ESBVM

As excited pilgrims made their way to Hyde Park on the third day of the Pope’s visit some found their progress impeded by protests from various groups opposed to the visit who had organised a demonstration at Hyde Park Corner extending down Piccadilly. However, far from the 10,000 claimed the numbers appeared to be no more than 5,000.

As one of 10 members of ESBVM who were invited pilgrims, I made my way to the enclosure  and found a seat in the front row by the stage. Carol Vorderman presented entertainment from different parts of the Catholic Community in the hours leading up to the Pope’s arrival. There was also moving testimony from the parents of murdered teenager, Jimmy Mizen. I didn’t meet up with other members of the Society until later but we were all struck by the prayerfulness of the vigil, especially during Adoration.

Shortly before the Pontiff’s arrival, the Catholic Bishops of England & Wales walked on to the stage, waving enthusiastically at the waiting crowd. There was an air of informality about the whole event, which members of the hierarchy seemed to enjoy. A vast  procession of banners  were carried  onto the stage  by representatives from parishes throughout the country as well as various Catholic groups who were greeted by the bishops.

Huge crowds lined the Mall as the Popemobile made its progress  and the scenes were relayed to those waiting in in Hyde Park on vast screens. As The Priests sang Vivaldi’s  Laudamus Te, Mendelssohn’s Lift Thine Eyes and pieces from Handels’ Messiah. The  New English Orchestra , a freelance ecumenical orchestra of musicians from all over the country, provided musical accompaniment with their musical director, Nigel Swinford.

As the Pope arrived in the Park a huge roar was heard. The Popemobile moved amongst the waiting crowds and drew up by the stage with a beaming Archbishop Vincent Nichols beside him. The Pope made his way to the stage acknowledging the waves and  cheers of the crowd.

Archbishop Peter Smith of Southwark welcomed the Pope, referring to  the nearby site of Tyburn where both Catholic and Anglican martyrs died . He  gave thanks  that “in more recent times, the Christian Churches in our land work together in the light of the Gospel for the common good of all in this country,” and said that there was much that united us.

Following the Gospel reading of the Beatitudes, the Pope preached. Reflecting on  Newman’s message for all and influence in his own life and  stressed the importance of prayer,

“without the interior transformation which takes place through the grace of the sacraments, we cannot, in Newman’s words, “radiate Christ”; we become just another “clashing cymbal” (1 Cor 13:1) in a world filled with growing noise and confusion, filled with false paths leading only to heartbreak and illusion.”

The Pope then lit the Paschal candle from which parish representatives lit their candles and processed in front of the stage as Adoration of  the Blessed Sacrament began.  The Litany of the Sacred Heart  was  recited, followed by Cardinal Newman’s prayer that the light of Jesus “penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine” and his hymn, Lead Kindly Light was sung.

At the end of the service X factor finalist, Liam McNally sang a moving rendition of the Nunc Dimittis which was  warmly received by Pope, bishops and people.

The whole event radiated warmth and prayer. Reflections of Blessed John Henry Newman embraced  his life as an Anglican throughout the whole Papal visit. There were a number of Anglican Bishops and other church representatives at the Beatification including Arhbishop Gregorious of Thyateiria and Bishop Christopher Hill, both ESBVM patrons.

An Anglican clergyman wrote to Newman when he was  made a Cardinal:

“I wonder if you know how much you are loved by England … by all religiously minded England … And I wonder whether this extraordinary and unparalleled love might not be … utilised,as one means to draw together into one fold all Englishmen who believe.”

Might not these words apply equally today to Newman and to Pope  Benedict who has spoken from the heart, Cor ad Cor Loquitor,  during this momentous and historic visit!

Amanda C Dickie,
Hon. Press Secretary, ESBVM

Representatives of the ESBVM were privileged to be present at  the ecumenical service in Westminster Abbey during the visit of Pope Benedict XVI. We were seated in the Nave  close to tomb of the Unknown Warrior, and had a wonderful vantage point for the Pope’s arrival and the first part of the service.

It was an historic moment when Pope Benedict XVI went to Westminster Abbey,  the heart of our country’s establishment where  monarchs have been crowned and are buried.

The Pope stepped out of the Popemobile  to cheering crowds, who obscured the ‘No Popery’ banner on the opposite side of the road.  The Dean, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, greeted him and pointed out the effigies of St Maximillian Kolbe and Oscar Romero , alongside more ancient saints, above the great West Door. The Pope looked impressed and gestured enthusiastically towards the figures.

The Abbey is dedicated to St Peter, and it was a poignant moment as today’s successor to the Apostle entered with the Archbishop of Canterbury, having come from an historic meeting at Lambeth Palace with Anglican and Catholic Bishops. They were accompanied by  Dr John Sentanu, Archbishop of York, and  the Archbishop of Westminster, the Most Rev’d Vincent Nichols.

The Dean invited the Pope to pray before the tomb of the Unknown Warrior, as is the custom for visiting heads of state. Following a brief prayer invoking peace,  leaders of the Orthodox and Oriental Churches, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, United Reformed, Free Churches of England and Wales,  Church of Scotland and the Irish  Catholic and Anglican Archbishops of Armagh were presented to the Pope,who greeted each warmly. The Pope and Archbishop of Canterbury retired to the Jericho chamber to vest for a service of Evening Prayer. When  they re-entered  the choir, conducted by Catholic, James O’Donnell, Organist and Master of Choristers, stood in a semi circle by the West Door, singing  the Invitatory, especially composed for the service. The Pope looked appreciatively towards them, seemingly impressed by the quality of music.

It was a moving moment as the Procession moved along the Nave towards the chancel with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Pope walking side by side,  preceded by Cathedral clergy and the sixth century Book of  Gospels  given by Pope Gregory  to  St Augustine when he bought the message of Christianity to these shores.

As the Pope and Archbishop of Canterbury embraced  in the sign of Peace spontaneous  applause  burst out from the  entire congregation.  Applause had also rung through the Abbey before the Pontiff’s arrival, following his address at the Palace of Westminster which had been relayed on vast screens to the waiting guests.

Dame Mary Tanner, President of the World Council of Churches, read the Epistle and the Rt Reverend John Christie, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland read the Gospel. The Archbishop and Pope then venerated the St Augustine Gospels..

In his address the Pope spoke of  his commitment to Christian unity and of coming as a pilgrim to the magnificent abbey:

“whose  architecture and history speak so eloquently of our commonheritage of faith. Here we cannot help but be reminded of how greatly the Christian faith shaped theunity and culture of Europe and the heart and spirit of the English people. Here too, we are forciblyreminded that what we share, in Christ, is greater than what continues to divide us.”

He spoke of this years  centenary of the ecumenical movement which began at the Edinburgh conference of 1910 and “the remarkable progress” made ,whilst being aware of what still needed to be done;  and the challenges, the blessings, the disappointments and the signs of hope which have marked our ecumenical journey.”

He offered words of encouragement for all Christians to rise to the challenges “of the spirit of the age”, as the successor of St Peter “charged with a particular care” for church unity.

The Archbishop of Canterbury  referred to the Abbey’s Benedictine origins and the Benedictine Rule that  had laid  foundations for an entire culture. He spoke of the need to regain the dignity of human labour and leisure in our society and the “profound encyclicals “of Pope Benedict that had explored these themes.

Canon Jane Hedges and representatives from Catholic and Anglican youth organisations led the prayers.

The service culminated with the Pope and Archbishop of Canterbury being led by the Dean to kneel and  pray together at the tomb of St Edward the Confessor for  healing of the the divisions between Christians.

They  then gave a joint blessing to the assembled people from many traditions and all walks of life. As they processed down the Abbey the West Doors were flung open and waiting crowds cheered enthusiastically as the Abbey bells rang out. It was an amazing ecumenical occasion where the Pope exuded warmth and was given an equally warm reception.

Afterwards we viewed the gifts exchanged between the Pope and Archbishop of Canterbury and met  Canon Sagovsky, Canon Theologian of the Abbey, ESBVM member and patron. Lord Hurd, former Foreign Secretary, robed  as a Canon  of the Abbey, smiled amiably as he exited. Also spotted was a  frail but beaming Lord St. John Fawsley wearing his trademark red scarf. We also saw our esteemed member and patron, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware,who declared his delight at the service  and was also present at the Papal Mass at the Westminster Cathedral the next morning.

Amanda C Dickie,
Hon. Press Secretary, ESBVM

The Executive of the ESBVM notes the publication on November 9th 2009 of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus which provides a means by which groups of Anglicans may enter into the communion of the Catholic Church while preserving those aspects of the Anglican tradition that are compatible with the teaching of the Catholic Church. In respecting the conscience of those who freely wish to take up this offer of the Holy See the ESBVM remains committed to the wider unity that all Christians involved in the ecumenical movement continue to seek. The Executive will place this matter for further discussion on the agenda of the January 2010 meeting of the ESBVM Council.

ESBVM does not comment upon the internal life of particular churches and ecclesial communities, and notes that this Apostolic Constitution is similarly published not as a commentary on difficulties within the Anglican Communion in recent times but as a pastoral response by the Holy See to requests from bishops and groups of the Anglican tradition over a number of years.

Conscious that the Anglican tradition originated in England, known across the centuries as ‘Our Lady’s Dowry’, it is the sincere prayer of ESBVM that under the patronage of Our Lady, and building upon the work of many, including the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) and International Anglican Roman Catholic Commission for Unity & Mission (IARCCUM), the response by groups of Anglicans to Anglicanorum coetibus will make a significant contribution to the reconciliation of all Christians in one flock with one shepherd, that ‘they may all be one’.

We are sorry to record the deaths of the following faithful members.

Sister M. Joseph of the Carmelite monastery, Stillorgan, Republic of Ireland
Miss K.M. Pfister of Bloomesbury
Br. Francis Barker

May they rest in peace and rise in glory.

Br Francis Barker
Br Francis Barker was a member of the North West branch of the Society. Until ill health intervened, he attended our meetings. He was born in Ipswich in 1923 and was brought up as an Anglican. Educated at Stowe and Trinity College, Cambridge, he became a Roman Catholic at the age of 32 and, twenty years later joined the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. He remained very ecumenically minded and never forgot the debt he owed to his Anglican roots.

Francis was a deeply cultured person and well-informed. He shared his gifts generously and befriended many. He will not be forgotten for the contribution that he made to the local society and the wider community. He died in Liverpool, aged 85.

The May 2009 ESBVM USA meeting was held in Walton, New York, a small mountain village in the Catskill mountains. We met at a lovely, historic UCC church. The topic of the day was a discussion on the merits of developing a model for a “Day of reflection and prayer on Mary” in any church who would be interested including Protestant churches. Such days were held at this church in Walton the Fall 2007 and 2008.

At the May ESBVM USA meeting, a panel discussion was held with representatives of the church and ESBVM USA board members. The discussion was taped. It is included here in an audio podcast, with many thanks to audio engineer Pat Gohn who volunteered her time and efforts to make this possible. We invite anyone who listens to provide a comment. Would this be a worthy endeavor for ESBVM USA to do – to develop a model for a day of prayer and reflection for churches to use?

An audio podcast of this forum can be accessed here.

BE PATIENT … it may take five to ten minutes on some computers to load this audiopod.

Member Pat Gohn, who now coordinates a Catholic radio program for women, Among Women graciously volunteered to record and produce this audio podcast. [Be sure to click on image.] We thank her for her many efforts.

ESBVM USA members who participated were Rev. Jennifer Juliano (pastor of the Walton UCC church), Rev. Donald Lacy (Methodist minister and author), Dr. Maura Hearden (Roman Catholic mariologist at DeSales University), Dr. Janyce Jorgensen (Lutheran pastor and professor of ecumenical theology at St. Mary’s Catholic Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland), and Dr. Virginia M. Kimball (Eastern Orthodox.)

If you listen to the audiopod, please comment on the ideas presented. We are most interested in what ESBVM members have to say.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols took part in a Service of Solemn Vespers at Westminster Cathedral on the evening before his Installation as the 11th Archbishop of Westminster. Members of the ESBVM were invited and attended including Mr Pat O’Sullivan and the Hon Gen Secretary. It was a beautiful occasion and prayerful.

The following day saw the installation of the new Archbishop wearing a mitre depicting the Annunciation, the central truth of our shared Christian faith that God was made Man. Once again members of the ESBVM were invited and attended including the Sr.Teresa Burke, Bishop Christopher Hill, Mr Pat O’Sullivan and our Hon Gen Secretary. As a new co-President of Churches Together in England, the new Archbishop of Westminster was greeted by other co-Presidents of CTE including The Archbishop of Canterbury and The Free Churches Moderator. The installation took place in the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor along with many other Bishops of England and Wales and ecumenical guests. Four of our ESBVM patrons were present among the invited guests.

Once again, the Canterbury Branch has been busy with four meetings in the autumn. At the first, on Sept 17, Dr Mark Bateson, Senior Archivist to Canterbury Cathedral, gave a talk about the archives. These are particularly rich for the medieval period and we were shown signatures of such famous people as Archbishop Lanfranc and William the Conqueror and his queen.

The second talk was on the importance of ecumenism in today’s world by Mr. David Heap on October 1. He explained the origin of the word in the Greek oikoumene, meaning the whole inhabited world. He went on to explain some differences between the Catholic view of ecumenism, aiming at one visible church in union with the present Catholic Church and some Protestant views, aiming at spiritual unity. He talked about the German Lutheran theologian, Edmund Schlink who considered common focus on Christ as the key. He also talked about relations with other religions.

The meeting ended with a vigorous discussion.

On 29 October, Fr. Tony Cassidy, who is well known for his profound expositions of Scripture, talked to us about women in the early Church. He said that women were not always mentioned as being present at important events in Our Lord’s life, but that did not mean they were necessarily absent. They are not mentioned at the Last Supper, but as Passover was essentially a family celebration, then women and children would have been present at it as they still are today. After his talk, Fr. Tony tried to answer the questions posed by his appreciative audience.

Finally, on 3 December, Miss Barbara Markham gave a meditation on Isaiah’s prediction of the birth of Jesus. She used the medium of music to illustrate each prophecy, making particular use of relevant parts of Handel’s Messiah but also including some Latin plainchant and Hebrew hymns. Barbara ended her recital with a prophecy for Zephanaiah which directly refers to Our Lady’s role in the Incarnation. This was ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, they King cometh unto thee. He is the righteous Saviour and he shall speak peace unto the heathen’. The meeting closed with tea and mince pies.

Our plans for the near future include.

Monday March 17th – 1pm in the Upper Room of St Thomas’ Church, Mr David Heap will talk about ‘Crusading for Mary, the mother of Jesus’.

The South Yorkshire branch was very active throughout 2007. In May, it joined in an Orthodox celebration of the divine liturgy and a pilgrimage to Harpham in East Yorkshire, birthplace of St John of Beverley, who became Bishop of Hexham in 687, being later translated to York as Archbishop in 705, from which he retired in 714, dying in 721. He founded a minster at Beverly, the present building being constructed around his tomb. After the Orthodox eucharist at Harpham, the party travelled to Beverley where they heard the Minster choir rehearsing for evensong in this beautiful setting.

After this, five new members joined the Society.

In the Autumn, there were no less than four events.

In September we joined the Orthodox pilgrimage to Lastingham in North Yorkshire, to celebrate ‘The Nativity of Our Lady’. A monastery was founded there on the edge of the Moors, in 654, by St Cedd. A leaflet was kindly provided by our Chairman outlining the Divine Liturgy, which proved to be very useful to the members of our group of 16. In addition, the Vicar, Fr Ferguson, welcomed us and spoke briefly about the history of the Crypt and the Church of St Mary. We later travelled to nearby Pickering in superb weather, where members relaxed in various ways. Some visited an interesting ‘open day’ exhibition in the Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul, and to see the famous wall paintings of the 15th century, now fully restored. The return journey was enlivened by enthusiastic singing of hymns of Our Lady, and the reciting of the Rosary.

In October, a group of 14 made a pilgrimage to the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Egmanton near Tuxford, and just off the A1. This was led by Fr Kevin Smith, and attended by almost 100 pilgrims.

The Liturgy included The Angelus, Solemn Mass and Sermon. After lunch provided by the ladies of the village, we followed on with a solemn Magnificat, a procession into the village, and Benediction in the parish church and Shrine of our Lady, to conclude a most enjoyable ecumenical pilgrimage.

Also in October, we were invited to a talk in Sheffield entitled ‘Mary Grace and Hope in Christ’. This was given by Bishop Malcolm MacMahon of the RC Diocese of Nottingham, and he gave a stimulating insight into progress and the problems of ARCIC, of which he is a member. After the talk, group discussions followed by a Plenary Session, completed an excellent, informative and lively event. Bishop John Rawsthorne of the Diocese of Hallam, who chaired the meeting, had previously welcomed us and made mention of ESBVM before the talk. We made a number of ecumenical contacts, at this gathering.

Our AGM was held in November at the Orthodox Church of Saints Columba and Kentigern, in Edlington, Doncaster. Fr Dennis, our Chairman, led us as we prayed the Society’s Office. Our officers presented reviews on previous events, on our Finances (healthy), and on the input of a small ‘steering group’ which had been set up to recommend future Branch Strategy with particular regard for membership and activities. One early recommendation was to print a ‘Membership Leaflet’ more suited to Branch needs and local requirements. This has now been implemented, and has proved useful in publicising the Society, and in recruiting new members.

Our Officers were re-elected for another year, after which there was a short break for refreshments.

Our Chairman then gave an interesting talk on ‘The Mystical unity of the Church’, with emphasis on what we should be doing, and how we might work towards the unity for which Christ prayed. This was followed by a discussion on the current problems, with the view expressed that unity would only really move forward when it to become stronger at local church level. The meeting closed after over two hours of enthusiastic participation by those who attended what was in effect, a comprehensive and positive review of our Branch and its activities.

In the second week of Advent, we joined with the Mothers’ Union at St Oswald’s for an Advent devotion Beyond the Corridors of Grace, produced by our Treasurer, Merelina. This was a delightful service of readings, prayers and hymns, supported by organ, cello and piano music. Over fifty people attended, the Society being well represented. Over £100 was raised for a mother and baby home in Ghana.

Our plans for events in 2008 are as follows

Monday January 21st – Dunscroft St Edwin’s Church. Near Doncaster

To celebrate the ‘Week of Prayer for Christian Unity’. We have an invitation from Father Alan Watson and our members at St Edwin’s to join them for Mass at 7.00pm. Refreshments afterwards and an opportunity to meet members and other interested parishioners. Rev. Fr. Richard Power, Vicar of Moorends, will preach.

February – Sheffield. 26 years under Mary’s mantle. Talk by Sister Ruth Bleakley OCV. Details later.

Tuesday March 11th – Mass at 12.45 including the Liturgy of Anointing, at St Marie’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, Sheffield. This will be followed by refreshments, then a talk and short tour of the cathedral. This should be of historical interest, both marian and ecumenical.

Saturday May 10th – Pilgrimage to Mount Grace Priory and The Lady Chapel at Osmotherley in North Yorks. The Society Office in the restored Monks’ Cell at Mount Grace. At 12 Noon. Vigil Mass at the Lady Chapel 3.30pm. Refreshments afterwards. Tea in Thirsk on return. A special Invitation will be sent to individual members residing in North Yorkshire. We thank Fr Hilary Alflatt for setting up this event.

Saturday July 19th – Pilgrimage to Crowland Abbey near Peterborough.

August – Pilgrimage to Egmanton near Tuxford. Shrine of Our Lady.

September – Pilgrimage to Lastingham in North Yorks. Orthodox Eucharist. Visit to Pickering afterwards.

October – Sheffield. Talk, ‘The Methodist approach to Mary’. Provisional.
November – Branch AGM. To be arranged.

Tuesday December 16th – 2.00pm. Advent Service, St Oswald’s. Abbeydale Road, Sheffield. Invitation from the Mothers Union and our members at St. Oswald’s Anglican Church.

Ivan Kightley RIP

The funeral of Ivan Kightley was held last Wednesday at Westminster Cathedral. Bishop Alan Hopes was to have awarded him the Westminster Diocesan Medal for long service to the Church,a rare honour, on 6 January, but Mr. Kightley died on 27 December 2007 after a long battle with cancer.

He was born on 6 March 1928 in Coventry and worked in finance for many years .As a committed Anglican he joined the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin twenty five years ago and was Treasurer of the society for ten years until 1995 when he was thanked by Fr. Edward Yarnold S.J. for transforming the ESBVM account and his astute financial management .He was appointed Councillor Emeritus of the society.

He was received into the Roman Catholic church at Westminster Cathedral in 1989 and became an active member of the Cathedral community and assisted with financial administration. Fifteen years ago he began managing the finances for the Cathedral magazine. He became a Benedictine Oblate of Ealing Abbey and Honorary Treasurer of the Oblates. Fr. Timothy Gorman OSB,Oblate Master , was one of six priests concelebrating with Fr.Tim Dean of the Cathedral at the funeral.

Ivan Kightley was noted for his gentle demeanour, “always kind and courteous”with a serene smile. In 1988 he moved to St.Peters’ Residence,Vauxhall, living in one of the independent flats until the week before Christmas when he agreed to move into the residential part of the home run by the Little Sisters of the Poor. Sr.Jarlath LSP, who looked after him in the last months of his life, considered him “thoughtful,spiritual and humble”He never failed to recite his Daily Office and faced his illness cheerfully being regarded as a “star patient” at St.Mary’s Hospital Paddington.

Four of the Little Sisters of the Poor followed his coffin into the Cathedral at his Requiem,attended by fellow Benedictine Oblates , members of the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Cathedral friends.

By Ann Farrelly
Ivan was an only child born in Coventry & served most of his working life in the insurance industry.

He was a practising member of the Church of England for many years & joined the ESBVM inspired by his devotion to Mary.

He served the Society as Treasurer for several years and greatly improved its financial situation.

He was received into the Roman church in a private chapel in Westminster Cathedral. Thereafter he was active in cathedral administration being particularly interested in the Choir.

In later years his increasingly suffered from poor health but was sustained by his living in St Peters residence with several other clergy & members of the Society & from where he could often attend the Cathedral.

On a personal note, he was a good friend to Joe & myself, always remembering my birthday. When we last saw him it was at Joe’s 90th birthday celebration when he indicated his days were numbered but was resigned & grateful to the doctors who had enabled him to live longer than anticipated.

He was to receive the diocesan medal for services to the church in January but I am sure he will receive his reward in Heaven.

On Tuesday 23 January, several members accepted the kind invitation to attend a mass with the intention of praying for the unity of all Christians. This invitation came from Fr. Alan Watson , vicar of St Edwin’s, Dunscroft, near Doncaster.

The beautifully celebrated Mass was attended by about forty people. In addition to Fr. Alan’s congregation, representatives were present from the Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Methodist churches. After Mass, there was a time for fellowship and an excellent buffet supper.