Adventure to St Chad's church with Sr Eithne

Long delay in writing blog post, my apologies. I have arrived safely back in Australia and slowly adjusting. I thought that I would continue to write the post from the trip, hopefully completing in the next three days, there is about eight to go then I can get back to my normal blogging . So here goes... 

St Chads interior

The importance of St Chad's for our congregation is that on the 2nd February our Foundress Elizabeth Prout with her three other companions were received here into habit for the foundation of our congregation to begin. 

This church would be what I say “high mass” with three altars plus an older one at the back of the church. It is in the side altar dedicated to Mary, that is where Elizabeth Prout would have taken her public commitment to living a religious life and forming in this way. 

One late afternoon Sr Eithne collected me and took me on the journey to the church. Going through the streets we past the Irish Service Centre which two of our Sisters set up in addressing the need for Irish people to have a centre in order to access other services or come together as community. 

Driving through the township, it was clear that although times have changed, economy picked up at different points over the past 150 years, its evident that this part of the larger Manchester is still lower economy class with people struggling for the basics in life.

After finding a park, we walked to the church past stock street, which was where Elizabeth stayed while teaching in this area. 

Our ears heard the sound of the organ filling the air. Entering into the church it was bright, cheerful atmosphere. We walked up to the side altar where there is a plaque acknowledging the importance of the place in reference to Elizabeth Prout. 

There is something to be said about walking in the same footsteps as those who came before us.
Elizabeth Prout arrived in Manchester to St Chads in September 1849. She was invited by Father Robert Croskell, who was seeking a schoolmistress. At the time she arrived both the school and the church were new. The wider picture though offers a contrast, with the town on the edge of industrial revolution, people dying on the streets from cholera and coming from the country to the city would have been a major shock. 

Hard to put images to the times, to think that the church is a shelter to the wider society who at the time were in challenging times just to survive. 

Eithne and myself sat in the church for a while, we were going to get up close to the plaque yet the alarms went off on the area to indicate someone - me - step out of line! 

Truly what kind of system is there …. after apologising to the priest, giggling a little as we walked away we took refugee in the side garden. On walking out of the door the noticeboard caught my attention with a notice to pray for the passionist. Never know who is praying for you. 

Sr Dominic Savio at the opening of the plaque to acknowledge EP

   

So it was here that our religious congregation was publicly identified with the first response from Elizabeth Prout and two others. It is here that Elizabeth attended daily mass and often spent time. It is here that so many of our Sisters have pilgrim to stand where Elizabeth stood, pray together with those in the present and past. A great honour indeed. 

I was pleased to have the moment to enjoy this space with Eithne in a way that we thought maybe Elizabeth would have come into the church to music, spent time with her companions praying, laughing and been full of life after all it is from prayer that the living water of life flows, as too true for all of us. 

After we departed, it was time to meet Sr Betty who lives in a area of inner city living, with the wider community. We went out for an evening of sharing each others companionship and getting to know one another. A delightful evening with treasured memories. 

Sr Betty, Sr Eithne and Me