Oblates of CR are men who accept a vocation to celibacy and live it out wherever they are, either working or in retirement. Some are priests; some are lay men, but all wish to live by the charism of CR and deepen their life of prayer with God. This October, six of the oblates gathered at Mirfield for a few days with the Community. Another eight were not able to come as they live too far away (Myanmar, Cape Town,etc) or were not able to get away from their work.

 

Nicolas CR

Wednesday 11 October will see the launch of three books at CR – one of four launches taking place across the country. The titles featured are all either edited or authored by Stephen Platten, former Bishop of Wakefield and a longstanding friend of the Community. 

Details of the launch are given below, and the books are all available from Mirfield Bookshop (www.mirfield.org.uk/shop). They are: 

 

Oneness – The Dynamics of Monasticism (Ed. Platten)

Considering the role monastic life plays within the life of the contemporary church, using a focus on the life, practice and history of the Shepherds Law community as a starting point. Contributors include Fr George Guiver CR, Canon Christopher Irvine, Petà Dunstan and Dom Xavier Perrin. Foreword from Justin Welby and afterword by Rowan Williams.

‘..an informative and exciting book..’ Br Benedict SSF

 

 

 

Animating Liturgy – the Dynamics of Worship and the Human Community (Platten)

A collection of essays offering insights to a broad range of readers, from theological students to lay people who wish to understand something of the background of daily and weekly worship.

‘..definitely a volume that should be read by those who think they are not interested in liturgy.’ Canon Dr Simon Jones

 

 

 

Holy Ground – Cathedrals in the twenty-first century (Ed. Platten)

Digging deep into the life of England’s cathedrals, and discussing such diverse topics as finance, growth, heritage, liturgy, development, music and art.

‘At last a group of informed writers tackle questions crucial to the future of religion in Britain.’ Simon Jenkins

 

 

At the beginning of September, Fabian nCR and I were off on our travels once more – I’ve never gone south so much! This visit had us heading to the dreaming spires of Oxford with accommodation provided at the home of the Sisters of the Love of God, Fairacres. They are a delightful group of nuns with a welcoming, recently reordered chapel where we were readily invited into choir to share in the daily round of office and Eucharist.

As previously, novice turnout was good, with people from OSB, Mucknell, CHN, Derby, SSB, Southsea, SSM, and CR all represented. Our theme was ‘The Recovery of the Religious Life in Anglicanism,’ with the five wonderful days ably presided over by Dr Petà Dunstan of St John’s College, Cambridge. Petà is an historian with long specialism in the Religious Life. She has nothing less than an encyclopaedic knowledge, and is a charming person to boot. It has been about the third or fourth time she has conducted Anglican novices on a walking tour of key sites in the history of this way of life. Seemingly, Oxford and its environs are integral to our existence!

Certainly, it felt good to feel our connection with the likes of JH Newman, John Keble and Richard Meux Benson, whose visions and models for the life were all begun on the various sites we visited during the week. We saw Littlemore, where Newman founded his small collegial brotherhood in the Oxbridge style, the pulpit of St Mary the Virgin, from which Keble preached the famous Assize sermon in 1833 denouncing liberalism and appealing for a more ‘catholic’ attitude in the Church of England. It was also my first visit to St Stephen’s House, famous as the starting point of Fr Benson’s Society of St John the Evangelist. Living history indeed!

Fr Phil Ritchie (alumnus CoR) celebrated Mass for us on Wednesday in the Leper chapel at Bartlemas, from where Br Giles began his ministry to ‘wayfarers’.  This would eventually become the Society of St Francis in the 1930s, as the vision caught hold and the ministry spread. Giles himself has a difficult story, but we all felt his saintly presence in the gathering that afternoon, as Petà Dunstan spoke with a sincere passion for his life and vision. Her enthusiasm was joyous to receive.

Naturally, there were the socials and wine-tastings pertinent to these gatherings, and we all enjoyed catching up on news. CHN Derby has a postulant to be kept in our prayers, as soon does OHP, Whitby. Proof that the recovered Anglican religious life has that future into which we are all keen to invest. For my part, I have come away from this trip with an equal measure of hopefulness and knowledge. Thank you Petà: great stuff organising guardians!

Marc nCR

We have a selection of Advent books and seasonal items in stock. All are available from our website shop, from the bookshop in the retreat house, or by telephone – 01924 483348. Click the images for further information

Four Ordinands from the College of the Resurrection and another two from St Hild were delighted to be involved with the Upper Holme Valley mission week this summer. We received a warm welcome from the team in the Valley, and their seven churches were delighted to host us. Their warmth, kindness, and genuine interest in us and in the Community and Colleges based here in Mirfield was a delight.

All of the Ordinands were heavily involved in the Sunday and mid-week services, and were also responsible for preparing and leading Morning Prayer each day, which seemed to naturally take on a quiet and reflective stance, and beautifully set us up for each day ahead.

Each day was very long and very busy, as we ministered, listened to folk, and attended the many events and activities that made up the Festival of Faith.  Our involvement at the events was crucial; I hadn’t realised until we arrived what a large part of the experience we would all be playing, which was an immense privilege. God was in the midst of us as we discussed and proclaimed our faith indoors, outdoors, with all ages, with faith members, with seekers, and with the person on the street. My favourite moment of the week was sitting on a bench in the town chatting about life and faith with a town centre regular and with the chap who kept the town streets clean. There was an incredible buzz to the week, and wonderful opportunities to meet people where they were.

We were very grateful to have been able to serve a group of churches in this way, and to serve the people of their community; it was an amazing week, and may God continue to bless all that may have been ignited throughout that week.

 

Jane Finn (CoR Ordinand)

In 1979 I heard Ted Hughes give a poetry reading at the University of Leeds in what had once been the chapel for the Hostel of the Resurrection in Springfield Mount. I could not have imagined at the time that many years later I would be made welcome not only as a Retreat Guide at the Community of the Resurrection (from 2010) but now as Poet in Residence from October 21^st to November 26^th 2017.

When I look back over my life I can trace threads from childhood and through adult years which have led to the invitation to write in this inspiring setting. In recent years, though I write mostly in my sitting room or garden at home, I have found beautiful places in which to write and wonderful fellowship with other writers, gaining confidence to share my poetry with a wide variety of people. I realise how fortunate I am now to be given the opportunity to spend time writing at CR and how this is affirmation of the active guidance of God, inviting me to ‘extend the cords of my tent’.

The image of The Tent of Meeting has stirred my imagination for some time now, and I hope to use this as a focus for my writing this autumn. I also have some thoughts of compiling poems that illustrate the experience of making the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, but most of all I want to discover what is waiting to be written!

I hope the brethren and any interested guests at CR will also allow me to read my poems to them and maybe become part of the poems themselves! I intend to be available to talk about poetry and to encourage others to write or just enjoy poetry and to appreciate how God finds all sorts of ways to inspire us. I hope that one of the ‘fruits’ of my weeks at CR will be the publication of a collection of my poems. I am sure there will be challenges too, and that living alongside the community for 5 weeks will require some adjustment on my part and a willingness to let what happens, happen! Being a poet can touch the depths of sorrow and the heights of joy, and even a single word can be transforming in some way.

 

Maggie Jackson

 

Click here to view Maggie Jackson’s Writing Biography

 

Brothers Marc and Jacob (Mirfield Centre Brother) recently led a Quiet Day for a small group at Whirlow Spirituality Centre. They were warmly welcomed by the Chaplain, Joy Adams, and gave four addresses in the chapel. We reflected together about our place in God’s creation: how we can care for you hurting world and our relationship with God and neighbour. We were very thankful for the invitation and the Community, through our ‘Mirfield Centre’ (representing CR’s pastoral and educational programme) looks forward to taking up further requests to share in days of quiet and prayerful pondering with others. If this is something you would like to explore, please do contact centre@mirfield.org.uk or 01924 481920.

 

        Jacob CR

Riches come unforeseen to brethren (and friends) as we live the round of prayer at Mirfield. Among these riches are those people who ask to share our life for an extended period of time. On Sunday 24^th September, we said farewell to Bogdan Branza, a young and friendly Romanian who is the most recent of a series of students to stay with us from the Theological Institute in Iasi. Bogdan is clearly used to being around monks; he helped unobtrusively, engaged us in stimulating conversation about the faith, attended the Romanian parish of St Macarius in Leeds, and used his time here, sheltering from the heats of the Romanian summer, to study and write on St Maximus the Confessor.

Those who have been at the daily mass with us in this period may well have heard Bogdan contribute a hymn of praise during the administration of communion, and felt their own faith become just that little more deeply rooted. There is an atmosphere in the Orthodox countries of Eastern Europe which breeds suspicion of Western Christianity, tinged as we are with secularism. In such an atmosphere, the willingness of Bogdan and others to open themselves to the fellowship of Christians of a different stamp is a significant and welcome anticipation of our unity in Christ.

And next? We are set to welcome our first (ever?) Intern this coming November. Perhaps we’re not yet sure what an intern is or should be but, when a Masters student from Trinity Theological College, Singapore, contacted us wanting to pursue this as a placement which would help him ground the pastoral theology he’s been studying in practices of daily prayer and worship, we were glad to invite him. Please remember Gilbert Lok in your prayers as he prepares to come to Mirfield this Autumn.

 

                Oswin CR