| April 02, 2005
Dear Friends and Members of the St. Thomas More Society,
Happy Easter! I trust you are enjoying the season’s celebrations. That
said, I write not only to wish you well but also to remind you of an
important event in the life of our new ministry. On Friday, April 29th,
in cooperation with the Anglican Use Society, the St. Thomas More
Society will host an Anglican Use Conference here in Scranton. The
conference will take place at St. Clare Church and will last from 8:30
in the morning until 5 in the afternoon. I encourage each of you to
attend, as it will afford us the opportunity to meet those who have
already succeeded in the endeavor to which we aspire, the establishment
of a Roman Catholic Pastoral Provision Personal Parish of the Anglican
Use.
The conference will feature two knowledgeable speakers, as well. Our
morning lecturer, Fr. Aidan Nichols, is a Benedictine monk who teaches
at Oxford in England. A convert from Anglicanism and an accomplished
author, he takes a keen interest in the gifts our Anglican heritage has
to offer the Roman Church. Dr. Alexander Burke, a professor at Hofstra,
has studied the great contributions the 19th century’s most
famous convert to Catholicism, John Cardinal Newman, made to the
teachings of the Second Vatican Council, which took place 70 years after
his death. He will offer his insights in this regard after lunch. Time
will be set aside for conversations and networking, and representatives
of several Anglican Use parishes will share their stories with the
entire group about how they successfully made the transition that the
members of our Society have only just begun. Notably, Fr. Allan
Hawkins, Pastor of St. Mary’s Anglican Use Catholic Church in Arlington,
Texas, and a former Episcopal priest, will be in attendance.
While the fee to attend the conference is $35, the Society Board is
committed to ensuring that anyone who desires to attend will be able
to. Thus, upon request the fee will be waived. Otherwise, make a check
payable to the St. Thomas More Society, mark it ‘Anglican Use
Conference’ and send it to the address atop this stationary.
Finally, we shall require volunteers to help make this conference run
smoothly for the many visitors we are to receive from out of town. If
you could please volunteer, even if you will not be attending the
conference itself, fill out the form below, indicating what service you
would be able to perform, and return it to me. Either hand it to me
directly or, again, send it to the address listed above. In advance, I
thank you for your assistance, even as I give thanks to God for your
participation in this movement that is having repercussions well beyond
the bounds of our community.
Ever prayerful for
your well-being and grateful for your devotion, I am, faithfully,
Yours in Christ,
Eric L. Bergman,Director
St. Thomas More Society of St. Clare |
