Time to be Optimistic

Fr Michael Brown, in his blog Gateshead Revisited, has commented on the number of personal parishes in America that have been granted to the care of the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter. I believe that there are already 30 with more expected in the autumn. We do not yet have a traditional liturgy personal parish in this country, although the Institute of Christ the King have a shrine church in New Brighton and will shortly be getting a second one in Preston. The Fraternity, of course, do share the use of a church with a regular diocesan parish in Reading. - Times are changing, however, and it may not be long before priests of the traditional orders are invited to take control of churches in other dioceses. The process may be driven along by the shortage of priests. Faced with the choice between closing a church and, inviting a traditional order of priests to take charge, it may be that, in future, bishops will be more inclined to opt for the latter. We have an example of a step in this direction in York, where Oratorians have been invited to take over the church of St Wilfrid. Maybe there will be an opportunity in Hull or Middlesbrough to do something similar, but involving one of the traditional orders. There is nothing like being optimistic!