Father Ed Tomlinson's Blog

Tomorrow morning at 7:30am a coach arrives at Saint Anselm’s in Pembury and then makes a stop in Tunbridge Wells, to escort us to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in Norfolk.

38 people in total, Ordinariate and Southwark diocesan Catholics alike, will then make our pilgrimage over the weekend and we will be led by Monsignor John Broadhurst.

We arrive in Walsingham around noon tomorrow and after dropping bags at the Catholic accommodation in the village we will begin our programme:

12pm (ish) – visit to the Holy House
12:30pm – picnic lunch in the grounds of the Anglican shrine
2pm – gather outside accommodation to walk the holy mile
3pm – join with the Mass for the deaf in the Catholic shrine after which priests will be available for confession
6.30pm evening meal
8pm – pilgrim service at the church of the annunciation
9pm- trip to the pub!

Sunday

8.15am – Angelus and morning prayer
8:40 – breakfast
10am – Stations of the cross
11:45am – Mass of the ascension at the church of the annunciation. Celebrant and preacher Monsignor John Broadhurst
1pm- lunch
2:30pm – join with Anglicans in an act of unity for the sprinkling at the holy well
4:45pm- vespers at the church of the annunciation joining with the Dominican pilgrims.

It promises to be a really good time. Let us pray for good weather!

A reminder to all locals that we are having a special mass to anticipate the Ascension of Jesus into heaven tonight at 8pm. This is not of obligation (as Ascension has been officially moved to Sunday) but should nevertheless be well worth attending. After mass we will share a glass of wine and some nibbles.

On Sunday there is no 9:15 mass as 38 of us are off, in the company of Monsignor John Broadhurst, to Walsingham on pilgrimage for the weekend. There will however be the usual Mass at 11am. My thanks go to Father Behruz who is covering in the absence of myself and Father Nicholas.

Today I want to highlight the efforts of a friend. One of the guys at the rugby club, Tommo, is taking part in a swim to raise money for Spina Bifida. Pictured above is the beautiful son he lost to the illness two years ago. Here is a plea in his own words:

We lost our son Austin in 2010, who had a Spina Bifida, so all money raised will be going to SHINE who provide specialist support from before birth and throughout the life of anyone living with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus, as well as to parents, families, carers and professional health and social care staff.

You can donate by visiting this webpage. Here is hoping he reaches the target.

In the interest of fostering honest debate I am willing to offer a £25 book token to the person who can best answer the following question. ‘What is the vision for 21st Century Anglo-Catholicism in the wake of Anglicanorum Coetibus?’ The winning submission (should I get any!) will be printed on this blog and the deadline is Monday 4th June. I am happy to take submissions from Anglican bishops, priests or laity!

I think such an article would be useful in helping people discern the current mind, vision and ideals of Anglo-Catholicism. Specifically I would love to know how those remaining behind would answer the following:

1) How can one claim to be ‘Catholic’ within a church that is walking ever further from Rome and Constantinople and which no longer embraces a traditional understanding of holy orders? Where is Anglican authority to be found?

2) What is the justification for remaining ‘Catholic’ within a congregational setting on the fringes of a church that is struggling to accept your doctrinal beliefs now that the offer of unity has been generously presented?

3) What is the Anglo-Catholic vision for unity with the See of Peter in the wake of the Ordinariate? What exactly is anticipated? Why has the call for unity with Rome, once at the heart of Anglo-Catholic vision and theology, fallen silent?

4) What justification is there for adopting the new translation of the Roman Missal at an Anglican mass having chosen to look to Canterbury and notRome for spiritual oversight?

I do not pose these questions to belittle or undermine Anglo-Catholics but because I am genuinely interested. And I am sure that those remaining behind are not so sensitive as to balk at the notion of honest debate. The voice of the Anglo-Catholic world seems to have fallen silent recently, and doubtless with good reason, but I am generally interested in how those remaining behind justify their decision and understand their future?

So why not put something down in writing and I will send the best submission a gift in the post. Then we can begin a useful conversation. What goes without saying is that we must all respect each others decisions and treat one another with affection and love.

One of the great fruits of Pope Benedict’s visit to England was the emergence of a new group from within the Church called ‘Catholic Voices’. This body, mainly made up of lay people, formed together to ensure that the Catholic church was as well represented as possible at the time of the papal visitation. These were men and women articulate in the faith who were willing to be interviewed on radio and television in order to defend and uphold Catholic teaching.

Since then the group has remained active and has continued to represent the Catholic Church within the public sphere. It is in many ways a dynamic new body that meets a specific need of our time. You can visit its website here. Alternatively you can watch the short video below. Being interviewed is Fr. Stephen Wang of Allen Hall Seminary, who is dearly beloved by all Ordinariate clergy for it is he who oversees our ongoing formation. He has been a great friend to us and we hugely appreciate his input.

We should all pray for Catholic Voices and for all those who are able to help the church. In our media age it is often the case that we are not the best when it comes to PR and so often our beliefs are misunderstood at best or else misrepresented at worst. We have so much good news to share with the world but we do need to think about how we best convey that.

I took this picture of Pembury village green as I walked to church early this morning. It was especially early as the task of setting up the church, which I usually do after mass on Saturday, had been delayed due to the May fair. Once everything had been laid out it was such a fantastic morning that I said my daily office outside.

After our 9.15 mass this morning we will be celebrating two special birthdays. Philip in the choir is 80 and I am too much of a gentleman to tell you how old Liz is- but it ends in a 0 and it isn’t 40…

On Thursday of this week I will celebrate a vigil mass of the Ascension- in anticipation of Sunday. This is not of obligation but should be a wonderful occasion. We will share some refreshments after the mass.

Next weekend a large group of us are travelling to Walsingham in Norfolk for our pilgrimage which is being led by Monsignor John Broadhurst. Let us hope that the sun is shining next week too! For those not coming to Walsingham mass will be celebrated by Fr Behruz in Saint Anselm’s at 11am. There will be no 9.15 mass due to the pilgrimage.

Today was the May Fayre being held jointly by S. Anselm’s parish in Pembury and Saint Justus parish in Paddock Wood with the proceeds being evenly split at the end of the day.

Huge thanks go to all who supported the day either by manning stalls, donating items or attending and spending some money. Special thanks go to Mary Fowlie, pictured above, who master minded the event and who co-coordinated it all. As you can see Jemima and Benedict enjoyed the face painting in particular.

What wonderful news this day! The Ordinariate of the Southern Cross is to be erected on June 15th to serve the church and people of Australia. It will be placed under the patronage of Saint Augustine of Canterbury and will allow groups of Anglicans in that land to make the journey home to the Catholic church. This will be the third Ordinariate following the ones set up in England and America.

How fast the Ordinariate story is unfolding and how it continues to go from strength to strength. Back here in England and we are grateful to the Holy Father for personally supporting us with a significant financial gift. We are also grateful to the Papal Nuncio for having asked for the continued generosity and support of the wider Catholic community. The message is clear. This vision comes with the support of the highest authorities within the Church and it has a role in the life and future of the Catholic church. There is so much to give thanks for then and we who are members are truly grateful.

Several people have told me that they very much enjoyed the ‘Journey Home’ account of former Baptist Steve Ray. Here is another interview this time from a man who was formerly a non-denominational Christian but who came to believe fervently that the Catholic church is the authentic church of the Apostles.

It has been a full and interesting week with lots of different engagements crammed into the diary. After Mass this morning I met with Marie Dean a Catholic lay woman who is writing a book about the formation of the Ordinariate. We spent an hour together over a coffee and I will soon be sending a brief biography for her to use in her forthcoming work. It was a very pleasant hour and I was delighted to be able to help her.

After this meeting it was my pleasure to visit Saint Gregory’s Catholic comprehensive school in Tunbridge Wells where I was particularly struck by the wonderful ethos and the way in which the young people were all well engaged with their studies. Both pupils and staff were warm and welcoming. This did not come as a surprise to me as members of our congregation attend Saint Gregory’s and I know they are happy there.

After a tour of the school with head teacher, Mr Stephen Adamson, I was treated to an excellent school lunch in the canteen. Chicken passanda and rice with treacle tart and sponge to follow- delicious! Over tea in the head master’s study I was invited to return to the school to join the rota of clergy who visit for liturgical purposes. I was, of course, delighted to accept the invitation and I look forward to helping out in any way I can.

This evening I don the dinner jacket and polish my shoes as I am attending a black tie supper at a nearby golf club being hosted by the local chapter of Catenians. This is an excellent society run by lay men who assist the Catholic church both spiritually and practically. Think Rotary for Catholics! Any men from our local Ordinariate who are interested in joining can speak to me and I will point you in the right direction…