THE P RTAL
October 2014
Page 20
Ordinariate Festival 2014
Was it worth it? Ought we to repeat the event?
Jackie Ottaway & Ronald Crane give a not altogether impartial view
T
hey came from Inverness, and Torbay; from Darlington and from Lancashire. Over four hundred
Ordinariate members travelled to London for the Ordinariate Festival.
The Festival had been months in the planning. The
Portal is going to pat its own back a little. Of the five
members of the Organising Committee, two are on the
Editorial Board of The Portal and another is a regular
contributor. We were nervous. Would people come?
Would the programme instruct, inspire and give those
who did come something to take back with them?
Would the speakers stick to the time-table? Would the
Cathedral be full for the Mass? These and many more
questions caused a great deal of concern. In the end,
we need not have worried. The Festival passed all our
expectations.
Blood Church for that. We were set on our way by one
of your Editors. The morning was taken up with four
presentations linked together by your other Editor.
Who are we? Where are we?
What are we doing?
We learned about the progress of the large
Darlington Group which meets at St Osmund’s
Church, Gainford. They told us of social events, fund
raising and numerical growth. Then a smaller group,
from Eastbourne, proved that one can be successful
in mission with small numbers. This led to LOGS the Ladies Ordinariate Group. Our own Joanna Bogle
assisted by Suzanne, told us of their progress, fun and
work. Finally, Fr David Lashbrooke informed us of
the Torbay Group’s desire to purchase a redundant
Methodist Church. We suspect we shall be hearing
more of this in the coming months. Yet all these groups
had in common the importance of hospitality - of food
and drink. A lesson for us all there!
Inspirational
Cathedral Mass
the Ordinariate and its
formation
It all began on the Friday evening at
Warwick Street with the Festival prayer
composed by Fr Paul Buch. Dr William
Oddie spoke about the Ordinariate and
its formation. He was amusing and in his
own words, “indiscrete”! More than ninety
people came to Warwick Street to hear him
and to stay on for a wonderful reception. We
packed into the downstairs hall beneath the
church, and ate and drank. It was a “good evening”, if
you know what I mean.
Mass in Westminster
Cathedral was truly inspiring
and lifted the heart to heaven.
The Cathedral was full and
the Ordinariate members sat
together. This emphasised
their unity, but it also drew
attention to their numbers.
Hymns were sung in such
a way that the sound was a
danger to the structure of the
building!
Cardinal Vincent
Nichols
A quick lunch and back
to the Hall, where His Eminence Cardinal Vincent
Nichols gave his time and stayed with us about an hour.
He paid us the compliment of not mouthing platitudes,
On Saturday, well over four hundred people arrived but having something to say. He acknowledged the
at Westminster Cathedral Hall. The tea and coffee difficulties in doing something new, and the tension
were free - always a welcome development. Thanks of the old and the new. He drew our attention to
to Fr Christopher Pearson and the people of Precious the foundation documents of the Ordinariate. He
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