De Omnibus Dubitandum Est.

On Tuesday evening, I joined Fr. Jeff Woolnough and the parishioners of St. Peter's, Eastwood, on the occassion of the episcopal visitation and Confirmations. This was my first opportunity to meet Bishop Alan Williams myself. Confirmation is a great Sacrament, it constitutes the completion of the Sacraments of Initiation, and provides tenable link with our bishops, the successors of the Apostles. Just as Jesus Baptised with water and the Spirit, so we Baptise our Children, claiming them for Christ soon after birth, and then with the Holy Spirit at Confirmation, which recalls the laying on of hands and invocation of the Spirit wrought by the Apostles in Scripture. The biblical record tells us that converts to the faith were first baptised, and then the Apostles “laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:17). We define Confirmation as the sacrament of spiritual strengthening, in Latin, roboratio spiritualis . Our English word “robust” comes from the Latin robur...

Fr. Jeff Woolnough at home. A year ago, Father Jeff Woolnough and Fr. Bob White were preparing to celebrate their first Christmas at St. Peter's Catholic Church, Eastwood. They had led about 80 Anglo-Catholic parishioners from Hockley on a spiritual journey from the Church of England to become fully a part of the Church in England. This year they are in the midst of their second Advent season in full communion with the Catholic Church. There is no doubt that this journey took extraordinary courage, leaving the security of a known quantity in terms of finance, living accommodation, a place of worship, etc., and trusting entirely to God's providence, that He would look after them. For me, this is putting your money where your mouth is in an unarguable fashion. This Sunday, Fr. Jeff was interviewed on BBC Essex. I think it's well worth listening to his story, there's perspective from parishioners Pat Salmon from Hockley and Sharon O'Ryan from Eastwood as well...