THE P RTAL
April 2014
Page 7
A Weekend with the
Ordinariate in Scotland
Catherine Utley travels north
“Unlike the
famous Dr Johnson who could not bear to look at
them, I like mountains.” So began Monsignor Keith Newton’s homily
on Matthew’s account of the Transfiguration, delivered to a gathering of
the Ordinariate in Scotland at a residential weekend last month at the
Schoenstatt Retreat Centre at the foot of the Campsie Fells about fifteen
miles north of Glasgow.
“If you ever try to climb a great mountain you
feel small and insignificant”, Mgr Newton went on.
“In comparison, one of the rewards of walking up a
mountain is the commanding view it gives you as you
look down on the world below…the higher you go the
greater the vision before you.”
In his homily, Mgr Newton spoke of Jesus taking
Peter, James and John up a high mountain so that they
could share a wider vision, so that they would be given
a new understanding of the mission of Jesus. Having
climbed a mountain (well, a hill, more honestly) with
Mgr Newton the day before, I knew what he was
talking about.
a strong sense of its mission
The homily also chimed with my impressions, formed
over that weekend, of the Ordinariate in Scotland. It
is small and far-flung, but it has a remarkably strong
sense of its mission, of the part that it has to play in
fulfilling Pope Benedict’s great vision of unity. It made
me think of the mustard seed and of great movements
in the Church starting from very small beginnings.
For Stations of the Cross
we were joined by Tess,
the Scoenstatt Centre’s border collie
regularly travel
some 50 miles to worship with their Ordinariate group.
Given how spread out the Ordinariate in Scotland is,
what accounts for its sense of cohesiveness and why do
its members feel so blessed to be a part of this project?
Some common themes emerged in conversation
with those on the weekend. They had all grown
to love the centuries’ old words of the Ordinariate
Use of the Roman rite, which is the only liturgy the
Ordinariate in Scotland uses and which, they say, gives
them a strong sense of shared identity. They love the
reverent way the Ordinariate Masses and services are
celebrated, the strong preaching, the music and the
socialising, all of which they see as part of the treasure
which they have brought with them from the Scottish
Episcopal Church. But they also love being part of
the full communion of the one, true Catholic Church
which knows what it believes and speaks up for it.
They feel touched and grateful for the strong support
and unqualified welcome they have received from the
Catholic bishops in Scotland.
strong, vibrant and growing
The Ordinariate in Scotland may be small, but it is
strong, vibrant and growing. Its current plans include
moving into more central locations and starting a
new group for Glasgow. This will increase Fr Black’s
monthly travel to 800 miles. “Don’t you ever feel
daunted by what you have taken on?” I ask him. He
distance no objest
dismisses the notion politely, but out of hand. “If ever
The largest group worships near Inverness and one I feel as though it’s a big climb, I just talk to some of the
Sunday every month Fr Black travels to Edinburgh lay people who have joined us and their enthusiasm
and then on to Stirling, celebrating an Ordinariate and joy gives me such a lift that it seems like nothing.”
Mass in both places. The round trip is 367 miles.
Spending the weekend with them makes me know
what he means. Like Mgr Newton, the Scots are a
When Fr Bennie, based in Stornoway on the Isle of people who like mountains.
Lewis, attends an event with the Ordinariate group in
Inverness, it involves a three-and-a-half hour ferry trip,
This month’s Portal cover shows the Ordinariate
followed by an hour on the bus. Some of the lay members
Scotland Group outside the little Schoenstatt chapel
Led by Fr Len Black (without whom it would not
have ever existed) assisted by Fr Stanley Bennie,
the Ordinariate in Scotland consists of about 30 lay
members centred in sub-groups in the Highlands,
Stirling, Edinburgh and Stornoway.