THE P RTAL
September 2014
UK Pages - page 12
A Centre of Excellence
Jackie Ottaway and Ronald Crane visit St Osmund’s Church
in Gainford, County Durham
UK Pages
B
ishop John
Richards, when he was the Anglican Bishop of Ebbsfleet, used to talk about his
parishes being “Centres of Excellence”. We were reminded of this when we recently visited County
Durham: Teesdale to be precise.
Gainford is a pleasant village halfway
between Darlington and Barnard Castle.
There are Georgian houses around the village
green, and just off Main Street is the wonderful
Victorian church of St Osmund. The building Barbara Ross
is rectangular and without chancel or aisles.
Unusually, its magnificent Victorian interior
is relatively unspoiled by modern “restorers”.
The “big six” have been restored and the
interior leads the eye heavenwards and the
heart to God. The church is small, seating
about one hundred and thirty, but it is a
Catriona Hull
wonderful place for Catholic worship. It is
here that the local Ordinariate Group has
found a home.
inspirational
We were privileged to be at Mass for Our
Lady’s Assumption as well as on Sunday. The David Beall
music is inspirational, the serving precise
without being prissy or fussy, and the readings
were all word perfect. Fr Grieves has a real
gift for preaching. There were about ninety
people present for Mass on Sunday and fifty
for Solemn Evensong and Benediction. After Diane Clifford
Sunday Mass, we moved to the Village Hall
for a magnificent lunch, during which we
were able to chat with Ordinariate members
and supporters.
Hilary André is a retired Primary Teacher;
she moved from Newcastle to Darlington Don Ross
and looked for a church with a good musical
tradition. She found St James’, Darlington and
Fr Ian Grieves.
“As a child I attended a High Anglican
Church,” she told us. “I have always been
drawn to Catholicism, even as a teenager, but Gary Griffiths
I found most Catholic services uninspiring.
When the Ordinariate first came up it was
ideal for me; the truth and the beauty of the
Catholic Church with our beloved Anglican
heritage. As a child, I attended a CMP church.
We had Nuns in a working class area with
Jevany Thompson
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‘shed loads’ of priests. It was vibrant. “Now
we are at St Osmund