THE
P RTAL
March 2016
Page 12
A small, but faithful and
courageous Group in Kent
Jackie Ottaway and Ronald Crane visit Wateringbury
on the edge of Maidstone
A
village of some two thousand souls, seventy seven per cent of whom identified themselves as
“Christian” in the census of 2001, Wateringbury lies on the edge of Maidstone. Although three quarters
of the population claim to be Christian, it has been difficult for the Group to attract them to the Ordinariate
Mass.
This small group of no more than fifteen
people when at full strength worships in
a beautiful chapel built behind the
bungalow of Robbie and Christine Mace.
Having a chapel in your garden is quite
unusual. It is also courageous. Maybe this
fact helps to make evangelism difficult. If
so, it is a difficulty with which the group is
determined to live. The chapel seats fifty or Adriene Nyholt
so and is beautifully furnished.
call in. You will be made very welcome.
Leaflets have been delivered to every one
of the houses in the two local villages, but as
Robbie explained, “We did not receive one
telephone call”. Not to be downhearted,
the group has high morale. A day event
was being planned for February with a
speaker on the Turin Shroud, Mass and
lunch to be provided. Over forty people Barry Johnson
are booked to attend.
It seems to me that the Ordinariate is
keen on Catechetic, but not on Kerygma,
that is to say, the personal relationship
with Our Lord Jesus Christ. Catholics
are brought up going to mass, but not so
much on that personal relationship with
Our Lord.
More evangelistic events are to be
planned. Christine told us, “I used to
think ‘why doesn’t the Ordinariate
here grow more?’ But now, I know it
is the Lord’s work. If He wants it to
grow, it will grow. Meantime, I just
plod on.
I am very content ‘where two or
three are gathered in my name’. We Christine Mace
are all for C \