The Cincinnatti kid

Over Christmas a friend fowarded to me a link to this report on a plan to take over and renovate the redundant, but stately, church of St Mark Evanston in the Archdiocese of Cincinnatti as an Extraodrinary Form parish. That sounds like a good idea. The more particular point of interest was that the campaign is headed by my old friend from both Yorkshire and Oxford, Ashley Paver.

Ashley Paver outside St Mark's

Ashley was someone I met up with again when I came to Oxford and his ardour on behalf of maintaining traditional worship and belief was, well, noticeable. I wish him and his friends well in the project. They may have to be good poker players to achieve what they want.

The church is clearly a very handsome building and ideal for what they would want. The appeal site can be found here, and I am adding it to the sidebar.

Reading the article about the plan I was left envisaging Ashley looking at the unsuitable features of St Mark's and, as he was wont to do in Oxford when confronted by difficulties in Oxford Union elections (there are always difficulties in Oxford Union elections) or by a liturgical abuse, stroking his chin and muttering "Oh bloody hell" in a very distinctive voice. But perhaps that is not how one argues one's case to the readers of the Cincinnatti Sunday Enquirer, or to the Archbishop.