THE
P RTAL
September 2015
Stirling. Mass was celebrated in Holy Spirit
Catholic Church. Afterwards we spoke with
Jim Roche, a retired businessman. Today he
is busy as a member of the board of a number
of charities. Tony O’Rourke usually attends
here, and he and Jim set up the Ordinariate
Mass at Holy Spirit. Jim is in favour of the
Ordinariate. Fr Patrick Burke was a parish Fr Stanley Bennie
priest near Holy Spirit. He worked
at the CDF when the Ordinariate
was being set up.
Jim felt people needed to be
more vigorous in promoting the
Ordinariate among people who
ought to be interested, as well
David McKay
as welcoming Catholics who are
married to Anglicans.
the newest member
own church building
Angie made the point, “We are very small.
Although this is a problem, we did all know
each other.” John added, “It is very difficult
up here. Distances are so great and we are
small in number. It would be a great help if we
had our own church building. Our ambition
is to have our own church in Inverness. We
are so far out here at Fortrose and
with very little chance of growing.
What chance have you of attracting
others when they have to travel at
least 15 miles to find us?”
Angie said, “Having said that,
when we don’t have an Ordinariate
Shirley McKay
Mass, I go to St Lawrence’s in
Dingwall. The parish priest, Fr David Kay, is
so supportive and always wants to know what
the Ordinariate is doing. Fr Len has helped
on occasions by celebrating the Parish Mass
when he was away.”
George Thomson is Chief Executive of
Volunteer Scotland and very enthusiastic
about his work. They assist the homeless, help
choirs, theatres and were involved when the
Commonwealth Games came to Scotland. He Ruth Black
first met Fr Len way back in the
days when he was a young Curate
in Abdereen and has recently
joined the Ordinariate. We chatted
over a glass of cider in the local
Allanwater Brewery.
annual residential weekend
John continued, “Because we are so few
and widely separated, we try to
keep in touch with the Ordinariate
people in Stirling and Edinburgh
by going down there for Mass two
or three times a year. We also have
a residential weekend each year at
the Schoenstatt Scotland Retreat
and Pilgrimage Centre at the foot
John Clegg
of the Campsie Hills to the north
of Glasgow.
“I have been a member for three Rosanna Clegg
weeks now!” he said proudly. “The
Ordinariate has to be a community, but this
is difficult and a challenge because of the
geography and having people from a variety
of other church communities. We must keep
the door open for Episcopalians to join and
it has to be kept open. There is attractiveness
in the pioneer idea. We open the door and
the pioneers have a great freedom. The Michael Chenery
Ordinariate is in a position of privilege
in the Catholic Church. My question is,
‘What can you do with that privilege?’”
Inverness
Page 12
“We were delighted that for the past two
years Mgr Keith Newton has been able to join
us. This has been a great encouragement for
all of us in Scotland and we are most grateful
to him. This year while we were there I asked
him where he thought we’d see ourselves in
three or four years. His answer was,
‘It is in God’s hands.’ Although this
is, of course, true, I do worry about
the future and where we shall be in a
few years’ time. Because we are small
nationally, we do not have a common
social life. other than these occasional
meetings together.”
The Inverness cell actually meets at
Fortrose, 15 miles north of Inverness.
Again, the welcome was excellent.
Strangers need have no fear of being
left out of any of the groups in Scotland.
The Ordinariate Group in Scotland
After a beautiful Mass we spoke with an
is certainly small, but it is good heart,
old friend, John Clegg, and also with Elizabeth Jackson
with some wonderfully capable people.
Angie Henry. Angie is a retired teacher
The Portal visitors were encouraged
and John is retired from the Merchant Navy.
by their faith and devotion.
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