ESBVM

The next meeting of the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary – USA will be held on Saturday, October 8, 2011, at Andover Newton Theological School in Newton Centre, Massachusetts (just outside of Boston). It will be held in Davis Hall, Davis classroom 101 (lower level) from 9:00am to 3:00pm. The schedule will include two speakers in the morning and two in the afternoon. The following speakers are confirmed:

* Rt. Rev. Leonard Faris, Pastor of St. George Antiochian Church in Lowell, Massachusetts, who will speak on Mary, the Theotokos, in the Antiochian tradition.

* Christopher M. Carr, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Theology, Caldwell College, Caldwell, New Jersey, who will present a paper entitled, “Mary: Paradigm of Justice” which posits that the authoritative Marian doctrines found in Scripture and Tradition illustrate all the defining characterististics of the cardinal virtue of justice.

* Shobha Shamu Ramapriya, a Hindu author of children’s books and a teacher of Shloka chanting for children at Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple in Billerica, Massachusetts, will make a presentation on Mary and Hinduism.

* An additional speaker will be confirmed shortly.

Light refreshments will be served in the morning and lunch will be provided.

To learn about Andover Newton Theological School, please go to http://www.ants.edu/ants-difference/about/

For directions to Andover Newton and a map of the campus, go to http://www.ants.edu/ants-difference/map/

Please note that Davis Hall is building #7 on the campus map.

If you plan to attend the meeting on Saturday and are going to be in the area on that Sunday, a trip into Boston for church services and sight-seeing may be planned. If interested please send an email to esbvmeditor@hotmail.com as soon as possible.

For further information, please contact ESBVM USA president, Dr. Virginia M. Kimball, at vkimball@assumption.edu

Joe Farrelly, who died on 31st August, became the second great enabler and inspiration of the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary, following in the footsteps of Martin Gillett who had founded the Society in 1967. Both were Catholic layman and both had an incredible network of significant contacts on which they could call both inside and outside of their own Christian tradition. Martin Gillett was a English Catholic convert where Joe Farrelly was a cradle Irish Catholic. Beyond his wise and pastoral gifts as a devoted schoolmaster were Joe’s commitments to the cause of the Catholic Marian societies and Catholic agencies dedicated to those in need. Like Martin Gillett, Joe believed that Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Reformed and Methodist theologians and thinkers – clergy and laity alike – could be serious, spiritual and critical together about the place of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the worship, reflection and dialogue of all the mainstream churches. Often graciously and amusingly critical of those inside the leadership of his own tradition it was out of his deep and loyal Catholicism that Joe formed lasting relationships with church leaders and shakers across the Christian spectrum. He had an eye for the deep ecumenists within Orthodoxy, Anglicanism and in the Reformed traditions. He had close friends within British Methodism, and for almost twenty years attended the Annual Low Weekend Conference of the Methodist Sacramental Fellowship. He was above all an encourager who built on the potential he saw in the young – ordained and lay. Joe’s outstanding service to British Roman Catholicism and to the crucial place of Mary in ecumenical devotion and dialogue rightly earned him the recognition of a Papal knighthood. He was never happier than being part of an ecumenical pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi. His anecdotal memory of the unofficial history of more than eight decades of English Catholicism, as he relayed it to Christians of all traditions, was a joy to experience. Joe was totally supported in his life and work by his widow Ann, much loved in a family that has not been without its sorrows and will continue to be held with love in the memory and prayers of his friends.

Norman Wallwork

2nd September 2011

ESBVM learns with sadness of the death earlier today of Joe Farrelly K.C.S.G., longtime and dedicated member of the Society, its Council and Executive. May his soul rest in peace and may Our Lady pray for him.

The funeral is to be at St Elphege [Joe’s parish church], 120 Stafford Road, Wallington, Surrey SM6 9AY. Tel/Fax: 020 8647 5079 on September 22nd 2011 at 10.00am.

The next meeting of the ESBVM Executive will take place on Thursday 15th Sept at St.Vincent’s Carlisle Place: 12 noon [lunch] 13.00-15.00 [business].

Members of the Executive are asked to notify the General Secretary of their ability to attend.

The next meeting of the ESBVM USA will take place on Saturday, October 8, 2011, at Andover Newton Theological School in Newton Centre, Massachusetts.  Details will follow. If you have any questions, please contact ESBVM USA president, Dr. Virginia M. Kimball at vkimball@assumption.edu or the secretary, Susan L. Fall, at esbvmeditor@hotmail.com.

(click on image to see larger version)

Mary for the Love and Glory of God, a collection of ecumenical essays by scholars representing various Christian denominations that were presented at the International Congress of the ESBVM in Pittsburgh, PA, USA, in 2008, has recently been published in the United States by ESBVM USA through AuthorHouse. The contributors to this book focus their attention on Mary, the Mother of Christ, the biblical disciple whose life brings us to the love and glory of God. Contributing authors are Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant, and include: Very Rev. John Behr, Dean of Vladimir’s Seminary in New York; Dr. Robert L. Fastiggi, Professor of Sacred Theology at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit; Sr. Nonna Verna Harrison, an Eastern Orthodox nun and specialist in Patristics and Orthodox Theology; Dr. Maura Hearden, a Roman Catholic scholar and professor at DeSales University in PA; Rev. Jennifer Mary Kimball, pastor of the First Congregational Church UCC in Walton, NY; Dr. Virginia M. Kimball, an Eastern Orthodox theologian and president of the ESBVM USA; Rev. Dr. Donald Charles Lacy, United Methodist Pastor and well-known ecumenical author and lecturer; Sr. Barbara Jean Mihalchick OSBM, a Byzantine Catholic sister and vocation director for the Sisters of the Order of St. Basil in Uniontown, PA; Sr. Mary Catherine Nolan, a Roman Catholic Dominican sister and Marian theologian; Rev. Dr. Edward J. Ondrako, OFM Conv, scholar in residence at the Franciscan International Study Center in Canterbury, Kent, England; and Rev. Dr. Paul Snowden Russell III, an Anglican priest, noted Syriac scholar, and Dean of the St. Joseph of Arimathea Anglican Theological College, in Berkeley, CA.

In the United States, Mary for the Love and Glory of God is available for $25 through AuthorHouse at www.authorhouse.com, as well as other online booksellers.

The book is easily available to those living in the United Kingdom because the publisher, AuthorHouse, has a location in England. This means that there are no overseas shipping costs. Go to www.authorhouse.co.uk to order. On the website go to BOOKSHOP and search at the top of the screen by title, or author, or ISBN 978-1-4567-5667-3. The cost is £15.95.

Mary for the Love and Glory of God has received good reviews from readers in the U.S.  We would welcome reviews from ESBVM members in the UK on this website under COMMENTS! 

ESBVM learns with sadness of the death of Canon Roger Greenacre, longtime friend and member of the Society. May his soul rest in peace and may Our Lady pray for him.

A tribute to Canon Greenacre can be found on the web site of the Diocese of Europe.

ESBVM learns with sadness of the death of Mgr Richard Rutt, longtime member and friend of the Society. May his soul rest in peace and may Our Lady pray for him.

A committed Ecumenist, Bishop Michael, was a member of the British Catholic/Methodist Committee from 1991, appointed as a member of the International Joint Commission for Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Methodist Council in 1996 and following his ordination as Bishop was appointed Chairman of the Bishops’ Conference Committee for Dialogue and Christian Unity. His knowledge, commitment and contribution to dialogue with the Methodist communion was immense and made a special contribution to the area of ecumenism which has been the brief of the ESBVM since its inception 45 years ago next year. As Chairman of the Committee responsible for dialogue with other faiths, Bishop Michael found himself serving alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams and other members of national Christian leadership by whom he was much respected. At a local level, his relationships with leaders of other Churches and faiths were always marked by warmth and genuine friendship which was reflected in beautiful tributes from The Bishop of Norwich, Rt Rev Graham James, The Bishop of Ely, Rt Rev Stephen Conway, Rt Rev Nigel Stock, Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Diocese joined others in expressing a view that all the Church of England Bishops in the eastern region valued hugely Bishop Michael’s companionship and willingness to walk with others in the Christian pilgrimage. Rev Simon Wilson, county ecumenical officer at Churches Together in Norfolk and Waveney, and Graham Thompson, chair of the East Anglia district of the Methodist Church, along with others of all Christian traditions and faith communities paid tribute to him.

The ESBVM Conference held at Aylesford Carmelite Priory in 2006 was the setting for an at-times heated discussion of the ARCIC Statement on Mary – Grace and Hope in Christ during which Bishop Michael Evans of East Anglia, who was generous with his time at ESBVM conference even though he had begun treatment for cancer, offered the first paper in which he admonished his fellows for seeing the document merely as a further indication that Anglicans were moving nearer to Rome; it was in fact he urged a call to Roman Catholics to review their own position in terms of mental and devotional attitudes, and to accept and seek insights from other Christians. He himself had taken part in discussions with Methodists on the same subject, producing a document which had been accepted as authoritative for all Methodists internationally, and he commended it as a valuable counterpart.

The focus of his last East Anglia Diocesan Pilgrimage in which he took part was the Solemnity of St. George, Patron Saint of England this year marked on 2nd May. In Bishop Michael Evans’ homily he suggested we all needed the gift of courage, in order to be faithful disciples and pilgrims of Jesus Christ. He said it did not require much courage to walk the ‘Holy Mile’ of Walsingham, which is the great national Marian shrine within the Diocese of East Anglia, unless, like him, you could not see where you were going! [Bishop Michael’s health had been in steady decline for some months]. Walsingham has a major significance for the ESBVM and perhaps for ecumenists and members of the ESBVM currently reflecting on the future of the society not seeing where we are going requiring courage could serve as a useful metaphor. Bishop Michael referred to the youthful Student Cross Holy Week Pilgrimage to the same shrine, but he said he remembered also, those who over 950 years had walked across England to get to the Holy Land of England’s Nazareth at Walsingham, sometimes attacked by bandits and others as they walked together. This often required real courage, as shown by St. George and martyrs across the ages. Bishop Michael showed an admirable courage to the end and we pray that he may come to that full share in the Resurrection in the hope of which we ourselves live. Our lady of Walsingham, pray for Bishop Michael and for us.

Father Bill, OSM Hon General Secretary

The ESBVM USA held its Spring meeting in Washington, DC, on Saturday, May 7, at the Holy Rosary Italian Catholic Church. The day began happily with good attendance and quite a few new faces to welcome! In the morning, there were two speakers. In the afternoon, almost the entire number of attendees met at the nearby National Gallery of Art to attend a privately-led tour of Marian art by ESBVM friend Gerry de la Cruz.

The first speaker of the day was Rev. Karen Curry, from the Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church in Washington, DC. Rev. Curry presented a full description of Baptist thought on the Virgin Mary, explaining that the focus of Baptist faith and interest is always founded in the “supreme authority” of the Bible. Apocryphal texts and the ancient traditions that surround the life of Mary are “interesting” she said, but not key to Baptist understanding concerning Mary’s importance. At the core of Mary’s importance is the Incarnation, she explained. Mary, a humble and “righteous” woman, responded to God’s call and bore the Son of God. The question period that followed was stimulating and prompted a good exchange with those in attendance. Rev. Curry brought members of her church to the meeting, and everyone later enjoyed the museum tour together.

The second speaker of the morning was Dr. Ramzy Labib, a Coptic Christian from Columbia, Maryland. The fascinating connection that emerged from his presentation was that Coptic Christians also focus their attention on the Incarnation when speaking of Mary. He began his presentation by explaining briefly the history of the Coptic Church and its important two early (patristic) “popes” – St. Athanasius and St. Cyril. Discussion ensued in the question period as to the meaning of the Coptic use of the word “pope.” In his presentation, Dr. Labib explained a series of hymn texts describing Mary’s role in the plan of God, which are central to Coptic Christian worship and demonstrate that they too see her central importance as the woman who bore Christ.

Both morning presentations will be published and distributed to all members of the ESBVM USA and to members in the ESBVM UK when requested. The ESBVM USA has decided that since the United States is such a large country, with members from across the nation, that the publishing of the presentations and a newsletter that is published four times a year will increase the visibility and knowledge of the work of the ESBVM.

In the afternoon tour in the National Gallery, members were able to see some early examples of art representing the Virgin Mary and learned how spiritual meaning was stressed over a presentation of people and places in the realistic and physical sense. Compared with late medieval and Renaissance paintings of the Virgin, members saw that the desire for realism gradually developed and flourished. For example, in the earliest painting, Mary holds Jesus, who appears to be a young man. As realism takes hold, Jesus’ appearance takes on the look of a more realistic infant/child. Tour director Gerry de la Cruz admitted that even though he had been giving tours in the gallery for some time, he had never realized how very many images and statues of the Virgin Mary the gallery presented. One painting could have been purchased for 44 cents, he said! In actuality it had served as the Christmas stamp for the U.S. Postal Service, as had other paintings in the gallery over the years.

Exciting news was announced at this meeting of the newly published ESBVM USA book, Mary for the Love and Glory of God, edited by Dr. Virginia M. Kimball and Dr. Maura Hearden. This book is a collection of the papers presented at the ESBVM International Congress in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, in 2008. It includes papers on a variety of topics written by scholars representing the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Eastern Rite Catholic, Methodist, United Church of Christ (UCC), and Anglican traditions. Copies may be ordered (both in the USA and in Europe) by going to www.authorhouse.com. The book is also available through online sales, including Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Membership in the ESBVM USA is $20 per year. This entitles a member to the four newsletters per year, ESBVM publications, and a discount on the new book, in addition to supporting the worthy work of the Society. One may subscribe as a member by filling out the membership form found on this website and mailing it with a payment to:

ESBVM USA

1116 Criton Street

Herndon, VA  20170

For more information about the ESBVM USA and its many activities, please email messages to: esbvmeditor@hotmail.com to the attention of Ms. Susan L. Fall, Membership Secretary and Newsletter Editor.