THE P RTAL
Pilarina has been in the UK for fourteen
years. With regard to Fr David she
enthused, “I think it is great! I like him
very much. He is so helpful and a really
kind man. I see no problem having him
here. I know he was CofE, but he is a
real asset to the Church. I see him as a
priest. He is very approachable and we
are pleased to have him at the Cathedral.”
Marie-France Martial
April 2014
UK Page 2
Ordinariates!’
“In this geographical location, I see the
future of the Ordinariate as rather limited.
Even Anglo-Catholic Anglicans are thin
on the ground here! But in those areas
where the Ordinariate has sustainable
groups - given the right encouragement I am sure they will grow.
Theresa Jones
a long slow process
Marie-France Martial is a retired Social Worker and
“So: this is the end of a long journey for me. I left
a cradle catholic with two children. “I am in the choir at university in 1965 with a degree in Theology and
the Cathedral,” she continued, “Fr David is
a vocation. I was tempted to become a
really lovely, really human, breath of fresh
Catholic then. But I taught for fifteen
air! The fact that he is married means he
years and then took the Anglican
knows about family life, and the struggle
priesthood and spent twenty seven years
of work and home. He is very open.”
as an Anglican priest. I thought about
becoming a Catholic again in the 1990s.
Theresa Jones
It has been a long slow process, but now I
Theresa Jones is a retired Librarian. She
am here doing a job and I am very happy”
too, sings in the Cathedral choir. “There is
integrated, but not absorbed
something different about Fr David,” she
Marie France-Martial
said, “We love all our priests here, but he
We have a feeling that Shrewsbury
sounds more accessible, more matter of fact. He talks Cathedral and Diocese is also very happy about it,
about day to day things. He doesn’t have the Catholic Fr David. As you said, “Totally integrated, but not
culture. We did not know what the Ordinariate was absorbed.” Thank to everyone who made a brief stay
until Fr David came. I have mixed feelings about in Shrewsbury so profitable.
compulsory clerical celibacy.”
Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham
West Mercia Police
As people drifted away, we were able to find a quiet
corner and speak with Fr David himself. He told us his
story, “I retired from All Saints in 2007, and became
Chaplain of the West Mercia Police, full-time on a two
and a half year contract.
under the patronage of Blessed John Henry Newman
PILGRIMAGE TO WALSINGHAM
led by Monsignor Keith Newton
Saturday 28 June 2014
“This expired at the end of October 2009. I was
living in Shrewsbury when out of the blue came
Anglicanorum coetibus. Everything fell into place.
I started to attend the meetings and a group from
Tividale and Tipton was formed. When it came time
for Ordination, there was discussion about where I
ought to be. It was decided that I come here.
Associate priest
“The problem was that there is no group, merely
a few people scattered about the county. That is it. I
am the Associate priest at Shrewsbury Cathedral as a
priest of the Ordinariate. Totally integrated into the
life of the Cathedral and Diocese, but not absorbed.
“Bishop Mark Davies has been extremely supportive.
He has called me ‘Father Godsend!’. Bishop Mark
asked me to take on being Padre to 1st Battalion Royal
Irish Regiment at Tern Hill. As Bishop Mark said, ‘Two
TIMETABLE
11.40 a.m. Rosary. Garden of the Anglican shrine (in Shrine Church if wet)
12 noon Sprinkling
12.40 p.m. Silent Procession of Reparation and Reconcilation
1.40 p.m. Slipper Chapel. Confessions
Lunch
3 p.m. Sung Mass (Ordinariate Use) in Chapel of Reconciliation