CPW Virtual Summer Week - Day of Celebration Opening Address and A Special Message from Our Patron

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad.

By Anne Dixon

So here we are. I feel as though I have been waiting for this day for years.  The hum of conversations began more than 5 years ago - should we celebrate at 70? Or 75? We opted for the latter and the planning began. Oh what schemes we had! They involved marquees and ceilidh bands, barbecues and table decorations. If only we’d known - the hours of meetings we could have saved. You have to laugh!

And now I’m going be controversial. I’m not sorry. I’m not sorry our plans were thwarted. I am sorry not to have seen you all in person, of course, but there have been so many unforeseen blessings experienced this week, as we all worked way beyond our comfort zones. We have had to draw on resources we didn’t know we had. The old familiar ways were gone and we had to re-think what it meant for us to have a meaningful gathering in a virtual setting. 

75 years ago today a group of lay Catholics did something new. They met, as a residential community and poured the resources of theological education into the receptive ears of lay people. Imagine!  What was the Church coming to?

75 years later a group of lay Catholics did something new. They took what they knew, worked within the restrictions imposed and created something that looked and felt a lot like a CPW but was also radically different. Who knows where we go from here, but I like to think our founders, John Todd, Reginald Trevett and Dom Ralph Russell would have approved of our pioneering spirit and are cheering us on even now.

Whatever happens over the next 12 hours ( and there are lots of parts of this day which are unknown to me - so I’m trusting you all). Have wonderful day, enjoy it and rejoice - we only do this every 75 years!