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.

The Holy Spirit and the Council

  In a recent homily Pope Francis spoke words which will bring joy to all who see the Holy Spirit at work in the continuing implementation of the Second Vatican Council. Indeed, the Holy Father spoke of work still incomplete … Continue reading

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Understanding the Ordinariate

In my time as a Catholic I have discovered two things. First, that most ‘cradle’ Catholics assume that fomer Anglicans in the Ordinariate are conservative, liturgically and otherwise.  Second, that the English in the Ordinariate do not grasp the importance of the Book of … Continue reading

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The governance of the parish: an Anglican perspective

Now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varities of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one.                                                                    I … Continue reading

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And very early in the morning, on the first day of the week …

  Like many of you , I have just returned home from the Easter Vigil. Holy Week this year has been a great blessing to me, and I think to many in our congregation at Precious Blood. Here, then, is a little … Continue reading

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Holy Saturday, this day of waiting

No, Easter does not banish tragedy and suffering; it does not signal the end of all our striving, the drying of our tears. Instead it takes us and shows us deep down into the heart of things where Christ is … Continue reading

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Am I just getting old?

This is really by way of a short follow-up to the last post. When I re-read it, I wondered if I was falling into that way of thinking which besets those of us over a certain age. We look back … Continue reading

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How does the parish evangelize?

As a teenager, growing up in a sea-side town, I was aware of the (Roman) Catholic Church. We lived opposite the classical fronted, early nineteenth century building, which my grandmother still called ‘the Catholic Chapel’. It was extended in the … Continue reading

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Night Litany for London

The Night Litany for London was published by the Church Literature Association with an introduction by the late Mgr Graham Leonard, then Anglican Bishop of London. It is believed to have been written by Fr H A Wilson of St … Continue reading

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A priest for the world

Once again, the world is surprised by the Catholic Church. We have a Pope, and there is a wonderful feeling of excitement. He asked us to pray for him and bowed quietly before us all – and then gave us … Continue reading

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Ancient & Modern: the music of the Ordinariate

Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.      Colossians 3:16 We had been on a day pilgrimage to the Shrine at Walsingham, and it had been a wonderful and moving day.  But what my … Continue reading

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