THE P RTAL
October 2018 Page 22
Catholic faith and Catholic emancipation .
Fr Skinner traces skilfully the non-linear path that characterises those who ‘ cross the Tiber ’. Despite low standards in the clergy at the time , Spencer ’ s sympathy for the church of his birth meant that , despite several strong influences pulling him towards the See of Peter , it was a struggle .
The reading of Thomas à Kempis ’ ‘ The Imitation of Christ ’ and John Chrysostom ’ s ‘ On the Priesthood ’ began to crack his anti-Catholic bias , but it was a chance meeting with Fr ( Prof .) John Fletcher , Chaplain to Dowager Lady Throckmorton , who had been ministering to the imprisoned seminarians at Omer during the French revolution , that provided the strongest catalyst . They met 11 times and talked of the unity of the church , a constant theme for Spencer . His fate was sealed .
Spencer ’ s transition wasn ’ t entirely smooth and he soon realised that the Catholic Church did not , generally , share his fervour for the conversion of England ( under the banner “ Association of Prayer for the conversion of England to the Roman faith ”) to the Catholic faith - his own personal mission – commenting that “ many liked the idea of a Catholic England but they did not dare , or really care , to hope for it and thus there was no fire in their bellies to work for it . Wishes , simple wishes .” Bishop Baines and others believed Spencer ’ s vision was a “ moral impossibility ”.
I guess something remains of this spirit and , for many , explains why the new evangelisation and the Ordinariate , to name two inter-related initiatives , have had a mixed reception . Spencer ’ s determination serves as a model as he didn ’ t “ want to limit or prescribe Almighty God ”. Spencer had come into the Catholic Church at a crucial time but there was more interest in the mission - to convert England to the faith - in Cardinal Cullen ’ s Ireland , and on the Continent , where he made 245 missions , than there was in England .
The book traces Spencer ’ s taking of vows - before Blessed Dominic Barberi - with the Passionist order at Aston Hall in Staffordshire , taking the name of Fr Ignatius of St Paul . Barberi died not long after and was buried there in 1849 . Both Barberi and Spencer , following his burial in 1864 – were exhumed and buried at the new Passionist church in Sutton , Lancashire , now a shrine .
Spencer was , in one sense , a mover and shaker . He was present at the Coronation of George IV . He consulted with Bishop Walsh , Cardinal Wiseman , Bishop Ullathorne , Pope Pius VIII , Pope Gregory XVI and Pope Pius IX . What was most important , though , was his commitment to , and identification with , the poor : in Ireland , in Birmingham and in the Black Country where he built up the faith as well as life of the parish , for example preparing 110 for confirmation in Walsall in 1833 , of whom 70 were ‘ converts ’ - no doubt fruits of his serious , but unique , pastoral approach . One story is beautifully told of an Oscott seminarian , out shooting blackbirds , who accidentally shot an elderly woman . She recovered , but the seminarian had to attend court . On fearing he would face jail , Spencer exclaimed , ‘ Beautiful , beautiful , fine field for the exercise of apostolic zeal among the poor convicts ’. ‘ But they might even hang me ,’ exclaimed the poor student . ‘ Glorious sacrifice ,’ mused Spencer , ‘ you can offer your life , though innocent in this case , for the satisfaction of your other sins .’ That seminarian went on to be a great priest in the English Mission thanks to the ministrations of Fr Spencer .
One may read this book and take more than a little inspiration . Of course , Spencer ’ s world contrasts with ours of secularisation , far-right extremism , populism , the flourishing of Islam and other competing faiths and therapies . But the goal of converting England to the faith – the goal of full unity – is still our goal . Fr Skinner notes that St Augustine ’ s words - “ Securus judicat orbis terrarum ” ( the whole [ Catholic ] world judges right ) – eventually converted Newman and strengthened Wiseman . Catholicity gives us a vision of unity and truth . Every now and then history throws up individuals like Fr Ignatius Spencer who live for this principle with every fibre in their bodies . I believe his canonisation cause has just taken one further step forward .
‘ Father Ignatius Spencer , English Noble and Christian Saint ’
Gracewing , 2018 ISBN 978 085244 929 5
Snapdragon ... continued from page 5
My campaign for a general response to the Holy Father , remember he wrote to us all last month telling us to pull ourselves together , has just had a bit of a set back . I duly printed off the last year ’ s contributions from Snapdragon , put them into a stout buff envelope
with the right stamps and sent them off to the Holy Father in Rome . Yesterday they all came creeping back with a note from the Post Office saying not known at this address ! What can this mean ?