Our proud history of priests from overseas
SIR – Whatever individual bishops may decide with regard to the provision of clergy from overseas (and however such provision may fit in with the fostering of vocations to the priesthood), it is a historical fact that the Church in England and Wales has always depended upon clergy from other countries, and sometimes heavily so (News focus, May 27). Perusal of lists of incumbents from medieval times in churches that were once Catholic will reveal any number of Anglo-Norman names. Moreover, apart from the crucial contribution made by the Irish clergy, especially in the period following the Restoration of the Hierarchy in 1850 until recent times, the 19th and 20th centuries witnessed a significant number of priests, both secular and regular, from the Low Countries, Italy and Spain. From France, beginning with the exiles in the wake of the Revolution of 1789, there have been many clergy who have settled in this country and ministered to its Catholics. In my own diocese (Brentwood) alone I can think of nine parishes established by clergy from abroad: three French; three Belgian; and one each from Portugal, the United States and Spain. Moreover, in a further 13 parishes the first incumbent was an Irishman. Finally, we should never forget that Blessed John Henry Newman himself was received into the Catholic Church by an Italian Passionist. Yours faithfully, Fr Stewart Foster By email
