9 September 2026
Dear Friends,
Today we have the opportunity to give thanks to Almighty God for two holy men who have enabled the formation of Christian people in this country and beyond for many generations.
The first is Fr Charles Fuge Lowder, whose priestly witness has entered into Anglo-Catholic folklore. His work amongst the poorest of the poor in Victorian London, together with his founding of the Society of the Holy Cross (SSC), continues to have a profound, yet unquantifiable, impact upon many people today. A short biography can be read here.
Many of our clergy are currently members of SSC, including me, and they seek to serve Christ and His Church in the same dedicated and selfless manner as Fr Lowder. Please pray for them and all your clergy daily.
The second of the holy men we remember today is St Peter Claver. He was a 17th century Spanish Jesuit called to minster in the Caribbean. He is noted for his ministry to and amongst enslaved people transported in the most horrific manner from Africa to the Americas. For over forty years he served in some of the most unforgiving human circumstances, seeking to bring the love of Christ to people who had had all their dignity removed. In one of his letters, penned in 1627, he described the arrival of a slave ship, the condition of those brought ashore and the work he and his companions undertook to care for them. Having survived capture and the Atlantic crossing, St Peter Claver was able to report that “the joy in their eyes as they looked at us was something to see.” “This is how we spoke to them, not with words but with our hands and actions.” St Peter Claver could not end the slave trade, but he declared himself to be the “slave of the [African Slaves] forever.”
As Christian bishops, priests, deacons and laity today, we may look at the world and see the same or similar conditions that Fr Lowder and St Peter Claver witnessed and ministered into. Like them, we may not be able to end poverty or modern slavery despite our best efforts (it seems as if one evil is conquered for another to take its place), but we can be inspired by these two holy men, and countless other holy men and women, to reveal and communicate the salvific love of Christ wherever it is needed. My prayer is that all associated with the See of Beverley may be missionaries of hope in this troubled world. Through the Cross of Christ evil is conquered.
Some Diary Dates
12 December 2026 – Society Advent Quiet Day, St Anthony’s Priory, Durham
6 February 2027 – Children, Youth and Family ministry development day in Horbury, Wakefield. Past events have been very productive for both the experienced and those just beginning to actively develop or redevelop this aspect of parish ministry. Please do consider attending.
13 February 2027 – Lent Penitential Day, Darlington. This involves teaching on the Sacrament of Reconciliation and is an opportunity for new and practiced penitents to begin Lent with a particular focus.
21 March 2027 – Chrism Mass NE, 22 March Chrism Mass Yorks and Notts, 23 March Chrism Mass NW. All times and venues to be confirmed.
4 September 2027 – St Cuthbert Festival in Durham Cathedral
10 to 11 September 2027 – CHANGE of DATE. Please delete the Save the Date request for the previous week. A conference, by invitation, for people responsible for looking after parishes without their own priest. Details will follow. This is different from and additional to the event below, hence the changes.
17 to 19 October 2027 – Leading Your Church into Growth conference for See of Beverley parishes, funded and led by the Society. Details will follow.
Safeguarding and online images
Thank you to everyone who has helped plan and deliver various events with and for me, the See of Beverley and the Society of St Wilfrid and St Hilda in recent months. A lot has happened and we have a lot to be thankful for. If we receive pictures they are usually shared on Facebook and sometimes on the See website. When taking and sharing photos please be mindful of young children. Because of digital and AI manipulation it is increasingly the case that children’s faces are not being photographed in order to protect them from the darker aspects of our online and digital culture. Please be mindful of this going forward. If you do take photos or videos of children or adults please ensure you have permission from the appropriate person to publish them online.
Finally, the See of Beverley Festival in July was a truly wonderful occasion. Thank you again to all who made the journey to York and to all involved in the planning and delivery of the day, not least Fr Tom Bates-Bourne without whose effort nothing would have happened. Photographs are here and here – browse through them all and relive the moment!
Yours, as ever, with a grateful heart for all that you continue to be and do,
+Stephen Beverley
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