Author Archives: Scott Anderson

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About Scott Anderson

Formerly an Anglican priest (ordained 1975) received into the Catholic Church in February 2012, and ordained to the Diaconate on 27th July 2013. I took early retirement, and divide my time between London and northern France. I am deeply committed to the Ordinariate as a gift of the Holy Spirit in the search for unity. Like many Ordinariate members I feel a personal gratitude to Pope Emeritus Benedict, together with loyalty to our Holy Father, Pope Francis. My blog tries to make a small contribution to the growth of the Ordinariate by asking questions (and proposing some answers) about the 'Anglican Patrimony'. I have always been fascinated by the whole issue of growth and decline, and therefore concerned for appropriate means of evangelisation in western Europe. I believe that the Holy Spirit is constantly renewing the People of God and that we must be open to him. On Saturday 19th October 2013, I was ordained to the Priesthood at Most Precious Blood, Borough, by the Most Revd Peter Smith, Archbishop of Southwark, for the service of the Ordinariate of our Lady of Walsingham. I continued to serve the Ordinariate group and Parish at Most Precious Blood until the end of 2014. Subsequently, I helped in the care of the Ordinariate Groups at Hemel Hempstead and Croydon, and in the Archdiocese of Southwark, until the beginning of September 2015. With the agreement of my Ordinary, , the Bishop of Amiens appointed me Administrator of the Parish of Notre Dame des Etangs (Pont Remy) in Picardie, France. After nine years as parish priest, with wonderful and supportive parishioners, I decided that the time had come to retire and return to the UK. A nasty accident four years ago and contracting COVID has left me physically rather feeble! I shall be ever grateful for the years in France, a wonderful ending to the years of parish ministry. So here I am back in the UK, taking a long rest, setting up home, coping with all the new Safeguarding procedures - and wondering what next.

Good Friday

A homily Crucifixion is probably the most barbarous death ever devised. It was used by the Romans, not only as a punishment, but as a deterrent: anyone tempted to rebellion would think long and hard if once they had seen … Continue reading

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A reminiscence of Margaret Street

There is concern about a school in Birmingham which, it is asserted, is being targeted by Muslim extremists. A teacher was quoted, earlier in the week, saying that “there is some gender segregation in religious assemblies”. About fifty years ago … Continue reading

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Sweet Spirit, comfort me

I went recently to Southwark Cathedral for the funeral of the musician Jeremy de Satgé, who had organised the music and singers for my ordination at Most Precious Blood. The boys of Westminster Cathedral choir sang at the funeral, and … Continue reading

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Let us now praise famous women …

… at least, famous in the C S Lewis sense. If I remember rightly, for I have not got my copy of ‘The Great Divorce’ to hand, he heard singing and joyful tumult, and asked his guide who was coming. … Continue reading

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I vow to thee my country

The unravelling of the relationship between the Church and the State in Britain has accelerated rapidly in the last thirty years. But the process has been going on rather longer than we care to remember. I don’t mean that disestablishment … Continue reading

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Ordinariate Pilgrims of faith

At the beginning of Lent around 500 people were present at Southwark Cathedral for their Rite of Election. Among these 500 are Catechumens – those who have come from unbelief and are to be baptised at Easter – and Candidates … Continue reading

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The Lenten Fast

Robert Herrick (1592-1674) was an Anglican cleric of the 17th century. He was vicar of Dean Prior in the county of Devon. From this parish he was ejected by the Puritans and restored by King Charles II. This poem appears … Continue reading

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Nicholas Ferrar: a call to holiness in difficult times

In 1625 the Ferrar family purchased the manor house and church at Little Gidding in Huntingdonshire, nor far from Cambridge. Nicholas Ferrar had prospects at the royal court, but with the loss of the family fortune, he retired to Little … Continue reading

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Anglican Patrimony: the voice of the laity (2)

Fr Philip North has described the General Synod of the Church of England as “clumsy, dysfunctional and dangerous”. As an Anglican – and an Anglo-Catholic – Fr North has reason to use these harsh terms, given the way that the … Continue reading

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Anglican Patrimony: the voice of the laity

One of the most obvious features of a parish church in the C of E is its Church Council. It has huge legal responsibility for the building and finances, and more general authority – in tandem with the Vicar – … Continue reading

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