Marianne Dorman's Homepage

After becoming a committed Christian in my teens, I have with God's grace tried to live the Catholic way of life. It is indeed a wonderful life. I have also spent my life in education. My first diploma was in Christian Education, which meant I taught Religious Education in Schools and parishes. For many years I taught English and History at St. John's College, Dubbo, in Australia. Having been a teacher, writer and academic, I have been a lover of books. I also like to keep up to date with world and religious events. For this I find the Church Times, and The Tablet helpful. I also susbcribe to prayerful material such as Magnificat. This is a beautiful companion for daily Mass and devotions. .

I spend my time mostly these days living in Greenbank on lovely Whidbey island,off the N-W coast of America, with the occasional visit to Oxford and to Sydney to visit to my family in Australia. I have one lovely son, Francis Martin whose delight is to sing and praise God with his beautiful voice. He sings in few choirs including Coro Innominata and Christ Church St. Laurence in Sydney. Ever since its beginnings this church has upheld the Catholic faith in a diocese in the Anglican Communion which sees itself as evangelical and thus far removed from the practices and teaching of the Church of England, especially as taught by the Caroline Divines. .

Whilst I was living in Oxford I wrote a series of meditation books, titled The Coming of Christ, Living Lent, The Paschal Life. These books have a daily meditation, and I have made good use of the writings of the Fathers of the church, such as Augustine, Basil, Gregory of Nazianen, and Bernard, the great saints such as Francis, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, the mystics, including Johh of the Cross, Julian of Norwich, Richard Rolle, Walter Hilton and Hildegard, and the Caroline Divines in England. As well as Andrewes, others are, John Donne, Mark Frank,Jeremy Taylor, John Taylor, Henry Hammond, Anthony Farindon and John Evelyn. I also edited Lancelot Andrewes' Liturgical Sermons in a two volume set. These sermons were given mainly at the Jacobean Court at Christmas, Easter and Pentecost from 1605 -1625. Another small book published is an arrangement of George Herbert's poems for the Christian Year, titled A Life of Glory. These are still available by e-mailing me. Refer to My Books on this website.

My book on Lancelot Andrewes: the Mentor of Reformed Catholicism in the Post-Reformation Church in England, based on my doctorate has been published as well as a smaller work called Andrewes, the Perennial Preacher of the Post-Reformation English Church. and Lancelot Andrewes: Teacher and Preacher. The last is a transcript of Lambeth Palace Ms. 3707 with notes and cross references to other works of this divine. Published by Wheatmark towards the end of 2007 was a revised edition of "Living Lent";. in 2008 my book on Mark Frank - his times, theology and sermons, and "Angels Rejoice: The Christ Has Come" - a book of daily meditations from Advent to Lent.. In early 2009 "Angels Welcome" has been published.My latest book to be published is Seven Whole Days To Praise Our God. This is an enlarged version of The Life Of Glory with an appendix on the Ferrar Community. See Books. All of these books are available through me or online.

.Now I am working on the last of the meditation book that will cover the rest of the Ordinary Time as well as other commitments such as preparing for Quiet Days and my regular Bible Study Class.

One of the things I treasure mostly from my time in Oxford was to be involved in Ecumenism. Marantha began while I was there, and I am still committed to its cause for Christian Unity. As a member of the SS. Alban and Sergius Society it too gave me a deeper appreciation of the Orthodox tradition. Indeed I spent many hours worshipping in the beautiful Orthodox Church in Canterbury Road.

From Oxford I often travelled to London to work in libraries, one of which was the British Library, although my favourite is Lambeth Palace Library. I loved going to Art Galleries, concerts and theatres.

My 12 years living full time in Oxford were happy ones and full of interesting activities and meeting wonderful people. I was indebted to many, but one particularly stands out, Dr. Rowan Williams, who became bishop of Monmouth not long after my arrival, then Archbishop of Wales, and now Archbishop of Cantaur. May the Holy Spirit always guide him in this most responsible position.

I spent a lot of my time in the Bodleian Library and I owe many thanks to the help and friendship of the staff. It was my second home in Oxford as I worked on my Ph.D.. However my most uplifting moments were in the chapels of some of the Colleges such as Merton and Magdalen, and in churches such as St. Barnabas and St. Mary Mags. I also enjoyed worshipping at Christ Church Cathedral and Pusey House. Another church I visited often, sometimes just to pray was SS. Gregory and Augustine, not far from where I lived in Water Eaton Road, North Oxford. I loved this little church. Outside of Oxford there are other churches and places where I loved to visit such as Boxgrove with its historic priory church dating back to Norman times and connection with the Benedictine monastery of Bec. In London my very favourite place of worhsip was Westminster Cathedral.

On Whidbey Island with so much natural beauty and quietness, it is just the place for contemplation. I am involved in the parish of St. Hubert's, Langley, mainly with the Bible Study group and pastoral ministry that involves visiting the homebound and sick, and taking the Sacrament to them. I have also teamed up with Fr. Paul Pluth to offer Quiet Days on a regular basis on the island. For this we have the support of St. Augustine'sparish, Oak Harbour.

Wherever I am in the world my day always begins with prayer and meditation. One of my ways of meditating is by listening to Taize chants, although I do prefer simply being quiet. As a St. Benedictine oblate I try to live and pray the Benedictine Way. Here on Whidbey I also attend weekly Vespers led by the Ecumenical Fellowship of St. John held at St. Augustine's-in-the woods.

For many years my academic work has focused on the eccelsiastical life of the English Church in the 16th and 17th centuries, with special interest in Lancelot Andrewes, his teaching and the Caroline Divines, such as Mark Frank and John Cosin. Some of my work on Andrewes is available on the web through Project Canterbury and the Anglo-Catholic site as well as mine. I am also very interested in the early and medieval Churches, and the works of the Fathers, Liturgy, Byzantium tradition, the Saints, Christian Mystics, Monasticism and Church Music. Much of my time is spent researching and writing on these, and promoting unity amongst Christians, what to-day is known as ecumenism. Christian unity is something very dear to my heart as I believe it is what our blessed Lord desires. We need to pray earnestly for this.