Epiphany Festival 2008

Blessing of Chalk
(Photo: Henry Frier)

Click here for more photos

The 2008 Epiphany Festival was held on Saturday 5th January at the church of the Most Holy Trinity with St Mary, Hoxton, London, N1 by kind permission of the Vicar, Fr Iain Young, SSC and the Church Council.

The day began at 12 Noon when Fr Young, Vicar of Holy Trinity & Chaplain to the home Chapter of St Hugh of Lincoln, led the singing of the Angelus prior to a Solemn Concelebrated Mass of the Feast of the Epiphany at which he was the Principal Celebrant. He was assisted by Fr James Hill (Deacon) and Guild MC, Councillor Craig Aburn (Subdeacon) and joined by the Warden, Fr David Moore and several Priests Associate 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 O Magnum Mysterium (Victoria) and we are very grateful to James Holmes for organising the music and the choir and to Dr Terry Beams, who is no stranger at Guild festivals for coming to play the organ for us.

During the Mass, as is the custom, the ceremonies proper to the feast, namely the Proclamation of the Feasts for the coming year and the Blessing of Chalk were celebrated.

The customary hot lunch was prepared and served by my 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 my wife, Nicki, and the rest of the team of helpers.

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

It was a joy and a privilege to welcome our Warden Fr David Moore, our Secretary-General Councillor Terry Doughty, Treasurer-General Louis Lewis and Grand Councillor John Cairns Thank you to my fellow Councillors for their support and the many members who had come from far and wide – the East (appropriately!!) West, South and the Midlands as well as some from slightly nearer.

We are very grateful to Fr Young 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 our Deacon, the Stewards, 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 is now firmly established in the Guild calendar and the 2009 festival will be on Saturday 3^rd January, the Vigil of the Feast in the revised calendar – please put it in your diary now. 2009 is the Centenary of the Chapter of the Incarnate Word (LG5/85) so we shall have something to celebrate.

Page last updated March 2008

XXX

Reports / Photos from other year's Festivals

XXX