So why has the Newman web site never pointed out, "Fr Hugh Barbour of Catholic Answers celebrates mass with us at 9AM Sunday mornings. Come discover the Anglican patrimony through Fr Barbour!" Of course, having hymnody from Charles Wesley, Isaac Watts, John Mason Neale, and Ralph Vaughan Williams and a choir at the 11AM would make things even more effective. but let's take baby steps.
Hey, the Ordinariate Observer could run a feature on Fr Barbour at the Newman group, no?
Why not have a news blurb on the ordinariate website about it, for that matter? Even a quote from Bp Lopes about how delighted the ordinariate is to have Fr Barbour's gracious assistance?
Why couldn't this be blurbed on Catholic Answers, for that matter?
Let's keep in mind that just last Saturday was the garden party in Irvine where Bp Lopes and Fr Bartus were to schmooze potential angels who'd donate to whatever activities they could pitch. But I'm puzzled that they've had a worthwhile resource in Fr Barbour at their disposal for over a year and haven't taken what would strike me as logical and reasonable steps to make full use of it.
I assume that in a metropolitan area like Orange County, the presence of Fr Barbour at a Sunday mass would attract at least some minimal extra attendance, though this would present its own set of problems -- Fr Barbour, with minimal publicity, would almost certainly outdraw at the 9AM mass whatever mediocrity was taking the 11.
Fr Barbour with choral music, minimally publicized, at an 11AM mass would probably overflow the Busch chapel, which would create additional problems, although I assume these would be problems Bp Lopes would be delighted to face. On the other hand, I suspect these would be problems Fr Bartus is not equipped to handle.
Best to keep Fr Barbour under wraps and use him as a supply priest. Can someone help me see where I've got this wrong?
