A cold day in late January saw a packed York Minster witnessing what one distinguished member of the congregation called ‘the greatest day in the history of our diocese’, the celebration of Mass to commemorate the Founding Vision of Mary Ward. By the very kind permission of the Dean and Chapter of York Minster and at the invitation of Sister Jane Livesey CJ and Sister Eileen McConnon IBVM a great and ecumenical crowd gathered in honour of this courageous, prophetic and exemplary Yorkshire lady.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor reminded all present of the great privilege we had been granted just to be there before going on to pay tribute to the ‘old girls here’, or ‘ladies of a certain age’ as went on to correct himself ‘for their wonderful work all over the world and their witness, their presence and their courage’ before asking ‘the good Lord to continue to bless them and make them flourish and continue their wonderful work in years to come’. Amen to that!

In his homily Bishop Terry reminded us all that ‘we carry a great treasure placed there through the action of the Lord himself. It is not from our doing, but from God’. He told us how Mary Ward had taken the word of God to heart and discovered the knowledge of God, and how she had brought the glory of the face of Christ to many, despite the great struggles and extreme dangers of her time.

Sr Gemma Simmonds CJ illuminated the context of Mary Ward’s life and drew parallels with our own times; Mary Ward and her young companions – the open circle – ‘shared the dream of doing great things for God’ in contrast to the Gunpowder Plotters, many of whom were related to Mary Ward and her companions, who had lost hope that anything would change and who resorted to religious terrorism. She went on to say, ‘The open circle includes all whose lives have been touched by Mary Ward, who have never lost faith over 400 years in the potential of human beings living in hope.’ In York Minster, ‘this most beautiful of settings, a glorious place to be… a new chapter of hospitality and mutual Christian respect is being written in hope. The same Christ who called fishers of Galilee and a seventeenth century Yorkshire girl calls each one of us every day to have courage and follow within the circumstances of our own life’

The final words on this great day of music, dance, celebration and sacrament must go to Mary Ward herself. ‘Remember that God be the end of all your actions, and therein you will find great satisfaction and think all things easy and possible’.