THE P RTAL
May 2015
Page 12
“The Archbishop, who had met with the exploration
A friend was already in the Ordinariate when a
group began in Cardiff, so Matthew just came along. group before, then invited us to meet at the Cathedral
where a chapel would be made available to
“It was,” he said, “A difficult thing to leave
us, complete with an oak reredos. This has
the Anglican parish behind. I had been at
worked very well, especially since we always
St Mary’s for ten years or so. They were very
celebrate the Ordinariate Rite, which feels
supportive of my decision. It was something
‘natural’ in this setting and is just right for
about realising Christian Unity and joining
this group (many of whom will have been
the Church. I attend mass at the Cathedral
used to the traditional-language ‘Green
when there is no Ordinariate mass. We have
Book’ liturgies of the Church in Wales
received a warm welcome. I think there will
beforehand).
be more people who will come over. People
are still not sure that it is fully part of the
Catholic Church. There is still a lot of work Alan & Marilyn Jones interested and positive
to be done.”
“I am not sure I understand why so few
people made the move in the end. We
We chatted to a number of people who
have excellent relations with the Catholic
described themselves as “nibblers”. There
clergy and people, who have all been most
was David Holmes, a civilian investigator
welcoming. I have a small Diocesan Parish
with the South Wales Police and Euan Tait,
to care for as well, which had no idea what
a College lecturer, as well as some who did
the Ordinariate was, so we got the CTS
not wish to be named at this stage.
leaflet that we always give out to visitors at
the Ordinariate mass, and they have been
Nicki & David Prichard
We have not changed
very interested and positive.
They all said more or less the same thing.
They wanted to be able to go to mass, say
“At the same time, in the Anglican Church
their prayers without intrigue. They told us,
in Wales there is really no substantial
“We are already Catholics. We have had the
provision for the orthodox at all now, yet
same views from a young age. We have not
still few have come so far. As to our future:
changed. It is the Anglican Church that has
we have some enquiring and some nibbling.
changed. It has lost its way. In the Catholic
We do what we do, and hope people will “get
Church we can go to mass anywhere.” We
it” and do something about it. I sometimes
will have to keep our eyes and ears open, for Philip Jones
wonder if there will come a point of final
we suspect there will be some receptions in
“estrangement” between Anglo-Catholics
Cardiff before long.
and the Church in Wales. There may be, and
if and when it comes, we will hopefully have
Fr Bernard Sixtus
been able to “prepare a place”, a home, for
Fr Bernard Sixtus is a gentle person, and
people.”
obviously a holy man. Married, with a family,
he leads the Cardiff group, although he does
This is a good group. Not large, but
have a “day job” as Director of RE for Schools
prayerful and holy. It is well led and has
in the Archdiocese. We come from many
knit together rather well. We are grateful to
Fr Bernard Sixtus
different churches. We have people from all
Fr Sixtus for his welcome and to the group
over South East Wales. Most did not know each other members for their warm welcome too. It may well be
before the Ordinariate. I had an exploration group of that we shall hear more of them.
around twenty or so, but only two actually came the
whole way! We were rather scattered, so where should at the heart of the Diocese
The Archbishop of Cardiff, the Most Revd George
we meet? A church in the Dock Area of Cardiff was
Stack told The Portal, “I am pleased that the
suggested originally.
Welsh members of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of
“The idea was to put all the various “other rites” of Walsingham continue to worship regularly at St David’s
the Catholic Church (i.e. not ‘standard Latin Rite’) Cathedral, Cardiff. I have always been anxious to have
together at St Cuthbert’s. However the largest of them at the heart of the Diocese, not least in reflecting
them is a group of an Eastern Rite (Ukrainian Greek on the words of John Henry Newman ‘Heart speaking
Catholic) using a full ‘iconostasis’. While a great idea, unto heart’. I hope both the Cathedral community and
that just wouldn’t have worked in practice: the kind of the members of the Ordinariate are enriched by the
experience.”
‘liturgical space’ required is just too different.
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