Catholic Life March 2010 by Brendan Gilligan

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March 2010 I £3.50 €5.00 US $6.00 C $ 6.75

CatholicLife

the magazine of Catholic history and culture

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CatholicLife

the magazine of Catholic history and culture A statue of St Aloysius Gonzaga in the Oxford Oratory.

EDITOR: Lynda Walker Email: lynda.walker@totalcatholic.com EDITORIAL RESEARCHER: Emma Clancy Email: emma.clancy@totalcatholic.com DESIGN & PRODUCTION: Brendan Gilligan Email: brendan.gilligan@totalcatholic.com

(see page 54-56)

ADVERTISING: David Whitehead Tel: +44 (0)161 488 1732 Email: david.whitehead@totalcatholic.net CIRCULATION: Andrea Black Tel: +44 (0)161 488 1716 Email: andrea.black@totalcatholic.net PRINTED BY: Buxton Press Limited,Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6AE, England PUBLISHED BY: Gabriel Communications Ltd. 4th Floor, Landmark House, Station Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire SK8 7JH, England. Tel: +44 (0)161 488 1700

CONTENTS March 2010 2

US Postal Service to honour Mother Teresa with stamp

Catholic Charities - The Society of Our Lady of Lourdes

Bagenal’s Castle, Newry: Part 2

The Rheims - Douai Bible

ART FEATURE: The Sacred made real

FOCUS ON WESTMINSTER ARCHDIOCESE • A dream for London • Holborn’s Holy Ground • Our Lady of Westminster • The Adoption Legacy • Archdiocese news

Shroud of Turin exhibition

The Eucharistic miracle of Seefeld

Pre-history of Shrewsbury Diocese Part 3: Wales

The Old Spanish Missions of California Part 7: Mission Santa Barbara, Queen of Missions

Catholics societies: Marriage Care

An interview with John Polhamus

J.S. Bach - Master of music

THE HISTORY OF HYMNS IN THE CHURCH Lead, Kindly Light

15-19

The Age of Gothic: French Gothic reaches its peak

Newman’s dream fulfilled at the Oxford Oratory

Guernsey Island Saints

Numerology of Catholicism: Part 3

The English College, Lisbon: Part 3

10 minute interviews with prominent Catholics: Pamela Taylor

Irish priests’ contribution to the Church in England & Wales

Abram Joseph Ryan - Poet-Priest of the Confederacy 1

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News

US POSTAL SERVICE TO HONOUR MOTHER TERESA WITH STAMP 2

lessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta will be among the subjects depicted on U.S. stamps issued in 2010. The 44-cent stamp, bearing a portrait of Mother Teresa painted by artist Thomas Blackshear II of Colorado Springs, Colorado, will go on sale on what would have been her 100th birthday, the 26th August. “Her humility and compassion, as well as her respect for the innate worth and dignity of humankind, inspired people of all ages and backgrounds to work on behalf of the world’s poorest populations,” said the Postal Service news release on its 2010 commemorative stamp programme. The release also noted that Mother Teresa received honorary U.S. citizenship in 1996 from the U.S. Congress and President Bill Clinton. Only five other people have been made honorary U.S. citizens – Winston Churchill, Raoul Wallenberg, William Penn and Hannah Callowhill Penn and the Marquis de Lafayette – and all but Hannah Callowhill Penn have also appeared on U.S. postage stamps. Mother Teresa also received the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997 for her “outstanding and enduring contributions through humanitarian and charitable activities,” the release said. Born on the 26th August, 1910, in what is now the Republic of Macedonia, Mother Teresa went to India at the age of 18 and founded the Missionaries of Charity there. She died in Calcutta on the 5th September, 1997, and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003. © www.catholicnews.com

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Catholic Charities series feature by Tony Galcius

THE SOCIETY OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES O ne cannot but be filled with awe at the amazing vitality of the English Catholic Church following the restoration of the hierarchy in 1850. In addition to the proliferation of church building, many societies and charities were founded, such as the Crusade of Rescue, the Catholic Union, the Catholic Association and so on. The last mentioned started in 1891 with the enthusiastic support of Cardinal Manning. It aimed to promote unity and fellowship among Catholics and to help and protect Catholic organisations and interests. One of the first events organised by the Association in 1896 was a pilgrimage to Rome, followed not long afterwards by a pilgrimage to Lourdes at the turn of the 1900s which has taken place each year to the present day. The Lourdes pilgrimage is their main activity. In March 1912, arising out of the need to provide specialist care for those sick persons going on the English National

Pilgrimage, the Catholic Association formed the Society of Our Lady of Lourdes (SOLL). It was from this newly founded society that medical attendants, nurses, doctors and stretcher-bearers came in numbers. After the 1914-18 war, the two groups split and SOLL became an independent registered charity (1086419) and eventually in 1922 took over the complete organisation of the National Pilgrimage. Apart from the obvious break caused by the hostilities of the Second World War, they have taken sick pilgrims each May ever since. Most readers of this magazine will probably have been at least once to Lourdes. Nowadays, transport by plane, train or coach is relatively straightforward, but not without the normal inconveniences that travel abroad brings with it. However, it takes little imagination to realise how much work is involved when the pilgrims are ill, wheelchair bound, totally incapable of doing the most

ordinary things for themselves, or emotionally confused and anxious. The response needed for these conditions includes medical knowledge, nursing skills, physical strength, counselling experience, but above all, a spiritual motivation, deeply rooted in a fervent devotion to Our Lady. I am sure that members of SOLL can take their inspiration from Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life, such as her concerned visit to her cousin, the maternal care of her Baby, her protection of him on the journey to Egypt, her anguish when looking for her lost Son, her compassion on the way to Calvary and at the foot of the Cross. There is also a material cost in taking the sick to Lourdes. General and specialist transport has to be paid for. Once in Lourdes, most of the pilgrims are housed in the Accueil hospital where their expenses have to be met as well as hotel bills incurred by the rest of the pilgrims. Then there are the obvious costs of food and drink and medicine. continues on page 6

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I was sick and you cared for Me (Matthew 25)

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We welcome all those who are sick or disabled wishing to make a Pilgrimage to Lourdes with us each year during the Marian month of May. As a Catholic Charity we are able to assist all our sick pilgrims financially to make their Pilgrimage with us. THE SOCIETY also wishes to invite all Doctors, Nurses, Helpers, Carers and Chaplains to assist and become part of its Annual Pilgrimage for the Sick.

Travel by air from Exeter or from Stansted STARTS FRIDAY 28th MAY 2010 RETURNS FRIDAY 4th JUNE 2010 For more information, and details of booking forms and prices See our website: www.soll-lourdes.com or CONTACT: enquiries@soll-lourdes.com or write, giving your full name and address, to:-

THE SOCIETY OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES,

Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Botwell Lane, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 2AB Telephone: 0208 848 9833

hilst in Lourdes all our sick and disabled Pilgrims are accommodated in the beautiful Accueil (Our Lady’s Help) residence immediately facing the Grotto. This modern building, designed in the form of open arms reminds us that, in Lourdes, everyone is made welcome and cared for. The spacious rooms contain from one to six beds (with specially adapted toilets and showers) allowing every possible comfort. Our own wonderful doctors, nurses, carers and helpers of the SOCIETY combine a professional attitude to caring with a friendly, understanding approach to each individual. During the week you can experience the Eucharistic Procession each afternoon, the torchlight procession each evening, as well as the rural charm of the celebration of Holy Mass in the Cathedral of the Trees. You will be able to visit the Baths next to our Lady’s Grotto, celebrate the International Mass in the underground Basilica and receive benediction, blessing of the hands and Holy Mass at many venues around and within the domain of the Lourdes Sanctuaries including the Grotto itself. Our Pilgrimage is accompanied by Youth Groups from three Catholic Schools from Yorkshire and London who work tirelessly to help you enjoy and make the most of your Pilgrimage to Our Lady’s Shrine. Our travel arrangements this year are made in co-operation with one of the most experienced and dedicated Pilgrimage Tour Operators, Tangney Tours.

We also organise a Pilgrimage to The Friars at Aylesford on August 15th, 2010. For further details visit our website Events page:

www.soll-lourdes.com/Events 5

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Catholic Charities series feature by Tony Galcius

All these can be prohibitive for anyone desperate to go to Lourdes, especially if they are sick or disabled. Hence, it is one of the main objectives of SOLL, and I quote: “to provide financial and other assistance to enable pilgrims who cannot afford the cost to go to Lourdes”. The other objectives of the Society are “to promote devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes and to organise pilgrimages and services in Her honour”. This year the Pilgrimage for the Sick will take place from the 28th May to the 4th June, and it is packed with a programme of Masses and a myriad other devotions which are the normal spiritual fare for pilgrims. The amount of organisation needed to carry this out is truly astonishing, particularly when all this work is done by volunteers. People travel to Lourdes expecting to see a miracle, usually of a medical cure kind. I think however that the work done by members and helpers of SOLL for nearly 100 years is a miracle in itself. It is something truly wondrous in which the hand of God is clearly visible in both helpers and those helped. And all at the behest of his Mother – something which began at the wedding feast of Cana when she said “Son, they have no wine”. The Society provides extensive information about Lourdes, and everything a pilgrim needs to know, on its website – www.soll-lourdes.com. I leave them to make the final appeal: “We would not be able to take sick pilgrims to Lourdes without our officially registered helpers who themselves gain a huge amount of satisfaction from the pilgrimage. It is very hard work but most rewarding and fulfilling. You may start a trip knowing no one, but you will return with a group of people who you feel you have known for a lifetime and in some cases friendships are formed that last long into the future”. To become a Friend or Helper of the Society contact us at enquiries@soll-lourdes.com or phone 020 8848 9833 or write to us at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Botwell Lane, Hayes, Middlesex, UB3 2AB. 6

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BAGENAL’S CASTLE, NEWRY

agenal’s Castle and the site on which it is located link the thriving City of Newry with its Cistercian and medieval past. It has been acknowledged as one of the most interesting archaeological finds in Ireland in recent years, having the oldest surviving set of original floor plans and perspective drawings for a standing building in the country. Given the troubled history of the area in which the castle stood, it is remarkable that the drawings survived. The reason they did was due to the fact that at some stage they were sent to England where they were uncovered later in the Public Records Office at Kew. These remarkable drawings are attributed to the English engineer Robert Lythe and are believed to have been produced around the year 1568. Newry stands at the head of Carlingford Lough, an area that has had a long and often troubled history largely because of its strategic importance and, as such, a region which was continually being invaded and fought over. As a point of sea-entry into south-east Ulster, the lough and the surrounding area provided an invaluable landfall for travellers and invaders of all kinds. The Normans used it in the 12th century and it was during this unsettled period, in 1157, that Maurice O’Loughlin, the High King of Ireland, issued a charter granting lands in the vicinity of the town of Newry to the Cistercians on which to build an abbey. This was to be a sister-house of Mellifont, the first monastery established in Ireland

by the Cistercians a few years earlier. The new abbey was situated on the borderlands between the territories of the native Irish clans of Ulster and the Anglo-Norman settlements further to the south. As such it was fertile ground for unrest. The Cistercians came into Ireland with tremendous reforming zeal, driven by the example and the teachings of Bernard of Clairvaux (see below left), and over a relatively short period of time over 30 monastic settlements were established across Ireland. Over time, however, the disciplined lives of the monks became ‘flabby’, the French monks either died out or moved on to other challenges and were replaced in many instances by laymen who, while they may have adopted the title of ‘Abbot’, were not unlike the chief executives of many of today’s businesses and corporations. This malaise affected the abbey at Newry as much as any of the other monasteries. As a result, when the impact of the Protestant Reformation spread from England to Ireland the monasteries were in no fit state, spiritually or organisationally, to resist. In 1543 Arthur Magennis, leader of one of the most powerful clans in the region, successfully petitioned Henry VIII to allow the abbey to be converted for use as a collegiate church for secular clergy. This was clearly an attempt to avoid the confiscation of the monastic properties in which the clan would have had an interest and it worked, but only for a few short years. In May 1548 the warden, John Prowle, surrendered all of the monastic lands and other properties to the Crown in return for a pension for himself and his vicars choral. King Edward VI granted the confiscated lands to Sir Nicholas Bagenal, Marshall of the King’s Army of Ireland in 1550, a man with something of a ‘shady’ past. He first came to Ireland as a fugitive from justice, having been embroiled in a row in which a man was killed. He was a native of Staffordshire where his family had land and influence. He petitioned the king for a pardon on the basis that he had only been in the company of those who had killed the man and it seems as if this

may have been granted, but on the condition that he went to Ireland to serve as a ‘double agent’. Accordingly he came to Ireland as a mercenary, serving Conn O’Neill, the first Earl of Tyrone and Chief of one of the major Irish clans, the O’Neills. Bagenal’s fortunes in Ireland prospered rapidly. In 1544 he went as part of a military expedition to France bearing a recommendation on his behalf granted by the Privy Council. On his return in 1547 he was appointed Marshall of the Army, one of the great offices of state at that time. In 1550 he was appointed to the Irish Privy Council, so his star was very much in the ascendant. From the terms of the king’s grant it is clear that it was part of a developing strategy of ‘plantation’ in Ulster, aimed at reducing the strength of the native Irish clans in that region. The grant stated that the lands being ‘leased’ to Bagenal were ‘set in a remote part, far from civil order, a place suitable for the service of the king to plant a captain with furniture of men for the reduction of those rude and savage quarters to better rule and obedience’. The strategic nature of the area was clearly not lost on the English government in making this grant, nor was it lost on Marshall Bagenal in accepting it. He quickly set about regularising the terms of the grant in his own favour and in acquiring adjoining lands which were clearly outside the scope of the original grant of the monastery lands. Given the unsettled nature of the area, Bagenal’s key priority was to establish a fortified dwelling on the Newry site. The surviving plans for the building show that the design did not have any direct parallel with any other castle existing in Ireland at that time. Research carried out by Dr Ken Abraham has identified the design as being an Irish variation on the ‘T’-plans used in the building of many of the fortified houses that were being built in parts of northern England and Scotland at that time, particularly in areas where control by central government was weak. These ‘tower houses’ as they were called, were generally built by lesser magnates in order to withstand attacks by relatively

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series feature, part 2 of 2 - by Gerry Burns small groups of local raiders. They were rectangular in shape, sometimes with subsidiary turrets housing flights of stairs, toilets and other small chambers. In some cases the tower house and any of its important subsidiary buildings would have been enclosed by a bawn. The houses were usually three to five storeys in height with at least one storey being vaulted, usually the ground floor. The upper chambers would have been the main living quarters and would have been fitted out with fine windows and fireplaces. Historical records provide us with some tantalising glimpses of a lively social life at the castle. In 1575, for instance, Sir Henry Sidney, the Lord Deputy of Ireland reported that one of the native chieftains, Turlough Luineach O’Neill, had spent some £400 in three days celebrating the feast of Bacchus at Newry and that it had taken some hours to get him sober enough so that he could be allowed to enter the castle. No doubt O’Neill’s visit to the castle was part of the government’s on-going strategy of trying to ‘woo’ the chieftains away from their tribal customs and ways of living. It is suggested that Turlough Luineach’s visit to Newry was part of an on-going O’Neill strategy to form marriage alliances with the Bagenal family. In his case it proved fruitless. English rule in Ireland depended on the establishment and maintenance of an elaborate system of checks and balances aimed at neutralising the power of the Irish chieftains. When it suited, alliances with certain chieftains would be formed, other chieftains would be bribed or flattered by the award of titles, antagonisms between clans would be fomented where necessary and the rule of law was based always on shifting ground. But it was frequently a two-way situation. Arguably the greatest of the Irish chieftains, Hugh O’Neill, the Earl of Tyrone, tried to utilise diplomacy to his own advantage. As the successor to Turlough Luineach he courted Mabel Bagenal, Henry’s sister and on occasions would have visited her and her father at the castle in Newry. She was described as ‘the Helen of the Elizabethan wars’ but almost certainly Hugh O’Neill saw her simply as a pawn in the game of neutralising her brother’s growing power in Ulster. Henry Bagenal certainly saw it as such and he strongly opposed the

relationship. Mabel, however, lost her heart to the dashing Irish Chieftain and they eloped and got married. O’Neill later said that he married her chiefly in order ‘to bring civility into my house and among the country people’. Sadly for Mabel it was a childless and deeply unhappy marriage. She died four years later at O’Neill’s stronghold in Dungannon, reputedly of a broken heart. Nicholas Bagenal died in 1590 at his other residence at Greencastle, further along the County Down coast, but before his death he had successfully petitioned the Crown to have his son Henry appointed as his successor as Marshall of the Army. From this point on Henry Bagenal played an increasingly important and influential part in late 16th century Irish government and politics, taking a leading part in the military campaigns

against Hugh O’Neill, the Earl of Tyrone, during what became known as the Nine Years War. Henry Bagenal was enraged by the marriage of his sister to Hugh O’Neill and in a letter written at the time he poured out this anger and grief: “I can but accurse myself and my fortune that my blood, which is in my father and myself, hath so often been spilled in repressing this rebellious race and should now be mingled with so traitorous a stock and kindred.” Perhaps as a result he let emotion rule his head. Certainly he underestimated O’Neill’s skill as a military tactician and he paid the price with his life at the Battle of the Yellow Ford in County Armagh in 1598, the most crushing defeat ever suffered by an invading army in Ireland. It was a victory that established O’Neill as continues on page 10

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series feature - by Gerry Burns

© Newry and Mourne Museum. the undisputed leader of the native Irish cause. Bagenal’s Castle was attacked and badly damaged during the ravages of the war but it survived and became reestablished as the centre of the Bagenal estates, forming an integral part of the great Ulster Plantation. Despite the defeat and the subsequent departure of the Native Irish Chieftains into exile, known as ‘The Flight of the Earls’, many parts of Ireland remained unsettled. Rebellion broke out again in 1641 led by an Irish Catholic Confederacy. Bagenal’s Castle in Newry was attacked during the rebellion but survived. From that time on, however, historical information about the castle becomes extremely scarce, making it difficult to know how far the Bagenals maintained the castle as an important residence. By the time of his death in 1712 Nicholas Bagenal, the greatgrandson of Sir Nicholas, had a well-appointed house on Pall Mall in London and his County Down estates, including the lands in Newry, passed to his cousin, Robert Nedham. In 1746 Nedham leased the castle to Robert Hutcheson, a Newry merchant and a map accompanying this lease would appear to indicate that the castle was to be developed as a commercial enterprise. Subsequent alterations to the castle were carried out around 1770, including the creation of a cellar and the demolition of the central stairwell and a turret. These demolitions were carried out using gunpowder. Bagenal’s Castle was not marked on any of the 19th or 20th century Ordnance Survey maps and it was presumed to have been demolished at some stage during subsequent renovations. However, the Ordnance Survey Memoirs of 1834-36 did indicate that the castle was still there, albeit being occupied as two dwelling houses. It also described how fragments of carved stone from the Cistercian Abbey buildings had been built into the fabric of the surrounding buildings. These memoirs also described how large quantities of human bones had been discovered at the front and rear of the building and that during the digging of other foundations within the abbey precincts, remains of shoes and clothing had been found. In 1894 these houses and the surrounding warehouses were purchased by Arthur McCann and the whole complex functioned as a successful bakery until the mid-1990s. Major 10

alterations were carried out over the years, disguising the origins of the building, and for many years the only clue to the building’s significance lay in the stone carvings which were preserved in the bakery walls. The official rediscovery of Bagenal’s Castle came in 1996 after the bakery was sold. The building was visited by officials from the town’s museum committee who wished to examine the stone carvings. Their visit uncovered the remarkable fact that the shell of the original castle had been preserved within the bakery buildings. Subsequent aarchaeological restoration work further discovered that substantial parts of the castle had survived almost to their original height. Restoration work began in December 2000 and continued until April 2003, and the castle and the adjoining warehouse have now been restored and developed as an interesting Museum and Visitor Centre. Three of the original floor levels and many of the building’s surviving features are highlighted throughout the exhibitions. Surprisingly, the extensive excavations failed to uncover any remains or artefacts dating from the period when the Cistercian monastery occupied the site. www.bagenalscastle.com

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Providence Convent House of Prayer “Be Still Before the Lord & Wait For Him” For Details Call: 020 8447 8233 Providence Convent House of Prayer 8 Oakthorpe Road, Palmers Green, London N13 5UH Why not visit? Opened 1st January 2006 and situated in its own grounds, yet easily accessible by the Underground, British Rail, bus and car, the Providence Convent House of Prayer offers you a place of peace for quiet reflection or meditation, together with organised Retreats throughout the year. Open each day of the year, you are able to spend as little or as much time as you want in the presence of Our Lord. The House can take up to 8 people accommodated in single bedrooms. Because the House of Prayer is attached to the Convent you are able to take full advantage of the spiritual life of the Sisters if you so wish.

Retreats & Events for 2010 March 8th-12th: April 26th-30th: May 10th-17th: June 14th-18th:

“Dining in the Kingdom of God” (Fr. Peter Dowling SSS) “My Grace is Enough for You” (Fr. Chris Thomas) “Directed Retreats” (Sr. Catherine Quane RSM) “Mary, the First Disciple” (Mary Landucci)

Bookings Bookings must be made in advance: The cost of the Retreats are as follows: The 5 Day Retreats: £175.00 per person The Weekend Retreats: £60.00 per person Days of Recollection: £15.00 per person A Deposit is required as follows: The 5 Day Retreats: £50.00 per person The Weekend Retreats: £20.00 per person Days of Recollection: £15.00 per person to be paid at the time of booking. For Private Retreats a donation is required towards the House of Prayer. See address and contact details above.

How to reach us By Bus: Take the 121 or 329 from Wood Green to the Library at Palmers Green. By Train: British Rail At peak times: Old Street to Palmers Green. Off-peak times: Moorgate to Palmers Green. By Underground: The Piccadilly Line to Wood Green and then the bus.

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THE RHEIMS – DOUAI BIBLE

t is well known that in their desire to secure the success of the Protestant Reformation in England, Queen Elizabeth I and her advisers hoped that as the older generation of Catholics died out, then Catholicism would disappear with them. It is equally well known that the foresight and industry of William Allen and his companions, who established seminaries overseas, was one of the principal reasons for such hopes being dashed. One of those seminaries was at Douai, a university town in Flanders, 20 miles south of Lilles which at that time was among the dominions of Philip II of Spain. Allen received the immediate co-operation of the University of Douai, as well as some excellent Oxford men who for faith and conscience gladly accepted exile. Allen was an Oriel graduate as was Morgan Phillips, the last Catholic Bishop of St Davids who brought age and experience,

and when he died left them everything he possessed. From All Souls came Thomas Dorman; from Exeter came Richard Bristowe and Edward Risden; from Merton came Richard Smith who had been regius professor of Divinity; from New College came Thomas Darnell, Owen Lewis, John Marshall, Nicholas Sander, Thomas Stapleton and Richard White who had been a professor of Canon and Civil Law. From St John’s came Gregory Martin who died young but whose talent was to ensure the survival of the name of Douai among English Catholics long after the seminary was abandoned in 1793. So Allen’s college was well manned to train the many students who presented themselves, and also able to produce over 40 works of apologetics, for which Catholics in England were desperate in order to combat the vitriolic literature being showered on them from both home and foreign sources. But in his massive work The Reformation in England, Philip Hughes says the crowning glory of their scholarship was the translation of the entire Bible into English, executed in the college between 1578 and 1582. One of the accusations of the reformers was that the Church was the avowed enemy of the Bible, a spurious claim when before the invention of printing it was often the life-work of monks and nuns to copy, with the most intense care and skill, so much of the Bible. St Bede was in the very act of translating St John’s Gospel into Anglo-Saxon English when he died. Several copies of the Psalms existed. A copy of the famous Lindisfarne Gospels contained the text in Latin interspersed with it in English. In his essay The Old English Bible, Abbot Gasquet OSB states that he found evidence of near-complete translations of the New Testament at the London Charterhouse, at Barking Abbey in Essex, St John’s Clerkenwell, Syon Abbey in Middlesex and at Holy Trinity church, York. C.S. Lewis writing an introduction to J.B. Phillips’s Letters to Young Churches, in 1946 offers this explanation: “Pious people shuddered at the idea of turning the time-honoured Latin into commo and, as they thought, barbarous English, a language of the nursery, the inn, the stable and the street…..a sacred truth seemed to lose its sanctity when stripped of its polysyllabic Latin.” But parts of scripture were often read in English to poor, uneducated people who were also aware of its contents through ritual, drama, stained glass and pictures in church. A translation into English by William Tyndale, printed in Germany in 1526 was condemned by the Church and criticised by scholars as much for its partisan agenda in prologue, preface and marginal notes as for the infidelities in translation where Church became congregation, priest became elder and penance became repentance. A much earlier version has been attributed to John Wycliffe, the morning star of the Reformation, but in 1952 Allen Wikgren writing of Wycliffe sympathetically, admitted that his share in the project is obscure. F.F. Urquhart, of Balliol College, Oxford, writing in 1912, disputes that he had

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feature - by Brian Plumb any share in it at all, and says that his followers added a Wycliffite preface to a perfectly orthodox translation and thereby established a claim. The chief share in making the RheimsDouai translation was undertaken by Gregory Martin, a native of Maxfield, near Winchelsea in Sussex, and a friend of Edmund Campion. Although proficient in theology, Hebrew and Greek, he decided to translate from the Latin of St Jerome, and gave his reasons for doing so. It had been in use for 1,300 years. It had been praised by St Augustine and many of the Latin Fathers. It was impartial because it had been made long before the latter-day controversies. It was faithful to the Greek, and it had been declared authentic by the Council of Trent. But before he commenced his five year task, on or about St Luke’s Day 1578, political turbulence and religious strife had caused the English seminary to relocate to Rheims, a period of exile that was to last for 15 years. So what for the sake of brevity is often called the Douai Bible was in fact translated entirely in Rheims and the New Testament was first printed there in 1582. However, for want

of funding, the printing of the Old Testament was delayed until 1609, by which time the college had returned to Douai. Hence, to be strictly accurate, both Rheims and Douai had a part in its production. The New Testament contained the almost obligatory preface and notes, the latter so uncompromising and hardhitting that it was asserted the work had only been published as a weapon for attacking the reformers. The notes were the work of Allen himself, Richard Bristowe and Thomas Worthington, a learned priest from Brasenose College, Oxford who had gone to Douai in 1573. Allen referred to “The manifold corruptions of the Holy Scriptures by the heretics of our days, especially the English Secretaries” and he did not exaggerate when he accused them of being intent on destroying every trace of England’s Catholic past and appealing to their own corruptions of Holy Writ to justify it. He later said that the notes “threw Protestants into a seething ferment.” They certainly prompted the Government to advance £200 to

William Fulke, Master of Pembroke College to produce an official refutation. He was a Puritan whose biographer described him as “a man of language unmeasured and conspicuous for the virulence of his invective.” But what of Gregory Martin’s great work? He always considered accuracy to be more important than elegance, and believed some Latin words had no suitable English equivalent, so he retained them in anglicised form. So in St Matthew’s account of the Lord’s Prayer (VI, v 7) we find “Give us this day our supersubstantial bread.” In St Paul to the Philippians (II, v 7) what we know as “he emptied himself ” appeared as “he exaninated himself.” Other strange sounding phrases appeared in Acts (XII, v 3) where the word azymes

(opposite) Title page from the 1582 Douai-Rheims New Testament. (right) Portrait of Richard, and below his 1749 revision of the Rheims New Testament borrowed heavily from the King James Version.

was used for unleavened bread; in St John (V, v 2) where “the pool at the Sheep-gate” was called “a pond called Probatica”; and in St Matthew (XII, v 4) where “loaves of proposition” was used to mean “bread set out before God.” But Martin’s invention of the word malefactor in St John (X, v 6) was found acceptable and passed into every-day vocabulary. Other curiosities appeared in St Luke (X, v 6) “Our Lord designed (appointed) another 72,” and in Philippians (II, v 10) where the great text that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, reads “In the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of the celestials, terrestrials and infernals.” But however continues on page 14

12-14 THE RHEIMS DOUAI BIBLE:p18-19 king john 18/02/2010 10:08 Page 3

feature - by Brian Plumb cumbersome such peculiarities rendered the work, its overall scholarship and accuracy was never doubted. It is hardly surprising that original editions of these books are extremely rare. It was almost impossible for secret printing presses to produce them, or for them to be imported easily. A complete Douai Bible sold for the luxurious price of two pounds, and a Rheims New Testament cost one pound. Booksellers and printers spent their fortunes and sometimes sacrificed their lives in promoting such literature. In 1583 William Carter, a London printer was executed at Tyburn, as was James Duckett in 1602, for their share in circulating this very work. Gregory Martin died on the 28th October 1582, only a matter of weeks after completing his enormous undertaking. He was buried in the church of St Stephen at Rheims which was demolished in 1795. Subsequent rebuilding and street alterations have made it impossible to locate the site of his grave. In 1749 Martin’s work was thoroughly overhauled by the great Vicar Apostolic, Richard Challoner. His removal of many of the aforementioned archaisms and his bringing, as far as was possible, the text to approximate that of the Anglican’s Authorised Version of 1611, made it practically a new work. In that form it achieved many editions, the final one being published by the Catholic Truth Society in 1956 and reprinted annually until 1963. One of the most outstanding of the other editions was made by

Fr. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849) and published in Manchester, in serialised form, between 1812 and 1814. In 1847 the entire work was published “enriched with 20 superb engravings”, in polished boards with big brass clasp, an item of furniture essential to every God-fearing Victorian family parlour. This also contained notes, but by now they were curious rather than controversial, with the section in Genesis (VI, vv 13-22) telling of Noe and the Flood, the most remarkable of all. Working from the various species enumerated in Pennant’s Synopsis of Zoology it was calculated that there were 838 different quadrupeds and reptiles aboard the Ark. This figure contained exotic creatures like the bear (black and white), elephant, giraffe, hippopotamus, lion, tiger, rhinoceros and all the common domesticated ones, down to the ferret, mouse, rat, shrew and sloth. The birds were equally accommodated and fed. It was pointed out that these figures were in no way incompatible with the available space, because the vessel was reputedly 450 feet long and 75 feet broad, that is, roughly speaking, the dimensions of the average medieval cathedral. An artist’s impression was among the ‘superb engravings’ showing a massive three-decked structure with 25 square port-holes to each deck, all perfectly symmetrical, the whole resembling an enormous floating Dickensian-style workhouse. It was stressed of course that all this was pure conjecture but sufficient to demonstrate the possibility of arranging all “according to the statements of the Sacred Historian.” In 2009 a reprint of this extraordinary work was made available by the Loreto Press, of Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, USA and marketed in the UK. Between 1942 and 1948 an entirely new translation of the Bible was made by Monsignor Ronald Knox (1888-1957), who thought most English Catholic literature “still spoke too loud in the accents of the penal era and of the recent immigrations.” Cardinal Griffin liked his command of the English language and limpid style. But Archbishop Amigo of Southwark, and Archbishop Downey of Liverpool disapproved – not condemned, there was no questioning Knox’s competence – but they fervently believed that the familiar prose of Gregory Martin, refined by Bishop Challoner and hallowed by three centuries of tradition, should be sacrosanct. And they were not moved when reminded that Ronald Knox in 1942, like Gregory Martin in 1582, was an Oxford graduate. Today we have the Jerusalem Bible and the New Jerusalem Bible, produced by a team of experts, clearly influenced by Knox’s translation, and attempting to be user-friendly by rejecting stark well-known phrases like “To dig I am not able, to beg I am ashamed” (St Luke XVI, v 3) and “Take up thy bed and walk” (St John V, v 8) in favour of longer, but by no means stronger, statements. It is most improbable that the old Douai version will ever again be read from the ambo or used at a Charismatic prayer meeting. But it did have 350 years of unrivalled authority in the Catholic Church, and it was once praised, by an Anglican, for its worthy contribution to English literature. In conclusion, I would like to thank the Librarian of the Talbot Library, Preston for access to the vast collection of Bibles deposited there.

15-19 gothic architecture part 2 START RIGHT:p18-19 king john 18/02/2010 10:16 Page 1

series feature - by Jack Watkins

Part 2

The Age of Gothic FRENCH GOTHIC REACHES ITS PEAK The nave of Chartres Cathedral.

Gothic architecture, like Romanesque which preceded it, was only given its name by a later generation. It was the Italian Mannerist architect and historian Giorgio Vasari (1511-74) who coined the term in a pejorative sense, because to Renaissance thinkers, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the Middle Agesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; were equated with the barbarianism of the Goths. As it was, to them, a time of long term decline and cultural backwardness between the Fall of Rome and the rediscovery of classical models and ideals in the 15th century, the architecture which emanated from it was adjudged to be similarly inferior. Yet Gothic architecture is now synonymous with medieval building at its finest, and understood as a style quite distinct from Romanesque, having flourished across Europe roughly between 1150 and 1600. Key identifying features include the pointed arch, the flying buttress, the vaulting rib, the traceried window and the soaring steeple. In fact, these characteristics did not all originate at the same time, and some had been deployed in earlier Romanesque buildings. Yet the fusion of their forms created what we now understand as the Gothic style, never more beautifully realised than in church buildings. This six part series will look at some of the finest examples still to be seen today across the continent. continues on page 16

15-19 gothic architecture part 2 START RIGHT:p18-19 king john 18/02/2010 10:16 Page 2

(left) The beautiful sculptures located over the entrance to the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. (below) Three portals on the west facade of Laon Cathedral.

Notre-Dame de Paris may still be read as a prototype Gothic cathedral - the long nave leading to a choir illuminated by rays of light from the mighty rose windows of the transepts, the high vaulting and soaring shafts and, outside, the riot of flying buttresses, sprouting forth in delicate profusion around the apse like a blossoming flower on the banks of the Seine. Its founding stone was laid in 1163 by Pope Alexander III, the same year in which he had consecrated the new Gothic choir of that other historically significant Parisian church, St-Germain-des-Pres (see part one). The wild and romantic crocketed gables of the north transept, the gargoyles and just about all the statuary formed part of the le-Duc renovation, so that to a large extent the cathedral is a 19th century interpretation of how Gothic architecture in its heyday would have looked. Yet the essential plan of the building remains unchanged, and its edifice and situation – the current open views afforded of the west front are the result of 19th century slum clearances and streetscape destruction, and thus vastly different to the prospects a medieval traveller would have been afforded - is one of the most moving and powerful in Europe. If Notre-Dame de Paris is beautiful, the west front of Laon Cathedral has also been rhapsodised by the most demanding connoisseurs of Gothic. Laon is an unremarkable town in Picardy, but the west front of the cathedral alone makes it worth

t was in northern France that the style we know as Gothic was forged, and it was here, too, that its finest cathedrals were also built. Reims Cathedral, discussed in part one, as the traditional venue for royal coronations, was but one among many. It, along with those in Paris, Laon, Chartres and Amiens, formed a quintet of structures so beautiful that, as a group and as individual buildings, they have been likened to the Parthenon in Athens, representing the high point of anything achieved in medieval architecture up to that time. Regrettably, Notre-Dame de Paris, the oldest example, built between 1163 and 1235, was seriously damaged during the French Revolution. Its spire was torn down, its bells removed and melted, and its statues mutilated.A decision was actually taken to demolish it, until more restrained voices began to speak up for its historical and cultural value to the nation. It was much due to Victor Hugo’s novel, Notre-Dame of Paris - a love letter to the exquisite detail of Gothic masonry - that the city’s inhabitants were at last roused by the pitiful state of decay into which the building had sunk. This paved the way for its restoration, spearheaded by the architect Viollet-le-Duc, in whose workshops replacement statuary was created.

making a special visit, for it achieves a quite remarkable sense of the three-dimensional in its form. The triumvirate of gabled portals project beyond the walls like triumphal arches. The rose window on the next level is, by contrast, set deeply back, as are the pair of arched windows on either side of it. Then comes an arcaded gallery, topped by a balustrade with a statue of the Virgin, and beyond this level two high towers with curious goatlike statues peering over the sides, as if looking over the edge of a precipitous mountain face. The structure was so revered by contemporaries it was endlessly imitated, and the medieval architect and artist Villard de Honnecourt claimed that the towers were the most beautiful he had ever seen. Laon’s heavy monumentality was repeated at Chartres, famous for epitomising the extreme verticality of French Gothic. The

15-19 gothic architecture part 2 START RIGHT:p18-19 king john 18/02/2010 10:16 Page 3

series feature - by Jack Watkins

(above left) The rose window in Laon Cathedral. (above right) The nave looking west, Amiens Cathedral. (below) Bourges Cathedral.

spire over the south tower was the first to have been built in the country. The buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outline rises up to dominate not only the market town itself, but the surrounding landscape. Approaching by road, the towers are first glimpsed, almost mirage-like, in the far distance, thus enabling the modern traveller to gain a sense of the anticipation and wonder the

medieval pilgrim must have felt for these incredible, mammoth-like structures, in an age when most contemporary architecture was small-scale and humdrum. The transcendent imagery Chartresâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soaring spires and

hushed interior conjured also deeply impressed later romantics like Chateaubriand, Hugo and John Ruskin. The continues on page 18

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Rouen Cathedral interior.

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series feature - by Jack Watkins continuing modern infatuation with these ancient cathedrals owes much to the legacy of these men, who ‘rediscovered’ Gothic and placed it on its rightful, elevated footing, after years of scorn by neo-classicists. Chartres, in fact, was the most important Marian shrine in medieval Paris, and thus its foremost pilgrim destination. When a fire burnt down the old cathedral in 1194, the relics were discovered unharmed in the crypt, and this was read as an expression of the Virgin’s wish for a new, more spectacular building in which to house them. The result was the largest, highest Gothic structure built up to that time, higher even than Notre-Dame de Paris. Yet while its portals are laden with sculpture, there is still about the building a sombre austerity akin to Norman Romanesque. The last cathedral of the ‘French Parthenon’ quintet to be built was at Amiens. It is something of a cliché to contrast the harmonious design of French Gothic cathedrals with the more ‘organic’ style of English ones, since the latter, being built over longer periods, incorporated wider stylistic variations. In fact, with almost all medieval cathedrals, construction was always a matter of decades, so that most reflect a sense of ongoing innovation and technical development. Yet Amiens, which itself took 50 years to finish from its start date in 1220, is particularly celebrated for its unity of design. The hall-like interior has an immediate impact. Outside, it presides over the town like a magnificent beached galleon. It represents a significant leap in scale from Paris, Chartres and even Reims. Amiens at its highest point is 140 ft, Reims 125 ft, and Paris is 115ft, but its height seems even more awesome by the proportional increase in scale between the height of the nave in relation to its width. Harder, perhaps, to appreciate is the development of window tracery, the increased confidence and plasticity in the handling of masonry, the massed ranking of sculpture on the walls meaning these seem almost to dissolve behind the decoration. Other fine French Gothic cathedrals of the northern and central regions include those at Soissons, Noyon, Le Mans and Bourges. Rouen Cathedral is a fine example of Gothic in its later phase, though the striking 512ft high fleche is actually a 19th century addition. The loftiest of all the French Gothic cathedrals is Beauvais, with a choir rising to 157 ft. It collapsed in 1284 and so, much later, did the tower, itself over 450 ft high, in the 16th century. French Gothic churches were built to be so high and mighty that they seemed to be reaching out to God himself. But in the end, their creators had to accept that there were limits. 19

20-21 ART FEATURE:p18-19 king john 18/02/2010 10:29 Page 1

THE SACRED MADE REAL

(fig.1.)

s we move through Lent on the way to Holy Week, our thoughts turn increasingly towards Christ’s Passion and death on the Cross. Nowhere in Europe are the events of Holy Week commemorated with greater fervour than in Spain. In cities and towns all over Spain, floats weighing up to two tons, and bearing life-sized painted sculptures, are carried through the streets by as many as 30 men ‘penitents’. Each float depicts a different episode of the Passion, so that taken together they vividly display the whole Gospel narrative of Christ’s Passion. The sculptures are usually carved from wood, and realistically polychromed. This sculptural art form flourished with particular richness in 17th century Spain,and a recent amazing exhibition, The Sacred Made Real, at the National Gallery in London brought together some of the finest examples of the genre. What made the exhibition unique, however, was the 20

inspiration of the curator, Xavier Bray, to show the sculptures alongside great Spanish Passion paintings of the same period. This demonstrated with dazzling clarity how the sculptors and the painters of that epoch influenced each other. Accordingly, this month’s Art Feature will reflect on the lessons of The Sacred made Real, with particular reference to the painting Christ after the Flagellation Contemplated by the Christian Soul, made by Diego Velasquez in about 1628. (fig.1.). Incidentally, for the benefit of our American readers, the exhibition is presently at the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., and will remain there until the 31st May, 2010. The 17th century was the Golden Age of Spanish art. Sculptors such as Juan Martinez Montanes, (1568-1649), known as ‘the god of wood,’ Juan de Mesa, (1538-1627), and Alonso Cano, (16011667) in Seville, Gregorio Fernandez,

(fig.3.)

(1576-1636) in Valladolid, and Pedro de Mena, (1628-1688) in Malaga stand out, and later the tradition was maintained by Francisco Salzillo, (1707-1783) in Murcia. The painters include Francisco Pacheco, (1564-1644), Diego Velazquez, (15991660) and Francisco de Zurbaran, (15981664) of Seville, and Francisco Ribalta, (1565-1628) and Jusepe de Ribera,

20-21 ART FEATURE:p18-19 king john 18/02/2010 10:29 Page 2

art feature by Lionel Gracey

(1591-1652) of Valencia. The characteristic of both the Spanish sculpture and painting of this Golden Age was a stark, almost brutal realism in the depiction of human figures, even in religious works. This stood in blunt contrast to the idealised humanity of the Italian Renaissance of the previous century. This Spanish art was intensely focussed on fostering religious devotion, and above all devotion to Christ’s Sacred Passion in Holy Week. The key to understanding the intimate relationship between the sculptors and painters of that period comes from knowing that their respective Guilds imposed rigid restrictions on what each group was permitted to do. Thus the sculptor was never allowed to paint his work. This had to be done by a member of the Guild of polychrome artists. The improbable and paradoxical consequence of this arrangement was that each group learned directly from the work of the other group what was feasible for their own art. The exhibition made this point very clear, and it was illuminating to discover how much the later art of such a great painter as Diego Velazquez drew on his earlier experience as an assistant in the studio of his father-in-law, the great polychrome painter, Francisco Pacheco. Speaking personally, the exhibition helped me to clarify my understanding of a painting which I have always found difficult to interpret. When Christ after the Flagellation Contemplated by a Christian Soul was acquired by the National Gallery in London, and first shown there in 1883, it was presented without a title, and this caused confusion among the British viewers. According to Lord Napier, one spectator thought it showed a child being taken to visit his suffering father in prison. In fact, we see Christ slumped exhausted on the ground, held up by only the taut cord still tied to the scourging pillar. The great rope noose by which he will soon de dragged to Calvary is round his neck. His cloak, the seamless robe for which his guards will later cast lots, lies crumpled in the left lower corner of the painting, and the whip and birch of the flagellation lie in the middle foreground. Only the broken branches of the birch reveal the ferocity of the flogging, for Christ’s body is almost unmarked. At most, a few flecks of blood on the left shoulder, wrist, loincloth and thighs indicate that he has even been whipped at all. Despite this, the Christian soul, personified by the blue-clothed child, expresses intense pathos. Christ makes eye contact with the child, and a ray of light, symbol of divine grace, flashes from the Saviour’s head towards the child’s heart. What puzzled me about the painting was what seemed to be a disproportionate reaction of the child. What has moved this Christian soul to such depths of sorrow? The first clue is the pointing finger of the child’s Guardian Angel. It is directed towards Christ’s back, which the child and the angel can see, but which is hidden from us as Christ is turned away from us, and his back is in shadow. Notice, however, that the child’s eyes follow the direction of the angel’s finger, and are fixed on Christ’s back, and clearly the artist assumes that we all know why this should be so. Velazquez made this painting in 1628, only five years after he had left Pacheco’s studio in Seville to become Court Painter to the Emperor, Philip IV in Madrid. The memory of many polychromed sculptures, similar to that of Gregorio Fernandez, (fig. 2), would have been as fresh in the mind of Velazquez, as it would have been in the minds of almost all Spaniards, familiar as they were with the Holy Week processions. Humans bear burdens on their backs, and Jesus bore the burden of our sins on his back at the

(fig.2.) Ecce Homo (detail) Scourging, but this was so self-evident to the artist that he felt no need to depict it explicitly. We, who are not part of that Spanish Holy Week culture are inevitably puzzled by the painting. Thanks to this exhibition, however, everything is now much clearer. Inevitably the division of sacred art between sculptors and artists led to comparisons and rivalry between the two groups. In the Spain of that time sculptors were still considered to be artisans and taxed accordingly. The competition between them is highlighted in a letter of rebuttal which Pacheco wrote to Montanes in 1622. He ascribes the superiority of the artist to the use of colour when he writes: “The portrait of the Emperor Charles V will be more easily recognised by all when it is strikingly painted with the colours of a Titian than when it is made of wood or marble by any sculptor of equal calibre.” He continues: “This is because colour reveals the passions and concerns of the soul with greater vividness.” Curiously, Velazquez, the son-in-law of Pacheco made this point tellingly, though perhaps unwittingly, in the portrait he made of Montanes in 1653. (fig. 3). This reveals the sculptor as a dignified and serious-minded man, with the sensitive hand of the true artist. The sculpted head on which Montanes rests his other hand, however, though recognisable as the likeness of the Emperor Philip IV, conveys nothing of the king’s character. In his effort to present Montanes as a creative artist, Velazquez has unconsciously affirmed Pacheco’s opinion of the supremacy of painting over sculpture. For us modern spectators, however, the marriage of the two arts achieved by the great masters of Spain’s Golden Age is a matter of enduring wonder. 21

22-23 a dream for London (DIOCESE) :p18-19 king john 18/02/2010 12:54 Page 1

A DREAM FOR LONDON London inevitably conjures up images of Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and so on - all flat locations alongside or near the River Thames. Surrounding London, however, are many hills with stunning views of the city. Large verdant parks like Parliament Hill, Hampstead Heath, Highgate, Richmond Park, Shooters Hill, all make perfect platforms for panoramic views of the metropolis. It is said that from one of these, probably Highgate Hill, Cardinal Wiseman, soon after the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy, looked out over London and dreamt of the day when a Catholic church would be built on every hill wherein Masses and prayers would be said for the conversion of England. In this context he seemed to have Religious in mind and indicated his eagerness for their special apostolate by inviting, amongst others, the Oratorians, Redemptorists, Rosminians and Marists. What follows is a brief account of four of those London hills on which Religious communities built places of worship, thus fulfilling at least part of Cardinal Wiseman’s dream. 22

he first Order that set itself up upon a hill were the Passionists, who started their mission in 1858, completing their magnificent church dedicated to St Joseph and familiarly referred to as ‘Holy Joe’s’, in 1888. An article on this church was published in the August 2008 issue of Catholic Life. At the time, the Passionists were about to celebrate the 150th anniversary of their foundation under a cloud of imminent departure, but the decision to hand over to the diocese was revoked and they are still there. Perhaps Cardinal Wiseman might have had a hand in that!? In 1861, he asked the Dominicans to take over Kentish Town and in due course he actually chose a new site for them to build their priory on Haverstock Hill. It was completed by 1867, but the priory church was to take much longer. The origins of its design make for a fascinating story. A certain Thomas Walmesley had an overriding desire to build a church in honour of Our Lady of Lourdes “to mark the gratitude of the Catholics of the United Kingdom for the many graces and blessings received through Our Lady of Lourdes”. The Dominicans readily acceded to his request to make the priory church the fulfilment of his dreams. Since the Rosary was the most popular devotion at Lourdes, his design was of a church made up of 14 chapels each dedicated to a mystery of the Rosary, culminating in the final mystery honouring the coronation of Mary depicted in stained glass above the high altar. Building began in 1878 and was finished five years later, although a grotto which was also planned did not materialise until 1914. For a time the church was known as ‘Our Lady’s Shrine in London’ and pilgrimages were made on Rosary Sunday. That these did not persist is of little consequence, because one cannot doubt the amount of prayer and (above) Cardianl Wiseman. (right) Stained glass window of St Vincent de Paul from St Michael’s church in Bayswater, London. © Br. Lawrence O.P.

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Westminster Archdiocesan feature by Tony Galcius

devotion manifested over 100 years and which, more importantly, continues to this day. Mill Hill saw the arrival of the Vincentians in 1889, who had been preceded by their co-Religious, the Daughters of St Vincent de Paul. Both these French orders were founded by St Vincent aided and abetted by Louise de Marillac. Both are committed to working for the poor and the sick and have houses and hospitals all over the world. Mill Hill for the Sisters was their Generalate. In 1893, a year after Cardinal Vaughan became the archbishop of Westminster, the parish priest of Hendon offered the Vincentians the Mill Hill section of his parish for them to minister to. As their ministry expanded, a new church was needed and built and dedicated to the Sacred Heart. St Vincent de Paul set as a secondary aim for his Religious a ministry for priests. This became particularly important immediately post-Vatican II, when many priests for various reasons were leaving the priesthood. The Vincentians today offer priests retreats and a place for reflection - a very topical service in this Year of the Priest. Long before Herbert Vaughan was elevated to Westminster he had been desperate to go on the Missions. Unable to go personally, he did the next best thing – he founded a missionary order with the lengthy title of St Joseph’s Society of the Sacred Heart for Foreign Missions, more commonly known as the Mill Hill Fathers. This was established in 1866 in Holcombe House and then moved to a new building known as St Joseph’s College, Mill Hill. Here students from all over the UK, Holland and Germany were trained for missionary work, ordained and sent out to every part of the world. Due to financial and other pressures, the college was sold in 2006 and it is now registered as a Grade II buiding (see below). However, St Joseph’s Society is still flourishing. An excellent website provides more information on its current apostolate. Two years after Herbert Vaughan became Archbishop of Westminster (1892 to 1908), thanks to a petition by some 300 local Catholics, he invited the Jesuits to found a parish and schools on Stamford Hill. This was a challenge which was taken up in characteristic fashion – a large house called Morecambe Lodge was bought and out of its stables and coach

THE CATHOLIC COMPANION a new periodical of contemporary and nostalgic Catholic living, invites submission of short stories and articles, based around Catholic morals and principles. Submissions should be no more than 2,500 words and the editor reserves the right to edit material. Send all copy, marked clearly, to

Emma Clancy, Editor, The Catholic Companion, 4th Floor, Landmark House, Station Road, Cheadle Hulme, SK8 7JH or email: emma.clancy@totalcatholic.com

house was constructed a chapel to meet the needs of those early petitioners. Then came the obvious need for a larger purpose built church. Benedict Williamson designed it, keeping in mind the spirit of the Middle Ages but the needs of the 20th century. Started in 1903, it was finished in 1909, apart from the interior. Outstanding mosaic work in the Sanctuary and the Stations of the Cross and the Lady Chapel were only completed in 1925. From the outside the church is reminiscent of those seen in the lovely town of Bruges. 1909 also saw the new College of St Ignatius built nearby. It had started humbly in the Lodge until the demand for places outgrew the space available. The school earned such a reputation for excellence that in 1968 it moved to new premises in Enfield. Some of its buildings were taken over by the primary school, which had also started in 1901. It continues to thrive but under the aegis of the diocese. There are other places in London with ‘hill’ as a suffix where Catholic churches exist, such as Dollis Hill, Muswell Hill and Tower Hill. There are also locations without this suffix but which are actually built on hilly ground. Today nearly 50 Religious orders of men and over 100 orders of women in the diocese of Westminster alone carry out their apostolate of prayer and action. Perhaps Cardinal Wiseman’s dream has come true?

24-25 holborn's holy ground (DIOCESE):p18-19 king john 18/02/2010 13:01 Page 1

Westminster Archdiocesan feature - by Tony Galcius

HOLBORN’S HOLY GROUND

ordering on the western edge of the City of London is a large intersection, called Holborn Circus. It is thought that the name derives from the Middle English word ‘Hol’ for hollow and ‘bourne’ meaning brook. The main road passing through it is called High Holborn at the western end, then becoming Holborn Viaduct and finishing as Newgate Street. It was from here that over 100 priests and laymen began their last journey, on hurdles, to die on the Tyburn tree. However, within a half mile radius of Holborn Circus, there were six other gallows, some permanent, some makeshift, where martyrs’ blood flowed during the reign of Elizabeth I. At the western end of the Holborn highway, located to either side, are two of the four famous Inns of Court, which consist of precincts built around green swards or ‘Fields’. It is here, since the 1400s, that barristers have been, and still are, trained in the law and practise their trade in chambers. These Inns reached their full potential during Queen Eliazabeth I’s reign. It was in one of them, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, that a Yorkshireman, Fr. Robert Morton who had prepared for ordination in Rheims, was sentenced to die for being a seminary priest. His co-martyr Hugh Moor also studied for a time in the same Douai college in Rheims, but was not ordained. Hugh’s crime was that he had gone abroad to

“Wherever a martyr has given his blood for Christ, there is holy ground and the sanctity shall not depart from it”. - T.S.Eliot 24

study at a ‘Romish seminary’. Both men were hung, drawn and quartered on the 28th August,1588, the year of the Armada. Neither was allowed to speak before their execution for fear that their words might persuade the crowd to turn back to Catholicism. On the other side of High Holborn are to be found Gray’s Inn Fields. In 1590, Alexander Blake was condemned for helping the priest Christopher Bayles. Helping a priest by giving him a place to rest, to stay or something to eat or perhaps assisting him to say Mass somewhere and informing others that such a Mass was available were all described as an act of felony. This good man thus fell foul of an iniquitous law and, ironically, died in the grounds of the Inn of Court, where others were learning about justice and the law. A year later, in 1591, also at Gray’s Inn Fields, two of the Forty Martyrs met their fate – Fr. Edmund Genings (aka Jennings) and Swithun Wells. The story of their capture unfolded dramatically one day when the young priest was saying Mass in Mr. Wells’ house. Among the company present were two other priests, a number of men and Alice Wells – Swithin’s wife. No less a person than the notorious priest hunter himself, Richard Topcliffe, battered down the door of the room where Mass was being offered, at the very moment of consecration. The men in the tiny congregation of ten people, sprang up to confront the intruders. Whoever engaged with Topcliffe, fell with him down the stairs as they wrestled. One of the other priests, Fr. Plasden told Fr. Edmund to carry on with the Mass and then went to the stricken Topcliffe to make a deal that if he allowed the Mass to be completed they would all give themselves into his custody. This was agreed and Fr. Edmund, still vested, was taken with the whole household, to Newgate prison. All were found

guilty and condemned to death. Alice was eventually reprieved and after several years died in prison. Although her husband, Swithun, had not been present at the Mass, he had been an accessory to the crime and suffered the ignominy of having to watch the 24 year old Fr. Edmund die on a make-shift gibbet erected outside his own house in Gray’s Inn Lane. He then accepted his own butchery with equal magnanimity. In nearby Clerkenwell, which abuts Gray’s Inn, two priests and two laymen spilt their blood for the Lord. The first was Fr. Thomas Holford, also known as Acton, who died in 1588. In the early 1580s Thomas had been a teacher who had then decided to study for the priesthood and was ordained in Rheims. Back on the mission, he was arrested once, but escaped, thanks to a hiding hole at the foot of the stairs. His second arrest resulted in death. Two years later in the same place, Fr. Antony Middleton died. He had ministered to the people of London and owing to his diminutive build and young looking appearance had been able to delay arrest. Few suspected him of being a priest.

Fr. Edmund Genings (aka Jennings).

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To the east of Holborn Circus, one arrives at Smithfield Market, one of London’s largest and oldest markets and still in operation to this day. Here, on the 4th March, 1590, a layman called Nicholas Horner was hanged for making a jerkin for a priest, Fr. Bayles, of whom more later. Nicholas had previously been imprisoned for contravening this law and, thanks to the extremely damp conditions of the prison, contracted what must have been gangrene in one leg, which had to be amputated. Elizabethan surgery was performed without an anaesthetic; however, Nicholas was spiritually anaesthetised by a vision which distracted him from the pain. Similarly, on the day before he died, he received another sign of God’s favour - in the form of an intangible crown over his head – thus alleviating his fear and dread of execution. On the same day, but about a half a mile away, where Fetter Lane joins Fleet Street, Fr. Christopher Bayles also met his death. He had been racked and forced to hang for 24 hours by Topcliffe, because he refused to reveal who had attended Mass and where. At his trial, he told the judge that he was no different from St Augustine, who had also been ordained abroad and sent to preach the Catholic Faith in England. Two months later, Edward Jones, a Welsh priest and eloquent preacher, was betrayed by priest catchers, feigning to be Catholic and attending Mass. He was hanged in Fleet Street, as was his fellow priest, Fr. Middleton, without trial, outside the house in which he had been captured. On the 6th May, 1591, two more died a most brutal death in Fleet Street, one a Norfolk man – Montford Scot and the other a Lancastrian – George Beesley. Fr. Montford attended Douai College before it moved to Rheims and began his missionary work in 1577. He is one of the few priests who was able to work for more than a year before being arrested. Over a period of seven years he ministered in Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire where he was taken and sent to London. For the next seven years, he languished in prison. He was known for his intense piety, prayer and mortification. Onlookers remarked on his calloused knees as his legs were torn from his body after execution. Fr. George came to England in 1588 and was described by his biographer as ‘a man of singular courage, young, strong and robust’. But after being frequently and cruelly tortured by Topcliffe in prison, he was reduced to a skeleton. Both were beatified in 1987 by Pope John Paul II. T.S. Eliot whom I have quoted in a previous article, claimed that “wherever a martyr has given his blood for Christ, there is holy ground and the sanctity shall not depart from it”. Walking through Lincoln’s Inn and Gray’s Inn Fields, Clekenwell, Smithfield, Fetter Lane and Fleet Street, in this small area of Holborn, I felt a very real sense of treading on holy ground.

26-27 our lady of westminster (DIOCESE):p18-19 king john 18/02/2010 11:56 Page 1

OUR LADY OF WESTMINSTER © Br. Lawrence O.P.

n 1955 at an Antiques Dealers Fair in London, an ancient three foot statue of Our Lady, made out of alabaster, was exhibited. It had been bought by an English ecclesiastical art dealer the year before, but it had been up for sale in Paris in 1930, when it was owned by a French art dealer who, in turn, had acquired it from Baron de Saint Leger Daguerre. Apart from the name, nothing of the historical details are known. Cardinal Griffin, Archbishop of Westminster, in 1955 was very anxious to buy the statue. However he was beaten in his bid by the Dean of York, who, unfortunately, for him, but not for the cardinal, was unable to raise the funds. In a lovely ecumenical gesture, the Dean said that Westminster Cathedral should have it, and so on the 8th December 1955, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, it was welcomed at a Solemn High Mass in the cathedral in the presence of a representative from York Minster. But how old is this statue of Our Lady of Westminster? Herein lies the mystery. Educated guesses can be made by comparing it to other similar statues that have been found and whose historical details are better known. There are about 40 surviving statues, most of them in France. Twelve of them have the Child Jesus sitting on Mary’s right knee. Art and Church historians, therefore, consider that the Westminster statue dates from between 1440 and 1525, because it has the characteristics of alabaster statues that were mass produced in England during that period. It has a remarkable similarity to one of two statues found buried, behind All Saints church in Broughton-in-Craven, in 1863. The fact that they were defaced would indicate they must have existed in Edward VI’s time when his Act for the putting away of divers books and images (1549) was enforced. Although there was a wide European market for these statues, by far the biggest buyers were the French. So, the Westminster statue was probably carved for a place of worship somewhere in France and venerated until the French Revolution, when it passed into private ownership to protect it from French iconoclasts. Our Lady’s statue is aptly positioned below Eric Gill’s sculpture of the 13th Station of the Cross, depicting Mary holding the dead body of her Son. To the right and behind is the magnificent Lady Chapel. The juxtaposition of modern art and the medieval statue of Our Lady, also holding her young Child on her knee, as he gazes intently at his mother, I am sure, is not lost on the many who pray at this shrine every day. The cathedral historian, Patrick Rogers, helps us to imagine

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Westminster Archdiocesan feature by Tony Galcius

The installation and blessing of the shrine of Our Lady of Westminster.

the even greater beauty of this statue when he writes in the cathedral magazine that: “Traces of paint indicate that Our Lady’s crown, (broken) sceptre and mantle fastening were gilded. Her garments were edged with gold with interior folds painted blue and red. Her dark brown throne stood amidst daisies in a dark green field”. (v. Oremus, May 2007 edition). Half a mile away, in Westminster Abbey, is a statue called Our Lady of the Pew (see right). It too is carved out of alabaster in the image and likeness of the one at the cathedral. However its origin dates back but 55 years and how it came about makes quite an amazing story. Albert Joseph Freeman was gassed in the trenches during the Great War, and as he lay dying in a field hospital in France, he promised to dedicate his life to Our Lady if he made a full recovery. It was many years later, in 1955, that he visited the abbey and was extremely sad to see an empty niche in the Pew chapel. He discovered that an ancient statue of Our Lady, carved in alabaster, had been donated by the Countess of Pembroke in 1377 to the abbot and it was to be venerated in the chantry chapel given by her to have Masses said for her dead husband and herself when she died. It was, of course, around this time that the concept of England as Mary’s Dowry began and was eventually fully mandated by Richard II in 1399 as follows: “The contemplation of the great mystery of the Incarnation has brought all Christian nations to venerate her from whom came the beginnings of redemption. But we, as the humble servants of her inheritance, and liegemen of her especial dower - as we are approved by common parlance ought to excel all others in the favour of our praises and devotions to her.” The statue was later destroyed at the Reformation. Without hesitation, Albert Joseph Freeman commissioned the sculptor, a Sr. Concordia Scott, OSB to reproduce one as close as possible to that of Our Lady of Westminster. It was finally completed and installed in 1971. The most striking aspect of this story is that Albert Freeman’s

visit to the abbey was during the same year that the medieval alabaster statue was enshrined in the cathedral. In a way, this story is about Our Lady linking the old pre-Reformation Catholic devotion to her in the abbey, the present veneration of her in the cathedral and the Anglican revival in marian devotion in the Chapel of the Pew. Is this not evidence of her wishes for unity of all Christians? Is she not reminding us vividly of Christ’s prayer to the Father at the Last Supper when he prayed “ut Unum sint – that they may all be One”?

The Church needs religious sisters URGENTLY (ministers of religion) to bring Christ to others by a life of prayer and service lived in the community of Ignation spirituality. Daily Mass is the centre of community life. By wearing the religious habit we are witnesses of the consecrated way of life. If you are willing to risk a little love and would like to find out how, contact Sister Bernadette Mature vocations considered.

CONVENT OF OUR LADY OF FIDELITY. Central Hill, Upper Norwood, LONDON SE19 1RS Tel: 0044 (0) 7760 297001 Fax: 0044 (0) 208 766 6579

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Westminster Archdiocesan focus by Jim Hyland

The

ADOPTION LEGACY From its early origins in the 19th century, until the present time, the Catholic Children’s Society, (Westminster) has been involved in providing a range of care services for children and families including, for much of that time, an adoption service.

n the 19th June 2009, the Society announced that it would cease to assess and approve people who wish to become adopters. The Society had been forced into this position because it did not consider that, as a Catholic agency, it could comply with all the requirements of the Government’s Sexual Orientation Regulations. This would have meant that it would have been forced to assess same-sex couples; this would not meet their existing criterion that as far applicants who are couples are concerned they must be married as man and wife. This decision will bring to an end the long and fruitful involvement of the Society in selecting would be adopters for approval and undertaking the delicate process of placing the children. From its beginnings, the Society had seen as one of its major objectives the ‘rescue’ of children, not only from unsafe and uncaring situations, but also from the peril of losing their Catholic faith. This in turn had led to some fierce legal battles,

some only won after the Society went to the highest courts in the land, to establish the parents right to ensure that Catholic children were not deprived of a Catholic upbringing. This role of ensuring that the rights of the Catholic community were respected imposed pressure on the Society to provide the foster and adoptive placements for children, although they were not always able to do so. Adoption Act 1926 Adoption had not been placed on a proper legal footing until the Adoption Act 1926. This was prompted largely by the demand to have the protection of a legal status both for the child and for the adopter. Fostering was often the prior step on the way to adoption, although the majority of fostered children were not adopted but either returned to their families, remained with their foster carer or went on to residential care. Canon George Craven, (later Bishop Craven), the Administrator of the Crusade between 1920 and 1948, struggled to find the fostering and adoptive placements to meet the child’s best interests, including the preservation of their religious faith. There was a long tradition of placing children in need of care into foster families from soon after the onset of the Crusade, but such families were few and difficult to find and therefore a major emphasis had been placed on establishing good residential homes for the children. It was difficult to recruit families, even for babies, and as a result many infants were placed in residential nurseries, some being fostered as they became toddlers, but many progressing through the Society’s range of homes. In the Annual Report for 1935 it was noted that a home for 45 girl toddlers (15 months to 5 years of age) had been opened. As the report proclaimed: “We are now able to provide for girls from zero plus until they leave school and earn their own living. These homes are helping very much solve the problem of the shortage of foster mothers. The capable and devoted foster 1. Awaiting Adoption photo from Waugh Rev. N (1911) These My Little Ones. 2. Babies Dormitory. Annual Report 1937. 3. Front Cover of 1931 Rescue Society Annual Report.

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mother provides, in my opinion, the ideal form of infant care for these motherless waifs; but the number of such women is not commensurate with our need, and Babies’ Homes are therefore absolutely necessary.” Canon Craven reported in the 1938 Annual Report that over 100 infants, particularly boys, were with foster mothers. Despite this, there was still a demand for more places so he arranged for the places for infants at St Anthony’s Feltham to be doubled to 40 and for 40 new places for boy toddlers to be provided in the new St Vincent’s home near by. It was also decided to buy the house adjoining St Nicholas’ Home for Mothers and Babies in order to double the accommodation there. St Nicholas’s, at 31 Highbury Hill, had been opened in 1931. The home had places for 12 mothers and their babies. Great Pressure on Places Needed The number of infants and young children needing placements remained high into the 1960s. These numbers were continues on page 30

3 29

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Westminster Archdiocesan focus by Jim Hyland substantially added to by applicaants coming to England from Ireland. In 1938 the Crusade had received 356 applications from unmarried Irish mothers. Some mothers and babies were helped to return to Ireland, either through their parish priests or their own families. Some of the children were placed by the Rescue Society of Ireland. Some were admitted to the care of the Crusade, which made grants to enable the mother to pay a foster mother. In 1957 Canon Flood, the then administrator, wrote, “1956 adoption statistics show that there has been a 25%

increase in the number of placements for adoption. This figures takes no account of the number of Irish girls who were helped to place their children through St. Anne’s adoption society in Cork…31 mothers used it during 1956. “We shall not, and cannot, relax the standards required of adopters, and some old friends coming back for another child have remarked with dismay that formalities get more exacting. We must always do our best to safeguard the children. This is the primary purpose of an adoption society.” The Cork scheme offered Irish mothers the option of returning to Ireland with

Changing Attitudes In the later part of the 20th century attitudes to single parenthood and the introduction of new abortion laws led to changes of view on adoption. Now very few babies are placed for adoption but increasing numbers of older children, some with a disability, are being placed. Adoption is now a much more open process and adopted people have been given the right, with certain safeguards for all involved, to trace their birth family. The Society has been the official adoption agency for the dioceses of Westminster and Brentwood, as well as having a national remit in matching children with adoptive parents. In a typical year, in recent times, it has placed up to 20 children and

their babies and having them adopted under Irish legislation. During the operation of this facility, mothers of 821 infants took up the option. Speaking at the Annual Meeting of the Crusade in 1982, Fr. John O’Mahony, then Chairman of the Central Council of Catholic Adoption Societies in Ireland and Secretary of St. Anne’s Adoption Society Cork, acknowledged the benefits that his Society had gained from contact with the high professional standards practiced by the staff of the Crusade. He also noted that the first Irish Adoption Act only came into force in 1953.

approved up to 20 sets of would be adopters. The Society’s Post Adoption and Care Service team has provided access to records to adoptees who were placed for adoption by the Society. It also provides statutory counselling and mediation services to those seeking birth relatives. The Society has said it will continue to operate its adoption support and counselling services for the many thousands of adoptions they have facilitated over the years. They view this work as an historical legacy which must be honoured even though the era of its direct adoption work has had to end. (below) Adoption Chart, Catholic Children’s Society, (Westminster).

31 westminster DIOCESE NEWS:p18-19 king john 18/02/2010 12:03 Page 1

News

Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School’s £47 million Learning Village project in Tower Hamlets was officially opened on the 22nd January 2010 by Archbishop Vincent Nichols in a ceremony attended by Bishop George Stack, local civic and faith leaders and the

£47MILLION BOOST FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION school community. The Learning Village project, a collaboration between the Department of Education, the Archdiocese of Westminster and Tower Hamlets Council, has transformed the school's site which now offers outstanding facilities for students and local residents alike. State of the art The new development includes state of the art buildings – including a sports hall, library and Village Club - for both the school and local community. Close links with the local Church of St Mary and St Michael and the primary school are being created, as a result of which parents will be able to educate their children from age 3 to 18 on one campus.

The new development includes state of the art buildings.

Poor and marginalised The school, which has over 1,700 pupils, is named after Richard Challoner, an influential 18th century Catholic bishop – a scholar who worked tirelessly, through education, to help the poor and disadvantaged. The school today continues its mission of educating

the poor and the marginalised. The Learning Village and the school’s development make Bishop Challoner one of inner city education’s great success stories. The school has achieved outstanding levels of excellence inside and outside the classroom, which has meant fine exam results and an enviable range of extra-curricular activities, reflecting the energy and enthusiasm of staff and students. Exam results for both the boys’ and girls’ schools put them high up in national measures of academic performance. High attainment Executive Head, Catherine Myers said: “We hope the Learning Village will be a beacon for high attainment and prove a landmark in the school’s growing relationship with its Tower Hamlets community. On behalf of the governors, staff, students and their families, I should like to thank the diocese and everybody involved with making this project happen and to Archbishop Nichols for finding time in his busy schedule to join us for the opening ceremony.”

Society’s love for children lays foundation for book This year, the Catholic Children’s Society, Westminster is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Founded in 1859, it provides child care services to assist children and families in need, irrespective of race or faith, in the diocese of Westminster. A number of events are planned to mark this special year. Prominent among them is a book the society has published, called Changing Times, Changing Needs, A History of the Catholic Children’s Society (Westminster). Written by Jim Hyland, the book draws from the extensive archives of the society. It documents not just the society’s 150-year history, but places it within the wider context of developments within the Church itself, including the impact of the restoration of the hierarchy and the influence of the Second Vatican Council. Running alongside this are the changes taking place within the secular world and government legislation. “This publication to mark our 150th anniversary year weaves a fascinating historical tapestry, from the social pressures impacting

upon children and families to the response of the Church to these,” society chief executive Dr Rosemary Keenan commented. “It portrays a remarkably moving picture of the commitment of the Catholic community to improving the lives of children and their families, a commitment that we greatly appreciate and value as we face the ongoing challenge of transforming young lives for the better.” The book is available from the Catholic Children’s Society (Westminster) for £10 inclusive of post and packing. For more details, email info@cathchild.org.uk or visit www.cathchild.org.uk 31

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Shroud of Turin:

IMAGE PROVOKES PRAYER, CURIOSITY, SCHOLARLY DISPUTES

he Shroud of Turin, which many Christians believe to be the burial cloth of Jesus, goes on public display this spring, at a time when experts are debating new claims about the 14foot-long piece of linen. Pope Benedict XVI has already made plans to view the shroud during a one-day trip to the northern Italian city of Turin in early May. Many observers are wondering how the Pope will refer to the cloth: as a sign, an icon or – as Pope John Paul II once characterised it – a relic. The shroud’s last showing was 10 years ago, when more than a million people lined up to see it in the cathedral of Turin in northern Italy. Officials are predicting similar crowds for the exposition April 10th-May 23rd, and visitors are being urged to book their visits online at

http://www.sindone.org The pilgrims come to witness with their own eyes what they may have read about or glimpsed on TV. Most go away impressed with what they see: a faint image of a bearded man who appears to have been whipped, crowned with thorns and crucified. Carbon-14 tests in 1988 dated the cloth to the Middle Ages, and seemed to confirm the theory that the shroud was a pious fraud. But since then, some experts have faulted the methodology of the testing, and said the tiny samples used may have been taken from areas of the cloth that were mended in medieval times. The shroud has also been chemically analysed, electronically enhanced and computer-imaged. So far, no one has been able to fully explain how the image was

transferred to the linen cloth, although experts have put forward theories ranging from enzyme reaction to solar imaging. The shroud has been studied from virtually every scientific angle in recent years. Its weave has been examined, pollen grains embedded in the cloth have been inspected, and red stains have been analysed for haemoglobin properties. One particular sub-category of debate focuses on enhanced images that, in the opinion of some scientists, reveal the impression of first-century Palestinian coins placed on the eyes of the shroud’s figure. The ‘jury’ on the shroud includes hundreds of experts, some of them selfappointed. They do not split neatly into believers and sceptics, however. The latest controversy, in fact, involves a Vatican archivist who claims to have found

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EXHIBITION evidence of writing on the shroud – a hypothesis that has drawn sharp criticism from other Catholic scholars. The archivist, Barbara Frale, said in a new book that older photographs of the shroud reveal indications of what was essentially a written death notice for a Jesus Nazarene. The text, she said, employs three languages used in first-century Jerusalem. The book immediately prompted a website war in Italy. Several sites dedicated to the shroud ridiculed Frale’s hypothesis, saying it bordered on Dan Brown-style fantasy. Vatican Radio, however, featured an interview with Frale about her ‘important discovery.’ No doubt the world will hear more about this scholarly spat when the shroud goes on display. It will be the first public showing of the shroud since it underwent a restoration in 2002, which removed repair patches and a large piece of linen of a later date. To prepare for the exhibit, the Archdiocese of Turin has taken the unusual step of

closing the cathedral for three months. It will take that long to set up the viewing area and the information exhibit for visitors as they wait in line. Pope Benedict’s arrival is a big event for organisers of this year’s shroud exposition. Many Catholics look to Rome for direction on how to evaluate the shroud, as Pope John Paul II discovered en route to Africa in 1989, when he called the shroud a ‘relic.’ When excited reporters asked whether this meant it was the authentic burial cloth of Christ, the Polish pope conferred with an aide before answering more cautiously: “The Church has never pronounced itself in this sense. It has always left the question open to all those who want to seek its authenticity. I think it is a relic.” Clearly, Pope John Paul was personally convinced, although when he went to see the shroud in 1998 he carefully avoided using the term ‘relic.’ Pope Benedict has long been cautious about the value of private signs, apparitions and revelations. But he seems

to consider the Shroud of Turin in a different category. In his book, The Spirit of the Liturgy, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote that the shroud was “a truly mysterious image, which no human artistry was capable of producing.” In his meditations on the Good Friday Way of the Cross in Rome shortly before his election as pope in 2005, he wrote regarding the 11th station, ‘Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross’: “The Shroud of Turin allows us to have an idea of the incredible cruelty of this procedure.” The Pope then offered a prayer inspired by the figure of the shroud: “Let us halt before this image of pain, before the suffering Son of God. Let us look upon him at times of presumptuousness and pleasure, in order to learn to respect limits and to see the superficiality of all merely material goods. Let us look upon him at times of trial and tribulation, and realise that it is then that we are closest to God.” © www.catholicnews.com

1. A life-size reproduction of the Shroud of Turin. 2. An example of a crown of thorns 3. Examples of Roman whips used to scourge. 4. A bronze statue, titled ‘The Body of the Man of the Shroud’. All from a permanent exhibit at Regina Apostolorum University in Rome. Although the Shroud of Turin has been studied from virtually every scientific angle, no one has been able to fully explain how the image was transferred to the linen cloth.

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The

EUCHARISTIC MIRACLE of SEEFELD

o many people, the fame of Seefeld in Austria’s Tyrol region, lies in its importance as a winter sports centre as it has hosted the Nordic Skiing Competitions in the Winter

Olympic Games of both 1964 and 1976. But, to the faithful, the town has a much greater significance as a pilgrimage centre and a pilgrimage centre which has links with England.

The name of its parish church, the Pfarrkirche St Oswald, gives us a clue as it is named after the seventh century Martyr King of Northumbria who died fighting the pagan King of Mercia in 642. Later, he was canonised for his role in promoting Christianity in the north-east of England and it was his followers who then spread Christianity throughout various areas of Europe, including the land we now know as Austria. In the 14th century, though, another Oswald was to bring the town further prominence. He was Oswald Milser, Lord of nearby Schlossberg Castle. This castle had a strategic military and defensive position as it guarded an important mountain pass and thus provided protection and security for the population of the surrounding area. This Oswald, however, was almost the exact opposite of the man whose followers brought the word of Christ to the people here. He was vain, arrogant and full of his own importance, traits which were to bring him a very unpleasant surprise on Holy Thursday of 1384. On that day, Oswald and his followers went to the church in Seefeld to attend Mass but Oswald had already decided that the small Host normally given to the congregation was too ‘ordinary’ for a man of his standing and importance. According to the Golden Chronicle of Hohenschwangau, during the Mass, Oswald surrounded the priest with his armed soldiers and demanded the large Host for himself. To refuse any such request from the local nobleman could have meant death and the terrified priest handed him the large Host. Immediately, the ground on which Oswald Milser was standing gave way and the blasphemer sank into the ground up to his knees. Terrified, Milser grasped the

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travel feature - by Peter M Smith altar rail with both hands, leaving imprints which can still be seen today as he implored the priest to remove the Host from his mouth. As soon as this was done, the ground became firm once again. The humiliated knight then rushed away seeking refuge at the monastery of Stams where he confessed and repented his sin of pride. The velvet mantle he had worn during that Mass was later made into a chasuble and presented to the monks of Stams. In the remaining two years of his life, Oswald Milser performed penance for his sacrilege and, in accordance with his own last wishes, was buried close to the entrance of what is now the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. When the Host that had been retrieved from Milser’s mouth was examined later it was found to have been saturated with blood, the Blood of Christ. Not long afterwards, Knight Parseval von Weineck of Zirl gave the priest of Seefeld a silver monstrance, designed in the Gothic style, to be used as a reliquary for the exposition of the miraculous Host. Some have claimed that this monstrance was actually the gift of Oswald Milser but as he died just two years after the miraculous event, this seems unlikely. Inevitably, news of the events of Eastertide 1384 brought pilgrims to the village, so many of them that a hostel had to be built to accommodate them all. As their numbers increased even further, the church itself became too small and, in 1423, construction of a larger church, on the same site, was begun thanks to the generosity of Duke Frederick and the new building was finally completed in 1472. Almost 50 years later, in 1516, a monastery was built behind the church financed by the Emperor Maximillan I who had been greatly impressed by the piety of the Seefeld pilgrims. For almost 300 years, pilgrims and hunting parties were provided with food and accommodation by the Augustinian monks who lived and worshipped there until the monastery was closed down in 1807

during the French Revolutionary wars. Two years after its closure, the monastery was bought by the Seyrling family who turned it into a hotel. Now one of the town’s most prestigious establishments, this five star hotel continues the traditions of the earlier monks by feeding and accommodating 21st century pilgrims. Yet another man of noble rank who was impressed by the Seefeld pilgrimages was Archduke Ferdinand II of the Tyrol. In 1574 he was responsible for the building of the Chapel of the Holy Blood within the new church. Here the miraculous Host was kept for a short time though, at present, the monstrance with the Host is kept in a tabernacle near the High Altar on the south wall of the sanctuary. Today’s visitors and pilgrims can still see the site of the Eucharistic Miracle. The spot where Oswald Milser sank up to his knees is near the south side of the Altar of the Miracle and, in accordance with today’s ‘health and safety’ regulations, it is normally covered by a grating, though this can be removed by the authorities for those who wish to see and examine the spot in more detail. The stone Altar of the Miracle remains in its original position in the sanctuary and the impression Oswald Milser’s hands made in the stone can still be clearly seen. A new altar slab, supported by pillars, is directly above the stone altar, the whole structure arranged in such a way that the Altar of the Miracle can be clearly seen by all. This construction is some way from the elaborately decorated High Altar which was added when the church was enlarged Throughout the church there are numerous reminders of the miracle. The events are recorded in stained glass, in a painted panel of 1502 on the south wall and on the tympanum above the main entrance. In the Chapel of the Holy Blood (The Blutskapelle) itself, is a splendid fresco depicting Oswald Milser in his velvet cape receiving Communion along with hovering angels holding the reliquary monstrance. Strangely, although there is mention of the church of St Oswald in Seefeld in a document of 1320, it is not known exactly when it was first built. To ecclesiastical architects, the current building is considered to be the best example of north Tyrolean Gothic architecture in Europe. Another claim to fame is that it is the only remaining building which was constructed by the Innsbruck Builders Guild. The 600th anniversary of the Eucharistic Miracle was celebrated with due reverence and pomp in 1984 and the church is now one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in Austria, where the faithful can renew and express their faith in Christ through his true presence in the Eucharist. FACT FILE GETTING THERE There are frequent flights to both Innsbruck and Munich from where Seefeld can be reached by public transport. Those with their own vehicles can take the 177 road from Innsbruck and from Munich by the same road or the 181 to Jenbach and then the 171 to Innsbruck and then the 177. ACCOMMODATION There are several hotels and guesthouses along with private houses which offer simple accommodation. 35

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Diocesan pre-history

PART 3: WALES

ow many of our priests or layfolk are aware that Shrewsbury Diocese has had a ‘Welsh connection’ since its earliest days? We have seen how Cheshire and Shropshire were carved out of the former Lancashire and Midland districts to form our diocese in 1850. But we must not forget that the six historic counties of North Wales, once a remote area of the Western district, were entrusted to us at the same time as the two English counties, and for 45 years formed an integral and important segment of the Diocese of Shrewsbury. Why else was St Winefride chosen, together with Our Lady Help of Christians, as one of the two principal patrons of the new diocese? Her name evokes the memory of early Celtic

Christianity, adopted by a whole nation, long before St Augustine landed from Rome to convert the pagan Anglo-Saxons. Wales has a long litany of heroic missionary saints, among whom we must mention St David and St Beuno, Winefride’s uncle, the great evangelist of North Wales. Everywhere in Wales one comes across the names of these Welsh saints, often associated with holy wells, sources of spiritual and bodily healing. Winefride lived at Holywell in the first part of the seventh century: devotion to her memory became widespread in the Middle Ages and her shrine developed into a major pilgrimage centre. In 1138 her relics were translated to the abbey at Shrewsbury, and she became the patron saint of our cathedral town.

The Reformation: Throughout the penal days St Winefride’s shrine at Holywell (re-built by Henry VIII’s grandmother, and bartered away by him in 1537) was regularly visited by pilgrims. Two inns provided more than liquid refreshment for the faithful – one belonged to the Jesuits (The Star), the other to the secular clergy (The Cross Keys). Our own Wirral martyr, St John Plessington, cared for the spiritual needs of the pilgrims, until he settled at Puddington Hall as chaplain to the Massey family. He was executed at Chester in 1679, and his body is thought to have been buried in Burton churchyard. We also inherit from those dangerous days three of the six canonised martyr

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shrewsbury feature by Mgr Christopher Lightbound

saints of Wales, all born in the northern counties: St Richard Gwyn (martyred at Wrexham, 1584, see left), St John Jones (m.1598) and St John Roberts (m.1610); plus Venerable William Davies, martyred at Beaumaris (1593); and an Irish Franciscan, Ven Charles Mahoney (Mihan), martyred at Ruthin (1679). The last Catholic bishop of St Asaph, Thomas Goldwell, was deposed and exiled by Elizabeth I, and lived at the English and Welsh College in Rome. He ordained several of the future martyrs who were students at the college. He died in 1585, the last of the Catholic pre-Reformation bishops of England and Wales. Welsh religious life, ancient and new The Roman monastic tradition, building

on the traditions of the Celtic saints, reached North Wales in the Middle Ages, and we can still wander pensively among the ruins of the Cistercian abbeys of Valle Crucis (Valley of the Cross) near Llangollen (see above); of St Mary’s Basingwerk by the Dee below Holywell; and of Penmon Priory near Beaumaris in Anglesey. But religious life flourished once again in the early days of our diocese. The Jesuit fathers, never absent from Holywell, established St Beuno’s College near St Asaph in 1848 as a seminary for their theologians – now in modern times a prestigious retreat centre. Gerard Manley Hopkins spent several contented years at St Beuno’s, where he fell in love with all continues on page 38

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Penmon Priory.

things Welsh, and wrote some of his bestknown poetry. He composed an ode in celebration of our first bishop’s 25 years of episcopal ministry in 1876: Though no high-hung bells or din Of braggart bugles cry it in – What is sound? Nature’s round Makes the Silver Jubilee. Bishop Brown elected to be buried at Pantasaph Friary, where the Franciscans settled in 1852 and established a long tradition of pastoral ministry. Shrewsbury Diocese takes over: What of parish life in Wales in the newly

Corpus Christi Church at Tremeirchion, near St Beuno’s.

founded diocese of Shrewsbury? We are told that in 1851 the bishop had “neither church nor chapel nor priest” in the three counties of Anglesey, Merioneth and Montgomery, and in Flint and Caernarfon only one chapel. However, Mass centres and parishes served by Shrewsbury priests soon appear in the records: Holyhead is mentioned as soon as 1855, Talacre 1857, Bangor 1860, Welshpool 1879, Wrexham 1880, Mold and Barmouth 1884. Priests for the diocese were ordained by Bishop Brown at St Beuno’s in 1859 and 1873. However, the very first priest

ordained for the diocese, even before the bishop had been nominated, was Fr. William Hilton: his ordination took place on the 21st December, 1850 at Lisbon where he had studied. He served first as chaplain to the staunchly Catholic Mostyn family at Talacre, Flintshire; then as parish priest in Cheshire at Bollington, Stalybridge and Hooton; and at Wrexham from 1877 to 1883. He was Vicar General of the whole diocese and Provost of the Chapter while at Wrexham. He returned to the English College, Lisbon as Rector from 1883 until his death in 1911. Many of our diocesan priests had

The chapel of St Eilian.

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shrewsbury feature by Mgr Christopher Lightbound

periods of ministry in the growing number of Welsh parishes. This will have given them a special affection for and understanding of Welsh culture and history. Perhaps they will have stumbled across and admired some of the humble pre-Reformation churches which abound in the Welsh countryside. My three favourites are: 1. Corpus Christi at Tremeirchion, near St Beuno’s, with its medieval churchyard cross. 2. Llaneilian church, near Amlwch in Anglesey, with its very rare original rood-screen, the carving of a bagpiper in the chancel roof, and the adjacent chapel of St Eilian (who sailed there from Rome!). 3. St Dyfnog’s church at Llanrhaeadr (see above), off the main road from Ruthin to St Asaph, with its superb stained-glass ‘Tree of Jesse’. At least two of our priests elected to remain in the new Welsh diocese when it was founded as a separate entity in 1895. Their first bishop was none other than Fr. Francis Mostyn, born in 1860, son of Sir Pyers Mostyn and Lady Frances Mostyn, of Talacre Hall. He had been educated at Oscott and Ushaw, and ordained priest for the Shrewsbury diocese at Our Lady’s Birkenhead in 1884, where he stayed as curate and then as parish priest until 1895, when he was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Wales (and later in 1921 Archbishop of Cardiff ). 40

Postcript The very name of St Winefride’s church in Neston, see above (1843) underlines the spiritual links between our diocese and Wales. So too does its fine stainedglass window of St Charles Borromeo, arrayed in the splendid robes of a cardinal, blessing his namesake Charles Stanley of Denhall (below Ness Gardens) who died on the 22nd November, 1859. He was the uncle of Sir John Massey

Stanley, the 12th and last Baronet of Hooton, who built St Mary of the Angels church. He married Barbara, the daughter of Sir Edward Mostyn of Talacre. Thus the two senior Wirral and Welsh Catholic families, Stanley and Mostyn, were linked together in a Deeside marriage which encapsulates the history of Shrewsbury Diocese, together with its significant Welsh Catholic background and traditions.

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The Old Spanish Missions of California: PART 7: MISSION SANTA BARBARA, QUEEN OF MISSIONS

xcited at the prospect of founding his latest mission, Fr. Serra arrived at the newly established Presidio of Santa Barbara on a warm spring day in 1782. He celebrated Mass, planted a cross and

made preparations for the new mission. At the last minute a messenger arrived from Governor Felipe de Neve, who had been present at the dedication of Fr. Serraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest mission of San Buenaventura, and presented the startled priest with an order expressly forbidding him from establishing any more missions in his territory. According to de Neve there were already enough missions in the area but a more plausible explanation was the

The devastating effect of the 1925 earthquake on the Mission.

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series feature by Stella Uttley

governor’s displeasure at the growing power and influence of the Franciscans in Alto California. Worried that his authority could be under threat, the governor took the easiest option and exercised his own considerable power to veto any further plans for another mission. Unable to persuade the governor to change his mind, the disappointed priest returned to Carmel where he stayed until his death two years later. Coincidentally Governor Neve also died that same year and the idea of a tenth mission, which had hitherto remained in administrative limbo, was reborn. Fr. Serra’s successor finally gained permission to establish a new mission from the newly appointed Governor, Pedro Fages, and a site was selected in the hills overlooking the Presidio close to the homes of the local Chumash people. On the feast day of St Barbara on the 4th December, 1786, Fr. Lasuen formally dedicated Mission Santa Barbara and Fr. Antonio Paterna was appointed its senior missionary. The new governor attended a second dedication 12 days later and everyone, particularly the Chumash people, whose leaders were eager to convert to Christianity, readily accepted the mission. By the end of 1832 over 5,500 baptisms had been performed at the mission followed by an equally high number of weddings. A large, well-planned residential area was established to cater for the increasing local population next to the northwest side of the mission quadrangle. Under the expert tuition of the missionaries the Chumash, who had traditionally been hunter-gatherers, worked hard at becoming skilled farmers. With the mission’s success came the need for additional accommodation and in 1786 work began on the latest wood and adobe mission buildings as well as what was intended to be the permanent church. This phase of the development was finished in 1794 but was followed by the addition of more structures until the mission quadrangle was complete. The church remained the focal point of the mission centre until it was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake on the 21st December, 1812. Unlike the church at San Juan Capistrano, which was left as a ruin, Santa Barbara was rebuilt with a façade that was based on a Roman building designed in 27BC by Vitrivius. The cornerstone was laid in 1815 and the church, which still stands today, was formally dedicated on the 10th September, 1820. The ‘Golden Age’ of the California Mission System had dawned and for the next year Santa Barbara, along with the other missions, continued to flourish. In 1821, however, Mexico declared its independence from Spain and the government subsidies to the missions ground to a halt. The consequences for the mission system in general were dire but, unlike the other missions, Santa Barbara managed to escape the worst of the decline. While most of the other missions would become parish churches and lose their Franciscan priests, Mission Santa Barbara retained its Franciscan presence and over the next two decades, against all the odds, continued to thrive. When the American government handed back the missions to the Franciscans in 1865 the priests at Santa Barbara fulfilled a dream when it opened its doors to students at the newly established high school and junior college. In 1896, the School of Theology for the Franciscan province of Santa Barbara, a seminary for training priests, was also founded. This well known school, known today as the Franciscan School of Theology, resides in its comparatively new location at Berkeley, California.

Kitchen at Santa Barbara.

Mission Santa Barbara continued to prosper as a recognised centre for Franciscan activities in the west and many important people went out of their way to see the thriving mission. Princess Louise, the daughter of Queen Victoria, visited the mission in 1882 and just over a century later the mission received a royal visit from Victoria’s great-great-granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II. Three presidents also travelled to Santa Barbara, perhaps the most famous being Theodore Roosevelt who was apparently continues on page 43

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The chapel interior and the gardens. fascinated by the many Indian artefacts preserved in the mission’s museum. The early decades of the 20th century saw a great deal of restoration work taking place at the mission following another earthquake in 1925. The idea was to maintain as much as the original appearance of the church as possible and architect Ross Montgomery supervised the two year programme. Unfortunately this was not the end of the story as in 1950 cracks suddenly appeared in the restoration work and the façade had to be removed. Eventually the whole of the exterior had to be rebuilt and some years later further construction followed, which altered the west wing and added a second quadrangle. Today the Franciscan province of St Barbara has its headquarters in Oakland, California and priests from here live and work in places that serve the needs of many people from diverse ethnic, cultural and economic backgrounds including the Native Americans from the southwest. Mission Santa Barbara, although no longer the headquarters of the Franciscans, retains a retreat centre and the mission church is now the centrepiece of the Franciscan parish of St Barbara. It is ironic that the only mission Fr. Junipero Serra was actually forbidden from 43

establishing remains the only mission to have a continuous Franciscan presence from the day it was founded until the present time. This enabled Mission Santa Barbara, with its world-famous twin bell towers, to retain much of its original interior appearance, due in large part to the loving care it has received over the centuries. As the afternoon sun filters through the windows it is not only the beautiful

paintings on the walls but the walls themselves that reflect the mission’s rich heritage. It is no wonder that Mission Santa Barbara, poised beneath the Santa Ynez Mountains, overlooking wide sweeping lawns and beautiful gardens is recognised as one of the loveliest in the Californian system and fully deserves its other title of ‘Queen of Missions’.

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Marriage Care

CATHOLIC SOCIETIES BY MAIREAD MAHON

arriage Care is a Catholic marriage support organisation. It was formed in 1946, as a response to the pressures on the family brought about by the Second World War. Many couples had been separated during the period of the war and, as men began to return home from the Forces, many found that this much longed for event brought several unexpected problems. Couples had to get used to living together again and, quite often, children found it difficult to relate to a father whom they had not seen for many years. In some cases, women had started to work outside the home and the clearly defined had roles Left: Terry Prendergast, Chief Executive of Marriage Care meets Pope Benedict XVI. Centre: Giovanni Giacobbe, President of the Italian Forum.

that usually existed before the war were in a state of flux. It was no surprise that a lot of couples found communication difficult and many marriages underwent problematic periods. Cardinal Bernard Griffin was particularly concerned with the sanctity of marriage, defending it in his 1943 installation Mass, and he believed that people could be encouraged to stay happily together if they were given help with their problems. It was this deeply held belief that led him to be instrumental in establishing Marriage Care. It was decided that St Margaret Clitherow, the Pearl of York, would be the patron saint of the organisation, as she was

known for her reputation for devotion to her husband and children. A statue of her stands in the London headquarters of Marriage Care and a prayer is always offered to her at official meetings. However, the need for a Catholic marriage support centre is as strong as it ever was and today, there are over 50 centres throughout England and Wales. Today, it is not essential that couples are married in order to benefit from the service that Marriage Care provides and although the service has a Catholic outlook in its belief that marriage is a sacramental union blessed by the Church, non Catholics can also attend. Marriage Care ideally aims to

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series feature

encourage couples to stay together but they are realistic enough to know that, in certain circumstances, this may not always be possible. The organisation offers a holistic approach and tries to reflect the attitude of the gospels in its approach to counselling. There is also a helpline which people can use in an emergency. In addition, materials are available on the website, which a couple can look at together and try to pinpoint where and why conflict or problems might be an issue. Those who wish to attend counselling sessions are usually given their first appointment within a month and, although there is no fixed charge, donations are always gratefully received. An important aspect of the services that Marriage Care provides is Marriage Preparation courses. Sometimes, priests suggest that a couple planning to marry in their parish attends a course but gradually, as these courses become more and more successful, word of mouth recommendation means that many couples are very eager to undertake a course. During the course, a couple is encouraged, in a positive way, to explore their relationship and their hopes for it. They are also helped to develop the skills that are needed in order to maintain a successful and loving marriage. Couples who want to attend can either take part in a group situation with others who are also preparing for marriage or they can fill in a questionnaire and have private sessions, discussing any issues that their answers might highlight. These courses are very popular and Marriage Care receives much praise for them. The Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research has found that those who think about their forthcoming marriage in such a way are much more positive about dealing with any problems that may crop up during the marriage. Marriage Care is also active within the Catholic education system. They aim to show young people in secondary schools that relationships do not work simply by themselves and the emphasis is firmly on communication. Every couple needs to work at their relationship at some point and every couple needs to learn to listen and communicate and have the patience to work through their problems. The programme is called Foundations for a Good Life and lesson material is freely available for teachers, either as a web download or as a bound folder. The programme has attracted much praise amongst educators and young people. For parents who may be experiencing marital problems because of the strain of parenting or who may be finding it difficult to adjust to new parenthood, help is also available. Marriage Care relies on volunteers to help it provide its hugely important service. Obviously, for those who feel that they would like to become counsellors with the organisation, training at different levels is involved. For those who wish to

become a relationship counsellor, training takes two years, including some residential weekends and is accredited by York St John University. For those who are interested in working on marriage preparation courses, training takes place over three days and entails a probationary period. Volunteers who wish to man the helpline are assessed on an individual basis. However, not everyone who would like to help would like to become a counsellor but luckily, there are lots of other opportunities to assist with this very valuable work ranging from administrative work to acting as a chaperone and lots more in between. Volunteers have the satisfaction of knowing that they are doing something enormously worthwhile and that as well as hard work, there is also the opportunity to socialise and have fun, both on a local level and at the annual national conference. As training and running centres is extremely expensive, gift aid donations can also be made. If you would like to find out more about Marriage Care, a list of local centres can be found on the website and these can be approached directly. However, enquiries can also be dealt with through headquarters: www.marriagecare.org.uk/ Marriage Care National Office, Clitherow House, Blythe Mews, Blythe road, London W14 0NW. Tel: 020 7371 1341. Helpline Tel: 088 389 3801.

46-47 interview with john Polhamus:p18-19 king john 18/02/2010 14:40 Page 1

An interview with

John Polhamus

ew musicians have had as varied a career as John Burt Polhamus. The Californian baritone has sung in London, Mexico City and Tokyo, in repertoire as diverse as opera, musicals and Gregorian chant. “I have been musical from my earliest waking memories,” John recalls. “My mother sang to me, my sister played the piano, my father played guitar, and we had a wonderful record collection and a stereo system on which my father played everything from jazz to bossa-nova to classical.” By the time he was five, John was copying his sister’s piano exercises by ear: “The piano just sort of ‘made sense’ under my fingers.” His friends took his music in their stride. “We used to take breaks from basketball, or hockey in the driveway, or football in the street, so that I could come in and play the piano. My friends would come in and listen and watch, and when I’d let out enough music we’d all go back out and play some more.” As a boy, John attended Mass at St Brigid’s Church in the Pacific

Beach neighbourhood of San Diego. St Brigid’s, built in 1948 is, John says, “truly an artist’s church”, with remarkable Stations of the Cross, painted in fresco by Dom Gregory de Wit, OSB, as well as fine sculptures and stained glass. It was here that John came under the formative influence of an organist who played Bach every Sunday. An early memory is “being held by my father at the end of Mass, and looking backwards over his shoulder up at the choir loft, and seeing Jerry R. Witt in cassock and surplice, hunched over the console, weaving tapestries of musical architecture, proportion, and logical, wordless rhetoric in the air.” On Christmas Eve 1982, having sung in the choir for Midnight Mass at St Brigid’s, John was at home listening to the local classical music station. He heard an unfamiliar choral sound “which sparkled in my ears in a way that I had never experienced”. It was a Mass by the 16th-century English composer Thomas Tallis. “It was my first experience of sacred polyphony, and I was hooked from the start.” John began to study singing with a view to a career in music. He trained privately in the studio of Robert H. Farris, another native of San Diego. Under Farris’ experienced direction, John made steady progress. “Bob taught me bel-canto technique: low breath, open throat, and head resonance. And after eight years in his studio, it has never failed me.” While at Junior College, John passed an audition to sing as a bass with the San Diego Opera Chorus, which was run by Tito Capobianco – “the consummate ‘pater familias’ to the whole company”. With international experience and connections, Capobianco brought some of the biggest names in opera to San Diego in the early 1980s. John remembers standing in the wings watching Dame Joan Sutherland singing Carlo vive! from Verdi’s I Masnadieri: ‘stock still, statuesque, sword in hand … the perfect exemplification of solo artistic heroism and virtuosity’. By 1992, John needed a change of scene, and moved to London. Since hearing the Tallis Mass a decade before, he had become increasingly interested in the traditional Latin Mass – the liturgy for which Tallis had been writing. John became a regular at the Monday evening Latin Mass at Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane near Covent Garden. Here he learned Gregorian chant from the late Richard Hoban, and later volunteered to direct the chant schola himself. He also sang in Hoban’s polyphonic choir Schola di Chiesa. He occasionally deputised in the London Oratory Choir, and was deeply influenced by Oratorian spirituality and romanità. At the same time, John was working in West End musicals. His proudest moment came when he performed the role of Monsieur Lumiere – the chef who was transformed into a

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interview by Ben Whitworth

candlestick – in the original London stage production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, with his parents in the audience. “After all the encouragement they showed me in such a variety of ways, all the faith they put in me, for them to see me making a living right at the centre of one of the biggest stage numbers in one of the most popular shows in the history of musical theatre, gave them much satisfaction. I’m very grateful to have been able to give them that memory.” Having returned to San Diego early in the new century, John has been expanding his repertoire further by singing solo parts in the great oratorios. “I think the best fun I’ve ever had in a single piece of music was singing all of the bass soli roles in performances of Haydn’s Creation with the San Diego Chamber Orchestra and the choir of the Bach Collegium San Diego – a marvellous and very dynamic young group.” John loves the way that Haydn pays tribute to past masters of the oratorio, such as Purcell and Handel, before he “stamps his own classical signature onto it and lights Oratorio off into the future like a Saturn V rocket”. He notes that: “the Catholic Haydn prayed humbly on his knees every morning for the inspiration to finish it; Creation is a profoundly Christian expression of faith.” In addition to his work as a soloist, John has recently been appointed director of the La Jolla Renaissance Singers. He is the first trained vocalist to lead this amateur choir, which was founded 45 years ago as the UCSD (University of California at San Diego) Madrigal Singers. The project closest to John’s heart is the Chorus Breviarii, a Gregorian chant choir that will next month be singing its tenth consecutive annual Tenebrae (morning prayer for Holy Week) in the traditional Latin rite. “That evidence of perseverance means everything to me,” John declares. ‘It means we’ve changed the landscape locally with a contribution that wouldn’t have happened if we weren’t there.” As well as the regular Tenebrae services, the choir has sung at Vespers and Mass, from St Joseph’s Cathedral to the historic mission church of San Juan Capistrano, to the Mercy Hospital. The Chorus has sung Pontifical Vespers with Bishop Salvatore Cordileone (“a very special memory”); and Christmas carols at a half-way house for men with HIV (“sometimes the humblest occasions are the grandest of

all”, John reflects). As this suggests, the Chorus is not interested merely in the aesthetic qualities of the chant; like St Philip Neri, they recognise that music has an important role to play in inspiring devotion and charity. John Polhamus has a compelling vision of what liturgical music is and should be; and he draws on his own professional experience to explain it. “Opera”, he says, “comprises a theatre of reality (the singers doing this amazing thing), and a theatre of drama (the roles the singers are portraying). It also draws together all art forms, including vocal music, and orchestral music; choral music, and solo singing; balletic dance, painting, sculpture, poetry – you name it, opera incorporates it.” He goes on: “One can say exactly the same thing about traditional Catholic liturgy, which incorporated all the artistic forms and demanded the very best from them … except that the Mass as an eclectic sacred art-work is transcendently real, in a way that Wagner’s Parsifal can never achieve. The traditional liturgy is fundamentally theatrical in all the best senses, and I say that without apology. Like Shakespeare, the traditional liturgy keeps bringing people back because of the depth of its meaning.” “Human existence,” John points out, “is fundamentally liturgical. It is in our nature as human beings to create order out of chaos. Life itself is full of secular liturgy: we have the liturgies of our baseball games,

cricket tests and football matches; we have the liturgies of classical music, opera and theatre; we have the liturgies of first dates, courtship, marriage and family; we have the liturgies of our morning ablutions and our daily commute; we have the liturgies of birthday bumps and New Year’s toasts; we have the liturgies of college and university. Our liturgical inventiveness is manifold, subtle and endlessly varied, and yet we miss our personal liturgies when they are not there.” In the light of this, John believes that the liturgical discontinuities of the late 20th century have been injurious, not only for self-declared traditionalists, but for the Church and civilisation as a whole. “The Catholic liturgy is a fundamental reality against which even those who reject it define themselves. Without it, all of us know our true selves the less. The imbalances of the last 40 years have robbed us of identity and continuity, and that is what is going to be recovered and built upon, though it take a thousand years or ten.” And in its first ten years, the Chorus Breviarii has made a valuable contribution to that recovery and rebuilding in San Diego. Photographs (opposite) John Burt Polhamus. Portrait by John Clark Photography (London). (below) Members of the Chorus Breviarii singing the office of Tenebrae at St John the Evangelist, Normal Heights, San Diego in Holy Week 2009.

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J.S. Bach

MASTER OF MUSIC

n 1723 the town councillors of Leipzig were discussing the appointment of a new choirmaster for the church of St Thomas. It had been a long meeting during which their first choice, Teleman, had turned down their offer of the position and their second choice, Graupner, had been unable to negotiate his release from his employer, the Darmstadt Court. Eventually one councillor declared “As the best musicians aren’t available, I suppose an average one will have to suffice” The ‘average’ one they chose was none other than Johann Sebastian Bach, born 325 years ago on the 21st March 1685, the man who once said that “the aim and final reason of all music should be none else but the glory of God”. And, for a merely ‘average’ musician, he really didn’t do too badly considering his output included 276 organ works and over 400 other items, the majority of which were produced during his 27 year stay in Leipzig. Born at Eisenach, Bach had lost both his parents by the time he was ten and had moved to Ohrdruf to live with his brother Johann Cristof. At 15, he won a scholarship to study at Lunenburg and actually walked the 100 miles from his brother’s house to Lunenburg to begin his studies. Once these were completed, he obtained a position as organist at Arnstadt, where various members of the Bach family had served before, but it wasn’t to be a very happy time for him. Certain church officials criticised him for inserting ‘curious variations’ in his organ playing which, they said, confused the congregation when they were singing. Then, so incompetent was one of the bassoon players that the pair eventually came to blows in the market square. Shortly afterwards

he was in more trouble. The church officials had given him four weeks leave of absence to hear the eminent organist Dietrich Buxtehude at Lubeck but Bach stayed away four months. The best thing to happen to him at Arnstadt, he said, was his marriage to Maria Barbara but further difficulties with an unruly and mediocre choir persuaded him to look for another post and he moved to Mulhausen, where the organ in the church of St Blasius was built to Bach’s own design. His stay at Mulhausen was short and in 1706 he accepted a post at the Ducal Court of Weimar with a larger salary, part of which included 30 pails of beer from the local brewery. As concert master, part of his job was to compose a new piece of music each month, amongst which was his famous Hunting Cantata. Here, his reputation grew when he wrote a book on organ music which the great Albert Schweitzer was later to describe as being “one of the greatest events in music”. His status was further enhanced when a contest was arranged in Dresden between himself and the celebrated French organist Louis Marchand. When the appointed day arrived, Bach was there ready and waiting but his opponent failed to appear. Only later did Bach learn that Marchand had left Dresden on the early morning coach for an “unknown destination” When, in 1717, Bach accepted a far more prestigious position at the Court of Anhalt-Cothen, his patron at Weimar, Duke William Ernst, refused him permission to leave. The duke even had him imprisoned for a month

Commemorative statue of J.S. Bach in Leipzig.

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feature by Peter M Smith

for “too obstinately requesting his dismissal” and when he finally allowed him to leave it was with “notice of his unfavourable discharge”. Bach was to claim later that the six years he spent at Cothen were amongst the best of his lfe. His patron, the Margrave of Brandenburg, had a fervent and educated love of music and he often took his new Director of Music with him on his travels. Bach’s output at this time was certainly more secular than ecclesiastical and included such masterworks as The Well Tempered Clavier and the Brandenburg Concerto dedicated to his patron. But this was also a time of sadness for, whilst on a visit to Karlsbad with the Prince, his wife, Maria Barbara, who had borne him seven children, died. Within two years, the 36 year old had remarried. His new wife was 20 year old singer Anna Magdelena Wilken who was to bear him a further 13 children and to whom he dedicated the famous Little Piano Book for Anna Magdelena Bach. Then came his final position at Leipzig. ‘Average’ he may have been to those who appointed him but when the congregation at St Thomas’s church heard his newly composed Magnificat on his first Christmas Day there, they realised that this man was certainly more than any ‘average’ musician. However, just as at Arnstadt, there were struggles with those in authority who Bach regarded as “strange people with small love of music” and such petty officials appeared intent on making his life a misery. At that time, the Cantor of a choir school was considered its undisputed head but at Leipzig, Bach found his authority constantly being challenged by the Rector, particularly after Bach had claimed that only 17 of the 55 boys in the choir were “usable”. The Rector, Johann August Ernesti, frequently promoted the unmusical sons of wealthy parents and after making one such boy ‘Prefect’, a position which allowed him to conduct the choir, Bach ejected the boy ‘with great commotion’ before the morning service. But Ernesti had the boy back for the afternoon service only for Bach to force him out once again “with much shouting and noise”. It was only the intervention of the King of Saxony that brought about an uneasy truce between the pair. Without doubt, Bach was a devout Christian with a large library of ecclesiastical works and a personal Bible

Bach’s final resting place, St Thomas’ Church, Leipzig.

complete with his own marginal notes. Whenever he began anew piece of music, the first letters on his manuscript were J J for ‘Jesus Juva’ meaning ‘Help me Jesus’ and every item ended with S D G for ‘Soli Deo Gloria’, ‘to God alone the Glory’. Despite living ‘under almost constant vexation, jealousy and persecution’, Bach still managed to produce many of his most famous works in Leipzig. Reputedly, he produced five Passions, only two of which have survived, the St John Passion and, his longest work, the St Matthew Passion, both marathon works dealing with the last weeks of Our Lord’s life. Both include solo arias, narrative recitative, instrumental interludes and, above all, magnificent and powerful choruses. Yet music experts claim that both are ‘different’, whilst the St John Passion has been described as “vehement” in nature, the St Matthew Passion produces an atmosphere of “tenderness and love”.

In addition, Bach left us the Christmas Oratorio and four short Masses consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria along with a complete setting of the Latin Ordinary of the Mass, now usually known as the B minor Mass. There was also his most famous organ work, the Toccata and fugue in D minor which still stirs the soul. As if professional problems weren’t enough to cope with, there was a great tragedy in his personal life. In the 1740s, Anna Magdalena fell sick with an illness her doctors were unable to diagnose, let alone cure. In 1742 she gave birth to their last child, Regina Susanna, who contemporary accounts described as a ‘beautiful child’. Sadly, Bach was unable to see her as she grew up as his eyesight began to fail. A number of horrendously painful operations failed to arrest his condition though it has been claimed that on the 18th July 1750 continues on page 50

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feature by Peter M Smith

his sight was miraculously restored. But, even if this were true, it was to no avail for within a few hours he suffered a stroke and died ten days later. Those petty officials who had tormented him for so long during his lifetime even managed to insult him in death by placing him in a grave so carelessly marked that for many years no one knew exactly where it was located. Only in 1894, after extensive research by German scholars, was his grave properly identified and his mortal remains moved first to the churchyard of St John’s, then re-interred in the church itself before being moved to St Thomas’s church after the Second World War. This church is best known as the home of one of Europe’s most celebrated boys’ choirs, the Thomaner, whose members attend a boarding school and receive both an academic education and a rigorous

musical training. Not all can stand the pace though as, in recent years, the lead figure in one of Germany’s favourite ‘pop’ groups was expelled for ‘lack of discipline’. Visitors can normally hear the choir perform most Fridays at 6pm and Sundays at 9am though it is best to check these times with the church or tourist office. The town’s other famous church, that of St Nicholas (Nikolaikirche) has its own place in history, for it was here that Bach’s Christmas Oratorio was heard for the first time and more recently it was the focus of people’s protest against 40 years of Communist dictatorship. What began as a regular Monday ‘Prayers for Peace’ meeting, developed into a massive protest organisation. On the 9th October 1989, after the prayers had ended with the bishop’s blessing, more than 2,000 left the church to be met by thousands of others waiting outside with candles in their hands.

As was said at the time, ”Two hands are necessary to carry a candle and protect it from being extinguished, so you cannot carry stones or clubs at the same time” Before long, the ring road was closed and those in authority “became engaged in conversations and then withdrew”. Within days, the government fell and within weeks the Berlin Wall was down. To this day, peace prayers are said on Monday evenings.

Fittingly, on the 325th anniversary of Bach’s birth, the town of Leipzig will re-open the Bach Museum, close by St Thomas’s church, complete with new multi-media and interactive displays which make the life and work of the composer come alive for all, both young and old. Visit www.english.bachhaus.de/ for more information

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52-53 history of hymns:p18-19 king john 18/02/2010 15:16 Page 1

History of Hymns in the Church LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT

I 1. Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, Lead thou me on; The night is dark, and I am far from home, Lead thou me on. Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see The distant scene; one step enough for me. 2. I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou shouldst lead me on; I loved to choose and see my path; but now Lead thou me on. I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears, Pride ruled my will: remember not past years. 3. So long thy power hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till the night is gone; And with the morn those angel faces smile Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile. 52

n this final article of the series, I consider one of the most popular hymns of Catholic authorship: Newman’s Lead, Kindly Light. These words have been printed in hymn books, and sung in church services, since early in the reign of Queen Victoria. Victoria herself described it as her favourite hymn; so too did Mahatma Gandhi. No hymnal printed today, for any Christian denomination, would omit Lead, Kindly Light. The literary critic Stuart Curran called it “probably the greatest English hymn of the 19th century”. Archbishop Bernard Longley, preaching at his enthronement as Archbishop of Birmingham on the 8th December 2009, made this assessment of John Henry Newman’s importance today: “In the remarkable year ahead when we prepare for his beatification, we will be influenced by the way that Cardinal Newman responded both within the Church of England and in the Catholic Church to the call from God: “Where are you?” His Apologia Pro Vita Sua makes plain his diligent and unselfish search for truth in his own life and for the world, and his hymn Lead Kindly Light sums up his complete confidence in the guiding hand of God.” The archbishop, in this timely homily, takes it for granted that Lead, Kindly Light is a hymn – but it was not ever thus. In 1874, Newman wrote in a letter that ‘these verses are not a hymn, nor are they suitable for singing’. So what exactly were these verses, in the opinion of their author? What, then, did Newman mean by ‘a hymn’? For the origins of this great expression of trust in the invisible ways of divine providence, we must travel back to the early 1830s, and to Sicily. Newman, then the Vicar of the University Church of St Mary’s, Oxford, had spent the winter on a Mediterranean tour with his close friend Richard Hurrell Froude and Froude’s father. They visited Gibraltar, Malta, Sicily and Rome, where they met Nicholas (later Cardinal) Wiseman. In April 1833, Newman chose to leave the Froudes in Rome, and he returned alone to Sicily. Here he fell seriously ill from typhoid fever, and was close to death. Sustained through the ordeal by a vague but compelling sense that God had given him ‘a work to do in England’, he hastened to Palermo. However, it took him three weeks to find a boat that would take him homewards, and even then the ship was becalmed in the Straits of Bonifacio (between Corsica and Sardinia). It was there that Newman wrote his famous verses, expressing all the pain and frustration of his situation. Even in the ‘encircling gloom’, however, the poet trusts in God’s plan, in the ‘path’ which is leading, by some unguessable route, to a brighter ‘morn’. When he finally got back to

52-53 history of hymns:p18-19 king john 18/02/2010 15:16 Page 2

series feature by Ben Whitworth

editors of hymnals wished to adopt Newman’s verses. There was, however, a practical obstacle to the use of this poem as a hymn. It was not written in any of the recognised hymn metres, and new music had to be composed before it could be sung. Many tunes have been written for Lead, Kindly Light, but no one melody has established a monopoly. Thus, one might hear the words sung to Lux Benigna by J.B. Dykes, Bonifacio by David Evans, Sandon by C.H. Purday, Alberta by W.H. Harris, or Patmos by S.S. Wesley. When Newman said that Lead, Kindly Light was not a hymn, he was probably referring both to its unusual metre and to its subjectivity. Newman took a keen interest in hymns throughout his Anglican and Catholic ministries. As an Anglican, he objected to the use of evangelical hymns such as John Newton’s Amazing Grace, which expressed in effusive language the author’s own religious experience. Newman was happy to put such sentiments into poems, but what he wanted from a hymn was something more

objective, founded on the truths of sacred Scripture and orthodox teaching. Hymns are about God, not about me. For this reason, he was drawn to the hymns of the Catholic tradition, and especially the ancient and medieval Latin hymns found in the Breviary – the Liturgy of the Hours. He translated nearly 50 of these hymns, and helped to inspire a whole generation of great hymn translators, including Edward Caswall, J.M. Neale and Gerard Manley Hopkins. After his conversion, Newman wrote a number of hymns that are still in use, including the beautiful hymn for departed souls, Help, Lord, the Souls that Thou hast Made. Two lyrics which originally formed part of the verse drama The Dream of Gerontius were fittingly adopted as hymns: Praise to the Holiest, and Firmly I Believe and Truly. As we await Newman’s beatification later this year, we should certainly sing the hymns he wrote, including those poetic compositions of his that have evolved into popular hymns. We should also follow Newman’s example in rediscovering the rich treasury of hymns that have been

EE FR

Oxford, in July, Newman was just in time to hear John Keble’s famous sermon on ‘National Apostasy’, which he later recalled as the moment when the Oxford Movement began. This Movement, which sought to recover Catholic doctrines and practices within the Church of England, was the ‘work’ for which Newman had been spared in Sicily; ultimately, it would draw him and many of his admirers into the Catholic Church itself. The lines beginning ‘Lead, kindly Light’ were not conceived, therefore, as a hymn, but as a poem – and a poem with very personal motives and allusions. This is not to say that the poem was intended to be strictly private. While in Rome, Newman and Froude had decided to submit a series of poems to the British Magazine, under the collective title Lyra Apostolica. The poem written in the Straits of Bonifacio was, in due course, submitted as part of the sequence; it was printed in 1834 with the title Faith. Subsequently it appeared in the 1836 volume which collected the Lyra Apostolica poems together. At the foot of the poem, Newman gives the date and circumstances of composition: ‘At Sea. June 16, 1833.’ It is the heartfelt prayer of a man who was literally and figuratively ‘all at sea’, yet trusting in the inscrutable providence of God. The last two lines were so much a product of immediate circumstance that Newman, in later life, claimed to have forgotten what they meant. Probably, he intended to suggest that children have an awareness of angelic presences which they lose as they grow up; in his autobiography Apologia pro Vita Sua, Newman recalls that as a child he imagined other people (and even himself) to be angels in disguise. According to another interpretation, the ‘morn’ refers to life after death, and the faces are those of our lost loved ones. Newman was writing out of a particular experience, at a particular moment in his own life. Nevertheless, the poem’s idea of faith as a guiding light in the darkness, rather than as a blaze of daylight, found an echo in the hearts of many readers. As the 19th century progressed, and traditional Christian belief was challenged by new scientific, political and theological movements, the dark night of Newman’s poem seemed to be encroaching. What had been so personal to Newman seemed now to be the universal crisis of the age. It is not surprising, then, that the

Cardinal Newman prayer card

Catholic Life is offering readers a free high quality Cardinal Newman prayer card. This full colour card features the famous W.W.Oules portrait of Newman and his much loved prayer “God created me to do him some definite service.” It measures 85mm x 55mm and will fit easily into purses and wallets. To obtain your card please send a stamped addressed envelope to: Catholic Life, Cardinal Newman Prayer Card, 4th Floor, Landmark House, Station Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire. SK8 7JH 53

54-56 oxford oratory:p18-19 king john 18/02/2010 15:27 Page 1

NEWMAN’S DREAM FULFILLED AT THE

Oxford Oratory

Cardinal Newman will be beatified this year and the Oxford Oratory is appealing for five million pounds for its campaign of reaffirmation, renewal and restoration of Oxford’s parish church of St Aloysius to its original Victorian splendour. The church was designed by Joseph Hansom, architect of Arundel Cathedral and famous for creating the Hansom cab.

“

The Oratory in Oxford and the memory of Cardinal Newman are great riches in the life of the Church - Archbishop Vincent Nicols

”

ohn Henry Newman, Oxford’s - and England’s - most famous Victorian convert to Roman Catholicism joined the Oratorians, a religious institute of secular priests and brothers founded by St Philip Neri in 16th century Rome. Oratorians live together in community without taking vows and focus on a lay apostolate, music and traditional liturgy. There are three oratories in this country, each is autonomous. Following studies for the priesthood in Rome, Newman founded the first English Oratory in Birmingham in 1848 and a London Oratory was established by Fr. Faber. Newman hoped for an Oxford Oratory but his plans were thwarted both by the Catholic hierarchy and a suspicious university. At that time Catholics could not graduate at the university and there was concern that Newman would attempt to open a Catholic college alongside an Oratory. It was not until the centenary of Newman’s death that his dream was realised. Following Newman’s failed overtures to Bishop Ullathorne, the Jesuits were given the task of reviving the Oxford mission. Ullathorne wrote to the Jesuit Provincial “I am pledged to the Holy See not to allow any college or school to be established in Oxford ... and as the express reason against the establishment of an Oratory in Oxford was, lest it should attract Catholic youth there for education; I should require a similar pledge from the society.” In 1871 a wealthy benafactor, Jane Charlotte Winterbottom, bequeathed £7,000 for a Roman Catholic church to be built. Lord Bute gave land adjacent to the Radcliffe Infirmary and, on the 20th May 1873, the foundation stone was laid by Bishop Ullathorne. Oscar Wilde, then an undergraduate at Magdalen College, attended the service and was impressed by him “By Jove,..that little old gentleman with the big silver spectacles certainly spoke like one having authority.” Two years later the church was opened by Bishop Ullathorne and Cardinal Manning preached, as Newman declined an invitation to do so. Manning upset the university by implying they had betrayed the light of truth in their motto Dominus illuminatio mea. He also disappointed Oscar Wilde who “came away feeling rather depressed.” In 1876 Lord and Lady Bute donated £1,000 for the black marble high altar. In 1878 the arcaded reredos was erected and and each of the three rows gradually filled with 13 statues, of early British medieval, Tudor and and patristic saints. Twenty roundels above the left and right screen similarly depict the heads of cardinals, saints and beati. A presbytery was erected in 1878,

A statue of St Aloysius Gonzaga in the Oxford Oratory. 54

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feature by Amanda C Dickie

The altar in the Relic Chapel. and Gerald Manley Hopkins was appointed curate. During his year at Oxford he wrote nine poems including Binsey Poplars, The Buglers’ First Communion, inspired by his visits to Cowley Barracks, and Duns Scotus’ Oxford. The Catholic Club was also founded that year to meet the spiritual needs of those Catholic gentlemen who had matriculated, meeting at either St Aloysius or a member’s rooms.The club was renamed the Newman Society in 1888 and Fr. Hopkins addressed them at one of their first meetings. The marble holy water stoop was donated by friends of Hopkins, as a memorial to him. Newman was created a cardinal in 1879. The following year his former college honoured him by making him a Fellow of Trinity College.The next day was Trinity Sunday and he preached at St Aloysius’ twice “with something of his wonted fire and sweetness.” Two years later he donated a painting of the church’s interior to the Jesuits, which is now in the Oratorians’ house. The picture is inscribed “From Cardinal Newman in grateful memory of the warm welcome, and the various kind services, which they showed him,on his visit to Oxford, on Trinity Sunday 1880, JHN.” Between 1898 and 1903 the church was gradually decorated. Margaret Fletcher, founder of the Catholic Womens’ League, who studied art in Paris, painted altar panels and the Lady chapel with lilies. Her sister, Phillippa, died in 1914 and is commemorated in a memorial by Gabriel Pippet. His floral and scroll motifs embellished the church and side chapels. A fine marble statue of St Teresa by Mervyn Lawrence, given in 1907, is now in a chapel dominated by a painting of St Philip Neri by Maria Giberne, a copy for Cardinal Newman of Guido Reni’s picture in Rome. Convert Hartwell de la Garde Grissel, a founding member of the Newman Society, became a friend and chamberlain to Blessed Pius IX. He was granted indulgences for a painting of Our Lady of Mercy and built a private chapel in the High Street to accommodate the picture and his large collection of relics, manuscripts and religious ephemera. He died in 1907 and left this collection to St

Aloysius’ on condition that a suitable chapel be built. The picture became a focus of devotion as Our Lady of Oxford and is the relic chapel’s centrepiece. In June 1914 Mgr. Achille Ratti, the Vatican’s librarian visited the Bodleian, but on twisting his ankle at Oxford’s railway station stayed overnight at St Aloysius’ and celebrated Mass the next morning. He became Pope Pius IX eight years later and

sent a signed photograph to the parish. In 1954 the Jesuits modernised the church, painting over mosaics and stencilling in grey - it was later painted cream and brown and the fine marble pillars whitewashed. It was not uncommon before more recent appreciation of Victoriana and conservation continues on page 56

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feature by Amanda C Dickie

for churches to be so neutralised. Monsignor Knox on revisiting the church remarked on seeing the grey roundels, “It looks as if the cardinals are being sick out of portholes.” The relics were dispersed along with antique vestments and mitres. In 1981 the Jesuits handed over responsibility for the church to the archdiocese of Birmingham. During the next decade several clergy, including Bishop Crispin Hollis, then auxiliary in Birmingham became incumbent. In 1990 Archbishop Couve de Murville asked the Birmingham Oratory to take over St Aloysius’. The week before their arrival, the last diocesan priest discovered the death mask of St Philip Neri and a signed book of his favourite poems, which he carried about him, in a locked cupboard. A painting in the Sacred Heart chapel depicts Newman and St Philip Neri with Our Lady and Child against a backdrop of Oxford’s dreaming spires. In 1993 an independent Oxford Oratory was formed, providing chaplains for hospital, local schools, Bullingdon prison and Campsfield Detention centre. In 2008 restoration began with the sanctuary and chancel’s enhancement.The Lady chapel, painted vibrant blue, was stunningly decorated with gold stars and gilded Marian monograms and fleurs de lys. Walter Hooper, CS Lewis’ secretary, auctioned a set of Lewis’ first editions to raise funds. Last year he visited Narni, in Italy, donating Lewis’ atlas; the town’s name was circled by Lewis as inspiration for his fictional country of Narnia. Hooper was given a relic of the local saint, Blessed Lucy of Narni, a 16th century visionary Dominican tertiary. The relic is now in one of the reliquary cupboards in the restored chapel, completed last November. The ceiling has been decorated with symbols and images seen in early Christan catacombs and closely resembles Grissels’ original oratory. Some of his collection was recovered but many of the present relics came from the Chichester Carmel when it closed. The newly gilded screen was the convent grille. Parish priest , Fr. Daniel Seward, a graduate of Trinity, Newman’s college, says that the visit of the relics of St Thérèse last year enhanced the Oratory’s profile and awareness of the appeal. Funds have now reached £750,000. Appeal patron, 56

Detail of the Altar Cross in its newly-restored alabaster tabernacle in St Aloysius' church in Oxford. © Br. Lawrence O.P. Archbishop Vincent Nicols says,“the Oratory in Oxford and the memory of Cardinal Newman are great riches in the life of the Church.” Supporters include the Duchess of Kent. Mark Thompson, BBC Director General, chairs the campaign committee and the University Chancellor, Lord Patten, is Honorary President. “The Oratory has a well-earned reputation as a spiritual and cultural centre alongside its Catholic counterparts in the university”. he says, calling the campaign an “inspirational vision.” Further accomodation for the growing number of Oratorians is needed. A Newman chapel with baptistry and cloister garden is planned. The upper hall will be

converted into a library for public and academic use to house the Oratory’s collection of Newman’s works, important 16th and 17th century manuscripts, parish records and the private library of Thomas Gainsford, Dean of Christ Church and curator of the Bodleian Library whose son was a disciple of Newman. The Oratory hopes to incorporate the Chesterton Library, at present in storage, but needs a major benefaction to establish this unique project. The university is expanding at the adjacent Radcliffe Infirmary site, so the Oratory will be centre stage in meeting the needs of town and gown, so fulfilling Newman’s idea of an Oxford parish providing a spiritual, cultural and academic centre for all.

57-59 Numerology of Catholicism (3) RIGHT:p18-19 king john 18/02/2010 15:29 Page 1

Numbers drawn from Sacred Scripture have become a part of the Church’s rich tradition of faith and, in varying degrees, are found everywhere in her liturgy, art and literature. This month we look at the numbers four, five and six and attempt to shed some light on their various meanings.

NUMEROLOGY OF CATHOLICISM

he Church has always been very careful to distinguish between the use of numbers to illustrate particular theological concepts and their use to conceal hidden meanings or aspects of arcane knowledge, such as will often occur in alchemy or magic. The early Church Fathers, for instance, repeatedly condemned the magical use of numbers which had originated in the Babylonian period and which was subsequently further developed by the Pythagoreans and Gnostics of their times. Many passages from the writings of St Chrysostom and many of the other great Christian teachers of the early centuries could be cited as displaying caution and showing their reluctance to overemphasise the mystical significance of numbers in the Scriptures. Nevertheless the Church Fathers clearly regarded numbers in Scripture as being full of mystical meaning, and they also considered the interpretation of these mystical meanings to be an important branch of exegesis. This, after all, was a period when Christian teachers saw mystical meanings underlying everything which had to do with numbers. Influenced mainly by biblical precepts, but also in part by the prevalence of this philosophy of numbers which was all around them, they undoubtedly paid close attention to the sacredness and mystical significance, not only of certain numbers in themselves, but also of the numerical totals given by the constituent letters with which words were written. It can hardly be doubted, therefore, that a similar symbolic purpose would have influenced the repetition of acts and prayers in the liturgy of the early Church, for instance in deciding upon the number of the repetitions of the Kyrie Eleison, of the number of the Signs of the Cross made over the oblata in the canon of the Mass, of the number of the unctions used in administering the last sacraments, of the intervals assigned for the saying of Masses for the dead, of the number of the lessons read at certain seasons of the year, and so on. So numbers are important within scripture and within the Church in general, on a whole range of levels. So let us look, therefore, at another group of numbers as they occur in the Sacred Scriptures and try to tease out their meaning and their significance.

series feature by Gerry Burns

The Number Four The Four Characteristics or ‘Marks of the Church’ can be traced directly to the Gospels and Epistles of the New Testament and they’re expressed most explicitly in the Nicene Creed. We repeat the Creed each time we attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and with repetition will often come an element of inattentiveness to the words being said. Each word is rich with meaning, however. The Church is One, the Church is Holy, the Church is Catholic and the Church is Apostolic. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, the Church is one because of her source, her founder and her soul. Within this unity of the people of God a rich multiplicity of peoples and cultures is gathered together, but this is not a threat or challenge to the Church’s unity. The gift of unity, however, is constantly threatened by sin and the burden of its consequences. The Church is held, as a matter of faith, to be unfailingly holy. It is in the Church that the ‘fullness of the means of salvation’ has been deposited and it is through the Church that ‘by the grace of God’ we acquire holiness’. The Church is catholic or universal because the completeness of Christ’s body, united with its head, subsists only within the Church. In other words Christ is ever-present within the Church. The Church is continues on page 58

Pope John Paul II raises the book of the Gospels at an outdoor Mass he celebrated in Poland in 1991. 57

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series feature by Gerry Burns

(above) This is the cover of The Four Gospels, a study guide recently released by Little Rock Scripture Study in Arkansas. It can bought at www.amazon.co.uk priced at £17.99. (right) The new Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church is “an authoritative, certain and complete text regarding the essential aspects of the faith of the Church,” according to Pope Benedict XVI, who unveiled the volume in June 2005. Apostolic because she is founded on the foundation of the Apostles and continues to be taught, sanctified and guided by the Apostles through their successors in pastoral office. Dwelling on the concept of the ‘Four Last Things’ may be considered unduly morbid in this increasingly superficial age where unpleasant realities such as illness and death are never to be mentioned or considered. It is a ridiculous ‘head-in-thesand’ posture. As Benjamin Franklin was saying as far back as 1789 death is one of the only two certainties in this life, the other being the payment of taxes. The Catholic Church on the other hand teaches that there are four certainties at the end of lives, death, judgement, heaven and hell. They are taught, not as fear-inducing principles as some might say, but rather as reminders to us as Christians of the highest and final end deriving from our hope and faith, to enjoy eternal bliss in the presence of God. That end should be the strongest of motivators guiding us 58

toward charitable living in this life. Four also symbolises the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the authors of the Gospels. Four is also the number of the Cardinal Virtues, prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude. The number four is sometimes represented as three plus one (3+1=4), and as such is used to denote that which follows the revelation of God in the Trinity, namely, His creative works. The written revelation commences with the words, ‘In the beginning God created.’ Creation is therefore the fourth thing, and the number four is emphatically seen as the number of creation, of man in his relation to the world as created. Four are the regions of the earth north, south, east, and west. Four are the divisions of the day - morning, noon, evening, and midnight. Or in the Lord’s words, when he speaks of his coming at evening, midnight, at cock-crow, or in the morning (Mark 13:35). Four are the seasons of the year, spring, summer, autumn, and winter. In Genesis 2:10, 11, the one river of Paradise was divided, forming four rivers of which ‘the fourth river is the Euphrates.’ Here, as so often elsewhere, the number four is made up of 3 + 1, for three of these rivers are unnamed, while one is still known by its original name, the Euphrates. This is an example of where four is sometimes used to symbolise division, the river being split into four parts. Four is the first number which is not a prime number, the first which therefore can be divided. It is the first square number also, and therefore it marks a kind of completeness as well, sometimes called ‘material completeness’. In the four Gospels of the New Testament we have the record of the life of Jesus and his obedience to his Father’s will unto death. Once again these are divided into the three plus one format, three being similar, and hence called ‘Synoptic Gospels’, while the fourth stands alone, written after the Churches had all failed, and presenting Christ not merely as offered and rejected by Israel, but as the one and only centre of union and unity after his rejection, and in the midst of all the failure, confusion, and corruption. The Number Five The use of the number five follows the same pattern, being utilised frequently in a

four plus one format. We have the three persons of the Godhead and their manifestation in creation. There follows a further revelation of a people called out from mankind, redeemed and saved. So redemption follows creation. Inasmuch as in consequence of the fall of man, creation came under a curse, necessitating the redemption of both man and creation. This gives us the Father, Son, Spirit, Creation and Redemption, the five great mysteries. Five is also the symbolic number of ‘Grace’. Grace means favour, but what kind of favour? Favour shown to the downtrodden we call mercy, favour shown to the poor we call pity, favour shown to those who are suffering we call compassion, while favour shown to the obstinate we call patience, but favour shown to the unworthy we call grace. This is favour indeed, favour which is truly Divine in its source and in its character. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the ‘Five Precepts of the Church’ ‘are set in the context of a moral life bound to and nourished by liturgical life’. They would be considered the bare minimum for active Church membership and for spiritual growth. They are: • you shall attend Mass on Sundays and holydays of obligation and rest from servile labour. • you shall confess your sins at least once a year. • you shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season.

57-59 Numerology of Catholicism (3) RIGHT:p18-19 king john 18/02/2010 15:29 Page 3

(above) An archaeological replica of the cross of Jesus stands in the Scripture garden of Biblical Resources in Tantur, Israel. The penitential season of Lent, culminates on Good Friday and reflection on the suffering of Christ. (left) A church window depicts God’s creation of the heavens and the earth.

• you shall observe the teaching of the Church in relation to those days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church. • you shall help to provide for the needs of the Church. The number five is symbolic of the five wounds Christ suffered on the cross, the savage nails driven through his hands and feet, the spear driven into his side. By extension, therefore, it can also represent sacrifice and this is indicated by the five grains of incense that are inserted cross-wise into the Paschal Candle as part of the Easter liturgies. The Number Six Six represents creation, because God created the universe in six days. As such it marks the completion of Creation as God’s work,

and therefore the number is significant of secular completeness. Six is also the symbolic number for the principal attributes of God, these being power, majesty, wisdom, love, mercy and justice. But both man and the serpent were created on the sixth day, and therefore the number is sometimes portrayed as representing both humanity and rebellion. Six, therefore, also stands as the number of man in his opposition to, and independence of, God. Moreover, six days were appointed to him for his labour, while one day is associated in sovereignty with the Lord God, as His day of rest. Six, therefore, is also regarded as the number for work. From this is derived the division of the natural time-spaces which measure man’s labour and rest, each multiple and subdivision being stamped by the number six. A day consists of 24 hours (4x6), divided into daylight and night hours of 12 hours each. The number of months is twelve, while each hour consists of 60 minutes (6x10), and each minute of 60 seconds (6x10). The Sixth Commandment relates to the most terrible sin of all, the taking of another human life. The sixth clause of the Lord’s Prayer treats of sin. Other notable occurrences of the number six in the New Testament are when the world turned dark at the sixth hour as Christ hung on the cross. It is also recorded that Jesus suffered in agony on the cross for a total of six hours. The number six is regarded as representing mankind’s inability to achieve perfection and sinlessness. Six has often been seen, therefore, as the number of evil. At its extreme, rebellion against God will run its full course with the man of sin identified by the sinister number, 666. 59

60-61 pamela Taylor :p18-19 king john 18/02/2010 15:31 Page 1

10 MINUTE INTERVIEWS WITH PROMINENT CATHOLICS:

Pamela Taylor

Pamela Taylor has recently retired as Principal of Newman University College, Birmingham, a Catholic Higher Education Institution. She is also the current chair of the newly launched Cathedrals Group of Universities, which compromises 15 universities and university colleges in England and Wales and which serves almost 10, 00 students. Pamelaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s views and thoughts on religion and education are sought by a wide range of bodies.

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series feature by Mairead Mahon

What is your Confirmation name and have you a particular reason for choosing that name? My Confirmation name is Mary. I converted to Catholicism 20 years ago and was received into the Church on the 7th October, a date which also happens to be my birthday. Since this date is of particular significance in relation to the Rosary, Mary seemed to be the most appropriate name. When I came to Cardinal Newman University College, I was very pleased to discover that our chapel is called St Mary’s Chapel. Do you have a special affinity with any particular saint? I am very interested in the life of St Thomas More. He was a man of faith and controversy, who was always willing to question received wisdom; something which all of us in higher education should be willing to do. More knew that knowledge was power but also knew that, as such, it had to be used wisely. This is something which I hope our graduates will do by behaving ethically and wisely. What is your favourite reading from the Bible? I have a number of favourite readings, including the first chapter of the Gospel of John. I particularly value the emphasis on God as the Word because of the significance of language in human experience. I am also fond of Corinthians1:13 which seems to be the essence of how we should live our lives as Christians. Which Catholic figure, either historical or living, do you most admire? It is almost impossible to choose one figure. I am always impressed by people who cling to their faith in very difficult circumstances, such as the recusant families in history, who gave up wealth, social status and power in order to continue going to Mass. I also admire priests in Eastern European countries, who risked their lives during the communist regime, in order to ensure that they could still celebrate Mass. However, if I had to settle on one individual, I would have to choose Cardinal John Henry Newman. He was a member of the Victorian elite at Oxford University and his conversion caused him to be ostracised by many who he had thought his friends. However, he remained true to his conscience and retained his integrity. His writings show him to have been a remarkable man, with a huge intellectual capacity who was determined to search for the truth. Personally, it has been an enormous privilege to be the principal of a University College named after him. Do you have a favourite church or shrine? I have always found St Peter’s Basilica in Rome absolutely inspirational. However, there are some places in England which mean a great deal to me. The first of these is the little chapel above the

historic main church at Farm Street in London. It is where I was received into the Church and it has a special place in my heart. My own parish church, St Joseph’s in Malvern, was the first Catholic church in Malvern to be opened over 100 years ago. It was rebuilt in 1908 and is a beautiful building. Newman University College possesses a striking chapel. It was designed in the 1960s and has a wonderful sense of tranquillity. A shrine which is dear to me is Walsingham. Do you have a favourite piece of church music? I am always grateful to Harry Christophers and the Sixteen, one of the world’s greatest ensembles. They have brought so much wonderful early Church music back to us and, at the moment, I am constantly playing their Devotions to Our Lady, which is very moving. I also enjoy the work of James Macmillan, who has written a beautiful contemporary setting for the Mass, which is also one of my favourite pieces. Is there any religious art that you would like to own? I wouldn’t want to own them but I think the series of paintings of The Holy Family by Hans Memling, a 15th century painter, are very touching. I also find the Salvador Dali painting entitled Christ of St John of the Cross (see below), very powerful and intriguing. I am interested in religious symbolism in art and enjoy listening to Professor Martin O’Kane speaking about this huge subject. How do you use your talent to reflect your faith? I try to ensure that my faith infuses my life and work. A comforting thing about being a Catholic is that even when we fail, we can constantly try again to get it right! The Vatican recently introduced a list of “new” mortal sins: environmental pollution; genetic manipulation; accumulation of excessive wealth; inflicting poverty; drug trafficking; debatable experiments and violation of basic human rights. Which of these do you think is the worst sin and are there any which you would add to the list? Inflicting poverty, which seems to include many of the others such as environmental pollution, trafficking and excessive wealth. It is a source of shame to me that many live in comfort while millions live in dire poverty. I think I would add not caring about others, particularly the poorest, to the list. If you had the opportunity to ask the Pope one thing, what would it be? I’m going to cheat and ask two! I would want to know on which, if any, of the big moral questions, he thinks the Church needs to reconsider its position. I would also ask if he would come and celebrate Mass for the students, staff and alumni of Cardinal Newman University College. What an unforgettable moment that would be! 61

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Father Ryan Catholic High School, Nashville, Tennessee. A tradition of faith, knowledge and service since 1925.

Abram Joseph Ryan POET-PRIEST OF THE CONFEDERACY ‘Furl that banner, softly, slowly! Treat it gently-it is holy For it droops above the dead. Touch it not-unfold it never, Let it droop there, furled forever, For its people’s hopes are dead.’ The Conquered Banner By Abram Joseph Ryan (1838-1886)

Roman Catholic priest and one of the leading preachers, orators and poets of the 19th century, Fr. Abram Joseph Ryan was a staunch and active supporter of the Confederate States of America. Born to Irish immigrants, Matthew Ryan and Mary Coughlin Ryan of County Tipperary, Abram moved with his parents to St Louis, Missouri where he attended the Academy of Christian brothers. Fulfilling his ambition to become a priest he enrolled at Niagara University in New York State and on the 1st November, 1856, he was ordained a priest in the Vincentian order. For the first few years of his priesthood Fr. Ryan taught theology at the university and then at the diocesan seminary in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He was a successful teacher and had a magnetic quality about him that endeared him to his students but, when civil war broke out, Fr. Ryan forsook his teaching career to join the Confederate Army as a chaplain on the 1st September, 1862. Denied a formal commission, Fr. Ryan served in an unofficial role for the duration of the war. As well as saying Mass and delivering the sacraments to soldiers on both sides of the conflict,he helped to care for the sick and wounded offering them physical and spiritual comfort whenever he could. It was the death of his brother on the battlefield that inspired Fr. Ryan to pen his first poems, In Memoriam and In Memory of My Brother. His spiritual

nature and mystical quality enabled him to put into words the many conflicting emotions felt by everyone involved in the terrible war. It was this talent, plus his gentleness and courage as a priest, that marked him out from all other men. Unlike most southerners, Fr. Ryan actually came to terms with the Confederacy loss. After the war, without regard to any political motivation or personal bitterness, he travelled extensively through Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia preaching and writing about reconciliation between North and South. On the 19th May, 1866 he won the heart of the whole nation when his poem, The Conquered Banner, first appeared in the Freeman’s Journal. Taken from one of the Gregorian hymns the poem’s rhythmic pattern fitted perfectly the role of a hymn of defeat. Thirteen months after the surrender of General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox the people of the South were on the crest of a wave of sentimentality and martyrdom. Fr. Ryan’s poem epitomised the nation’s feeling of loss and it was read or sung in almost every household. As well as writing poetry Fr. Ryan spent some time in New Orleans as editor of The Star, a Catholic weekly publication before moving to Augusta in Georgia, where he founded The Banner of the South, a religious and political weekly in which he also published his poetry. To facilitate his writing Fr. Ryan eventually retired to St

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feature by Stella Uttley

many speaking engagements and religious events across the north east, the midwest, Canada and Mexico. As a public speaker Fr. Ryan was always interesting and, on occasion, even brilliant but generally speaking his tour was not as successful as he had hoped and after only a few months he returned home to the South. Fr. Ryan’s restless spirit never left him, however, and he continued to roam the southern states until his death on the 22nd April, 1886 at a Franciscan monastery in Louisville, Kentucky. His body was taken to St Mary’s in Mobile and buried in Mobile’s Old Catholic Cemetery (see right). Newspapers, including the New York Times, carried his obituary across the nation. In recognition of his poetry and service to the Confederacy, a stained glass window was placed in the Confederate Memorial Hall in New Orleans. In 1912 a local newspaper led a campaign for a statue to be erected to his memory. The appeal succeeded and the statue was dedicated in July 1913. It bears a verse from the poem, The Conquered Banner, which sits below an inscription that reads: Poet, Patriot and Priest. Few American poets have garnered such a following as Fr. Abram Ryan. His readership has persisted and more than a century after his death his life and works continue to be themes of articles and discussions in America’s popular press and scholarly publications. His most famous poem, The Conquered Banner, remains one of the greatest memorials to the Lost Cause, exemplified by the South’s failed efforts in the Civil War.

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Mary’s parish in Mobile, Alabama, where he continued to write poetry mainly in the Lost Cause style, centred round the themes of heroic death on the battlefield. Certainly, in the South and the Catholic Church in the United States there was no other poet as popular as Fr. Ryan. Drawing increasing attention his writings gained him the title of Poet Priest of the South and numerous editions of his collected poems were published nationally. By the end of the century President William McKinley was reading his poetry aloud in the White House and many of Fr. Ryan’s poems were set to music, at least four of them becoming popular songs. Such was the Poet Priest’s enduring popularity that Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With the Wind (1936), one of the most popular novels of all time, included him in her book. In 1880, when Fr. Ryan was in his early forties, he took to the road again and embarked on a promotional and lecturing tour covering several northern cities including Baltimore in Maryland where his volume, Poems: Patriotic, Religious, and Miscellaneous, was published. He made his home with the Jesuit fathers at Loyola College where he gave a public poetry reading and donated $300 to establish a poetry medal at the college in recognition of the Jesuits’ hospitality. By now Fr. Ryan had become a popular lecturer, attending

Established By Joyce Davison & Maureen Waterson in 1980

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GUERNSEY ISLAND SAINTS S

ituated just 30 miles from the French coast, the channel island of Guernsey was a natural stopping point for evangelising Welsh and Cornish monks bound for Brittany during the sixth century. Up until then, the Channel Islands were mostly inhabited by pagans and the pioneering monks took it upon themselves to zealously spread the word of God wherever they went. One of the most notable pioneers was Welsh saint Samson who during his voyage to France came upon the Channel Islands. He was made Bishop of Dol in 521 AD and as the diocese included the channel islands of Guernsey, Herm and Sark, he decided to lead a missionary expedition and landed on the main island in 550 AD, at Braye du Valle, where St Sampson’s harbour now stands. There, Samson and his fellow monks, including Herm holy man, St Tugual, built a chapel on the site of the current St Sampson’s Church. The successor to St Samson as Bishop of Dol was St Magloire, also known as Maglorius or Maelor, who was a cousin of Samson. Magloire was born to Afrella, the wife of Umbrefel, who was Samson’s paternal uncle. Like St Samson, he was educated by Illtyd at Llantwit in south Wales and thereafter, the learned saint is said to have taken him to Brittany. After his ordination, Magloire was appointed abbot of a monastery at Lanmeur in Brittany, which he ruled with prudence and holiness for the following 52 years. When Samson died, Magloire, somewhat reluctantly, succeeded him at Dol and it was around that time that he became inextricably linked with the small island of Sark. Magloire’s reputation as a holy man and something of a healer was known throughout the Channel Islands. On one occasion, he was visited by a Seigneur of Jersey, by the name of Count Lois Escon, who was suffering from leprosy. When Magloire cured him of the terrible disease, the Count showed his gratitude by granting him the rights to much of the isle of Sark. Magloire is said to have first visited the island in 565 AD along with 62 of his monks and set up a religious house in a valley, which today is still called La Moinerie. The community of monks cultivated the land, built a water mill to grind their corn and prospered in their new surroundings. They were said to

indeed be zealous in converting the pagan locals to Christianity and would not tolerate local islanders carrying out their pagan rituals of worshipping the sun and dressing up as animals. Magloire’s mission spread far and wide and eventually he crossed to nearby Herm and Jethou islands, where he also built a chapel on the Pierre Percee Reef, which was then situated about sea level. The holy man was held in the highest regard: ‘At the bidding of our Fr. Samson thou didst leave thy native Wales to serve God in Lanmeur’s Monastery, O Father Maelor. Having pleased God with the sweet fragrance of monastic struggle, thou didst grace the island of Sark with thy godly repose…’ Tributes to his part in the establishment of Christianity continued down the centuries up until comparatively recent times. One chronicler wrote: “This excellent man passed here many years of his life, occupied in prayer and in the instruction and preparation of these young men for the ministry of the gospel. It may truly be called holy ground, a spot sanctified to God, for the aim and object of St Maglorius was holy, he laboured solely for the good of men and God’s glory. From there he rose to enter the Holy City, where he now enjoys the fruit of his labours.” St Magloire is believed to have died on the 14th October, 575 AD and his remains interred on Sark. Another report though, suggests that his body was taken to rest in a church in Paris. The ruins of his chapel are said to have survived into the 19th century. Topographer Samuel Lewis was to record seeing: “portions of an ancient building, thought to have been a chapel belonging to a hermitage existing there in the sixth century.” Another report said: “It was here that the holy St Maglorius lived when he came to Sark in the year 565…On this spot he built a

(left) St Samson. (opposite) St Tugal’s Chapel, Herm Island.

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feature by David Jones

humble dwelling for himself and cells for his companions. Down even to the year 1835 the foundations of this small house were still visible…” The first recorded inhabitants of Herm Island, which is situated just three miles of the coast of Guernsey, were monks seeking solitude in their pursuit of God. It has been suggested that the name ‘Herm’ is derived from hermits who settled on the island, however an alternative interpretation derives the name from the Norse language, with ‘Erm’ referring to an arm-like description of the island. Certainly, in medieval times Herm held great spiritual appeal for those seeking the monastic life. Most prominent of missionary monks was St Tugal, a friend and follower of St Samson. Another Welsh holy man, St Tugal was born in 490 and like Samson and Magloire was also brought up at St Illtyd’s monastery at Llantwit, in South Wales. Around 520 AD he is believed to have made the hazardous sea crossing to Brittany in the company of his mother and 72 monks. The house established by him there is believed to have been named Lan Pabu - Lan denoting church

land and Pabu meaning father. Tugal made many missionary trips and it is believed one was to Herm where his influence was great, leading to a chapel later being founded in his name. Tugal died in 564 AD and in the ninth century, when Norsemen sacked Treguier, the local bishop took the saint’s body and transported it to Chartres. According to one report, when Treguier was finally rebuilt, the body was returned and when the cathedral was being reconstructed, a carpenter fell from some scaffolding but was saved from certain death by the intervention of the saint. The beautiful little Church of St Tugal can be found on Herm today. It is situated in the heart of the Manor Village, probably close to the spot where the saint established his community. The current building, which dates from between 1028 and 1035 AD when it was constructed by Norman monks, retains much of the peace and tranquility from Tugal’s time. Non-denominational services are held most weekends and island residents have their weddings blessed there. Special services are held at Easter and Christmas and the children of Herm School perform their annual Nativity play within the chapel.

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Part 3

THE ENGLISH COLLEGE, LISBON Conflict and Crisis

rom the college’s foundation in 1622 to the Restoration, the missionary college of SS Peter and Paul, a ramshackle collection of tenements in the Bairro Alto, struggled from crisis to crisis. President Matthew Kellison of Douai (1561 1642) told the first ‘colonists’, specially selected by himself and President Joseph Haynes to populate Coutinho’s new foundation that they were, ‘set aside for a new work, new stones for the tower of David.’ This was the project that was set to consolidate secular gains within the English Mission. Lisbon was an embodiment, set in stone, of the resurgence of the English secular clergy and this was not lost in Kellison’s sending off speech. The Mission had been engaged for half a century - this was a second wave, a new initiative and one that had the highest backers amongst the secular clergy. The sense of expectation was palpable: Remember it is not the harvest but the sowing that you are called to. What sort of autumn we can look forward to depends on what kind of seed you sow; the plating you make will decide the quality of the vintage. The English Chapter needed Lisbon to work - its own relations with Coutinho had been difficult at best but the desire to keep the momentum was unfailing. Kellison continued: “Always keep before your eyes the fact you are the first builders of a new work, the first alumni of a new college. The eyes of all, whether well wishers or enemies, are turned towards you; hasten to give the former cause to rejoice and see to it the latter are disappointed. Today it is usual (I think because of the wickedness of the times) that things deteriorate by weakly falling away from their beginnings and after a lapse of a few years the zeal of founders grows cold in their successors”.1 The message was clear: Lisbon was earmarked to support the Chapter and Bishop Richard Smith - it was not to fail. ‘There was a shortage of everything except poverty.’ The early collegians faced a future far removed from the stoic heroism of Kellison’s rhetoric. Their president was dead, exhausted and harassed. No one in the college wanted to take his place forcing the Chapter to appoint Thomas White (better known by his alias and later notoriety of Blacklow) as Haynes’ successor. This was a bail out - not the first or the last. White did

not want the job, but as a champion of the Chapter and the rights of the secular clergy he swallowed the pill. White was appointed second president in 1630. English Catholic historiography has not been kind to him - like Blacklow he suffered alienation and vilification. At his appointment White had been showing signs of Gallicanism and had nascent plans for a tolerated English Catholic minority under a Protestant crown. This championing of the Church particular amidst the gargantuan sea of Tridentine universalism was certainly not in vogue. White’s later philosophical and theological works would turn him from an over zealous defender of secular rights to a fully blown heretic which later had repercussions for Lisbon itself. His appointment was a shrewd move: as secular agent in Rome, White had earned his ecclesiastical spurs defending secular claims at the Lateran in Rome. He was a man who could get things done and was not afraid to upset people in doing so. He revised the college’s constitution (though it was not actually printed until a successive administration), he ordered that collegians were to wear a distinctive habit (one that survived unaltered throughout the college’s 350 year history). The college’s Constitution was, for all purposes, a carbon copy of Douai’s. In the spirit of the Chapter, and all it represented within the Mission, the college’s administration was more akin to an Oxbridge college than the colleges established by Persons. The president was primus inter pares and sought advice from his council of superiors. Though this model of harmonious collegiality was often ignored by later administrations this model of government had echoes of the Chapter and less of the more hierarchical regimes of Ignatian and Jesuit colleges. White’s second most important act was the establishment of a school of Humanity in imitation of Douai. Coutinho, who had a deluded understanding of the English Mission, shared by many in the Iberian aristocracy and encouraged by the Pax Hispanica and the Spanish Match, designed his college as a missionary power-house - a house of higher studies - of Philosophy and Divinity. This was, however, totally impractical. Throughout the college’s early years, Coutinho’s promised cash had been slow and sporadic in appearing. Royal grants from the Habsburg dual monarchy were a pittance; college accommodation was poor and, as one Lisbonian pointed out, ‘There was a shortage of everything except poverty.’ There were two issues that struck White - firstly, in order to alleviate the economic duress of the foundation, a school of Humanity (essentially a grammar school - with a view to nurturing vocations to the Mission) would bring in much needed funds. Secondly, as was the view of the Chapter, a school for boys would encourage support from the English Catholic community

Left: (Portrait) President Thomas White, (1630 – 33). Opposite: ‘De Fundatore Collegii Anglorum Ulyssiponensis.’ 66

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series feature - by Simon Johnson and aid the college’s (and thus the Chapter’s) mission and development. White, returning to Lisbon from England, having finalised the deal with the Chapter, evoked the founder’s rage. Coutinho, a man not best known for his humility or reason, flew into a rage. He threatened to close the college and defenestrate those behind the project. White, unperturbed by the rage of this increasingly irritable Portuguese aristocrat, called his bluff. Coutinho came round to the plan but the relationship between the founder and the president had deteriorated to such an extent that White decided he had to go. Reform and Transition White’s resignation left a vacuum in the college’s administration that came at a particularly necessitous time. Bishop Richard Smith, now in exile in Paris, appointed an internal candidate as White’s successor with a view to stimulating the college’s nascent independence. Coutinho refused the candidate and William Hargrave took up the reigns of administration (1634 - 37). This pleased the Founder: Hargrave was a high flyer and a prominent Chapter man. The College was sorely in need of a period of stability were the reforms of White’s administration ever to bear fruit. Coutinho, acutely aware of this necessity, saw in Hargrave a man whose administrative skills could guide his foundation through a critical period of transition. Hargrave was an able man and set about consolidating White’s reforms. It was Hargrave (despite White being the author) who codified the Regula and Constitutions of the College. He had them approved and printed. He was also a true Chapter man no less a figure than George Leyburn praised Hargrave for his defence of secular episcopacy and the rights of the Chapter on the Mission. Hargrave was representative of continuity - he, like Haynes and White before him, came from that strand of secular clergy who were the intellectual and ideological heirs of the Appellants.

the Constitutions to interfere in college affairs only, ‘for the spiritual progress of the English clergy and the promotion of the Catholic faith.’ The alumni of the college (those who were funded by the college) took a college oath, sometime before studying Divinity. The oath (distinct from the missionary oath) effectively bound the student to the president (in loci episcopi) in the direction of the Mission. As it stood, the college oath became a simple contract that promised obedience to the president and the English Chapter - guaranteeing a source of missioners directly answerable to the secular powers in England. The effective collapse of Bishop Richard Smith’s episcopacy in England - forced into exile at the French Embassy in London, later to Paris itself, did little to stunt the growth of the College. The Constitutions stated that the president was encouraged (but not obliged) to negotiate with the episcopal authorities in England as to directing his administration. This was a clever move by the authors of the Constitutions - there was no real episcopal authority in England after Smith’s collapse, which made the presidents at Lisbon extremely influential and powerful. The missionary oath obliged the Lisbonian priest to promote the interests of the college and the community at every opportunity; subject to the bishop (in hiding) and his Chapter, each priest swore to act according to the instructions of the continues on page 68

The Constitutions and Government Twelve years after the college was canonically erected, Hargrave’s was the first administration to put the diplomatic wrangling and machinations to rest and get on with the business of sending secular missioners to England - the prophesied ‘Autumn’ of President Kellison at Douai. The Constitutiones et Regulæ Collegii Anglorum Ulyssiponensis, the amended constitutions of Douai (revised by White) were published in (1635). The mission of the college was stipulated as to train young men, ad fidei Catholicæ propagationem spiritualem animarumque ducatum - not an unusual mission statement for such a foundation. It should not be overlooked that the college had been functioning for many years without any formal structures - before the Constitutions and Regula were codified it would not be far off the mark to suggest that the first collegians continued ‘Douai practice’ until formal rules were completed. The internal governance of the college was typical of the other colleges within the English Catholic Diaspora: a president, vice president, lector of Sacred Scripture, two lectors of Scholastic Theology and, ‘as many lectors of Philosophy as the time and condition of the college necessitated.’ White’s collegiate style of government survived the editors and made it to print. The college’s Protector, despite being one of the highest ranking ecclesiastical dignitaries in the kingdom maintained the right in 67

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series feature - by Simon Johnson

Above left: Constitutions and Rules (Lisbon, 1635). Above right: The Protector of the English College Lisbon. secular clergy in his missionary activities. The text of the oath had been written in 1640 during a period when, though Bishop Smith was technically alive, there was no effective residential head of the secular clergy in England. A separate formula was taken, the rubric in the document noted in a different hand, when the bishopric fell sede vacante (which it did when Bishop Smith died in 1655). Lisbonian priests onwards swore to be obedient to and observe the jurisdiction of the Dean and Chapter as representative of the Bishopric of Chalcedon (though sede vacante and unlikely to be restored). The fortunes of the college had rested on the survival of Bishop Richard Smith and the authority granted to him by the Congregation of Propaganda. Despite several false starts, the college at Lisbon soon found its independence - this was the beginning of over a century of fiercely guarded independence. Lisbon had been, from its conception to its youth, an oddity - it was conceived as a Jesuit college to mould missioners for the Tridentine Church Militant - it became the backbone of the English secular clergy, increasingly Gallican and desirous of ‘cosying’ up to the Protestant authorities; it had been a foundation of Douai but found its relationship sour and, when Douaigians were warming to another Vicariate Apostolic model, Lisbonians were championing the rights of the Chapter against 68

Roman universalist interference. Lisbon’s defence of the Chapter and the spirit of the Appellants that had flowed through the blood of its founding fathers began to be noticed as being rather out of concord with the direction of the Tridentine papacy and most of the English Mission. This came to a head when, with the Restoration of Charles II to the throne, the English Chapter found itself increasingly divided between those who looked to Rome for guidance on the English Mission and those who looked elsewhere. The cause behind much of this division was a man, a product of both Douai and Lisbon, whose Gallican views threatened to destroy all the progress made by the secular clergy since the Appellant Controversy. His philosophy would haunt the secular clergy well into the 19th century. Unfortunately he had been instrumental in Lisbon’s foundation and had a large and influential discipleship amongst its alumni. He was Thomas White. All photos copyright of the Lisbon Collection. 1 President Matthew Kellison, President of Douai, to President Joseph Haynes and the Douagian colonists of Lisbon, 24 August, 1628. Given the night before their departure from Douai to Lisbon.

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“Their Song needs to be sung” IRISH PRIESTS’ CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHURCH IN ENGLAND & WALES As the feast of St Patrick, (March 17th) approaches and here in Britain millions celebrate all things Irish, it seems appropriate, in this Year for Priests to salute the thousands of Irish priests who have, over the last century and a half, helped to build and enhance the Church in England and Wales.

“I

was a 16 year-old long haired, leather-jacketed vicar’s son. My passion was my rock band. Unbelievably my life was changed by an Irish Catholic priest, Fr. John Bergin. I was struck by this saintly priest from Dublin, walking the streets of Blackley, in Manchester. He seemed to be constantly visiting and helping the poor and needy. I approached him for a chat - two people from different worlds. Our chats turned to instruction and eventually I was received into the Catholic Church. After a few years, thanks to Fr. John’s encouragement, I was ordained a priest.” Thus, Fr. Simon Stamp (now private secretary to the Bishop of Salford) speaks of the major influence in his life and vocation. The tradition of Fr. Bergin is still alive today. Fr. Sean Sheils, from Ennis, County Clare was ordained in 1954. and has ministered in the Brentwood diocese all his priestly life (see left). When I tried to contact Fr. Sean on a cold winter’s day, he was “out on his rounds”. Later he was scheduled to make an urgent visit to the local hospice and would then be free to talk with me. He has spent 33 years in his present parish, Corpus Christi, Collier Row, Romford, where he is dearly loved by many generations. Recently he was decorated with the Mayor’s Civic Award by the London Borough of Havering but is embarrassed by such honours. In his earlier days he was chaplain to the Catholic Nurses Guild in a large hospital and took huge inspiration from the “incredible faith of young Irish nurses.” Now, decades later, one of the joys of his ministry is still with young people - as sixth form chaplain in a local Catholic School. From 1815-1845 about a half a million Irish came to England. Most came to Liverpool and its surrounds. St Anthony’s

Church (in ‘Scottie Road’), a mile from the city centre became known as the ‘Irish Church’. Its congregation (then served by English priests) was 76% Irish. From 18451852 a million Irish fled their native land to escape the starvation brought about by the ‘Great Famine’. Liverpool was (literally) their first port of call. Many continued their perilous voyage towards the US, Canada and Australia but thousands stayed in Liverpool hoping to earn money for their passage. However, the conditions they later faced in the sectarian ghettos of Victorian Liverpool led a lot of them to succumb to typhoid, dysentery and starvation and consequently, early death. In 1847 alone, over 10,000 people were buried from St Anthony’s, including ten English priests. Clergy from Ireland were badly needed but there was only a trickle at first. Among those was Canon Bernard O’ Reilly, a survivor of the famine who became the 3rd bishop of Liverpool. By 1915 over half the 650 priests in the Archdiocese of Liverpool were either native Irish or of Irish parentage. This continued through the late1940s into the early 1960s. According to Dr. Ian Keane of the Centre for Irish Studies in Liverpool University: “The Irish Catholic priest helped to form a structure for the emigration of the single Irish. The priest was a conduit, a link with home, helping with letters, messages, welfare and employment.” “In the early 20th century and throughout the post war years, the influence of Irish priests in Liverpool was profound,” says Bishop Tom Williams, Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool. “In priesthood, teaching, nursing - in all vocation areas, this city would not have coped without the Irish influence.” After the war, thousands of Irish workers flocked to the cities in the West Midlands: continues on page 70

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“I am glad that tribute is being given to the thousands of Irish priests who have ministered in England and Wales over the past 150 years since the Restoration of the hierarchy in 1850. Many of those priests worked in very difficult situations but their faith and perseverance helped form and develop the Catholic Church in this country. They deserve our warmest thanks.”

Liverpool Christ the King Cathedral.

Cardinal Cormac MurphyO’Connor

Parishioners at St James Church, Peckham Rye.

Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton. Consequently dozens and dozens of Irish priests came to the Archdiocese of Birmingham. Canon Pat Browne, the administrator of Birmingham’s 70

St Chad’s cathedral, said that in the early days, the priority of the Irish priest was “outreach” to their fellow country men and women. “They were, in effect, emigrant chaplains. They did a tremendous job,

tirelessly building communities through education, training, and welfare.” When Canon Pat arrived from his native Offaly in 1974, half of the 375 priests in the archdiocese were Irish. “That number is greatly reduced now but the missionary spirit of the Irish priest is a lasting legacy. “Priests from Ireland have played a significant role in Wales too,” says Monsignor Robert Reardon, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cardiff. “They are an integral element of our heritage, part of our story, intertwined in our history. Their song needs to be sung.” I spoke with three Irish born parish priests, Canon Kerrisk ordained in St Kieran’s College, Kilkenny, Canon Daley, St Peter’s, Wexford and Canon O’ Regan, St Patrick’s, Carlow. They are part of the 30% of Irish clergy still in the Archdiocese of Cardiff. They came here in the late1940s and early 1950s. They are self effacing and dedicated men whose faithful ministry is continuing way beyond ‘retirement age’. Their parishioners are no longer first generation Irish but their Welsh sons, daughters and grandchildren, now joined by Catholics from countries further afield - India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Over 130 miles away, in south east London, another Irish priest ministers to a thriving global community.

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An exterior shot of All-Hallows College, Drumcondra (c. 1900).

Chapel interior at at Patrick’s College, Maynooth.

I sat in the presbytery kitchen of St James, Peckham Rye, chatting with parish priest, Fr. Tom Mc Elhone about his ministry. Visiting is his top priority. He had just returned from a class of seven year olds. “It’s what’s keeps me sane,” he chuckles! He came to the archdiocese of Southwark, intending to stay for a year that was in 1974! He spoke movingly about his nine years as a prison chaplain where he learned the importance of “making a connection.” His parishioners, as well as English and Irish, are from Africa, West Indies and Vietnam. As a fellow emigrant he feels a deep “connection” with them. ”We’re all away from home and yet, here in the parish, we’re all home.” Ever since the sixth century when St Columba set forth on his mission from the shores of Ireland, countless young Irish missionaries, secular and religious have left their native shores and gone to the far corners of the world. While those in Britain may not have had the

mind-boggling stories of trekking through the deserts of Africa or the exotic sites and sounds of China, the difficulties they had to face in the post war slums of many British cities were sometimes far greater. “The genius of the Irish priest,” wrote Fr. PJ Brophy, former President of St Patrick’s College, Carlow, “has been essentially practical, concentrating on teaching the essentials of the faith, bringing people to the Mass and the Sacraments and providing churches and schools for their flocks.” In the 1950s and 1960s, Irish seminaries were full. There were eight colleges, devoted to the formation of the secular clergy alone. Such were the numbers, in 1959, in St Patrick’s College, Thurles that a priest (now in the Brighton & Arundel diocese) said that his bed was out in the corridors for a term! Today only two of these colleges remain open. One, All Hallows, founded in 1842 to follow the Irish diaspora throughout the English speaking world, has sent 1000 priests to

dioceses in England and Wales over the years. In the early1960s it had so many applications that it had to refuse entry. The other, St Patrick‘s College, Maynooth, was founded in 1795 to supply priests for home dioceses. In 1961 it had over 600 students on roll. There were so many newly ordained that dioceses in England and Wales took them on loan until there were vacancies in Ireland. Both colleges have reinvented themselves and are flourishing today but not as seminaries. All Hallows hasn’t had any students studying for the priesthood for the past 10 years. Maynooth had just five priests ordained in 2009. The well has run dry! Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor (see below. Photo credit: Mazur/catholicchurch.org.uk) took time out before he set off to conduct a bishops’ retreat in Canada to record these words of gratitude: “I am glad that tribute is being given to the thousands of Irish priests who have ministered in England and Wales over the past 150 years since the Restoration of the hierarchy in 1850. Many of those priests worked in very difficult situations but their faith and perseverance helped form and develop the Catholic Church in this country. They deserve our warmest thanks.”

Throughout the centuries it has been the wonderful faith and fervour of Irish parents that produced so many Religious (women and men) and secular priests whose dedicated mission has become part of the heritage of the Church in these islands. 71

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