Some time ago, Fr. Ed Tomlinson published an ad on the Sacred Music Forum looking for a part-time organist. I immediately replied that I would be very interested - at some point in the future, like f - 5 years from now, when I turn 70. He understood, and invited me to visit the next time I came to the UK. So I did, and played the organ for the Noon Mass - my first Mass to play for in England!
Fr. Ed met my train from London at the Tunbridge Wells station. On the way to St. Anselm's, he showed me some of the countryside, including a historic St. Peter's Old Church.
When the Archdiocese of Southwark decided to combine the newly formed community in Pembury with the larger parish in the next town, they gave it to the Anglican Ordinariate community comprised of two former C of E priests with about 70 parishioners. Only a hall with offices and a kitchen were originally built, and then a small chapel was added. The building has been turned into a really nice church, with many artifacts acquired from redundant churches.
And the interior has been fixed up quite nicely:
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| The main Altar |
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| The side Altar |
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The Chapel to Our Lady of Walsingham
from the organ console |
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| The pulpit |
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| The sedilia | |
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| The choir, Baptistry, organ, and OLW Chapel |
It was just a Low Mass. I played some prelude music before Mass, sang a hymn at Communion, and accompanied everyone in the Salve Regina after Mass. Joanna Bogle and some of the Ladies Ordinariate Group from London were there visiting also. Fr. Ed gave a talk on the history of the parish, and then we all had lunch at the pub across the commons from the church. The ladies and I were on the same train back to London.
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