News and Events .
Bath branCh event - 20th JANUARY
You are warmly invited to a meeting of the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Bath branch on Saturday 20th January at 11am in the Week of Prayer for Christian unity [WOPFCU 2018] to a lecture entitled ‘Chasing the Lady: the Virgin Mary in the Eucharist during the English Reformation and beyond’
The Speaker is the Revd Canon Paul Williams [Vicar of Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire] who has published in the area of the Virgin Mary and anglicanism and is currently pursuing a course of research under the auspices of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s examination in theology, Lambeth Palace.
The Venue is Bath Catholic University Chaplaincy Centre, [Central Bath] below St John the Evangelist Presbytery, South Parade, Bath, BA1 4AF / parking in the lower car park / access via gates to rear of the church by the river.
ADMISSION IS FREE.
The Speaker is the Revd Canon Paul Williams [Vicar of Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire] who has published in the area of the Virgin Mary and anglicanism and is currently pursuing a course of research under the auspices of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s examination in theology, Lambeth Palace.
The Venue is Bath Catholic University Chaplaincy Centre, [Central Bath] below St John the Evangelist Presbytery, South Parade, Bath, BA1 4AF / parking in the lower car park / access via gates to rear of the church by the river.
ADMISSION IS FREE.
A celebration of 50 years and the foundation of the esbvm
This year the ESBVM marks the 50th anniversary year of its Foundation by Martin Gillett and other ecumenical friends in an enterprise of vision and courage in honour of The Blessed Virgin Mary. On Thursday 26th October we remembered the beginnings of the Society with a simple but beautiful service praying the ESBVM Ecumenical Office of Evening Prayer in the Slipper Chapel at Walsingham where the ashes of Martin Gillett rest in a niche by the West Door. Martin was inspired to promote the foundation of the society here.
The ESBVM Ecumenical Office of Evening Prayer, has secured the approval of use in the Society over a number of years and in many venues including the previous occasions of marking the 40th Anniversary of foundation held at Lambeth Palace and the 45th Anniversary held at the church of St. Andrew by the Wardrobe and St. Ann in the City of London.
Journeying from Kent to be with us for this occasion, we were delighted and blessed to be supported with Music by The Faversham Youth Choir under the direction of Ben Saul, M.A., ARCO, accompanied at the organ by Charles Francis.
The Choir is drawn ecumenically from primary and secondary school children who love to sing - there is no voice test - and sings a wide variety of music, regularly giving performances in the Faversham area, and also further afield, often singing in church services.
The occasion was with the kind permission of Monsignor John Armitage the Rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham and we were blessed with wonderful support for this occasion, even if a little crowded in the beautiful but small space of the Slipper Chapel.
Father Bill OSM, Hon Gen Sec of the ESBVM presided at Holy Mass in the Chapel of Reconciliation at the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham earlier in the day and preached about the Angelic Salutaiton and the importance or Our Lady in Christian Unity and peace.
The ESBVM Ecumenical Office of Evening Prayer, has secured the approval of use in the Society over a number of years and in many venues including the previous occasions of marking the 40th Anniversary of foundation held at Lambeth Palace and the 45th Anniversary held at the church of St. Andrew by the Wardrobe and St. Ann in the City of London.
Journeying from Kent to be with us for this occasion, we were delighted and blessed to be supported with Music by The Faversham Youth Choir under the direction of Ben Saul, M.A., ARCO, accompanied at the organ by Charles Francis.
The Choir is drawn ecumenically from primary and secondary school children who love to sing - there is no voice test - and sings a wide variety of music, regularly giving performances in the Faversham area, and also further afield, often singing in church services.
The occasion was with the kind permission of Monsignor John Armitage the Rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham and we were blessed with wonderful support for this occasion, even if a little crowded in the beautiful but small space of the Slipper Chapel.
Father Bill OSM, Hon Gen Sec of the ESBVM presided at Holy Mass in the Chapel of Reconciliation at the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham earlier in the day and preached about the Angelic Salutaiton and the importance or Our Lady in Christian Unity and peace.
The Peter Sibley Marian Collection at walsingham - october 2017
ESBVM former Archivist’s Collection of Marian Books and artefacts was presented to the National Shine of Our Lady of Walsingham on Wednesday 25th October 2017. Peter Sibley who died 23rd December 2015 was Archivist of ESBVM for a number of years but was forced to relinquish that role when ill health struck. Depite that, he continued his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary by collecting a vast number of books, artefacts, stamps, medals and pilgrim badges. The resulting collection amassed was generously donated to the Shrine Trustees by the Sibley Family at the proposal of the Hon Gen Secretary of ESBVM, Father Bill OSM who asked the Rector of the Shrine, Mgr John Armitage to accept the collection as a unique holding of national Marian significance. Johns Sibley, Peter’s brother, acting as his executor generously conveyed the collection in a series of van load deliveries to the newly acquired Dowry House opposite the historic gate house entrance to the Walsingham Priory site. Mgr Armitage spoke words of thanks to all concerned in the securing and donating of the collection to the Walsingham Shrine Trustees and Lord Deben a former Guardian of the Anglican Shrine at Walsingham [John Gummer whose friendship for John Sibley, who had been his one time campaign agent in his becoming an M.P., prompted him to attend] expressed his recognition of this significant bequest. Mr Tim McDonald who is the Curator of the Peter Sibley Collection gave an excellent and most interesting presentation about the vast range of contents and spoke of the unique material it contains. Peter’s cousin Ann Apted had the privilege of formally opening the Collection to the Public.