I have been looking over the updated parish map on the OCSP website and speculating about Bp Lopes' upcoming travels. Starting in your own state, as you perhaps know the Bl John Henry Newman Facebook page does not give us much indication of any parish events or activities beyond Mass, although there will be a Pancake Supper on Shrove Tuesday. There does seem to be a men's group meeting for "smokes and whiskey" next Saturday, and there is a women's group which had a "Ladies' Tea" last month, and a Knights of Columbus group in formation. The Facebook page deals mainly with diocesan groups: Theology on Tap and Catholics at Work, OC. The size of the BlJHN worship space does not suggest exponential growth.Smokes and whiskey, those of us who were at St Mary's in 2011 will recall, were Andy Bartus's favored fellowship activities then, too. One more time -- I have simply never seen a parish in any denomination feature alcohol so prominently in its publicity, which the Irvine group clearly continues to do. So far, the Ordinariate's official response has been to tell me to shut up about it.The priest in charge of St Augustine's, Carlsbad has as we know been trying to retire for over a year to devote himself to diocesan chaplaincy work. But the ordination of Mr Glenn [Baaten], whose sketchy Anglican credentials we have examined in the past, seems to have been on hold since he arrived at St Augustine's last September, and in the meantime the St Augustine's website has not changed since January of last year. The Facebook page was updated in December 2015 but does not provide evidence of an active community. The new map shows a third community. But when one clicks on it one goes back to the old and hopelessly outdated list. I intend to work my way through the roster. My gut is that there are ten or fifteen OCSP groups that are going concerns and the rest are in various states of stasis or decline.
Perhaps Andy could invite the Bishop to share some whiskey and cigars with the League of Ordinary Gentlemen when he arrives. No doubt he'll be impressed!
I'd also be interested in the interview the Bishop will no doubt wish to have with Mr Baaten, focusing on his extensive experience as an Anglican priest a Presbyterian pastor. Let's recall that Mr Baaten's ordination (not just to the diaconate, but to the priesthood) was originally scheduled for last year. I suspect that at some early point in the process, this arose as an issue to be reviewed by someone other than Msgr Steenson.
Bp Lopes will no doubt have a most interesting series of visits in coming months.
