In the Haymarket in Newcastle, there is a large Church beside the City Hall. It isn't an ordinary church and has a Master rather than a vicar. The Master, Kit Widdows, was talking to a charity that he was associated with in Byker, when he collapsed and died. Terrible shock for all. Today was his funeral. Even 3/4 hour before the service, there were a lot of people. By the time it started at 11.00 the Church was full, including big galleries. At a guess 500 to 600 people. This included 2 Bishops a Lord Mayor and a Mayor.
The Lord Mayor opened the service. He told us he is a Buddhist and gave us an outline of their belief re life and death. We had 5 hymns, the Eucharist liturgy and several readings and words about Kit. The Gospel was a reading from Kit's novel 'Fourth Witness'. It is Kit's translation of St John's Gospel, Chapter 1. After the normal intercessions we had a Jewish prayer on the same lines. There was a reading from 'Four Quartets' by T.S.Eliot. After the consecration of the bread and wine, his children (grown up) talked about their Father. He was an amazing man. I had got to know him while on the Diocesan Synod and had a great respect for him. He had his own ideas about things and a very good mind, but was extremely kind. The children's eulogy was very moving, especially when they moved away from the man the world new and talked about him as their father.
Immediately after that, we had the Communion. As Kit had intoduced into the Church, the bread and wine were passed from person to person. Kit's wife had baked the bread, as she had done throughout his ministry. There were a lot of vicars there and they took the bread and wine to various points and set them on their way. This way it was easy for everyone who wanted to, to participate, including those in the galleries. I received from the wife of the Bishop of Newcastle and gave to a Canon of the Cathedral. Very humbling.
After the post communion prayers, there was a reading of 'Batter my Heart' by John Donne, which I had not heard before. Then we sang Thine be the Glory to the orchestra and organ, all at full volume - sending him off as he would have wished. Bishop Martin and Assistant Bishop Paul shared the Commendation and he was carried out to the Grand March from Aida.
Everyone was invited to a reception in the Civic Centre Banqueting Hall, but as I was due at Belsay School at 1.00 and it was then 12.40, I had to head for the Metro and my car on the outskirts of the City. I was only 20 minutes late!
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4 comments:
That was a grand funeral. I an off to look up the Donne poem.
It sounds like a wonderful occasion. It is important to mark people's lives in a special way. I too don't know Batter my Heart and will look it up. Peculiar name for a poem, I think.
It is more meaningful when you feel that the deceased has had a hand in planning their own funeral.
I'm familiar with John Donne's work, but didn't know about `Batter my Heart'.
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