St Peter's London Docks

2011-10-24T12:30:00.004+01:00

High Mass at S. Peter's London Docks 23/X/11

Not the best attended Sunday in the history of the parish, but it was the first Sunday of half term which is always one of our weaker moments!
Last years confirmands have completed their course, this year looks weaker again, we suffer from children who wish to be confirmed combined with parents who do not want the commitment. We ask for a twelve month attendance at both classes and Sunday Mass, two Walsingham pilgrimages and attendance at the Chrism Mass. While we were at Ascot last month I was told of a local Anglican parish where the course lasts twelve weeks, church attendance is required every second Sunday; which, for East End Mums with no desire to become an authentic Church member is the obvious option, a no-brainer. The children however assure me that they want the traditional St. Peter's pattern which they see as a 'given'. Adult candidates are however up.

Father Martin administers the Chalice

There is no appointment to the Fulham Jurisdiction nor even rumour of such, the reasons for the restraint has yet to be shared with the clergy of the Jurisdiction. We live in hope, well we have to, not much else seems available.

2011-10-04T09:36:00.003+01:00

From Ascot I was collected by Fr. Robin and spent the night at S. Luke's Vicarage on the Uxbridge Road. The next morning at 'O dark hundred hours' we set off for Portsmouth and the Caen ferry. From thence to Lisieux. Fr. Robin and I were accompanied by Fr. John Caster of S. Mary's Eversholt St. We remained Theresian pilgrims from Monday to Friday with a short break to visit the tapestry at Bayeux.
We returned on the early ferry on Friday, I was thus in the parish for the Memoria of the little flower, after Mass we venerated our relic and I distributed cards purchased at the Saints childhood home.
Normal parish routine is now back in place, to day I am on my way (soon) to the School harvest assembly, the Mass then of to Chrsit the King Gordon Square for a meeting of the Fulham clergy with the Bishop of Edmonton, followed by a meeting of the Bishop's council.

Ascot XV

2011-10-04T08:47:00.010+01:00

The Rt Revd Robert Ladds came to S. Peter's in early September to confirm our candidates. It was a smaller event this year, three children and two teenage girls. It was followed by our normal children and young peoples weekend, Vive Jesu et Maria. As ever we took over most of Ascot Priory. The Saturday lunch figures (Saturday is visitors day) and the room count (every bed taken) indicated that this, number fifteen in the sequence, was the biggest yet.Saturday supper, some visitors had already gone home. There is now an excellent leadership team for the event, which is growing as more elements move from my direct control to others. This year Jemma and Rebekah took up the responsibility of producing 'The Play' next year. They composed and directed some scenes this year, they were excellent.Bernadette and her companions look for firewood, the river is somewhat abstracted!
The hospitality team at work. There are three leadership groups, Hospitality, Child care, and Play. This year emergent leaders organised the refectory and chapel layouts with little direction.
Gaby, in her last year reading physics at York, who was, we think, on her tenth weekend took over as deputy play leader, replacing Tim who was incapacitated by his recently diagnosed MS, he came however as a Saturday visitor.
Chrissy, the Play Leader creates the most complex and fascinating quiz books, these fill every blank time between team games, prayer, eating and Teaching sessions. Here is the Our Lady/Wainright team late on Saturday afternoon after the scavenger hunt.
Croquet,
Archery,
and the inevitable and beloved large team rounders, plus Boules and complex activities involving chocolate and gloves filled many hours.
The Wood Game, a large scale escape and evasion hide and seek was, as ever, a Saturday high point.
The Daily Office (type set by Gaby) was recited each day, Morning, Mid-day, Evening (with Benediction) and night, Mass was celebrated each day.

People of course, became friends.Miss H K Jones and Miss Jemma Peat.

2011-08-31T12:08:00.002+01:00

It was a busy weekend in Wapping. Two weddings on Saturday, a feast after the fast, our last wedding was in 2009. Mass on Sunday was well attended and marked the beginning of formal preparation for the Ascot weekend; the Solemn Mass was followed by a Baptism. I had intended to be at Walsingham on Bank holiday Monday but was prevented, I compensated by reading One Day in Six hours and fifty minutes including lunch and Green Tea breaks. The above photograph was taken last week by Tatiana a friend of S. Peter's who is photographing the whole Church. She is also planning an event related to our Margaret Rope Windows, both those made for S. Peter's and those that were first designed for S. Augustine's Haggerston of late and lamented memory.

Why, I am asked has there been no appointment of a Bishop of Fulham. Alas, I have no answer. I do not meet with the councils of the great. That said The Bishop of London has, both verbally and in writing, assured me and others that an appointment will be made and it will be that of a Catholic traditionalist. Much good may that do you say the cynics, Bishops change their mind (emerging strategy some call it) and anyway after the forthcoming debacle it will do no good. And my answer? Well, I am not inclined to think The Bishop of London as being other than a man of honour and of his word, and, what happens before, during, and indeed after Synod is not yet in anyone's gift. The Anglo-Catholic gift to Christendom has always been (among a thousand others) that of survival. We must wait and see.

There seems much jumping of the gun in the use of the new Missal, in the pre-fab form which is authorised from this Sunday. One cleric told me that the Ordinariate were already allowed to use it and he thought of himself as the Church of England wing of the Ordinariate and thus permitted. It's hard to think what to say to that.

Small girls, new groupings round old saints and slogans

2011-08-22T15:49:00.007+01:00

Miss Jones has not been seen on the blog in the recent past.Here she is this weekend at the apres ceremony after the marriage of friends of her parents.

The summer is drawing to an end and the time has come for a serious resumption of the blog. We were without a photographer on Sunday, numbers were however good, as they had been on the Assumption. Today I offered Mass of the memoria of Mary,Queen and Mother and then took the short ride on the overground (all underground at this point as it happens) to Whitechapel, there to the Royal London Hospital to visit a member of S. Peter's. I had been with him late Saturday evening when he was admitted, a phone call warning me that an ambulance had been called to his home. On Saturday the staff were excellent and I was able to see him very quickly. As I left the front line reception was like an urban TV documentary, a young Asian man bleeding while a white male lay on the floor with a crash team working, the events were unconnected.
Anny returned from a sojourn at S. Philomena's at lunchtime and I have been re-writing and compiling the handbooks for the Vive Jesu et Maria weekend at Ascot Priory in September.

I note that 'The Society' (of S. Wilfred and S. Hilda) now has a constitution
It will, it seems, be governed by a council of Bishops, (Constitution article six). One cannot but acknowledge that Catholics, Anglo or otherwise should be guided and directed by Bishops. That is the proper ordered order of things. But it's not what we are used to. I am just old enough to have been taught the ancient tribal mantra 'The Bishops are the natural enemy of the Catholic movement'. But Bishops are not now what they then were. Most Anglo-Catholic organizations of my youth seemed to be designed with the specific (but not only) purpose of upsetting and unsettling Anglican Bishops. I wonder how we will all adjust to this new order? The North is already called to arms and the Society is a settled part of their tactics and strategy to maintain and extend Catholic faith, order and morals in the (temporarily we trust) inhospitable soil of the Church of England. Good for the North. Less evidence is found in the South, and little if any, I confess, outwardly or incarnated in London. I am sure individuals belong but there is no local infrastructure, or enthusiasm? This really is the moment for the young Turks of the South and Metropolitan areas to rise up and grab the baton. Old man like me and indeed my generation (say a decade either side of my age) have done enough, new vision is needed and a new Society needs to establish a firm and evangelistic presence in the South.

Come to that I am much taken with a slogan from the USA used by orthodox but evangelistic Roman Catholics, 'The Gospel without compromise lived joyfully'; I'll have one of those.

2011-08-07T16:37:00.002+01:00

S. Peter's, over a hundred years ago.

A blog reader (joy! there are some still), has pointed out that I am in my seventh and not sixth decade as I had previously claimed, ah, the shame of it, caught falsifying my age!
The 19th Sunday in Ordinary dawned fair and sunny in Wapping. Mass was Solemn and, by any August standard, well attended. There was a short hiatus before Mass, the recently re-bound RSV lectionary was no where to be found. The parish priest fresh and relaxed from leave discovered it, on a bookshelf already searched twice. It was good to return to full duty.
I reminded everyone that there were only three Sundays of the present translation of the Misssal and that we must be ready for September. I will be spending time this week making the needed process.
My local SSC chapter both used and talked about the changes a few weeks ago, I know younger priests who plan to make the move in September and November but there has been little wider discussion ( of which I am aware). I am aware of priests who have chosen each of the three options, 1: Change to the new translation at once, 2: change to an amended CW in order to retain the old agreed texts. 3: Stick with the present ( and unauthorized from any source) translation. The first has the virtue of clarity, Western Rite (as we once called it) is Western Rite and thus an Anglo-Catholic default, the second has the virtue of indicating a loyalty to norms that derive from historic Anglican forms and re-engages a previous Anglo-Catholic default position ("use what you can from official Anglican sources, add what is missing"), the third position is one within which I can see no virtue, but I am sure that at some forthcoming meeting someone will offer a plausible argument to me; Anglo-Catholicism, the home of the plausible argument!

2011-08-04T18:22:00.006+01:00

I am still on leave and it has been a week of activity,

Monday included a visit to the British Museum and their exhibition 'Treasures of Heaven', on relics and the cultural artifacts surrounding them. The problem of prior knowledge arose in thus case, I learned nothing new, but why would I ? The exhibits were splendid and included relics of Charles of England.Tuesday began with the tube journey to Waterloo and the train to Hampton Court. I am a Home Counties boy, now in my sixth decade and had never visited before. The courtyards alone were worth the journey. In the Chapel Royal the Blessed Sacrament is reserved in a small tabernacle to the left of the altar. Food was good in the on-site cafe and the state rooms of Queen Mary as splendid, in their own way, as the Henrican apartments which are the main attraction.

On Wednesday we braved the appalling central London heat and went to the National Gallery to see the exhibition of Italian pre 1550 altar pieces. This is excellent and I commend it to you. I loved the setting of the structures which allowed a view of the rear and thus the construction. As at the recent exhibition of Spanish religious art there were associated objects of devotion (rosaries and such) on sale.
Today (Thursday) to the cinema just over the river to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II. You either 'do' Harry Potter or you do not. It is a blend of myth, legend, English child/boarding school drama, Children's stories..Dickens, Blyton, Treasure Island meets Bewitched and Tom Brown's School days! All this combines with J K Rowling's instinctive feel for what works and what children (of every age) want to produce the genre. As we say in the East End, 'Me? I love it'. Afternoon well spent followed by Cheeseburgers in a 'New York Italian Diner'
Friday will feature lunch at a London Club to mark my birthday (the day itself is on a following Solemnity), for which my kind wife is paying. I resume duty on Saturday, the Transfiguration.

2011-07-29T17:28:00.002+01:00

Those who look on a regular basis for blog posts may have, correctly, concluded that I am on leave. I return to London (but not return to duty) tomorrow. I have spent the week in the Peak District in a former dairy of a Peak farm. It has been a week of hill-walking, historic house visiting, meals on a private patio looking onto the peaks. Meals al fresco have have been shared with chickens, who provided breakfast eggs, three ducks and the lavender borders have been alive with bees from the two hives a few yards away. A little (but never too much) wine has been drunk, the weather has been Tuscan and the company (my wife) excellent. I have read Peter Ackroyd's Venice and listened to Opera, yesterday Tristan and Isolde, the final minutes of the final act leaving me, as ever, breathless.Much time has been spent doing simply nothing, a good and proper use of time intended to be re-creation.

O happy day

2011-07-18T08:42:00.002+01:00

The Clergy House, Wapping Lane (Photo...Docklands ancestors)

The activity of the last week of term starts today, including an inevitable Governing body meeting and the year Six production. Both are tomorrow evening.
I wrote last week in a world weary manner of the not unexpected lack of evidence of revival on Sunday morning. One must never second guess God, this Sunday was the best attended since, well, I'm not sure! Everybody seemed to be at Mass, the back of the Church was a swirling space of small children, the pews were well filled, the singing excellent and we even had some Banns couples to add to the throng.
Feast and Fast, our numbers were double those of the previous Sunday. I suppose it indicates we still have strength in depth, the challenge remains that of enabling our wider congregation to discern their vocation to regular Mass attendance. It is however, he noted with a small smile of pride, very Church of England to actually have a wider community congregation.
And, while the sin of pride is hanging in the air, I found a website the other day that praised S. Peter's, a: for always being open, b: being a place where you felt you were 'allowed' to be, c: having evidence that children were part of the Church, d: just having the 'feel' of being a local community church. Now, being based on the nebulous foundation of 'feelings' none of this may, in fact, be true ( I hope it is) but either way it does seem to me to be rather what Father Lowder was aiming at!
Not then, a bad start to the week.

2011-07-15T08:45:00.002+01:00

We are not the sort of parish where the above (essential) group would be described as 'The worship space hygiene balance ministry team'; but we are very grateful for their work. The church cleaners were pictured yesterday after the school mass.The kingdom is always being built by the little unnoticed work.
It has been a predictably busy week, including a meeting of a committee of the school governors, at which the Head was able to report the best SATs results we have ever achieved.Congratulations to all who managed that, from the arrival of the children in Nursery to the end of year six. That said, in a one form entry school the results will always reflect the nature of the cohort as well as the strength of the teaching. Children are not blanks on which government policy paints its latest ideas on National Curriculum, they come from diverse backgrounds, have differing strengths and weaknesses. Each year six is entire unto itself and is not, by the nature of God's creation, the same as the previous.
Today I am off to an SSC chapter in north London, tonight there is an adult study course and Schola Musica practise.

of the Wapping Shin-dig, Walsingham and people not at Mass

2011-07-10T15:54:00.007+01:00

On Friday S. Peter's School ventured into Norfolk for the annual school pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. This annual event is paid for by a generous benefactor to the School in memory of his late Mother, who loved the shrine and was a frequent pilgrim.It is on a first come, first served basis and thus we always have pilgrims of little religious involvement and, in most years, one or two of our Muslim children.
The parish priest gathering part of the school tribe after we have dismounted from the coach and just before our first visit. As is our custom we sang the litany of our Lady between the altar of the Annunciation and the Holy house.

'Blessed are you Lord, God of all creation'. We have Mass at twelve noon, followed by our picnic lunch (without heavy rain, an authentic miracle). We then join sprinkling at 2.340pm. Our children answered all the offered questions correctly and then displayed informed knowledge of S. Bernadette and Lourdes.

Benediction was at 4.30pm. We then had a clean swift journey back to London, until.... we hit the gridlock in East London caused by, a breakdown in the in the Blackwall tunnel and another on Tower Bridge. Our Drive tried all possible routes, including the Royal Docks (blocked by traffic trying the Woolwich Ferry). As a last forlorn hope he took us onto Canary Wharf, where we came to a complete stop. Noticing we were beside the big stairs to the riverside walk at the end of Cabot square I suggested to the Coach leader that walking would be faster. Moments later we had voided the coach descended to the riverside pathway level and were walking to Wapping. We took it at a 'forced march' pace. Not a child complained. It soon took the aspect of a rescues drama, with parents walking out from Wapping to meet us and others driving to the first path/road intersection. Dropping children as we went ( and recording their leaving us) we reached school thirty minutes after we had started; the coach would have taken an hour and a half. There the last children were met by their parents.

On Saturday the Turk's Head Company organised a Wapping community day. There was a wide level of contribution from local groups and businesses.St, Peter's lent the Father Wainright Hall as a refreshment centre and a good number of Peterite's were involved on other stalls and parts of the day. Miss Hannah Jones and her friend Olivia were much cherred and applauded as they rendered 'Ba Ba Blacksheep' on the big stage during 'Wapping's got talent'. There was a splendid bar-b-Q rendered by out local butcher (Hussey...see good food guides for London) and other such stalls. Children in fancy dress paraded with a selection of authentic pearly Kings and Queens. The event gave a happy day to a wide selection of our little bit of East London. The Turk's Head must be congratulated for their planning and effort. I think it has the possibility of real growth through 'along-siding', that is other groups and organisations putting on con-joined events on the same day.
The 15th Sunday in Ordinary time proved not to be the first Sunday of a Mass religious revival in Wapping, number were more late than early July. We have had a people drift of late and the coming holiday season will do little to stem it. There is a PCC booked to talk on such matters.
I am at least pleased that the Bishops have acknowledged a fifty per cent drop in the Church since 1970. I am further unsure that this can be stopped or the direction changed by 'church wide efforts' or 'new initiatives', in which I, in my elder years, have less and less faith. Faithfulness used to be effective but will not, I think, work in an age which values this virtue not at all. At the very least inner city schools are not helped by Episcopal leaders giving the impression that faithful Christian life should be a detriment to a place at the School. I know that they are expressing thoughts about Surrey and Kensington and not East End Council estate catchment schools, but the press and the pundits, or indeed the locals do not see this.
I suppose it will only get better after it has got harder.

St Peter's Day procession, lunches and meetings

2011-07-05T08:39:00.007+01:00

After the nice things said about this blog in New Directions I feel obliged to post again! Last week saw the celebrations of Petertide. Above you see the annual procession at the school gate a few moments before we set off to the Church. The servers are in Lowder Livery.
Our Lady's Maidsin their frocks and Mantilla's each carrying a Lily of purity. One of them was the sole winner, for this year, of the Father Pollock prize for service to Church and School. The prize is still the gold standard for commitment and if no one deserves it no prize is awarded, this did happen a few years ago.

The Procession in Wapping Lane. The singing was very robust, our Headteacher thinks the best she has heard. I am often tempted to invite a bishop to the procession, were it not for a nagging fear that such would invite rain upon the event!
The last few yards before the Church. The St. Peter's procession is, as far as any can recall, the last custom and tradition that was alive in the old docking community of Wapping that has survived with authenticity and vigour into the new mixed-economy of our present demography.
On Sunday evening a group of nine braved the journey from London to Southwark, Middlesex to Surrey under the river to take part in the dedication festival at S. Mary's Rotherhithe. Their new Deacon was on duty for the first time and, other than a slight problem of a late preacher all went well. There was food in abundance and the Church was well filled.

Yesterday, 4th July, I went from a 9am Wedding interview (What joy, the bride-to-be is a citizen of the USA) to Mass of S. Elizabeth of Portugal to the Theology department at King's London, there to pick up a form signed by my supervisor to be handed in with my thesis submission. The thesis is in the hands of a printer and binders near Highbury and Islington overground station and may be collected tomorrow.Oh dear, it is all getting frighteningly serious! Thence, after a simple beef sandwich at my club to S. Alban's Clergy House Holborn (above) for a meeting of the Bishop of Fulham's council with the Bishop of Edmonton. The evening concluded with a meeting with the parish Treasurer to decide which (if any) bills we can afford to pay!

The consecration day

2011-06-17T10:48:00.009+01:00

The Bishops designate stand before the Archbishop to make their declarations.

Yesterday was, as it were, a grand day out. A significant number of our Priests assembled at Southwark cathedral for the consecration of the new Bishops of Richborough and Ebsfleet. We were all conscious of the generosity and graciousness of Archbishop Rowan in his act of swift, but careful appointment and the simple, but profound, gift of this specially arranged service of ordination and consecration.

The presentation of the Bishops, that the Queen's mandate for ordination may be carried out.

The cathedral was packed, and the welcome splendid. Clergy waiting to vest were provided with coffee. The Guardians of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham (and we must note Fr Baker is of their number and Fr. Banks was Vicar of the parish) were accorded special places in choir. Sadly theu could not wear their mantles which, with the coach from Walsingham, arrived late.

The holy huddle as the new Bishop's are ordained. The Mass rite was Common Worship with a distinctly Catholic flavour, the preacher was Fr. Bill Scott, wisest of confessors and spiritual directors and domestic Chaplain to the Queen.
After the consecration Forward in Faith entertained many at Glaziers Hall. This was a splendid event with copious amounts of food and drink, much laughter and joy and serious talk of a renewed vision.

After the reception many journeyed to S. Alban's Holborn, 'Anglo-Catholic central', where the new Bishop's shared the rite of Benediction, Bishop Banks led the devotion, Bishop Baker gave Benediction.

The Bishop of Richborough gives his blessing after Benediction.

The Bishop of Ebbfleet with the staff of Pusey House as Benediction begins.Father R D E Jones and the blog author await the start of the days events.

Thanks to Fr. John Stather SSC who provided these splendid photographs

2011-06-14T22:29:00.002+01:00

This evening I, in the company of many thousands of others in recent months, took offline my facebook account.

Because:

1: I hardly ever posted on it.

2: I always found the process of saying 'no' to people who asked me to be their friend an uncomfortable process.

3: It is truly shallow and trivial and I spent time on my iphone app reading about others when I could have been reading a book (or even my kindle).

4: The facebook time is, I conjecture, over.

Come to that I don't Twitter either.

The golden age of Anglo-Catholic blogging also seems over, but I will carry on this blog for the time being, it still seems to have a public and that is kind of those who view it (do you 'view' a blog?).

For a foodie blog, try,http://timsfoodieblog.wordpress.com/ which is written by younger son Tim, well know thurifer at Fulham jurisdiction events.

2011-06-14T08:44:00.002+01:00

Yesterday the London Synod of the Society of the Holy Cross convened at S. Alban's Holborn. It was an excellent and good spirited meeting. Mass was offered by the Provincial Master and concelebrated by the Local vicars and council members. A good packed lunch was provided (in rather fine recyclable brown paper bags, the vegetable samosas reflecting a multi cultural England). The keynote address was by the Bishop of Whitby, The Rt. Revd Dr.Martin Warner SSC. who spoke of the pedagogic and healing quality of art and the Christian tradition of art as central to the Western self-understanding. It was an erudite and valuable contribution to the day.

The Provincial Master spoke of the role of the Society and the reality of the Cross in our mission and ministry.The Master-General, The Revd Prependary David Houlding SSC spoke of the journey toward a safe and secure ongoing part for Anglo-Catholics of traditional theology ecclesiology and moral belief in the Church of England.

The meeting ended with the traditional SSC pax and I retired with the younger Father Jones and Father Caster of S. Mary's Eversholt Street for cofffee at a nearby Cafe Nero.

A number of society brothers were kind enough to note the return of the blog.

Cheese and Pentecost

2011-06-12T16:42:00.006+01:00

Mass begins on the Solemnity of Pentecost. On the 'tell it how it is' code of the blog, numbers were not exciting, not you understand disastrous or even sad, but not exciting. We reflected our transitional and flexible neighborhood.There were people at Mass who we had never seen ten months ago and some who ten months ago would have been here who were not.The sort of thing that needs to be in course 101 'urban inner city priesthood', a module I missed at Seminary.

The 'inchurch' creche a fresh expression of negotiated learning patterns in their own micr0-environment. This is a hospitality space for gracious encounter and 'inliturgy' faith venture.
The liturgical photographer was instructed to take care with pictures less the Church looked empty. It was not empty, as you see.

The superb frontal was made by the Community of the Holy Cross sisters in Father Wainright's day (thus records parish legend).
It is a busy week, the Society of the Holy Cross London Synod meets tomorrow at S. Alban's Holborn, the latter under the care of the new Vicar Fr. Smith. On Thursday I will be at the Episcopal ordination of Fr's Baker and Banks. There is an adult confirmation session, a marriage interview, School Mass and much else to fill an East end week.

Miss Hannah Jones enjoys visiting the Clergy House for Saturday breakfast, here is such an occasion yesterday. As caught here she was enthusiasticly saying 'cheese' to her father. Not as a photographic exercise but as an adoration of Stinking Bishop (I'm a nettle covered yarg fan myself, that or the great Binham blue)

Walsingham and KCL

2011-06-02T09:04:00.006+01:00

I was at the National pilgrimage at Walsingham on Monday, second pilgrimage in ten days! Our parish day pilgrimage went well and on the Sunday following there was a wide selection of objects of devotion to bless. It turned out that last year was not the last National, numbers were good, the more so given the appalling weather forecast.

A typical English country scene, three clerics enter the abbey grounds from the field car park end on Monday late morning.There was, as ever, much devotion, many intercessions offered, considerable greeting of old friends, and a tide of (often inaccuarate) gossip.
The usual suspects awaiting the arrival of the Blessed Sacrament for Benediction. The rite was this year at the projected original site of the Holy House, marking the 950 anniversary of the vision of the Lady Richeldis.

I have been frugal with posting of late because every spare moment has been given over to my thesis. yesterday I had a supervision with Professor Oliver Davies. He had had my draft full thesis (only the abstract and chapter and page number sheets missing) for two weeks. In our discussion he recommended one significant change, it will take a couple of days to write, and subject to that, he gave his consent for the thesis to be submitted. Indeed, given the nature of the change, an amplification of existing content, he indicated that he did not need to see the text further. I have spoken with the course director and he is starting the paperwork for submission. I will work on the change over the weekend and carry on with the re-reading and creating a consistent form for the footnotes. Completion, my time-table says, on Wednesday.Readers/examiners must now be appointed and then a viva booked, expect no more news until the Autumn.

2011-05-19T10:16:00.004+01:00

I have been away from the blog because my thesis has been the subject of every spare moment this month. Thus I have not provided you with pictures or reports on, the Fraternity of S. George at Holy Trinity Hoxton, but see last year the clerical line up was the same, our May devotion or other such.
Here, however, is a picture of the school May devotion on Thursday last. My weekend was busy, last Friday I went down into Gloucestershire, there to officiate at a marriage. It was of Sarah and Paul who, when in London, worship at S. Peter's. In the congregation was Fr.Hunwicke, late of S. Thomas Oxford who had been first booked to officiate but had in the meantime joined the Ordinariate. He was a helpful guide in extricating the Fiat 500 from those who had parked behind me. After Mass on Sunday I set off again, this time to Birmingham to S. Saviour's Saltley.

Here is the High Altar of said church in Passiontide. There I preached at their May Devotion and fondly remembered such events when I was their parish priest. The present priest, Fr. Alan Thompson reminded the faithful gathered that I had been the one who first taught his wife and he the Catholic faith, a kind flattery. This trip also gave me evidence that you really can get a Premier Inn room for £29! (well, £36, including breakfast).
And thus, up to date, yesterday afternoon I delivered a full (48,750 word) draft of my Thesis to King's College London for my supervisor to comment upon, had a cup of tea in my club and then went to drinks for old boys of my school, which is why the picture of the Royal Festival Hall.
Today, school Mass completed I am interviewing for a new key-stage 2 teacher in school and then teaching the confirmands. S.Peter's London Docks in full steam!

2011-05-06T15:09:00.002+01:00

The Statue of S. Therese in S. Peter's. This is not a real pencil rendering but taken with a clever camera that makes the photograph into this form.
I apologize to the (shrinking I suspect) blog followers, there have been no posts since Easter. Not that I have been on holiday, term started after Easter Monday Bank holiday and all has been at full tilt since then. I have also been on an intense thesis writing run, I'm attempting to have a full draft ready by SS Peter & Paul. Subject to my supervisors approval I am just 5,000 words short of that objective. There are however many hours yet of revision and formatting but the main academic labour my be completed within a few weeks.
The blog welcomes the appointment of Fr Banks and Fr. Baker as the new PEV's, the intention for the future given by the Archbishop of Canterbury is indicated in Fr. Baker's youth (in years, not we acknowledge, wisdom). This is an affirming and gracious statement and Dr. Williams is to be thanked.
The appointment of a Bishop of Fulham is, the Bishop of London assures us, in hand. I am sure that this will also be a helpful and generous appointment.

Mass of Easter Day

2011-04-24T15:32:00.010+01:00

Solemn Mass of Easter Day,the rite of Penance. Relics of SS Peter & Paul in front of the statue of S. Peter.The Gospel, following an excellent singing of the Paschal Sequence by the Schola Musica. The Gospel itself had a less impressive rendering than that sung at the vigil when Father Robin Jones sang the Solemn tone, a height I am yet to grasp.

At the renewal of Baptismal vows, the Easter font, in which Molly's two sons were Baptised this Easter Day, contains water from The River Thames, the Lourdes Grotto, the Holy Well at Walsingham and The River Jordan.The creche at Mass this morning,under, as you may spot the patronage of S. Therese. S. Peter's London Docks is a child-friendly church.

During the Canon, the torchboy is Alex, a faithful S. Peter's server who chose S. Dominic Savio as his confirmation saint.
Peterites at Prayer.

The Regina C at the end of Mass. Also a good broad view accross the Church showing the Altars of both Our Lady and the Holy Souls. The fast is ended, the Feast begins, as I write I am stuffed with good roast lamb prosecco Tarte tatin, vanilla pod ice cream and Norfolk Blue cheese. Below is Miss Jones mourning the passing of the custom of the Easter Bonnet, I think the frock makes up for it. Happy Easter, and remember the Octave is a feast.

2011-04-24T13:50:00.008+01:00

Some elements of the Eastrerfest food in the Father Foizey room before the Easter vigil, party poppers, loved in the Clergy House on S. Stephen's Day were a popular addition.
In the courtyard at the start of the vigil. The younger Father Jones had joined us and acted as the Deacon. Numbers were, as they have been all week, very good.

The faithful enter the Church, after a day of severe weather warnings a little rain fell as we completed the ceremonies connected with the Paschal Candle.
As the Epistle is proclaimed.

The Canon, the liturgical photographer was over involved at other stages.

The return of the Blessed Sacrament after Mass.

Alleluia Christ is Risen, the final burst of the Peterite Easter Vigil Fireworks over Wapping.

The Solemn Liturgy of the Lord's Passion

2011-04-22T14:47:00.007+01:00

The Collect, by the time the OT Lection was completed there were half as many again in these pews! Both stations and the Liturgy were well attended.

The veneration of the Cross at the Liturgy of the Lord's Passion. In the background I am holding our relic of a True Nail, also for veneration. The True Nail was also venerated after Stations at 10am.The Blessed Sacrament being brought from the Altar of Repose Tabernacle to the High Altar for Holy Communion.
The Priests pray before Communion. Our singing was better once again, some new voices lifting our normal standard.

The custom started at S. Peter's in my first Holy Week here, Hot Cross Buns ans tea/coffee after the Liturgy as the Fast break. It has proved a popular and enduring norm.The Fr. Foizey room was filled and over ninety Hot Cross Buns consumed. As I write, the silver lamps in the Church are being cleaned, the communion silver washed and cleaned and determined efforts with a hairdryer and kitchen towel if lifting wax from sundry surface.

The Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper

2011-04-22T09:29:00.007+01:00

Reception of the Holy oils at the start of the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper. Numbers were good and the watch the best I have ever known at S. Peter's. When I first came fourteen years ago the watch was weak, attended almost exclusively by women (thanks be to God for their faithfulness) at one point last evening I was in the chapel with six men....and no women!

The proclamation of the Gospel, photo taken from the organ loft. There are no pictures of foot washing, the liturgical photographer was passing the towels to me. The feet of twelve men and boys were washed, one of the privileges of priesthood.
The start of the offertory.

During the Canon, you can see the waiting Altar of repose on the right. Alas there were obly four torches this year!
The elevation of the chalice. I discovered after Mass that I had omitted to remove my apron after the foot-washing, note to senior MC to keep a keener eye on me I'm slipping in my pre-geriatric stage.
There are no pictures of the procession, the photographer was carrying the umbralino.

I hope there will be Good Friday pictures later this afternoon.

2011-04-21T16:54:00.004+01:00

The High altar of S. Peter's late on Maundy Thursday afternoon. The sacrament is in the distant place of reservation, all lamps are doused and the holy water stoups emptied.
The church has been busy all day, altar of repose erected (it takes five different talents), much cleaning and preening, the sacristy organized and sundry items found, there is always a hunt for the apron worn during foot washing. I have heard confessions and taken holy communion to the housebound.

This is the 2011 altar of repose at S. Luke's Shepherds Bush, Fr Robin sent it to me earlier this afternoon.

I have yet to take to church the twelve footwashing towels, which were produced, as if my magic, upon my request an hour or so ago, and the Mass booklets for this evening.
If any would care to join us at any stage Mass is at 7.30pm and the watch at the altar of repose will continue until midnight.
This is the S. Peter's London Docks altar of repose. My thanks to Steve of Flowers@103 for helping with the festoons and cloth, Michelle for the flowers and Miss Chilton for finding the lace!

I hope there will be pictures of the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper, perhaps this evening if the watch is well supported and I can slip away, otherwise tomorrow.

A Holy and Blessed Triduum to all who visit the bog.

Spy Wednesday

2011-04-20T18:52:00.005+01:00

Spy Wednesday is always odd in the Fulham Jurisdiction, one great event gone, the Chrsim Mass and then aspare day before the action of the Triduum. Today ' Preparing for the Feast' ended, number could have been better but the enthusiasm and pleasure of the children was splendid. Today I was involved twice, leading mini stations at nine am and then telling them why we call it Spy Wednesday at lunchtime this concluded the project, we ended with prayer. This afternoon I heard confessions and managed two hundred words on my Therese section of the thesis, I also wrote a small piece for 'Forward' at which the editor might even now have pointed the delete bar.

I have just come from phoning Steve at the Wapping Lane florists, they are closed during the school holiday, he however assures me that he is set for tomorrow, garlands and sundries at the ready to set up the altar of repose. That will take place mid-morning, pictures of the operation possibly tomorrow.

In the evening of early Holy Week there is a Mass with an address each day. Figures fluctuate by the year. This year I have been talking about the three theological virtues, Faith, Hope, and Charity, the latter this evening. This is ny fourteenth Holy Week at S. Peter's and thus far attendance is the best yet....having said that disaster will no doubt strike this evening! That typed I must go to get ready. Numbers remained high on Spy Wednesday evening.

Fulham Jurisdiction Chrism

2011-04-19T15:26:00.006+01:00

This morning a Peterite group, including the 'Preparing for the feast' team went off to S. Alban's Holborn for the Fulham Jurisdiction Chrism Mass. Bishop Peter Wheatley, or temporary 'Bishop in Charge' offered Mass with a good number of concelebrants. Our normal numbers had been made up by some of Bishop Peter's own clergy who opted in to the event. The Bishop of London attended and, in cope sat 'in choir'

It was all rather splendid, if marred a little by a lack of Holy Oils. I, and others, who waited until after the rugby scrum rush found containers empty. I have only just enough Chrism for the Baptism on Sunday afternoon and then ? There can be no 'Fulham Chrism' in reserve for the remainder of the year. I am sure there is an answer.....has any Fulham Jurisdiction priest who glances at the blog enough to share some with me?
Some of our crew waiting for the arrival of the coach. James and Joshua (on the right) were booked to be torchboys at the Mass, alas James had broken his arm and was thus promoted to boat boy. Josh torched alone among the older and senior S. Alban's servers and was of good report. Tim, my younger son was, as he has been these fourteen years, the thurifer. I have to go round to school in a short while to finish off the day at 'Preparing for the Feast'.
After Mass Anny, Tim, Fr Robin and I stayed up the other end for lunch, but it was not the multi course Italian meal of other years, we went to EAT on the Grey's Inn road and had sandwiches and soft drinks, I am yet deciding if this is an improvement!

Preparing for the Feast

2011-04-18T12:28:00.005+01:00

Springtime in Wapping, the park area running along the north side of the Church. In the past there was a block of flats here with a central courtyard, in that courtyard the great processions of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were marshaled into good order by Mr Cairncross, the author/editor of Ritual Notes before, Church Band playing, they went out into the streets.
We have a Holy Week activity group meeting in the School this week, it is open to any child from the School. The little project is being funded by News International (whom we thank). This morning we gathered for stations of the cross (just three today) then the children had fruit and juice followed by activities. I went back at 11.45am and told them the story of the cleansing of the Temple, we had Temple money and a plastic duck as a sacrificial pigeon! Tomorrow we will all be attending the Chrism Mass at S. Alban's Holborn.

We have called the activity club, 'Preparing for the Feast' here are two participants, Christine and Heidi in the specially commissioned Lenten Purple T Shirts sporting our S. Peter's badge. This evening there is Mass at 7.30pm, the address at the evening Mass this year, on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday is on one of the three theological virtues, this evening, Faith.

Holy Week 2011: Paslm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

2011-04-17T17:06:00.006+01:00

We have ecumenical Palm blessing here in Wapping. One year I preside and Fr. Digby preaches, the next year contra. This year I was preaching the homily following the Gospel of the day. I am making a point based on my elaborate Spanish palm confection! Both communities were lower in numbers than usual, it was Marathon day which means Wapping is cut off from the rest of London, thus some of our people do not make it here. We were a little compensated by those who leave Wapping for Sunday morning but this year joined us.
Walking through the courtyard into S. Peter's. I was surprised this year by the number of people in Church who had not come to Wapping Rose Garden for the Blessing and procession in honour of Christ the King, thus there was a good number in church as we arrived and exercised the complicated process of stopping the singing of one hymn in order to begin another. The procession had been watched by a good number of people from shops open in Wapping Lane and those gathering to watch the runners pass by at the intersection of the Lane and the Highway.
This appears to be at the offertory, I can see a ciborium to my right on the altar. The Palm Sunday array is used only on this Sunday each year. The vestments are my own bought from the old West Country Pax House in my Deacons year (76/7) for, as I remember it, £16. They too are used only for Palm Sunday and Good Friday.
I have had a number of emails asking if I would record a full Peterite Holy Week, I will do so as far as I am able. I remain gratified that any are still interested in the doings of a small back street Anglo-Catholic Parish.

I missed the printing module in training!

2011-04-15T14:21:00.004+01:00

Cranes over Wapping, one of three on this site near the Clergy House, the picture was taken from the kitchen window. For many years there was a deserted warehouse, put up in haste after the Second World War. It had been used as an alternative arts venue, but of late it was a venue for drug related parties and sales, not to mention violence and worse. The multi-floor going up will be the normal mix of social housing flats, private flats, 'community space' and shops. Most locals are amazed that this, the third projected development on the site in ten years, is proceeding, local gossip has it that much of the initial funding was from Irish banks, that can't be the case now, so, who owns it?

A sea of paper, Liturgy booklets and music scripts from Palm Sunday to Easter day, inclusive, all prepared this morning. I contemplated the last printing from the MS Publisher files of Holy week, by next year this liturgical formulation will have lapsed and a new order be in force. This is presenting a problem for some Anglo-Catholic parishes. Those places that use one rite on weekdays and another on Sundays will now be confronted with texts that are no longer common to both rites. What in future will be the accepted response, among Anglo-Catholics to the greeting, 'The Lord be with you', perhaps we will learn to do, as we so often do in English, look at the context before we make the response, see, Two, Too, To and Right, Rite and respond by context!

Sing my tounge the glorious battle

2011-04-10T15:08:00.006+01:00

Lent V, or as we should no longer call it, Passion Sunday, warm breeze, cloudless skies, new leaves greening the urban edge, statues veiled and, it seemed as we started to sing, 'The Royal banners forward go' no one at Mass. First impressions were however both fleeting and inaccurate, we emerged by the Gospel with a good, indeed large gathering with many toddlers and pre-toddlers and the substantial group who have been doing East End Anglo-Catholicism since Noah was a mudlark.
The traditional Passiontide hymns were sung well, St Peter's has long been a weak singing church, in recent months we have gained some good voices, the Schola Musica has had a little time of early blossom and thus our singing is much improved. The wave effect of inner city church life was much in evidence, some who would have been here last year are gone, new faces fill parts of the church, occasionals fill space, but will not be here next week (or month).There is a regal triumph in the liturgy of this Sunday, a 'Christus Rex' rather than 'man of sorrows' view of the cross. In Year A the Gospel of Lazarus has bold imagery and chimes of Easter Day, women at the tomb, stones being moved, corpse cloths, its not yet a bloodied cross, but the moment is coming.

Lent V is also, by custom and tradition the Annual meeting Sunday. Our is, as you see, a somewhat 'Church without walls' fresh expressioned AGM with flexibility and a coffee house informality. We fulfill the legalities , it is not so much APCM lite as APCM happy. There was much applause for the 'Stop the rot' team and their fundraising in the year gone. This year we themed in 'Big Society S. Peter's'.
Reports were received from Schola Musica, Stop the Rot, Vive Jesu et Maria weekend, Servers and others, accounts indicated a small surplus and all appropriate were thanked as is the custom at such events. As a well known Anglican Bishop has recently indicated, when all the other agency's have run their course, outlived their budgets and changed the orientation of their service delivery the Church will still be here in the inner city, in the areas of margin, with full time on site staff proclaiming a kingdom that is beyond the fashion and creates its own relationship narrative.Finally, for the sentimental a (not very good) picture of Miss Hannah Jones with her paternal Grand-Mother.

2011-03-28T09:28:00.002+01:00

More detail from a Rope window, this is an ordination scene and the detail shows the buckled shoes of the Bishop. More hope than reality one thinks, the window was completed in 1940!

Yesterday was not the best ever Mass attendance at S. Peter's, clocks going foreword, penitential fatigue, low sermon quality, all might be attributed as the rationale. We were weak on children and servers. Next week is another matter, one might expect to be flooded with those affirming Christian maternity, but there is always the risk of 'I can't come to Mass next Sunday Father, it's Mothers day and I've got to take my Mum out to lunch'... yes really! However cynicism, even the healthy realistic sort, must never be allowed to triumph. When I hear tales of ever expanding Churches flooded with new people and I look at inner-city church struggle I remind myself that Jesus suffered a loss of followers. The path of Catholic discipleship is never easy and many start the journey without ever garnering enough resources to complete the course.

Today I am in School for the process of offering places in our Nursery. The reception process has been completed and we were much oversubscribed, there is less pressure on Nursery, many who seek a Church place in the school only enter the process at reception level. The difficulty here is that children who start with us in Nursery are often denied a reception place as others who fit the criteria better enter at the second phase.

It is a Wapping week, I'm not going anywhere, indeed might not even leave the parish boundries before next Saturday.

of things that have to do with School and Weddings

2011-03-24T10:28:00.003Z

The usual suspects: Serving team School Mass this morning.

'For winters rains and ruins are over, and all the season of snow and sins'. No prize for author or work (but does anyone know.....without a google search?) Spring comes to Wapping with sunny days, leaves as rumours of green on the thin branches and the building site in Wapping lane, a venue for flats, shops and 'community space' has cranes shadowing the landscape.

At school Mass we looked at Almsgiving, after concluding that children's income prevented a heavy financial contribution we decided that time giving, to teachers, family, friends was at 10 and under an effective alternative.One year 2 child who attends on Sundays an HTB influenced parish provided a precise and succinct definition of almsgiving. Note to self, work harder on the little Anglo-Catholics.

Further Spring signs are three couples coming last evening to put their Banns in, the Spring wedding season is open. I have two weddings booked at S. Peter's this year, which by our inner-city norms is a lot, inevitably, both are on the same day!
This evening there is a long rolling Governors session, a meet the parents, a committee, a shared supper and finally a full Governors meeting.

The same crew with the addition of the Parish Priest.

2011-03-23T11:18:00.002Z

On Monday evening I drove through Westminster, Earls court, and out to Chiswick to pick up the M4 and go down into Wiltshire. The I stayed overnight at a Premier Inn and the following morning to a North East Wiltshire town, a hill settlement clustered round its parish Church. This part of the county is very different to South West Wiltshire where was spent part of my adolescence and where my late parents live. There the villages straggle down the valley of the Avon and the great Plain dominates the ancient landscape. In the parish Church, trough the hospitality of the Vicar I presided over the Funeral Liturgy of one of my oldest friends, he was some four years younger than I and I had known him for, I think, seven and thirty years. Coming home in the late afternoon yesterday was nose to tale traffic from Earls Court to Wapping. I said Mass when we reached Wapping.

This morning, just after Mass one of those unexpected joys in a Priests life, a young couple came to inquire about, and book a date for, a wedding next Spring. The young woman had been in Year Six at the Parish School when I arrived here, she had been confirmed the previous September. A suitable date was found, Wedding preparation booked and I commended her to make her confession before the Wedding, she took the latter suggestion seriously, the 'clean slate' appealed.

2011-03-21T09:09:00.003Z

I won't be at School assembly tomorrow, the picture was taken a week or so ago, I will be in a small Wiltshire town presiding at the funeral of an old friend. He was younger than me and is thus a marker of that stage of life that is beginning, the marriages of friends and the Baptism of their children is passed, their funerals begin. Two of of my seminary contemporaries have already died, but in a sense they did not count, their deaths were part of that scourge of cancer that destroys life in people's fourth decade, the more recent deaths are simply those of the end of life.
There is always a beginning in the endings, please pray for the Sisters of the Community of the Holy Cross in their new, and purpose built, convent. This is a real sign of faith and confidence, the religious life is possible, indeed may thrive, in a converted hunting lodge, but there is a shape to the religious life that is best offered in buildings made and sculptured by and for that life. The round of prayer and work, the daily disciplined living are formed with and by the building and the building becomes refined and defined by the life. Please pray that this outrageous act of counter-cultural confidence in God and the calling of Catholic Anglicans may result in a flood of new vocations.

2011-03-15T12:24:00.003Z

Wapping Reach, The Port of London: F W Scarborough

I was looking down the river this morning, now empty of all but a small number of pleasure craft and a police boat. The relationship with the river is much changed here. I am a strong supporter of a proper and regular river bus, but it seems that there are strong economic preventives. It would however re-connect parish and river.
I was in school this morning for assembly, we talked about Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving, this week specifically about prayer. They concluded that it was the most essential of the three. Time since has been spent, offering Mass, speaking on the telephone to the Diocesan Registrar (what a nice man he is) discussing a wedding later in the year, which can proceed, it seems, with little complication, dealing with a very polite Gas official, talking to Fr. Martin SSF, who is not well and signing some school entrance forms.
I have long complained that Anglo-Catholic traditionalists ( how I wish we had claimed the title 'Classical Catholics'), while at ease with the trivia of the blogsphere, have not, in the last twenty years, produced serious books that demand the attention of the wider church. My complaint is ended with the publication of Fr. Robin Ward's On Christian Priesthood a serious book produced at a serious time for the Anglican self-understanding of the nature of that calling. It is my morning Lent book. I commend it to all brother priests who glance at the Peterite Blog.

Scenes from Solemn Mass Lent I

2011-03-13T16:26:00.005Z

Father Martin was away on his travels this Sunday, thus it was a Solemn Mass. We had the annual visit of the former 24th Stepney (S. Peter's London Docks) Scout Troop. These men, who were all part of S. Peter's in Fr. Foizey's day come each year to Mass and then on to socialize together. Their gnerosity is clear in both collections (the second taken in the last hymn is for one of our Lenten Charities, today SSC Mission Direct.

Once more the congregation was above recent averages. We had a seminarian from S. Stephen's House here a few weeks ago and he kindly commented on our mix at Mass, social and age groups. Coffee was taken in the Father Wainright Hall, the old Scouts came and more notes were slipped in the direction of the 'Stop the Rot' campaign. The has long been a parish where the past and present share a common vocabulary.

Ritual critics should be assured that Michael is not attempting a move from one of his late namesakes dance moves, the pictures just caught the 'movement to the right' moment.
As ever on Friday evening we shared Stations of the Cross with our brothers and sisters of S. Patrick's. Our Mass attendance before Stations was enhanced, not least by members of the Schola Musica, their rehearsal follows Mass.

After parish communal coffee we had a visitor for the light luncheon at the Clergy House, the youngest Jones, whom you see below with me.

of altar frontals and redemption

2011-03-11T11:07:00.003Z

This picture is part of a stained glass window at the west end of S. Peter's. The work is by Miss M E Rope and is one of her Seven Sacrament windows made for Fr. H A Wilson at S. Augustine's Haggerston. They came to S. Peter's after the closure of that Church. This window, that illustrating the sacrament of Orders, is also a commemoration of Fr. Arthur Pollock the long serving curate of S. Peter's. He spent his last two years of life, on earth, as an Hon Priest of S. Augustine's while retaining his license as curate of S. Peter's. I hope to explain this odd situation when my ongoing academic work is complete and I set off on my next project, producing an edited version of the parish diary of Fr. Leutchford, Vicar of S. Peter's before, during and after the Second World War.
What matter about this image is the portrayal of the High altar as it was before Fr. Fox's alteration in the early 1950s. The frontal is the S. Peter's best white. It is made up, as you can see, of a series of small individual panels, all embroidered and all to varying standards of skill and competence. They have then been assembled and brought together with some much better embroidery and thus completed as a frontal. When I arrived here it was in very bad condition, frayed, silk giving way and velvet becoming bald. After a few years I decided that we could no longer use it, for fear that further damage would render it beyond repair. Some years ago I took it to be examined. It was declared wonderful and priceless and thus the quotation to repair it was a King's ransom. Thus things remained until a generous soul offered to bear the cost, alone. I questioned them several times, mindful of the amount involved, they were sure. The repair is in hand.
What matters, what is essential, what is so wonderful is the story of the frontal. Parish folk-lore has it, with a persistence through the decades, that the panels were embroidered by 'girls the sisters were looking after'. That means one thing, the girls who had entered the Community of the Holy Cross house here in Wapping in order to walk away from life as a Docks prostitute. Such girls, often very young, were without exception, addicted to alcohol and often to laudanum. They were always subjected to brutality by their pimps. Thus in seeking the help of the Sisters they had to 'cold turkey their addictions and, staying in the sisters house, face the threats of their pimps shouted from the street. The panels, embroidered amidst this heroic attempt to attain a transformed life are a witness to their heroic endeavor and to the mission of S. Peter's and the Community of the Holy Cross.That this is the source of these assorted panels is also, I am assured by them, the understanding received in the Community of the Holy Cross.The labours of reformed street girls vest the altar where Christ's sacrifice is offered. It is profound.
Later in the year, when restored and made safe for the future and the frontal returns, we will celebrate and re-dedicate it.
It's a very Anglo-Catholic narrative, the fallen and restored, the adjacency of sinful and sinned against humanity and the precious gift of the Blessed sacrament, the offering of the broken giving honour to the broken offering.
I am much moved by the kind comments from brothers who have of late joined the RCC and the Ordinariate welcoming the return of the blog, their generosity is a also a great gift.

Ash Wednesday

2011-03-10T14:55:00.002Z

I apologize that there are no photographs of the Ash Wednesday evening Mass, the Liturgical photographer was the thurifer. Regular readers ( if there are any such) will know that I am reticent about Mass attendance figures, these, as any inner-city parish priest knows, are a movable feast. That said we did very very well yesterday, in fact the best communicants and attendance in a decade.There is a Wapping habit of turning out on 'Catholic Folk Religion' days, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and such and this phenomena was in evidence yesterday, however all manifestations of authentic faith are to be encouraged and the way to conversion of heart can come through any amount (or sort) of Christan Folk Religion.
Before blogging I was printing out application and registration forms for Preparing for the feast
the Holy week club running, this year, in the School on the first three days of Holy Week, a miniature Vive Jesu et Maria. I am trying to decide how to print T Shirts that are firmly branded but none event specific so that in frugal fashion we can use them again.
My thanks again to all who have contacted me to express delight that the blog is online again, I am not publishing comments yet, fear of vanity in myself.

Ash Wednesday: School Mass

2011-03-09T11:58:00.005Z

Familiar territory for those who frequent the Peterite blog, School Mass. The Mass is always (at least since Fr. Wainright's day) moved from Thursday to enable the children to start Lent fully. A number of parents also come to this Mass, thus figures were good.

Starting the Blessing of Ashes.

This is always a new beginning, a fresh expression, always a historic moment, as the Church attempts to live out the disciplines of the joyful springtime of Prayer, fasting and almsgiving. There is always a buzz in the Church for the Ash Wednesday school Mass, the children know it is important, they want to take part, but there is that childish mixture of excitement, anticipation and embarrassment. All the children are ashed and most of the staff, it takes a long time but the silence is revealing of the sense of occasion that the children feel.

The Children being Ashed

After School mass I took Holy Communion to a house-bound lady and talked briefly with her visitors who are 'old Peterites'. Time soon for at the frugal Lenten lunch. We have Solemn Mass at 7.30pm. followed by a simple fasting supper, soup, bread, cheese and an apple.

Flowers and children

2011-03-07T09:07:00.002Z

Father Lowder said that God put flowers and children into the world to make it beautiful, above is Miss Hannah Jones discovering the delights of dunking bread into olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
I am surprised to discover that some three to four thousand people still visit the blog each month, and I am asked time and time again to resume posting.I stopped when it became clear that there was to be another parting of the ways for Anglo-Catholics and that difficult and unnecessary things were going to be said online, not to mention the vitriolic anonymous comments that would abound in the inbox of bloggers.
I am persuaded ( by a priest I met at Walsingham when I was there a few weeks ago) that this period of Anglo-Catholicism (re-birth or swan-song?) may benefit from an online record.
As to the three girls (people still ask), Gemma is written, and in essence approved by my supervisor, Bernadette is written and in his hands, Therese is in process, oh, and I am not going anywhere on Wednesday.

2010-10-21T11:59:00.002+01:00

We fight for lost causes because we know that our defeat and dismay may be the preface to our successors' victory, though that victory itself will be temporary; we fight rather to keep something alive than in the expectation that anything will triumph.

T S Eliot

2010-09-27T08:55:00.003+01:00

The Missionary Society of
Saint Wilfred and Saint Hilda

Why ?

I am not returning to regular blogging, indeed after a three month break only four people are likely to read this post. I am responding to some ill tempered, ill thought out and mendacious postings on facebook (a forum that I in amcreasingly think of as an invention of the devil). Let me state first of all that I have not yet filled in a Society form (though I might), and I am not signed up for the Ordinariate (though I might).

My understanding is that the Society model, in this case, seeks the same recognition as eg: the CMS, a model which is possible without Synodical approval, and may give some of the space that Anglo-Catholic traditionalists have been seeking these past eighteen years. Second the name of the Society indicates more than mere space seeking and border protection, it seeks to be the transformation of the traditionalist remnant from an inward looking protection oriented group (which may or may not be a fair criticism) into a group centered on evangelisation.
If the latter really is the intention then a radical overhaul of Anglo-Catholic methodology would be required. For some few generations the praxis of Catholic Anglicans has been parish based, a mission movement would needs to be, to a large extent, extra parochial and managed on centrally defined method and programme.
New elements would be both essential and, for many Anglo-Catholic clergy used to steering their own boat by their own chosen star (present company included) difficult. A mission society might need,
A Society-wide youth organization,
A (funded) University penetration caucus, lay and clerical.
Gap-year vocation centered projects in its tougher urban parishes,
Agreed evangelisation courses, models and teams.

If the membership of such a Society is to be more than a formality it would need a common spirituality, perhaps, like Opus Dei, a clerical and lay arm. To be effective it would need to be the major directive agency (other than the Church herself) in the lives of its members, thus posing a potential challenge to other groupings, (can you belong to the clerical arm of SSWSH and SSC, both would need to have the first call on the priestly discipline and siritual life of their members?).

Those already in the forward elements of the notional caravan see no point, well they wouldn't, would they; those who see the embryonic Missionary Society as the only boat with a chance to float within Anglicanism (including the, as-yet-to-be ascertained, leadership) must understand that in order to be fit-for-purpose as both notionally acceptable 'community' in the CMS sense and as a body capable of performing a missionary function it will need to be very very different to any thing Catholic Anglicans have created in many years.

Which leaves the final question, would Anglo-Catholic Priests (and laity) be willing to belong to an organization that, in order to be credible and effective, needs must by nature be more centralized and prescriptive than has been our cultural norm?

I ( as we say in the East End) ain't saying nothing.

Valle

2010-07-13T08:52:00.003+01:00

Mass in S. Augustine's Chapel: School Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham
July 2010

I have decided to end the Peterite Blog. It has run for just under four years, some 198,000 of you have visited (over 600 yesterday), which is a goodish score for what never purported to be other than a parish diary online. I can see little future for a blog of this sort and thus it is a kindness to you all to end it.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has made some cryptic comments on the end process being undecided, faint hope I think, he must know, as do I, that the new anti-elitist elite in the Church of England intend that there will be no place for traditionalists to grow and flourish, even those with sympathy and understanding for our position in the Synodically controlled Episcopate have short remaining shelf life and after them.....? Thus only a twilight half-life as the best possible option. Not good enough.

My own future, about which I am calm and resolute, will not be lived out online.

And so to an end, the final picture, Peterite children at Walsingham being taught, its what we
did.

2010-07-12T08:44:00.002+01:00

I am not sure that I am comfortable with the 'I told you so' philosophy that is detectable in some parts of the Anglo-Catholic blogshpere. Rather than a near hysterical calling down of curses upon Anglicanism and an (overblown adolescent?) affirmation of the available alternatives, there should, I conjecture, be, an at least, short, time of self abnegation. It is us, our generation, who have failed the Catholic revival in the Church of England; if you will excuse an Americanism ( and I'm sure you will), it went down on our watch.

It is possible, indeed a welcome excuse for some who put opinion forward, to argue that there was a genetic, a DNA fault in Anglicanism that made the present debacle inevitable. It is an easy and lazy argument that comes from deep within the British 'It's not my fault, welfare and dependence culture'. It is also untrue as the rich and authentic lives of holiness offered by previous generations of Catholic Anglicans witness. There was chance, opportunity, imperative in the years past to cement and fix Anglicanism its Catholic self-understanding, indeed most of us were brought up to believe that Catholicism was the true DNA of Anglicanism. That we failed, from the late 1950s so to do is a total and overwhelming defeat for Anglo-Catholics of two generations. We need to face this with austere and simple honesty, we need to ask how we allowed this to happen, to ask why we could not share the vision before we threaten the English people with an ordinariate based, to a large extent, on a failed model.

We have been beaten and crushed on the field of battle for the soul of England, and we must face that with simple reality and penitence. The routes to the future are obvious, I have no doubt where I will be in four years and three weeks time (work it out from my Crockforlds entry), but before we go gung-ho into a new paradigm, we must, we really must, pause and look deep into the soul of Anglo-Catholicism and find what it has been, in each of us, but Bishops and Priests especially that has contributed to our defeat. I promise you, if we cannot find the faults in our own Catholic life then we will not be able to make another structure for the conversion of England that will meet with any greater success.

2010-07-10T20:52:00.002+01:00

I feel much sympathy for the two Archbishop's this evening, they have been hurt far more than I. I can, with time on my side review the situation, re-read the Catechism of the Catholic Church with care, and start to envision positive futures. The Archbishops cannot, they see their amendment and their spiritual and moral authority in ruins and they have to carry on, knowing that we can never, seriously, regard the Church of England as a church led by Episcopal authority again. Bishops will still have power, of course, but it would seem only as branch managers of policy made at head office, the parliamentary Synod. The real authority comes in the voting by houses scheme not in the words of Bishops, or for that matter in their apostolic preaching from their office as Shepherd, unless that teaching accords with whatever the the Commune has decided that year. The spirit of the Church of England is the spirit of September 1792 (of don't bother to tell me I know there is no exact fit, but it does the job in rough)

The damage to the Church is not so much the start of the 'Final Solution' on orthodox Catholicism as a voice and influence in the Church, that is, I think, just co-lateral damage, the people who have lost everything, and for ever are the Bishops. Their voice is now just opinion and the commune will soon rule, perhaps time for the radicals to strike deep and end the division of Synod into houses, after all the view of one matters now no more than another.
The wind is sown, it is ironic that it is the Women Bishop's who will, in time inherit the whirlwind!

At least not a wasted evening, I am, and I hope you were, in the thralls of the ROH Simon Boccanargra on BBC 2. Splendid stuff, and so more real and authentic than surreal machinations of Synod

2010-07-07T08:37:00.003+01:00

The annunciation scene from the old Dominican house in Florence adorns one of the better copes at S. Peter's in embroidered form, it is also being used on all the publicity sheets for the family concert on Saturday afternoon in order to help 'stop the rot'. We are lucky in having two very talented professional musicians who attend S. Peter's, they have arranged this small concert which includes Vivaldi, Bach and Armenian folk tunes, on Violin, piano, and clarinet. If you are near East London late on Saturday afternoon do come along, no tickets, no entrance fee, a collection at the end for the appeal.

Today is already well filled before the phone starts to ring, spiritual direction, Vive Jesu et Maria, a meeting which the church is hosting of parties who support the idea of a local Wapping Parish Council and publicity leaflets to be printed for the concert.

A final Peter-tide picture, taken by Fr. Stather just before the procession, it shows the splendid Church-Wardens staves. These came to us from the parish of S. John of Wapping (the Church was destroyed by the Luftwaffe in 1941). Tradition informs us that they were the gift to the parish (now amalgamated into S. Peter's) of the first Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill. One is a very traditional image of S. John the Apostle, the other illustrates the Duke on horse-back dealing with the foes of the crown. Patrimony indeed.

last Petertide pictures

2010-07-01T13:45:00.003+01:00

Two photographs have just been emailed to me by our Head-Teacher, Mrs. Dickson.The first shows the procession entering the Church, the Parish Priest perhaps showing the strain of it all!
The second shows the Fr. Jones' and Fr Caster cooling down with a Walls Magnum each after Benediction.

More of the Procession & The High Mass

2010-07-01T10:14:00.014+01:00

The statue of the Patron in procession

Ellie and Tommy the Father Pollock prizewinners.

The procession is a happy event, a Fiesta

Our staff always join in with enthusiasm

The High Mass of SS Peter & Paul
During the entrance antiphon

Rite of Penance

Fr Mark Nicholl SSC of S. Mary's Rotherhithe preaching

During the Canon

Holy Communion

Veneration of the relics of SS Peter & Paul after the Mass

The SS Peter & Paul Procession

2010-06-30T08:41:00.012+01:00

Some first pictures of the Peter-tide procession. There is a wealth of pictures this year, some taken by Fr J Stather of Christ Church Tunstall and some by Darcy of Year Six.
There are also some of the Evening High Mass, so pop back for more over the next day or so.

Fr Martin SSF Fr R D E Jones SSC Fr. J Caster SSC processing the relics of
SS Peter & Paul

Our Lady's Maids 2010

arrival at Church

Olivia reading: Fr R D E Jones SSC listening

Fr Ed Tomlinson in full flow

Benediction

End of the School/Procession Service

of the getting ready

2010-06-28T16:21:00.004+01:00

The bunting is draped across the courtyard as the last stages of getting ready for the Solemnity of SS Peter & Paul are carried out. Lists have been drawn up on all the things to be taken to school for the procession, temporary arrangements put in place after a broken processional lantern was discovered!This afternoon the Peter-tide red flags, indicating Martyrdom not socialism, were put up. It is always an eye catcher and people came out of the Doctor's surgery to watch.

As I write a group has turned up to sweep and weed the courtyard, the Church was well cleaned earlier in the day, the printer is churning out the Mass booklets and there are a thousand jobs left to do.
It is an example of God's sense of humour that, in this heat wave, the only rain forecast over London in a week is tomorrow afternoon, at Procession time.

Pictures of the Procession, and the rain storm if it happens, and the Mass will be posted over the next few days.

If you find yourself in the East End tomorrow, Procession from the School, concluding with Benediction, at 2pm. High Mass in S. Peter's London Docks, 7.30pm.

on the Sunny thirteenth Sunday:

2010-06-27T14:09:00.005+01:00

I think Gemma took this picture after rather than before Mass, we always fully open the West Door all the way through in good weather. Fr Martin preached this morning,

on Priesthood, to mark anniversary. It was, as so often with Father a well constructed, orthodox, accessible and without any vanity or popularist tricks, an excellent example of good preaching, and because it was good, people listened.

There was much good humour in the Church, no doubt related to the splendid weather. We sang all the Sacred Heart hymns, to mark the last Sunday of the month of the devotion, Sweet Heart of Jesus, To Jesus' Heart all burning, O Sacred Heart, it is always a popular selection and was the cause of post-Mass comment.

Notices were longer than normal, the events of Peter-Tide to be emphasised, the concert in July and the outing to Broadstairs all advertised. There followed smaller meetings, the Confirmation Mum's about the post Confirmation hospitality, there is a minor crisis that need the cutting of the Gordan Knot, my sword swinging seemed to do the trick; the small Catholics for growth sub-committee also got together in the Clergy House to plan for the Autumn, trips to S. Paul's and the Abbey, a night out for a show, a Pre-Lent congregational meal out. Small girls were selected to read the OT Lection on SS Peter & Paul and Sunday XIV and difficult words worked out, confirmation girls were remained to wear modest white on Tuesday to act as Our Lady's Maids in the procession.

A split second after Gemma took this picture of me singing the Angelus tragedy struck, turning away I caught one foot in a pew end and the other in the prayer desk, a fell, as if pole-axed to the floor. It was so sudden that some feared I had collapsed with a heart attack or stroke, as it was I was simply clumsy and all was well within a few moments.

Sleep-overs, Synods (various) Grand-Daughters and anniversaries

2010-06-26T15:12:00.006+01:00

Last evening at S. Peter's School as the School sleep-over began, the children at the bar-b-q. I went round after I had offered the 7pm Mass and stayed for an hour and a half.

After supper there were games, face painting, a dancing group, smoothy making classes and sundry other activities. The hall had been turned into a large dormitory and looked like a Wapping Air-raid shelter from sixty years ago ( well a bit!)
I am not sure how much sleep staff or children expected to get. The whole thing was the creation of Charmaine our school business manager, who worked hard to make it happen and was supported by staff, at every level and parents. Children paid £10 for the privilege of roughing it, after costs are paid all left over cash comes to the Church to help 'stop the rot' our appeal to repair the dry rot in the church.

Like everyone know I have received the letter calling clergy to the Sacred Synod ( for the Southern Province, there is also one in the North, where I once served, there is little as vigorous as northern Anglo-Catholicism). There is, as yet, no agenda for the Synod, though, as ever, some voices are trying to write one, I suspect that events, not least in the General Synod will really form the structure of discussion/debate.

And, finally on a really hot Saturday afternoon. (77f in London at 3.30pm) an answer to a few requests, 'How is you Grand-Daughter Father? As you see, a joy to behold....

Miss Hannah Jones 26/V/10

This weekend I have been in Deacon's Orders thirty four years and a Priest for thirty three, the length of Our Lord's earthly life, for this joy, thanks be to God, Most Holy Trinity.

of Clergy gossip and classical violin

2010-06-25T09:21:00.003+01:00

After school Mass yesterday I entertained the local cluster clergy, these are those from the adjoining parishes, Fr. Ainsworth of S. George's in the East, Fr. Burke of S. Dunstan Stepney (soon leaving the East End for a Canon's stall at Sheffield), Fr. Thorpe from S. Paul's Shadwell, and Fr McGeary of S. Mary Cable Street. We constitute a wide perspective of and on Anglicanism, from HTB to FinF. Conversation over lunch ( Quiche, Potato salad, coleslaw and rather good olives, all from Waitrose) roamed accross the Archbishop's amendment, recent productions at the ENO, local authority and Church interrelationship, and who might be the next Archdeacon of Hackney, Hampstead and Bishop of Stepney. None of us! These are irregular meetings which once, I think, had some sort of Episcopal area agenda, the latter long forgotten, by me at least.

In the afternoon I had a meeting with two members of the congregation, one a professional violinist, the other, her husband, a composer working at a Phd Thesis at King's London. They are arranging a cocert at S. Peter's next moth in aid of the Stop the rot appeal. Thus if you can come:

S. Peter's London Docks
Wapping Lane E1

Saturday 10th July 5pm

Music to include, Bach, Vivaldi and Armenian folk songs

Angela Najaryan Violin
Bryan Kelly Piano
Paul Evernden Clarinet

All welcome, retiring collection for the Dry Rot appeal.

2010-06-24T10:42:00.001+01:00

S. John the Baptist, from the Font cover at S. Peter's

Last evening there was a meeting in the Father Foizey room to explore the possibility of an Urban Parish Council for Wapping/Shadwell. This rural structure is now available in Cites but not much taken up, it provides very local control of some matters normally exercised by the local council and for more local voices to be heard. Most of those invited did not in the end turn up, but two local politicians, a community activist, a community architect and I shared some Italian flat bread and olives and discussed the need and methodology. My own (no doubt naive

and politically innocent) hope, is that such a group might provide a point of meeting where the disparate Wapping groups might meet and find common purpose. My cynical and suspicious nature tells me that the parties would soon move in and make it a pale local reflection of the more central political debate. However, trying is the first step.

School Mass was much smaller than usual, Year Six are on School Journey, another year only partly here. As I write the Father Foizey room is being used to help train parent volunteers for helping in the school, as they vacate our local Clergy cluster, a small group from within the Deanery, meet for lunch etc.

of Priest and Parish and People

2010-06-23T15:41:00.003+01:00

The Bishop of Fulham

I have just retunred from Christ the King Gordon Square where the Clergy of the Fulham Jurisdiction, and those who look toward the Bishop were meeting. We talked of domestic Jurisdiction matters and then, inevitably of the Archbishop's amendment. In this we were much aided by Fr. David Houlding, the Master_General of SSC, who gave a brief analysis of what the amendment said and how it might, or might not, progress. General discussion followed. This was as you might expect, a number have made their own decision to seek an ongoing Christian life (and ministry?) outside the Canterbury tradition, others wished to understand the amendment further, others wished to pick up the ball and run with. As with the blogsphere, the voices who had made their choice to begone were perhaps a little more strident than the others;that said it was a good, indeed, merry meeting with gales of laughter, much chatter some networking (does anyone know anything about the new Bishop of Rochester?), a little arranging (are you coming to the Peter-tide procession Father?) and much coffee and sandwiches. The Bishop then released his priests to watch, as I understand it, an association football match.
This evening there is a meeting in the Father Foizey room of parties (stakeholders?) who have expressed a desire to be involved in the process of seeking an urban Parish Council for Wapping.
Church life goes on in Wapping, storms sweep around us, but, as it stands today the work of Christ has to be discovered, recognized, served and incarnated in the daily reality of a place and people, tomorrow is school Mass, on Friday the sleep-over at our School to raise money for our dry rot appeal, who in their right mind would want to be an accountant or banker I ask?

2010-06-22T08:52:00.002+01:00

Sharing the Gospel of Salvation GS Misc 956 (Downloadable)

A new document on evangelisation commended by the Archbishops and reported in the national press is indeed an event worthy of note. The report attempts to grapple with the problems of proclaiming the unique and final gospel in a multi-faith and multi-cultural setting. It does so from the base of Christianity as the major acknowledged faith. Methodology commended includes strong elements of cultural sharing, social interaction and provocative 'being there' and 'being Christ there' in the context of daily life and service. All to the good, this has been the pattern of Catholic mission since the Counter-Reformation and part of the Anglican patrimony of Christ proclamation. Anglo-Catholics should be the first to study this report in depth, to absorb and action from it all that is good, to improve where it is needed, and indeed to make it, in many respects, our own.

The Archbishop's amendment,

or, as Anglo-Catholic wit (see Facebook) has already named it 'The Co-ordinariate', has come with swift and powerful presence. It offers a new way through the muddle that might satisfy a significant number of those who have not already decided : A:They don't care any more and have decided their future lies outside Anglicanism; or :B: Are determined that only a TEC 'no prisoners' attitude reflects their own carefully crafted system of liberalism.
What is clear,if you are not an A (above), is that it must be taken very seriously, the simple fact that the amendment and its joint Jurisdiction model is offered by the Archbishops in concert means that it must be regarded with the greatest civility and respect. It is not perfect, nothing ever is, other than God, it will have weakness, so do all human plans, it might not always work in practice, neither do all my visions and plans for S. Peter's. It begs two questions, do those for whom it is intended and offered wish, with sincerity, to remain Anglican Catholics, and are they willing to work to make such a structure work? The answers will not allow for prevarication or half truth. If answered in the affirmative, then Catholic Anglicans must work hard to ensure that the amendment is commended, supported incarnated.
The problem with being a traditionalist these days is that everyone, Archbishops, Popes etc keep on knocking balls into our court... I think I preferred being marginalised and ignored!

2010-06-21T09:25:00.002+01:00

The Rector of Wapping in humour of fiendish delight as oppertunity comes to throw a wet sponge at one of the vive Jesu et Maria group ( it was Chelsea), during the School fete on Saturday. Picture emailed to me by our Head-Teacher Mrs. Liz Dickson.

Mass attendance was excellent on Sunday, no pictures because Yvonne was wandering round during Mass with a professional level video camera filming everything. She is by profession a Television producer and as part of her contribution to the 'Stop the Rot' campaign is making a short film, which may later be embedded in the Parish Website and/or the blog to help us raise the desperately needed funds.

The PCC meets tonight our normal pre-Petertide planning meeting,

2010-06-19T22:25:00.003+01:00

Today we celebrated the school Fete, it is, in Wapping a unique event, the only point where the three main groups who constitute the district meet with common purpose. There were new elements this year, Geoff who is attempting to seek the way forward for an urban Parish Council in Wapping, meeting at the Clergy House next week, look our for a report. I also met Vickie, with whom I have been in email contact, she is the leading light of the new and growing 'What's in Wapping' web site (www.whatsinwapping.co.uk). We are planning a meeting of the 'stakeholders' in a Wapping coffee shop to brainstorm ideas for the site. I was able to connect her with the Head of our School, all of which constitute elements of the Community cohesion that the ofsted inspectors so liked about our school, and thus Church, for in all significant elements the two constitute one mission to serve Wapping and its people.
The face painting booth under our playground ship (Docks Patrimony) as the fete opened, an before the inevitable line of children wanting their looks dramatised.

I am sad that there is a bitter tone and an element of Snarking ( I won't translate) creeping into the dialogue on the future, Synodical and Ordinariate, it was, I suppose, inevitable, but it's not pretty and I'm less than convinced that it's helpful. But knowing the territory well of old I'm fairly sure even this mild-mannered comment will be the subject of uber-critical response. No matter, it's not a popularity contest.

2010-06-17T16:46:00.002+01:00

The 2010 confirmation group each holding a holy card of S. Therese of the Child Jesus, the the reverse is a morning offering, which all have promised they will observe between yesterday and their confirmation. During the meeting last afternoon we discussed the play we always put on on the last day of the Ascot weekend, having filled all the spare hours planning, writing and rehearsing it. By tradition this has always been based on Bernadette and the Lourdes visions, this year, by common consent we are to do the story of Therese. It provides good opportunity for a girl heavy group, four Martin sisters, three good male roles, Papa, the awkward superior and the kindly but unhelpful Pope and thus fits the bill, there is also a chance for good dressing up for the girls and a dramatic deathbed.

I was told variously today that A: Bishop Edwin has commented on your recent post, and B: Bishop Edwin has savaged you on the Anglo-Catholic blog. I anticipated A and did not believe B,
A because Bishop Edwin is a passionate advocate of the Ordinariate and I was offering caveats, I did not believe B because Bishop Edwin and I are SSC brethren and are thus obliged under rule to public charity (behind closed doors may be different). I was right, of course, Bishop Edwin's comments were a clear gentle and honest contribution to the discussion. The person who told me I had been savaged in public needs to get out more, perhaps a Saturday night in the East End would help him understand 'Savage attack' as a concept.

We have reached a point where debate, even public debate is inevitable, common minds and honorable different conclusions come from this process of listening and hearing.

2010-06-16T09:09:00.002+01:00

The Ascot weekend Vive Jesu et Maria leadership group meeting last evening at the Clergy House. This will be the fourteenth in the sequence, how much simpler the early days, when Father Higgs and I planned it all on the back of a brown used envelope in half an hour. The meeting was excellent and in the new dispensation responsibility and tasks are shared and ideas and innovations are explored. The most urgent task now is prayer for good weather, the wet weather programme is much less fun than the normal pattern.

Yesterday included assembly in school, a phone meeting with our Headteacher, a meeting on the Stop the rot appeal and an update on progress. There were also a number of response to yesterdays post, some of which requested that they were not published, two were rather nasty and one correspondent clearly needs professional counseling, Spiritual Direction and perhaps a long rest, reading St Luke's gospel might also help!

Opera of the morning is Gluck, Orfeo ed Euridice, and not just for Che faro senza Euridice? which , according to my newpaper made it into the top ten best loved Arias in a recent survey.

Today a priest comes for direction, our school outreach worker is see if the Fr. Foizey room can be adapted for training for parents who volunteer to help in the school and I do not have an evening meeting, thus the thesis calls.

2010-06-15T08:38:00.003+01:00

The All Souls altar at S. Peter's, Mass yesterday was the Chantry Book Requiem for the month of June. The memorial , center right, is to Fr. Foizey. After Mass I went to S. Alban's Holborn for the SSC London Synod, a large gathering bringing together members from well beyond the metropolis. It is thus an occasion to speak, all be it briefly, with people whom one has known for all but a lifetime. As I traveled home (Central line, 100 bus from Liverpool Street) I was struck that no less than four people who (thank you) read the blog told me that they agreed with me on the matter of the projected Ordinariates. This confused me a little, not least because I am unsure that I have, as yet, commented in any depth on the matter. Other blogs have made clear statements, this has been reticent.

The London Synod in Session

So, what DO I think? As I type I Putitani, Bellini's opera of conflict resolved, offense forgiven, and love triumphant is pumping out of the speakers ( an old Callas, La Scala production), that it might be so. Of the Ordinariate I am sure that it is offered in generosity and kindness, but I fear for the practicality. A number of problems seem, to me, to exist in the English context:
1: It would be a priest heavy organisation, not I think attractive to many laity. The fact is that for most lay Anglican Catholics holiness and faith are incarnated in place, you can say that is wrong, but you are not going to change it.
2: I am frankly uncomfortable with the notion that even within an Anglican based structure within the RCC there would be a radical distinction in the path to re-ordination for married and unmarried clerics, just wrong.
3: I am not sure the structure would have a future, the people among whom I have long ministered will turn to their local church if they experience a movement of the spirit that makes them desire to explore faith, they will not be seeking to find a way of being 'An Anglican in full communion with the Holy see', thus the structure will become, I fear, a small enthusiasts group, Civil War battle re-construction, sub-aqua diving, really good but making a difference?

Given these reservations my own choice would be a continued future as an Anglican,with the promised and requisite position of which we were solemnly assured near twenty years ago; for that is what I am, roots matter. We are told that this option will not, in the medium or even short term, be possible.

So what is my position, back to the default, to stay, impossible, to leave unthinkable.
Back to Maria singing, at least her conflict gets resolved in a couple of Acts!

Sunday XI in Ordinary Time

2010-06-13T15:43:00.006+01:00

The end of the year of the Priest has brought a new enrichment by the designation of S. John Vianney as patron of all priests. The journey however, to reach this point has been fraught with pain. The revelations about the incidence of child-sexual abuse in the Holy Roman and Catholic Church has caused even Rome's closest friends and admirers to whisper, as a question, 'Institutionalized?' Time will tell. The Pope has called for the year to mark a purification in priestly life. Amen to that.

The first green Sunday (this is an old picture, Fr. Martin offered the 10am Mass, it was High, not Solemn). Mass was not badly attended, nor was it full strength, it was, I suppose, NFW (normal for Wapping). Mass was followed by meetings, again, the Ascot (Vive Jesu et Maria) leadership team met, to arrange a proper meeting, it will happen on Tuesday, then the 'Stop the Rot' committee met in the Fr. Wainright Hall to plan more money raising schemes, in order as it says, to stop the rot.

The best wheeze, in action so far has come from the School. Our staff, led and enabled by Mrs Dickson is organizing a grand sleep-over, £10 per child, including Bar-B-Q, entertainment with children sleeping (or most likely not ) in the School Hall. At the Governing Body I was asked if I planned to sleep-over, I am already booked for the Bar-B-Q etc, I have assented conditional upon the other Governors contributing £50 to the fund; I imagine they will achieve this modest sum and have booked to administrators office as my quarters in case it is needed.

Tomorrow to S. Alban's Holborn for the London Regional Synod of SSC. I always enjoy visiting there, we have a shared history and radically different contemporary mission.

After lunch today I have been creating Power Point on 'Praying my life' for the adult Confirmation group, that finished I have downloaded Firefox for Mac, which, at last lets me work on the blog on the Mac and get pictures etc where I want them.

School Mass

2010-06-10T15:24:00.006+01:00

The Parish Priest at the start of Mass. Although the theme was that of the Sacred Heart of Jesus the Mass was off the day. I apologise for the odd shape of the post, I am still learning how to deal with Blogger on Safari, a different experience to Firefox.
This image of the Sacred Heart belongs to the vive Jesu et Maria group, it journeys each year to Ascot Priory for our weekend. Today it took pride of place with the Wall of Hearts behind.
A small girl having written the name of a person she loves on the Heart Board.
The Servers at the start of Mass. We were visited this morning by Susanne Mitchell, co-ordinator of the Greater London Presence and Engagement Network, she works with the Contextual Theology Centre at St Katharine's and came to see what we did at School Mass. She is working on a course/material for good practise in assembly and related worship content. We were anticipating the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart.
Part of the 'Wall of Hearts' put up during School Mass this morning, children were invited out to add the name of a person they loved. Isaac and Victor are the very new brothers of two Peterite girls. The Sacred Heart has no name written on it, because there are far too many to fit on a piece of paper.

An Evening up the other End and Corpus Christi

2010-06-06T15:13:00.009+01:00

I acknowledge and bewail that I said first Vespers of Corpus Christi from an App on my telephone in a West End coffee House. It was however a night for redemption. The Spaghetti House chain which has served me some bad and inaccurate meals in recent months came up trumps, they managed all course, the right wine all delivered on time by cheerful staff. But better still was the English National Opera new production of Tosca. I have been hard on ENO on this blog in the past year (they deserved it for the horrific Turandot alone), but last night they won back my heart. Tosca, the only woman's voice on stage was sung by Amand Echala, she had been the best thing in the bad Turandot, last night she was wonderful, I was drawn into belief in the 'shabby little tale', as Tosca was once described by an English conductor who should have known better. But everyone was at least good and the whole effect was splendid. If you like opera, go and see, if you don't at least try it. We were seated alongside two lovely North Eastern women who were clearly on a 'London Package' weekend and had chosen the Opera rather than the 'Show', they loved it, and showed good taste in so doing Bravo!
Corpus Christi was celebrated today with the appropriate devotion, a full serving team turned up, as did flights of young white frocked girls ( see later picture)
The celebrant is censed by the Deacon, High Mass of Corpus Christi. I had anticipated a bad Sunday, Half term can cause great difficulties here, however it seemed people had been away for the Bank Holiday and most were back today.

The procession the the Blessed Sacrament, small girls casting rose petals before the host. It is said that S. Therese of Lisieux, as a child, used to cast her petals high in order that they might hit the monstrance, I am not sure how such exuberant behaviour might be regarded at S. Peter's.

At Solemn Benediction. There was a flurry of post-half-term meetings, after Mass and benediction, the stop the rot (buildings fundraising) committee, the standing committee, the days fixed for the adult confirmands, some were not back from (?) being away for all or part of the week.

The Nine young Ladies of S. Peter's, who this year scattered rose petals before the Eucharistic Lord during the Blessed Sacrament procession at the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.

2010-06-02T16:15:00.004+01:00

Shrine of the Sacred Heart

S. Peter's London Docks June 2010

It has now long been the custom at S. Peter's for the May Altar, giving honour to Our Lady, gaining new life by becoming the June Shrine of the Sacred Heart.There is further a daily devotion to the Sacred Heart after Mass each day.

It is hard to use restrained language about this devotion, like the real presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament words fall short of the known experience found in prayer and devotion. On Sunday we will celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, as the Blessed Sacrament is carried up the nave of the Church at the start of the procession all (who are not too frail) will kneel as a sign of their knowledge of the reality of Christ in our midst. Wordless devotion, itself a form of domestic mysticism expresses more than any attempt to limit by the form of words. The Sacred Heart, a silent evocation of the outpouring of love from the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity (there you are, trying to put it into words!) has a profound ability to engage peoples reality, to speak to their condition. The image of the Sacred Heart is evangelist, teacher, pastor and companion, showing insights into the eternal ministry of Jesus, the High Priest of the endless ages.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy upon us!

2010-06-01T14:31:00.005+01:00

The Last National Pilgrimage!

The last ever National, a wake for Anglo-Catholicism, never again will Catholics gather in such numbers, the last stand before extinction. All these things were said at the Walsingham National Pilgrimage, in 1993. Yesterday however a convivial, happy and positive day was spent by many with a real devotion to OLW. It was cold, but not in peoples hearts, the Liturgy was good, with Bishop Martin Warner SSC presiding at the Solemn Mass, and the sermon, preached by Bishop Gordon Mursell, author of the excellent two volume study of English Spirituality published by SPCK in 2001, now in paperback, was excellent. The Bishop clearly understands the situation of Anglo-Catholics and gave messages of encouragement.
The procession, with the Pilgrim Hymn and the Holy Rosary conjoined was, as ever, a moving Marian devotion deepening the mystical understanding of Our Lady and her relationship with the Church, it is always the more powerful for being a cooperate not an individual exercise. It was only marred by the insulting behaviour of some clergy, who, in spite of the Administrators plea chose to spend the Sermon and procession drinking in a Public House and then, I presume in a Sarah Ferguson condition, heckling at people they know (knew?) in the priests procession as it passed. Mother told us, "If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing", good advice for public occasions where some present still have a neophyte faith.While this odd, even insulting behavior (to both the Mother of God and The Bishop Administrator) saddened me, it could not truly mar the grandeur of the day. Last ever...as if!And, in the manner of local TV, the lighter ending, the Sarturnos of the Fr Jones's and Fr Caster, packed away as they prepare to join the ranks of concelebrants. Thanks to Mrs Marina Jones for the pictures and Anny and Marina Jones for carrying the bags.

Many thanks are due to Bishop Urwin, the Shrine Priest, Fr Brandie and many others for their dedicated hard work.

2010-05-26T13:42:00.003+01:00

The High altar, All Hallows Gospel Oak.

I spent most of yesterday in NW3, there is, in session a meeting of the Master General's Council of SSC. Thus the Masters from the world-wide provinces are gathered to talk on matters pertaining to the Society. Yesterday was a consultation at the Master-General's church of All Hallows, various members of SSC were asked to be present and speak to a number of the matters under examination, I was one of such. There was exploration of the various circumstances under which Anglo-Catholics now live and proclaim the faith under the auspices of Anglican Bishops of varying mind and interpretation of the faith Catholic. The ordinariate was discussed, with a wide range of responses and reactions named. The consultation (for it was only that, not a decision making group) looked at the potential future(s) of the Society. I'm not sure why I was there, more to do with S. Peter's London Docks than me I suspect. A buffet lunch was shared and there was the normal chatter, networking and catching up. The former Master-General and I noted that he became a member just a year before I appeared on the Probationers roll (as we then called it) and that he admitted me to the Society at his first Synod as Master (there was, the, just the one).

I returned to Wapping by the, now splendid and efficient, East London Overground line with just time for a cup of green tea before a meeting, first of the School Finance committee and then a full Governors meeting.

A long day, with much sitting and listening.

A wide-ranging post.

2010-05-20T10:53:00.008+01:00

May Devotion: School Mass 20th May 2010

A busy and rewarding week. On Tuesday I was visited by a woman who had contacted me by email. She had come across some stained glass windows by Margaret Rope and had been enraptured by them, this led to further research on both the windows and their context. In this process she came across my slim pamphlet, published by the ACHS, on Fr. Wilson of Haggerston, thus she asked if we could meet in order for her to seek elucidation on some of the iconography of the windows and of the life and work of Fr. Wilson. It was a splendid afternoon, she was personable and already knowledgeable on the subject, we explored the Rope windows in S. Peter's and some wider aspects of the concept of the universal being localised in Anglo-Catholic inspired art. I mush enjoyed our meeting and hope she discerns the direction in which she wishes to take her research.

Left: The Coronation of Our Lady. Margaret Rope, made for, and once in, S. Augustine's Haggesrton

Wednesday was much about children, a school visit from a year 3 class, not from S. Peter's School took up the late morning after Mass, we explored 'What I would find in a Church'. Well behaved children with some excellent answers and input. Later the vive Jesu et Maria group had their meeting and answered questions on the Saturday Day pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.

As you see, this morning was the School May Devotion, marked by excellent serving, processions are not frequent at School Mass and they draw a different team each time. Today the children responded to the challenge and the procession, with the flutter of white tissues at each Ave was done with style and good singing.
This afternoon S. Peter's will be visited by a team from BBC 4. The channel is working on a series called 'How to read a Church', we have been selected as one of their examples of a Tractarian/Anglo-Catholic building. I had an long telephone conversation with part of their team, Laura, as they arranged this, she seemed to know her stuff. We were last on the Television when the Church was a backdrop for a scene from the BBC Christmas re-telling of Oliver Twist.

If you are not a regular reader of Fr. Ed's blog, please read his post on the letter published in the Church Times from Bishop Lindsey Urwin OGS, the Administrator of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. The Bishop's letter is well thought out and telling. I and, not doubt, many others thank him for his forthright views, expresssed with charity and inclusive vision.

2010-05-17T13:31:00.004+01:00

I commend to all who visit the Peterite blog 'Lift High the Cross, Anglo-Catholicism and the Congress Movement by Fr. John Gunstone, Canterbury Press; available from all good online book sellers. It offers the first modern account of the congress movement putting the ACC in the context of the social and economic life of the UK in those decades. Further Fr. Gunstone provides a substantial, informative and convincing portrait of Anglo-Catholicism in a zenith of self-confidence.

The book deals with the major figures of the movement, Bishop Weston, Fr Atlay, Fr Deakin and Fr HA Wilson, it further reports the significant events and speeches of each of the Congress meetings. But it is so much more than this, the inter-war periond, one of great Anglo-Catholic confidence, is, yet, under reported. The Anglo-Catholic Historical Society, Michael Yelton, and others have started a process to correct this, the Walsingham online archive, a splendid production is providing previousley unknown pictures and documents, Fr. Luke Miller SSC in his chapter in 'In this sign conquer', a History of the Society of the Holy Cross, has explored, with some little skill, elements of the forgotten near-past, but there is much more to be done. Fr Gunstone has provided a superb over-view of the Catholic movement in the period, giving us a sight of more than the congress by his contextualising the movement in the detail of Anglo-Catholic life. The near forgotten Fiery Cross movement is explored as is the long unremembered ' Good manners in Church and out' by Fr. Lean, the 120 page booklet once in every Anglo-Catholic home.

Patrimony is, as a Demographic and/or Social historian would assure us, about more than (in this context) the form of words used in a Eucharistic rite.It is about who a people are, from whence did they come, what is their story, what do they understand of them selves from within that story? A wider study, an analysis of our own story is part of the essential discernment needed in darker times, you could do much less well than this excellent book.

2010-05-17T09:08:00.003+01:00

On Saturday morning at 8am a coachload of Peterites set of from Wapping to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. When I came to the parish pilgrimage to the Shrine had ceased, many years before. There was no connection and few of the congregation had ever made a pilgrimage.
Such a negative attitude to Walsingham is rare in parishes of our sort, in this case it was profoundly odd,

not least because the great East window of the Church has Our Lady of Walsingham as its central point. The handles of the ships wheel shape all have reference to the Litany of Our Lady. The day pilgrimage has now a firm and fixed place in the life of S. Peter's, but still, I fear, without the level of zeal I would wish to see. The Walsingham chapel in S. Peter's has been much restored and is a very popular site for the lighting of candles, perhaps I hope for too much.....? I have tried to encourage a weekend pilgrimage, but to no avail, I get no takers, perhaps the work of the next priest, if the grace of God such allows.

I have put the picture of the Holy Well at the top of the post because of a section in the administrator's address at sprinkling, he spoke of the centrality of the rite, everything else can be done elsewhere, Mass, Rosary, Processions of Our Lady or the Blessed Sacrament, Benediction; but the well and the water, the rite associated with it are the unique feature of the Shrine. Subject there for teaching here through the year.

High Mass of the Ascension was well attended, no pictures of Walsingham or yesterday, I keep forgetting the camera, as ever in my life, must try harder.

2010-05-10T08:53:00.005+01:00

Solemn Mass at S. Peter's on Sunday Easter VI. Fr Martin SSF censing the altar during the entrance antiphon. Numbers were good and I settled back into rhythm after my five day retreat.
It was not however a full five days, a good part of one morning was occupied with spiritual discussion and another whole morning with being a school governor. Our Head-Teacher is one of those who will not, this year, administer the Year Six SATS, thus I had to read emails from the Secretary of State, the local Education authority, the National association of school Governors, our Head-Teacher and others. I then had phone conversations with the Head and, after reflection put together a letter to the other governors, this led to further phone calls. By lunchtime our position and response was settled. The world, via mobile phones and wi-fi reaches into every space, while engaged in the world as a Parish Priest, and thus eg: a school governor, complete withdrawal seems to become impossible impossible.
How different are the Church and the world, the leaders of two of our political parties are engaged in a process of mutual respect, seeking to find a compromise and an inclusive way forward for the wider good of the realm, and the Church of England?

This week has the normal round, Adult confirmation group, vive Jesu et Maria, Stop the rot meeting (fundraising group trying to find the funds for increasingly desperately need repairs) and all the other prosaic glories.

2010-05-04T12:43:00.002+01:00

Yesterday afternoon, after spending time before the Blessed Sacrament in the Shrine ands saying the Rosary in the Holy House I was driving back to Hempton when I saw, walking along the road a laden figure with skirts flying out in the high wind. As I drew closer I saw the brown habit and recognised Br Paschal SSF carrying a heavy bag walking leant into the wind. I passed him by, waited for a field entrance, turned around and offered him a lift to Walsingham. He was returning from a preachment, had reached Fakenham via Lynn by public transport and discovered there were no Bank Holiday buses from Fakenham to Walsingham. I was able to deliver him to the Friary of Our Lady of the Angels.

This morning I concelebrated at the 7.30am Shrine Mass, as I did yesterday, spoke briefly to Revd Mother from the convent and returned to S. Philomena's for breakfast.

On the leaked legislation that will be put before Synod I can only register a incomprehension. It is still possible, if unlikely, that the proposals may be amended. If this does not occur the consequences become inevitable. There may be an initial, if small move to a newly created English Ordinariate in the coming months/years, however the arrival of ghetto legislation with third world status for the minority will, without doubt, effectively end an authentic Catholic presence in the Church of England; it may take time, some Non-Jurors will hang on, but there can never be anything other than a remnant, no new Anglo-Catholic revival will be possible, over months and years the last orthodox priests and people will leave or be forced to an irrelevant margin. There will then be, I would think, a battle for the soul of the English Church between the liberals and the evangelicals which will, no doubt end in nothing less than the end of the Anglican story.

2010-05-04T12:39:00.003+01:00

A Sartuno lift to the blog Catholic gossip for the above photgraph of two Anglo-Catholic doctoral candidates in the SOM procession last saturday. There are a number of other pictures on the blog.

2010-05-03T08:46:00.004+01:00

On Saturday, with a number of other Peterite's I went to S. Silas Kentish Town for the Society of Mary May devotion. It was, as ever, a splendid event. The procession, through the streets, attracted much attention, the more so around the busy bars and eating houses that border Camdem lock market. Father R D E Jones, Father John Caster and my people then had a merry lunch together.

On Sunday we had, as is our custom, our own May Devotion at S. Peter's. all the pictures are from that event. Numbers were very good. High Mass was offered, the Marian vestment set was used and a sermon preached, making use of the new John Lewis television advertisement as an example of those norms of family, continuity and 'the good life, well lived' than can be discerned in the Holy Family of Nazareth. Mary as the proto Christian woman, exemplifying chastity and holiness in the context of ordinary domesticity. The picture of the procession illustrates the glorious moment when the servers leading and the Sacred Ministers at the rear came near to collision as the procession completed a ring around the Church.

My own day was completed by saying Vespers in the Holy House at Walsingham; I am in Norfolk on retreat this week, staying at S. Philomena's, but, for the first time able to blog from deepest East Anglia.

2010-04-27T14:23:00.002+01:00

On the left, the old Wapping underground station, on the right the new Wapping overground station, both of the East London line. From 12noon the line has re-opened, trains will run Monday to Friday 7am to 8pm at a rate of ten a minute. From 23rd May a full service will be running. The line closed in late 2008 for extension and refurbishment. The line now goes north to Dalston junction and will soon go south to Crystal Palace and West Croydon. From a more practical point of view and a Wapping perspective there is now a connection again with the Jubilee line, providing swift service to Canary Wharf and the essential West End stations, Waterloo, Westminster, Green Park, Bond Street and easy connections to Shepherd's Bush.
Hurrah.
Visiting SSC priests from the USA and Australia (they are a very welcome feature of most Wapping Summers) can now find their way here without the more arcane mysteries of the 100 bus.
I made a short lunch time journey, as I did last time the line opened after extensive closure, there were a surprising number of real passengers as well as the to be anticipated men with cameras, rucksacks and even recording devices who have long been a feature of British railways.
Note, the East London line is no longer part of the Tube network, the underground, it is part of the London overground, however the line and stations will be marked on all future editions of the tube map.

The Fraternity of S. George

2010-04-26T08:37:00.012+01:00

The Fraternity of S. George of England held their festival for the Solemnity of the national saint at Holy Trinity Hoxton on Friday evening. Fr. Ian Brookes, the Chaplain-General is still incapacitated thus I was asked to be the celebrant at Mass. The Holy Sacrifice is offered according to the Anglican variation of the Extraordinary Form, ie: The English Missal, there is a special joy to offering Mass in this form at Hoxton, the first edition of the English Missal was translated and put together in the Vicarage.
The celebrations, by tradition, begin with a procession to the Shrine of S. George.The pictures were taken on a blackberry, and thus are not of the greatest clarity, however the blog thanks Marina Jones for her kindness in providing them, emailed on the evening to my account.Prayers for the Queen, the Realm and the Fraternity offered at the Shrine of S. George.The sacred ministers, l-r Fr. R D E Jones SSC, S. Lukes Uxbridge Road, Fr. T E Jones SSC, S. Peter's London Docks, Fr. J. Caster SSC, S. Mary's Somers Town.This was, I recollect, the moments when we discerned that the missal had been left on the wrong (Gospel) side of the altar after the final rehearsal!

It was moved in time for the Collect.Prayers at the relic of S. George after Mass.

The Sacred ministers depart. There followed the annual general meeting in the Masters Hall, an event based on good English Beer and food.

Sunday was very weak at S. Peter's the London Marathon cutting us off from the world and thus numbers unable to be at Mass.

2010-04-21T12:05:00.003+01:00

Blog readers must feel that nothing is happening in Wapping, alas not so, posting has dried up because I am over occupied. Last evening I went to Holy Trinity Hoxton to meet Fr. Caster and the other Fr. Jones. On Friday evening the Fraternity of S. George (see last April for informative post) holds their fesitival in honour of the national saint, Fr Ian Brookes who has long organised and offered Mass for this event is still incapacitated, thus I have been selected to offer the Mass. The Mass is, by custom, offered according to the English missal norms (with 1962 amendments), thus the three sacred ministers decided a rehearsal was needed and we gathered for same. My own journey was dreadful and I thus late. The journey home, (northern line, circle line and 100 bus) gave opportunity to press the claims of the Catholic religion to a nice young woman (mid twenties City-worker?) who was much taken by my Cassock, douillette and beret. There will, I hope, be pictures of Friday evenings Mass, but why not come? Holy Trinity Hoxton, 8pm, followed by party in the Hall.
This morning I ordered a version of the above picture of S. Therese, the original was pained by her sister, Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face (Celine), as a canvas print, this will be sewn onto a banner for the Church and should be ready for the Petertide procession in June.

This afternoon the Vive Jesu et Maria group meet, tomorrow is the first School Mass of term, with the new improved all bells and whistles digital hymnal to assist our offering of the Mass, non-stop excitement down here in the East End!

2010-04-16T16:35:00.003+01:00

A long, busy and non-parochial day was my experience of Thursday. I offered Mass early, the English missal version of the extraordinary form and after some small tasks took myself off to the Bishop of Fulham's house for a meeting of the Bishop's Council. There, in the middle of the business of the day we were entertained to a buffet lunch (see later for the above). Thence a swift return to Wapping, a meeting with a parishioner, a change of Cassocks and the journey to Lower Thames Street, saying Vespers on the 100 bus for the Feast of title of S. Magnus the Martyr. There were gathered a good number of clergy of the traditionalist variety and there was much evidence of French red velvet and embroidered stoles with spade ends with enough lace to cheer the heart of the most tepid ritualist. After the High Mass (Extraordinary form as above) there was a reception. I spoke to a number of people, including a former Peterite Asst Priest. There were among the clergy a substantial grouping who had also been at the Bishop's during the day.
Thence with both my sons, who had been at the Mass to Bodeans the American style Bar-B-Q eating house near the Tower of London for 'pulled pork' and 'ribs'( see picture, above) served with fried and coleslaw.
I walked, with younger son from Bodeans to the Clergy House in order to avoid the risks of such greasy food causing problems later in the night!
The newly re-furbished East London Overground line was, rumour said, due to be open as from today. I went to the Station on my way to the Bishop's Council, alas there was a technical problem and the line will now be running, with a limited service, from Monday.

Easter III is the liturgical anniversary of my first Sunday at S. Peter's, I am now doing everything for the fourteenth time!

2010-04-11T15:49:00.002+01:00

There is a common theme (not common worship or common tenure) in the Anglo-Catholic blogsphere at the moment. Fr. Ed is offering substantial critique of the methodology used in 'training' Anglican clergy in recent decades, Fr. Hunwicke is offering critique of the real implications of the substantial change in the teaching and application of the norms of moral theology in the same period; off blogsphere we find the same, underlying, questions in Bishop Andrew's book ( see last post). As the years pass it is difficult not to regards the sixties and seventies as an academic, moral, philosophical, and to some extent, liturgical, disaster. In truth, the only commodity that in the final analysis matters, Anglo-Catholics were as changed by the revolution(s) as were those in closer communion with the Apostolic See; Affirming Catholicism, sincerely believed however wrong minded, is but an outworking of a radical understanding of what happened at Vatican II, the RCC blogsphere reveals many inside that Church who would fit, with little adjustment into AC. The greener grass has many brown patches.

Orthodox Catholic Anglicans face an uncertain future, not that they have ever had a future of secure provenance, not in the Divine game plan it seems. In such a future of difficulty and doubt there is either surrender, a tempting option, or, much more in our tradition, creating radical alternatives. Mystical Theology, Moral Theology, Liturgical practise, Ecclesiastical pedagogy are all capable of renewal and reform within the Catholic Anglican context, but all are secondary to an authentic desire to live out Catholic priesthood within that context. Priestly life, well lived in accordance with the Church's understanding makes great Catholic Christians. Perhaps our sole and only hope is the re-creation of priestly authenticity at prayer and in parish.

2010-04-08T19:39:00.002+01:00

Away on Easter leave in Norfolk I have not managed to read Fr. Ed and his comments on education in full detail. I have however read, in some detail, the whole of Bishop Andrew Heaven & Earth in little space. It seems to me that we are in the same sphere; there is a need to look again at the Liturgy and re-discover the sacredness of the sacred, there is the same need in the manner in which we help men to become priests.

My own Post Ordination Training in the 1970s was already a 'dance-space' for the apostles of discontinuity; there was, in all we did, other than the recitation of the A&R Mowbray version of Compline at night, a de-sacrilising of the training process. It was not about holy things.

There is little point in expecting the Church of England to grasp this nettle, it is too well set on the TEC dance into an already dated world view. The first generations of Anglo-Catholics just did things, they created societies that seriously worked at theology, they created communities that seriously lived the life of prayer. Anglican Evangelicals to the same today, we do less.

If there is any time left for authentic Catholic Anglicanism it can only be in the space of a new and authentic rigour, in the moral, spiritual and academic life. We need to train ourselves to train others. Some institutions are solid and good, they must be built upon, others do not exist, they need creating, so,

1: An agreed FinF POT programme.

2: an agreed FinF pre Bishops conference training programme.

3: A national FinF youth organisation, with common catechesis, and local initiatives for the fun elements, regional meetings four times a year, annual get together, in addition to the good Walsingham youth pilgrimage.

4: A real Anglo-Catholic answer to Alpha, that is richer, deeper, better, which we all agree to use.

5: Serious theological study for all our Clergy, SSC, CBS used to do this more than we do today.

And more...... a reform of the reforms, a counter-reformation.

Solemn Mass of Easter Day

2010-04-04T14:04:00.008+01:00

The Procession at the start of Solemn Mass, numbers were good, the faithful gathered and many completed a rigorous journey since Palm Sunday.Arrival at the High Altar. Our servers were, as ever, splendid in action after a well served Triduum.
The Gospel, by the positions, I think the Alleluia is still being sung.
The sermon, " you would only say that the Risen Son of God looked like a gardener if it was true, other than its truth it is a bad selling point, it becomes a good one because it IS true."
Miss Hannah Jones, a walking advertisement for Monsoon checks out her bag. The creche toys in the fore-ground.
S. Peter's London Docks, East End Anglo-Catholicism, As it was in the beginning, is now and.......
Our Easter Garden, by Christine Jones.

I am on leave from after the 10am Mass on Easter Monday. I will be at the Cottage in Hempton. Mass will be offered for blog readers on Thursday at 10am in the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.

There may be a blog post next on Thursday or Friday, a telephone line and Internet access are due to be installed at S. Philomena's this week.

A Happy and Holy Easter to you all, thank you for sharing in virtual Wapping.

The Easter Vigil

2010-04-03T22:45:00.014+01:00

The Easter Vigil, greeting the people. Fr Robin Jones came from West London to act as Deacon the Mass. Our new fire was prepared by Dave, a Scout leader, and thus did not go out.
The marking of the candle. It was breezt in East London, thus the Paschal Candle went out thrice before the first singing of 'The light of Christ', our MC Tim, always good in a crisis dealt with it.

The Holy People of God follow into Church.After the Gloria Fr Robin intones the Solemn Alleluia. The small boys sole function is the care of the celebrants Chasuble!
At the font before the renewal of baptismal vows. The people gathered into the Baptistry.
At the lavabo, Colin places the Missal on the Altar. Boys in the Lowder Livery.

During the Canon, Fr Robin makes sure I read the right parts.
During Holy Communion, the servers should be kneeling and not chatting, however, short of Heaven, life will always be less than perfect.

The Solemn Blessing.During the final hymn the Blessed Sacrament returns from the place of distant reservation and is returned to the Tabernacle.

After the vigil, fireworks over Wapping. All then retired to the Clergy House for the Easter Fest, including Rocky Road for those long deprived of Chocolate.

Greetings in the Risen Lord to all who have followed the Triduum in Wapping.

The Celebration of the Lord's Passion

2010-04-02T14:39:00.005+01:00

The Good Friday Liturgy: the Solemn Prayers

There is a faithful group who always come to the Good Friday stations at 10am, they were there, as ever, with additions, a young confirmand and her Mother also came. Numbers were good at the Lirurgy, which we celebrate at 12 noon. Less pictures than last year, the Liturgical photographer is acting as Holy Week MC with tonsalitus and is thus a little distracted!

The Good Friday Liturgy: The Lord's Prayer

As is long our custom, the faithful assembled in the Father Foizey Room in the Clergy House after the Liturgy for Hot Cross Buns, baked two hundred yards away down Wapping Lane, and tea and coffee.

The Good Friday Liturgy: Communion of the people.

Day time on Holy Saturday is a significant East End shopping day, thus an enthusiastic group, led by Trishia and Karen and (near controlled) band of girl confirmands went from the post liturgy repast back into the Church, surfaces are already gleaming, the Priests sacristy is washed and shone, the downstairs 'dirty Sacristy' (Candles, oil incense and such') was being swept and tidied as I left; all will be gleaming for the Vigil set-up tomorrow after Lauds.

The Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper

2010-04-02T08:22:00.006+01:00

The holy oils are received at the start of Mass. They are presented by two girls, Olivia and Chelsea who were at the Chrism Mass and who will be Christmated with the oil at their confirmation in September.

The proclamation of the Gospel. Our numbers were good, a significant minority of 'out of Wapping' people not present, that is often the case.
The washing of feet, not as the picture seems to tell you, all boy servers, the men were to the left beyond the pictures reach.
The censing at the oof the gifts. We were fortunate again in the number of servers, both this years confirmands and long term regulars who were available.
The transfer of the Blessed Sacrament to the altar of repose. The watch was well kept, as ever 9pm-10pm was the sparse time, but the Parish Priest was never alone, from 10.30pm onwards, the numbers grew.

Today there are stations of the Cross at 10am and the Solemn Liturgy at 12 noon. There should be more pictures later on Good Friday or tomorrow.

of the pre-Triduum altars

2010-04-01T15:02:00.003+01:00

The High altar, S. Peter's London Docks, Maundy Thursday afternoon. The Blessed Sacrament has been removed to the place of distant reservation ( a tabernacle in the priest's sacristy.

The altar of repose, 2010. The altar frontal appears in High Fashion in the Church, Pauline Johnstone, Maney Publishing, 2002 page 127.

The Bishop of Fulham's Chrism Mass:

2010-03-30T14:49:00.010+01:00

The Holy oils being burned away on Monday evening after the Mass. This old stainless steel shaving bowl has long proved good for the task with the addition of cotton wool and paper kitchen towel as kindling. Mass was well attended last evening.
Our young servers, l-r Tommy, Philip, Perry, Jason and Mitchel in School reception waiting to be taken to Christ the King Gordon Square where they will be the serving Team at the Bishop of Fulham's Chrism Mass. Philip and Tommy are veterans, they served last year.
The second echelon arrive at Gordon Square, our Head-Teacher Mrs Dickson with the rest of the group. The remained er of the pictures were taken by Ellie, confirmed last year, as was her Mum, She is the fair haired girl in the centre holding the arm of Veli.
The Bishop of Fulham, before the Mass, there was a large turn out of Priests this year to support the Bishop and renew their vows of Priestly service.
S. Peter's London Docks servers, with Tim as thurifer, lead in the procession at the start of Mass,
they are followed soon by the Parish Priest.
and the PP of S. Gabriel's Warwick Square, which is a good East to west London axis!
Later in the Mass Ellie became courageous with the zoom facility and managed this effort from half way up the long nave of Christ the King. Two blogging Anglo-Catholics may be seen as may the top of the head of the PP of S. Luke's Uxbridge Road. (sorry no prizes).
A final picture of our servers forming up for the Procession out.
I achieved a first when Fr. Christopher Smith asked me, with little warning, to carry up the oil for the Holy Chrism, in the absence of a Deacon to so do.

The Confirmands all attended Mass in the School Chapel last afternoon, there were also short Stations in School before we set out for the Chrism Mass, the children thus have a challenging regime this week.

Holy Week: School Stations of the Cross.

2010-03-29T10:37:00.004+01:00

Chelsea, who will be confirmed in September, her Mother runs our Sunday school, holds up the first station at the first of three Stations of the Cross assemblies for Holy Week.
We sing verses from the Stabat mater dolorosa and meditate on two, or three, stations each day.
Olivia, also a confirmation candidate from the Vive Jesu et Maria group holds the second station.
A small number of children come to the front to genuflect at each station on behalf of the whole school.
This morning, mini-stations over, I went to the Bakers shop in the Lane and ordered the Hot Cross buns for after the Solemn Liturgy on Good Friday. Bless them, they deliver.

As I left the School children were coming to the Head's Office bearing permission slips to come, on the morrow, to the Chrism Mass at Gordon Square.

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

2010-03-28T15:58:00.004+01:00

Palm Sunday was very well at S. Peter's this day. We conjoined with the Roman Catholics of S. Patricks in Wapping Rose Garden for the blessing of Palms and then processed to the Church.
As you see our younger servers wore, as is our custom the 'Lowdery livery'.
A number of these boys will be serving at Christ the King Gordon Square at the Chrism Mass on Tuesday. All our young confirmands attend this Mass, from both years five and six in the School.
The view from the back of the nave during the preface.
I am sorry this is a short post, and that posts have been few of late. today my internet connection, rather than I, is slow and lazy. However I hope to post, for those who enjoy such things, a 'virtual' Holy Week.

of the AGM

2010-03-21T14:46:00.005Z

Miss Hannah Jones left the parish AGM half way through in order to avoid being elected to the PCC as the 'voice of youth'. Mass attendance was in the 'much better than bad' quadrant of such calculation. The Church was solemn with Passiontide veiling and enriched with the traditional passiontide hymns. The sermon was on 'Faithfulness to Jesus', the unfaithfulness of the women taken in the act of adultery, the scandalous behaviour of so many clergy, Teachers and others who have betrayed their responsibility to children by abusing them in terrible ways and our own daily acts of unfaithfulness to Christ and the Church in our homes, work and families were thematically explored . The concept, alien to the commentating media, that failed priests are not a symptom of the nature of the Church, but a betrayal of its mission and discipline was emphasised.The meeting to elect Churchwardens, followed by the AGM of the Parish Church was held in the Father Wainright Hall. A new PCC was elected, accounts examined and approved, reports were made by the PCC. Servers Guild, Sunday School, Schola Musica, Ascot weekend team and such.
A parish fundraising committee with a one year life and a specific target was proposed, four volunteers came forward with a surprising alacrity. The parish priest noted the need for the PCC to regard itself as the parish mission leadership team and the need for evangelisation over the next twenty four months. A programme will be created by early summer. Some left over Simnel cake was consumed by those who were not fasting from sweet items and by those beyond the legislation of fasting years.

On a bright and warm day the children, under appropriate provision, played in what was once the school playground. All were reminded that clocks go forward one hour next Saturday, thus they needs must exercise good discipline to be on time for the blessing of Palms next Sunday.

of School Mass and the daily round.

2010-03-18T14:02:00.005Z

The walsingham Chapel at S. Peter's, photograph by Chelsea who was responsible for the pictures from School Mass this morning. I hope that her devotion to Our Lady of Walsingham did not draw her away from a more holy part of the Mass!
Luke and Philip wait for the cruets. Luke, who did not often serve in Year 5 has become, in his final year in the School one of our best and most responsible School Mass servers.

'Pray Brethren', the response has become muted in recent weeks, this morning we renewed it with vigour. It is a feature of School mass that elements fade and renew. Some time ago we all had to re-learn making the sign of the Cross. A major problem is that for the majority school faith is the only faith. There is no practise of the faith in the home and the children do not attend Sunday Mass. Thus there is a limited time in which to guide them in faith and practise. Modern society is thin soil for Catholic life and culture.

During the Canon, servers showing no small indications of appropriate reverence.

Priestly ministry in Wapping today includes, chatting with the mums before Mass, talking to people down the Lane, showing a young Swedish girl the Church, over-seeing and helping with the cleaning out of two stinking and blocked drains, reading some of the letters of S. Therese,
saying the Rosary for a young girl in hospital and discussing custody of the eyes with a brother SSC priest on the telephone.

2010-03-17T08:53:00.002Z

The parish day pilgrimage to Walsingham was announced on Sunday, we are going on Saturday 15th May. The coach was all but booked up with quarter of an hour, there are, I am told, less than five places available. One of my failures at S. Peter's is a Walsingham weekend pilgrimage. It has been tried, three was the zenith, from which decline was swift. There is a resistance to the notion of the weekend. It may be that we compensate with our Ascot weekend, which has many of the marks of pilgrimage, including, in our revised format, a Saturday evening procession of Our Lady, preceded by the Rosary. But, as I have commented before, no doubt after my retirement another priest will take two full coaches for a week the first year of his work here; such are the ways of Anglo-Catholic parish life.

Today I am much taken up with the tedium of preparation for the parish AGM which takes place after Solemn Mass this coming Sunday, papers and agenda to prepare, items to copy and such.

of Lent IV and touching the dream.

2010-03-15T08:40:00.008Z

Incense being prepared before the Gospel

We were very well attended for Lent IV. However we were far short of what should be our real numbers. The presence of some foreign visitors boosted our numbers, but so did a good turn out by our own people. suffice to say we ran out of bunches of flowers for the children, and that after my florist Churchwarden questioning the number I ordered, she felt I was over optimistic.

Father Martin sings the (long) Gospel of the prodigal Son.

Over recent weeks we have been publishing a recipe for traditional simnal Cake, requesting that same be prepared for Laetare Sunday; it was, and in good measure. There was thus a near feast when all gathered in the Father Wainright Hall for coffee and tea after Mass.
After the singing of the Gospel: Fr Jones prepares to preach.

The sermon, on living life according to the manufacturers handbook ( Holy Scripture) majored on an appeal to Mothers to guide their daughters in modesty and chastity and their Sons to to hold women in such awe (for each is a rumoured shadow of the Virgin mother) that they would never challenge that modesty and chastity.

The Parish Priest at the sedelia, the Deacon prepares the Altar.

I have been asked by readers to blog more frequently, one nice woman, who lives some distance from her nearest Forward in Faith parish, tells me, by email, that her daily visit to S. Peter's in the virtual world, is a 'spiritual life-line' and she feels keen disappointment when there is no new entry. Thus my blog report is like many of my school reports, 'Must try harder'.

Father Martin, Deacon of the Mass, prepares the chalice, Pedro and Mike the servers on the right.

Today will be much taken up with admin, my 'to do' list is full of orders to be made, post-cards to be written and an adult confirmation group Power Point to be prepared. I must also visit school.

The censing of the High Altar, Fr. Martin in motion.

I have finished my Lent spiritual reading and am awaiting a delivery from Amazon.co.uk, in the space between I am re-reading some of Bl.Elizabeth of the Trinity, another of that generation of Saintly Carmelites that lit such burning stars that light the way to Jesus.

The six torch boys at the High Mass of Lent IV

By ancient custom we sing Marian hymns at S. Peter's on Lent IV, Mary being the example of Christian Motherhood. After the weeks of the more 'difficult' Lenten music our people enjoyed the familiar and, it must be said, more sentimental style. During the communion hymn I whispered to the Sub-Deacon ( a chest surgeon) that at sixteen my idea of heaven would have been sitting,as the celebrant, at the sedelia of S. Peter's London Docks in rose-pink vestments singing Sweet Sacrament Divine, nice still feeling that at sixty when it was real!

2010-03-12T09:29:00.002Z

Children from the vive Jesu et Maria group and families after the Wednesday afternoon meeting.
It has been a busy week, you can tell by the lack of blog postings. Not least of these tasks was the committee to adjudicate on applications for our School. We are oversubscribed and have had far more top category church applicants than in recent years. The sign I trust of our significant improvement.
This week two invitations went out from school to Mass on Sunday, Mothering Sunday. I would rather people came in Holy Week, but the Church in every age has, in order to change the culture, worked with the Culture. We are, as you know, in a new situation, we had the culture in the West and have lost it. Thus we work to a new paradign, reclaiming a culture that we created and have seen snatched from us. If mothering Sunday can bring one family to the mystery of the narrative of redemption I am happy to go with it.

Last evening with Anny, Marina and Fr. Robin to the ENO production ( a revival) of L'Elisir d' amore. As ever when I go to ENO there was a significant cast change, recently we lost Rodolfo in Boheme, Ping or Pong (forget which) in Turundot, last night Nemorino had an throat infection, alas, so did his understudy. This caused chaos because it was a new English libretto and they were the only people who had sung it. Thus a rather good young tenor came and sang the role in Italien while everyone else sang in English! Not quite true because the dialogues between Nemorino and Dulcamara were all sung in Italian, and much better they were. Why you, ask, do you not, do I go so often to the ENO if I prefer my opera in original language? Because I can't afford the Opera House! It was a rather good production of this charming 'feel good' melodramma giocoso, I much enjoy bel canto and all came away from a good evening, and as my wife commented, 'Not one dead woman on stage', radical opera!

musings, perhaps a ramble,not, I think, a rant.

2010-03-08T09:25:00.003Z

Yesterday at Solemn Mass Father Martin was with us again after a few weeks away on a mission. Our Congregation was ok, not good, not a disaster, but ok. It has been ok a lot recently and ok is not good enough. We have lost people since the summer, not problem losses, no one has stormed out, just a disturbing trickle; for the most part people have moved away, Oxfordshire, Limehouse, or point further East. We also discern a distinct anomie from some who have dropped away, nothing to do with S.Peter's, a 'whole-life' problem, but it is our problem because they cannot discern us as a potential solution, or worse,we may be part of what became their problem(s).
There is a dysphoria in society, no, worse, in our culture, and little peninsula's of the culture, like S. Peter's soon feel the tsunami of the loss of meaning that haunts our time. I have just finished reading Natasha Walter's Living Dolls, the return of sexism, and while having reservations about some elements of her conclusions, I like most reviewers am shocked and confused by what some perspectives on feminism has done to women, young women regarding their sexuality as a 'career tool' is a disquieting, indeed sickening, manifestation of the moral bankruptcy of our shallow culture.
This evening the PCC meets, our agenda includes a significant section on evangelisation and mission for, without the Christian solution, our culture will become, each day, more overtly the morally shallow secular sea in which people sink. 'You loose your soul by increments, you would notice if it happened at once'*. If you are my age, you notice the distance of common grammar between my mid-1950s childhood and the moral, social and religious language and life of today. It has become so overt and complete that we no longer seem to have a language to communicate between the two. That is disturbing, because it means we can no longer communicate with or recognise ourselves in and from our past; the destruction of culture.
I do acknowledge that failures in my own ministry, indeed, inadequacies in my own personality and living out of the Gospel have played their part in the slow, but consistent, break up of Church and culture. That said, I'm not yet in a mood to give up, so once more this night we will ask the question asked by every generation of Peterites (and their predecessors of the Good Shepherd Mission), 'How do we bring the good news of Christ to the people of Wapping?'. I am not much given to quoting Marxist Leninists**, but Moa-Tse-Tung nailed it with, 'Every journey of a thousand miles begins with an single step'. Pray for us this evening.
* In one of my notebooks without a noted source, acknowledged as not being mine, anyone know who said/wrote it?
** Hard-core liberals in Anglicanism who will not allow Jurisdiction for traditionalists seem to work on a principle outworked by Comrade Stalin, 'The freedom to be wrong is not a real freedom'. But then you can use these tags for anything.

of third and first order issues

2010-03-03T13:18:00.002Z

Let it be known, by all and sundry, that I have never claimed to be anything other than a bear of very little brain, joined up writing coming on slowly and all that sort of thing. But yesterday, drinking green tea and wishing I still smoked a pipe, I had a thought. It was inspired by the former Bishop of Oxford (blessings upon him) and his article in the Times in which he robustly defended contemporary Anglicanism. In so doing he noted that the consecration of women is a third order issue. Dr Williams speaking in the recent past in Rome mentioned women's ordination as a second order issue, this was indeed a plank of the early campaigns of the 70s, see (I seem to remember The Revd (later Professor) Leslie Houlden in 'Women Priests ? Yes now!', in which the matter was noted as a second order issue.
First order issues are those in which there is minimum flexibility for the Church in any age to question and change, Scripture, Creeds, sacraments, second and third order issues can be the subject of evolved and change understanding. I think I'm still with this...are you?. So, it would seem by logic at least, second and third order theological issues are different to first order issues because they can be, and perhaps always have been, the subject of flexibility, negotiation and plasticity. Just so. It would seem logical then to apply this second order rule if the issue of a matter like the consecration of women is a second/third order issue, in that it should in its outworking in the life of the church be acted upon with flexibility, negotiation and plasticity. To do other wise would be to treat it as a first order issue. Thus, if as the great men tell us, it is a second/third order matter then it must by that nature have an 'opting in/out' element, unlike eg, belief in the resurrection or scriptural inspiration (credal and scriptural first order matters) in which we must all assent.
So then, if Dr Williams and Lord Harries tell the truth ( and we must assume they do) is there no logic to the way that this process is emerging, second order issues needs must get second order (inclusive of alternative perspectives) solutions. The present methodology being embraced by general Synod, offering a substantial minority a code of practise, which they do not want and proclaim will not meet their needs, is not offering second order plasticity, it is creating a new
uber-first order category of theological position, a place with no authentic flexibility or plasticity, thus not a second or third order issue but a first order mark of the new orthodoxy!

Or am I just a bear of little brain who can't figure it out?

2010-03-01T09:33:00.000Z

S. Peter's Day procession 2009

Blog visitors may recall some note of our recent Section 48, Statutory Inspection of Anglican schools, in which the school is inspected on the teaching of religious education, the spirituality, values and worship of the school etc,the key question being, 'How distinctive and effective is the School as a Church of England School'. We now have the result, the report concludes in four sections, in order to get a '1', for 'outstanding' it is necessary to get the grade '1' (outstanding) in three of the four sections. Under the splendid leadership of Mrs Liz Dickson, her excellent staff and our lovely children, we achieved an Outstanding in all four sections, and are thus, in terms of the norms of the Section 48 framework outstanding in our role as a Church School.

2010-03-01T08:47:00.005Z

There seems to be a lot of excitement around in the Anglo-Catholic blogsphere, so here is a picture of part of my study, a near Amish like simplicity amidst the Baroque, if not Byzantine, frenetic humour abroad.

Sad to record, Stations were not well attended on Friday evening, I blame lack of dynamic leadership and am working on that.
Mass on Sunday was however better than some recent weeks. A repair carried out on the boiler last week meant that the heating ran all Saturday night and we were all warm, indeed nearly over-warm by the time the Angelus was being sung.

Chelsea at the end of the OT lection, I appear to be saying 'Thanks be to God'

I spent the notices at Mass encouraging the production of Simnel Cake for Lent IV, now views of Simnel cake (Anglican Patrimony) vary, some say that it should be brought to Church for refreshment Sunday, but set aside until Easter, others offer the view that Lent IV is the mid-Lent break and that eating the cake, after Mass, even when such frivolities have been self-denied for the fast, is permitted. Perhaps we can build here a thread of argument and counter argument, an expression of theological and moral diversity and interchange, or perhaps not.
The proclamation of St. Luke's version of the Transfiguration.

I like the Transfiguration narrative, not least I suspect because that feast is my birthday. Yesterday I preached on the Mystical experience of the mountain, the ordinary character of the three Apostles, but their ability to enter mystical prayer because they had 'kept company with Jesus', thence from Rahner on mysticism as a gift to the whole Church not just selected pre-disposed individuals. It was a bit longer and more convoluted than that but it said all are called to mystical knowledge of God, but we have to practise, keep company with Jesus, in prayer and life.This morning was the first day this year when, at 7am, I could enter the church and light the shrine lights without putting on the church lighting, within a few weeks the same will be true at Vespers. The cycle of the year is now best observed only by farmers and Christians, for everyone else it seems that there is only work, high carbon holidays abroad and parties.

Fr. Jones' girls

2010-02-23T16:07:00.003Z

'How are the girls?', my wife will ask, as she finds me in the study or the kitchen, surrounded by books, print outs of magazine articles and downloaded Doctoral Thesis that have crossover. 'The girls', I will say, 'are fine, it's the rubbish that people write about them that causes the problems'.

The girls are not daughters (we had none) nor Grand-Daughters (she exists in the singular), but, rather,
The girls, my three thesis subjects in their extraordinary diversity. So much in common, so very different.

They are, l-r clockwise, S. Bernadette, the Lourdes visionary, S. Therese of Lisieux the hidden power of love in a Carmelite Convent and S. Gemma Galgani the ecstatic Stigmatist who, unlike her sisters in my trio was refused entry to a religious order (too unstable, too mad, too difficult?).

Their mysticism, which is the essence of my work, is their defining difference, Bernadette the recipient of an unexpected grace, the visionary of restricted time, seeing in the context of place and for purpose. Therese, who denied all special mystical experience, but was cured by such and in her exposition on paper and in the daily round provided a template for mysticism in the everyday. Gemma who was transported into the reality of the passion week after week, showing forth the wounds of Jesus in the open wounds of her own body, 'You can't hide the man dying inside your flesh' in the words of the poet Catherine Sasanov in her poem sequence on Gemma.

When I'm not on parish work, or my stumbling efforts at direction, I'm with the girls, or people who talk about them. I have only one worry, that three years of intensive, daily, living with them may overload our relationship. But, I am conscious that I did not find them, they found me, so they must expect me still to be here when the thesis is presented and defended...or dumped!

of the Day of Prayer

2010-02-22T21:41:00.002Z

S. Peter's London Docks played its part in the day of prayer on the Chair of S. Peter. Mass was offered this morning with appropriate intention. The Sorrowful mysteries of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary were recited at the Shrine of Our Lady at 7pm. We invited Fr Digby at the people of S. Patrick's to join us for the latter. The Rosary was offered in thanksgiving for the offer contained in the Apostolic Constitution and for the guidance of the Holy Spirit is the process of discernment for Catholic Anglicans.

We were outnumbered by some seven to one by the separated brethren from down the road. However, embarrassment aside ( I, at my age am very nearly beyond embarrassment) a brick was laid, prayer is an essential of what will now, and over some years, or even decades, perhaps begin.

After Rosary there was the adult confirmation group, with a new member. We are working on a new programme, inspired by Fr. North, he now of Camden and in the past of the SOLW. At a recent diocesan theological seminar he suggested that Catholic parishes should carry out initial entrant church formation on a programme based on the Eucharist, that being the real-time experience of those joining our communities. This was session three, Session 1, Entrance antiphon... scene setting, centrality of Scripture, Session 2 'In the name of the Father..., the Holy Trinity. Session three, greeting (Union of priest and people in Eucharistic action and Mass intention (introduction to the lord's sacrifice and the sacrifice of the Mass). So far it works, the people seem to enjoy the Power-Point and understand (they tell me) that which we are doing.

Thence supper and the blog.

2010-02-22T16:24:00.002Z

I have become a popular recipient of emails, mostly they say, 'We know what Fr Ed is going to do, we think we know what Fr Ivan is going to do, we know we know what the PEV's are going to do, but, what Fr, are you going to do ( italics mine).
And my answer is a full on, power-based, action centered, explosive declaration without any equivocation or shades of nuance, it is: I don't know. so there, happy now?

From where I stand, no Canon has been promulgated, no final decision made, the end game is in process and we are 12 points down at the start of the second half. But all that is nonsense, secular and worldly. We are members of the Church of England, nurtured, trained and living organisms in its eco-system ( a less worldly way of putting it?), We must, as long as it is possible, struggle in charity, wholeness, and holiness for a resolution to our dilemma. We are not here to make demands, leave that to those who work out secular models in ecclesiastical situations, we are not seeking power, we are not processing a mechanism of hurt toward others, we are looking for the space to live out our Catholic lives in our own home. We seek only the justice of a space where the deep traditions of Catholic Anglicanism can flourish; to that end we present to the rest of our church a petition of the heart that they may have the courage to provide such sacred ground, as members of a family give space to one another, not as of obligation, not as of the civil claim of a code of practise but in the frugal simplicity of charity. I cannot leave, or plan to leave the Church in which Catholic faith and prayer were granted to me until hope is dead. Some think we have reached that point, they will argue passionately that there is one way only. I am reminded of those Muslims (bless) ( and let the reader understand many many Christians of their own institutions) who tell you that Islam is one, that within it there are seventy three sects and members of the seventy two (other than theirs) are going to eternal hell-fire.

So, for the time being, until hope is extinguished, or by miracle (you see I am a Catholic Christan and I really really do believe in miracles) the flame bursts forth once more, however dim, across the Anglican landscape, I will carry out the commission I received. That is easy for me, three years from full pension, four years and seven months from first possible retirement date, I might even get through before it happens; that is not however the point. The point is that it's not over until it is over and I was brought up on Churchill's famous speech, "Never, never,never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, give up".*

*I am sure I will be told there are too few/many nevers, if so I apologise to the learned who know such things, I never, never, never do.