The Unpredictable Vicar

Tall, spare Anglican Vicar W. G. Hargrave Thomas, 60, is used to causing raised eyebrows in the town of Needham Market, England. In 1947, for example, he made his parishioners gasp by announcing: "I believe that unmarried women who are unable to get themselves husbands and who wish to have a family should be able to go ahead and have children." At his bishop's pointed suggestion, Vicar Thomas later took it back.

Many Needham Marketers have also been puzzled by the combination of their vicar's left-wing politics and right-wing religion. Each Sunday for 24 years he has lighted incense and donned biretta, chasuble and alb to celebrate Sung Mass in high

High Church style. As a result, his flock of 1,400 has usually been represented by a handful of 30 or so. Recently Vicar Thomas polled his parish on their preference and received an overwhelming vote for Low Church instead of High Church worship. Henceforth, he announced, a Low Church service will be held each Sunday morning at 8, but there will be a Sung Mass, with full liturgical trappings, at 10. Last Sunday, the first under the new schedule, Vicar Thomas found a few new faces in his 15th Century church.

But Needham Market would probably continue to be a lively town. Vicar Thomas has proclaimed that the Ten Commandments will no longer be used in his services. Thinking over the Second Commandment ("I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, and visit the sins of the fathers upon the children . . ."), he found it "fantastic." Said he: "No earthly father would do so. It is ridiculous to preach that the Heavenly Father would."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.