Monday, November 12, 2007

Because it warms my heart


Saint Cuthbert's feast is March 20--invariably falling in Lent. This poses a challenge to churches named in his honor; you cannot, by our current rubrics, have St Cuddy take precedence of a Sunday in Lent and you thus cannot have the sort of party one might desire for such a special saint. (He may be nearly unknown in the USA but he was rather a big deal in the UK and his name is ubiquitous there.)

A solution lies in his other feast, September 4, recalling his translation. On that day in 1104 his relics were moved into their shrine in the new Norman cathedral (Durham Cathedral). Being a medieval history nut and a creative liturgist, I decided our patronal feast would fall on the Sunday after Labor Day (close to September 4 and the day life begins anew in California churches after the summer doldrums).

This September 9 the feast was kept. Jack Pantaleo from St Aidan's in San Francisco, came and played his Celtic harp. The festal green superfrontal from the Doris Hagen altar vestments and the floral arrangements provided color.

My love for St Cuddy himself and for St Cuddy's, Oakland, prompts me to post. Oh yes, a touch of ego too; the superfrontal and the banners in the background are my design and stitchery. Since we have a sewing theme going this evening....

Sancte Cuthberte, ora pro nobis.
--the BB

5 comments:

Huw Richardson said...

Curious solution, BB: if you're going to be all rubrical about a Saint's day not replacing a Sunday in Lent... why be all non-rubrical about moving the feast to the "Sunday Closest" instead of the traditional thing - which is on the next open day on the Calendar?

Yet in Western liturgical tradition, Feast of Title takes full precedence, even in Lent, as Feast of Title is the equivalent to a "local" Easter or Christmas. In fact many traditionally Anglo-Catholic places make use of a Lenten Feast of Title to have a full on party in the middle of Lent.

Not complaining as such, BB... it just seemed you picked an odd Rubric by which to justify a whole lot of other stuff. (I'm not one to like Rubrics... my former parish being St Gregory of Nyssa in SF!)

Paul said...

You brought a roar of charmed laughter out of me, Huw. We are all very arbitrary in our keeping and breaking of rubrics. Back in 1928 Prayer Book days, when I was still "visiting" TEC, I never saw a service in real life that conformed 100% to the rubrics and I took instruction accordingly.

"Feast of Title" may be a highly privileged concept in many Anglo-Catholic circles but it does not occur in our canons or rubrics. In fact, the BCP clearly states:
"The feast of the Dedication of a Church, and the feast of its patron or title, may be observed on, or be transferred to, a Sunday, except in the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter."

That is a very definitive rubric to go up against.
As for my very Anglican and American liberty in tranferring, I do it under the usual unwritten justification for most of the things we do: "pastoral reasons." If I want most of the people there and it is a geographically scattered flock with not a scintilla of high church motivation, then I want to honor Cuddy on a Sunday. The Sunday closest is sometimes after Labor Day though more often the weekend of Labor Day. Choosing Labor Day weekend would be a good guarantee in the local culture of diminished attendance.

Arbitrary? Of course. But it has worked well for us and it makes the fall calendar launch and resumption of Sunday School an especially joyous time.

We did have a midweek party in Lent and played "Cuthbert Jeopardy" so his feast never went unnoticed.

Consistency is not one of my virtues.

Kirstin said...

I didn't know you were in my backyard! I'm an Aidanite. (Jack Pantaleo is a rare soul.) I help out at the Ranch whenever I can; met your priest at clergy conference.

I'll wander over sometime.

Paul said...

Kirstin, thanks for dropping in here. I now live in Albuquerque but was vicar at St Cuddy's for 10.5 years. By all means stop in and worship with those wonderful folks whom I miss. Tell them I sent you! (I was also interim at St Aidan's between Jim Jelinek and Nedi Rivera.)

Kirstin said...

I will! Small planet.