with the
most rousing rendition of the National Anthem I have
ever heard.
And the next morning everyone - including the
leading singers, now transformed into a splendid
surpliced choir- was in place in a packed church for
Mass: glorious music, inspiring sermon, and that
very lovely mix of prayerfulness and quiet sense of
neighbourly community that is hard to define but so
beautiful to experience.
na
wri tes
information
about
a car rally and a
forthcoming trip on
the North York Moors
Railway, and more.
But at the core of
it all is prayer and
devotion: the beautiful church is set in attractive
grounds, with a lovely grotto dedicated to Mary,
and plans for the annual outdoor May devotions
were all well in hand as we chatted after the St
George’s celebrations.
As we contemplate the future of the Ordinariate,
we inevitably think of challenges. We might be
in danger of forgetting how much fun it can all
sometimes be - the sense of a shared adventure,
rooted in faith and spiced with a delight in the rich
Christian traditions of our country and a recognition
of the urgency of evangelisation.
Will future generations know about St George?
Will they have a joy in celebrating his feast-day?
Will they fill our churches and live out their lives
in fidelity to the Church? I am frequently accused
of being irritatingly cheerful and upbeat about the
possibilities for the New Evangelisation in Britain. But
the Ordinariate is a sign of hope that is bigger than its
The Darlington group, led by Fr Ian Grieves, is based mere numbers suggest.
at St Osmund’s church in the village of Gainford. Small
village, enchanting church, a warm welcome to any
It has all sorts of messages that can inspire and
visitors, and a strong sense of purpose.
cheer. I returned to London to find stacks and stacks
of entries for the “Our Father” project launched by the
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit - and can confirm that Ladies Ordinariate Group, and plans for a busy day of
the legend of the Splendid Darlington Ordinariate is marking and packing and posting or prizes. LOGS will
completely true. They are showing how to combine a get busy, and we’ll also be working on our programme
strong sense of community with serious responsibility for next year. Thanks to Darlington, I’ll be tackling it
for fund-raising: the parish newsletter was filled with all with a good heart.
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