I had often wondered what happened to Brother Stephen Treat who was a monk at Spring Bank Cistercian Abbey and wrote a good number of articles on The Anglo-Catholic blog now in a state of extended hiatus. As far as I have been able to ascertain, this Abbey has been dissolved and the monks dispersed. It was never a large community. We lost touch.
Fr John Treat (Stephen was his monastic name) did not remain a Roman Catholic, accepted ordination from an independent bishop and now runs a blog called St. Rafe’s and a website at St. Rafe’s web site. He has gone the way of spiritual “anarchism” and freedom, aware of the dangers and “flak” he has doubtlessly faced over the past two years.
I have already written about this theme of a Christian ecclesial existence outside all the mainstream churches. One makes of it what one can, with the intention of serving God or swelling up one’s own ego. I like the approach of modern people making a consciously post-modern choice. It is a question of taking religious and liturgical observances out of their convenient category boxes and fostering freedom and a quest for spirituality as people of our time see it.
Their liturgy is of a traditional shape and they practice open Communion, allowing all baptised Christians to receive the Sacraments. I make no secret of the fact I do the same thing. They describe their beliefs as creedally orthodox, joyfully sacramental, radically inclusive, and deeply prayerful. There is definitely a reaction here against sectarian traditionalism and liberalism. They put aside anger caused by past suffering, and turned over a new and fresh page.
This apostolate may be as yet in its infancy, and some things may cause raised eyebrows, but it looks healthy and well-intentioned.
The Blue Flower 
This looks quite promising and is an interesting development for the bustling university community in Fayetteville. It also appears, Fr Anthony, that Treat is not merely Fr John Treat but His Excellency the Most Rev. John Treat as he has been consecrated to the episcopate. May he have a fruitful ministry in Fayetteville and best of luck to him as he seeks to complete a doctorate in American history.
Yes, indeed, he has been consecrated a bishop. One impressive thing about this new tendency of independent Catholicism is dropping grandiose titles for the sake of doing a humble and honest ministry – no pretending or replicating the big mainstream churches. Indeed, a promising development and a refreshing change from traditionalist and liberal bigotry in the usual camps.
The follow up post (The Desire for the Mitre) is quite illuminating with regards to this. Many thanks for your thoughts.
I must say that looking over the first post or two on that blog you link to, I cannot recognize the same person. Brother Treat was perhaps the strongest voice on the Anglo-Catholic blog for stressing conversion. Thus, when I remember this post,
http://www.theanglocatholic.com/2010/06/a-provocative-piece-on-the-anglican-ordinariates/
With the quote, “You need to strongly suspect that there may be something ontologically present in a progressive, praise-band parish in a scandal-ridden Roman Catholic diocese that is lacking in Anglicanism’s greatest shrines, because, contrary to what may seem to be much visual evidence to the contrary, the former is a constituent member of the body in which the fullness of the Catholic Church subsists while the latter is not.”
and then find only a year or so later the same person talking about independent sacramental groups, LBGT issues, open communion and the like, I must confess shock. The process of the dissolution of the abbey must have been a horrible thing to have made such a change in such a short time. Is there something to fill in the gaps in this story?
Indeed, we must be reserved in our speculations. What you are talking about is experience and how human beings react to it. Fr Treat has written to me and I discern a maturity of reflection.
My recalled understanding (imparted to me at the time) was that the abbey dissovled because of inept (but not criminal) financial (mis)management, and thsat Bro. Stephen (who has some experience and expertise in that area) tried heroically to salvage something from the mess — but failed. This report, therefore, astonishes me.
The whole affair was obviously kept fairly quiet, and whatever one may think about Fr John (former Brother Stephen) going into the independent sacramental world, he took a whole year to think it over. From what he wrote to me, his attitude is realistic, and I can only encourage him to follow his way.
I perhaps have more respect for the ISM than most of my friends, so I wish Fr John all the best.
One thing, however, I don’t get about the ISM is the constant desire for a mitre. I suppose he has his reasons. I don’t judge him and wish him spiritual happiness.
What I have been able to discern is that the idea of large spread-out dioceses or other forms of jurisdiction are impractical in the ISM. Therefore the notion of the episcopate is like that of the local parish priest, the humble pastor looking after his little flock even if that is only less than ten people, a deacon, a server and hangers-on. It’s probably not very different from the second-century vision of the episcopate before the institution of large dioceses with parishes, cf. St Ignatius of Antioch.
The greatest thing about these particular ISM people is the raising of their intellectual standards and the toning-down of titles and regalia, and a greater emphasis on spirituality and pastoral work. For that I can only praise them.
I’m in the same boat myself, even though I have spent the past seven years as a priest of the more “mainstream” TAC under +Hepworth.
I loved his “SUB TUUM” blog! Been wondering what happened to him. I just can’t believe he went from a tradition minded Roman Catholic to a for all intents and purposes a TEC clone Independent Catholic. I can understand coming to the realization that one does not fit in no matter how much one tries. I just turned 65 and I have spent my whole adult life trying to fit into Christianity in one form or another – Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox back to Catholic – nothing took. I have some loose ends to tie up in my life and then I am done with it. Time to move on with the next 65 years of my life!
Good luck and many Blessings to all like ‘Brother Stephen’ who are looking for where they belong.
Interesting reflection. As the world we live in gets spiritually colder and bleaker, we begin to home in to what really matters to us. The choice is out there or is within ourselves, or we can reject it all and die within like the concentration camp inmates during Word War II. Some of us want to survive and make a difference for the future, but few of us will.
Who said anything about TEC clones? I have no experience of the American situation, but perhaps something original is being born in spite of appearances.
Yes, we’re all getting old, and the way forward is within each of us. You just have to find it…