Every year the monks, friars and sisters of the Church of England who have oversight of their religious communities gather for fellowship and reflection together on matters of mutual concern. In recent years this has been at Mirfield. And so we had the ‘Leaders’ Meeting’ at CR 8^th-12^th October, the first I’ve attended. The matters of mutual concern included reflecting on the proposed canon on the religious life as it makes its way through General Synod. This is a new departure for Anglican communities, placing us in a new relationship with the wider Church and her bishops – and you can imagine that the leaders had much to say.

But we were also able to listen to the biblical teaching of Bonnie Thurston, the American scholar and poet, who joined us. Bonnie spoke on Mark’s Gospel as it points to themes of the religious life: –

The Wilderness – What was it that was lacking in the organised religion of Jerusalem that drew the crowds out into the deserted places to hear John? Bonnie showed us how Jesus becomes the symbol of plenty in the midst of scarcity.

And Ascetical Practice – It presents an alternative symbolic universe: participating in the lifestyle is more important than holding propositions. So we learned anew that ascetics are those who have imagined a new reality and envisaged the future in hope.

By God’s grace, may it be so with our communities.

 

Oswin CR

 

On St Matthew’s Day in 1958 I was ordained priest in Lichfield Cathedral, and on September 22 2018 I presided at a Mass of thanksgiving in St Mary’s Church, Kenton. This brought together a congregation of people I had worked with over the 60 years. There were gaps (for I have lost contact with my first parish), but as a member of the Community from 1962 we were celebrating a very varied ministry based both here at Mirfield and elsewhere, including a very blessed time in South Africa with the dual role of being chaplain to the Anglican students of the Afrikaans-medium university of Stellenbosch and being the only other mobile and youthful member of the team!  Sadly, there was nobody from South Africa in Kenton on September 22, but there were many from other activities – from my time on General Synod; from living in Covent Garden seeing many for counselling and advice; Jim Swanton in Sandwich, and many many others. After being student chaplain at Stellenbosch, I came to a similar role in the University of London, though as a member of a big team. From that, I returned to Mirfield to begin my time in the Bursary which is still with me.

My ministry has been – and continues to be – exciting and wonderfully varied, involving all sorts and conditions of people, nearly all of whom were represented in the congregation in that beautiful church.  Many and varied were these people, along with apologies from others. We ended the Mass, which was of our Lady, triumphantly singing the great Walsingham hymn, “Joy to Thee, Queen”.

Then came the lunch provided in the church by the team of catering ladies who seized the opportunity with abundance; old friendships were renewed and new ones made. I had thought it was a rash undertaking, but the response made it worthwhile, former London students meeting again for the first time for years. I think we could have gone on into the night with laughter and reminiscence, but I had to get to my beloved Convent and Nursing home in Chiswick to be spoilt for a long week end.  So it was a fitting celebration all in the context of giving glory to God for his blessed Mother, who liked and still likes a good party.

 

Fr Aidan CR

‘Run the straight race, through God’s good grace’

A couple of weeks ago I said that I was about to begin to raise funds for Tariro – the charity supported by Fr Nicolas for deprived and orphaned teenagers in Zimbabwe. The object of the charity is to provide safe homes, education, employment, and medical and psychological care for young people who have been orphaned, abused or abandoned. In short Tariro seeks to give hope. The more we can do to help the more we contribute to the stability of that troubled country.

Nicolas has been tireless in his efforts to raise money and support for the project, which has become a well organised and efficient organisation with a good home team in Zimbabwe, and strong trusteeship with financial and legal advice in this country.

He tells me that in January the school fees for the new academic year will be due and he will need to raise £12,000. As I will be entering into my 76^th year in January I thought that this would be a good opportunity to give thanks for the life that God has given to me, for the Gospel, for family and friends, for the Community and the College of the Resurrection – Deo Gratias! Especially I want to say thanks that I am still running and so I am going to run 10k on the feast of St Timothy and Titus – 26^th January. I am hoping that many people will support me in this – and in many ways. Especially I want you to pray for me. You could sponsor me or encourage your friends to sponsor me, you could run with me and get your friends to sponsor you (or you could run wherever you happen to be on the day). I shall want people to check the route to ensure that I don’t take short cuts (or faint in the sultry glebe). Whatever, but all to the glory of God!

You can donate at: https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/frjohngribben10krun or send cheques made out to Tariro to Fr John Gribben at CR.

 Fr John CR

Having arrived at Mirfield with eager anticipation in September, the College is proving to be a profound place of learning and reflection. I have thoroughly enjoyed my first month here. Living and studying alongside an incredible group of people, there is a very real sense of community throughout the College. Not only do we delve into the depths of theology, but every aspect of our day-to-day lives enriches our understanding of what it is to be a member of the Body of Christ. Each of us has had a very different journey here and we bring our individual skills and experience to the common life. Our training offers exciting opportunities in various aspects of ministry and challenges us with new responsibilities. We are gifted with a lot of time and space for prayer, and are surrounded by highly knowledgeable and supportive staff, live in beautiful grounds, and worship alongside the Community of the Resurrection. I am very much looking forward to my three years here and pray that through all the opportunities Mirfield brings, God will draw each one of us further still into the life in which He calls us.

Gemma Green (First year student CoR)

When July came to an end I went to Belfast for my annual holiday. For once I was blessed with magnificent weather and I had a wonderful time. It was not exactly a rest for it was quite an energetic holiday. I did a lot of visiting, some cooking, climbing and I did a lot of running with Orangegrove Athletic Club and training with them at the Mary Peters’ Ground.

Since returning I have been with a group of students on a parish mission to St Wilfrid’s and Holy Trinity Bingley. This was a happy occasion and I felt the double privilege of being allowed to serve among such good and friendly people and to be with such an enthusiastic and committed group of men and women from the College of the Resurrection. We had a lot of fun together and we shared our faith with a community of faith in a place where the Gospel has been proclaimed for 150 years.

I have just returned from Guardian’s Chapter at Walsingham. I have been a Guardian for 25 years and I was pleased to hear that the College of Guardians have agreed to make me Guardian Emeritus when my time of active service comes to an end on my 75th birthday next year.

Speaking of which I hope to mark my 75th year of life by doing a sponsored 10k run to raise money for Tariro – so watch this space.

 

John CR

There are two main libraries on site which offer different resources, space and feel to readers. The Community Library (CR) forms a living record of the interests of the Community over time, representing the collections of the brethren past and present at the time they joined CR and the acquisitions made on their behalf during their life at Mirfield. The College Library supports undergraduate and postgraduate students in their theological, ministry and liturgical studies.

The two libraries, although different have one thing in common – looking after them requires many hands! I have been very lucky, since I started as Academic Librarian in February and I have gained 7 volunteers who come to assist. They have been helping in so many different ways, from moving books down to lower shelves reducing the need to use ladders; undertaking journal audits of both libraries – so far 200 titles have been listed; signage – from shelf markers to bay ends; shelving; helping students find books; checking reference material; disposals and cataloguing. Although still a work in progress, the College Library over the Summer has been transformed due to the work of the volunteers.

A new project for library volunteers which is crucial in helping us to preserve the historic collection will be cleaning the books at the CR Library with specialist cleaning equipment. While cleaning, identification of books which need TLC will be part of the project, as will highlighting interesting books. Previous experience of this kind of work is not necessary and training and support will be available. It is a great opportunity to be  a part of the Community, in beautiful surroundings and to work and meet up with other volunteers.

 

 

 

 

If you are interested in volunteering in the libraries, please contact Anisha Christison, achristison@mirfield.org.uk

 The College Advent term began on Monday 17^th September.  New families had moved here some time earlier so that their children could begin the new term in their new schools. For one couple, arrival at College happened on September 10^th – just 48 hours after their wedding!

 

This year we are fortunate to have students from the dioceses across the country – Norwich, Manchester, London, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, Chester, Europe, Chichester, Chelmsford, Southwark, Blackburn, St Edmundsbury & Ipswich, Leeds and St Albans. We welcome 12 new students joining us for the first time and we welcome back 12 returning students. We’re also looking forward to welcoming Lois back in January once her exchange at Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, California has been completed. We also welcome the Revd Dr Tony Carroll, who joins us as Dean of Pastoral Studies, and his wife Gisela. Tony has already made his mark impressing students and staff alike at the Lamb and Flag karaoke evening at the start of term! And finally, we welcome Miss Charlotte Chittick who joins the staff as Administrative Assistant and Communications Officer. You can follow her posts for the College on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Fr Peter CR

 

Since 1976 religious from Poland and Germany have been meeting at regular occasions; our Brother Christopher, who did much work in eastern Europe before the collapse of communism, initiated these meetings to further reconciliation between Protestant and Catholic, German and Polish. The group – known in his memory as ‘Christophorus’ – consists now of both members who knew Christopher, but also those who have joined since then. This year it gathered in a town called Otwock, a former spa town to the south east of Warsaw. The history of this contested  country and its peoples was a living background to our reflections and prayer. As we learned, many Poles are unaware how diverse their country has been; Warsaw in 1938 for example had less than a half of its population Roman Catholic. We made a short pilgrimage to the abandoned Jewish cemetery in Otwock, no grave later than 1942, in silence, some of us placing a stone on a grave or two and offering a prayer for those whose bones are there and their relatives who became ash.

A sombre context in some ways, but to meet with sisters and brothers from Germany and Poland, Lithuania and Belarus, with a prayerful support for a Christian commitment to reconciliation in our much distressed Europe was something for which to give thanks.

 

Fr Thomas CR