Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Founders' Day





Today is Founders' Day for the Society of the Holy Cross (SSC), the oldest fraternal society of priests and bishops in the Church of England and the Anglican Communion, which was brought into being in 1855 by a small group of orthodox catholic priests led by Father Charles Lowder. Today there are more than a thousand members around the world in parishes, missions, chaplaincies, schools and other areas of pastoral ministry, committed to witnessing to the Cross of Christ by their lives and ministry. SSC is organised in Provinces under Provincial Masters elected by the Brethren. Within each Province are various Regions headed by Regional Vicars, and the work of the Society at the local level is carried forward in Chapters led by their Local Vicars. Priests of the Society can be recognised by the small gold lapel cross that they generally wear. On it is inscribed the motto of the Society - in hoc signo vinces - in this sign, conquer! 


Blessed Charles Lowder, pray for us.

Lent has begun...

 Little Owain Jones received his blessed Ashes on Ash Wednesday at school... he is already a good Anglo-Catholic!


  

Friday, February 24, 2012

All in the family - all for Jesus




A beautiful sermon on 'more Christianity' from cousin Father Jay Scott Newman, on Christian Religion, evangelism, conversion and the Fullness of Faith found in the Sacramental Life... which kindly mentions the Joneses.

Praised be Jesus Christ, on His Throne of Glory, in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, and in the hearts of His faithful people. Amen!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

A Pastoral Letter from the House of Bishops of the Anglican Province of America



We feel compelled to comment in a non-political way on the recent pronouncement from the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) concerning the requirement of religious institutions to provide contraceptive services under the new federally mandated healthcare regulations.  The Bishops of the Anglican Province of America join their voices with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America and all those who adamantly protest the recent decision by the United States Department of HHS, and call upon all faithful Anglican Christians to contact their elected representatives today to voice their concern in the face of this threat to the sanctity of the Church’s conscience.  In this ruling by HHS, religious hospitals, educational institutions, and other organizations, or the insurance companies that provide coverage for them, will be required to pay for the full cost of contraceptives (including some abortion-inducing drugs) and sterilizations for their employees, regardless of the religious convictions of the employers.  The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion.  This freedom is transgressed when a religious institution or its insurance company is required to pay for services that directly violate religious convictions.  Providing such services should not be regarded as mandated medical care.  We, the House of Bishops of the Anglican Province of America, join with other Christians and call upon HHS Secretary Sebelius and the Obama Administration to rescind this unjust ruling and to respect the religious freedom guaranteed all Americans by the First Amendment. 

We stand with our evangelical brethren who have signed the Manhattan Declaration. One of the authors, Chuck Colson, says, “…we fully and ungrudgingly render to Ceasar what is Ceasar’s.  But under no circumstances will we render to Ceasar what is God’s.”  We cannot help but think of the words attributed to German Pastor Martin Niemoeller, who, reflecting on the Nazi terror, asserted:
                
“First, they came for the socialists and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
 Then they came for the Trade Unionists and I did not speak out—because I was not a Trade  Unionist.
 Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
 Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Let us, as our Prayer Book instructs us, “…bless (and pray for) all in authority over us,” that the Lord may “so rule their hearts and strengthen their hands, that they may punish wickedness and vice, and maintain [His] true religion and virtue.”  (BCP, p 590)

God bless and keep you - and God bless America!

Piercing Through the Veil



A truly splendid work on the life and Eucharistic theology of that quintessentially Anglican saint, scholar and priest, the Reverend Doctor Edward Bouverie Pusey, by the Reverend Mister Matthew Estes Harlow, Curate of Saint Michael the Archangel Church, Matthews, North Carolina. This thesis is a serious contribution to the study of English Church history and theology, and a welcome examination of the Oxford Movement. It is commended to all readers as a wonderfully-crafted and insightful introduction to the Catholic Revival of Anglicanism.


Harlow Thesis



Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Anglican Ideals


'We hold the Catholic faith in its entirety; that is to say, the truth of Christ, contained in Holy Scripture; stated in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds; expressed in the Sacraments of the Gospel and the rites of the Primitive Church, as set forth in the Book of Common Prayer with its various local adaptations; and safeguarded by the historic threefold Order of the Ministry.... They are the ideals of the Church of Christ. Prominent among them are an open Bible, a pastoral Priesthood, a common worship, a standard of conduct consistent with that worship, and a fearless love of truth.'


-Lambeth Conference, 1930

Friday, February 10, 2012

Bishop-Elect John Vaughan



The Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Church in America, the Most Rev. Brian Marsh, has announced that the Rev. John Vaughan was unanimously elected Bishop Suffragan at the annual synod of the Diocese of the Eastern United States. The synod was held at St. Barnabas Church in Picayune, Mississippi on January 18-20.

Father Vaughn was born on February 22nd 1957, in Dublin Pike, White's Cross, County Cork Ireland and is the fifth of ten children born to John Vaughan and Eileen McCarthy. He received his Primary education at Blackpool Boys National School (Brockelsbey Street Academy ) and his High School Education at the School of Commerce in Cork City Ireland. After High School in 1974 Fr. Vaughn enlisted in the Irish Army where he served for three years as an infantry man and had training as a medical orderly. Upon completion of military service, Fr. Vaughan worked at St. Stephen's Hospital in Sarsfield's Court Cork. He began his studies for the priesthood in 1979 at St. John's College Seminary in Waterford, Ireland. Fr. Vaughan has diplomas in Philosophy and in Theology from St. John's College as well as a Degree in Theology from St. Patrick's Pontifical University in Maynooth Ireland.

In 1985 Fr. Vaughan was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood at St. Michael's Church Upper Glanmire County Cork Ireland. Shortly after Ordination he left Ireland and relocated to the United States to serve the people of the archdiocese of Miami, Florida. In 1990 Fr. Vaughan took a leave of absence from the Roman Catholic Church and in 1994 Fr Vaughan transferred to the Episcopal Church where he ministered for ten years. In 2005 he transferred his qualifications to the Anglican Church in America where he served at St. Patrick's Church in Port St. John, Florida until being appointed Vicar General of the Diocese of the Eastern United States in 2011. He is a resident of Titusville, Florida and has one son. He will be consecrated Bishop at a special service planned for later this year after approval by the House of Bishops of the National Church.

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

2012 APA Lenten Appeal





Dear Family in Christ,

As I write this letter for our Lenten Appeal 2012, my heart is burdened by the great need in Haiti. In my recent travels to Haiti, through my meetings with our church partner Fr. Mews Guerrier and our global partners at Operation Mobilization (OM), this was my observation. The Haitian children don't smile readily. Life is tough and while unlike the Dalit children of India who don't have any dreams for the future, most children in Haiti have dreams but see no way for them to be accomplished. I am not sure what is worse; not having any dreams at all, or having dreams knowing they can never be attained. My heart tells me I MUST speak to you on their behalf. I must be bold in asking for your help.

The APA has only been able to give minimal support to Fr. Mews for his school for almost 20 years. There are currently 256 children (K through 6) and the building is already constructed. The children receive a biblically based education. This education will be one way these children can escape the crippling poverty of rural Haiti.
While the school is fully functional, the land on which the school is built is only being leased. This puts the future of the school in some doubt. Each of us in the APA has an opportunity to change that. And I believe, as does Bishop Grundorf, that is why God sent us there this past year.

Therefore, our Lenten Appeal Project 2012 challenge will be to raise $40,000.
  • $30,000 to purchase the land currently leased (includes 3 parcels, 1 that has the school on it with 2 adjoining parcels)
  • $10,000 to establish a broiler chicken growing operation to fund the on-going cost of running the school. This will be accomplished with the help of Haitian Broilers (an OM partner) who will provide expertise, training, sales and marketing, and the first batch of chickens.
I am asking each one of you to make a Lenten offering of a minimum of $1.00 a day for the 40 days of Lent, or more as Our Lord leads you. We need 100% participation. Your gifts will enable our school in Haiti to become permanent, and increasingly self-sufficient.
Please pray every day during Lent that God will use our offerings to show His great mercy on the children of Haiti.

Checks should be made payable to your local church with a notation in the memo field "For Haiti School." We ask each church treasurer to combine the checks and send one church check to the APA Treasurer designated for the Haiti School fund.

The address for Saint Barnabas Church is 4795 North Peachtree Road, Dunwoody, Georgia 30338


Please make your Lenten Offering by April 8 at the latest.


Remembering that in all things, He is able, I remain faithfully yours,
Fr. David Haines
Vicar General for Global Partnerships, APA

Monday, February 06, 2012

The Diamond Jubilee



Sixty years ago today, Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas Queen, Defender of the Faith, acceded to the throne upon the death of her father, King George VI...

ALMIGHTY God, who rulest over all the kingdoms of the world, and dost order them according to thy good pleasure: We yield thee unfeigned thanks, for that thou wast pleased, as on this day, to set thy Servant the Sovereign Lady, Queen ELIZABETH, upon the Throne. Let thy wisdom be her guide, and let thine arm strengthen her; let truth and justice, holiness and righteousness, peace and charity, abound in her days; direct all her counsels and endeavours to thy glory, and the welfare of her subjects; let her always possess the hearts of her people; let her reign be long and prosperous, and crown her with everlasting life in the world to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Case of Consensus Fidelium: Religious Liberty

For the reader's prayerful consideration, from the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America. Bishops of East and West agree on the issue of religious freedom and conscience:

The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America, which is comprised of the 65 canonical Orthodox bishops in the United States, Canada and Mexico, join their voices with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and all those who adamantly protest the recent decision by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and call upon all the Orthodox Christian faithful to contact their elected representatives today to voice their concern in the face of this threat to the sanctity of the Church’s conscience. In this ruling by HHS, religious hospitals, educational institutions, and other organizations will be required to pay for the full cost of contraceptives (including some abortion-inducing drugs) and sterilizations for their employees, regardless of the religious convictions of the employers. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion. This freedom is transgressed when a religious institution is required to pay for “contraceptive services” including abortion-inducing drugs and sterilization services that directly violate their religious convictions. Providing such services should not be regarded as mandated medical care.  We, the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops, call upon HHS Secretary Sebelius and the Obama Administration to rescind this unjust ruling and to respect the religious freedom guaranteed all Americans by the First Amendment.

Friday, February 03, 2012

Why Can’t Women be Priests?