A Very Blessed Weekend

In Brentwood Cathedral There were over 130 of our parishioners in the crowded Brentwood Cathedral last Saturday to share in the deeply spiritual and very moving Mass of Ordination. The so familiar opening of the Liturgy of the Word, with the singing of the Latin Gloria in Excelsis and the Readings, was interrupted only by the calling forward of the three candidates for ordination to the priesthood - Jean-Claude Selvini, Gerry Drummond and ,of course, Frank Jackson. After the Bishop's homily, which on this feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, dwelt on how, like the mother of the Saviour, each of us are called for service as were these men now present before the Bishop and community.

Then, after the traditional questioning of the suitability of these men and their acceptance for ordination, the particular rites began. The whole congregation knelt, whilst Frank, Jean-Claude and Gerry lay prostrate before the altar and, in the Litany of the Saints, we called upon the whole Church to support them. The name of each saint was echoed by the Ora pro nobis - pray for us, reaching the climax as we called on the Lord to "bless these chosen men, make them holy and consecrate them for their sacred duties."

Laying on of hands

The central act of Ordination then followed as the Bishop, with the many priests present, laid hands upon these chosen men and in the powerful prayer of Consecration which followed, called upon the Holy Spirit to come upon them. Anne, Frank's wife and their daughter Helen came forward carrying the priestly vestments of Chasuble and Stole, with which Father Arthur invested Father Frank. His hands were then anointed with the Sacred Oil of Chrism, giving him the authority to offer the Mass.red duties."

The gifts of bread and wine were brought to the Bishop by Clare, Frank's elder daughter and her husband Jason and the Bishop handed them to Father Frank to be taken by him to the Altar. All was now ready for the Sacrifice of the Mass, but before the newly ordained priests went with the Bishop to the altar, they were warmly greeted and welcomed by all their priestly brothers. And so the Mass continued, concelebtaed with Bishop Thomas, the threenewly ordained priests and the many other priests who were present, accompanied by the beautiful and sometimes quite haunting singing of the Cathedral Choir.

First Masses at Coggeshall, Kelvedon and Tiptree

What a lovely Sunday the next day as Father Frank offered his First Masses with crowded congregations at all three churches. As he said himself, Fr Frank had longed and longed for this day and for all of us, who had seen him as Deacon at all Masses over the past months, his coming among us on this day as priest was a real fulfillment. In his homily at the Masses, Father Arthur stressed the uniqueness both of the occasion and of the blessings which flowed from it. The coming of Father Frank to the Catholic Church from the Anglican Church did not further separate our two Churches, but drew us closer. That Fr Frank was married, whilst for so many centuries the Catholic priest was celibate, brought a new richness to the Church.

The First Masses over, all stayed behind to receive a personal blessing and the memento of an Ordination Card. It was a particular joy at the Kelvedon Mass as Anne, her daughters Helen and Clare and son-in-law, Jason, came forward for a blessing. The gift of roses from Fr Frank to accompany his blessing brought such a spontaneous outburst of applause from the whole church. Another great joy for us as a parish on this morning was to welcome so many visitors and personal friends of Frank and Ann to the Church and to share with them the celebration of this wonderful weekend, summed up in the opening Taize hymn at the Kelvedon Mass: Ubi Caritas et Amor. (Where is love and loving kindness, God is surely there!)

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Richard Sparrow 25^th Sept 1999