20 November: An Ecochurch update from Lichfield.

Will Turnstone: The first orchid of Spring.

Congratulations to Lichfield Cathedral on its award for caring for our home planet!

We’ll let them tell the story which follows naturally our short Franciscan season.

Lichfield Cathedral has been presented with its Silver Eco Church Award. Lichfield Cathedral won the Bronze Award in 2021 and is working hard to achieve the Gold Eco Church Award.The Cathedral also received A Rocha UK’s Partner in Action Certificate in Environmental Excellence. This certificate acknowledges the Cathedral’s dedication to protecting and enhancing species and habitats, engaging the cathedral community in caring for the land, and developing a sustainable, low carbon approach to energy, food, and water use. The Revd Canon Dr David Primrose said, “we are on a journey from Bronze to Gold. Tasks ahead include robust action plans to reduce our carbon footprint, and improved communications and engagement with others. There is a growing awareness of the connections between loss of biodiversity, the climate crisis, rising energy prices, and the cost of living.As a Healthy Healing Hub, we know the links between care for creation, the common good, and the wellbeing of those who are vulnerable.” Click here to out the latest information on Lichfield Cathedral’s work for the Environment, Social Justice, and in the community.

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24 September: Franciscans in Walsingham

Our Lady of Walsingham

This is the beginning of an interesting article by Ellen Teague in Saint Anthony’s Messenger Magazine, setting the Franciscans’ return to Walsingham and their ministry there in their historical and ecumenical context. Today is the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham.

IF YOU have ever visited Walsingham, England’s National Marian Shrine, you may have noticed a ruined friary standing on a small hill outside the village. This Franciscan Friary was built in the mid-14th century and flourished for nearly two centuries, until the dissolution of religious houses under King Henry VIII. Over the last five centuries, the friars of the order which served there until the 1530s  – the Order of Franciscan Friars Conventual, more commonly known as Greyfriars – never forgot Walsingham. They have prayed for friars buried there, for those who had caused the destruction of this holy place, and for the day when Greyfriars would return to Walsingham.

There were great celebrations then on 19 March 2018 when a small group of Greyfriars formally returned to Walsingham, to be based in the centre of the town; it was the solemnity of the Feast of St Joseph. Friar Marco Tasca, Minister General of the Greyfriars, attended from Rome. He said the friars aim to a prophetic sign of dialogue and reconciliation to the world today, ministering to Walsingham’s many pilgrims just as they did five centuries ago.

Ancient pilgrimage

Pilgrims have flocked to the small Norfolk village of Little Walsingham since the 11th century to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. It was in the Anglo-Saxon village pre-dating the Norman invasion that a devout English Lady, Richeldis de Faverches, experienced three visions in 1061 in which the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to her. In these visions Richeldis was shown the house of the Annunciation in Nazareth, and was requested to build a replica of it. Mary is said to have promised that, “whoever seeks my help there will not go away empty-handed.” In Medieval times, when travelling abroad became difficult because of the Crusades, Walsingham evolved into a place of great Christian importance and pilgrimage, ranking alongside Jerusalem, Rome and Santiago de Compostela. The popularity of Walsingham was boosted since it was impossible for Christians to visit Nazareth itself, which was in Saracen hands.

7 June: The Month of the Sacred Heart.

1 O dearest Lord, thy sacred head
with thorns was pierced for me;
O pour thy blessing on my head
that I may think for thee.

2 O dearest Lord, thy sacred hands
with nails were pierced for me;
O shed thy blessing on my hands
that they may work for thee.

3 O dearest Lord, thy sacred feet
with nails were pierced for me;
O pour thy blessing on my feet
that they may follow thee.

4 O dearest Lord, thy sacred heart
with spear was pierced for me;
O pour thy Spirit in my heart
that I may live for thee.

I first heard this hymn at Canterbury Cathedral during Holy Week, and enjoyed its unsentimental simplicity and the fleshy images; this is a Jesus you could touch, as Thomas did. I’m glad to share ‘O dearest Lord’ with you in this Month of the Sacred Heart. May his blessing pour down over your head, hands, feet and heart as the sun pours down on the sea, the sand – and the people on the beach – in this picture from Wales.

Father Andrew, who wrote this hymn was a pioneering Anglican Franciscan, working in East London during World War II. Search through Agnellus Mirror for more of his reflections.

Meat free Lent XXXII: Nut Roast

Nicky – All Saints’ Church

Very simple recipe that can be adjusted as required.

8oz/225g chopped nuts 
8oz/225g sliced mushrooms 
1 large onion 
1 large carrot 
3 skinned/chopped tomatoes (or tinned) 
1 free range egg 
2 tsp mixed herbs 
2 tsp yeast extract or Marmite 
2 tbsp vegetable oil

1.       Cook chopped onion and grated carrot in oil for a few minutes until soft. 

2.       Add mushrooms and cook for further 2-3 mins.

3.       Stir in yeast extract.  Mix together all ingredients and place in greased loaf tin.

4.       Press down firmly.

5.       Bake in medium oven for 45 mins.

 You can freeze what you don’t use and either use it later hot or mixed with tahini, tomato puree, chives etc.

Mash it up and call it pâté!

11 April, Monday in Holy Week: We worship a truly living, loving Lord

This open letter was written by an Anglican Priest, Reverend Iain Taylor, tragically killed in a road accident in Canterbury in September 2021. I’m sure he won’t mind crocuses in Lenten purple: the anthers and stamens are as golden as anyone, bees included, could wish.

PASTORAL LETTER

APRIL 2020

Dear Friends

Returning home recently from a sick visit, I decided to take the route through the Westgate Gardens.  It is some considerable time since I came that way, and I was greatly impressed by the general standard of upkeep throughout the park.  The golden yellow daffodils were, at that time, just in bud and there was a profusion of gold crocuses (or should that be croci?)  Now it is well known that my plant knowledge is very limited, to say the least, and to me one snowdrop looks exactly the same as any other snowdrop.  So I was intrigued to learn from a friend that there are actually over thirty different types of snowdrop – I’m still trying to distinguish them!  As I paused to gaze at the flower beds, I was aware of the forthcoming spring; there were signs of new life everywhere.

By the time you read this message, we shall be in the season of Passiontide during which we recall how God allowed his Son to go through the hideous ordeal of crucifixion; a form of execution that was normally reserved for the vilest of criminals.  However, it is during this season that we prepare to celebrate the greatest event in the history of the world.  It is the season when God breathes new life into his church, just as spring heralds new life in the world of nature.  As our thoughts turn to the Resurrection of our Lord, we remember with joy in our hearts that on the third day he rose in glorious triumph from the grave.

We worship a truly living, loving Lord, and Easter is a time when we focus on new life, new opportunities and new hope.  Here again the array of those budding young plants in the park comes to mind: the tender spring blooms surely remind us that God is a wondrous God and, as his precious buds, as his body on earth, the Church, we must learn to love and nurture one another, especially those fragile buds who are new in the faith, so that in due time we may all come into full bloom as worthy disciples of our risen Lord.

The most significant change that came over the first disciples after the resurrection was their confidence in Jesus.  They realized that, for about three years, they had been in the presence of someone very special.  They also realized that what he had been teaching was not just a good idea but THE way to live – the life of love and forgiveness, for them and everyone else.
They followed in his footsteps – trusting when things were difficult – getting things wrong (read the book of Acts to see how!) But in due time those fragile buds blossomed into strong blooms and with the help of God’s gift of the Holy Spirit, they set about spreading the Good News of the Gospel, although in some cases it cost them their lives.

The message of Easter is that, just as the spring plants burst into bloom at springtime , so Christ conquered death and burst from the tomb revealing the power, the love and the glory of God in all its splendour.

May the glory of the Resurrection transform our lives that we may become, to use a favourite expression of Archbishop Michael Ramsey, ‘An Easter people’.

Rev Iain Taylor

Meat free Lent XXVIII: Tandoori Veg kebab

Bee – All Saints’ Church

This is a great, simple meal which my family enjoy.

Serves 8

For the bulgur wheat:
150g (5½ oz) bulgur wheat 
900ml (1½ pints) boiling water 
1 tbsp lemon juice 
1 tbsp rapeseed oil 
¼ tsp salt 
¼ tsp ground black pepper

For the skewers: 
I sweet potato, halved lengthways and cut into 1 cm (½ inch) slices
 1 courgette, cut into 5 mm (¼ inch) circles 
1 red onion, cut into thin wedges 
100g (3½ oz) natural yoghurt 
1 tbsp tandoori masala 
¼ tsp chilli powder 
¼ tsp salt 
Oil, for brushing

For the dressing: 
100g (3½ oz) natural yoghurt 
¼ tsp ground cumin 
                    A pinch of salt

1.       Put the bulgur wheat into a heatproof bowl and cover with the boiling water.  Leave to soak for 20 minutes, then drain well. 

2.       Wipe out the bowl and return the bulgur to it.  Add the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper and mix well.  Set aside.

3.       To prepare the kebabs, par-cook the sliced sweet potato in a pan of boiling water for 2 minutes only.  Rinse and drain.

4.       Put the courgette and onion into a large bowl and add the sweet potato slices.  In a small bowl, mix the yoghurt, tandoori masala, chilli powder and salt together and pour this all over the veg.  Stir to make sure the veg are well covered with the marinade.

5.       Preheat your barbecue or grill.  Take the skewers and thread the veg onto them.  Brush a little oil over the top.  When the barbecue or grill is hot, cook for 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden.

6.       In a small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients.  Spread the bulgur wheat on a serving platter, lay the skewers on top and drizzle over the dressing to serve. Best eaten immediately!

Meat free Lent XXVII: Nut and Cream Cheese Bake

With Will and Mrs T being out of town, we’ve lost touch with the recipes! Here is No 27.

Mary Cooke – Blean Church

This is a bit luxurious and is really nice served hot or cold: a delicious mingling of rich flavours without introducing any meat.  Serve it with a fresh tomato and watercress salad for a simple yet substantial main meal dish.

Serves 6-8

4oz butter or margarine (100g) 
1lb onions, skinned and chopped (450g) 
1lb courgettes, wiped and sliced (450g) 
6oz mushrooms wiped and sliced (175g) 
6oz wholemeal breadcrumbs (175g) 
12oz cream cheese (350g) 
2oz nibbed almonds (50g) 
2oz walnut pieces, chopped (50g) 
2oz desiccated coconut (50g) 
2 level tablespoons tomato paste  
few drops of Tabasco sauce 
half level teaspoon each of dried rosemary, sage and marjoram 
salt and freshly milled pepper

1. Melt butter in a large frying pan.  Sauté the onions and courgettes together until onion is transparent. 

2. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes. 

3. In a large basin, combine the vegetable mixture with all the remaining ingredients until evenly blended. 

4. Turn into a 2 ¾ pint ovenproof dish (1.6 litre). 

5. Cover and bake at Gas Mark 5, (375 F, 190 C) for 40 minutes. 

6. Ten minutes before the end of the cooking time, remove the lid to brown the surface.

Holy Week and Easter at Lichfield Cathedral.

A queue for covid vaccinations at Lichfield Cathedral. TB.

A message from the Dean of Lichfield,  The Very Rev’d Adrian Dorber.

Dear Friends The last two years have been very difficult and disruptive for everyone, but it is a real joy that now we can throw open the Cathedral doors and invite you to share in worship this coming Holy Week and Easter.     You will find a full list of the services below, with a brief description of what each service is about. We would love to welcome you as we celebrate, remember and explore the summit and crown of the Christian Year.  The Very Rev’d Adrian Dorber

Click the link to read the whole message and see what services will be celebrated in Lichfield Cathedral this year,

Meat Free Lent XVIII: Vegetable Tagine.

Dr Peter Hoon, St Stephen’s Church

  Serves 4

2 red onions sliced 
2 celery sticks sliced 
Half butternut squash cubed 
Half celeriac cubed 
2 sweet potatoes sliced 
2 carrots sliced 
1 green pepper sliced 
Good handful chopped dried nectarines 
Good handful of coriander 
Good handful of flaked almonds 
2/3 good teaspoonfuls of Harissa paste 
Natural yoghurt (could omit this if not considered vegan!) 
Garlic or plain olive oil 
1 and a half pints of vegetable stock

 1.       Soften onions and celeriac in oil in casserole or wok.

2.       Stir in Harissa paste and cook for 5 minutes.

3.       Add veg and cook till they brown a little (for extra flavour and crunch.  If you have time, roast veg in oven for an hour beforehand, drizzled with oil).

4.       Add stock, nectarines, almonds and simmer till veg tender (25 minutes).

 Serve on couscous or rice.  Garnish with coriander, almonds and optional yoghurt.

19 March: A Blessing

Today we remember Saint Joseph, husband of Mary, father, it was supposed, of Jesus. He was also a craftsman, a faithful believer, a refugee from oppressive political power. As with Joseph, the path we are to follow may not be smooth; after all we are called to ‘make his paths straight’, which may mean some heavy lifting, or possibly walking single file, looking out for nettles, brambles, puddles, mud and stumbling stones.

Here is a blessing for today, from the Church of England:

Christ the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you,
scatter the darkness from before your path,
and make you ready to meet him when he comes in glory;
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.