Contents |
| From the Editor |
| Canons in Literature |
| Ghana: Impressions of a Country and its People |
| Celebrations in Champagne |
| Exploring the Scriptures |
In the last number I invited new members for Friends News and many of you responded to the invitation. So welcome to all readers new and old. We value your membership and support and if you have an item you think might be of interest to fellow members I would be happy to see it. Details on the back page.
There is always something interesting happening in the parish as well as the usual round of sacramental preparation. In the wider Augustinian family we frequently find ourselves celebrating some special event or anniversary. This year the Congregation of St Victor has held various festivals in different parts of France to mark the 9th centenary of their foundation. A brief synopsis of their history was given in the last number. This Summer I was able to attend a special celebration in the mother house in Champagne on the feast of St Augustine. I give an account in this number.
Friends living in the parish of St Peter-in- Chains will know about the Mission School in Timbale, Ghana. Visits by Dr David to St Peter’s elicited a great deal of support from the Sisters of St Gildas and £10,000 was raised by the parish to build the school there. Timbale is in the remote north of Ghana. This year I was invited by my brother to accompany him on a visit to Kumasi where there is a school which he has been supporting for some years. I was impressed with the vitality of the Church in Ghana and offer my impressions for the consideration of our friends.
We are now moving towards Christmas. We hope that it will bring happiness and joy to all but there is much that gives cause for concern. Many families are suffering financially. Things are much worse in the third world where hunger, disease and poverty still prevail despite many promises by world leaders. So we pray that the Prince of Peace will bless all those who suffer and move those who have much to come to the aid of the weak and powerless.
While we confront these things the election of a new President of the United States gives hope not just for those who voted for him but also for the world.
The BBC is currently televising Dickens’ great novel Little Dorrit. All writers observe, note and make use of the places and people they have met in creating works of fiction. Dickens was much travelled and a frequent visitor to the Continent. In this novel he has the newly married couple, the Gowans, travel to Italy but on the way he makes them divert to the hospice of Great St Bernard in the Swiss Alps. The Hospice was and is in the care of the Canons of St Bernard. The travellers make their way to the hospice by mule and horse and arrive tired and hungry. Basing his account on his own experience Dickens has the little band received with kindness and describes the Canons “whose garment was a black gown with strips of white crossed over it like braces.” This habit continued to be worn until recently and still is by some of the older Canons, but a few years ago a decision was made to adopt a Russian type smock with a cross. In Dickens time the Canons still kept St Bernard dogs to help them search for travellers stranded in the snow.
Nowadays with paved roads and a tunnel underneath the Alps, dogs and daily searches are no longer necessary but the hospice continues to welcome travellers and a great deal of youth training goes on.
Still talking of travellers one of the best travel books I know is by Patrick Leigh Fermor called A Time of Gifts. In 1933, aged 18 Fermor decided to walk from Holland across Europe to Constantinople. It’s a fascinating story of the people he met, the castles and taverns he stayed in and the encounters he had with the rise of fascism in Germany. Walking through Austria he comes to the great Canon Regular Abbey of St Florian (patron saint of firemen). Once again this traveller too was met with kindness and given shelter.
Some years before Fermor’s visit the Abbey had appointed the great composer Bruckner as Abbey organist. He is buried in the Abbey. His symphonies are still very popular and regularly performed in the U.K.
Finally, I suppose I ought to mention the most famous Canon in English Literature even though he is described by Chaucer as a monk. Judging by the comments in the Prologue he didn’t seem to measure up to the standards of Barnwell Priory. But he does tell a good tale.
Ghana - Impressions of a Country and its People
A short visit to a country (two weeks) is not enough to provide the traveller with sufficient knowledge to make judgements but for the first time visitor the impressions can be so vivid that they provide insights that a resident perhaps no longer sees.
I travelled there with my brother, a frequent visitor, to see a school that he has been supporting for some years. Emerging from Accra Airport my first impression was, heat. It was very hot and humid. The next, warmth of welcome. This happened over and over again. Everywhere we went we were welcomed by young and old; children were particularly enthusiastic and curious. Women sat outside a mud brick house doing the washing would look up, smile, and say, ‘Welcome Bruni Papa’ (white father).
My knowledge of Ghana is limited. It was the first African country to obtain independence back in 1957. Since that time it has not always known good government but in the last few years, under the leadership of President Kuffour, progress has been made. Stable government has provided improved roads, free primary education and a slowly improving health system. Both health and education have benefited from church support and donations from many dioceses. This year Ghana once again faces a choice. President Kuffour must step down after two terms in office. Elections take place in November and it is to be hoped that Ghanaians will opt for stability, freedom of speech and steady progress.
My main interest was to get some idea of the state of the Church. We were welcome by a Ghanaian priest just returned from studies in England. He welcomed us and found a place for us to stay in the pastoral centre of the Diocese of Kumasi. He it was who took us to visit several parishes in Kumasi for Mass.
Sunday Mass was an eye opener. I am used to a Sunday liturgy which rarely goes beyond an hour; of sermons which rarely exceed ten minutes. In Ghana, Sunday Mass is a great gathering. People arrive in colourful clothes, children everywhere. Babies are strapped to their mother’s backs and as a result they are contented and don’t cry. Expensive buggies and toys are unknown. Mass begins outside church with the large choir and servers forming up in procession. The choir are dressed in academic gowns and mortar boards. The music begins (no hymn books or sheet music), the drums beat out the rhythm and the procession enters the church. As we enter the church the congregation picks up the hymn and soon the church is filled with beautiful sound. The priest welcomes everyone and the Mass unfolds. I notice that the servers carry out their duties with great reverence and care.
The offertory is very striking. Everyone comes up to make an offering in the collection boxes and then the “real” offertory takes place, accompanied with vibrant music and full-throated singing. People come up bearing food –eggs, yams, plantains, tinned food and much else for the priest and distribution to the poor. Money is in short supply and poverty is everywhere, so this offering is not just ritual. All together Mass takes about two hours and ends with notices, greetings and much talk.
Although I didn’t understand the local language, I felt very much a part of the Mass and completely in communion with everyone present.
In Ghana everything begins early. People are on the move by 5a.m. and so during the week Mass is scheduled for 6a.m. There are always about seventy to a hundred people present before they go off to work.
We were also able to visit two hospitals. Both had been built by missionary orders and supported by missionary minded dioceses in Germany and Ireland. Both were doing great work and providing a whole range of basic services, including drugs, food and counselling for mothers with aids/hiv. Occasionally, young people from Europe find their way to Ghana to work for a spell in one of these hospitals. A new eye hospital was due to open as I prepared to leave, funded by Malta and built by an Italian firm.
I was greatly impressed by the seminaries I was able to visit; the junior seminary of St Hubert in Kumasi and St Peter’s senior establishment in Cape Coast. I was struck by the dedication of the staff and students. The regime in both places is fairly Spartan. The staff have studied abroad in Italy, Germany and the U.K. and obtained excellent qualifications. The students are enthusiastic and keen to learn. At the end of Mass they pray that Ghana will be freed from bribery and corruption. Amen!
The impression give by seminary and parish is of a vibrant, living church. How did this happen? Of course the Church in Ghana is much older than the State. The Portuguese came in the 15th century but it wasn’t till the arrival of the Victorian explorers and traders that Christianity began to take root. The early Catholic missionaries in the 1840/50’s worked hard but did not survive long due to tropical diseases. In more recent times a great deal is down to the hard work and vision of a recently retired Bishop, Peter Sarpong. Bishop Sarpong was consecrated Bishop of Kumasi at the age of thirty five and cared for his diocese for thirty eight years. In that time he saw the single diocese split into five, with him becoming the Metropolitan. The care he has given has produced a highly educated, dedicated body of priests, a new congregation of Sisters, a thriving seminary, full parish schools and hospitals that back up what the State is able to offer.
The Church is growing, growing in and for Ghana. Both State and Church face many problems as so much depends on stability. We only have to look to Zimbabwe and Kenya to see how easily institutions carefully nourished and built over many years can be broken over night. Yet despite these problems and the very real poverty, the Church in Ghana has much to teach us in the West where the faith seems to be in decline and clergy losing heart.
During the final days of our stay we travelled to Elmina on the Cape Coast. It was founded by the Portuguese (Elmina means the mine) who were looking for gold. Then came the Dutch and slavery. They were succeeded by the English. Elmina was the focal point of the slave trade (See Alex Hailey’s Roots) and we made a point of visiting the fort where the slaves were held before shipment to the Americas. We visited the dark dungeons where thousands of men and women were kept in conditions of appalling misery and degradation. The irony was that there was a Christian chapel in the midst of this hell hole! At the end of our visit our guide led us in prayer for all those who had been held in this dark place. Nowadays people make the reverse journey in search of their roots and frequently leave wreaths at the fort.
I had better explain at the start that Champagne is not where they produce the wonderful nectar of that name, but a tiny village by the banks of the Rhone. Admittedly it is situated in the midst of some very well known vineyards which produce some truly celebrated marques.
It was here that a small group of Canons came and set about building a house. They were given care of one of the most beautiful romanesque churches I have ever come across. It is built of local golden stone and within the eye is drawn to a series of columns around the sanctuary. They stand around the altar in perfect symmetry. The church also contains some fine examples of stained glass and stone carving. It was here that a great gathering of guests, Canons, African Bishops, Bishops of local French dioceses and Canonesses assembled to celebrate the feast of St Augustine. It was the high point of the Victorines celebration of their 9th centenary. Abbot Maurice Bitz , Abbot Primate of the Confederation, preached. Afterwards we were treated to a splendid buffet meal in the grounds of the Abbey.
The following day we drove to the nearby town of Bourg en Valence for lectures on the role of the Victorines in the middle ages and Mass in the local church. Valence was once home to a splendid Abbey of the Canons of St Ruf. Very little is left of the ancient building. Curiously the one authentic part is now used as a chapel by the local Protestant community. They very kindly allowed us to use it for our lectures.
Valence is of interest to English people as Nicholas Brakespeare was Abbot here for a while before being called to Rome by the Pope to conduct several important missions. He became in due course the only Englishman to become Pope, taking the title of Adrian IV. Sadly the Congregation of St Ruf no longer exists but one comes across several buildings which once formed part of daughter houses of the Congregation.
Now the Victorines have taken up the tasks that the Canons of St Ruf once exercised and there are many signs of new life much appreciated by local people and of course by the Bishops who are grateful for their presence.
This year the Pope called a Synod of Bishops in Rome to examine the theme of The Word of God. It was attended by a chosen number of Bishops from around the world and also by invited guests from other churches. They also heard from a Jewish Rabbi. From these deliberations the Pope will issue a letter to the whole church.
In the last few years we have been blessed by some fine scholarly writing on the Scriptures which has helped our understanding and appreciation. We have also been able to hear the Scriptures read in church in a cyclical pattern. This is important as knowledge of the Scriptures helps to deepen our faith. Perhaps we should remember that while the sacred text remains the same, we change. In other words we bring to our reading of the text our background, training, culture and hang-ups. We need to be aware that we come to the Scriptures with certain expectations. We need to pray for light before reading. Reading and praying the word of God is important but there is nothing like a visit to the Holy land to make it come alive.
Years ago the kindness of my parents made a visit possible and at the time I thought it would be a once in a lifetime occasion. But this year some friends got in touch to say they were planning an excursion to explore the Judean wilderness in the Negev to
examine some archaeological sites. Was I interested? They said it meant camping out under the stars, travelling along rough tracks through wadis in a 4x4 and generally roughing it. I agreed.
We started out gently enough with two days in Jerusalem living in the Christian part of old quarter. While there we were able to visit some of the holy shrines and before we left we had Mass in the church of Ecce Homo. Jerusalem is fascinating; full of life and colour, people everywhere dressed in the costumes that make it easy to know who they are – Jew, Arab, Christian and of course camera toting tourists.
After that we took the road to Jericho with an Israeli guide in a 4x4 loaded with all the equipment and supplies we would need for the trip. We by-passed Jericho and headed South towards the Dead Sea. It is slowly drying up leaving some houses and hotels stranded. We headed into the Negev and found shelter for the night in a farm compound. Next day was an early start going deeper into the wilderness. We rarely met anyone on the way except Israeli security patrols especially near the border.
We discovered much of interest- prehistoric sites, forts along the trade routes, ruins of Byzantine settlements and churches. Two places stood out for me for their historical interest.
One morning we found ourselves standing outside the site of the old city of Be’ersheba. In recent years the site has been carefully excavated and restored with clear notices and information. They have found traces of human settlement from the 4th millennium BC but of course it is an important site for Biblical scholars for it is here that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived and prayed and sought to know the will of God. Many texts refer to their stay there. After them it was turned into a fortress by the Egyptians (or Hyksos) and also by the Romans to help them govern the territory. In the Byzantine era it became the seat of the Bishop but when the Crusaders left it was destroyed. Much later it was taken over by the Turks and after them by the British who handed it over to the Israelis in 1948.
The excavations were begun under the supervision of the Israelis and it remains an important historical site. Meanwhile a modern Be’ersheba has grown up nearby, the capital of the Negev.
On our way back to Jerusalem we stopped off at the famous Masada Fortress. King Herod had turned the fortress into a royal city about 40BC and after him it became the last outpost of the Zealots who opposed Roman occupation. After AD 70 (the destruction of Jerusalem) it became the only point of Jewish resistance. In AD 72 the Roman Governor, Flavius Silva marched out to suppress it and laid siege. It took years to wear the defenders down. They were nearly starving and the Romans were on the point of breaching the defences when the Jews made a decision. They would all commit suicide rather than surrender. When the Romans entered the fortress they found only bodies except for two women and five children who had managed to hide.
In modern times this act of bravery and defiance became a symbol for the new Israeli nation and today new recruits for the Israeli army assemble there to swear their oath of allegiance.
To return to the Synod. The noted Scripture scholar, Bishop Tom Wright, was invited to speak. I quote part of his intervention:
“H.E. Cardinal Dias gave a splendid lecture at the Lambeth Conference, in which he spoke of three moments in the life of Mary: Fiat, Magnificat and Stabat. To these, I add the other relevant verb, which Luke repeats: Conservabat. Let us apply these to our reading of Scripture. First, God calls us through Scripture in sovereign love and grace, and the response of the obedient mind is Fiat: let it be to me according to your word. Then we celebrate, with our strength, the relevance of the word to new personal and especially political situations: Magnificat. Then we ponder in the heart what we have seen and heard: Conservabat. But Scripture tells us that Mary, too, had to learn hard things: she wanted to control her son, but could not. Her soul is pierced with the sword, as she stands (Stabat) at the foot of the cross. We too must wait patiently. Letting the written Word tell us things that may be unexpected or even unwelcome, but which are yet salvific. We read humbly, trusting God and waiting to see his purposes unfold.”
(Dunelmiensis dixit).
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