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Day 7 #OfGodandMe
A bit before my ordination, the Bishop asked me to take up a post as a prison chaplain. A new prison was being opened near to an existing one, and the local parish wouldn't be able to cover both. With some trepidation I agreed.
1/13
A bit before my ordination, the Bishop asked me to take up a post as a prison chaplain. A new prison was being opened near to an existing one, and the local parish wouldn't be able to cover both. With some trepidation I agreed.
1/13
Somewhat to my surprise, the next 12 years were Incredibly fulfilling. I worked in open male, and closed female prisons. Once I'd got over the initial shock of working in a very unfamiliar environment, I had a deep sense of being in the right place. I met Jesus anew here.
2/13
2/13
Christian friends prayed that I might take Jesus into the prison. No! He was there first! "I was in prison and you visited me." I needed to care for the staff too. Most prison staff are professional & caring
3/13
3/13
Day 6 #OfGodandMe
Yesterday I dealt with some of my unease with life & ministry in the Church of England. My experience of #IgnatianSpirituality taught me that God leads us through consolation rather than desolation, so I was wary of acting out of my desolation.
1/12
Yesterday I dealt with some of my unease with life & ministry in the Church of England. My experience of #IgnatianSpirituality taught me that God leads us through consolation rather than desolation, so I was wary of acting out of my desolation.
1/12
As Cyndy moved towards reception into the Catholic Church, I often accompanied her to Mass, while continuing my Anglican hospital chaplaincy. I grew increasingly aware that I shared the faith of the Catholic community. I wanted what Cyndy was finding. I felt at home.
2/12
2/12
The Catechism of the Catholic Church was published about this time. I read it from cover to cover - not what it was designed for! This is what I believed. Once Cyndy was received, I couldn't wait much longer. So I made the second great and good choice of my life.
3/12
3/12
Day 5 #OfGodandMe
While I was Vicar of Grimethorpe, I heard and read a lot about #IgnatianSpirituality. I wanted to know more so I spent 8 days at St Beuno's in N Wales. The daily sharing of my experience of prayer with my retreat-giver was life-changing.
1/13
While I was Vicar of Grimethorpe, I heard and read a lot about #IgnatianSpirituality. I wanted to know more so I spent 8 days at St Beuno's in N Wales. The daily sharing of my experience of prayer with my retreat-giver was life-changing.
1/13
My love for Scripture was enriched by a renewed sense of God speaking with me through his Word. This was both consoling and challenging. I walked on the water and sank, with Peter as I felt that my life, faith, ministry were shams, play-acting. The Lord rescued me.
2/13
2/13
The eight days, and subsequent reading, retreats (including a 30 day experience) & courses changed both my own prayer life, & the way I accompanied others. They gave me the foundation for discernment through an attention to the path of the Lord's consolation.
3/13
3/13
Day 4 #OfGodandMe
My C of E Ordination was in Durham Cathedral, between the shrines of Ss Bede & Cuthbert. My first curacy was on S Tyneside in a mining parish with estates built to house overspill from Jarrow. My vicar worked hard & expected his curates to do likewise.
1/13
My C of E Ordination was in Durham Cathedral, between the shrines of Ss Bede & Cuthbert. My first curacy was on S Tyneside in a mining parish with estates built to house overspill from Jarrow. My vicar worked hard & expected his curates to do likewise.
1/13
All but three years of my ministry have been in mining & former mining areas. I came to love mining folk & their sense of community. I am aware of the debt our country owes them for their contribution to our prosperity over the years. Sad that is often unrecognised.
2/13
2/13
I had fondly imagined that the sight of me in a dog collar and my carefully pondered apologetics would bring people to faith. It didn't happen! But I gained much from the hard work and daily prayer of the parish.
3/13
3/13
Day 3 #OfGodandMe I went to Uni to read medicine. I found the highest Church in the city with lots of smells & bells, and, vitally, faith in the Eucharistic presence of Jesus. I heard #GregorianChant for the 1st time. Beautiful. I met the #Angelus Prayer & the #HailMary.
1/11
1/11
Here, too, I heard a homily which had a profound impact on me. The vicar talked about Mary's words at the Wedding in Cana: "Do whatever he tells you." Since then these words have hit me at times of uncertainty & decision. They led me to make my 1st confession.
2/11
2/11
Confession is quite rare in the C of E except among very devout and very High Church people. Its regular practice gave me a sense of both my sin and God's forgiveness. For me it was also a matter of obedience, like Mary's Fiat and her call to the servants at Cana.
3/11
3/11
Day 2 #OfGodAndMe
I ended yesterday with by questioning whether there was more to the #Eucharist than my C of E Confirmation Preparation had indicated. As my teenage years progressed the question began to be answered by a series of events. I still see God's hand in them.
1/11
I ended yesterday with by questioning whether there was more to the #Eucharist than my C of E Confirmation Preparation had indicated. As my teenage years progressed the question began to be answered by a series of events. I still see God's hand in them.
1/11
One of my closest friends at grammar school was a practising Catholic. We were drawn together by a common love of music and by the fact that we were among the very few in our year who practised any faith. We both played the organ in Church from time to time.
2/11
2/11
One day my friend invited me to try the organ at his Catholic Church. As we entered the Church he genuflected. It was the first time I had seen anyone do this. I asked him what he was doing. He pointed out the tabernacle and shared his faith in the #Eucharist.
3/11
3/11
Day 1 #OfGodandMe
I was brought up as an Anglican. My mother worshipped regularly in the local Parish Church. Initially I went to Sunday School. My only memory of this is the song which was taken during the collection every week which started "Hear the pennies dropping"
1/9
I was brought up as an Anglican. My mother worshipped regularly in the local Parish Church. Initially I went to Sunday School. My only memory of this is the song which was taken during the collection every week which started "Hear the pennies dropping"
1/9
When I was almost 8 I joined the Parish Church Choir. The main services were Morning & Evening Prayer. I can date my lifelong love of the #Psalms from this time. I didn't understand every word of the 16th century English, but the imagery and passion inspired me even then.
2/9
2/9
My love of music grew at this time. I played both recorder and piano. Music has enriched every part of my life especially my faith life. I have been exposed to many sorts of music. I don't like them all equally, but all have enriched me in different ways.
3/9
3/9
Day 3...#OfGodAndMe ...mainly Uni...1st summer at a US Camp, 2nd stopped by illness. A low point, but also growth in faith...a direction was there...& heading far away...
..if you really want, you can reach notes on most images with @get_altText as a reply to that tweet...
..if you really want, you can reach notes on most images with @get_altText as a reply to that tweet...
18. It was the Year of Three Popes, and I finished up working In Edinburgh for those weeks, interwoven with the Festival programme. Cambridge came as a shock. It took a while to see beyond the preciousness of College & Chaplaincy life, but I found good friends & faith grew.
19. A brilliant young friar, BobOP, was our college chaplain, & turned out 2 be an OB of my school. His informal Eucharists in student rooms were pivotal 4 my growth. The Children’s Visiting Gp created by Assist.Chaplain was faith in action, visiting families with ‘special’ kids
Day 2, #OfGodAndMe Moving towards adult life...
we continue with departure from London to Hampshire, 1970...
...if you really want, you can reach notes on some images with @get_altText as a reply to that tweet...
we continue with departure from London to Hampshire, 1970...
...if you really want, you can reach notes on some images with @get_altText as a reply to that tweet...
9.4th sister stayed with neighbours to finish her O Levels, so I was an only child, in a new town. A 17 mile Sponsored Walk for Oxfam showed me the geography, but I never quite took to Bournemouth. The stammer made reading round the class torture at times, altho’ I loved to read.
10.Another summer camp in Wales. But now news came that my Dad had suddenly died. For sound seeming reasons I was left at camp & not brought home 4 his funeral; but it was not a good call, & wouldn’t happen now. When I came home I felt I couldn’t talk of him as it upset my Mum.
1. I walked the day we moved from leafy Strawberry Hill to Woodford in 1960, for my dad’s work. I was youngest by 5 years. With 4 sisters, I was destined 2b named Charlotte, & everyone was shocked. Fortunately I was baptised Michael Anthony, sharing Padua’s feastday. #OfGodAndMe
2. It was a ‘mixed marriage’: so Catholic schooling. I lived the slow impact of Vat2. Our churches were Franciscans at Woodford Green & a brand new church of Blessed Anne Line a walk away; my school was solid. I adored Midnight Mass, the words of hymns, but much else was a blur.
3.I loved my sisters & felt truly enfolded in family. We did homework together. If they weren’t quite ready 2 go out, I took their boyfriends into the garden for football & cricket, & got them proper sweaty. The eldest was married & gone 2 NZ in 1967. She had been my second mum.
Thursday Day 4 #OfGodAndMe #ThisNunsStory
In the last 2 years at Brighton I drove a Honda 50 CC motor bike and this came with me to ‘London. It wasn’t very fast & I enjoyed the smells of the countryside (can anything beat the smell of a field of flowering beans?) 1/25
In the last 2 years at Brighton I drove a Honda 50 CC motor bike and this came with me to ‘London. It wasn’t very fast & I enjoyed the smells of the countryside (can anything beat the smell of a field of flowering beans?) 1/25
London was a very different experience, however in more ways than one. I decided to live at the Chelsea convent of the Daughters of the Cross in Cale Street & while the house was a hostel/home for the elderly I was living with the community. 2/25
And so I became a postulant (seeker) This was very different to my first postulancy, however as I had complete independence. Each weekday morning I travelled on the underground from South Kensington to my school in Mile End in East London 3/25
And so Day 3 of my story of God at work in my life as part of #OfGodAndMe #ThisNunsStory series. Yesterday mention of the book, The Silver Sword seems to have struck a chord with many so perhaps its not out of place to mention that today 7th April is #Worldhealthday 1/20
Ian Serraillier ended his talks by showing this photo with the words, ‘No child should ever again have that expression on his face’. My hope this the UK as host of the upcoming #G7 summit will prioritise Universal health care for all. #UCH 2/20
So back to my story. Living at home again and my dream of religious life gone out the window I applied and got a place for September at Brighton College of Education to do a cert ed in biological science & primary education 3/20
I read the story The Silver sword by Ian Serrailler. Its about 3 Polish children who separated from their parents in World War II cross war torn Europe facing war, danger & #disease. These are children like me, I thought & was so glad I had been born after the war finished. 1/20
Living through the war as RAF personnel my parents also had a horror of war, which rubbed off on me. I saw photos of the relief of Belsen & I decided that I would do everything I could to stop war #poverty & #prejudice. 2/20
I remember Dad telling us about the jigsaw at his #Methodist Sunday school with the map of the world on one side and the face of Jesus on the other. “taking care of the world is taking care of Jesus” he said 3/20
This week I'll be sharing my story of God at work in my life as part of #OfGodAndMe #ThisNunsStory series. Inevitably its a series of snapshots I have plucked out of my memory album in order to tell my story. At a different time I might well have chosen different snapshots. 1/15
I was a post #war baby born in the leafy suburb of #Sutton to parents who had met in the RAF during the war.I now belong to the Congregation of the Daughters of the Cross of Liege (FC) & live in Much Hadham, Herts. 2/15
Dad, a teacher on #sthelier council estate was the son of a Rhondda valley miner who had died at 49 of TB & silicosis. Mum is a Geordie handweaver who drove 3-ton lorries in the war. Her father had been orphaned age 7 when his Dad died of TB. 3/15
#ThisNunsStory #OfGodAndMe Part 1:
I’m a 100% post-Vatican 2 London working class cradle Catholic. We always went to the folk Mass in our lively parish. We spent summers in Italy, which was more conservative, though my parents said it was nothing like the strictness they'd known
I’m a 100% post-Vatican 2 London working class cradle Catholic. We always went to the folk Mass in our lively parish. We spent summers in Italy, which was more conservative, though my parents said it was nothing like the strictness they'd known
Our local community was close-knit. My hairdresser mum did half the road’s hair, & we knew all our neighbours, helped each other out, I’d play with my best friend etc. Our Italian context even more so, as my dad came from a small village & mum’s family stuck together like glue.
I made my 1st Communion when I was 7, and have a strong memory of how I prayed after. Despite knowing several formal prayers, in both Italian & English, I very naturally - instinctively even - chose to speak to Jesus in my own way, using my own words and sentiments.
