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Ship of Fools: St Mary-at-the-Elms, Ipswich, England


imageShip of Fools: St Mary-at-the-Elms, Ipswich, England

Blank black bits and clouds of incense

Read the full Mystery Worshipper report here


Comments

  • alphabeatriumalphabeatrium Shipmate Posts: 4
    What a beautiful yet simple church. What I wouldn't give for my local (RC) churches to look something like this... well, they used to before they were "renovated". Talk about being "more Catholic than the Catholics".
  • Welcome aboard, @alphabeatrium !

    Yes, a lovely church. The best of both worlds, IMHO - the simple, clean walls, enhanced by the colourful Carflick bits...not sure about the Victorian (?) pews...

    I guess that, before the Reformation, there would have been wall-paintings galore, a rood screen, and lots more altars and shrines.
  • angloidangloid Shipmate
    Just found the FB link. It's always heartwarming and encouraging to see the efforts that churches are making to keep the worship of God alive and to connect with their members in the best way they can at this time. But I was intrigued by the fact that the priest appeared to be taking the north-end position! Maybe that was just the camera angle. And, if I am honest, slightly irritated by the rapid way he gabbled the eucharistic prayer and the fussiness of things like the biretta and the little sanctus bell. (I'm all for bells and smells but if he didn't have anybody to ring it for him it would have been less distracting to have left it alone.) But that is just my nit-picking mood at the moment: I'm sure he is a dedicated parish priest and it's his parish, not mine: he knows his people and what they expect and what is helpful for them, and I don't.
  • Bishops FingerBishops Finger Shipmate
    edited June 2020
    I thought he took the 'north end' position so that he wouldn't be blocking the view, IYSWIM.

    Yes, he did say the Eucharistic Prayer rather quickly - not sure why, as there was plenty of time...
    :confused:

    BTW, there does seem to be a problem with the church's website - Googling 'St Mary at the Elms Facebook' works, though.
  • That's odd. I have no problem bringing up their website.

    @Bishops Finger, I know you linked to their Facebook page in your report, but as a matter of principle I don't like to include Facebook links, or A Church Near You links, in reports -- nothing but the church's actual website if there is one. I'm probably being overly fussy.
  • Thank you, Miss Amanda - noted!
  • venbedevenbede Shipmate
    As it happens I was there on the first Sunday of Lent. The priest announced that for Lent they would be giving up physical greeting at the Peace because of the pandemic. O dear. There is a restored shrine of Our Lady of Ipswich which intrigued me.
  • There are also a statue and plaque in Lady Lane, not too far away: https://tinyurl.com/yboz272x and https://tinyurl.com/yagwdf64
  • venbede wrote: »
    As it happens I was there on the first Sunday of Lent. The priest announced that for Lent they would be giving up physical greeting at the Peace because of the pandemic. O dear. There is a restored shrine of Our Lady of Ipswich which intrigued me.

    Why 'O dear'? IIRC, this might have been a little ahead of general guidance, but quickly became common practice in the short time between Lent 1 and lockdown!
    There are also a statue and plaque in Lady Lane, not too far away: https://tinyurl.com/yboz272x and https://tinyurl.com/yagwdf64

    I understand that the Shrine of Our Lady of Grace was indeed in Lady Lane, until the Reformation, but I guess it made practical sense to restore it within the church proper.

  • venbedevenbede Shipmate
    O dear because of the lockdown. I didn't mean to criticise their sensible decision. Just that it has not proved enough.
  • Ah - I see!

    Thanks.
    :wink:
  • At a period in my life when I gave up on faith, I would sometimes sit quietly in this church in lunch breaks, and once attended a communion, although did not partake. This church was not of my tradition, but remember a peaceful presence and kind people.
  • Good! The photos I've seen of the church certainly make it look as though it should be a peaceful, prayerful, place.
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