Review of the English Reformation CHN Conference

Wonderful. Great lectures. Lots of nice people. I thoroughly enjoyed it and found myself edified by all the other converts.

Particularly moving was the presentation by Dr. Paul Thigpen on the English Catholic martyrs. People were brought to tears. It was wonderful.

Dwight Longenecker (who will be ordained a Pastoral Provision priest on Dec. 14th) gave a presentation on Catholicism in Britain prior to the Reformation where he rebutted the position that the early “Celtic Church” was indigenous and independent of Rome.

Msgr. Frank Lane presented on the schism that occurred under Henry VIII.

Joanna Bogle gave a spirited lecture on Mary Tudor and her Catholic piety.

Joseph Pearce spoke about English Catholic Recusants, but primarily the scholarship indicated that William Shakespeare was of a Recusant Catholic.

Scott Hahn gave a great lecture on the theologies of St Thomas More and St John Fisher. I found his treatment of St John Fisher especially interesting and hope to read more about him.

Fr. Charles Conner spoke about the English Counter Reformation but especially about the seminary priests of Wm. Allen and the English Jesuits. He also did a good job of introducing the political theories set forth by the English Catholics.

And Joanna Bogle gave her perspective on the state of Anglicanism and Catholicism in England, today.

On Sunday morning, Fr Ray Ryland (a Pastoral Provision priest) explained his conversion to the Catholic Church and the inherent falacies of the Anglo-Catholic position, which he once held.

It was all well done. My favorite part was the lunch in which ex-clergy introduced themselves and described their conversions. That was especially meaningful to me in a personal way.

There were many great conversations – even a very strange meeting with the sedevacantist apologist Gerry Matatics, who was “recruiting.” A special thank you to Marcus Grodi, Jim Anderson, and all the Coming Home Network family.

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