• Statement on the fire at Notre Dame

    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.

5 responses to “Yesterday”

  1. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    I do like ‘try to wind everyone as far up the candlestick of joy as I dare’. St Mary’s does have natural advantages, which let it succeed as it does. However, I really do not think other churchs need to make so much of their natural disadvantages…

  2. jaye richards-hill Avatar

    …And don’t forget Evensong, which for me (as you’d expect) was even more glorious. I even felt moved to blog about it in the first of a ‘Guilty Pleasures’ series! http://mimanifesto.wordpress.com/2013/03/11/guilty-pleasures-1/

    It was particularly wonderful for the Boston choir to be singing Frikki’s great setting of Newman’s poem/hymn ‘Lead Kindly Light’

    A fabulous end to a remarkable day in the Cathedral. Truly uplifting.

  3. Marion Avatar
    Marion

    Sounds as if everybody had great time. On occasions, such as this, I wish you could record the whole service, as you do with the Sermon, for people to watch on line.

  4. Pam Avatar
    Pam

    The prayer at the end – pretty good.
    Our congregation recently decided to introduce an Evensong service once a month so I’m looking forward to that.

  5. Bro David Avatar
    Bro David

    I went looking and I found the evidence. Who is that there listening intently in the bottom right corner?

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iH_gvqP-uik/UT2JPcJ0PKI/AAAAAAAABB0/OuXAMY9KbBA/s1600/IMG_8332.JPG

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