Issue 75 - The Pilgrim - September 2018 - The newspaper of the Archdiocese of Southwark

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Feature The Pilgrim October 2018 On the medieval trail in Kent By Father Rodney Schofield Sixty years ago I was living north of London. My secondary school had a long history, having once been a monastic school established by the Benedictine abbey in St Albans. We were still blessed (in my view) by our twice weekly visit to the abbey for school prayers. Why? because by the 1950s the wonderful wall paintings dating from the late 12th century had been restored, and were on the Norman pillars for us schoolboys to contemplate. Elsewhere in the abbey there was of course the shrine of St Alban himself, martyred around the year 209. And we knew of the abbey’s chronicler Matthew Paris, who in the 13th century recorded and illuminated many important historical works, outshone only by one of the abbey’s earlier pupils – Nicholas Breakspeare, who became Pope Adrian IV. No wonder I thought my home town was unique – until I came to live in Kent some seven years ago. Here in Wye, in the Stour valley, I discovered that these highlighted features of my upbringing can all be paralleled nearby. A few miles south is the village of Brook, where St Mary’s church has preserved its own medieval mural The church of St Gregory and St Martin in Wye. cycles, covering a great variety of biblical scenes. In the other direction lies Canterbury, once the home of St Augustine’s Abbey and several priories, whose scriptoria were famous for the manuscripts they produced and whose libraries held several thousand volumes – until they were ransacked by Henry VIII’s officials. Today several hundred of these remain, although among collections in places such as the British Library, the Bodleian, Lambeth Palace, certain Oxbridge colleges. Again, Canterbury was a great centre for pilgrims, who came in earlier days to visit the shrines of Saxon saints as well as the martyred remains of archbishop Alphege and then in greater numbers to seek the aid of St Thomas Becket. One of the first such pilgrims, Philip of Flanders, was escorted there in 1177 by Henry II, who then spent Easter at the royal manor of Wye Court. (Wye cannot claim a pope among its offspring, but one local lad John Kempe did become Archbishop of Canterbury and founded a college for priests here in the 1440s.) More recently, I came to realise that Wye is not so very different from many other towns and villages Medieval murals in St Mary’s church in Brook. in Kent. There is a rich heritage of medieval manuscripts, murals and martyrs (I include other saints here too) found across the whole county. The book I have just published Footprints of Faith: exploring Kent’s heritage surveys these topics in turn, setting each of them in a broader historical context. It is illustrated throughout in full colour. Obviously it was not possible to include every single extant manuscript, but a selection has been made which draws from those known to have been kept at different monastic houses in Kent – those in Canterbury, Minster Abbey, Dover Priory, St Andrew’s in Rochester, and even at smaller establishments like Lillechurch. Their range and content certainly grew significantly over the centuries, revealing a thirst to learn more of the Bible (marginal annotations were encouraged!) and more of God’s self-revelation through nature (astronomy came to play a part, while bestiaries exhibited the range of human virtues and vices already present in the animal kingdom). Sadly, the vast majority of paintings that once brought biblical scenes and the lives of saints alive for ordinary parishioners on the walls of their churches have long since perished, but an attempt has been made here to present a comprehensive account of what remains. There are roughly 30 churches (and cathedrals) across Kent where murals from the 12th century and onward have survived in varying states of preservation. Some Pilgrims heading for Canterbury represent saints or legends that we might now regard as fabulous, nevertheless – once again – their purpose was to stimulate ‘faith, hope and charity’. The main focus of pilgrimage in Kent was obviously Canterbury, although other shrines are mentioned. Considerable detail is included about the pilgrimage itself, with an account of the varied reasons for undertaking it, the nature of the journey and of what actually happened at the shrine. A novel aspect of the book is a survey of how rapidly Becket’s cult spread, not just within England, but across the whole of Europe. The point is also made that pilgrims were frequently reminded that, while miraculous events were always possible, the true objective must be their growth in faith. There are then concluding reflections for our own day and age. 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The Pilgrim October 2018 Archbishop Peter visiting “the jungle” in Calais in September 2015. Feature/Diary October - Diary Calais migrants still need help By Phil Kerton It’s three years since Archbishop Peter visited the former Calais “Jungle” and joined a call for people to be generous to the vulnerable and help them live in dignity and contribute to civil society as well as provide practical and financial support. The challenge remains, despite a lack of media coverage. There are around 750 exiles sleeping rough in and around Calais, with at least as many more scattered in smaller groups along the coast from Bilbao to Flushing. Calais is different because there are also hundreds of riot police there. The region lost jobs in former heavy industries and this provides votes for the National Front. Efforts to support strangers can be resented by locals who have lost hope and distrust established political parties. Several aid associations support those who have fled because existence has become impossible back home. Whether famine, floods, war, political or religious persecution, whether Syria or Afghanistan, they have no choice. They don’t come to take advantage of our generosity, but to establish new and peaceful lives. Why go through terror, bereavement and loss of all possessions unless your life depends on it? So far in 2018, the number of migrants reaching the EU by sea fell by 50 per cent, compared with the same period in 2017. But the number of deaths in the Mediterranean has mushroomed to 1500. It’s only a minority of those reaching Europe who come to France, and only a minority of these to Calais. Typically, they have family or friends here and speak a little English through exposure to TV, films and pop music. Many play cricket and support Manchester United! Around Calais, the exiles stand out, huddled in small groups, seeking shelter from sun or rain. Some 60 young Eritreans sleep in woodland next to a main road. Elsewhere, there are Sudanese, Afghans, Kurds and Ethiopians (including Oromo Ethiopians); also people from Syria, Iraq and other African countries such as Chad and Cameroon. Calais is a base for support groups, self-organised and diversified. Some focus on distributions of food, water and (laundered and repaired) clothes, and bedding, while others deal with women’s’ issues, health or education, or providing daytime activities. Growing understanding of needs spurs efforts to provide phone credit and internet access. As summer temperatures rose, people realised how little remained in the warehouses, with many empty shelves. Stocks of basic items dropped to a critical level, with sleeping bags becoming scarce. Why? Because six clearances of “camps” in two weeks in July left people sleeping rough with no protection, with bedding and clothes confiscated! August started with a report that a storm had devastated camps, leaving refugees living under foil blankets in the rain. There have been several more evictions every week in August, part of the French state’s aggressive policy of making newcomers feel unwelcome – it took a court order to gain access to sufficient fresh water during the heatwave. As the summer ends, fresh volunteers are needed. Perhaps it could be you? Find out who needs help: they will explain what’s involved and advise on accommodation. Then just go to Calais and get stuck in! To apply for asylum, exiles must first reach UK soil, where over half will (eventually) succeed. The French have pleaded for preprocessing offices over there, especially for minors, but the Home Office apparently prefers to keep things difficult, in line with its culture of hostility. Frontiers drawn by former colonial powers are fragile. Our asylum laws were written a long time ago in a different world where there were far fewer refugees seeking new homes. As Pope Francis reminds us, the rules are no longer fit for purpose in a globalised world, and governments must address this and help newcomers integrate with existing populations. The pending new UN Global Compacts on migrants and refugees (supported in the recent “Share the Journey” campaign) may open a way forward. Why not claim asylum in France? Apart from the ill treatment that most have already received, not much is done to explain the system. Claims must be made in French and delivered in person to one of the few relevant regional offices, with a high probability of arrest when travelling to attempt delivery. Just a few agencies, such as Secours Catholique, offer advice and accompaniment. Many of African origin find a second or third class existence in French cities, dating back 50 years to the Algerian independence war. French-speaking potential asylum seekers are traditionally afraid to stay, citing past French support for feared dictators and believing that “security agents” will still target them. Additionally, although France – with far more exiles arriving – receives more asylum applications than the UK, the success rate is far lower. Remember them and those who try to help in your prayers. Catholic journalism at its best ... The Catholic Universe : world news, current affairs, lifestyle supplements and a quarterly U Education magazine all available each week digitally Universe Media T: 0161 908 5301 If you have an event, please e-mail details to us at pilgrim@rcaos.org.uk 6: Day of renewal, St George’s Cathedral, 9.45am – 4.45pm, including a healing service led by Damian Stayne of the Cor Lumen Christi community and Mass celebrated by Archbishop Kevin McDonald. Please bring a packed lunch. For more information, phone 01892-542245. 7: Catholic history walk, Southwark and The Borough. Meet 4pm at Church of the Most Precious Blood, O’Meara Street SE1. Walks lasts about 1½ to two hours. A donation of £5.00 per person is suggested for each walk. For more information: www.catholichistorywalks.com 9: Catholic history walk, Westminster and Parliament. Meet 6.30pm (after 5.30pm Mass) on the steps of Westminster Cathedral, Victoria Street, SW1. 13: Commissioning day for extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, St George’s Cathedral. 20: Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission, “Christians working in Solidarity Across the Channel”, 11am to 4pm, St Paul’s Catholic Church, Maison Dieu Road, Dover. A buffet will be served at 1pm and there will be a walk to pray at the memorial plaques on Dover sea front for migrants who have died trying to reach the UK. For more information, email Marie Bullard at office@southwarkjandp.co.uk to book. 21: Catholic history walk, In the footsteps of St Thomas More. Meet 4pm Church of Our Most Holy Redeemer and St Thomas More, Cheyne Row SW3. Subscribe today to the digital edition and receive it before the printed version. ONLY £12 a year Join us on the journey ... www.thecatholicuniverse.com/shop/the-universe-membership.html Page 11
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Issue 75 - The Pilgrim - September 2018 - The newspaper of the Archdiocese of Southwark

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