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April 29, 2009
On being a Good Shepherd - I
This Sunday, had the opportunity to be with some wonderful shepherds who care for their flocks day in and day out. Fr. Lawrence Kern, (St. Gabriel's HCCAR in Greely, CO) has been a priest for 42 years and is very active, opening doors to people and offering Sacraments for free. I say free, because they are being charged elsewhere.
Last year alone he had 75 baptisms and this year has already baptized 25. "Wish God's Kingdom was our priority in all our undertakings and not politicking," he said. Very thankful for the way this wonderful shepherd is caring for His flock.
After two Holy Eucharists, Confirmations, you would think he would rest given his age. But after the confirmations, instead of taking a break, there he was waiting for another family who had scheduled the baptism of their child, Ezekiel. Standing behind the lens I was admiring the way he was accommodating the family, even during the service. They were waiting for Ezekiel's grandma to come. He waited patiently. During the baptism, little Ezekiel wasn't too happy with the cold water running over his head. Fr. Kern was very gentle. God bless Fr. Kern. I left his parish with a wonderful impression of his great pastoral approach. "We are glad to be part of this church family, where we are not lost" quipped one couple who have made St. Gabriel's their home parish.
With gratitude to the Lord for all the blessings, I headed from Greeley, CO to Casper, WY to meet another great shepherd, Bishop Kinner, who has been putting on thousands of miles in reaching out to the faithful who are far away in Helena, MT. Will tell you more about it as we would be together in Helena, MT visiting our faithful.
Posted by frleo at 9:09 AM | Comments (0)
April 5, 2009
Palm Sunday at St. Paul's London
Being Palm Sunday, we took a bus to reach the tube, zipping through Victoria Line and Central Line we were hoping to make it to the service at St. Paul’s. By the time we got to “Paternoster Square”, we heard the shouts of, “Hosanna!” and there was the procession, led by a donkey, reminiscent of Jesus’ own triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The bishop leading the procession instructed the people to immerse themselves into the event , holding their palm cross and crying out loud hosannas. The Choir was excellent as it added to the processional hymn, ‘Ride on in Majesty’. Once we entered the magnificent cathedral of St. Paul, the service moved on to the collect and the lessons culminating in the passion narrative. It was an open communion, there were hundreds of people who participated. Kudos to St. Paul’s for the detailed arrangement of the service and all those who had contributed to it. There was grandeur and beauty in the whole conduct of the service.
The service at St. Paul's was very inclusive and there were lots of tourists who attended the service. All those who came up for communion received. However I just could not forget the sight of this little girl holding the communion in her hand as it were a candy, walking away from the communion line. Also missing was the general confession and absolution and prayer of humble access. How wonderful if it had been the service that once used to be. How relevant and a moment of teaching, to instill the concept of sin, need for conversion and the available Divine forgiveness through this very passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. Maybe we were the odd ones in the crowd. The Nicene Creed was also missed, not sure if this was to cut short the length of the service. We missed the heart of the traditional worship and liturgy. Glad I participated in the service, sad that it was not the service it used to be and the fact that we missed our traditional worship back home. I walked away taking a lesson from the occasion, resolute in the decision to preserve the ‘faith once delivered to the saints’
Posted by frleo at 1:10 PM | Comments (0)
April 3, 2009
Bp. Michael Wright: Celebration of Life and Legacy
Bishop Michael Mat Wright was born on 13th January 1932 and was baptised one month later in the parish church of Holy Trinity, Windsor. Confirmed in 1945 in the Royal Chapel of St. George, Windsor Castle, he went on to read Theology at Oxford University where he gained his BA in 1955 and his MA in 1958. He completed his studies at Wells Theological College having been ordained to the deaconate shortly before in 1957, and to the priesthood the following year by the Bishop of Oxford. He served in the Oxford Diocese until October 1962 when he was licensed by the Archbishop of Canterbury to serve as a Chaplain in HM Armed Forces.From 1962 – 1994, he served in various locations in the UK, Germany, Belgium (where he was seconded to NATO) South Arabia (actually ministering under fire in the Aden conflict), Cyprus and Hong Kong.
As Father Michael Wright, he was Chairman of the Anglo-Orthodox Association, to bring catholic-minded Anglicans and Eastern Orthodox Churches closer together and in his latter days in the Church of England, whilst stationed at Bovington Camp in Dorset (Tank Regiment), and having decided his ecclesiastical direction upon retirement from the Army, he set up the Anglican Catholic Fellowship for those seeking guidance as to their futures (both lay and priestly) in view of the imminent liberal changes within the C of E.
Immediately upon his retirement from the Army he resigned from the Church of England and was received into the Anglican Catholic Church and served as Archdeacon in the Diocese of the UK. The ACC became the Holy Catholic Church – Western Rite and Father Michael Wright was consecrated bishop in March of 2000.
Elected Metropolitan by his fellow bishops in 2005, his first task was to re-establish full Communion with the estranged bishops of the US dioceses and then to look further afield at trying to bring together the strands of continuing Catholic Anglicanism loosely called the “Anglican Continuum”. He saw his work essentially as a return of the Continuum to the beliefs and ecclesiology of the Undivided Catholic Church of the first Millennium whence came our roots and as put forward as a requirement in the Affirmation of St. Louis (1977), establishing what has become the Anglican Continuum. His vision of the Church being the Living Body of Christ as opposed to the institutional bodies it has become, is our inspirational basis upon which to establish further unification not just of the Anglican Continuum but of the wider Catholic Church
Bishop Michael was instrumental in restoring faith and hope to the people of Umzi wase Tiyopiya (an indigenous Catholic church in South Africa). This church has been in existence since the late 1800's and in the 1900 had a compact with the Anglican Church in Southern Africa for the fulfilment of its hope namely that of being a ‘church of the first millennium’.This church has been on a journey since then seeking true and genuine Catholic Faith. Bishop Michael met with the leadership of this church in 1998 and he willingly offered to stay in South Africa for an initial period of 6 months; training clergy and lay readers in preparation for Holy Orders.
His efforts culminated in the promulgation of the Diocese of Umzi wase Tiyopiya and the consecration of its first Bishops in August 2000. Since then Bishop Michael has established closer links with this diocese and the people of the diocese regard him as their Father in Christ.
The Diocese of Umzi wase Tiyopiya has since shown tremendous growth in faith and in the number of parishes and that can be attributed to Michael’s unique ability to provide ,develop and inspire leadership.
In January 2009 he visited the people of the Diocese of Umzi wase Tiyopiya; possibly to bid them farewell.
I had the privilege of meeting with him few years ago at the ecumenical congress and talking with him few months ago, hoping to visit with him in Spring. Spring did come but I could only participate in the celebration of his entry into heaven. The wonderful family that he has left behind stands to show forth the sweet nature of this wonderful shepherd who has gone heaven's way to intercede for us before the throne of the Almighty God.
Posted by frleo at 1:13 PM | Comments (0)