The former Archbishop of Canterbury for Christian Unity...

Father Dominic O’Toole CSsR, Parish Priest at St Mary’s,

with Dr Rowan Williams,

in the Sacristy before

the Service of prayer for Christian Unity.

To have a visit from one Archbishop of Canterbury might be counted a privilege but to have two within a couple of weeks sounds like we are being spoiled. The Ace of Clubs at St Mary’s Clapham welcomed Archbishop Justin Welby for the New Year as he delivered his New Year message. Then the Parish welcomed Archbishop Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, for our Service of Prayer during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This was a very moving service with the nine churches of “Churches together in Clapham” each playing their part. Fr Dominic O’Toole opened the service with a warm welcome to a packed St Mary’s congregation. It was a quite traditional service with some very moving prayers and singing to raise the roof with “In Christ there is no East or West” and “Love Divine all Loves Excelling” among the hymns.  But the musical highlight was a beautiful rendering of the Magnificat by the Mosaic Choir of the local Orthodox Parish of St Peter and St Paul. The scripture readings were from Isaiah, St Paul and the Gospel according to St Mark. The powerful piece from St Paul (1 Corinthians 1:1-17) provided the text for Dr Rowan Williams’ sermon. The sermon wasn’t very long but it drew out with great precision the message of St Paul for the divided Christians of Corinth - pointing up the fact that Christians of our age are not that much different from the Christians whom St Paul was addressing. The same call to unity is to be heard, the same scandal of disunity acknowledged. We all belong to Christ. We are called then to forgiveness, understanding, humility , patience, tolerance and above all love.

When the service was over we were able to adjourn to the Monastery for refreshments. It was good to see the “bottom corridor”, as it is known, fully alive with festive spirit once more. We had seen it last month decorated and colourful for the Senior Citizens Christmas lunch. If you don’t know the Monastery building you may be picturing a “bottom corridor” as simply a boring “passage-way”. It is nothing of the kind. The architect of St Mary’s Monastery, the celebrated John Francis Bentley, created a beautiful space, lightened by three large bay windows and the whole enriched by a barrel-vaulted ceiling. The “corridor” looks more like a “Great Hall” when it is brought to life by festive people. It is a privilege to share it with our people and it helped to make this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity especially memorable.

 Fr Michael McGreevy CSsR