THE
P RTAL
June 2017
Page 13
known to Fr Andrew. Ordinariate priest or no, he
is a real Parish Priest, and at the heart of village life.
Like many villages with a “Big House”, there is also an
estate. Many of the cottages are Estate owned, and the
whole village is well kept.
We walked past the village shop, the Eyston Arms,
and a house called the King’s Manor. On the corner
we saw the medieval Champs Chapel, now used as a
museum and open on Sundays. As we approached the
Wheatsheaf, we saw an armoured car! Really: it was
parked right outside the Wheatsheaf.
It seems the man who owns it is organising a party
for a colleague and had come to make the final
arrangements. He thought it would be a good idea to
travel in military style. It was certainly a talking point!
It is not everyday one sees an armoured car in an
Oxfordshire village street!
At lunch we asked Fr Andrew about the future of
the Ordinariate. He replied that it was too early to tell.
We wondered what he saw as the vision. He replied,
Ss John the Baptist and Amand
“We must work hard to develop a vision because,
started to say mass according to Divine Worship on a as the Bible tells us, ‘Where there is no vision, the
Thursday. Numbers went down slightly, but there were people perish.’” The lunch, dear reader, was splendid.
few complaints. “By and large, cradle Catholics liked it, Wonderful atmosphere, wonderful landlord and his
especially the “We do not presume...” prayer. But as there wife – both Catholics who serve at mass most days –
were few, if any, ex-Anglicans who came, we stopped and wonderful food.
it. We may well try it again sometime. We did have a
convalidation of marriage for an Ordinariate couple
Lunch finished, we walked back to Fr Andrew’s house
according to the Ordinariate Rite. This was beautiful.”
and took the car to the nearby village of Milton to see
Milton Manor House. This house is open to the public
We asked about an Ordinariate priest being appointed (www.miltonmanorhouse.com) on selected days. It
Parish Priest in a Diocesan Parish. Fr Andrew replied, was built in th e 1660s and has been extensively altered
“There are two different approaches one can take. The since then. It is the family home of the Mockler-Barrett
first is to carry on as any PP would, but coloured by family and contains a fine library and chapel. We were
the fact that the priest is an Ordinariate priest. The fortunate to see both.
other is that everybody who joins is enrolled into the
Ordinariate.
The Library is Strawberry Hill Gothic, a delicate
and airy room, beautiful and delightful. Upstairs is
He told us that the Eyston family more or less built the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Not what one
the Parish Church of St Mary’s and they have their would expect, but still beautiful. Mass is celebrated
own pew in it. A bridge was built from the Presbytery here every week during the summer.
to the church, so Father could get to church in clerical
clothes. At the time a Catholic priest was not allowed
Milton has another claim to fame. Bishop Richard
out in public wearing them! The bridge is still in place. Challoner, a frequent visitor to the area, was buried at
Milton, in the family vault of his friend Bryant Barrett
Fr Andrew said that the congregation at St Mary’s in the Church of England parish church. In 1946 the
on Sundays was a little over one hundred, of whom body was reinterred in Westminster Cathedral.
25% were children, 25% their parents and 50% equal
number of men of women of all ages. He also has care
Our visit nearly over, we returned to Fr Andrew’s
of St Patrick’s, East Ilesly.
house for a cup of tea, before making our way home.
It had been a wonderful, and memorable, visit. It had
Coffee over, we took a walk around the village. It shown us the variety of the work undertaken by the
seemed that everyone we met was a Catholic, and Ordinariate and its priests.