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July
Fr Simon writes . . . about the Eucharist - final part (the parts from the May & June issues follow below)
4.
The Eucharistic Prayer The
Eucharistic Prayer is the central action of the Mass. It is sometimes
called ‘The Thanksgiving’ - and indeed ‘thanksgiving’ is the
meaning of the Greek word from which we derive the name
‘Eucharist’. Other names for this prayer are ‘The Canon of the
Mass’ and ‘The Prayer of Consecration’. ‘Canon’ means
‘rule’ or ‘criterion’, and so, together with the Creeds, it
has always had an important role in guiding and expressing the faith
of the Church. Lex orandi, lex
credendi is a slogan that was used in the early church and it
means that the way we pray and worship cannot be separated from what
we believe. They are two sides of the same coin. ‘Consecration’
means ‘sanctifying’ or ‘making holy’ and it refers to the
action of the Mass in which bread and wine become the Body and Blood
of Christ by which sinful men and women become holy. Set
out below are the elements of the Eucharistic Prayer with quotations
from the Prayer used in the Sung Mass at St Barnabas on Sunday: 1.
Dialogue The
theme of exchange, which has been noted before, occurs again in the
dialogue between the priest and the people. This part of the Prayer is
sometimes called the Sursum Corda - Latin for “Lift up your
hearts”. The exchange of words emphasises that the Eucharist is an
action of the gathered people of God with their bishop (or priest).
The Lord be with you etc 2.
Preface The
priest has invited the people to give thanks. Now he makes a
proclamation of the content of the thanksgiving. ‘Preface’ means
‘proclamation’. The Preface generally gives thanks for ·
Creation:
Father, we give you thanks and praise through your beloved Son
Jesus Christ, your living Word, through whom you have created all
things… ·
Incarnation:
who was sent by you in your great goodness to be our Saviour. By
the power of the Holy Spirit he took flesh; as your Son, born of the
blessed Virgin, he lived on earth and went about among us… ·
Redemption:
he opened wide his arms for us on the cross; he put an end to death
by dying for us; and revealed the resurrection by rising to new life;
so he fulfilled your will and won for you a holy people. 3.
Sanctus and Benedictus Qui Venit The
Preface concludes by joining the praise being offered on earth with
the worship of heaven, sometimes (not now always) with the words: Therefore
with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we
proclaim your great and glorious name, for ever praising you, and
saying: Then
all say or sing Holy, holy, holy Lord... based on the words of
the worship of heaven quoted in Isaiah 6.3 and in Revelation 4.8. The
anthem Blessed is he who comes... (Psalm 118.6) is associated
with Christ’s entry into Jerusalem for his Passion (e.g. Matthew
21.9). 4.
Epiclesis of the Gifts ‘Epiclesis’
means ‘calling down’. The priest calls down the Holy Spirit on the
gifts of bread and wine:
Bless
and approve our offering; make it acceptable to you, an offering in
spirit and in truth. Let it become for us the body and blood of Jesus
Christ, your only Son, our Lord. In
Prayer F (based on the Anaphora of St. Basil) this part actually
occurs after the story of the Last Supper containing the words of
Jesus, “This is my body”, etc. In the East there is a slightly
different theology about consecration from that of the West. 5.
Institution Narrative The
story of the Last Supper now follows, including the words of the Lord:
This is my body...
This is my blood... Do this... in remembrance of me.
The words of the Institution Narrative are common to all the
Eucharistic Prayers. They are derived mainly from St. Paul’s account
of the Last Supper in 1 Corinthians 11.23-25, but borrow also from the
Gospel accounts, e.g. Mark 14.22-24.
The
day before he suffered he took bread in his sacre hands and looking up
to heaven to you his almighty Father, he gave you thanks and praise… 6.
Memorial Acclamation of the People The
Memorial Acclamation of the People: Christ has died; Christ is
risen; Christ will come again is really part of what follows (the
Anamnesis). It is provided as another way in which the people can
participate in the Prayer. There are several options related to the
particular season of the Church’s year. 7.
Anamnesis The
nearest equivalent in English to the meaning of the Greek word anamnesis
is ‘memorial’. Anamnesis implies a ‘making present’ of an
event in the past. Through the Eucharist, Christ’s sacrifice and
saving work become a present reality, and the benefits of them are
made sacramentally available to the faithful:
Father,
we celebrate the memory of Christ, your Son. We your people and your
ministers, recall his passion, his resurrection from the dead, and his
ascension into glory… 8.
Anaphora or Oblation ‘Anaphora’
means ‘offering’. Here is the anaphora fo the Eucharistic Prayer
used at St Barnabas:
… and from the many gifts you have given us we offer to you,
God of glory and majesty, this holy and perfect sacrifice, the bread
of life and the cup of eternal salvation. Look with favour
on these offerings and accept them as once you accepted the gifts of
your servant Abel, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith,and
the bread and wine offered by your priest Mechisedech.
In
the Eucharistic Prayer, the Church, in union with Christ, offers his
one, eternal sacrifice to the Father, through the work of the Holy
Spirit. In the words of St Thomas Aquinas’ hymn: “While
the people all uniting In
that sacrifice sublime Offer
Christ to his high Father, Offer
up themselves with him.” 9.
For the Departed The
sacrifice of the Mass is offered not just for the living but for the
dead. The faithful departed are united with us in Christ and so we
pray for them as we prepare to be united once more with Christ by
receiving his Body and Blood.
Remember, Lord, those who have died and have gone before us
marked with the sign of faith, especially those for whom we now
pray… May these, and all who sleep in Christ, find in your presence
light, happiness and peace. 10.
Prayer for Benefits of Communion Having
prayed for the welfare of the departed, there is a prayer for
ourselves who will be partakers of Holy Communion:
For
ouselves too we ask some share in the fellowship of your apostles and
martyrs, with John the Baptist, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas… Though
we are sinners we trust in your love and mercy. Do not consider what
we truly deserve but grant us your forgiveness. 11.
Doxology The
word ‘doxology’ literally means ‘glory-speak’. It is a formula
of praise giving glory to God at the end of a prayer, hymn, etc.
Through
him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and
honour is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever. 12.
People’s Amen A whole book could be written (and probably has been!) on the significance of the word ‘Amen’ in the New Testament and in worship. Suffice it to say here that it is associated with the coming of God’s kingdom (Jesus often says “Amen, amen I say to you...” before a solemn pronouncement), and that it shows assent. Of all the ‘Amens’ in worship, the People’s Amen at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer is the most important. It shows the people’s assent to all that has been done and said, and their participation in it.
June - Fr Simon writes . . . about the Eucharist - part 3
3.
The Liturgy of the Sacrament Four
Actions The
four actions at the Liturgy of the Sacrament are based upon those of
the Lord at the Last Supper, when he consecrated himself as a
sacrifice to his Father, gave his body and blood to his disciples, and
commanded them to celebrate this sacrament in remembrance of him. The
story of the Last Supper and the Institution of the Eucharist is told
at every Mass in the Eucharistic Prayer (Consecration):
Who
in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you
thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples... There
we can see the basis of the four-action shape: HE
TOOK
(Offertory) HE
GAVE THANKS
(Eucharistic Prayer) HE
BROKE
(Fraction) HE
GAVE
(Communion) Peace Just
as the priest greeted the people at the beginning of the Liturgy of
the Word, “The Lord be with you”, and received their response, he
begins the Liturgy of the Sacrament in a similar way. This time the
greeting is “The peace of the Lord be always with you”. The Peace
recalls the greeting of the Lord to his disciples in the Upper Room on
Easter Day (John 20.19). This time the people not only respond “And
also with you”, but also exchange with him and with one another a
sign of peace. This was originally a kiss, the “Kiss of Peace”,
but in England a handshake or handclasp is more often used. In
the early Church, those who had not yet been baptized and admitted to
‘The Mysteries’ were required to leave after the Sermon. That is
why the Intercession which follows, is called ‘The Prayer of the
Faithful’. The Kiss of Peace was therefore a greeting exchanged only
by initiated members of the Church. Preparation
of the Gifts: “He Took” The
part of the service that follows the Peace is usually called the
Offertory. Members of the congregation bring bread, wine and water to
the altar, and also their gifts of money. From early times the
offering of money at the Eucharist was for the relief of those in
need, at the discretion of the priest. The Book of Common Prayer
Communion Service follows this tradition. The rubric immediately
preceding the Prayer for the Church Militant refers to the offering of
money as “Alms for the Poor”. The
priest takes the bread, mixes wine and water in the chalice, and
places them on the altar with the prayers “Blessed are you, Lord,
God of all creation, etc”. These prayers are simple graces based on
the Jewish prayers for the blessing of food, and must not be confused
with the thanksgiving in the Eucharistic Prayer that follows. When
incense is used, first of all the gifts, then the altar, the priest,
ministers and people are all incensed as a sign of the hallowing both
of the offering and also of those who are offering it. Eucharistic
Prayer: “He Gave Thanks” The
Eucharistic Prayer effects the consecration of the bread and wine that
has been placed on the corporal – a square linen cloth whose name
comes from the Latin corpus meaning a body. It is so called
because it holds the body of Christ. The element of thanksgiving is
especially evident in the first part of the prayer. A more detailed
description of the Eucharistic Prayer follows below. Breaking
of the Bread: “He Broke” The
Lord’s Prayer is given a special place of honour immediately
following the Eucharistic Prayer. When Christ himself is sacramentally
present, his people use the prayer that he taught us. It is also
especially appropriate at this point in the Mass because we pray for
“our daily bread”, and thus recall that our greatest need is for
Jesus the Bread of Life whom we are to receive in Holy Communion. The
bread used is generally unleavened, in the form of wafers. Unleavened
bread has traditionally been used in the Western Church (following
Matthew, Mark and Luke’s account of the Last Supper as a Passover
Meal). Leavened bread is used in the Eastern Churches (following
John’s account of the Last Supper taking place on the night before
the Day of Preparation of the Passover). The Canon Law of the Church
of England allows the use of either leavened or unleavened bread. The
wine, incidentally, must be “the fermented juice of the grape, good
and wholesome” – no reference is made to its colour. I, however,
follow the recommendation of our Diocesan Bishop, that white or amber
wine is to be preferred to red, in order to avoid misunderstanding of
the sacrament as a crude symbol (no one would expect the bread to be
made in the shape and colour of human flesh!) For
convenience, individual wafers are used for the congregation, but
there is an increasing practice of using large wafers broken into
pieces, in order to emphasize the symbolism of “sharing in one
bread”. Some of the wafers available now are as big as dinner plates
– and of course can now be obtained in both ‘white’ and
‘wholemeal’! Communion:
“He Gave” The
priest first receives Holy Communion, in order to show that he is
‘in communion’ with the people. Then the sacred elements are
distributed to the people. After Communion there is a concluding rite
consisting of a prayer of thanksgiving for Communion, and a dismissal
of the people by the priest. After a blessing, he sends them out, as Christ sent his disciples out into the world at his Ascension into heaven. The word ‘Mass’ as a name for this service comes from the words of the dismissal in the Latin Mass: Ite, missa est. This name emphasizes the missionary aspect of the Eucharist, the sending out of his disciples by Christ after meeting them in the Blessed Sacrament Fr Simon To be concluded next month
May - Fr Simon writes . . . about the Eucharist - parts 1 & 2 1.
A Service of Two Parts New
Testament The earliest documentary evidence of the celebration of the Eucharist is the New Testament itself. First of all, we have the accounts of the institution of the Eucharist in the Gospels: Matthew 26.26-29, Mark 14.22-25, and Luke 22.15-20. John has his own reasons for not including an explicit account of the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper, but the whole of Chapter 6 is a meditation on the meaning of a service, which would be completely familiar to his readers. Then there is an account from Paul in 1 Corinthians 11.23-26. It is largely on this account that the story of the Last Supper in the Eucharistic Prayer is based. Luke
has further evidence, both in his Gospel and in the Acts of the
Apostles. For example, the resurrection appearance at Emmaus (Luke
24.30-35) is the story of a Eucharist, and in Acts 2.42, 46 it is
particularly interesting to read: “They
devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and the prayers... And day by day, attending the
temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of
food with glad and generous hearts.” Separation
of Christianity and Judaism For
the purpose of this first talk, the words in italics above are
important because they show that, at the beginning of the Church, the
disciples were not aware that their faith in Jesus Christ would
separate them from Judaism. The first disciples were Jews after all,
and it was perfectly natural for them to continue to worship as Jews,
both in the temple and in the synagogue. What was already new and
distinctive, however, was their faith that God had shown that Jesus
was the Messiah by raising him from the dead, and also their
celebration of the Eucharist. This, “The Breaking of Bread” as it
was called, was already taking place separately from the formal
worship of Judaism - “in their own homes”. The
separation of Christianity from Judaism arose through two factors:
first, the expulsion from the synagogue of those who preached that
Jesus was the Christ, and secondly the admission of Gentiles into the
Church without their first having to become ‘Jews’. Much of Acts,
and also a great deal of Paul’s writing, bear witness to these two
factors, and also to the working out by the early Church of the
theology of what had happened as a result. Joining
of Word and Sacrament Once
the break with Judaism was complete, there was a need to fill the gap
left by the synagogue service, which was a service of the Word
consisting mainly of readings from the Law and the Prophets (The Old
Testament), sermon, and prayers. The synagogue service and the
Breaking of Bread became linked together, and the basic two-fold
structure of the Eucharist came about - The Liturgy of the Word and
The Liturgy of the Sacrament. Justin
Martyr (ca. 150) The
Eucharist is, therefore, a service of two parts. The underlying
structure of the Sunday Eucharist as described by Justin Martyr (Rome,
Second Century) will be recognised as being identical with the
Eucharist as it now celebrated: On
the day called Sun-day an assembly is held in one place of all who
live in town or country, and the records of the apostles or writings
of the prophets are read for as long as time allows. Then, when the
reader has finished, the president in a discourse admonishes and
exhorts us to imitate these good things. Then we all stand up together
and offer prayers; and ... when we have finished praying, bread and
wine and water are brought up, and the president likewise offers
prayers and thanksgivings to the best of his ability, and the people
assent, saying the Amen; and there is a distribution, and everyone
participates in the elements over which thanks have been given; and
they are sent through the deacons to those who are not present. 2.
The Liturgy of the Word Exchange In
both of the main constituent parts of the Mass, there is an exchange.
In the Liturgy of the Word, there is an exchange of words, a
conversation, between God and his people. In the Liturgy of the
Sacrament, there is an exchange of gifts. Our gifts to God are the
bread and wine, which we present and offer at the altar. These gifts
represent ourselves, whom we bring to God to be transformed by him.
God’s gift to us is the divine life of his Son - his body and blood,
which are received by us under the appearances of bread and wine. Preparation At
the beginning of the Mass, before the actual Liturgy of the Word
begins, there is a preparation by the priest and people. A Hymn, or an
Entrance Antiphon, is used when the sacred ministers come in. Thus the
whole service is set in the context of praising God together. After
the Entrance Hymn or Antiphon, the priest greets the people, and they
respond. This exchange of greetings by priest and people sets the
scene for the exchange that follows. Prayers
of Penitence After
the Greeting, the priest and people prepare for the Mass by
acknowledging their sins and their need for forgiveness. The whole of
the Liturgy of the Word recalls Christ’s public ministry of
preaching and teaching, so it appropriate that we should begin, as he
did, with a call to repentance. After ‘Lord, have mercy’, and
sometimes ‘Gloria in Excelsis’ (based on the song of the angels at
Jesus’ birth), there follows the Collect, also called the Opening
Prayer. Collect This
prayer is called the Collect because it ‘collects’ together our
thoughts and prayers for that day. It sums up the theme of the
particular celebration, and therefore of the readings that follow. It
is also called the Opening Prayer because it is the main prayer that
‘opens’ the service, but we could think of it also as the prayer
that is said when the Scriptures are ‘opened’ for us to hear. Readings The
readings from Scripture follow – usually three on Sundays and two on
weekdays. It is important to listen attentively to the readings. In
many people’s houses (my own included sometimes!) the radio or
television can be on, but no one is actually listening or watching.
Sometimes the readings at Mass can be treated like that: just a
background noise, something to fill in the gaps between other things
that happen. Some people find it helpful to follow the readings from
the service sheet, while others find that they can listen better
without following from a printed page. The way the reader prepares for
the reading, approaches the lectern, and delivers the reading, is very
important. The
readings are not simply ‘read out’ for us to hear, and then pass
on. The Liturgy of the Word is meant to be an exchange, so it is
important that we enter into the two-way conversation. God speaks
through the words of scripture and, as we listen, we respond. Each
reading has responses for the people to say. The first two readings
have “This is the word of the Lord”, to which we respond,
“Thanks be to God”, and the Gospel has more responses still. At
the Gospel we respond still further by standing up, by singing, and by
using lights and incense. A priest or deacon generally reads the
Gospel, and the Gospel Book is carried in procession from the altar.
The readings follow a theme for that day, which links them together.
The Old Testament is read first, then the New Testament, including the
Gospel. There is a progression of thought, which represents the way in
which the New Covenant supersedes the Old, and the way in which God
has progressively revealed himself, first through a nation, and then
in the person of Jesus Christ. Between
the first two readings, a psalm is generally used. The psalm is
itself, of course, a reading from Scripture. It is called the
‘Responsorial Psalm’ because it is the people’s response to the
first reading. It is also called ‘Responsorial’ because it is
arranged so that the reader and the people can join in, as part of
their response to God’s word. It
not only represents a response to the first reading, but also carries
us forward to the second. Sometimes a hymn is used instead of a psalm.
Whatever is used at the ‘Gradual’ (from the Latin ‘gradus’ - a
step: so called because his part of the service takes place at the
chancel step) it needs to be chosen carefully because it has to form a
response to the readings. It needs to reflect the theme of the day,
and help the people to listen to the word of God. The
sermon or homily is to help us to understand the readings, and apply
them to ourselves in our own lives. The sermon leads us on from making
a liturgical response to the Scriptures; to responding to them by the
way we live. Our final response to what we have heard in the readings
and in the sermon is a profession of our baptismal faith (in the
Creed, or another form of affirmation of faith) and prayer together
for the Church and for the world. Justin Martyr wrote about this part
of the Mass: ‘we all stand up together and offer prayers’.
Standing together emphasizes first of all that these are prayers
offered by the assembled people of God (not just a collection of
individuals saying their own prayers). Secondly, standing together to
pray shows that here the people is exercising that part of the
priestly ministry that belongs to them: of offering prayer on behalf
of the world. To be continued next month Fr Simon
THE FIRST PRIEST IN-CHARGE OF ST BARNABAS
This
is an abbreviated version of part of an account of the early years of
St Barnabas Oakhill written by Fr Peter Marr. May we remember the causes
for which St Barnabas Beckenham stood for from the beginning.
The
idea of a church district in the south of Beckenham was associated
with the appointment of a Chaplain to members of the Hoare family living at
Kelsey Manor in the 1870s. The moving force was Peter Richard Hoare. A
chapel had been built there by Sir George Gilbert Scott and the Revd
Robert Linklater served as Chaplain from 1869 until 1872. He
subsequently went as a curate at St Peter's London Docks and
was
succeeded by the Revd Edward Pote Williams.
Edward
Pote Williams was born on 23rd November 1838. He was born at Eton
College where his family had been booksellers and publishers. He was
a descendent of Joseph Pote (1703-1787) bookseller at Eton, whose
daughter had married into the Williams family, also publishers.
E.P.Williams senior, published sixty or so books, classical
literature, history, theology and the Eton School Lists. In 1869 he
also published a History of Boating at Eton.
The
young Edward Pote Williams was educated at Christ's Hospital (then in
London) and Christ's College, Cambridge. He was ordained Deacon in
1861 and Priest the following year. He served a number of' curacies,
at Calbourn, Isle of Wight (1861-63) Fawley, Hants (1863-64), and
Chislehurst (1864-69/. During this time, in 1865, he joined the
Society of the Holy Cross (SSC) subsequently becoming the longest
serving member of the Society.
In 1869 he served as a missioner at St Peters London Docks together with the Revd R.A.J.Suckling. He was Rector of the rural parish of Barsham in Suffolk (to which Fr E.P.Williams subsequently was appointed), and then Vicar of St Peter's London Docks, and of St Albans Holborn.
It
would have been here if not before that Fr Williams would have come
into direct contact with Robert Linklater and thus with the Beckenham
connection. However, he left Chislehurst and served an curacy at St
Augustine's Kilburn (1869-72), before coming to Beckenham that year.
He
married Julia (Ellis), by whom he had five sons and three daughters.
Their eldest child Katherine Mary was born in Chislehurst about 1865.
The next child, Leonard, was born about two years later at St Leonards-on-Sea,
whilst Fr Williams was still at Chislehurst. A third child Bernard
Francis, was born about a year later, again at Chislehurst. During his
time at Kilburn (1869-72) Mary and Margaret Irene were born. Margaret
died on 20th November 1882 and is buried at Barsham. Then whilst at
Beckenham Cyril and Mildred were born in the late 1870s.
The
Revd E.P.Williams set to work to establish on Oakhill a church that
was sympathetic to the Catholic tradition within the Church of
England. This was finally achieved in 1877 a few months before Peter
Hoare died. News of his appointment as the first Incumbent was
certainly made known by April 1877. Keble College Oxford, then
recently founded in memory of John Keble became the Patron. The
College was chosen to ensure a succession of Catholic-minded priests
for the parish. A capital sum of London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
stock provided the stipend, apparently given by a now unknown
benefactress.
The
religious atmosphere in Beckenham at the time was not a happy one. In
particular it was the year that the feelings over the book 'The Priest
in Absolution', a manual for priests concerning sacramental confession,
were at their height. The Church Association had a number of meetings
locally expressing concern about ritualism and about auricular
confession. On the other hand in 1877 the Beckenham and Bromley Branch
of the English Church Union the other end of the churchmanship
spectrum expressed its hearty sympathy with the Rev. Arthur Tooth in
prison for conscience sake (i.e. ritualism) and its deep sense of
thankfulness to him for his loyal stand in defence of the rights of
the Church. Fr Tooth, then Vicar of St James Hatcham, is buried at
Elmers End Cemetery where on 5th March each year we hold a service at
his grave.
The
establishment of St Barnabas nevertheless went on apace. But in July
we read in the local press concerning St Barnabas, Oak Hill: Within
the past month, with signatures attached to it representing 304
persons, has been presented to the Rev. EP. Williams, in which the
memorialists state that the gentleman in question, who has just been
nominated as first incumbent of this Church, is a member of the
Society of the Holy Cross and of the Confraternity of the Blessed
Sacrament and likewise one of those who signed a petition to
Convocation in favour of the appointment of legalized confessors in
the Church of England, they cannot in any way receive or recognise him
as their minister or pastor, and therefore trust he will abstain from
intruding into their homes in that capacity. Accompanying this
memorial is a list of names of parties who decline to sign the same
(representing 68 souls) with their reasons attached. A copy of the
document was sent on the 12th. to His Grace the Archbishop, together with a strongly-worded
memorial...
We
have already noticed that he had joined SSC in 1865. The month
following the petition, August 1877, there were further problems. The
Revd Charles Stebbing Wallace SSC had been refused a licence by the
then Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Tait, "because he would
not leave SSC." However, the members of the SSC were
"unanimous in thanking Bro.Wallace for his courageous
conduct". Clearly the matter was somehow resolved as he appeared
listed as "curate" at St Barnabas the following year at the
Stone-laying ceremony for the new St Barnabas Church. He is described
as the "embodiment of priestly chivalry and fraternal
charity" and later became Vicar of the Ascension, Lavender Hill.
When
St Barnabas District was made into a parish in 1880 it seems that the
Revd Edward Pote Williams was not acceptable as the first Vicar. It is
not clear why. He left Beckenham in 1880 and became Rector of Barsham,
Suffolk, succeeding the Revd R.A.J.Suckling. At Barsham Rectory he had
two domestic staff of which one, Mary Seels, probably came with the
family from Beckenham. Her own family lived at Clayhill Cottages in
the Bromley Road. Suffering from indifferent health, Fr Williams left
Barsham and became curate at St Mary Magdalene, Paddington, a Keble
College living (1889-91), then Chaplain to the Sisters of St Mary and
St John in Chiswick (1891-1902) and finally curate of St Matthias
Earls Court (1900-16).
He
had joined the SSC in 1865 and by 1909 had become the senior member by
length of membership of the Society. He had been a founder-member of
the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament and its Secretary-General.
He became the oldest member of The Church Union. Much is revealed in
the words of Ninian Comper, the architect, who was staying with the
Williams' at Barsham on Good Friday 1883: Mr. Williams, rector, is
what I call a regular thorough priest and not a rector or
clergyman...... " Fr Williams returned to St Barnabas to preach
on a number of occasions up to 1919 and a local writer observed in
1895 that FY Edward Pote Williams had "never lost his first love
for the church and parish he inaugurated".
He
died aged 84, and after 62 years as a priest, at Earls Court on 14th
November 1922 and was buried at Brookwood Cemetery on 17th November.
His obituarist wrote in The Church Times that Fr. Williams was closely
associated with Fr Lowder and also Fr Mackonochie "the defendant
in various ritual suits...and [Fr Williams] was in full sympathy
with their ecclesiastical positions". |
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