Newsletter - Society of Catholic Priests

SCP
Newsletter
Promoting priestly spirituality & Catholic evangelism
This issue: Priestly Spirituality
Winter 2004

From the Rector General
SCP, Priestly spirituality and Bishop Edward King
I am often asked the question, "What is the Society of Catholic Priests
for?" Over the last few months the "topica" email site has confused
and muddled some members, as some have sought to suggest to
others what we should be doing as a Society and by implication what
we are for. Each and every one I have pointed back to the prayer
card, which states clearly and succinctly that we are members of a
Society that promotes the formation and support of priestly
spirituality and Catholic evangelism. Further, within our rule of life we
promise amongst other things to pray for our brothers and sisters of
the Society and offer confidential pastoral care to each other.
While I understand why some members feel the urge or necessity to
go campaigning on behalf of the Society and issuing statements to the
press about current church issues, we nevertheless need to
remember that the Society's prime concern is spirituality, pastoral
care of one another and the promotion of the Catholic faith.
Some quieter members of the Society have expressed their concern
that if we became a campaigning Society they would leave, as this is
not what they joined for. They joined because of our spiritual
discipline, pastoral care and concern to promote true Catholic
evangelism.
Furthermore it has been pointed out there are a number of groups
that have been formed to campaign and to lobby the Synods,
Diocesan and General, on Church matters that need the urgent
attention of concerned Christians. Surely it is up to each individual
member to support these groups if they wish to speak out publicly.
Indeed I personally belong to some of these other groups, the key
ones being Inclusive Church, GRAS, WATCH and Priests for Women
Bishops.
Perhaps it is time for all members to return to the roots of our
formation and work at becoming Priests worthy of the tremendous
gift we have received in our ordination.

I was recently browsing through a collection of Bishop Edward King's
Spiritual Letters' and was inspired by the plain common sense of much of
what he said to ordinands, priests and friends. There was no sense in
which he was trying to impress the world but to show his loving
concern, tenderness, sympathy and appreciation for his fellow pilgrims.
The advice is often honest in a way which is very refreshing; he admits
that visiting can be "very wearying and unsatisfactory at the time, but it
tells in the end," an acceptance that not all our ministry is easy or indeed
palatable. But against this is the sheer joy and thankfulness of a fully
integrated life that leads him to say in one letter to a friend, “I shall only
ask you to believe how much I feel your kindness. You have often
refreshed, and helped me and I thank you very sincerely for it."
His life was held together by his rule of life and he recommends frequent
attendance at the Eucharist, confession at least three times a year, daily
prayer and bible reading and, throughout the day, ejaculatory prayer in
intercession and in thanksgiving so that our whole life is held in God's
hands. In the letters there is a sense of the importance of every
encounter with a fellow traveller whom he met or wrote to. They are
encounters of great importance and recognition of the holiness of the
moment. It would seem that no encounter is wasted: all is of value to
God.
I said at the beginning that I found this collection of letters inspiring: I
also find it humbling, for in a slim volume I find a model of priesthood
that seems to fit our aims and objects within the Society. I suspect that
most of us, if we are truly honest, need to spend time re-engaging with
this model if we are to be worthy of our call.
The road ahead will not I feel be particularly peaceful and calm as the
sexuality and female bishop issues are debated, and threats and counter
threats are made, but when all is said and done, God will still be waiting
and expecting us to be the holy people of God called to serve in a
particular way His church on earth. That we can only do if we are united
in prayer and praise to the One whom we love, worship, and serve.
With love and prayers as we prepare for the coming of the Christ child,
Mthr Jane Bass, Rector General.

The Spiritual Letters of Edward King D.D.
ed B. W. Randolph DD.(Mowbray 1910)
King was Bishop of Lincoln from 1885 until his death in 1910
---------------------------------------
Bishop King is now honoured throughout the Church of England on 8 th March.
Edward King was born in 1829 and in 1885 became the Bishop of Lincoln. He was
a scholar and high churchman but is best remembered as a lover of people no
matter what their station in life. King began his ministry as an assistant curate at
Wheatley in Oxfordshire.
King later became chaplain and then Principal of nearby Cuddesdon. In January
1885 Edward King was asked to become Bishop of Lincoln. The new Bishop had said
that he wanted to be the Bishop of the poor and he soon took over the onerous task
of preparing prisoners in Lincoln Prison for execution.
He said that his happiest times were when confirming in country parishes and it was
Bishop King who transferred the official residence of the Bishops from Riseholme to
Lincoln so that he was more accessible to the clergy. King was a great advocate of
Retreats and Quiet Days for clergy and laity alike and he came to be recognised as a
true man of God. Many believed they had a Saint amongst them.
Unfortunately he had enemies and King's name will always be remembered in
connection with his trial in 1890 before Archbishop Benson's court. On 4 December
1887 Bishop King celebrated Holy Communion at St. Peter at Gowt's Church,
Lincoln. It was customary in that church to have lighted candles on the altar and the
Bishop faced eastwards away from the congregation. At the Offertory he mixed
water with the wine. At the absolution and the concluding blessing the Bishop faced
the congregation and made the sign of the cross with upraised hand.
Among the congregation was one Ernest de Lacy Read, a solicitor and churchwarden
from Cleethorpes. With two parishioners, Read petitioned the Archbishop of
Canterbury asking that Bishop King be brought to trial for ritual offences, the mixing
of water with the wine, the use of the eastward position, the singing of the Agnus
Dei, the use of candles when not needed for the giving of light, and the making of
the sign of the cross at the absolution and benediction.
The trial began on 4 February 1890 before the Archbishop of Canterbury and five
Bishops. The proceedings lasted for three weeks, after which the Archbishop reserved
judgment. After much consultation the judgement was delivered on 21 November
1890 and was in favour of the Bishop with the exception of the mixing of the water

and wine during the service, and it was ordered that the use of the sign of the cross at
the absolution and benediction should be discontinued. Although the eastward position
might be used, care should be taken that the 'manual acts' of consecration should be
witnessed by the congregation.
The result of the trial was to strengthen the affection in which Edward King was held
and to mark his eightieth birthday money was subscribed to build anew church in
Grimsby. Early in 1910 his health began to decline and shortly after taking the
Sacrament Bishop King died on 8 March 1910.
(Extract from Diocese of Lincoln)
Bishop Edward King of Lincoln

S. John Baptist Vianney
Patron saint of Parish Priests
The first time I came across John Vianney (possibly along with many others)
was at The Shrine of our Lady of Walsingham. There, in the (pseudo)
medieval gloom, by one of the side altars, stands his statue. On first seeing
it, it gave me something of a chill. I had no idea who he was, but the
impression was of an old, frail, indeed almost skeletal, priest, with sunken
eyes and long white, almost effeminate hair (see cover picture). Actually I
found him rather creepy if I’m honest. I left, still not knowing who he was,
but the image of this statue remained with me.
We live in an age where the priesthood has been undermined in a way that I
believe is quite unique. Society at large is increasingly replacing the priest
with the counsellor, and is, correspondingly, increasingly unsure what to do
with the Christian priest. I remember clearly during my curacy (only a
couple of years ago) being on the local school governing body, and the head
governor, at a function, explaining that I was there as a “community
representative”. While this was certainly true, I remember having the
disconcerting feeling that he was almost trying to excuse my presence, he
didn’t feel there was justification for simply saying that I was there as a
“parish priest”, and had to seek another explanation for my otherwise
rather inexplicable purpose.
If it was only society it wouldn’t be so bad, but the problem seems to
extend to the Church as well. Quite bluntly the Church seems rather
embarrassed about the ordained priesthood. It is often suggested that there
is a shortage of priests, and therefore it is essential to develop lay ministry.
While I am all for lay ministry I nevertheless wonder if the shortage of
priests doesn’t have something to do with the Church’s lack of willingness
to promote the priesthood. I can not ever remember a Bishop passionately
promoting the priesthood as a vocation in the same way that I have heard
Bishops promoting lay training courses. Increasingly the Church is having the
same crisis in understanding the role of Priest as the wider society is, and so
the priest is explained away, and compared to secular examples, manager,
enabler, teacher… or worst “leader”, anything but Priest. Because who
knows what a Priest is anyway. With talk of Lay presidency and communion
by extension, it would seem that many are preparing for a priestless future.
It is here that SCP has such a vital role, a role in nurturing a priestly
spirituality that supports current priests and indeed inspires future priests. If

we as Catholic priests aren’t able to have a clear understanding and model
for the Priesthood, then the future seems grim for the Church of England (I
can’t here speak for other provinces). This is especially the case in the light
of calls for a third province, which would see a large(?) group of Catholic
priests give up the struggle to promote the Catholic faith within the Church
of England, and instead play at Church in their little women free Ghetto. We
in SCP may be the only coherent Catholic voice left in the “Anglican
Mainstream”.
So what model of priesthood do we stand for? I would like to suggest that S.
John Baptist Vianney, as patron saint of parish priests, may not be such a bad
model for us… in fact perhaps we could claim him as our own Patron Saint.
So for those who don’t know about John Vianney, here is a brief account of
his life:
John Baptist Mary Vianney was born in France in 1786 into a farming family. The
priesthood was not highly regarded in France, something to do with a revolution
and a few beheadings….
John however from an early age showed a devotion, and as a farm helper used to
teach the other children how to pray the Rosary (apparently). John decided to
become a priest, but actually was not a natural academic, in fact was considered
“slow of mind”. Nevertheless through sheer hard work, he just scraped through the
necessary theological education and was ordained. He was given the cure of Ars, a
little village where he was to remain for the rest of his life. He encouraged
frequent attendance at the Mass, and was successful in restoring much catholic
devotion to a place that had been very spiritually barren. (John was a Third order
Franciscan). He was famed for the hours he spent in prayer for his people. We are
told that apart from time spent in necessary eating or sleeping, he spent all of his
time at the Altar, in the pulpit or hearing confessions. In the last twenty years of
his life talk of his sanctity spread far and wide, and it is believed that about
100,000 people made their way yearly to Ars to see this holy priest and make
their confession. He died on 4th August 1859 at 73 years of age.
What were the keynotes in the life of this man, this patron Saint of parish
priests? The Mass, Prayer, Confession, Preaching and teaching and
dedication to his people.
We live in a different age, but I would suggest that these keynotes remain

central for an understanding of what it means to be a priest,
Firstly the heart of the priesthood is the mass, as priests we are called to
be Eucharistic people, people who live out of the Eucharist, and shape our
lives around it. For here we meet Christ, here the life giving sacrifice of
Calvary is re-presented, and re-appropriated. Nothing should lie closer to
the heart of the priest than the Mass.
Secondly we should be people soaked in prayer, the divine office, should
be our life blood (try the Anglican breviary), but if we are parish priests,
we need to remember to pray for our people, easy to forget when praying
the office!
Thirdly we need to hear confession, if we are lucky we will find ourselves
in a parish where sacramental confession is the common practice, however
more likely than not most people confessing won’t realise they are doing
so, but nevertheless they will be. In fact most pastoral encounters the
priest is involved in are (in one way or another) confessions, the ministry
of reconciliation lies at the heart of all genuine priestly care.
Fourthly we need to be women and men committed to preaching and
teaching the faith. It is our responsibility to teach the faith, and the catholic
faith is inherently coherent, and if taught through sermons and courses, it
will, and does convince. We need to proclaim our faith with a boldness and
conviction that is sometimes sadly lacking amongst Catholics.
Fifthly we need to be dedicated to our people. John Vianney spent most
of his life in one parish, as did many of the great Anglo-Catholic priests of
yester-year. We live in a Church increasingly enamoured of five year
contracts and “careers”. This is deadly. How can people truly believe we
love them… how can we truly love them, unless we stick with them for
long periods. Our desire should not be for Bishoprics, but to be faithful
priests, that is the highest calling, to be spent for those we are called to
serve, to give our lives for them.
As far as I can see this priestly “model” remains at the heart of the priestly
vision, and we, as catholic priests, need to strive for this vision, to become
THE vision of the Anglican Communion. There is a danger in an age of
Church crisis, that as we fight for the Church we want to see in the future

we can loose sight of the great high calling we have been given in Christ.
People such as John Baptist Vianney, remind us of the vision and who we
are called to be.
Fr David Palmer SCP
Almighty and merciful God,
who didst wonderfully endue
Saint John with pastoral zeal
and a continual desire for prayer
and repentance:
Grant we beseech thee,
that by his example and intercession;
We may win the souls of our brethren for Christ
and with them attain glory everlasting
Amen
(www.anglicanbreviary.com)

International Rector
Revd Jane Bass SCP
41 Darlow Drive
Biddenham
Beds.
MK40 4AY
Tel: 01234 219812
revjbass@surefish.com
Vice Rector
Revd Sue Suddaby SCP
51 Bowen Road
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN4 8SU
Tel: 01892 534100
suesuddaby@aol.com
Secretary
Revd Michael Skinner SCP
The Vicarage
Anglesea Road
Orpington
BR5 4AN
Tel: 01689 823775
michael.skinner@rochester.anglican.org
SCP Website
http://www.scp.org.uk
Useful Contact info:
Treasurer
Revd Edward Dowding SCP
The Rectory
26 South Road,
Sully
Vale of Glamorgan
CF64 5TG
Tel: 029 20530221
Edward.dowding@btinternet.com
Communications
Revd David Palmer SCP
19a Park Lane
Sutton Bonington
Loughborough
Leics
LE12 5NQ
Tel: 0115 9844692
Mob: 07734 035607
revdavidp@hotmail.com
Membership
Revd Elaine Cranmer SCP
S. Luke’s Vicarage
107 Westmount Road
London
SE9 1XX
Tel: 020 8850 3030
Fax: 0207771 0102
rev.elaine@virgin.net

REFLECTIONS ON PRIESTLY
SPIRITUALITY
On my ordination to the priesthood I was given, amongst other
gifts, a small, black, leather-bound book entitled, Priestly Prayers.
For those old enough to remember this was one in their ‘Golden
Library’ series published by Burns and Oates in the 1950’s and 60’s.
It was a book of prayers and reflections from various sources down
the centuries for the benefit of one’s priestly ministry arranged in
the format of seven morning and evening visits to the Blessed
Sacrament. It included a prayer ‘For Fellow Priests’ from the
Missale Mixtum (7 th cent) that petitioned: “grant that priests may live in
close brotherly union, give them purity of soul and body and guide them
into the way of thy will. So by this generously granted grace, we may,
through our fraternal charity, be close friends with thee.” On re-reading
it I immediately recalled Clergy Houses of old where Father had a
bed, gas fire desk and leather armchair, the parish priest was
surrounded by his curates, and soutanes never taken off. It seems,
now, to be part of a spirituality of priesthood from another age, an
age of hierarchy where the world was neatly divided, everyone
knew their place and priests were the third sex.
When I was in my teens I read The Cardinal, a novel about a backstreets
New York priest who, through his self-sacrificial life, rose
to the ranks of Cardinal Archbishop. It had me hooked! Here was
an example of what Abbot Marmion wrote about in his seminal
‘Christ, the Ideal of the Priest’ (my copy has long since disappeared).
Or, as Cardinal Gibbons wrote concerning the importance of
priestly example: "A pious, learned, and zealous priesthood is the glory
of the Church of God. By our personal holiness, we work out our own
salvation, and edify our neighbours; by our erudition, we enlighten them;
and by our zeal, we make them partakers of the precious heritage of
Christ … Truly the priest is another Christ living and walking on earth.
Consequently, his life should be a perfect image of that of the Saviour, or
rather a continuation of Our Lord's life."
Clearly, no place for women here! And, in any case, is this the

asis of priestly spirituality? So much of what passed as priestly
spirituality seems to emerge from a concept of the priest as one
who is an unmarried male ordained into a caste that differentiates
him from others. I suppose any attempt to deal with priestly
spirituality must recognize that – ‘it all depends on what you mean
by priesthood’.
The iconic nature of priesthood
That’s too much for a short article such as this. I will assume,
therefore, a priesthood that understands itself as essentially part of
the Laos, which is the icon and image of God. As the 1997 The
Report of the Inter-Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission
stated: “The calling of lay persons is to represent Christ and his Church;
to bear witness to him wherever they may be; and according to the gifts
given to them, to carry out Christ's work of reconciliation in the world; and
to take their place in the life, worship and governance of the Church.” It
went on to say that “The calling of a priest or presbyter is to represent
Christ and his Church, particularly as pastor to the people; to share with
the bishops in the overseeing of the Church; to proclaim the gospel; to
administer the sacraments; and to bless and declare pardon in the name
of God.”
The nature of the Church is essentially to become the icon of God
in Christ, and the priesthood
has a particular vocation within
that. Not in it’s gender but in
its calling to enable the Church
to become: “a royal priesthood,
a holy nation” (1 Pet. 2.9), set
apart for God's service.
Therefore it is essential that
priests seek to deepen their
relationship with God in Christ,
to be struggling with that
Baptismal imperative to all
Christians: “… you have died,
and your life is hidden with
Christ in God.” (Col. 3: 3).

The development of our spirituality will be as varied as we are as
unique human beings. The assistance of a skilled Spiritual Director
can help as we seek to incarnate God in our lives. Whilst it is
important to set aside time for God on a regular basis the actual
growth of our relationship is not always easy to realize. Our task is
so multi-faceted and to try to live up to our calling (amongst other
things) to be “messengers, watchmen, and stewards of the Lord; … to
teach and to admonish, to feed and to provide for the Lord’s family, to
search for his children in the wilderness of this world’s temptations and to
guide them through its confusions, so that they may be saved through
Christ for ever.” (Preface of the Rite of Ordination) is exhausting!
Seeking God in all things
Priests have to live in so many worlds: the church, wider society and
our particular relationships. Where is the primary source of our
encounter with our incarnate God? As Catholic Christians we are
fortunate in realising the importance of Sacraments, yet such a
realization cannot be limited to the seven we affirm through our
membership of SCP. As priests we are called to realize God in all
things and to know ourselves as formed in love. Whilst we are
called to serve the Church ‘with joy, build them up in faith, and do all in
your power to bring them to loving obedience to Christ’ for many this is
more of a task than a joyful response to the knowledge that we are
loved. Our spirituality, rooted in the incarnation, will grow through
such knowledge. It is a means whereby we can begin to integrate all
the various demands we experience.
John Futtrell SJ, said that ‘Spirituality is the life-style which expresses our
inner-meaning and values our beliefs.’ What does this mean for the
‘life-style’ of priests? Clearly it will vary with each of us but it
reminds us all of our need for authenticity. There is, of course,
always a danger that we symbolize for people a dualism in terms of
the spiritual and secular. Whilst recitation of the Daily Office and
celebration of Mass may be norms to which we aspire they can be
substitutes for an authentic, personal relationship with God. For
some of us such a relationship may have become a distant memory
and it is at such times that we may need to explore where we now
encounter God, or who God is for us. God cannot be limited to the

church and, as particular icons of Christ, we have a responsibility to
be women and men struggling to discern the place of a loving,
intimate God in life. Father (or Mother) hasn’t got all the answers
or a perfect relationship, but we believe in seeking a God of
surprises who is constantly beyond our reach yet whom we seek
because we can do nothing else, despite the cost. As someone
recently reflected:
I don’t know how long
I can do this, he said.
I think the universe
has different plans for me.
& we sat there in silence
& I thought to myself
that this is the thing we all come to
& this is the thing we all fight
& if we are lucky enough to lose,
our lives become beautiful
with the mystery again
& I sat there silent
because that is not
something
that can be said
Different Plans – Brian Andreas
As we seek to be priests for the world and to discern and celebrate
the presence of God in all things, we will have to embrace the sheer
absence of God at times. “To live”, said Cardinal Newman, “is to
change: to be perfect is to change continually.” What nourished our
relationship with God once will change. We will have to let go of
our images of God if we are to grow. And, as we grow, so our
relationship with God will need to change. As someone once wrote:
‘We are here because there is no refuge, finally, from ourselves. Until a

person confronts himself (sic) in the eyes and hearts of others, he is
running. Until he suffers them to share his secrets, he has no safety from
them. Afraid to be known, he can know neither himself nor any other – he
will be alone. Where else but in our common grounds can we find such a
mirror? Here, together, a person can at last appear clearly to himself, not
as the giant of his dreams or the dwarf of his fears but as a man – a part
of a whole, with his share in its purpose. In this ground we can take root
and grow. Not alone any more, as in death, but alive to ourselves and
others.’
At the heart of the spiritual life lies the simple maxim ‘Know thyself’.
At the end of the day
About the same time that Burns and Oates were publishing Priestly
Prayers, before inclusive language, let alone the ordination of women,
Michel Quoist’s, Prayers of Life swept upon the Church. In “The Priest :
a Prayer on Sunday Night” Quoist, giving voice to a lonely priest at the
end of the day, says: ‘A priest needs no praise or embarrassing gifts; what
he (sic) needs is that those committed to his charge should, by loving their
fellows more and more, prove to him that he has not given his life in vain.
And as he remains a man, he may need once in a while a delicate gesture
of disinterested friendship … some Sunday night when he is alone.’
He concludes his reflection:
Lord, tonight, while all is still and I feel sharply the sting of
solitude,
While men devour my soul and I feel incapable of satisfying their
hunger,
While the whole world presses on my shoulders with all its weight
of misery and sin,
I repeat to you my “yes” – not in a burst of laughter, but slowly,
clearly, humbly,
Alone, Lord, before you,
In the peace of the evening.
Quoist speaks as a celibate priest, yet there are few who do not
know, in whatever way, ‘the sting of solitude’. We may desire more

than the “delicate gesture of disinterested friendship” yet our need
to grow more deeply into that Love we are called upon seek will
lead us into the same solitary place.
Another way to approach God at the end of the day is through the
Examen of St. Ignatius. He instructs us to
“Recall yourself in the presence of God.
Give thanks to God for favours received this day.
Pause in thanksgiving.
Examine how you are living this day.
Pray words of reconciliation and resolve.
For him, this brief reflection is of great importance. To know
ourselves and consider our lives before the One who loves and
holds us. “The Word of God is very near to you, it is in your mouth and
in your heart for your observance. See, today I set before you life and
prosperity, death and disaster ... Choose life." (Deut. 18) In these acts
of sorrow and gratitude
many have grown in
their knowledge
of God's loving
presence. "As the clay is
in the potter's hand,
so are you in mine." (Jer.
18:6)

Postscript
AARON
Holiness on the head,
Light and perfections on the breast,
Harmonius bells below, raising the dead
To lead them unto life and rest.
Thus are true Aarons drest.
Profaneness in my head,
Defects and darkness in my brest,
A noise of passions ringing me for dead
Unto a place where is no rest.
Poore priest am I thus drest.
Onely another head
I have, another heart and brest,
Another musick, making live not dead,
Without whom I could have no rest;
In him I am well drest.
Christ is my only head,
My alone onely heart and brest,
My only musick, striking me ev’n dead;
That to the old man I may rest
And in him new drest.
So holy in my head,
Perfect and light in my deare breast,

Reviews
The Book of Common Prayer of the Church of Ireland, 2004
Columba Press, Dublin
Anglicanism is the new pluralism.
At our best, the ‘rainbow people
of God’; at our worst with little
seeming to hold us together
except, in Michael Perham’s
immortal words, ‘the chorus to
Shine Jesus Shine.’ The Church of
England has chosen to reflect
liturgical pluralism by making
available a range of resources
known as Common Worship,
whereas the Church of Ireland,
reflecting it’s own history and
contemporary opportunities for
mission has taken the brave step
of revising and issuing a single
prayer book.
On Trinity Sunday this year, Irish Anglicans began to use the 3rd
version of the BCP since disestablishment, available in a variety of
versions, including Gaelic. This has been accompanied by a huge push
to ‘sell’ the book, with a range of educational, practical and
background material and resources, such as the Church’s own version
of the Revised Common Lectionary, ‘The Word of the Lord’, and
suggestions for using the new BCP for daily and small group prayers.
The impression is that this one has to last!
The Book has received a warm welcome, with two exceptions, one
irritating, the other unfortunate. Press attention has focused on a
small number of misprints and omissions, graciously acknowledged by
a small errata slip; (but look out for ‘thy shalt not cover thy
neighbours wife’.) Reactionary forces both within Ireland and as far

afield as the correspondence columns of the Church Times have
questioned the book’s right to its title, ignoring both liturgical history,
where constant revisions still kept the name up until the 1960s, and also
the fact that Cranmer himself could hardly be said to have regarded 1549
as anything other than a work in progress!
Perhaps what such opposition struggles with is that the book, now the
only one legally to be used for worship in the C of I, includes both
traditional and contemporary language rites, as in the main CW volume.
This is a book which signifies unity, a book which confidently builds on
the principle that prayer and belief are intertwined. Enormous care has
been taken over the words that are here. Traditional Language rites are
freed from the tyranny of their sixteenth century rubrics, giving an
impression of words as a springboard for prayer, rather than a
straightjacket. The book is loyal to world-wide Communion
consultations in ways that CW ignores; thus instead of the Liturgy of the
Word/Sacrament’, we have ‘Gathering as God’s People’, ‘Proclaiming and
Receiving the Word’, ‘Celebrating at the Lord’s Table’ and ‘Going out as
God’s People’- titles that may cause those of us still looking over our
shoulders to Rome to shuffle a little nervously, but which have about
them an authenticity and integrity. Eucharistic Prayer H in Common
Worship is beautifully re-worked as Prayer 3 here, losing the original’s
clumsiness in its desperation to be brief. Never a Prayer I thought I could
use until now. To see the heading ‘The Great Silence’ printed as the
response to receiving Communion is heartening.
If you look hard enough, you can find the odd unrenewed Reformation
twist. We give thanks for the ‘spiritual food of the body and blood of
Christ’, and the 39 Articles and Athanasian Creed still linger to bite the
unsuspecting, though fortunately hidden well beyond the Psalter.
Curiously the book reprints the introductory Prefaces from every BCP
right back to 1549 – I think this used to be called unity by inclusion.
Detailed comparisons with CW are inevitable. Decisions over founts and
the texture of paper mean that the 800 pages of BCP 2004 cover a lot
more than the slightly larger CW main book, without losing anything in
visual quality. Beautifully produced, the cover features a version of a
traditional Irish cross pattern, its four arms presumably a reference to
the four provinces, rather than being pulled in four different directions.

Perhaps I am not exactly hiding my agenda here, but anecdotal and a
little direct evidence seem to suggest that too many priests and
congregations have responded to the opportunities provided by the
sheer range of resources available with CW by treating it as simply
words, with little thought for other factors such as space, ambience
and context. (From words, words and more words, good Lord,
deliver us.) Surely, in Liturgy, words can only be a part of the story.
In insisting its liturgy be done well, the C of I has something to teach
us. BCP 2004 is a flexible, practical and creative gift from the church
to itself.
Fr. David Burrows SCP
Wakefield and Bradford Chapter
BCP 2004 is published by Columba Press, Dublin. Information on
availability and other published resources can be found on the C of I
website, www.ireland.anglican.org
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The Society Prayer
Father,
we thank you that you have called us
to your service,
to feed your people by word and sacrament.
By the power of your Spirit,
keep us faithful to you and to those in our care.
Keep united in the bonds of peace and love
the members of our Society,
that by sharing in Christ's priesthood here on earth,
we may come to share in the joys of his
eternal kingdom,
where he reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Come and Receive Light: Meditations for Ministers of Christ.
Gregory Collins OSB. Dublin: Columba Press, 2003. ISBN 1-85607-
399-8.
If reading about prayer is easier for
you than getting on with prayer, then
there is much inspiration to be found
in this slim volume of meditations by
the author of the best-seller The
Glenstal Book of Icons. Fr Gregory
suggests ways to acquire or deepen
the stillness of a prayer life focused
on Christ, because for him, “in order
to survive at all as a Christian in the
contemporary world”, we need “a
contemplative vision of the mysteries
of Christ and a deep union with God
in the Holy Spirit”. Based on a series
of talks at a retreat for Roman
Catholic diocesan clergy, this book is
clearly not to be read at one sitting,
for its rich insights, influenced by the
Eastern Orthodox tradition and by mystical theology, require time to
be absorbed. Yet though each page, saturated with scriptural
references, goes ever deeper into the experiences and demands of
prayer, Fr Gregory’s style is clear and accessible.
From a meditation on the Transfiguration of Christ, Fr Gregory moves
through scriptural principles for prayer, to some practical examples.
The chapter ‘Methods of Prayer’ gives detailed guidelines for the
practice of Lectio Divina, which is based on scripture. A whole chapter
on the Jesus Prayer leads into a valuable section on ‘Sin, Weakness and
Conversion’, which recognises the need to find a “proper balance
between repentance and a sense of one’s personal worth and dignity
as an adopted child of God”. The prayer of St Nicholas of Flue (the
Patron Saint of Switzerland), which is well known in German speaking
countries, is the base for a chapter on ‘Deepening Prayer’, and the final
chapter emphasises the centrality of the Holy Trinity in Christian
prayer.

While Fr Gregory’s language, particularly in the chapter on ‘Living the
Eucharist’, is overtly ‘Catholic’, yet the call to contemplate both the
personal and the social significance of our Eucharistic celebration will
resonate with those of all traditions who preside at the Eucharist.
Living a Eucharistic life challenges us to develop what Fr Gregory terms
a ‘sacramental sensibility’ in ministry and service beyond the liturgy: “for
the nuisance at the door, or the unforeseen circumstance, may well
reveal a hidden grace”.
For the pedant, the lack of footnotes may be a drawback: for instance, a
“German writer” and a “Methodist Minister in Northern Ireland” are
quoted anonymously, and while scriptural allusions abound, almost
unconsciously, on every page, few are referenced. However, Fr
Gregory’s aim “to focus the soul’s eyes on the mysteries of Christ” is
clearly linked with “ministering God’s grace to his people”. So this
prayerful as well as practical little book may inspire Christians of all
traditions who struggle with the demands of ministry and faithfulness to
the One who “calls us out of darkness into his own wonderful light”.
Rev Sandra Pragnell SCP
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The Christian Priest Today?

SCP Walsingham Pilgrimage 2004
November 2 nd – 5 th saw fifteen SCP members gather with the Bishop of
Dudley for the Society’s first retreat, held at the Shrine of Our Lady of
Walsingham. Bishop David gently guided the retreatants through reflections
around the life and spirituality of St. Francis in a time of rest and
refreshment. Much of the retreat was spent in the recently refurbished Barn
Chapel, with a quite spectacular Crucifix having been installed during the
summer, Mass was celebrated each day in the Shrine Church by Bishop
David and the group joined other pilgrims for a Liturgy of Reconciliation
and Benediction in the church one evening. The mildness of the early
November weather was more than matched by the warmth of hospitality
offered to the Society by the Shrine.

Next issue
As some Catholics talk of the strangely un-catholic idea of a third province, we ask
how we as Catholics committed to the Church can witness to Catholic fullness, and
how SCP fits in. So please start writing. Copy would normally be for the 1st May,
however if there is much response an extra newsletter could be produced!
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Useful Web sites
(The following are a list of some of the groups that members may well be interested in)
Priests for women Bishops: www.womenbishops.co.uk
Inclusive Church: www.inclusivechurch.net
Women and the Church: www.watchwomen.org
Gras: www.gras.org.uk
Clergy Consultation: www.clergyconsultation.org
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SCP Manual Update
It will have been noted that a draft of the revised manual was due to be
circulated by the beginning of December. Unfortunately, due to
circumstances beyond our control, this has been delayed to the New Year.
This will still allow time for chapter discussion and ongoing revision in time
for conference.
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Aff-Cath Rep
We need someone who is “ideally” a national member of Affirming
Catholicism to represent SCP on the Aff-Cath executive. The person will
need to be willing to attend Aff-Cath and SCP exec meetings. All travel
expenses will be paid. Please contact Fr Michael Skinner (Exec Secretary, see
contacts) for more details.
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Badges
Chapter treasurers may obtain badges (SCP and Dearmer) from Fr Edward
Dowding (Exec Treasurer, see contacts) for £3:50 per badge (inclusive of
P&P)
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Chapter Secretaries
Mthr Elaine Cranmer (exec membership secretary, see contacts) would be
grateful if chapter secretaries could send her updated membership lists and
addresses.