More photos are available on the Guild's National website

The 2010 Epiphany Festival was held on Saturday 9th January at the church of the Most Holy Trinity with St Mary, Hoxton, London, N1 by kind permission of the Churchwardens and the Church Council.

The day began at 12 Noon when Fr Robin Jones, Vicar of St Luke's Shepherd's Bush, led the singing of the Angelus prior to a Solemn Concelebrated Mass of the Feast of the Epiphany at which the Principal Celebrant was Fr Daniel Humphreys, Vicar of St Matthew's Willesden and Chapter Chaplain to the Chapter of Our Lady of Walsingham & St Mellitus. He was joined by Fr Robin Jones, Fr Roderick Hingley, Fr Christopher Noke and Fr John Cornish who concelebrated the Mass. Bro David Fordham, MC at Hoxton was assisted by members of his serving team and other Guild members.

The Mass was sung to the wonderful setting Missa Papae Marcelli (Palestrina) which was originally commissioned for the Sistine Chapel and we are very grateful to James Holmes for organising the music and the choir and to Fr Mark Elliott Smith, Vicar of St Paul's Tottenham, for coming to play the organ for us.

During the Mass, as is the custom, the ceremonies proper to the feast were celebrated, namely the Proclamation of the Feasts for the coming year, which was solemnly sung by Fr Humphreys and the Blessing of Chalk.

The customary hot lunch was prepared and served by Craig's mother, Barbara Aburn and was well received, as usual, by about a hundred hungry festival-goers. Our grateful thanks are due to her for all her hard work before and on the day and to his wife, Nicki, to Sheila Leforte, Gill Squires and all who helped.

During the lunch, the Warden of the Guild Fr David Moore offered thanks to Barbara and Nicki Aburn for their support of the Guild, of the Epiphany Festival and of retiring Councillor and Guild Master of Ceremonies Craig Aburn over the years. They were both presented with bouquets of flowers. He then went on to wish Craig, Nicki and their children well in their new spiritual home in the Roman Catholic Church. Craig was thanked for his service over the years and especially for his careful planning and preparation of liturgies, vestments and serving at National festivals since becoming Guild Master of Ceremonies. Fr Moore told the assembly that he would personally miss these things and hoped it would be a case of "au revoir" rather than "goodbye". Grand Councillor Terry Doughty, Secretary-General, then presented Craig with a server's alb for use in his new parish as a token of appreciation and a reminder to him of the Guild. Terry had secretly arranged with Craig's wife Nicki to identify a suitable gift and managed to find the supplier, style and size without Craig's knowledge!!

After lunch the day continued with Solemn Guild Office, Sermon, Procession to the Crib and Benediction at which the Warden officiated and gave Benediction. Fr Humphreys preached.

It was a joy and a privilege to welcome our Warden Fr David Moore, our Secretary-General Councillor Terry Doughty, several Councillors and members from far and wide. The day was tinged with a little sadness, as it marked the departure of Guild MC, Councillor Craig Aburn who stood down after the festival and also that several faithful supporters of the festival were not able to be there due to the severe weather in many parts of the country.

We are very grateful to the Churchwardens and the Church Council for allowing us to use Holy Trinity Church and Hall and to David Fordham, the MC, Sacristan and Vice Chairman of the Church Council for a great deal of support and hard work, both beforehand and on the day. Organising Guild festivals can be stressful at times and so it is always a great joy to receive support from the hosts and not go home exhausted! Thanks, also, to those who prepared and served the lunch, to those who helped with clearing and washing up after lunch and to everyone who helped in any way with preparations and on the day. It was another joyful festival and, we pray, a worthy offering to our Lord.

This festival has become firmly established in the Guild calendar over the past eight years and the departing wish from Craig Aburn was that it would continue "under new management". 

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Reports / Photos from other year's Festivals