Statement and final post

Christ is the human face of God; the fullness of Revelation. He lives in his church and operates through the baptised who are his hands, his feet and his merciful face. What the Church believes across all nations, by everyone and down the centuries is his unmistakable voice.

With the recent developments in the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion I have increasingly found myself in a situation where I cannot preach the Gospel of Christ and celebrate his sacraments with any integrity. It is the generous offer of Pope Benedict XVI in the form of the Ordinariate that gives me the joy of continuing this faithfulness to this Gospel. The move to the Ordinariate also gives me the opportunity to offer to you the greatest witness I can possibly give you.

For this reason I have written to the Bishop of Rochester notifying him that I intend to resign from this Parish in order to become a Roman Catholic in the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Fr James has notified the same bishop that he intends to resign for the same noble reason.

God willing, our last Sunday with you will be the 6th of March. On Ash Wednesday, a group from this parish will start the journey to be in full communion with Pope Benedict and received in the Catholic Church during Holy Week.

Now that the time of reflection is over, the time of the parting of friends has come. Parting is sad, but it will be healed by love. We need to make sure that this is truly a parting of friends with generosity from all sides.

This is not the time to say goodbye. I am sure we will have the opportunity for that during the next few weeks. Today is the time to hold each other in prayer and give thanks to what we have received and given to each other.

I will always hold you in my prayers and will always be available for you from within the Catholic Church in the Sevenoaks Ordinariate Personal Parish.

Fr Ivan D Aquilina
13th February 2011

Following on from the above statement which was read in church this morning, this blog comes to the end of its life. When it started some three years ago, I never thought that it would have the following it has. I am truly grateful for your support and prayers. In the first ever post I spoke about this blog in these words: "I launch my blog, with trepidation. A small raft in a huge ocean. But I want to sing God's praises too and maybe encourage you to join me." I would like to conclude it in the same words. We launch into the Ordinariate with great joy. Our Sevenoaks group is a small raft in a huge ocean. But we want to sing God's praises too and maybe encourage you to join us."

What a journey it has been. Thank you for being such great companions. What a wonderful journey it promises to be. Follow it on the Sevenoaks Ordinariate blog.