[Magdalen] Down-hearted

[Marion Thompson]

Our new priest, who was issued to us by the Diocese, is  a real 
problem.  Early word that he would have no trouble with our 
Anglo-Catholic liturgy has proved true -- he simply ignores it.  All is 
chaos as he insists on imposing his will and ways on us, and has so from 
the very first Sunday.  He spends the liturgy of the word down at the 
rector's desk not even reverencing the altar with us when we enter.  "We 
are people of the Word."  He has moved the lectern into the middle of 
the crossing (such as it is in our small place) and has moved the 
candles that used to flank it up behind the altar.  It is now a hazard 
for the thurifer censing the congregation and a general clog in the flow 
of traffic.  Yesterday being the Festival of the Blessed Virgin Mary, he 
pointed out to me (yesterday's preacher) that the icon had been placed 
in its place on the side altar.  I then said , Yes and when censing the 
altar he would  stop at the halfway point and come down to cense the 
icon then go back up.  'I'm not comfortable censing an icon', he said. 
Nor did he.  He doesn't use the paten.  Furthermore, there is no warmth 
or intimacy when he  giving out the sacrament.  He could just be 
throwing a piece of orange peel over his shoulder, having already moved 
on to the next person with eyes fixed on some distant point.    Our poor 
altar party and servers are in total disarray  because he has changed 
everything and comes to the service with a new list of what he wants 
done, which is totally at odds with what they have learned over the last 
weeks, months or years.  Speed is all.  And he speaks too quickly, 
leading the Creed (from the chancel facing the altar) at breakneck speed.

A total control freak, he wants us to become a totally BAS church. 
blecch.  He informed me some weeks ago he wanted my PoP to be based on 
one of the templates therein and sent me what he wanted.  I eventually 
complied -- but he STILL rewrote them totally.  So yesterday I did what 
I would always do for the Feast of the BVM, not necessarily longer , but 
with some soul and caring.  He has already insisted that the rota of 
readings I prepare be moved from the RCL (which he has dismissed as 
American) to a peculiarly Canadian one which follows the stories of the 
Old Testament, rather than themes. That's what he likes to preach on.  
Dry as dust exegesis and, as someone said recently, nothing to take home 
with them.

Personally, I think that the agenda is that he is to prepare us for 
absorption by one of the other more Protestant churches to the north, 
retaining only our excellent Food Bank which serves this depressed end 
of town.   He had his own Prayer Book church which closed and was merged 
with another church  in Toronto, so he has experience in this sort of 
exercise which is the flavour of the month in this diocese.  Rid us of 
our papish ways so that we will fit better.  So I delivered a rock 'em 
sock 'em Assumption homily that must have curdled his blood.

Written in rebellious dejection.

Marion, a pilgrim