From the February 2010 magazine
Team Rector’s Letter
I have now been appointed as Rural Dean of Howden as from 1st February, while also remaining Team Rector in the Howden Team Ministry. This means that I now have some responsibilities alongside the parish clergy for all the Anglican churches along the north bank of the Ouse and Humber from Wressle to Welton (just this side of the Humber Bridge). My predecessor, Rev’d Peter Faulkner (having completed his five years service as Rural Dean) will remain as Vicar of South Cave and surrounding villages.
My first task as Rural Dean of Howden was to attend a residential meeting with Bishop Richard, Archdeacon David and the other East Riding Rural Deans at Wydale Hall, our diocesan retreat house on the southern slopes of the North Yorkshire Moors, a few miles inland from Scarborough.
Although I have been familiar with much of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park over many years, I had never visited Wydale Hall before. So I planned my journey carefully, heading along the A614 as far as Driffield and then hoping to head cross-country through the Carrs along the Upper Derwent. But climbing up into the Wolds the weather turned more wintry and my intended route was completely blocked by heavy snow as soon as I attempted to turn off the main road. I had to detour via Seamer in order to reach Wydale and the final approach up a steep and narrow snow-covered drive was something of a challenge.
The spectacular views back down the dale from the chapel made it all worthwhile. The snow-scape transfigured the land, revealing a deeply spiritual quality; a fragile and ethereal beauty all too quickly lost with the melting of the snow. Was that part of the reason why that part of Yorkshire became (and still remains) a place where monks and nuns establish their communities of prayer? As well as the bare ruined choirs at Rievaulx and Byland, today there are still thriving religious communities at Ampleforth and Whitby. Newer arrivals include the nuns from Malvern, recently relocated to a brand new purpose-built convent on the Ampleforth estate, the Coptic Orthodox Monastery of St Athanasius at Langdale End near Scarborough, and the Greek Orthodox convent at Normanby near Whitby that has provided so much inspiration to the modern mystical composer, John Taverner.
On Thursday, back at Howden Minster, we kept the Feast of St Gilbert of Sempringham (a 12th century Lincolnshire saint) and re-read the letter he wrote to his Canons at Malton so long ago. It might have been written for today in the same holy North Yorkshire landscape from which I had only just returned.
As the Letter to the Hebrews (that we are studying on Thursdays) reminds us:
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and for ever”.
Looking Ahead
February 14th – Special 10:45 St Valentine’s Day Alleluia Service
Ash Wednesday falls on 17 February, marking the beginning of Lent.
There will be a said service at Eastrington at 9:30 a.m.
An Ashing Mass will take place at Howden Minster at 7:30 p.m.
The Diocesan Lent Course, “A Way Ahead: It’s all about love”, will be run in Howden on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 from 24th February at the Church of England Infant School on Hailgate for all our churches. All welcome
Next Minster Concert
Music from
Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi
The Da Costa Academy
Saturday 6th March at 7:30 p.m.
March 14th – Special 10:45 St Mothering Sunday Alleluia Service
The Bishop of Hull,
the Rt. Rev’d Richard Frith will be at Howden Minster for
10:45 on Sunday 18 April.