We will meet on the 3rd Wednesday of the month except in June and August. The venue is St. Augustine’s Church, Birbeck Road, Rush Green, Romford.
MASS at 7.30 p.m. followed by meeting.
18th January
15th February
21st March
18th April
16th May
18th July
19th September
17th October
21st November
19th December
Amongst all that is going on at Christmas tide, we know we should never lose sight of the truth of the Incarnation: that God has entered his creation. It is into the mess and mayhem of our world and our lives that Jesus comes. Those who have entered the Catholic Church through the Ordinariate this year have had to adapt to new and changed situations. Many of the clergy have not only had to leave church buildings but their homes as well. This can be very unsettling but no less unsettling for those many lay people who have left churches and worshipping communities that they have known and loved for many years: place is important. This year that which might seem unsettling opens for us the possibility of hearing and receiving afresh the news of the Shepherds; the song of the Angels; and the call of the Magi. It’s into the untidiness and difficulties of our lives that God, in his Son, wants to come.
At this Christmas time, I want to both recognise and thank all those who have been courageous enough to respond to our Holy Father’s invitation to be one with Peter, the Rock on which this child, born for us, built his Church. My prayer for those clergy, their families and the many lay people who have given generously of their time and resources, and who have let go of familiar things which offered security, is that the joy of the birth of Our Saviour may have a new and deeper meaning as we celebrate the Word made flesh who lives among us.
A blessed and holy Christmas to you all.
Keith+
©2011KeithNewton
Yesterday evening 14 were present for the Redbridge and Havering Ordinariate Exploratory Group Mass and meeting. This was celebrated by the Father Mervyn and concelebrated by Father Martin and there were 14 present for Mass and 10 stayed for the meeting afterwards.. During Mass we prayed for Christian Unity, for the Holy Father and for Monsignor Keith the Ordinary, as well as Bishop Stephen and Bishop Norman. After Mass we had the opportunity to do some forward planning for 2012. Future dates were discussed and these will be notified and published as soon as possible.
After the Summer break this was the first get together we have been able to arrange. Members are really keen that the Group should continue. and during 2012 we hope that it may expand.
It was suggested that we hold a Passover Meal around Holy Week for those interested and that we held another trip to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. We talked about the visit Fathers Martin and Mervyn will be making to the Holy Land next June with the possibility of a pilgrimage during 2013.
THE NEXT MEETING OF THE REDBRIDGE & HAVERING ORDINARIATE EXPLORATORY GROUP WILL BE ON MONDAY 17th DECEMBER AT ST. AUGUSTINE’S CHURCH, RUSH GREEN.
MASS 7.30 P.M. FOLLOWEDS BY SEASONAL REFRESHMENTS.
IT IS HOPED THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO ANNOUNCE DATES FOR MEETINGS IN 2012 BY THE 17th DECEMBER
From the Catholic Herald:
A new ordinariate will be created on January 1 to bring Anglicans into the US Catholic Church, Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington has announced at an annual meeting of the country’s bishops’ conference.
Cardinal Wuerl also said 67 Anglican priests had submitted their dossiers seeking ordination in the Catholic Church, and 35 of those had received initial approval from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
They can now move to the second stage of approval, which includes a criminal background check, psychological evaluation and recommendations from the Catholic bishop where he lives and from his Anglican ecclesiastical authority, he said.
The actions followed the November 2009 issuance by Pope Benedict XVI of an apostolic constitution, Anglicanorum coetibus, authorising the creation of an ordinariate to bring in Anglicans, or Episcopalians as they are known in the United States, who seek to leave their tradition and join the Catholic Church but retain certain elements of the Anglican faith.
The announcement in the final hour of the public portion of the annual meeting in Baltimore brought immediate logistical questions, such as the relationship between the ordinariate – which will cover the entire US – and the dioceses in which the former Anglican priests will live. The physical location of its offices has not been announced
The Redbridge and Havering Ordinariate Exploratory Group will not meet during the summer but will recommence in the autumn on a date to be announced.
Please keep the Ordinary Monsignor Keith Newton and the Ordinariate in your prayers.
Yesterday, 12 members of the Redbridge and Havering Ordinariate Group went to Walsingham to join the Pilgrimage of Reparation and Consecration organised by the Ordinariate and led by Monsignor Keith Newton. It rained and rained and raine and and when we arrived at Walsingham it was just pouring. We made our way to the Anglican Shrine Café for Coffee and some of us indulged in the wonderful Norfolk Shortbread they sell.
We had arranged to hold Mass at the Barn Chapel as, of course, we were not allowed to receive at the Mass at the RC National Shrine. It had been our intention to eat lunch, after Mass, in the Shrine Grounds and then to walk towards the Slipper Chapel to join the Procession of the Blessed Sacrament.We enjoyed our lunch in the Barn Chapel but then concluded that the Procession of the Blessed Sacrament would be cancelled although we were unable to actually find out any details,We decided to visit the Flower Festival taking place in the village this week-end
The flowers in the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church and the Church of St. Mary were absolutely stunning. We returned to the Abbey Grounds but again were unable to get much information except, as we thought, Benediction had been cancelled. We decided to go to the Shrine Grounds and wait and see what would happen. Eventually the Procession arrived carrying a Statue of Our Lady of Walsingham and then there was a service of Sprinkling in the Shrine Church which we attended.
Although our plans for the day had to be changed with the weather ruining our plans and soaking us all, we had a really enjoyable day..
Today the Holy Father celebrates the 60th anniversary of his ordination to the Sacred Priesthood. We thank God for Pope Benedict and offer our prayers on this wonderful occasion.
O God, the pastor and ruler of all the faithful,
mercifully look upon thy servant Benedict
whom thou hast been pleased to set as pastor over thy Church:
grant him, we beseech thee,
to be in word and conversation a wholesome example
to the people committed to his charge;
that he with them may attain unto everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
On Tuesday the Redbridge & Havering Ordinariate Exploratory Group combined with the Harlow Ordinariate Group for Exposition, Prayer and Benediction followed by a meeting held at the Church of the Assumption, Manford Way, Hainault. The Parish Priest Father Salvini hosted the evening and acted as MC. Monsignor Keith Newton, the Ordinary presided at Benediction, Father Mervyn Jennings played the organ, Father Robert Page acted as Deacon and Father John Corbyn led the Litany of the Sacred Heart. After the service, we went to the Parish Hall for refreshments and a talk with questions and answers from Father Keith. Also present was Father John Corbyn’s curate. Father Robert Page who is now a Roman Catholic Deacon is due to be priested this Saturday; Father Page was Vicar of St. Margaret’s until earlier this year. Please keep him and all the others to be ordained as Roman Catholic priests this weekend in your prayers.
It was a very worthwhile evening and our grateful thanks to Father Salvini for organising it and members of his congregation for making us so welcome.
We are hoping to arrange a further meeting with the Harlow Group later in the year.
Dear Brothers in the Episcopate, let us therefore continue, with our Christian brothers and other believers, to be for the world what Cardinal Suenens called the “soul supplement”. I am happy to tell you that besides Catholic Bishops, I have been able to have brotherly meetings with Archbishop Rowan Williams and with some other non Catholic religious leaders; it is interesting to note they share this view. After my seven year mission in the Russian Federation, where I had the opportunity and privilege of meeting closely with two great Patriarchs and knowing the Russian Orthodox Church pretty well, I hope that my mission here will also enable me to know and share our concerns with the Church of England and other churches and religious denominations in this country.
As you know, following the proclamation made by the Holy Father, the Holy See is preparing the Ecumenical Meeting of Assisi. That meeting, as similar previous meetings, will certainly be an occasion to highlight what we can commonly offer to our society.
Dear brother Bishops, I have the honour to tell you that during my meeting with the Holy Father before I left Rome to come here to take up the function that he had entrusted to me, he asked me to bring his pastoral solicitude to all of you and to the clergy, religious, faithful and people of Great Britain. He recalled keenly the hospitality he had received from Her Majesty and Her Majesty’s Government, and also from the Church and the British people. He remains grateful to all of you. He also reminded me that he had asked you to be “generous in implementing the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus” (Address to the Bishops of England, Scotland and Wales, St Mary’s Oscott). In his name, I wish to thank all of you for the way you have meticulously carried out that mandate. At the same time, I wish to congratulate and encourage Monsignor Keith Newton who was appointed first Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, and pray for the continuous development of the relations between Anglicans and Catholics in this country.
It has been confirmed that this will take place on Tuesday 7th June with a HOLY HOUR at 7.00 p.m. followed by a meeting with Monsignor Keith Newton. We will be joined by members of the Harlow Ordinaraite Group.
The Pilgrimage on the 16th July is being led by Monsignor Keith Newton. Members of the Redbridge & Havering Exploratory Group have decided that they would like to take part in this. Of course, we are unable to take a full part in the Mass at the RC National Shrine so, instead, it has been arranged for us to hold a Mass at the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in the Barn Chapel at 12 noon and then to join in the Procession, Benediction and Sprinkling. There will be more details in due course.
We met at St. Augustine’s, Rush Green for Mass and the continuation of the Evangelium Course on Tuesday At the next meeting on the 17th May the Rosary will be said. Father Mervyn will not be able to be there so Father Martin will be taking the service followed by a discussion group. ALL ARE WELCOME.
At the meeting at The Church of the Assumption, Manford Way, Hainault on the 7th June we will be joined by members of the Harlow Ordinariate Group. It will take the form of a HOLY HOUR & BENEDICTION followed by a meeting with Monsignor Keith Newton.
The Redbridge and Havering Ordinariate Exploratory Group met at St. Augustine’s, Rush Green for Mass and a continuation of the Evangelium Course. The possibility of our joining the Walsingham Pilgrimage to the Catholic Shrine on the 2nd July which is to be led the Msg. Keith Newton, was discussed and further enquiries are to be made.
The next meeting is Tuesday 3rd May at St. Augustine’s Church, Rush Green Romford at 7.30 p.m.
Today a letter from Bishop Lindsay Urwin related that the two Franciscans attached to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham have left to join the Friars Minor of the RC Church. They will be sadly missed at the Shrine where, in the short time they have been there, they have made a big impression. We wish them every blessing in their new community.
From Joanna Bogle’s blog:
The Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham went to Rome – in the person of Mgr Keith Newton, accompanied by Bishop Alan Hopes. They took with them a statue of Our Lady of Walsingham, and a new book, just published, about the shrine, together with an album showing recent Ordinariate events in Britain. How very satisfying to see scenes of the Holy Father warmly greeting Mgr Newton and talking eagerly with him and with Bishop Alan, and how exciting to watch each new chapter of this new venture unfolding. The Ordinariate is going quietly from strength to strength. There will be many good things happening here in the next months and years: just watch. And pray.
It was announce on Thursday 17th May that Pope Benedict XVI has elevated Father Keith Newton to the rank of Protonotary Apostolic and Father John Broadhurst and Father Andrew Burnham to the rank of Prelate of Honour. This will mean that all three will be known as Monsignor. We offer them many congratulations.
Members of the Redbridge and Havering Ordinariate Exploratory Group meet together around fortnightly to celebrate Mass and to explore what joining the Ordinariate will mean and involve. By coming to these meeting nobody is committing themselves to join the Ordinaraite. Some will, some may and some, probably, will not. Joining the Ordinaraite is very much a thing which each person must determine for themselves by seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit to discern God’s will for them. After Mass and refreshments we study the “Evangelium” course which gives each member the opportunity to join in a lively and interesting discussion. The meetings are facilitated by Father Mervyn at St. Augustine’s Church, Rush Green, where he is Honorary Assistant Curate by kind permission of Father Martin, the Vicar.
Our next meeting is on Monday 7th March at 7.30 p.m.
At the meeting last night it was good to welcome three new people although there are still several away due to illness. We wish them a swift recovery. Our next meeting will be on Monday 7th March with Mass at 7.30 p.m. followed by the Evangelium Course.
