Good news! - Bishop 0 - Parishioners 1

Looks a perfectly good church, just needs a considerable bit of renovation.
St Winefride's, Aberystwyth

Picture: Save our St Winefride's

Readers may recall the long drawn out battle of Aberystwyth where the local Bishop (Tom Burns) wished to sell off the old church to developers and build a nuchurch out of town.

Convenient financially for the Diocese of Menevia but not logistically for the parishioners.

Well, news has reached me today that the Bishop has shelved plans to build a new church out of town and (so I believe) reverted to the concept of renovating the old church.

I would not wish anyone to think that I am being triumphalist over this, far from it.

A great deal of money has been squandered on planning fees and so on.
 It is a hollow victory in many ways.

But, it is a victory for the 240 or so parishioners who signed a petition to retain their accessible parish church and I think that a modest huzzah (no exclamation mark) may be allowed.

And, in all of this, spare a prayer for the Bish for whom it must have been a humbling experience, to back down; and for those who supported him.

Does the Bishop know?

The blogger who operates the Paddling Upstream blog (Mummymayhem) has a post that jogged my mind.

It touched a raw nerve, something that had been niggling my subconscious for a few weeks (or years, time flies here in Western Menevia).

Where once St David stood, you may now take a course
in praying mantras

You see I have a thing about Buddhists and Yoga....I think the two fit quite neatly
 into the same sentence, don't you?

My hang up, if I may call it that, is that the whole shebang is sham, pseudo, false, shallow.

Of course, yoga is fine as a form of physical exercise but it comes, all to often, with an agenda that is as far from Catholic doctrine as it is possible to be.

And then it merges into Buddhist philosophy.

Buddhism masquerades under several false guises; 'love,' 'natural harmony,'  'at one with nature'.

All of the Buddhists I have met appear to be pretty humourless, rather entwined with their own regard for what they see as the 'truth'.

A few pints of Reverend James and a large, rare ribeye steak would do most followers of the Buddha a power of good I feel.

And so, when I see Catholic Retreat Centres advertising Yoga Training Sessions I begin to feel a little queasy. And when I enter the websites of those Yoga organisations who are booked in at St Non's I feel that surely the Bishop (His Lordship, Thomas Burns) cannot know that one of his centres is being used for such purposes. You may visit their website HERE.

If nothing else, the association of Buddhism/Yoga with a Catholic retreat centre sends all the wrong signals - to Catholics and non Catholics alike.

I know St Non's; it has a beautiful repro chapel in its grounds and a holy well that once was on the pilgrim route for those visiting nearby St David's Cathedral.

And the remains of the original chapel are still there on the clifftop looking out towards Ireland where so many of the monks came from in the 8th and 9th centuries.

It is a holy place; there are echoes of the Faith at every turn.

But now, when they mention "Chanting" as part of the events programme, they don't mean Plainchant but Buddhist chants and that is plain wrong.

It would be shameful to lose that Catholic aura to the philosophies of Ying and Yang.

The St Non's website is tarnished with this sort of faux spirituality.

"Celtic Nature Spirituality" are the words used to describe the essence of St Non's.

I would perhaps have chosen:

"Catholic Sacred Holy"

I puzzle at the use of the word "Celtic". Many local people believe, quite sincerely, that St David did not belong to the Catholic Church but to the Celtic one.

In fact, there was no such thing as a 'Celtic Church' - the only form of Christianity in Wales, up until the 16th century, was Catholic. Full stop. End of argument.

Now, I am quite certain that Bishop Burns does not read this blog (and I don't blame him for that).

But, he should vet all religious websites within his own Diocese.

And he should take steps to ensure that they all conform to Catholic principles.

"Ah", the cry will go up from the nuns who run the retreat centre (whatever you do, don't look at their photographs, nuns not wearing habits is one thing but.......now I told you not to look, there's a health warning with this post!
"Ah", the nuns will say: "But we need the money to keep St Non's going"

In which case I would say to all orthodox Catholics looking for a spiritual base surrounded by natural beauty as well as the beauty of the Catholic Faith in Wales, book your pilgrimage/retreat group into St Non's, it will improve your Karma no end.

Bishop Burns of Menevia credits bloggers with the ability to influence the Papal election

The Bishop may be over egging it slightly but there is a kernel of perception in what he says. Catholic bloggers have proved time and time again how they can influence both secular and Church affairs.

Sadly, it ends there. The remainder of the Bishop's statement to the press is absolutely crass and, some might say, disloyal to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

How much longer are we prepared to put up with such behaviour from those who are supposed to be the Princes of the Church?

The following is an extract from the 'Wales Online' report, as I am hurrying to catch a train, I have not had time to add my comments; perhaps that is just as well.

Pope Benedict XVI

Bishop of Menevia, Tom Burns wants a new freedom to discuss “currently prohibited” issues including contraception and the remarriage of divorced people.

He further suggests that the cardinals should look beyond their number to choose a successor to Benedict XVI.

The former Royal Navy chaplain writes: “If the cardinals have to look outside their own group, so be it. The last time was in 1378.

“The scene is set for yet another precedent.”

Among the radical changes he has proposed in the Catholic journal the Tablet, he calls for church government to be “stripped of status and elitism” and suggests “a root-and-branch review of the method of appointing bishops” and a third Vatican council.

He expects the internet to shape the decisions of the papal conclave, writing that “electors can probably not avoid being swayed by Twitter, Facebook, and blogs”.

In his article the bishop applauds the former Pope’s 2010 visit to Britain in which there “not a word out of place” but writes that “views emerging from the Vatican on homosexuality as ‘disordered’, appeared excessive, lacking Benedict’s usual distinctions.”

He continues: “He renewed the Church’s historical opposition to women priests, methods of stem-cell research, and enlightened thinking by liberal theologians.”

The bishop then lays out a vision for sweeping change, writing: “Whoever is elected, the time has come to re-open the doors and windows for a new blowing of the Spirit, even a Third Vatican Council, a freedom to discuss key ministerial concerns, freedom of research for ways ahead on key issues affecting marriage (eg the implications of re-marrying after divorce); re-examining ethical questions (eg just war theory, the sale of arms, acceptable intentions and methods of birth control, integrity in public and financial affairs); Church governance (eg developing a simpler and humbler servant Church model, less hierarchical and more collegial, stripped of status and elitism); promoting Vatican II’s principle of subsidiarity (eg through de-centralisation and greater transparency); improving relations between the Holy See and dioceses (eg a root-and-branch review of the method of appointing bishops); and bringing into the College of Cardinals a wider representation (eg of views, experience, traditions to be set and handed on into the future).”

The Welsh bishop argues that the former Pope should not be held personally responsible for the child abuse scandals, writing: “In the minefield of child sexual abuse, the blame attached to him was really unmerited, and his humble and heartfelt apologies were genuinely appreciated by many. It is not Benedict, but the priests convicted of such crimes, who have reduced the Church’s influence and doctrinal credibility.”

Praising Benedict’s decision to retire rather than die in the post, he writes: “In his last days in office, Benedict unwittingly showed a further dimension of his humility and selflessness, by opening the door to future popes to lay down their office freely, yet still respond to God’s call to contemplative prayer.”

He urges the conclave to “ open all doors and considerations,” adding: “The Spirit’s influence is needed to free the cardinal electors of considerations involving electoral blocs – nationalistic, geographical, conceptual, ageist – and there is no place for self-interest, ambition, or career benefits at lower levels.”

Stressing the personal strengths of the individual to take the helm of the church, he states: “Whoever is chosen has to be the right man in the right place at the right time, someone who can bring about much needed change and take others with him because his reputation is untainted and his future will not be enmeshed or smothered by Church bureaucracy, politics, and loneliness.”

He concludes with a final plea for change: “Let the new wine fill new wine skins.”

Read more: Wales Online 

No Sunday Mass for 3 years

Sorry, but if you are a member of the Parish of St Winefride in Aberystwyth, Welsh gateway to the North, it looks as if you will just have to go without a Sunday Mass until some time in 2016, or possibly, 2015 if providence smiles on you.

The Bishop of Menevia, Thomas Burns, has closed the parish church deeming it unsafe and unsound.

As far as I can ascertain, from speaking to a leading parishioner, no information has been imparted to them other than the fact that the church is closed as of last Sunday.

No more Masses and, apparently, no Diocesan contingency plan.

No pastoral guidance to parishioners as to how and where they may fulfil their Sunday obligation and attend Holy Mass.
Nothing. Zilch. Dim.

The poor parish priest has been confined to barracks in Swansea some 70 or so miles distant and he is only allowed to be in Aber on Sundays, but no one knows if there will be a Mass in a hall, a community centre or under a hedge somewhere.

With the best will in the world that appears to me as being pretty dismal leadership.

Bluster and threat and asking parishioners to tell those opposing the new church to politely back down smacks of insecurity and incompetency.

Certainly, it is not Christ like behaviour.

Say a prayer please for the Bishop and his priests and the outcast parishioners of St Winefride's.

That time of year thou may'st in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold;
Bare ruin'd choirs where late the sweet birds sang.

Paris comes to Aberystwyth

In a move reminiscent of Paris in the 90s when traditional French Catholics 'took over' a well known church to stage a six week sit in, parishioners of St Winefride's have occupied their parish church in an attempt to block the Bishop from proceeding with plans to demolish and rebuild.

This protest is only designed to last until the Feast of All Souls but, according to BBC reports, the protestors are also considering taking their cause direct to Rome.

Bishop Burns, meanwhile, has appealed for prayer in an attempt to resolve this issue.
Trouble is, it looks very much as if someone has been a shade terminologically inexact and that these plans to demolish and rebuild out of town, have been on the agenda for a long time and, if that is true, then any subsequent process of consultation with parishioners has been a sham and a cynical exercise.

A Priest stands up to his Bishop

More on the Aberystwyth Church of St Winefride, the one that the Bishop of Menevia, Thomas Burns, is keen to demolish so that the land may be sold for big money.
To be fair to the Bishop, he plans to spend £2.6 million on providing a new church, trouble is, it's well out of town and that does not appear to be so sensible.

But, the newly appointed Parish Priest, Fr Neil Evans, is having none of it.

He has resigned from his post on the Bishop's board of trustees.

Here is how The Cambrian News reported the matter:-




A CATHOLIC priest has resigned from the diocese board of trustees just days after taking command at St Winefride’s Church in Aberystwyth, writes Antony Gedge.
Father Neil Evans stood down as a Diocese of Menevia trustee because he opposes controversial plans to demolish the church, replace it with a housing development and build a new church in Penparcau.
It was also revealed this week that Father Neil has been homeless since taking over at St Winefride’s because the presbytery used by outgoing priest Father Ross Patterson has now been closed on health and safety grounds.
Church bosses say insurers won’t allow it to be occupied. And it is feared that the church will close at the end of the month for the same reason.
Church bosses say the buildings are too costly to repair but objectors have produced a surveyor’s report which suggests they can be easily repaired.In a letter sent to Bishop Tom Burns and copied for parishioners, Father Neil launched a scathing criticism of how the church authority has dismissed the possibility of renovating the church.
He said: “As you know, I have been unhappy about the failure of the trustees to adequately address, with conviction and resolution, other possible solutions to the problems facing us in Aberystwyth. Unfortunately the perception exists that the trustees have from the beginning pursued with conviction and resolution only the last option.
“Of course, it may well be that, in the end, this last option proves to be the only option left to us (even if not the best option), and so there will be no choice but to knock down the present church and presbytery and build new in Penparcau.

Fr Neil is a humble and holy man and also, obviously, a brave one. It takes real courage to face up to Bishop Burns. Please remember him (and the Bishop) in your prayers.

NB The full text of Fr Neil's letter will be posted tomorrow, Saturday 20th October.....here!