THE
P RTAL
June 2018
A request for help from Joanna Bogle
I s anyone
Catholic History
Walks Project
Page 4
out there willing to help Auntie Joanna with her
Catholic History Walks project? It’s London-based, but the work
can be done anywhere, as it’s a matter of keeping the website up to
date, notifying parishes, etc. A (very modest) monthly honorarium
is on offer.
Just what is this project? Essentially, it involves teaching
people their own history. As is well known, students at
school over the past two decades have not been taught
history very well. It has been “thematic” - centred on
the idea of looking at themes in history. Thus there are
themes such as “health” or “housing” or a choice of a
particular period: “The Tudors” “the Romans”, in no
particular order so pupils get rather confused and find
it difficult to grasp how the centuries roll on and how
different eras unfold and overlap. And then in addition
to all that, we have “Black History Month” and “Women’s
History month” and – this last one is pure propaganda
and has some elements that are distinctly anti-Christian:
”Lesbian and gay history month”.
na
wri tes
The Ordinariate
has – or should have – a special responsibility for
helping to teach the history of our country, because
we are part of a message of healing and hope over
old divisions, and offering something positive as
part of the New Evangelisation. Understanding the
initial evangelisation of Britain is part of the key to
promoting the New. The Faith came to these islands
long, long ago – in the days of the Roman Empire, that
same Empire into which Christ himself was born in
Bethlehem in Judea. The Apostles, following the great
commission given to them by Christ, set out to take
the message to every nation. And so it came to Britain,
along the routes and seaways of the Roman world.
It is not just the young. Many people say with a
mildly regretful shrug, “I never quite got the hang of
history while I was at school”. And they certainly don’t
link it with the history of the Church in our country,
except for an embarrassed recognition of mutual
Catholic/Protestant hostility, imprisonment, torture
and killings in the 16 th and 17 th centuries.
We can do better than this. And London’s Catholic
History Walks are a start. Too many Catholics tend to
think of “Catholic history” in Britain as starting with
St Thomas More and Henry VIII. In fact, almost all
RCs to whom I have mentioned the Walks have said
“Oh yes – Thomas More…” But the Faith had been
established in our country for well over a thousand
years before Thomas More was born in Cheapside,
and before Henry VIII was growing up with his older
brother Arthur under the tutorship of their father
Henry VII.
There are records of Bishops from Britain visiting
Rome in the early centuries – just as our Bishops visit
today, to report to the Pope and to discuss issues with
him. As the Roman Empire collapsed and the pagan
Angles and Saxons invaded – across what we still call
East Anglia – evangelisation had to begin anew…
Of course there is a lot more to British history than
just what we can learn from London. Walking along
the Thames gives only a tiny part of a massive – and
ongoing – story. But it’s a start. You are warmly invited
Do you know about St Elphege, martyred by the to come on a Catholic History Walk – and, if you
pagan Vikings? What about St Olave, the Christian think you might be able to help with administration,
Viking king? Know anything about St Magnus? All and with getting the project expanding, do contact me.
these saints are honoured along the Thames – and all You can email me at [email protected] –
were involved in a Church that flourished here long and the History Walks website, with all the info on the
before the Norman Conquest.
latest Walks, is at www.catholichistorywalks.com.