Pastoral Letter - Michaelmas 2021
from the Rt Revd Dom Alistair Bate OSBA, M.A.Div., Primus
Dear Members and Friends
Since my last pastoral letter, in May of this year once more Dom Bruno and I have had a massive change of circumstances as we moved the HCCI “Mother House” to our new home in Norway. It has been a very positive change indeed, not least because as soon as we crossed the border we no longer had to wear masks in public places. Mask wearing is a minor inconvenience in the greater scheme of things, but I for one detest the fact that being compelled to wear a mask is a sign of submission to the new world order and their demonic “Great Reset”.
As I mentioned in the Pentecost Pastoral Letter, due to the present restrictions, travelling between countries is made much more difficult, if not impossible, for most of our seminarians and clergy, nevertheless, we were very happy to welcome the Revd Giovanni Pede for his ordination to the diaconate and his partner Sr Hallyson Abigail Boldrini who has taken the Brigidine habit and begun the process of training for admittance as a deaconess. It is wonderful to see our Deaconess Society gaining new members, for as well as the four Deaconesses currently incardinated we have two Sisters in training in Serbia; one in Italy, one in Canada and another possible in Brazil! It is so important to the balance of masculine and feminine energies in the church that women are encouraged to engage in pastoral service as deaconesses and vowed life as Sisters, for just as the clergy are called to act “in persona Christi”, in all things, but most especially at the altar, so our deaconesses are called to act “in persona Maria” as their complimentary ministry follows the pattern of the life of Our Lady.
Since my last pastoral letter, in May of this year once more Dom Bruno and I have had a massive change of circumstances as we moved the HCCI “Mother House” to our new home in Norway. It has been a very positive change indeed, not least because as soon as we crossed the border we no longer had to wear masks in public places. Mask wearing is a minor inconvenience in the greater scheme of things, but I for one detest the fact that being compelled to wear a mask is a sign of submission to the new world order and their demonic “Great Reset”.
As I mentioned in the Pentecost Pastoral Letter, due to the present restrictions, travelling between countries is made much more difficult, if not impossible, for most of our seminarians and clergy, nevertheless, we were very happy to welcome the Revd Giovanni Pede for his ordination to the diaconate and his partner Sr Hallyson Abigail Boldrini who has taken the Brigidine habit and begun the process of training for admittance as a deaconess. It is wonderful to see our Deaconess Society gaining new members, for as well as the four Deaconesses currently incardinated we have two Sisters in training in Serbia; one in Italy, one in Canada and another possible in Brazil! It is so important to the balance of masculine and feminine energies in the church that women are encouraged to engage in pastoral service as deaconesses and vowed life as Sisters, for just as the clergy are called to act “in persona Christi”, in all things, but most especially at the altar, so our deaconesses are called to act “in persona Maria” as their complimentary ministry follows the pattern of the life of Our Lady.
Since our last Pastoral Letter in May we have also been able to rejoice in the ordination to the priesthood of our dear Fr Raul in Uruguay and also the Episcopal Consecration of our beloved Archpriest Melkior in Serbia, at the hands of our dear friend Bishop Gergely from Hungary. Subsequently we have also been glad to hear of the ordination of Zoltan to the diaconate in Serbia! Thanks be to God that despite the travel restrictions the church is still flourishing. We also rejoice in the recent incardination of Mons Enrique in Mexico and the Episcopal Consecration of Dom Rolando OSBA which will be celebrated in Cuba on St Michael’s Day!
I wanted to take this opportunity, writing at Michaelmas, for a change, to say a few words about angels. Our Liberal Catholic and Celtic traditions have both put more emphasis on the ministry of angels than may be found in most churches, something which often proves to be a great blessing for us, as we know from experience that to properly invoke the aid of particular angels, is a time tested aid to enlisting angelic assistance in our daily lives, and it really works!
I wanted to take this opportunity, writing at Michaelmas, for a change, to say a few words about angels. Our Liberal Catholic and Celtic traditions have both put more emphasis on the ministry of angels than may be found in most churches, something which often proves to be a great blessing for us, as we know from experience that to properly invoke the aid of particular angels, is a time tested aid to enlisting angelic assistance in our daily lives, and it really works!
The Festival of St Michael and All Angels is one of very few festivals to have a proper collect and readings in the Liberal Catholic Liturgy. Bishops Leadbeater and Wedgwood both had a strong personal devotion to the angels and were as aware of them as is humanly possible. Bishop Leadbeater, in particular, does not hold back on his personal locutions regarding angelic activity in the course of the liturgy, something which can prove a bit challenging to our more skeptical seminarians!
In the ancient Celtic churches too, the presence of angels and human interaction with them was taken for granted. Reports abound of Celtic saints and their angelic encounters, for example the three patrons of Ireland; St Patrick, St Brigid and St Columba, are all said to have interacted with angels, and in the case of St Patrick, on a weekly basis, but then Ireland, like all the Celtic countries is a “thin place”, a place where the veil between worlds is thin and folk are naturally inclined to awareness of the spiritual worlds that overlap our own.
Among all the angels, Celts have always had a particular love of St Michael, the Prince of the Heavenly Host. Churches dedicated to him abound on hilltops and wild costal locations throughout the Celtic countries. His name meaning “like unto God”, as well as the fact that Sunday is his designated day, suggest a strong connection with the Solar Logos. He is the patron of all those to seek their life purpose, as well as all true priests, warriors and all those who take up arms against evil. It is sometimes assumed that for the early Celtic Christians he took the place of their primary indigenous solar hero, the God Lugh, who shares some of the same characteristics, as indeed does the dragon slayer St George, who some see as the earthly counterpart to the heavenly St Michael.
In the ancient Celtic churches too, the presence of angels and human interaction with them was taken for granted. Reports abound of Celtic saints and their angelic encounters, for example the three patrons of Ireland; St Patrick, St Brigid and St Columba, are all said to have interacted with angels, and in the case of St Patrick, on a weekly basis, but then Ireland, like all the Celtic countries is a “thin place”, a place where the veil between worlds is thin and folk are naturally inclined to awareness of the spiritual worlds that overlap our own.
Among all the angels, Celts have always had a particular love of St Michael, the Prince of the Heavenly Host. Churches dedicated to him abound on hilltops and wild costal locations throughout the Celtic countries. His name meaning “like unto God”, as well as the fact that Sunday is his designated day, suggest a strong connection with the Solar Logos. He is the patron of all those to seek their life purpose, as well as all true priests, warriors and all those who take up arms against evil. It is sometimes assumed that for the early Celtic Christians he took the place of their primary indigenous solar hero, the God Lugh, who shares some of the same characteristics, as indeed does the dragon slayer St George, who some see as the earthly counterpart to the heavenly St Michael.
At this difficult time of global transition, over which we appear to have no real control; a time when the powers of evil seem to be in the ascendency, it may give us some strength of heart to draw close to St Michael. We would not be incarnate here and now if there was not a lesson to be learned and progress towards enlightenment to be gained. The dragon may terrorise us for a while, but we may rest assured that he will be slain in God’s good time.
In the mean time I leave you with this beautiful ancient Celtic prayer poem from the Carmina Gadelica (Scottish Hebridean tradition) and wish you all a joyful and empowering Michaelmas:
MICHAEL, THE VICTORIOUS
"Thou Michael the victorious
I make my circuit under thy shield,
Thou Michael of the white steed,
And of the bright brilliant blades,
Conqueror of the dragon,
Be thou at my back,
Thou ranger of the heavens,
Thou warrior of the King of all,
O Michael the victorious,
My pride and my guide,
O Michael the victorious,
The glory of mine eye.
I make my circuit
In the fellowship of my saint,
On the machair, on the meadow,
On the cold heathery hill;
Though I should travel ocean
And the hard globe of the world
No harm can e'er befall me
'Neath the shelter of thy shield;
O Michael the victorious,
Jewel of my heart,
O Michael the victorious,
God's shepherd thou art.
Be the sacred Three of Glory
Aye at peace with me,
With my horses, with my cattle,
With my woolly sheep in flocks.
With the crops growing in the field
Or ripening in the sheaf,
On the machair, on the moor,
In cole, in heap, or stack.
Every thing on high or low,
Every furnishing and flock,
Belong to the holy Triune of glory,
And to Michael the victorious."
Blessings to you all from Norway!