STORY - My Word: a response to "A journey of faith - one woman's story"

Felicity Lee offers a thoughtful response to a story that has led to much discussion.

The March edition of Aurora featured an article titled “A journey of faith – one woman’s story”, about Rev Loy Thompson (pictured), former Catholic, former Josephite Sister, now an Anglican and priest in the Anglican Communion. This article is unusual for a couple of reasons and provides fruit for some reflection.

In the first place, it is unusual in Catholic circles to talk about Catholics who convert to other faiths. We usually concentrate our attention on those of other denominations/faiths who come our way. On the ‘net you will find a long list of people who have become Roman Catholics. The list includes authors, actors, politicians, members of the British Royal Family, former Anglican priests, even a former Anglican Bishop. This list does not include countless others, like my grandmother, my best-friend-at-school’s mother and the wife of one of my cousins. They also became Catholics, faithful, devout and generous in their living out of their chosen course. The Roman Catholic Church is all the richer for them and their legacy. No doubt many who read these lines could compile their own lists of wonderful converts they have known. Rev Loy’s conversion to Anglicanism then should not disturb us unduly. I say unduly, because any conversion, in either direction, should challenge us to seek the why of it. What do they have? What do we lack?

It can never be easy to leave one’s home behind, knowing that you leave behind everything loved, everything familiar, everything comforting, everything to which you belonged and which belonged to you. For those, like Rev Loy, who leave what was their spiritual home at the beckoning of God’s finger, the loss is no less acute. Sometimes it means the loss of one’s own family who cannot accept the decision. But, in all cases, it means starting again to find one’s way through uncertainty and unfamiliarity with only faith in God’s call as a sure hope. Conversion is not for the faint-hearted!

Secondly, “A journey of faith” deals with what some would consider a thorny issue – a convert who asks for and receives ordination to the priesthood of their chosen Communion. A moment’s reflection should remind us that this too is well precedented. Many Anglican men, after conversion, have become priests in the Roman Catholic Communion. Avery Dulles, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Ronald Knox, Thomas Merton, Bede Griffiths and James Alison stand out. Above all, and perhaps pre-eminently, stands John Henry Cardinal Newman, one of the great minds behind the Second Vatican Council and currently being nudged along the road to declared sainthood. To this list can be added those whom we know, here in our diocese and elsewhere. Is there anyone who can honestly say that we in the Roman Catholic Church have not been blessed by having these men as priests of our church?

It seems to me, from some study and life experience, that when God places a call on one’s life it is quite clear and unambiguous and the choice usually comes down to ‘yes’ or ‘no’. When Moses was asked to tell Pharaoh to “let my people go” he wasn’t given any other options. Likewise, Mary at the Annunciation. Have the chosen child - or no. Both these people said, ‘yes’. Presumably the experience of a convert is similar. God calls and these people say ‘yes’. Many Anglican men have followed God’s call into the Roman Catholic Church, finding the complete fulfilment of their call in the Roman Catholic priesthood, and we Catholics have (complacently?) accepted their gift. Now Rev Loy has answered God’s call to fulfil in the Anglican Communion what she cannot fulfil in her original faith home, namely the call to priesthood she received as a child. She says she tried other options, but in the end she has come to the same place to which all God’s true faithful come. She said ‘yes’, and ‘yes’ and again, ‘yes’.

I say “thank you” to the Anglican Church for receiving Loy and allowing her to answer God’s call surrounded by their acceptance, love and support.

I don’t know whether there are any Anglicans who may be similarly grateful to us for receiving their people and allowing them to answer their calls in our community. I know that only those charged with the office of discernment of vocations are in a position to judge the validity of such a call. That judgement has been made by Bishop Farran and the Anglican Church in our day and Loy is now an Anglican priest. All I can do, and I do it gladly, is join with Job and say, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21 (NRSV)

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