| Annual Meeting - January 08, 2006
- 6:30 PM
The Director’s Address
On our stationary,
on our envelopes, and on our leaflets there is a byline that reads,
“Formed to implement in the Diocese of Scranton the Pastoral Provision
of Pope John Paul II”. What we have accomplished thus far as the St.
Thomas More Society Scranton, Pennsylvania and what we hope to accomplish
in the future can in every way be traced back to that short phrase to
which you are exposed on a weekly basis. Tonight I’d like to talk a bit
about what we have done over the past year, as well as what we hope to
see happen over the next twelve to eighteen months.
The Pastoral Provision of John Paul II allows for the conversion of
groups of people coming from the Anglican Tradition. This provision is
unique, therefore, because all other conversions to Catholicism are
registered on an individual basis. The convert is absorbed into the
parish in which he received catechetical instruction or the parish of
which he would be a member based on where he resides. For example, if
the normal course of conversion to Catholicism applied to us we would
have members at St. Elizabeth’s in Bear Creek, St. Rose of Lima in
Carbondale, St. Paul’s in Scranton and several other churches spread
across the Lackawanna and Wyoming Valleys. Because of the Pastoral
Provision we are all members of St. Clare’s; we have been permitted to
remain together as a group.
The reason the late Pope allowed groups like us to remain together as we
have is that we have a common liturgical and cultural heritage, a common
identity that does not apply to the average class of catechumens. We
are all former Anglicans. As such, we bring with us a beautiful liturgy
that is compatible with Catholic tradition and, as we well know, has
been approved by the Holy See for us to use. This liturgy is what, from
the perspective of the Holy See, binds us together. If not for this
liturgy, if not for this important aspect of the Pastoral Provision, we
would not have remained together as a group after our confirmation, nor
could Bishop Martino hold out the prospect that we will remain together
indefinitely.
Therefore, the establishment of the Anglican Use Mass in the Diocese of
Scranton is a momentous event, one that has occurred in the United
States less than ten times before. In each case previous to ours the
group has remained together and been established as a distinct
community, identifiable as a parish of converts, one with a particular
mission to reach out to our separated brethren among the Protestants.
In other words, we are a community specifically designed to foster
Christian unity, because the Pastoral Provision was initiated to bring
about the unity among Christians that Jesus Himself prayed for in John
17. Certainly, we have been given a gift, as we are able to worship in
a manner familiar to us. But this gift is first and foremost a gift
designed for – and intended to be shared with – others. Our purpose is
growth, growth that should come by the conversions to Catholicism that
we begin to make possible by simple virtue of our existence. The fact
that we exist is a great step in the service of evangelism.
We must not be content, however, simply with existing. To experience
the growth we desire we must be the type of viable community people
desire to join. That means the first thing we must do is worship as a
community. Assisting each week at the Anglican Use Mass that Bishop
Martino and Msgr. Feldcamp have arranged for us indicates several
things. One, it demonstrates our gratitude for the generosity extended
to us as we work towards the establishment of a parish of and for
converts. Two, attendance at the Anglican Use Mass shows we want to
welcome newcomers, for we cannot welcome people if we are not present
with them. Three, coming together each week shows we want to continue
to engender group cohesion, the cohesion we enjoyed during our long
catechetical transition from Anglicanism to Catholicism. Finally,
worshiping each Sunday at a somewhat inconvenient 5PM, coming to St.
Clare’s from distances far from Scranton, implies a serious dedication
to our community and the goals we have set. People will notice, people
have noticed, that we are willing to make sacrifices in order to
encourage the conversion of our friends and neighbors. Just one
conversion will have made all our sacrifices well worth the effort, and
I expect that we will inspire many more than one.
The inspirational aspect of our ministry has been quite profitable to
the Church. From the publicity that we received at the beginning of
last year the news of our conversion spread fairly rapidly. All year
long I have received inquiries from Episcopal priests about how they
might do what we have done. People from all over the country have
supported our ministry with their prayers and their money, encouraged as
they are by our witness to the Truth. Moreover, one of the Episcopal
priests who attended our Anglican Use Conference last year just this
week informed me that he was received into the Catholic Church on
December 26th, St. Stephen’s Day. We can continue to be part
of such successes only if we remain the witness we have been thus far.
I offer these words of encouragement because we still have a long road
ahead of us. We will not be established as a parish unless I am
ordained, and that process has only a rough timeline to which we can
refer. I propose, therefore, that we spend our time that we must wait
doing more than waiting. Just as we did much during our catechetical
instruction, so we can do much now. In addition to the weekly Anglican
Use Mass, we continue to pray for the lives of the unborn each Wednesday
during Rosary and Evening Prayer. I would like such concerns to include
advocacy on our part, as well. My wife and I will go to Washington on
January 23rd, Clara’s birthday, to participate in the March
for Life, and I’d encourage as many of you as can to join us.
We can also stand up for the lives of the vulnerable by our charitable
works. To prepare others to undertake pastoral care I taught a class
last year on the Gospel of Life. Those who attended will be
asked to take part in our Pastoral Care Committee, dedicated to visiting
the homebound and the infirm from our community. Others who want to
take part in this work need only say the word and they can be instructed
about the purposes of our work. When we know what God expects of us we
will all be better prepared to refute the culture of death when we are
confronted by it in our daily lives.
We need also to become acquainted with the richness that is our newfound
Catholic faith. We have among us several Eastern Rite Catholics, and
they are willing to help introduce us to the beauty of the liturgies in
which they were raised. Some time within the next few months we will
arrange to visit as a group a Ukrainian Rite Catholic Church in
Olyphant, and after that we might also consider making visits to the
other Rites being celebrated within the city of Scranton. Since our
Society is a living example of unity in diversity, we would do well to
show how much we value that unity and that diversity. This will mean
going to Mass two times in one weekend, but I am certain that those who
come along will view this as more a gift than a burden.
Joe Blake, the President of the Anglican Use Society, and a supporter of
our ministry, has asked that we host this year’s Anglican Use
Conference. The conference last year was a great success, and the board
last month approved our participation in this year’s endeavor. We
currently await hearing from Avery Cardinal Dulles, whom we have invited
to be the principal speaker. Many of you attended last year, and I hope
that you will make the time to do so again this year. We do not as yet
have dates for when it will be, but you will be informed as soon as we
do. We’re looking at some time between April and June. Our goal is to
spread abroad information about the Anglican Use and encourage people
elsewhere to embrace it as the means to draw others into the Church.
Whenever the Anglican Use Conference should be held, we shall have a
celebration in June. The 22nd of that month is the Feast Day
for our Patron, St. Thomas More. We shall certainly celebrate the
Anglican Use Mass that day, but we might also consider more ways to
honor his memory and his legacy. Those of you who have ideas about how
we might further celebrate his life and his love should feel free to
share them with me so that we can begin to plan our first St. Thomas
More Day as Catholics.
Pilgrimages are a traditional Catholic way to honor the life and work of
the Saints who have gone before us. While a pilgrimage to England is
for the moment not feasible, we might consider making other pilgrimages
to places not so far away. There are sites in Bucks County and
Emmitsburg, MD we could visit, and Ed Jordan mentioned a place in New
Jersey to me a couple months back. If you would like to help organize a
pilgrimage or you have an idea of one we might make please speak with
me.
My goal here is to help us to grow in the faith, to expand our Catholic
horizons even as we work to establish a parish here. Growing in this
way will make the time we must wait fly by, and it will also encourage
the growth as a community we seek. Which brings me to what we’re
waiting for – my ordination and our erection as a Pastoral Provision
Personal Parish of the Anglican Use. The short answer to your questions
about how long it might take is that we must exercise the virtue of
patience in the same way we did waiting to be confirmed. Bishop
Dougherty has assured me that he and Bishop Martino are on the same page
we are, but the pace of our progress will not increase as a result of
pressure from me or anyone else. They want on one hand for the dust to
settle in the wake of an historic occurrence in the Diocese of Scranton,
and on the other for the seriousness of the conveyance of Holy Orders to
be impressed upon us and all those who know about us. This process will
teach us much about patience, to be sure, but we will also learn the
virtues of obedience, trust, and charity. The Bishop has a large
diocese to care for. Plus, we must always remember that Bishop Martino
is our loving father in Christ, he desires for us whatever Jesus
desires, and he will see to it that the Lord’s will for us will be
fulfilled.
For now, I will continue my pastoral and administrative duties in
relation to the St. Thomas More Society. But I will also occupy a
portion of my days and weeks with prayer and study. There is much I
must learn in order to pass the ordination exams, seven written and
seven oral. Fr. Connor is my mentor, and he is right now designing a
program of study for me. While we wait for my application to be sent to
Rome, and then wait for our Holy Father to consider it, I will prepare
to become a Catholic priest. Most days you will find me here at the
daily 8AM Mass. Be assured that my new schedule does not mean that I am
any less available to you, and I encourage you to come to me with your
cares and concerns, as well as the names of any prospective converts you
want me to contact. I am happy to enable in whatever ways I can your
spiritual growth as well as the growth of our Society.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not express, on behalf of Kristina
and our children, how grateful we are for the support you have given
us. You are daily in our prayers, and I hope we are daily in yours.
God bless you in your faithfulness to Christ’s command to bring the
Gospel to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the
Son, and the Holy Spirit. Your faith has certainly been a blessing to
my family and me.
Yours in Christ,
Eric L. Bergman,Director
St. Thomas More Society of St. Clare |
