THE
P RTAL
January 2012
Page 4
Sent To Coventry
Jackie Ottaway and Ronald Crane
visit the Coventry Ordinariate Group
Usually, being sent to Coventry is not a pleasant experience – especially for a schoolboy from Dusseldorf!
It is true that Coventry has had its problems. Battered during the Second World War, today the Sky Blues
(Coventry City FC) are really struggling. But in Ordinariateland Coventry is as good a place to be as there is.
Based at Saint Joseph the Worker
in the city, this Ordinariate Group is
a splendid affair. Led by a young and
enthusiastic priest, it is a lively, holy
and evangelistic Group. Fr Paul Burch
is married to Catherine and they have
four children, all of school-age. Though
there were practical matters to be
considered, he and his wife knew that
the Ordinariate was where they needed
to be. It’s not all plain sailing, but joining
the Ordinariate has brought them a real
sense of contentment.
Though individuals in the group keep
in touch with Anglican friends, more
formal relations with the Church of
England will take time to emerge. The
parting of the ways is still very recent,
and some time for people to see things
a bit more clearly is probably necessary,
but we do need to work at building the
bridges.
Although the Group is one of the
larger ones, and people dig deep into
their pockets and are generous, they
cannot quite keep Fr Paul and his family
financially, so he works part-time for
Aid to the Church in Need.
Fr Paul has a clear idea of the purpose
of the Group. They are there to do what
the Holy Father wants, to be part of the
New Evangelisation with a distinctive
mission to England and her people.
They are to be liturgically and pastorally
distinctive.
Although they have no committee
yet, they talk things over after Mass on
Sundays, and they do have a Treasurer
and a Gift Aid officer. The Treasurer
sits on the local RC Parish Finance
Committee.
Catherine and Fr Paul Burch
Ann North & Gemma Pittam
Margaret & Brian McLaughin
The Burches and Chris Read
David and Pat Forman
with Evelyn Gannon
Twins Pamela and Christine
Relaxing after Mass
George Pittam (Treasurer)
“We are immensely grateful to the
Archdiocese of Birmingham for finding
us a home, which has brought us many
blessings and enabled us to establish
ourselves as an Ordinariate community
in Coventry. Perhaps the significant
growth which the Holy Father would
surely hope for will only be possible
when the Ordinariate has its own
buildings as part of its identity. People
naturally relate to buildings – a bit like
a shop front.”
He feels they could have closer relations
with the other groups in the Midlands,
and some kind of national Ordinariate
event would be very welcome.
And then: In ten years time he sees his
Group worshipping in a beautiful basilica
with a school and a large congregation!
We attended the Sunday Mass, a lovely
affair with singing to pre-recorded
music and a large congregation where
25% were either children or young
adults. Afterwards we spoke with Mary
Oliver, a Secondary School teacher at
a C of E Aided School and her brother
Ian O’Hara who is head of retail and
voluntary development at Global Care.
Their only regret at joining the
Ordinariate was that they did not make
the move earlier! With regard to the
building they now use for worship they
both saw that its position was relative.
For some members of the congregation
it is nearer than it was before, for others
it is further away. None of this really
matters as the Group has a “car share”
scheme to get folk to Mass. They come
from all over the City and as far away as
Warwickshire and even Ashby.