THE P RTAL
March 2015
UK Pages - page 12
The Ordinariate Group
in Northampton
Jackie Ottaway and Ronald Crane visit Northampton
UK Pages
It was
back in March 2013 that we first visited this group. At that time, they were meeting at Earls Barton
just outside Northampton. The title of our piece was “Small and Beautiful”. How things have changed! We
heard on the grape-vine that this group had undergone a major transformation and were anxious to find out
more.
No longer do they meet at Earls Barton. They have
been “poached”, if that is not too strong a word, by
the catholic parish of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart,
Wellingborough, just a couple of streets away from
the Anglican parish of Saint Mary’s Wellingborough
which many of you will remember.
Shortages of clergy, and ageing clergy,
have brought many dioceses to re-evaluate
the number and times of mass. This church
is no exception. A busy church with mass
three times every Sunday, plus a Polish
mass as well, could manage a Vigil Mass
each Saturday whilst an assistant priest was
in place. His removal resulted in the Vigil
Mass having to go.
Ron kicked things off by declaring that he prefers
Earls Barton as it was “nearer for me. I travel forty
miles each way for this mass. Earls Barton was much
easier.” This provoked a long discussion between him
and Mgr John abou BF