Blessed Anglorum Pageantry. By Uncle Monty.

Blessed Anglorum Pageantry.

By Uncle Monty.

Photos By Alex Albion.
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Packed pews of the devout and of the faithful did

solemnly congregate to mark the saintly Feast Day

of the Protomartyr Anglorium -of England at

London’s traditional and religious Anglo-Cathoilc
edifice of St. Alban The Martyr. -He, St. Alban,

who was the 1st English Christian martyr, is

celebrated at his Feast Day and he is remembered

most especially by the Anglican Church of England
and by those Anglican-Catholics within the

diverse body of the English Church.
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Religious Pageantry at St. Alban's.

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Religious pageantry, liturgical formulary,

and interfaith clergy, made the blessed scene

of St. Alban's Day so close to all things bright

and beautiful. Gounod's Messe Solennelle de

Sainte Cecile -and Vierne's Symphonie No. 1

gloriously echoed among the evening congre-

gation that had travelled from far and wide to

be present, for among other reasons, to hear the

gracious Welsh preacher The Rt. Rev'd Dominic

Walker, OGS, the Anglican Lord Bishop of

Monmouth, preach his St. Alban sermon. He
didn't disappiont them, did the good bishop.
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The Procession of St. Alban.

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And, the magnificent ceremony of it all ...
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“Saint Alban was the first English Christian martyr
(‘Protomartyr Anglorum’). He is traditionally asso-
ciated with the Diocletianic persecution (c. 305).
According to Bede (Eccl. Hist. i, 7), he was a pagan
of Verulamium (now St. Albans in Herts) who was
converted and baptized by a fugitive priest of whom
he sheltered. When the governor sent soldiers to search
the house, Alban disguised himself in the priest’s cloak,
was arrested, and condemned to (Christian) martyrdom.
The priest, traditionally named Amphibalus, from some
confusion with the cloak (amphibalus), is said to have
been stoned to death a few days later at Redbourn. St.
Alban is commemorated by Venantius Fortunatus
(c. 580) in the line Albanum egregium fecundia
Britannia profert."
"His English shrine still stands at St. Alban’s Abbey.

He is not to be identified with St. Alban venerated at

Cologne (Germany). His feast day is 22nd of June,

though the (Anglican Book of Common Prayer)

BCP (probably by a misreading of xxii as xvii)
commemorates him on 17th of June.”
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Quoted Source: The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian

Church, pp. 1492. 1961 Edition., p. 29. Edited By Lady

Margaret Professor of Divinity, Rev’d Dr. F. C. Cross,

Canon of Christ Church, Oxford.
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The Rt. Rev'd Dominic Walker, OGS.
The Anglican Lord Bishop of Monmouth.

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Archpriest Rev'd Father Sergius Scott

of The Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate. +
The Venerable Howard Levett
of London's St. Alban The Martyr.
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Two Priests Chatting Together.

(Correction: Father William Richie (above, left)

is seen standing with Coptic Father Sergius. I in-

correctly thought that Father Richie was a Coptic

archpriest. Rather, he is St. Alban's Community

Pastoral Worker. I thank verger John Dilkes

for the correction herein.)

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Portrait Of A Priest. By Alex Albion.
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I attended the St. Alban's Day Festival with
my dear fellow Anglican friend Jill Ferguson.
Beside chatting on and off with Bishop Dominic
Walker of Monmouth, I spent some time also
chatting with and photographing the inter-
faith clergy present at the Solemn Mass that
included The Melkite Greek Catholic Church's
Patriarchal Vicar, Rev'd A. T. John Salter, 74;
Rev'd Father Christopher Cawse of Holy Cross,
Badge Members of the Anglican Order of the
Society of St. Margaret of Scotland; Rev'd Coptic
Father Sergius Scott, 72; and the TV actor
Frank Williams, 77, (shown below), who played
the "Rev'd Timothy Farthing" in the British
Television series called "Dad's Army." Frank
was a delight to meet, to chat with, and to
photograph. He is a devout and well-known
Anglo-Catholic at St. Alban The Martyr.

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www.dadsarmy.co.uk/
British TV Character Actor Frank Williams.

Along with the Blessed Anglorum Pageantry, I think we were all truly blessed to all come together at St. Alban's Day with my other good Anglican-Catholic friend John Dilkes, who was also present at the pageantry and ceremony as the good verger of the church. He was also attired in traditional clerical vestments with his ceremonial staff. And, all too soon, we saw the end of such a nice and blessed day ... Praise Our Good Lord, always and every day!!

Faithfully, Uncle Monty.

+Protomartyr Anglorum, 2oo9.

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{Click on any image to Enlarge}
...
Germany has nearly a million more Muslims than

assumed. Trier, Germany (ENI). Germany has a

larger Muslim population than has been assumed up

to now, a new study revealed. The study "Muslim

Life in Germany", conducted by the Federal Office for

Migration and Refugees in Germany, concluded that up

to 4.3 million people belong to the Muslim faith. That

is nearly a million more than the 3.4 million Muslims

assumed up to now. Therefore about five percent

of Germany's 82 million people are Muslim.

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France to consider banning burqas after Sarkozy

speech. Paris (ENI). Five years after France banned

Muslim girls from wearing headscarves in public schools,

the government has launched a probe into another Muslim

garment - all-covering burqas or niqabs - that may lead to

a similar injunction in public spaces. In July, a 32-member

parliamentary commission will begin a six-month invest-

igation into the burqa in France - particularly whether it

clashes with the country's fiercely secular creed and

violates the dignity of the women who wear it,

Religion News Service reports.
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Ecumenical News Service (ENI) International

News Highlights 24 June 2009.
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