The Eucharist
How
I got this way
Chris Robinson
From
the Editor
Marcus Grodi
Affirming
All Things
Dwight Longnecker
The
Real Presence
David Palm
Transubtantation
and the Eucharist
David Armstron
But
What do we Mean by "The Real Presence"?
Dwight Longnecker
St.
Augustine's Belief in the Real Presence
David Armstrong
The
Holy Eucharist
James Cardinal
Gibbons
The
Meal of Melkizedek
Scott Hahn Ph.D.
One
Step Enough
A Short History
of the St. Barnabas Society
Before
You Object...
Marcus Grodi
The
Eucharist in the Economy of Salvation
Other Journals
One Step Enough
A Short History of the St. Barbabas Society
When the Coming Home Network International was founded in 1993, we became immediately aware of a sister apostolate in England which has a long history of helping primarily Anglican clergy converts on their journey home to the Catholic Church. With the inclusion of Dwight Longnecker’s conversion story and article in this edition of the CHJournal, it seemed appropriate to explain more about the work of the St. Barnabas Society in England. The following is an extract from the complete history of the society written by Keith Jarrett.
Throughout Cardinal Newman’s pilgrimage of faith he did not ask to see the distant scene, but prayed only for sufficient grace to take one step at a time. The St. Barnabas Society continues the work begun by the Converts’ Aid Society more than a century ago, to give pastoral and financial help to those courageous men and women who sacrificed much to take that single, but important step of being received into the Catholic Church.
The immediate background to the foundation of the Converts’ Aid Society was that of the Papal Bull ‘Apostolicae Curae’ which declared Anglican orders ‘null and void’. Cardinal Vaughan believed that as a consequence a large number of Anglican clergy would ask to be received into the Catholic Church.
It was with this possibility in mind that on 23 August 1896, just prior to the publication of the bull, Pope Leo XIII sent a letter to Cardinal Vaughan expressing his concern at the plight of Anglican clergy who might want to be received. He wrote: "We would wish to come to the aid of those who have taken this step or are ready to take it. For this purpose what we ourselves have thought of, and now propose to you, would be the formation of a considerable fund for the help of converted Anglican clergymen." Within two months of receiving the letter Cardinal Vaughan had set up the Converts’ Aid Society.
In the period following the war of 1914-1918 the Society developed its role in several ways. Initially funding had come mainly from a small but generous group of established Catholic families. This however was not sufficient to provide resources on a long term basis. The provision of a full time Secretary in 1922 opened the way to seeking support from the whole Catholic community.
The range of eligible beneficiaries was also enlarged. In addition to support for convert Anglican clergy, help was now offered to former Anglican religious and to convert clergy from any denomination.
The society was managed by a committee which included some notable converts, such as Mgr. Ronald Knox and it appointed patrons among whom were G.K.Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc.
It would be impossible to produce even the briefest history of this charity without paying tribute to the late F. W. Chambers who became Secretary in 1922 and held this position for forty five years until his death in 1967. Freddie Chambers was ordained in the Church of England in 1907 and served as Vicar of St. Stephen’s, New Town Row, Birmingham. He was received into the Catholic Church on 25 November 1919 by Fr. John Ratcliffe SJ.
Freddie Chambers genius was in personal relationships and during the forty-five years he worked as Secretary he was given a great deal of freedom to exercise this particular talent. He also had the reputation of being able to enthuse others with his own personal commitment to the Society’s work. In addition to his administrative and pastoral role, he traveled widely throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Another development in the Society’s work was the provision of grants to help convert clergy who had been accepted for training for the Catholic priesthood at both the Venerabile and the Beda College in Rome. Seminarian grants continue to be an important part of the Society’s work.
Everyone wants to know how many clergy from other Christian communities are known to have ‘come over’. The fact is that it is extremely difficult to give precise figures. The Society only deals with those who come forward for help. There is also a certain ebb and flow in the numbers applying for help in any given year.
An estimate based on the minutes and archives of the Society suggests that since 1896 something like 3,200 actual applications for help have been received. The number of applications however, implies a much larger total of people helped because many of those who seek the Society’s support have families. So if we are looking at the total number involved the true figure is likely to be at least 12,000-14,000 and may be as high as 15,500. These of course, are only the ones who have applied to us for help. The numbers of those who have ‘come over’ but not applied for help cannot be reckoned.
The constitution of the Society had remained more or less the same from 1896 to 1991. By then the many changes in charity legislation which had taken place made it necessary to provide a new constitution. It was decided to keep the old charity in shell form to enable existing legacies to be received while a new charity was formed with the identical aims and objects as the Converts’ Aid Society.
Considerable time and ingenuity was expended on what to call the successor charity. The proposal to name the charity the St. Barnabas Society in honor of the apostle Barnabas was made because one of the most far reaching effects of his many good deeds was to welcome the newly converted Saul of Tarsus and stand as surety for him at a time when he had few friends within the Church. Barnabas then went on to encourage Paul to begin a new life—the results of which were to be of overwhelming importance to the expanding church of the first century.
The Society saw itself as having a similar ministry of providing a generous welcome and encouragement for those newly received into the Church and those lives would have to take a new direction. Thus the St. Barnabas Society was formed and began its work on 1 June 1992.
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