• Statement on the fire at Notre Dame

  15/04/2019

  The fire at Notre Dame Cathedral is a tragedy not only for Paris and the people of France but for the world.

  Those who know the building will be unable to see the pictures of the fire without feeling heartbroken.

  So many different things that make up the building are priceless – the medieval roof, the woodwork, the organ, the stained glass, the relics. But this tragedy is more than the loss of them all. It is the loss of the heart of Paris, the loss of a place of pilgrimage and the loss of a place of romance.

  Every day this week, Christians will be reflecting on the heartbreak of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, to whom Notre Dame was dedicated. Every day as we do so, we will be praying for the Paris its people as they face their own heartbreak.

  Notre Dame means Our Lady. Notre Dame doesn’t just belong to Paris, it belongs to us all.

  This was a building that is utterly associated with Paris. But it was an utterly priceless treasure for the world.

  It was truly ours, and this tragedy is our tragedy.

  Our Lady of Paris, pray for us and for all affected locally.

  Our Lady of Paris, we pray for you.

Previous Posts

• Sermon preached on Trinity Sunday 2014

  16/06/2014

  The truth is, I’ve not preached on Trinity Sunday. I think I have preached on Trinity Sunday in my time at St Mary’s but certainly not many times and certainly not for a number of years. You see – I’ve been in charge of the preaching rota. But lo. Here I am having spent a…

• How not to have a synodical discussion

  13/06/2014

  This afternoon I’ve been engaged in a discussion at the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church about same-sex marriage. At least, that’s what it was supposed to be about. Often in the afternoon it felt like a discussion about how to have a discussion. (All of this was being facilitated by Hugh Donald of…

• British Values and Education

  10/06/2014

  I do wish that Mr Gove, the Education Secretary, (and everyone else for that matter) would stop trying to wrap progressive values in a national flag. I feel uncomfortable about it, whatever the flag – and there’s a lot of it going on in Scotland at the moment too. According to the Prime Minister, the…

• Madama Butterfly – Review

  05/06/2014

  Here’s a review of Madama Butterfly from Scottish Opera which I saw just before I was signed off sick. This also appears on the Opera Britannia blog. Rating: For their final show in an uncertain season, Scottish Opera return to form with an achingly beautiful revival of Sir David McVicar’s production of Madama Butterfly from…