Walsingham pilgrims take part in National remotely again
ONLINE pilgrims watched the installation at the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham of its first minority-ethnic Guardian, Dr Sonia Dore, at the National Pilgrimage on Monday. Dr Dore, from St Luke’s, Uxbridge Road, in London, is a professional psychologist and project manager. The celebrant at the mass was the Bishop of Beverley, the Rt Revd Glyn Webster, and the Revd Dr Harri Williams preached in the afternoon. The Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, was among the limited number of pilgrims present at the shrine. Next year, the centenary of the restoration of the image in the parish church, the National Pilgrimage will be held on the 2 May bank holiday, because of the special holidays for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. www.walsinghamanglican.org.uk
Met officers apologise for photos at murder scene
TWO Metropolitan Police officers accused of taking photos at the scene of the murder of Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry, the daughters of a former Archdeacon of Southend, the Ven. Wilhelmina Smallman (News, 3 July 2020), are “sorry beyond measure for the pain they have caused”, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard on Thursday of last week. PC Deniz Jaffer and PC Jamie Lewis have been charged with misconduct in public office. Their apology was issued through their lawyer, who indicated that they would plead guilty when the case was heard at the Old Bailey this month.
Target hit in a month for Covid memorial
THE £2.3-million fund-raising target for a memorial in St Paul’s Cathedral for those who have died in the Covid-19 pandemic has been met in less than a month since it was announced on 1 May (Letters, 7 May). The cathedral has said that it wants to create “a memorial that people can go through into a tranquil space, draw breath and take a moment to remember the many individuals, loved and cherished, who have died as a result of the pandemic”. A restored portico will house an online book of remembrance containing thousands of names.
Two new suffragans for Chester diocese
THE appointment of two new suffragan bishops in the diocese of Chester was announced on Thursday of last week. The Ven. Julie Conalty, currently Archdeacon of Tonbridge, in Rochester diocese, is to be the next Bishop of Birkenhead; and Canon Sam Corley, currently Rector of Leeds Minster, will be the next Bishop of Stockport. Born in 1963, Archdeacon Conalty grew up in the north-west of England, but, since her ordination in 1999, has served in the dioceses of Southwark and Rochester. She served as the Bishop of Rochester’s Lead for Safeguarding for three years, and asked a survivor of clerical abuse, Gilo, who co-edited Letters to a Broken Church (Books, 16 August 2019), to provide a reference for her application to the post. Born in 1976, Canon Corley has served in in the dioceses of Blackburn and Leeds since his ordination in 2004. Read more here.
Health-and-safety concern over Becket display case
SMUDGE marks indicative of kisses have been found on the glass case holding a reliquary casket illustrating the martyrdom of St Thomas Becket, at the British Museum, The Times reported this week. It is part of a new exhibition, “Thomas Becket: Murder and the Making of a Saint”, which is open until 22 August. The article said that “Cleaning staff have been seen regularly wiping away what appear to be kiss marks on display cases holding some of the most revered objects.” The museum said that it “respects the rights of visitors to express their faith, whilst asking that they abide by current health and safety guidelines”. britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/thomas-becket-murder-and-making-saint
Colston statue, with graffiti, to go on display
THE statue of the slave trader Edward Colston, toppled and thrown into Bristol harbour last year, will go on display in a temporary exhibition at the M Shed museum in the city, alongside some of the placards used in the Black Lives Matter protest (News, 8 June 2020). A survey, designed by the We Are Bristol History Commission, which was established by the Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, last year, will help to determine what happens to it next. The statue has been cleaned, but remains daubed with graffiti. The exhibition begins today. bristolmuseums.org.uk