ESBVM

SUNDAY MAY 8TH 2011, 3.30PM

The Shrine of Our Lady of Willesden invites us to its May Procession with the statue of the Black Madonna through the streets of London NW10, praying the Rosary for peace in our world and our city.

On return to the Shrine, the homily will be preached by Fr Terry Davis (San Francisco) and Solemn Benediction will be given.

The Marian Shrine of London
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Willesden
1 Nicoll Road
Harlesden, London NW10 9AX

The nearest rail / tube station is Willesden Junction, but weekend rail and tube services in London are presently heavily disrupted in what feels like an increasingly forlorn effort to upgrade the network in time for the Olympics! Buses to the Shrine include 18, 187, 206, 220, 224, 260, 266 & PR1 – ask for the ‘Jubilee Clock’ stop. Check with the Transport for London web site before traveling.

The Branch celebrated the Annunciation at a meeting in St Thomas’ Church hall on 25 March.

The day began with Mass at noon, followed by the Rosary. There was then a buffet lunch in the hall and we viewed there a life-sized statue of the Archangel Gabriel, all resplendent with fairy lights. The statue had originally been a Marks and Spencer manikin and had been used previously in an exhibition of angels at St Mildred’s Anglican Church.

After lunch we greeted old friends especially Fr Stanley Evans who came all the way from Ramsgate. We then said and sang the office of Our Lady, the music being varied, ranging from J.S. Bach to Cliff Richard. We sang the Lord’s Prayer to the accompaniment of Cliff!. Everyone enjoyed the mixture of old and new and Fr Stanley closed the meeting with a prayer.

I would like to thank all those who make our meetings possible, especially our parish priest, Canon Bunce, who does our printing, our sacristan, Tina Hamilton, who organises the catering, our caretaker, John Spillett, who prepares the hall and Brenda Lippert, the parish secretary who does all the copying needed.

Strong links have been forged between St Thomas’ and St Mildred’s. Some of our folk also belong to the St Mildred’s Senior Citizen Club and we look forward to more combined social gatherings in a genuinely ecumenical spirit.

On Saturday 9 May, we made our firth visit to St Andrew’s, Deal. After Mass and the usual magnificent lunch, we had an interesting talk by Canon Martin Warner of Walsingham, who is also a canon of St Paul’s Cathedral. We had the usual procession of Our Lady’s statue through the town, followed by the blessing of the sea and the throwing of the wreath into it. We had with us a new member, Susan Shaw, who, a few years earlier, had been the organiser of a splendid exhibition of our Lady of Lourdes in Whitstable. We were glad to be with our Chairman, Fr Stanley Evans and his wife, Marie. It was a splendid day, enjoyed by everyone.

On June 13, we visited the East Kent Annual Festival of the Guild of Servers of the Sanctuary of which our chairman, Fr Stanley Evans is chaplain. The festival was held at Holy Trinity, Broadstairs. Afterwards, we were able to visit the shrine of Our Lady of Bradstow (the old name for Broadstairs).

On July 6, at St Andrew’s Church, the Deal Festival of Art and Music took place. We enjoyed a concert by the Cambrini ensemble. After lunch, we returned to the church to view Les Mysteres du Rosaire by Pierre Joincret of St Omer. The twenty paintings illustrative of the mysteries were placed round the church rather like stations of the cross. As we moved round, we said our own private prayers before each painting. The paintings were magnificent.

In August, we continued a very busy programme with what has become for us, an Annual ‘Assumption’ Pilgrimage to the Anglican parish Church and Shrine of Our Lady, at Egmanton in North Notts.

A group of 20 members participated in the day of worship starting with The Angelus, and followed by Solemn Mass. The Chief Celebrant and Preacher was Fr Alan Townsend from Birmingham, who is well known to Society members. After a delectable lunch provided by the ladies of the village, our small group returned to the parish church to recite the Rosary and prayers. In the afternoon we joined the procession into the village with the Statue of Our Lady, returning to the church for Benediction, and a delicious afternoon tea before leaving for home. To complete our spiritual programme, we said evening prayers, on the return journey, sang hymns and received a final blessing from Fr Brian Coleman, the Vicar of St Oswald’s church in Sheffield, who had accompanied us for the day.

In September we returned to the beautiful village of Lastingham in North Yorks, for an ecumenical pilgrimage to St Mary’s Anglican Church. (founded by St Chad, as a Celtic Monastery in AD 654). The Orthodox Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Fr George, parish priest of St Columba and St Kentigern church in Edlington, Doncaster, assisted by our Chairman, Fr Dennis. After this, we listened to a `talk by the Rev. Peter Howard, a retired Methodist Minister from York, entitled ‘How Blessed is Our Lady.’ We had met Peter and his wife Kathleen earlier in the year at Mount Grace Priory, an encounter which led to his accepting our invitation to speak. Both have been members of the Society since its earliest days, and we much enjoyed their company. We also welcomed a Society member, Luisa Duffy from Robin Hood’s Bay. Luisa is a member of the Melkite Rite, and she was joined by two colleagues whom we met and chatted with later on, at the local hostelry. Thanks are due to Fr Alastaire Ferguson, the Vicar of St Mary’s for his invitation to visit, and for his most kind welcome.

Our Steering Committee met also in September to review branch policy and activities, with particular attention to Membership which is fairly dormant, and to events for 2009. It was agreed to seek new members as a particular priority, and to cancel some of our more distant activities, attendances at which had suffered due to increased travel costs. It was agreed to continue sending our Branch Newsletter to interested members in Greater Yorkshire in light of the valuable contacts we have already made there.

By the time this report is published, we will have attended the Advent ecumenical Service at St Oswald’s Church in Sheffield, and our AGM on the 10th December held at the Orthodox Church in Edlington, Doncaster.

Future events include a visit to Dunscroft St Edwin’s Anglican Church near Hatfield in Doncaster on Monday 26th January at 7.30pm. to celebrate the ‘Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity’. We have an invitation from The Vicar, Fr Alan Watson and our members at the Parish Church, to join them for Mass at 7.30pm. There will be hospitality afterwards and the opportunity to meet members and fellow Christians. We are pleased to welcome Fr. Alan back to full health once more after a long illness, coupled with our thanks to him for his continued support for the Society.

In March, we will join with the Mothers at St Oswald’s Anglican Church In Sheffield, in their ‘Lenten Meditation’. The service will conclude with a Eucharistic Celebration. We continue to enjoy the company and hospitality always offered at this event and invite all our members and friends to join us for this introduction to ‘Holy Week’.

In May we are planning a Day Retreat at Mirfield in West Yorks, details later.

On Saturday, 13th June we have an opportunity for all our Yorkshire members to meet up. The Rev. Guy Jamieson, Vicar of St Anne in the Grove, Anglican Church at Southoram near Halifax, has invited us to visit for an ecumenical Pilgrimage in honour of Our Lady. We are looking forward together with Father to a day in which we will enjoy a Eucharist, Rosary, Benediction, Hymns and Prayers. Food will be on offer together with some lovely Yorkshire (West Riding) hospitality.

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.