News
Novena 2012
In Acts 1:13–14 we are told that the Apostles with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus devoted themselves to prayer with one accord. They had just witnessed Jesus’ Ascension and were waiting for the Holy Spirit.
Between Ascension and Pentecost this year, the House of Bishops meet together. During this time they will decide what amendments to make to the draft legislation to enable women to be ordained as bishops in the Church of England in the hope of enabling the highest possible degree of unity for all in the Church of England, and for all to be able to thrive equally.
As the bishops approach this important meeting, and members of the General Synod prepare for the July Synod where this will be debated, perhaps for the final time, parishes and individuals are invited to dedicate time to prayer during the period between Ascension and Pentecost for the House of Bishops and for a positive outcome for all at the July Synod.
NOVENA 2012 gives suggestions for prayer, but each person or group can choose how to do this. We believe that it is important to try to build graciousness, sensitivity, and generosity, leading to the highest degree of unity possible and praying that, in the midst of differing views, we might desire one another’s flourishing in the Church of England.
The Novena will take place in Churches across England from Ascension Day to Pentecost (17th - 27th May 2012)
Click Here for a link to the Novena 2012 website
4 April 2012
Chrism Mass
250 people and priests from the Diocese joined the Bishop of Pontefract as he celebrated the Wakefield SSWSH Chrism Mass at S. Paul's King Cross Halifax. In his sermon, he reminded the congregation of the risks and challenge of being the light that shines in the darkness in spite of adversity.
Read Bishop Tony's Sermon
Following Motions Passed
The voting on the Legislation to allow Women to be consecrated to the Episcopacy has now taken place in all Dioceses of the Church of England. Although the vast majority voted in favour of the motion, as expected, two dioceses, London and Chichester rejected it.
Following Motions calling for the General Synod to revisit the Amendment placed before it by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have also been considered. A total of ten Dioceses, including Wakefield, passed the Following Motion, which guarantees that it will again become Synod Business.
The Dioceses that passed the resolution were:
Blackburn
Bradford
Chichester
Europe
Exeter
Manchester
Sheffield
Wakefield
Winchester
York
The voting on the Legislation to allow Women to be consecrated to the Episcopacy has now taken place in all Dioceses of the Church of England. Although the vast majority voted in favour of the motion, as expected, two dioceses, London and Chichester rejected it.
Following Motions calling for the General Synod to revisit the Amendment placed before it by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have also been considered. A total of ten Dioceses, including Wakefield, passed the Following Motion, which guarantees that it will again become Synod Business.
The Dioceses that passed the resolution were:
Blackburn
Bradford
Chichester
Europe
Exeter
Manchester
Sheffield
Wakefield
Winchester
York
Society adopts Constitution
From the Bishop of Beverley
The Society officially came into beingon 18th July 2011. The Bishops of The Society who were present at a meeting on that date unanimously agreed to adopt the Constitutionnow displayed on the main website. All who have registered their interest are now members of The Society unless, of course, they should wish to withdraw. The two bishop protectors remain the Bishop of Blackburn and the Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe. I continue to act as bishop co-ordinator. Those who are ex officio members of the Bishops' Council as described in constitution are delighted that Bishops Lindsay Urwin, Robert Ladds, Roger Jupp and Michael Nazir-Ali have accepted an invitation to serve with them.
In many parts of the country our membership is beginning to organise itself around
its local bishop of The Society. Some traditionalist chapters have now renamed
themselves as the local diocesan chapters of The Society. Within the framework
of the agreed constitution it is important for each area, under its local Society Bishop, to organise its life as most appropriate for it.
+ Martyn Beverley
Read the Consitution here
From the Bishop of Beverley
The Society officially came into beingon 18th July 2011. The Bishops of The Society who were present at a meeting on that date unanimously agreed to adopt the Constitutionnow displayed on the main website. All who have registered their interest are now members of The Society unless, of course, they should wish to withdraw. The two bishop protectors remain the Bishop of Blackburn and the Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe. I continue to act as bishop co-ordinator. Those who are ex officio members of the Bishops' Council as described in constitution are delighted that Bishops Lindsay Urwin, Robert Ladds, Roger Jupp and Michael Nazir-Ali have accepted an invitation to serve with them.
In many parts of the country our membership is beginning to organise itself around
its local bishop of The Society. Some traditionalist chapters have now renamed
themselves as the local diocesan chapters of The Society. Within the framework
of the agreed constitution it is important for each area, under its local Society Bishop, to organise its life as most appropriate for it.
+ Martyn Beverley
Read the Consitution here
19 June 2011
Pilgrimage to Ripon
There was standing room only in the Quire of Ripon cathedral, as people from all over the Diocese of Wakefield and from further a field, came together to honour S. Wilfrid. The chief concelebrant at the Solemn Mass was the Bishop of Pontefract, The Rt Revd Tony Robinson, who was assisted by two Deacons from the Diocese. The servers came from Christ Church Staincliffe.
A group of singers, directed by Nicholas Whitaker, led the music for the mass. As well as some stirring hymns, the choir sung parts of the 'Missa O Quam Gloriosum' by Thomas Luis de Victoria. The Mass concluded with prayers over the ancient Saxon Crypt built by St Wilfrid, and the hymn Stand up for Jesus. The organist, Daniel Justin, who is soon to be Assistant Organist at St Anne's Cathedral in Leeds, concluded with a wonderful rendition of Dupre's Prelude and Fugue in B major.
In his sermon the Bishop of Whitby, the Rt Revd Martin Warner explored the idea of religious art in the popular imagination, and exhorted those present to grasp the opportunity of renewed catholic mission to the nation, particularly using the inheritance of the sacraments and beauty.
You can see some of the photos here
Pilgrimage to Ripon
There was standing room only in the Quire of Ripon cathedral, as people from all over the Diocese of Wakefield and from further a field, came together to honour S. Wilfrid. The chief concelebrant at the Solemn Mass was the Bishop of Pontefract, The Rt Revd Tony Robinson, who was assisted by two Deacons from the Diocese. The servers came from Christ Church Staincliffe.
A group of singers, directed by Nicholas Whitaker, led the music for the mass. As well as some stirring hymns, the choir sung parts of the 'Missa O Quam Gloriosum' by Thomas Luis de Victoria. The Mass concluded with prayers over the ancient Saxon Crypt built by St Wilfrid, and the hymn Stand up for Jesus. The organist, Daniel Justin, who is soon to be Assistant Organist at St Anne's Cathedral in Leeds, concluded with a wonderful rendition of Dupre's Prelude and Fugue in B major.
In his sermon the Bishop of Whitby, the Rt Revd Martin Warner explored the idea of religious art in the popular imagination, and exhorted those present to grasp the opportunity of renewed catholic mission to the nation, particularly using the inheritance of the sacraments and beauty.
You can see some of the photos here
Message from Fr Baker
Fr Jonathan Baker, the Bishop Elect of Ebbsfleet has made a short video asking for prayers, and offering his for all priests and people who look to him for pastoral care. Click here to see the youtube message from Fr Baker.
Fr Jonathan Baker, the Bishop Elect of Ebbsfleet has made a short video asking for prayers, and offering his for all priests and people who look to him for pastoral care. Click here to see the youtube message from Fr Baker.
Friday 6 May
Southern PEV's announced
!0 Downing Street has announced that the Revd Jonathan Baker, Principal of Pusey House is to be the new Bishop of Ebbsfleet, and the Revd Norman Banks, Vicar of Walsingham to the new Bishop of Richborough. They will be consecrated at Southwark Cathedral on Thursday 16th June.
Read the Lambeth Palace statement here
Southern PEV's announced
!0 Downing Street has announced that the Revd Jonathan Baker, Principal of Pusey House is to be the new Bishop of Ebbsfleet, and the Revd Norman Banks, Vicar of Walsingham to the new Bishop of Richborough. They will be consecrated at Southwark Cathedral on Thursday 16th June.
Read the Lambeth Palace statement here
Tuesday 3 May 2011
Chrism Mass Sermon
Bishop Tony's Chrism Mass sermon is now available online. Read it here.
Chrism Mass Sermon
Bishop Tony's Chrism Mass sermon is now available online. Read it here.
Wednesday 9 March 2011
Bishop Martyn sets out a vision for the Society
The Bishop of Beverley has written the lead article in the March edition New Directions about some of his hopes for the Society of St Wilfrid and St Hilda.
You can read the article by clicking on the link Here.
Tuesday 25 January 2011
A Pastoral Letter from the Catholic Bishops
of the Church of England
We write as bishops within the Church of England, who seek both to maintain and promote its Catholic heritage, believing that this demands maintaining the ministry of bishops, priests and deacons in a manner consistent with the tradition of the Church, East and West. We address all those, ordained and lay, who look to us at this time for pastoral guidance.
In July 2010 the General Synod of the Church of England took yet another decisive step in the direction of enacting legislation that would make it possible for women to be admitted to the episcopate. At the same time General Synod declined to make any appropriate provision that would satisfy the consciences of those of us who cannot accept that such ordinations would be a legitimate development in the life of the Church. Some have already decided that they can no longer remain within the Church of England. We genuinely wish them Godspeed as, heeding the call of conscience, they embark on a new episode in their Christian discipleship. We, too, in similar obedience to conscience, seek, if at all possible, to remain faithful members of the Church of England and undertake to support all who seek to do likewise.
Even at this late hour we are seeking a way forward that would enable us with integrity to retain such membership. We are passionate in our commitment to the mission of the Church of England and urgently seek a settlement through which we would be free to play our part to the fullest measure. We believe this could be done by the formation of a society within the Church of England, overseen by bishops committed to our viewpoint. Such bishops would need, of course, the necessary ordinary jurisdiction that would enable them to be the true pastors of their people and to be guarantors of the sacramental assurance on which we all depend for our authentic sharing within the Body of Christ. Given that our parishes are also constituent parts of local dioceses we also understand that some way would have to be identified for sharing jurisdiction with the diocesan bishop. We understand it to be something of this nature that our archbishops were trying to achieve in their ill-fated amendment at the July meeting of the General Synod. That amendment, though narrowly defeated in the House of Clergy, was widely supported elsewhere in the Synod and, indeed, a majority of members supported it. It might well be that a revisiting of the archbishops’ proposals, with some further development of them, could still help our Church to find a way forward that enabled us all to remain faithful members of it.
To this end we have set about forming ‘The Society’. It is under the patronage of Saint Wilfrid and Saint Hilda. Two of our number, the Bishops of Blackburn and of Gibraltar in Europe, have agreed to serve as episcopal protectors of The Society. The Bishop of Beverley will be the co-ordinating bishop. We are still in the process of giving more substance to its constitution. It may well be that the latter cannot be finally resolved until we know whether or not the House of Bishops and then the General Synod will be prepared to build further on our initiative. You can find more details as to our thinking by visiting The Society’s website. Many have already enrolled as prospective members of The Society and we now encourage all who support us to do so. We need to discover whether such a way forward commands the support of those who look to us for guidance. If that were to be so then it would be good to demonstrate to the wider Church just how many of its members need such provision in order to remain faithful members of it.
We do not want to build up false hopes. Every attempt we have made so far to persuade the Church of England to make the kind of provision that would enable us in good conscience to remain within its fellowship has been thwarted. We feel, nevertheless, duty bound, once again to seek a way out of the impasse that otherwise would make it impossible for many of us to remain faithful members of our Church. We recognise the huge change of heart that would need to happen for us to succeed. We ask you to pray fervently that such a change of heart might take place and encourage you to support us by enrolling in The Society.
+ Nicholas Blackburn
+ John Cicestr
+ Geoffrey Gibraltar
+Martyn Beverley
+John Burnley
+Peter Edmonton
+Mark Horsham
+John Plymouth
+Anthony Pontefract
+Martin Whitby
+Lindsay Urwin
+Robert Ladds
