Park Place or Dark Place?

I seem to have become immersed in a welter of posts concerning non Christian activities within the borders of the Catholic Faith.

In truth, I have been surprised and shocked to find all these goings on going on.

My Catholic life, for the past 23 years or so, has been largely one of a Catholic in exile, awaiting the return of.......the King the Latin Mass. Romantic notion eh? But true.

Blogging has brought me out of my shell and, combined with the renewed life that is flowing out from Rome, I have found that I am much more aware of the good things taking place within the Church and certainly much more aware of the very bad things that are also taking place.

This is Park Place. What is going on? Answers on a postcard please

There is an order of nuns in sleepy, rural Hampshire, who operate their convent as a retreat and conference centre. Bully for them. I'm all for that sort of thing.

Except that.......they welcome in Buddhists, Taoists and all sorts of other 'ists' I should imagine (except Fascists, they would not stand for those would they?).

And would they, I wonder, welcome Occultists with open arms to enjoy (quote):
"The tranquil beauty of Park Place"?

After all, if you state that you welcome all, as they say they do ("we welcome approaches from organizations who wish to hold a retreat or spiritual course at Park Place") then, presumably, you must accept all.

The question is: Should this be an acceptable practice in an establishment that exists in accord with the teachings of Jesus Christ?

Are not Taoism and Buddhism faiths that, in many aspects, are in direct contradiction to the one true Faith?

The nuns are a Franciscan order from South India (I still can't get my head around that one) and, of course, Park Place happens to be in the Diocese of Bishop Philip Egan, Portsmouth.

Now I wish Bishop Philip nothing other than God's good graces in his episcopal role, it is just coincidence that these activities keep cropping up in his diocese, or is it?

As a commentator has said, Portsmouth has been a hotbed of nutty Catholic shenanigans for a long time now and it's asking a lot for + Egan to turn things around overnight.

And, to prove that I am not picking on him, here is some news regarding a similar operation to Park Place (wouldn't a Catholic saint's name be good instead of something that sounds as if its part of a Barratt Homes development?).

This one is in Northampton Diocese and the place is Turvey Abbey run by a community of Benedictine nuns.
At least they have got a good name to their operation - the Priory of Our Lady Queen of Peace but, sadly, they appear to be just as touchy feely as their Hampshire counterparts.

These nuns organise all sorts of events including, can you believe:-

Meister Eckhart: Inner Silence and Awakening. A contemplative inter-faith (Christian-Buddhist) weekend meditating with Eckhart’s texts through the medium of Benedictine Lectio Divina.  Led by George Wilson and a Turvey Benedictine nun. Cost: £130 per person, payable on booking. (Contact: Sr Lucy)

Bloomin' 'eck, as they say north of Mill Hill, why can't Catholic organisations, convents and monasteries, just offer good Catholic contemplative studies and leave the yoga and the yogis well alone.

And as Bishop Doyle only has a few engagements up to 9th November (the rest of the month is blank), perhaps his lordship would like to drop in on these topsy Turvey nuns and see what they are playing at.

Picture from Park Place website:  www.parkplacecentre.org.uk

Turvey Abbey site: www.turveyabbey.org.uk

My thanks to my two blogging friends who pointed me in the direction of these two establishments.