The vicar of an Anglo-Catholic church has received a threatening phone call warning him of violence if his parish goes over to Rome ”“ and his noticeboard has been defaced with the words “C of E No Pope” daubed across it in white paint.
Fr David Waller of St Saviour’s, Walthamstow, discovered the vandalism on Sunday morning as he prepared for Mass. Then he found the a message waiting for him on his answering machine threatening him with physical violence. But, when I spoke to him a few minutes ago, he didn’t sound remotely intimidated. “The message was distorted ”“ it sounded drunken and I don’t want to make too much of it,” he said.
St Saviour’s is a Forward in Faith parish and, although no decision has been made, Fr Waller is very encouraged by the Pope’s offer of a Personal Ordinariate. “The key players in the parish, including the churchwardens, are completely disillusioned with the Church of England and see the Ordinariate as the solution. I can’t speak for all the silent folk in the pews, but a significant number of them are Eastern European Roman Catholics, so I don’t think it would be a problem for them.”
The creep towards Rome begins. But who will be the first to take the plunge? Those who did so in the USA previously found the waters frigid.
Of course John Henry Newman found it a bit chilly too at first. Rumor has it he didn’t turn out so bad.
Who in the WORLD are you talking about, Br_er Rabbit?
I took the plunge and have never been happier. So have several of my relatives, seminary classmates, former colleagues in the priesthood. The only frigid waters I’ve experienced have been when I’ve made contact with former ‘friends’ in TEC.
Anglicanum, are you a member of an Anglican rite parish?
My impression is anecdotal, it is true, just as your experience is anecdotal. I refer especially to recent blog posts about priests who have returned to the Anglican fold. I would also point to the dearth of testimony about successful Anglican-rite Roman parishes. I have not heard of any that have grown and prospered. I would be happy to be corrected.
The above reference to frigidity could be a reference to the Bp Clarence Pope fiasco from several years back, when His Grace sought a personal prelature that looked promising in conversations with Rome but later disintegrated at the local diocesan level.
But what caught my eye was the FiF vicar’s reference to his congregation’s “silent folk in the pews” including “Eastern European Roman Catholics.” A traditionalist CofE parish populated by Poles? or Croats? or Byzantine Catholics? Who have become a part of the CofE and now pondering a return(?) to Rome via the Anglican Ordinariate? This is really most curious!
i was just happy to be refered to as a ‘leading Anglo-catholic’ ….complete nonsense of course, but I liked it!! (quick is that the devil whispering in my ear?)
Br_er Rabbit, you asked if any of the Anglican Use parishes have grown and prospered. When we founded Our Lady of the Atonement Church in San Antonio, Texas, twenty six years ago (the first of the Anglican Use parishes) we started with 18 people, including the children. Today we have 624 registered families (representing more than two thousand people), and a parish school, pre-K through 12th grade, with 492 students. Our annual budget has grown from about $12,000 in 1983 to $2,943,000.00 this year.
I think you’d agree, that represents growth. And even more importantly, our parishioners continue to grow in their faith and love for God, which is shown in changed lives and a multitude of charitable and evangelizing efforts.
I worship regularly with an Anglican Rite parish, though I’m a member of my local parish.
As for whether or not Anglican Rite parishes have flourished, I’ll let Father Phillips’ answer stand. The Anglican Rite parishes with which I’ve been in some way affiliated (four now, counting the new start-up in Kansas City) have all been very successful–both in numbers and in spiritual growth.
#6 Oh RPP – but you are a ‘leading Anglo-catholic’! In fact quite a celebrity, with appearances in Ruth Gledhill’s Times blog, mentions elsewhere in despatches, and now featured in a puff of Holy Smoke by Damian Thompson in the Telegraph.
I expect to see you invited onto “I’m a Celebrity – get me out of here” shortly.
Thank you, Fr. Phillips. May you and your church be blessed and continue to prosper. Perhaps the new ordinariates will obviate the difficulties that have been experienced in a few other instances.
Bre_er Rabbit, that’s precisely why the Holy Father has decided to have Ordinariates, instead of just extending the Pastoral Provision to other countries. He has seen how reluctant many bishops have been in implementing the Provision. Now, with the terms set out in Anglicanorum coetibus, it’s no longer dependent on the personal whims of a local bishop. His opinion is to be sought when a parish is to be erected, but he won’t have veto power any more. It will be the Ordinary who determines where the work needs to be established.
that is stretching a point Pageantmaster, but it made me smile 😉
[blockquote] The vicar of an Anglo-Catholic church has received a threatening phone call warning him of violence if his parish goes over to Rome – and his noticeboard has been defaced with the words “C of E No Pope†daubed across it in white paint.[/blockquote]
The irony is that I bet the yobs who did this don’t occupy the pews of any church on Sunday, and yet they feel free to tell those who do, what they should do.
#9, 12: No, it should be ‘Strictly Come Censing’! 🙂
13- I disagree. The average yob would not know anything about the ordinariate. This is either a) disgruntled church member b) disgruntled member of neighbouring church, either way it is pathetic