born Derby 1911; educated at the English College, Rome and Christ’s College, Cambridge; ordained priest 1934; taught at St. Edmund’s, Ware, St. Hugh’s, Tollerton, and the Beda College, Rome 1959-1966; Secretariat for Christian Unity 1966- ; died November 1994.

The Rev. Canon William A. Purdy taught for a number of years at the Beda College in Rome before joining the staff of the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity in 1966. He was a pioneer in fostering new contacts between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion after the Second Vatican Council. His main work was involvement in the relations between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion and the World Methodist Council. He was co-secretary of the international dialogues with both of theses World Communions, helping to prepare the reports that these dialogues produced. These include the landmark “Final Report” of ARCIC published in 1981. [from the obituary notice in Information Service 88 (1995/I)]

Documents

• ARCJPC-sf-8 ~ Report on approaching the problem of Anglican Orders
  Mount St. Joseph, Malta, 30 Dec. 1967
• ARCJPC-12.5 ~ Practical Proposals
  Mount St. Joseph, Malta, 30 Dec. 1968
• ARCPJC-6 ~ Growing Together: An Assessment of the Opportunities for Collaboration between the Two Churches
  Windsor, 9 Jan. 1970
• ARCPJC-2 ~ Anglican/Roman Catholic Relations since January 1968
  Windsor, 9 Jan. 1970
• ARCIC-29A ~ Correspondence to members of the dialogue
  Windsor, 4 Aug. 1971
• ARCIC-33C ~ Growing Together: A Proposed Enquiry
  Windsor, 1 Sept. 1971
• ARCIC-52-1 ~ Report on approaching the problem of Anglican Orders
  Gazzada, Italy, 27 Aug. 1972
• ARCIC-76-3 ~ Six propositions of International Theology Commission on “The Priestly Ministry”
  Canterbury, 28 June 1973
• ARCIC-83 ~ Notes on Approaching the Question of Church and Authority
  Canterbury, 27 Aug. 1973
• ARCIC-sf-12 ~ Correspondence sent to ARCIC members in preparation for the 1974 Grottaferrata meeting
  Grottaferrata, Italy, 1974
• CFR-RC-52-31 ~ Letter to Rev. Christopher Hill
  15 Sept. 1976
• CFR-RC-52-55 ~ Letter to Bishop John Howe
  28 Mar. 1977
• ARCIC-163 ~ Summary of Criticisms of the Windsor and Canterbury Statements
  Chichester, June 1977
• CFR-RC-52-78 ~ Letter to Rev. Christopher Hill
  12 Dec. 1977
• ARCCOW-4 ~ The Ordination of Women and Anglican-Roman Catholic Relations
  Versailles, 27 Feb. 1978
• ARCCOW-7 ~ Draft outline
  Versailles, 1 Mar. 1978
• CFR-RC-55-25 ~ Personal letter to Rev. Christopher Hill
  23 Mar. 1978
• ARCIC-216 ~ Roman Catholic Comments on the Venice Statement
  14 Dec. 1979