Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham. Mgr Philip Egan chose it particularly as the day for his episcopal ordination as the new Bishop of Portsmouth, to invoke Our Lady's powerful intercession under that most English title. Do pray for him, as taking on the leadership of any diocese, let alone an English one, is surely a daunting task - and Portsmouth has its own particular problems. We prayed for him at Mass this morning. The Ordination Mass is to be broadcast live, starting at 1.15pm, on the diocesan website here : http://www.portsmouthdiocese.org.uk/
Bishop elect Egan, as we must call him until later this afternoon, was formerly Vicar General in the Shrewsbury Diocese for Bishop Mark Davies. I first met him many years ago when he was involved in running some excellent residential courses for clergy - just something he and some priest friends did on their own initiative. They were always of an excellent and orthodox content.
Last time I met Bishop elect Philip was at the opening of the Institute of Christ the King Shrine of Ss Peter and Paul in New Brighton earlier this year, caught in the picture above (he's the one in the purple behind my shoulder!!!)
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Writing from Portsmouth Travelodge, waiting for the ordination Mass! Will let you know how it goes....
Now that Cardinal Pell has been nominated to the Congregation of Bishops (replacing Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor whose retirement had left a vacancy), we may expect more similar appointments of good orthodox priests with high theological credentials to the five or six English sees due for re-filling in the next couple of years (E Anglia, Plymouth, Brentwood, Hallam, and from Nov 2013, Salford and Liverpool)
The way the wind is blowing might be surmised also from the two auditores from the UK chosen to attend the October Synod of Bishops. Not members of the Ecclestone Square bureaucracy, but instead, Dr Caroline Farey and Dr Petroc Willey who run the Maryvale Institute in Birmingham. Certainly a massive vote of confidence by Pope Benedict in Maryvale, but is it a poke in the eye for some others?
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