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

• Report on approaching the problem of Anglican Orders
  Mount St. Joseph, Mosta, Malta, 30 Dec. 1967 ~ ARCJPC sf-8
• Practical Proposals
  Mount St. Joseph, Mosta, Malta, 30 Dec. 1968 ~ ARCJPC 12.5
• Growing Together: An Assessment of the Opportunities for Collaboration between the Two Churches
  Windsor, 9 Jan. 1970 ~ ARCPJC 6
• Anglican/Roman Catholic Relations since January 1968
  Windsor, 9 Jan. 1970 ~ ARCPJC 2
• Correspondence to members of the dialogue
  Windsor, 4 Aug. 1971 ~ ARCIC 29A
• Growing Together: A Proposed Enquiry
  Windsor, 1 Sept. 1971 ~ ARCIC 33C
• Report on approaching the problem of Anglican Orders
  Gazzada, Italy, 27 Aug. 1972 ~ ARCIC 52-1
• A note regarding six propositions of the International Theological Commission on ‘The Priestly Ministry’
  Canterbury, 28 June 1973 ~ ARCIC 76-3
• Notes on Approaching the Question of Church and Authority
  Canterbury, 27 Aug. 1973 ~ ARCIC 83
• Correspondence sent to ARCIC members in preparation for the 1974 Grottaferrata meeting
  Grottaferrata, Italy, 1974 ~ ARCIC SF/12
• The Canterbury Statement on Ministry and Ordination: Report and Summary of Comments received at the Secretariat
  Grottaferrata, Italy, June 1974 ~ ARCIC 114
• Note on Professor Alberigo’s paper: ‘The Concept of Jurisdiction in the Catholic Church’
  Aug. 1975 ~ ARCIC 134A
• Letter to Rev. Christopher Hill
  15 Sept. 1976 ~ CFR-RC-52 - p. 31
• Letter to Bishop John Howe
  28 Mar. 1977 ~ CFR-RC-52 - p. 55
• Summary of Criticisms of the Windsor and Canterbury Statements
  Chichester, June 1977 ~ ARCIC 163
• Letter to Rev. Christopher Hill
  12 Dec. 1977 ~ CFR-RC-52 - p. 78
• The Ordination of Women and Anglican-Roman Catholic Relations
  Versailles, 27 Feb. 1978 ~ ARCCOW 4
• Draft outline
  Versailles, 1 Mar. 1978 ~ ARCCOW 7
• Personal letter to Rev. Christopher Hill
  23 Mar. 1978 ~ CFR-RC-55 - p. 25
• Roman Catholic Comments on the Venice Statement
  14 Dec. 1979 ~ ARCIC 216
• Dialogue with the Anglican Communion
  26 Nov. 1981
• The Search for Unity: Relations between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches from the 1950s to the 1970s
  1996