I know what you did last Summer!
Dear Friends,
On the 26th August, 1944 Parish had been liberated from the occupying German forces. General De Gaulle along with one of the chaplains of the Leclerc division of the Free French Army went amidst a short procession to Notre Dame Cathedral where in thanksgiving the Magnificat was sung. The occasion, apart from being highly celebratory, was nevertheless curtailed when gunfire broke out in the environs of the cathedral, perhaps signifying the incredibly precarious and turbulent situation of the time. Nevertheless that celebratory moment when the Magnificat was sung is deeply imprinted on the hearts of all Parisians and of the French nation.
Last weekend, our Director of Music, Peter Heginbotham gathered together a group of singers, some from St Matthew's choir and some from further afield, to sing the International Mass at Notre Dame in Paris. As one who was gratefully invited, the occasion included many 'firsts'. Although I have been to France many times, I had never been to Paris. I had also never before travelled on the 'Eurostar' - and I had also never sung any of the music that Peter had chosen!
Typically, Peter had chosen (how shall I put this) not the easiest music! The music was extremely challenging, and bringing together various singers who had never sung together before was risky, to say the least. But Peter is never one to shy away from a challenge and will never accept that the music he has chosen is beyond the capabilities of the musicians in front of him! The music sung at the service was the Magnificat from the 'St Paul's Service' by Herbert Howells, the Truro Service by David Briggs and 'Ave Verum Corpus' also composed by Briggs. If the music wasn't challenging of itself, matters were further complicated by the presence of David Briggs himself who had graciously agreed to accompany us on the organ! The music was not easy and, having looked forward to sightseeing in Paris, at one stage during the rehearsal, I wondered whether we would ever see the outside of the rehearsal room all weekend!
Our difficulties with the music however paled into insignificance when the time of the service arrived. The magnificent cathedral was packed with thousands of people, among them, dignitaries of the French government, the Mass being presided over by the Archbishop of Paris himself. The opening piece of the service (just to attract everyone's attention!) was the Howell's Magnificat and the soaring music matched the soaring architecture and surroundings in which we sang. From the quire organ, the deafening organ of the west gallery began extemporising magnificent fanfares, taking up the main theme of the Magnificat we had just sang as the formal procession arrived through the great West door.
Being an Anglican, and British, I wondered whether I would feel a sense of alienation during the Mass, but no, the reverse was actually true. The relaxed music staff of Notre Dame along with the vergers and servers made us so welcome and were encouraging of our music making and our contribution to the Mass. Despite only picking up the odd word in French (my ability to understand being dictated by the speed of the speaker!), there were nevertheless points of recognition during the service. The structure of the liturgy meant that we all knew what was happening, and in our own way enabled us to play an active part. The modern responsorial chants of the liturgy also enabled us and people of any nation to take part, and there was also the extreme sense of fellowship, of all being united in one purpose – the celebratory worship of God.
Surprisingly, there were also parts of the service which resonated with aspects of the Church of England, as being the National Established Church here. Despite a tendency of many to criticise the established nature of the C of E, and its observance of (for example) Remembrance Sunday, I was leased to note that the celebratory Mass at Notre Dame included a procession of standard flags of the Free French Army along with a procession to an Act of Remembrance and Thanksgiving, with its all important and poingnant singing of the Magnificat. For me the service was very emotional. To be able to take such an important part in a service of this nature was extremely moving, and I will always be grateful for the experience. Many thanks to Peter Heginbotham for his initiative and enterprise in organising the event. Secretly we hope that the occasion might be repeated soon! How can we better the experience of last weekend?
Recognition, participation and fellowship – three aspects of my experience at Notre Dame which I believe are important within the ecumenical experience and contemporary situation. Recognition that we, as Christians of no matter which denomination, are all joined together in proclaiming the Gospel and in the worship of God. For me this naturally leads into participation. It is not that many years ago that members of various denominations were unable to join together in worship. Thank God that those days are over! Let us pray for a further growing together of the Church and for widening participation of all the denominations in each other's worship and life and an end the scandal of disunity. And finally, fellowship. Fellowship is something which I found distinguished us as Christians when I went to Australia during my Sabbatical. A profound sense of fellowship was something I also felt in Notre Dame as I took part in that magnificent Mass and which draws us deeper into the life of the Church and the love of God.
It is sometimes tempting to concentrate on the problems that beset the Church, either locally such as issues of finance, or further afield such as the current problems to be found within the Anglican Communion. But I also feel that such concentration on the negative can overshadow the many positive strides that are being made within the Church today. We enjoy a close ecumenical relationship with the churches within the city centre with whom it is our privilege to share mission and ministry. Taking part in the great Mass at Notre Dame was another profound ecumenical experience. Later this month we will warmly welcome the RC Bishop of Hallam, The Right Revd John Rawsthorne who will be the preacher at our Patronal Festival. This month will also see the first ever official visit of the Pope to our country. These are both no small matters, but matters for which we should give much thanks.
Let us therefore pray in the spirit of ecumenism that the Holy Spirit will lead us into greater fellowship, truth and unity and let us give thanks to God for progress made thus far!
Fr Simon
Dedication Festival - Father Simon’s Sermon from the 6th June 2010.
In the year 960 BC Solomon stood up to offer the prayer for the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem on completion of its building. It had been an ambitious project, spanning the life of two of Israel's kings, the work having begun by Solomon' father, David. The new Temple in Jerusalem was to be the spiritual focus for the Israelites, and as they emerged from being a nomadic people, having wandered in the desert and taken possession of the Promised Land, having gained political control of the land by overpowering their enemies and staving off the attacks of those who had lived in the land previously, there was a need to develop the formal political and religious life of the Chosen People where the Covenant made between God and the Israelites could be formally acknowledged and lived out.
Some centuries later, in 1885 (AD!) a new church was consecrated, that is set aside for the worship of God, in the centre of Sheffield. Recently, I walked around the parish with our new bishop of Sheffield, and, as we stood here in the church, he asked me about the origins of St Matthew's. I told him that he was probably standing in the most lavish funeral parlour that he would ever find himself in. For like many churches of the time, it was built under a government initiative to address the context of Victorian inner city urban city life, a context of a rapidly expanded population living in industrialised cities, often amid appalling social and housing conditions. The history of Sheffield shows us many epidemics within the city – cholera, diphtheria and many died of Tuberculosis and other conditions associated with cramped, squalid slums and mesters. Faced with the problems associated with the ever expanding urban population, the clergy of Sheffield parish church, as it then was, now Sheffield cathedral, could not cope with the occasional offices, and new churches were established, among them St Matthew's, St Jude's Eldon Street, St Silas, St Paul's and St George's, St Matthew's being, along with the cathedral being the only churches to survive to the present day.
St Matthew's was established as a parish, having been carved out of the cathedral parish, its first vicar being the Revd J. F. Witty. Services were originally held in the school, until the foundation stone of the church was laid on June 1st 1884. Just over a year later, on June 6th 1855 that unremarkable church, a Victorian 'preaching box' had been completed at a cost of £2000 and consecrated. The Revd Witty was Vicar here until 1879 when the Revd Job became Vicar for a short period of three years.
To paint a picture of the historical context of the Church of England at the time – in its 'establishmentism' it had become inept, spiritually bankrupt and a disappointment for the people. To address this problem and to inject some spirituality and enthusiasm into the Church many societies were being formed among them many of the Evangelical societies to educate people in the faith and to provide them with a meaningful spiritual resource. Also at the time there was the establishment of the highly controversial Oxford Movement, an intellectual society of well to do clergy who wished to reintroduce the Church of England to its catholic roots, and although originally not ritualistic in any way, sought by means of tracts and debate to alert the Church to its catholic heritage.
Sheffield at the time was a proudly protestant place, and perhaps it was a quirk of that establishmentism of the Church of England, that when the parish fell vacant, the Prime Minister invited Fr George Campbell Ommanney to become Vicar in 1882. From a well to do family, Fr Ommanney had been highly influenced by the Oxford Movement, and against all the odds, began to establish the catholic faith here at St Matthew's, where for a short time, it was probably the only formal expression until St Marie's was built down the road. Fr Ommanney must have cut quite an impressive figure, because from within the protestant city, he began to draw wealthy benefactors around him and he set about transforming the unremarkable preaching box into the beautiful church it is today complete with its 'art and crafts' movement treasures that adorn and decorate the church still. For example the chancel and sanctuary were added and the best architects were employed to ensure that the parishioners of Sheffield might have the best parish church possible. In our contemporary church today where the Archbishop of Canterbury acknowledges that we have moved from a position where people might not have attended their parish church to a 'mixed economy' where people choose to attend a particular church which might be some distance away, St Matthew's has, since Fr Ommanney's day always betrayed this fact, and those who attended were not only those who lived within the parish, but those who came from further afield, attracted by the churchmanship, teaching, and personal charisma of Fr Ommanney. So Fr Ommanney began his radical changes and innovations, influenced deeply by the catholicity of the Oxford Movement.
But these changes and innovations were not readily accepted by the people of Sheffield. To encourage the teaching of the catholic faith, Fr Ommanney used to publish the titles of the sermons to be preached on a Sunday. Were the present incumbent to publish the titles of his sermons today, I suspect that it would have the opposite effect. But newspaper accounts from the time recall how many people came to hear him, and, in protest, protestant protesters such as the Kensitites would set up a soap box outside the church (as it was illegal for anyone to interrupt Divine Service in the Established Church) and as he preached they would shout the opposing argument through the church doors! Newspapers also contain many accounts of scuffles and arguments breaking out during services, of people being ejected by the churchwardens, and occasionally of incidents where the police were called! At a time when clergy were being prosecuted and imprisoned by some diocesan bishops for 'outlandish' popish practices such as the wearing of the surplice or putting two candlesticks on the altar, Fr Ommanney set about introducing full catholic ritual at St Matthew's.
I cannot begin to emphasise how personally dangerous and yet innovative this was. Deeply suspicious of the Roman Catholic Church, and, given the history of the British Isles, caught up as it was with political and religious intrigue, the claim was made by many people that Fr Ommanney was selling out to the Pope and being traiterous to the Established Church. Catholic emancipation was a relatively new innovation, and the restoration of the Roman Catholic hierarchy was also a new thing and many people were deeply suspicious. For Fr Ommanney therefore to introduce full catholic ceremonial, not only the first church to do so in Sheffield, or in the new Diocese that was created, but probably throughout the whole of Yorkshire, if not the North of England at the time was a very brave and deeply controversial thing to do. Another strange quirk of the Established Church was that, despite the protests, despite the complaints to the Archbishop, having the Freehold of the parish (as in fact do I!), there was little that anyone could do about it! Fr Ommanney was placed under the 'ban', and no bishop would come near the parish! Being afraid of being deprived of his living, Fr Ommanney built what is now known as the 'schools' (now part of the parish hall) to live in should he have to move out of the Vicarage. Perhaps it was the novelty value, perhaps it was the man's personal holiness and unswerving commitment, but Fr Ommanney gathered about him a group of influential people, and also at the time, other catholic parishes began to emerge, and so his ministry was safe, although exercised under certain conditions.
There are many stories of that time which proudly exist in the oral tradition of St Matthew's. None more so than the account of the statue of Our Lady, the same statue which can still be found in the Lady Chapel. The story goes that one day the Kensitites came and took the statue away, and, taking it on the train to York, they arrived at the Archbishop's palace and knocked on the door. Confronting the Archbishop they held the statue before him and shouted 'What do you think of this then, in one of your parish churches?' It is said that the Archbishop, a little shocked at the confrontation said, 'Well, very nice, but I suggest that you had better take it back to where to came from.' But God is not mocked - and the story goes that when they boarded the train with the statue, the Kensitites were disgusted because the guard on the train charged them full adult fare because the statue took up a whole seat!!!
There are many funny stories firmly rooted in the history of St Matthew's, but I want to share one with you that I came across myself a couple of years ago. It was while I was working as a chaplain at the Hallamshire Hospital. I visited a ward and an elderly lady asked me which church I came from. Having told me already that she was a Methodist, when I told her that I came from St Matthew's, to my surprise she told me that she knew it well. She told me that, as a young girl she had lived in the parish. Her father had died in an industrial accident and although their mother took in washing to earn some money, they were extremely poor. One day, on her way to Springfield School, Fr Ommanney noticed that she wasn't wearing any shoes and asked why. On being told that she was too poor to own any, later that day when she was on her way home from school, Fr Ommanney was waiting for her with a pair of shoes. Asking if they would have any food to eat that night, he also provided a small parcel of food for them. Each day after that, he was waiting on the steps of St Matthew's House with some food for her family, something for which she always remembered him and St Matthew's.
Despite his firm grounding in the catholic faith, despite his love of ritual, music, and good worship, despite his personal spirituality and integrity, it is above all for his love of the people in his parish, the people of Sheffield, and yes the poor children, that Fr Ommanney was so loved and fondly revered. Collecting money and probably using some of his own, he sought to provide what help he could to the poorest of the poor. At a time when there was not much pleasure in people's hard working lives, he sought to provide some sense of community and fun. At a time when there were no holidays or treats for many children in the parish, Fr Ommanney gave them days out to remember. And at an institutionalised level, he pestered and embarrassed the council so much, that in the end they had to provide sewers in the city streets so that raw sewage wasn't running down the centre of the roads with its resulting diseases which had so ravaged the local population.
Today we celebrate the consecration of a remarkable church with a remarkable and outstanding history. Sanitised as we are to many of the issues which were burning hotbeds of contention, we can perhaps only guess at the real difficulties and challenges that Fr Ommanney and the parishioners of those times faced.
In recent years within the Church, there has been a growing awareness of the need to develop a spirituality within the Church. Much has been said about the need for there to be a 'sacred space'. This can be interpreted in a number of ways. St Matthew's parish has seen a number of vast changes in its history, and it continues to evolve today. The church is no longer surrounded by myriads of Victorian slums and a dense population, but it continues to offer a sacred space within a busy and bustling city. Those I come across who visit often speak of the sanctity they find here, the special atmosphere of prayer they encounter. Many on a hot day find the refreshment of the cool church a comfort, and many, including some homeless people find a shelter, cuddling up to radiators amidst the cold Winter storms. Many through our prayer board find a shelter and some relief from the material or personal storms that life throws at them and find comfort and hope.
But there are more ways in which we are called to provide sacred space. There is a church building – not that God lives here, because God is omnipresent, He is everywhere - but set aside for an encounter with God through prayer and worship, but we are also called to make sacred space within our own lives, to set aside some time for God, to pray, to bring ourselves and the world to Him and to grow in holiness. And finally perhaps we are also as Christians to be sacred space ourselves, to enable and play a part in the furtherance of God's Kingdom on earth. Many changes have taken place within the city centre, and I was struck a number of months ago by the extremes which we now have within the parish. While I stood below a balcony at the West One apartments where a champagne reception was taking place, those on the balcony were completely unaware that we were serving soup and sandwiches in the car park below to the poorest homeless people who live within our city centre.
I am proud of the soup run which St Matthew's and other churches still run and for which there is still sadly a great need and which is a visible sign of our care for the community today, care which was begun in Fr Ommaney's day. You see, my view of much of the catholic wing and its churches within the Church of England today is that they sadly have moved a long way from the founding fathers that began the movement, and have become almost self serving, often interested solely in the intricacies of ritual or the internal politics of the Church and have somehow strayed a long way from that for which they were established. The problem is this – for sacred spaces to exist, whether that be a church building, or time set aside, or a person itself, there has to be a real encounter with the Living God, and that encounter itself for it to be real must have of itself a transforming effect for holiness, sanctity is contagious.
Our church, set as it is amidst the busy and bustling city centre is there to provide sacred space, to witness to the presence and love of God amid the world, whether we are aware of it or not, and it has a leavening effect. We as Christians are called to do the same, to shine out as lights on a hill, or to provide the transforming leaven, or to be the main ingredient which epitomises or typifies the standards and principles of what God's Kingdom is about. The social character of the parish has changed, but we are still called like Fr Ommanney to make a difference – and this happens today in being within the locality, in continuing to minister to the most vulnerable within our city, in contributing to ongoing projects and developments within the city and in representing the faith in committees and bodies concerned with matters of faith, education and matters concerning the city and its development. Leavening the lump – we are called as faithful Christians to play our part in advancing God's Kingdom and making Him known in our world as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.
As we thank God today for the consecration of our beautiful church, we do so with thanksgiving for all that has happened here, for Fr Ommanney and all the influential and colourful characters that have been associated with this place. We give thanks for the influence that St Matthew's has had within the city, the Church and the Diocese over the years, and we pray for those who have come here to give some sort of expression to events within their lives. We give thanks for the worship and teaching that have taken place here over the years, and we pray for God's blessing upon our church of today and upon us as we continue that work which was begun here. And we pray that we and all who come within the walls, may continue to encounter God in this sacred space, as did the ancient Israelites in the Temple in Jerusalem, and continue to develop that close relationship begun there and to receive the innumerable blessings which only God can give.
