Farewell to England

Yesterday, I bid farewell to Wales, and tonight, farewell to England. My trip from St. Deiniol's to a hotel near Heathrow was uneventful (thank God), and I was relieved to turn in the keys to my right-side drive, left-side stickshift auto. Currently I am in the airport, awaiting my flight which leaves at 6:30 pm London time.

My time at St. Deiniol's was truly enhanced by the presence of two fellow journeyers on the road. Ian, a priest from Manchester, England, was the acting Chaplain at St. D's for the week. He celebrated the Eucharist daily, made sure everyone felt welcome, and handled any inquiries that came up when staff was not on duty. I found him to be possessed of a quick and thoughtful mind as well as a great sense of humor. Ian was responsible for getting us to Holywell as well as having checked out the history of the site and showing me some of the less well known features of the shrine. Ian was such a blessed source of welcome, second only perhaps to Andy Pandy, Looby Loo and all the friends of Angela! My second companion on a piece of this journey was Deacon Colleen, from Nebraska. She too was on sabbatical, and shared her vocation as a deacon in a way that helped me appreciate even more the presence of our Deacons, Sheila and Jeanette. Colleen had prepared for her journey with research and thought, and with an eye to how her trip could benefit her congregation back home. She was a ready adventurer on any exploration, with the open eyes and heart of the child we are called to be in our lives as disciples.
What better way for Colleen, Ian and I to bid farewell than to hoist a pint in the Blue Bell, Paul Thomas' pub and site of Angela's party!


Sitting in this lounge about to board the plane home is a natural position from which to reflect. It is also time to look ahead: I am really ready to be home, excited about our Appalachian trip Saturday, hoping for minimal jet lag and the ability to stay on the RIGHT side of the road!

See you all soon!

Cathy

Deep Peace

St Winefride's Well, a holy well located in Holywell in North Wales, is not far from St. Deiniol's Library. According to legend, Winefride was the daughter of a Welsh nobleman, Tyfid ap Eiludd. Her suitor, Caradog, was enraged when she decided to become a nun. When he attempted to rape her, she resisted and he cut off her head with a sword. Where her head fell, a healing spring appeared. Her uncle, Saint Beuno, rejoined her head to her body and she lived another fifteen years. Caradog, cursed by Beuno, melted into the ground.

YIKES! And I thought the story of Perpetua was bad (she and Felicitas, her maid, were martyred in the third century by scourging, being set upon by wild animals, and finally being killed by the sword. Perpetua's young inexperienced soldier was assisted by her in guiding the sword to her throat, so that he would not suffer for failing in his duty).

The healing waters of Winefride's well have been said to cause miraculous cures. Known as "the Lourdes of Wales," it has been a pilgrimage site since the 7th century. People come to bathe in its pool or gather some of its water. Each day, the veneration of St. Winefride's relic (a finger bone) is held beside her statue. Another macabre custom, one might think, but in that setting, with the bubbling well water, the waxy smell of the candles, the steps worn by thousands of pilgrims, and the statue of Winefride looking down on it all, it seemed right. Right to remember a holy person whose life brought others to God. Right to remember all those who experienced healing as a result of a visit, or the water or a prayer. Right to pray for those who need healing or to light a candle for them in this most holy place.

At the very least, it was a place of peace.

Peace to you

Cathy

Happy Birthday Angela!

What's a trip to the UK without a visit to a pub? Not too many nights left here, so I tried to scare up a couple of companions to walk the two blocks to town for a visit to the Blue Bell. My mates being much more studious than I, it was to be a solo trip. I steeled myself for the "feeling like a foreigner" funk that had dogged me, grabbed a few "bucks" and set out. Deep breath at the door.
As I pulled the door open, there stood a rosy-cheeked smiling man dressed like a clown. (Actually, I found out later he was dressed as Andy Pandy, a British Boomers' children's show character.) Speechless for a moment, I saw beyond him dozens of people all in costume. I said, "Is this a private party?" He said, "It's Angela's birthday! Come on in!" When I pointed out I was not in costume, he looked at me and said, "You're an American, aren't you?" [I bit my tongue before I pointed out that no one in the country had had any difficulty noticing that!] "Yes, I am," I said politely. "Well then," said Andy Pandy, "You came dressed as an American! Come on in!"
Andy's wife was Looby Loo (of course), and I met Fred and Wilma Flintstone, a nun, the Mario Brothers, Dorothy, the Lion and Mr. T. Talk about hospitality -- this great group of friends knew how to have a good time and knew how to include a stranger. No one let me pay for a drink, there was food, karaoke, jokes and stories. They had gathered to celebrate Angela's 30th birthday; their love for her and welcome for me were as much a sign of God's grace as the open heartedness of L'Arche Liverpool and St. Deiniol's. I blessed the birthday girl and walked back to my room with a smile.

So keep your eyes open today: you never know when a stranger might stumble into your path.

Cathy

L'Arche in the city

The first L'Arche home opened in Liverpool in 1976. The core members came from long-term institutions to live in the house called Anchorage. Today, L'Arche has five homes, a group of flats and a workshop not only for its own members, but for others with learning disabilities who live in the larger Liverpool community. L'Arche has grown and changed here and throughout the United Kingdom; regulations governing the care of people with learning disabilities have likewise changed. And in the past few years, as we all know, the economy has changed, causing more adjustments by organizations and governments. So of course, what L'Arche Liverpool is facing now is how to deal with lots of change.

These are certainly the realities of the community, but my first sense of them was a warm welcome and a feeling of devotion to every member of the community. I stayed in Tabor House, a place for guests and new assistants making their way through the various paperwork and regulations to become employed. (There was a note of welcome and a Twix bar on my pillow!) Martin made sure I had all I needed for a comfortable stay.

My guiding host, The Rev. Jean Winn, set up my visit so I would get the broadest picture possible of Liverpool L'Arche. I spent time in the workshop, where jobs are done and crafts are made for sale. In the printing room, we worked to assemble greeting cards and stationery. Candles and weaving projects, like bags and scarves, were made in other parts of the workshop. There was coffee break and prayer time, all the while with other members' needs being taken care of. In the yard were chickens, and a garden of vegetables and flowers. The workshop is exploring new ways to generate income and provide good work for its members.

I ate dinner at three different homes, enjoying the company of Jean's family one night and the Spring and Coracle homes the others. The prayer times led by the members continued to be the moments of grace they have been in every L'Arche home I have visited.

In the midst of this visit that filled my head with ideas and questions and awe for the members of this community, I had an afternoon off to go to the city center. Liverpool...home of the Beatles...is a lively and funky city. I enjoyed it from the Liverpool Cathedral to Matthew Street to Albert Dock.

Back in the library, I await one more link on my journey. There is a woman in Nottingham connected with the Faith and Light movement (another of Vanier's creations which are communities of people with intellectual disabilities, their families and friends, who meet together regularly for friendship, prayer and celebration) whom it might be good for me to meet.

But if that does not happen, the folks I met at L'Arche Liverpool have given me more than I had hoped to gain here. I know I don't know their whole story, nor do I have a grasp of what challenges may lie ahead; I do know they have everything they need to continue to do amazing and faithful ministry in this place.

And in a country where I felt so much a stranger, at L'Arche I felt at home.

Peace+
Cathy

This is the nook I work in at St. Deiniol's; they are scattered througout the library, some facing over the loft, others facing outside, still others facing shelves of books to the ceiling. I spend chunks of time reading and searching out what others have written about community, and I know it will all just buzz around inside my head until I get to L'Arche again. Meeting the people and hearing about their experience will be what makes the information come alive and get my own ideas flowing. And in between the study I have met people from around Europe and the world, enjoyed walking in the Wales countryside and went to church Sunday with a lively congregation of Anglicans!
I feel somewhat less of a stranger. Some people call me "luv," and say "cheerio!"
I am off to Liverpool now for my visit to L'Arche. Seems David Cameron is visiting Liverpool today too. I'll say "how ya doin'?" if I run into him.

Cheerio!
Cathy

Over the Pond

Never let anyone tell you a trip to another country is just like going to another state. It is not.

I am in total culture shock. The car is small, but fine. The stickshift is even fine. The fact that it and the steering wheel are on the right side of the car has caused a little stress in my driving. Then add the fact that there are roundabouts everywhere to take you where you want to go. I am dizzy from following them around and around until I can decide where to exit. Even the GPS is British: "go straight through the roundabout and take the third exit." How can I go straight through if I am taking an exit? Which one is the third; do I count the one I arrive in? On top of all of this, thank God, the English people are such civilised drivers! They hardly even blow their horns at me, and always smile.


So my trip from London to Hawarden (north Wales) was long and stressful, but very beautiful. The countryside is green, with loads of farms and unbelievable flowers. The library where I am staying (St. Deiniol's) is a veritable castle of books and lovely spots to read or write. Our meals are prepared by two cooks, and there is tea time and Sunday brunch.

On Monday, I will join The Rev. Jean Winn at L'Arche Liverpool for a few days. There will be a "Faith and Light" Meeting, which is a gathering of developmentally disabled folks and their families for fellowship, worship and a meal. This kind of group is often a precursor to a L'Arche Community, but not always. I will also get to meet the core members and talk to some of the assistants.

Liverpool is only about an hour or so away. I should be fine.

Cheerio!
Cathy

Sabbatical Interlude

Tomorrow morning I leave for the last stretch of sabbatical time in England. I have been invited to stay at L'Arche Liverpool, where one hundred and fifty people live in community in several households. I will stay at St. Deiniol's Library in Hawarden, not far from Liverpool, and visit another community in Preston. I have had a taste of the study life in this interlude; I spent six hours in the Drew University Library beginning research on community, inclusion and "otherness." It was a wonderful reminder of my student days, with the bonus of being fully in the technology of the internet and what that has done for easy access to countless journals and other research documents.

There was also time for recreation and rest: a 4th of July trip from Fort Lee over the GWB to the Battery and back via bicycle with Ted -- including a stop at the Dinosaur Barbeque on 131st Street (yum!); a lovely dinner catching up with friends; a trip to the Kutztown Folk Festival.

And of course, the garden. The heat of these past weeks made it impossible to work in it except very early or very late in the day. But it continues to be a source of beauty and strength, a place of meditation and joy in creation. We have attracted a family of woodpeckers with the addition of suet to the bird menu. (If only I could have fed them without the pushy, squawking family of bluejays!)
Enjoy the show of the garden; you may need dramamine to get through it!

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Peace+
Cathy