Ecumenical Prospects of Mary is the third volume to come out of the biennial pilgrimages to Walsingham, organised by the Ecumenical Marian Pilgrimage Trust. Papers given at the pilgrimage on a wide range of subjects and from a wide range of traditions have been brought together in an attractive and well-produced volume.

An eclectic list of contributors cover the whole range of Christian scholarship and thinking on Mary, her role, her example and her relevance to the Church today, looking both at scriptural and wider historical sources, as well as current reflections and analysis. Contributors range from the well-known in this field to some less prominent but no less worthy writers. Metropolitan Kallistos writes, as does Bishop Peter Forster, on vocation, both of Mary and our own. Dr Colin Thompson, URC minister, the Revd Sandy Williams from the Methodist tradition and Fr Phillip Swingler, a Roman Catholic priest, each provide extended scriptural meditations. Lesser-known traditions are represented by, among others, Fr Athanasius McVay writing on the history of Eastern Catholic Uniate churches, while for the Oriental Orthodox tradition, Fr Shnork Baghadassarian describes beliefs and traditions of the Armenian Church with reference to Mary. New research into the work of Fr Lambert Beauduin, the 19th-century Belgian priest, is contained in an important paper by Fr Mark Woodruff.

A scholarly and thoughtful collection, Ecumenical Prospects of Mary, along with its sister volumes, Prospects of Mary (2005) and Further Prospects of Mary (2007), is a key addition to the bookshelf of any Marian scholar.

Ecumenical Prospects of Mary is published by the Ecumenical Marian Pilgrimage Trust, price £8.95 plus £1.10 p & p

ISBN 978 0 955 11 512 7

For further information on Ecumenical Prospects of Mary or to purchase contact EMPT, 31 Kingsley Road, Plymouth, PL4 6QP pbmarr@dircon.co.uk

The triennial forum of Churches Together in England, of which ESBVM is a body in association, took place at the Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick from September 7th – 9th 2009, taking the theme Changing World: Changing Church? The moderator of the forum was Bishop Declan Lang, Catholic Diocese of Clifton, and the deputy moderator was Val Potter, County Ecumenical Officer of Dorset. Nearly three hundred delegates were present at the forum from the thirty one churches that are members of the CTE.

Like any big ecumenical gathering of this kind being in the company of Christians with a common purpose and hearing about positive stories of churches working together gave one encouragement to continue with the ecumenical effort. At the same time, one heard and shared constructive criticism of how the structures and instruments needed to change to be fit for purpose in the altered circumstances of both contemporary society and the churches. This particularly applies to the intermediate or county bodies.

The idea of thirty or forty years ago of achieving ecclesial institutional unity within a generation or so has now receded, the emphasis is now on churches working together on practical initiatives addressing the needs of society often in partnership with secular or statutory agencies. Additionally, the exchange of gifts that the different Christian traditions can offer to each other to enrich the spiritual lives of all Christians has become a greater priority. This is referred to as receptive ecumenism. There still remains the challenge of engaging the great majority of faithful across all the mainstream churches in the ecumenical dimension of Christian life. A more positive development is the increasing participation of the black-majority churches in the ecumenical structures. However, Christian communities of an evangelical complexion, often vibrant in themselves, remain, with some exceptions, outside the ecumenical structures.

There was also a feeling that the church leadership should also have a higher profile by being seen responding and addressing together issues raised by society as well as local clerical leadership across the board, as opposed to enthusiastic and committed individuals, encouraging their congregations to engage in ecumenical activity. Last, but not least, is the issue of funding of the ecumenical instruments and endeavours particularly in the current economic climate. The level of financial support will surely be at least one measure of the ecumenical commitment of all the churches engaged in this movement.

N.B. Access to the full text of David Cornick’s and Timothy Radcliffe’s address, the audio files of the biblical study by the archbishops and the four stories are available through the link:

http://www.churches-together.net/Articles/163221/Churches_Together_in/CTE/Forum_2009/Texts_Sound_Recordings.aspx .

Paul Paniccia
Inter-Church Relations Secretary

Greetings from the ESBVM in the USA! This is to announce our October 2009 meeting which will be held at Zion Lutheran Church, 2215 Brandywine Lane,  in York, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, 10 October, 2009! (Registration, presentations and lunch, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm / business meeting 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm.)  Rev. Janyce Jorgensen, pastor at Zion Church, will  host the meeting.

Our schedule will include presentations by Dr. Carl Winderl, Professor of Writing at Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, California, who will recount his spiritual journey and share his Marian poetry; Dr. Frank Romance, Vice-President of the ESBVM-USA, who will speak on ”Mary and the Knights of Columbus”;  and a presentation by Sr. Regina Vieyra MGSpS of Immaculate Conception Church / Old St. Mary’s in York, Pennsylvania, on “Blessed Virgin Mary in the Latino tradition.”

The meeting is open to the public and there is no entry fee. Lunceon will be served. A business meeting will follow and all are welcome to attend.

Please contact ESBVM-USA Chapter President Virginia M. Kimball at vkimball@assumption.edu for further information.

The meeting is reached via Harrisburg Internationall Airport (25 minutes away  by car) or Baltimore Washington International Airport (one hour and 15 minutes away by car.) Lodging will be available at Comfort Inn Corporate Gateway (PA 257), 2250 North George Street, York, Pennsylvania 17406 ( Phone 717-699-1919 / Fax 717-864-7209) or Homewood Suites by Hilton, 200 Masonic Drive, York, Pennsylvania, United States 17406 (Tel: 1-717-434-1800   Fax: 1-717-434-1848.)

A report on the recent ESBVM conference – United with Mary in Prayer: Ecumenism and the Mother of God – held at Aylesford Priory is available here.

The ARCIC Documents are important as indicators of ecumenical relations that, according to Bishop John Flack of the Anglican Centre in Rome, though strained, have not, as reported elsewhere, been halted by controversy within the Anglican communion. Rather they are at a stage of completion with the ARCIC II’s mandate ending with the publication of the joint document on Mary in May
of 2005.

The Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary at its AGM Lecture in the Jerusalem Chamber of Westminster Abbey on March 4th 2006 given by Bishop Nazir-Ali of Rochester, who was one of the Anglican participants in the ARCIC II deliberations, in the Jerusalem Chamber of Westminster Abbey, continued the effort of reception that all such documents face.

Those attending the lecture, including one of the society’s patrons His Excellency Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira & Great Britain, were privileged to an insider’s view of the process of the ARCIC II deliberations and a flavour of how the committee arrived at the position that emerged in the ‘Mary, Grace and Hope in Christ’ document that was published.

The ESBVM is on the verge of celebrating its 40th anniversary of Foundation in 2007 when it is hoped to gather members with its patrons and friends in an occasion of marking the progress in this significant and important area of ecumenical exchange. The work of the society involves Christians of various traditions and those seeking further information may contact ESBVM using the links in the Contact list at left.

For an account of the conference held jointly by ESBVM, the Society of St John Chrysostom and the London Branch of the Fellowship of St Alban and St Sergius August 26th-29th 2003, click here.

A report on the ESBVM Congress The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus: A sign of Hope on the Way to Christian Unity: The Wedding at Cana (John 2) , held at Woldingham School, Surrey in July 1997 is available here.