LUMINARIES from the Roman Catholic Church descended on York Minster for a Mass in honour of Mary Ward – the founder of the Bar Convent. The Mass was taken by the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Britain, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor – the first time in living memory that a cardinal had led the service at the Minster.
It was organised by the Congregation of Jesus and the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary which Mary Ward founded at the Bar Convent.
The Mass was attended by about 1,500 people, including Bishop Terry Drainey of Middlesbrough; the Earl of Halifax; Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Birmingham; Bishop Arthur Roche of Leeds and Father Matthew Festing, Grand Master of the Order of Malta.
Canon Jeremy Fletcher, precentor at the Minster, said the event went well.
He said: “In every way it was a very successful event. The sisters of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Congregation of Jesus were really pleased that all their planning – that had taken a year – had come to fruit and the Minster was delighted to be able to host the service.”
During the Mass, the Braganza Crozier was used which was donated to the Minster by Charles II’s Catholic queen, Catherine of Braganza.
The Mercier Chalice, given to the Minster by Cardinal Mercier of Belgium during an attempt to unite the Anglican and Catholic Churches, was also used.
Mary Ward was born in 1585 and spent all her life fighting for nuns to be allowed to lead a life outside the walls of a convent. She also set up schools across Europe, but spent time in prison as a heretic.
She died on January 30, 1645 and was buried in the churchyard at Osbaldwick, where her body remains to this day.
Her institute did not receive the definitive approval of the Church until 1877, and Mary was not acknowledged as its founder until 1909.
But she is now being considered for sainthood by the Catholic Church.
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(Source: TPUK)