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| NORTH YORKSHIRE |  | | | CLEVELAND | | | | COUNTY DURHAM | | |
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The bishop with a love of Harry Potter and a strong belief in communication
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| FAMILY SUPPORT: Bishop Terry Drainey with his sister, Pat Paver, after his ordination mass at Middlesbrough Cathedral |
THE new Bishop of Middlesbrough
hesitated before
answering when he
was asked to reveal his
favourite film.
"I'll probably be condemned for
this," he started with a smile, "but
I thoroughly enjoyed the Harry
Potter series.
"I've also read the books avidly.
They take you out of yourself. People
talk about magic (being involved),
but it's an epic story of
good triumphing over evil."
The Rt Rev Terry Drainey was
speaking in his newly-decorated
office in Linthorpe, Middlesbrough.
He's a trim 58-year-old, with
ruddy cheeks and full of smiles
and pleasing gestures.
After 11 years working in two seminaries,
he's relishing a "meet the
people" tour of his vast diocese,
which stretches from the Tees to
the Humber.
"I'm really enjoying meeting people
- in old folks' homes, drop-in
centres, schools and parishes. I'm
finding so much joyful hope', my
motto (from Titus 2.13).
"I recall the earthy banter at the
Marists' sixth form college, Hull,
when I wore my episcopal garb
because I felt many of the young
people had never seen a bishop
before.
"They were very respectful, but afterwards
someone said he hoped I
had not been offended. I saw a
real sign of hope for the future
there. A large group of young people
prayed together, listened to
the scripture and allowed me to
speak words of encouragement.
"Their most difficult question was
the first: On what do you base
your belief in God'?"
The bishop said he did not attempt
a theological reply, but told
of his experience of life, which underpinned
all his theology.
"God has walked with me from
the earliest age and is a real and
genuine presence in my life, reinforced
by my family in Manchester.
"I always felt He was close, particularly
in the dark moments."
Terence Patrick Drainey was the
second child of Joseph Patrick, a
cradle Catholic, and Mary, who
became one before the couple
were married.
His father was an optician who
ran a three-shop business with his
brother. They lived in the largely
industrial area of Manchester.
At 15, he felt a possible vocation
towards priestly life and transferred
school to Ushaw Junior
Seminary, Durham.
But he rebelled against the system
of trying to "knock every ounce of
individuality out of boys.
"I played the system for a while,
but noticed that boys I admired
were drifting away. I decided to do
the same."
He returned to the Xavarian College,
Manchester, and left at 18 to
work in a babies' clothing firm,
mostly in the warehouse, but also
on the road as a salesman.
"I was not at peace with myself.
The vocation was still there.
"One day, I met my parish priest
at a bus stop and he said he had
arranged for me to meet the bishop.
"The outcome was that I studied
for the priesthood in Valladolid,
Spain, for the next six years."
He obviously loves Spain, including
its food and wine.
As an assistant priest in Salford, he
set up a group of 20 young people
in readiness for the 1982 visit of
Pope John Paul II to Britain.
He took them to a charismatic
prayer meeting and half of them
wanted to set up a prayer group
for the parish.
"I felt they were far too young at
16 and said they needed leadership
skills. They went on a course,
God bless them."
"I'm eternally grateful to them.
Some, now parents and grandparents,
were at St Mary's Cathedral,
Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough,
for my ordination as bishop on
January 25."
In the 1980s, he spent six years in
rural Kenya. The parish had
50,000 church-going Catholics,
which compares with 20,000 in
the Middlesbrough diocese.
He was helped by two full-time
catechists, 20 part-timers and 80
volunteers.
Was that system suitable for the
Middlesbrough diocese? "I don't
know. You can't take a missionary
template, where the Church is
growing, on to an older Church.
He said it was good for a diocese
to have one or more priests serving
overseas. He knew Fr Tom
O'Neill, of Middlesbrough, who
was in Kenya at the same time.
The bishop was cautious about
spelling out his plans for his new
diocese, but confirmed that the
pastoral plan would continue.
This plan includes closing and
merging parishes.
"One emerging issue, which is
true of all churches and large organisations,
centres on communication
and listening skills.
"We need to listen carefully to one
another and communicate well
with one another."
He told how he sometimes pretends
to mention "you over there"
in a church congregation and people
turn round to look.
"We always think it is the other
person being spoken to by God,
the priest or the bishop. People
should be asking: Is it me he is
talking to'?
"I really want to hear people and
for them to hear what I'm saying."
Asked about relationships with
people of other Christian denominations
or other faiths, he said:
"There is no easy road to unity. It
is going to cost us a lot. Pretending
or watering down the truth is
the road to confusion."
Some of the 800 people attending
the cathedral mass in January
were puzzled when the bishop
stepped off the altar area to speak
to representatives of other denominations,
including Bishop
Tom Wright, of Durham, and Bishop
Robert Ladds, of Whitby, in the
front rows.
"I prayed for unity. This is the
greatest act of witness to a nonbelieving
world. We have made a
mess of it.
"I work with, and respect, and
want to continue working with
(Christian) brothers and sisters
and those of other faiths. The Trinity
is at the heart of our Christian
faith. We don't think about it
enough.
"We need to communicate our
faith. Also, we have to listen to
others, including people like Prof
Richard Dawkins, whose recent
book, The God Delusion, I've
read."
Asked about the thorny issue of
divorced Catholics being denied
communion, the bishop said: "I
have family and friends in this.
"I feel strong sympathy for them
and want to support them in
every way possible, but within the
teaching of the Church."
On the question of the Church allowing
Catholic priests to marry,
he said large numbers of former
Anglican clergymen were now
priests, including several in the
Middlesbrough diocese, with
wives and families.
He laughingly recalled discussing
this issue with a woman at Ushaw
College, where he was president
from 2004 until becoming bishop.
He had said: "Who would have me
at my age?". She had replied:
"You're all right!"
The bishop said his life was concentrated
on celibacy, which he
believed was of tremendous value.
It was not easy and had to be
worked on, as people had to in
marriages.
He has a reputation for being
down-to-earth and approachable,
for getting things done.
He said he believed in "process",
talking and listening, rather than
making any great public announcements.
The bishop is conscious of workload
taking a toll on bishops, including
his predecessor, Bishop
John Crowley, who is now helping
in a London parish.
He takes a day off each week and
often goes walking in the Yorkshire
moors and dales.
When the day coincides with a
bishops' meeting, he makes it a
part of his day off.
He said he could not continue at
the fast pace he has now set himself,
but said the diocese was like a
moving bus and he had been running
like mad to jump on.
On the sometimes controversial
subject of which football team he
supports, he said: "That's a private
world!"
1:16pm Friday 14th March 2008
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