Escorted out of St. Albans Abbey

179 electronics at Luton College because it helped students repair television sets. It was therefore a matter I could not ignore but deal with in due season. I had discovered far more serious issues that needed to be treated first. I could well imagine the same kind of problems occurring over the Radio, Newspapers and the cassette recorder and future electronic means of communication.

Escorted out of St. Albans Abbey

In October 1983 I was informed that officials of St. Albans Abbey, a Church of England establishment, were for the first time in 400 years giving official recognition to the practice of the Roman Catholic Mass. This was probably as a direct result of the Papal visit to Britain in 1982.

They had invited a Roman Catholic Father Plourde to serve in the Anglican Church and he was to offer Mass on a regular basis at the St. Albans Abbey. This was in fact illegal and against the principles of the Act of Settlement.

No one seemed to care or could see what was happening I had studied the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church and found it in very serious error.

I felt constrained to support any kind of protest just to let people know what was going on throughout the world. The Mass had no place in the Christian faith.

I decided to take my two children Isaac John (5) and Esther Jane (4) with me to protest against this evil

I attended the meeting on a Saturday afternoon and before very long a Mr. Scott Person of the British Council of Protestant Churches stood up and made a formal protest. He was escorted out.

I waited a while and just before the meeting resumed I stood up and made my protest. I too was escorted out of the meeting with Isaac and Esther in my hands.

This event hit the headline news again in Aylesbury and also in the local news in Luton these articles appear as follows:

19th October 1983

Teacher’s protest in Abbey

The Bucks Herald front page

A Luton college lecturer was ejected from St. Albans Abbey after a stand up argument in the middle of a special service.

David Clarke was escorted from the building after protesting about involvement of a Roman Catholic priest in the proceedings.

This week 34- year old Mr Clarke, who lecturers in electronics at Luton College of Higher Education, Park Square, told why he challenged the welcoming of Father Robert Plourde to the service.

He said: To have a Roman Catholic priest appointed as an assistant in an Anglican Church is contrary to the Church of England articles of religion.

The service had been stopped by a protest from Rev. Scott Pearson, the Baptist minister of Maulden, representing the British Council of Protestant Christian Churches.

He left the Abbey, but before the ceremony could resume father- of- two Mr Clarke stood up to voice his opinions.

“I told the congregation the involvement of a Popish person was against Christian principles and offensive”. He was escorted out of the Abbey with his two children.