Towards the end of May it was a delight to have Br. Jude from the Community of the Resurrection in Mirfield West Yorkshire with us for a few days. During a whistle stop five days he was taken all over the Principality. On his first day, in cassock and scapula, he was photographed at the Cathedral, the Rivera Café on the moulins, the Hotel de Paris, the Casino (neither of which he ventured inside) the Irish Library and signed and their visitors book. He was pictured with a Guard of the Carabinieri and a member of the Princely Household. On the evening of the same day a reception was held for him at St Paul’s House attended by 20 guests. He fielded questions from Fr Hugh before mingling with the assembled brethren, talking about the faith and having a thoroughly enjoyable, and happy time. Many thanks to Alison, Freddie and Nina for arranging this and dessert contributions from Kristi Prenn. The following day Br. Jude was up bright and early and spent some time with priests and representatives of the Orthodox community before their liturgy began. He was then whisked off along the Rivera and to Dolceacqua by a Simon De Meo from St Paul’s and brought back safely in time for dinner.
On Sunday morning he was up again at the “crack of sparrows” for the 8.00 am Holy Communion service according to the Book of Common Prayer. He then preached at 10.30 and administered the chalice. Afterwards he enjoyed fellowship at the post service reception and shared his thoughts with Clive Tinker, who knows Mirfield very well indeed. In the afternoon he assisted with the shopping! At 6.15 pm Fr. Hugh took him to him to St Charles’ Catholic Church for the Byzantine Western Rite Mass in Arabic, French and Italian where he met Christians from the Lebanon, members of the Church and Fr Jean-Ariel from the Dominican Order who are based there. Having returned to the Chaplain’s Residence, Fr Hugh gave him a beer. On his final day he packed twelve Centenary Prayer Bears into his case and a packet of gold playing cards from the Casino gift shop. Alison presented these to him with the strict proviso that his fellow monks are to be photographed playing them.
Over the time that Br. Jude was with us conversations around the dinner table focussed on faith and belief, reality and transcendence, the point prayer and the nature of God. Within this tight framework there was also a lot of laughter and banter shared between Alison, Freddie, Nina, Br Jude and the chaplain for whom the University of Durham is a significant chapter in their collective life story. We remain grateful for Br Jude’s visit, his fellowship and friendship. I would ask you to remember the Community of the Resurrection in your prayers as I know that they keep St Paul’s in theirs. Fr Hugh
