Saturday, April 21, 2007

Albion, the ACC and England





On Saturday April 14 I had the privilege of attending the annual synod of the Anglican Catholic Church's Diocese of the United Kingdom, which was held at Methodist Central Hall in Westminster, London. It was during the course of the day's events that I met with the Right Revd Rommie Starks, the diocesan episcopal visitor, and with the diocesan board of ministry, to discuss my petition to be accepted as a postulant for Holy Orders.

One of the day's highlights was the ordination to the priesthood, sub conditione, of Fr Tim Perkins, which was carried out during a pontifical high mass. In the first photo, the newly ordained Fr Perkins is presented with the chalice by Bishop Starks, assisted by the vicar general, the Very Revd Damien Mead.

The second photo is of the Mass itself. In the centre foreground can be seen two balding gentlemen, one particularly more so than the other. That is yours truly. To my left is Jonathan Munn, a longtime reader of The Continuum and host of his own blog, O Cuniculi! Ubi Lexicon Latinum Posui? Given that I was in England, and not too far from Jonathan's hometown of Swanscombe, Kent, he very kindly traveled up to London for the morning to meet us and to attend the Mass.

The final photo was taken on the morning of April 15 at the ACC's Parish Church of St Augustine in Canterbury at Sunday Mass, which was preceded by Bishop Starks dedicating the newly renovated space. Here the congregation is singing the Regina Caeli at the end of the service. Yours truly can be seen on the right.

5 comments:

Warwickensis said...

That's right, Albion, draw everyone's attention to my bald spot! ;-)

Seriously, a wonderful time, thanks for the invite!

Albion Land said...

C'mon Jonathan, at least I took the rap of being "particulaly more" balding. :)

Warwickensis said...

Indeed you did, Albion.

I'm just perturbed by the fact that my bonce reflected more of the glare.

Ah well, grass doesn't grow on busy streets.

ACC Member said...

How wonderful that is was held in the Methodist Central Hall. Father John Wesley would be happy about that, I'm sure. We should never forget that Father Wesley said: "I believe that if the Methodists leave the Anglican Church, God will leave the Methodists." Father Wesley intended the Methodist class meetings to supplement the Anglican Church, not depart from it.

Anonymous said...

Or, as the French so beautifully put it "une calvitie plus que naissante"