This year’s Ecumenical Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Mary Ward took place on Sunday, 28 January at the Church of St Thomas in Osbaldwick where she is buried. What made this event special this year was the presence of the most Reverend and Right Honourable Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, who had kindly agreed to be the homilist. As well as this a meeting of CJ and IBVM sisters meant that more of Mary Ward’s companions were able to be present. The church was overflowing.
The archbishop spoke, not just with knowledge and authority on Mary Ward, but with passion. He had done the research himself into her life and role in the Church and hailed her as a saintly woman who totally believed in the ability of women to be apostolically active within the Church. Any divisiveness within the Church on any grounds roused him to speak out against it – be it the inequalities of men and women in the Church (still,) or the failure of all the Christian Churches to heal the wounds of divisiveness and heed the insistence of Jesus that his followers should be one body. The archbishop hoped to see Mary proclaimed a saint by giving witness to her fidelity to the Church that had persecuted her so strongly. That he did this in the full knowledge that many in the Church still defend ‘divisiveness’ was courageous, and he blended his courage with moments of humour. We are most grateful for his presence and his words. We are also grateful to the Rev Jan Noble, the Vicar of the parish for a moving liturgy, and to the women of the parish whose cake making skills were once again much appreciated as we chatted over tea. No divisiveness there then!
Photo: The Archbishop, Stephen Cottrell, with clergy of the parish and Sr Ann Stafford cj