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.

How Newman speaks to us

‘ “God has not appointed us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” Let us seek the grace if a … Continue reading

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Celebrating the Ordinariate Use

An invitation from my family to join them for the day took me down last Saturday to Portsmouth. St Agatha’s Church were celebrating their Patronal Festival, and I was interested to see how the Ordinariate Use might be presented. St … Continue reading

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A Tale of Two Ordinariates

I have been really grateful to those people who have sent me in short descriptions of the life and mission of their Ordinariate groups. What it reveals is what I have suspected: that there are significant differences between England and … Continue reading

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Chaplains to the faithful – or missionaries to convert England?

“The Ordinariate will grow – God willing.” When someone said this to me recently I reflected immediately that, of course, God wills it to grow! To put it round the other way, could God ever will his Church and his … Continue reading

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Longing for God

It puzzles me that so few of our modern fictional heroes have any religious faith. My good read over Christmas is likely to be P D James,  (creator of Adam Dalgleish,) or Ruth Rendell (Chief Inspector Wexford) or more likely Donna … Continue reading

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The Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary: the praying heart of the Ordinariate

This past week I have been on retreat at the Convent of the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Maryvale on the edge of Birmingham. I hope that many other priests and laity will go there, now that the … Continue reading

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Celebrating the Ordinariate liturgy – some initial thoughts

The season of Advent has been marked by many Ordinariate groups in the UK beginning to celebrate Mass according to the Ordinariate Use. We were no exception in the Ordinariate Parish of the Most Precious Blood at Borough, in South … Continue reading

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A N Wilson brings realism, sadness – and a little hope

The newspapers have just loved Dr George Carey’s recent intervention over the future of the Church of England. But of note is the article by A N Wilson in the Daily Telegraph, occasioned by the Carey sermon. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10460230/Lord-Careys-vision-for-the-Church-might-kill-it-off.html. I suggest that … Continue reading

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The Church of England decides

November seems to be the month for the Church of England (or at least its General Synod) to make momentous decisions. By the end of the day we shall probably have heard that its members have voted in sufficient majority … Continue reading

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Remembrance Sunday 2013

Northern France, which I have come to know well over the years, is dotted with the cemeteries of the First World War.  The great memorial  at Thiepval to the dead of the Somme battles, rises atop the ridge – sixteen … Continue reading

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