The Evangelist for Parishioners and Friends of the Church of Saint John the Evangelist Lent 2015 : Vol

The Evangelist for parishioners and friends of The Church of Saint John the Evangelist Lent 2015 : Vol. XIV, No. 1 Montreal, Quebec EDITORIAL Most people have no idea of what a Sabbatical Year means! It is of course Biblical. The Sabbatical Year is the seventh year of the seven-year agricultural cycle mandated by the Torah for the Land of Israel: the land is let to lie fallow. But for Humans that fallow year is one of regeneration: when I went away from McGill Chemistry Department, I was worn out physically, depressed mentally and emotionally drained. It was to adventure into new activities in new places with new friends and colleagues, to be mentally challenged, emotionally regenerated, and physically rested. I returned to McGill a New Man, fired up for the next seven years! Father Keith has made more prog- ress in six months than we could have hoped. Christ guides us in our Sabbatical Years if we trust in him. Although His way of doing it may be not what we expect! Tony Whitehead cover design by Brian Morgan Receive your “Evangelist” and information updates electronically Information on events at Saint John’s is currently made available only in hard copy, i.e. printed on paper. If you would prefer to receive your updates by electronic post please send your name and e-mail address to < [email protected] > and we will be happy to send you your copy by e-mail. Not only will you receive your information faster, you will be saving the church the cost of printing and mailing your docu- ments, and saving a tree as well. Your information will only be used to send out information from St John the Evangelist. It will not be passed on or shared. Regular Services at St John’s: SUNDAYS Low Mass: 8:30 a.m. Matins: 9:45 a.m. High Mass: 10:30 a.m. WEEKDAYS Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 5:45 p.m. / Wednesdays: 7:30 & 9:30 a.m. / Saturdays: noon 2 MY SABBatiCAL siastical design company founded by the architects Bodley, Garner and Scott. For many, Oxford conjures up images of Ancient Gothic Architecture, Gardens and Academic Being in Oxford in Term Time was a unique ex- Gowns, “that sweet city with her dreaming spires” perience. Pusey House was founded as a memorial and while all these are there, Oxford also is a to Dr Edward Bouverie Pusey, one of the leading vital city of 200,000 people. Last October I went members of the Tractarian or Oxford Movement to Pusey House (below), founded as “a House along with John Keble, John Henry Newman, and John Mason Neale. The present Colle- giate buildings were built just before WWI by Temple Moore and the Chapel of the Res- urrection was decorated in part by Ninian Comper (above). Pusey House is known not only for its Lit- urgy with full Catholic Ceremonial, but also for its active social life, with a strong student community, of Piety and Learning” which is associated with which complements the Religious life of the house but not, part of the University of Oxford, for in typical Oxford fashion. Oxford is also the place the Michaelmas term. Fr George Westhaver, a where William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury Canadian, is the 11th Principal. The 10th Principal, during the reign of Charles I, lies buried under Jonathan Baker, is the present Bishop of Fulham in the chapel of his old college of St John, across the the Diocese of London. street from Pusey House. Oxford and Cambridge have three, eight-week One of the great advantages of being in Oxford terms, Michaelmas; Hilary and Trinity. Part of during term time was attending Evensong in the Pusey House now comprises St Cross, a graduate College chapels. To hear a full Choir sing Even- college established in 1965 and its current head is song in a 13th or 14th Century Chapel in candle Sir Mark Jones, previ- light is truly memorable. One of the students at ously Director of the Pusey House was the assistant chaplain at New Victoria and Albert Mu- College (1379), so I often attended Evensong there seum. One of the first which was sung six evenings a week during term. events I attended on my Merton College was celebrating its 750th anni- sabbatical was a study versary last year and as part of that Celebration day at the V & A called installed a new Dobson Organ (Iowa). One of my the Giants of the Gothic cherished Oxford memories was attending High Revival from Pugin to Mass on All Souls’ Eve at Merton accompanied by Comper sponsored by Mozart’s Requiem with orchestra. While there Watts & Co., the Eccle Edward Bouverie Pusey (continued page 4) 3 My Sabbatical- cont’d from p. 3 stopped there on his way to see Henry II in Oxford. St Thomas is in what was the brewing district of is in Oxford the full range of Church of England Oxford which has all but disappeared (not I may churchmanship and piety, there is no shortage of add for any decline in student drinking) and its con- “smells and bells” as it were. Not far from Pusey gregation, because of redevelopment, has dwindled House is Keble College, a William Butterfield away to the point where they are now looked after masterpiece built with his famous polychromatic by St Barnabas with a Saturday evening mass of brickwork and dedicated to John Keble, Edward Pusey’s fellow Tractarian. Down St. Giles Street is the Church of St Mary Magdalene made famous by Colin Stephen’s book, “Merrily on High”, where I heard former Archbishop Rowan Williams preach and confirm at High Mass. He is now Principal of Mag- dalene College, Oxford. anticipation and only Matins on Sunday morning. Church of St Mary Magdalene About ten It is a reminder that past glory can quickly fade, minutes to the west of Pusey House in Jericho on for St Thomas is a beautiful church filled with all the canal, is the Church of St Barnabas, which the necessities of Anglo-catholic worship, except a makes an appearance in some of P. D. James’ congregation. novels. It was built in an Italianate style on the I attended a number of lectures while in Oxford. exterior and byzantine on the interior about the Prof William Whyte, a fellow of St John’s College same time as St John’s. It has a style of worship gave the Hensley Henson Lectures on Experiencing very similar to ours. About seven minutes in the the Victorian Church: Faith, Time and Architecture. other direction nearer Oxford Castle, is the Church I also sat in on Prof Diarmaid MacCulloch lectures of St Thomas Beckett, dating back to the 12th on Themes and Personalities in the Reformation. century and Some of Prof MacCulloch best known publica- the first place tions are Reformation: Europe’s House Divided to re-introduce 1490–1700 ; Thomas Cranmer: A Life and A vestments in History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand the Anglican Years, which won McGill University’s Cundill Church. It is Prize; at the end of each of his lectures the class surrounded applauded. I had assumed he had no idea, who this by an ancient older student was at the back of the room, until on graveyard and the last day of term I went to pick up some notes Thomas Beck- from a class I had missed and he said “Well I hope ett himself is Father you have had a good sabbatical” - Oxford is thought to have St Barnabas a small place. In contrast to these lectures which 4 the Examination School, I also attended a lecture of materials on Anglo-catholicism in the world. series on Western Christianity and Modern Culture During the eight weeks I was there, there were at given by the Theology and Religion Faculty which least six visiting Bishops, so it was a wonderful at present is without a permanent home and has opportunity to get a glimpse of current life in the temporary facilities near the Radcliffe Observatory Church of England. in a building with neither collegiate or English Even after Worshipping in Oxford and at many charm and which one can only describe as univer- Shrines in London, such as All Saints Margaret sity brutalism in decay. Street, St Mary’s Bourne Street and St Alban’s The Pusey House “Chapter” consisted of the Holborn I cannot say that I found any place that Principal, an Assistant Priest whose previous train- would put us to shame. Indeed my Sabbatical ing had included life as a magician, and the five reaffirmed that St John’s does extraordinarily well students who live at Pusey. Monday to Friday the on the resources that we have. Our Worship and schedule was Matins 7:40; Mass 8:00 a.m. fol- Music is comparable to many more richly endowed lowed by breakfast; Evensong 5:00 p.m.; Tuesday Parishes. The biggest difference between there and evening Compline 9:30 p.m.; Benediction Friday here is simply that while here we work in relative at 4:30 p.m.; Saturday Matins 9:40 and Mass 10:00 isolation, while there the Church of England is of p.m. The Sunday High Mass was at 11:00, since as course the majority faith and there is a structure I was told Oxford students rather like their Satur- to match it. The Principal and Chapter of Pusey day evening revelries. House could not have been more welcoming. All in all I found my sabbatical extremely rewarding personally and confirming of our efforts here at St John’s.

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