Oxford Ordinariate meeting

At teatime today I went along as a friend and supporter to the first of the catechetical meetings of the Oxford group of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham which was led by Fr Andrew Burnham and held at the Oxford Oratory.

It was a pleasure to see a group with a wide age range and which included several old friends who are undertaking this process of preparation for reception on the Wednesday of Holy Week, and to join with other convert friends in helping to extend the hand of welcome and support.

The group was greeted by Fr Daniel, the Provost of the Oxford Oratory, who spoke about St Philip Neri and the Oratorian tradition, before Fr Burnham spoke about the role of the three historic Creeds in the worshipping life of the Church.

I hope to attend other of these meetings, and commend to readers prayers all those who are planning to enter the Ordinariate. Some friends have asked me if I would join it. Having been received almost six years ago into full peace and communion with the Catholic Church, and having quickly settled therein I shall not be seeking a move, but I would be very happy to attend the Masses offered within the Ordinariate and to help in any way I could.

Eternal Father, we place before you
the project of forming the Personal Ordinariates
for Anglicans seeking full communion with the Catholic Church.
Web rthank you for this initiative of Pope Benedict XVI,
and we ask that, through the Holy Spirit,
the Ordinariates may become
families of charity, peace and the service of the poor,
centres for Christian unity and reconciliation,
coomunities that welcome and evangelize, teaching the Faith in all its fullness,
celebrating the liturgy and sacraments with prayerful reverence
and maintaining adistinctive patrimony of Christian faith and culture.

Drawing on that heritage we pray

Go before us, O Lord,
in all our doings
with thy most gracious favour,
and further us
with thy continual help;
that in all our works, begun, continued and ended in thess,
we may glorify thy holy name,
and finally by thy mercy
obtain everlasting life:
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Our Lady of Walsingham:
Pray for us as we claim your motherly care.

Saint Therese of the Infant Jesus:
Pray for us as we place this work under your patronage.

Blessed John Henry Newman:
Pray that Christ's Heart may speak unto our hearts.

Saints and Martyrs of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland:
Pray for us and accompany us on our pilgrim way.

A prayer distributed at the meeting.