...and now it's goodbye to Brother Marco

Two weeks ago, with the sudden death of Brother Eugene, the community of the Society of St Paul in London lost one of its members. Today, another of its members, Brother Marco Bulgarelli, leaves London to take up work in the Society’s centre in Cinisello, Italy.

During his two years here Brother Marco has played an invaluable role in the work of our publishing sector. In particular, his enthusiasm for and contribution to projects such as Pushkin, the Pontifical Puss and Sister Wendy Contemplates the Iconic Jesus helped to make them both extremely successful.

As we thank him for all he has done, his friends in London pray that the Lord will continue to bestow upon Brother Marco his abundant blessings.

Mass for Brother Eugene

On Sunday morning, in the chapel of the community of the Society of Saint Paul in London, Holy Mass was celebrated with the intention of the repose of the soul of our beloved Brother Eugene Priante, who returned to our Father’s house during Saturday night. Present at the celebration were representatives of all the Pauline Family in Great Britain - Society of Saint Paul, Daughters of Saint Paul, Institute of Holy Mary of the Annunciation and collaborators.

We take this opportunity to thank those who have prayed for our beloved confrere and those who have sent messages of sympathy to the community. We are confident that Brother Eugene will continue to assist the work of the UK-Ireland Region (which he loved greatly) by interceding to the Heavenly Father for us. If we had to ask this of him, we are sure that he would answer using the expression he loved to use: " Definitely, yes! ". Br Marco Bulgarelli ssp

Brother Eugene Priante RIP

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Brother Eugene Priante of the Society of St Paul who died last night. Brother Eugene had recently relocated to the community in England, having spent time here in the past, but much of his lifelong association with the Society was spent in Italy. His sudden death is a great shock to members of the community in London, please also keep them in your prayers. May he rest in peace.

Job vacancy

We are currently looking to recruit an Accounts Assistant. The position is full-time and based in our London bookshop. A working knowledge of Sage, Excel and VAT are essential. Please send CV and covering letter to stephen AT stpauls.org.uk (replacing 'AT' with @).

A meditation for Holy Week

Golgotha - Crucifixion by Greg Tricker

The Crucifixion is the great image of redemptive love. The Buddhists have their peaceful, contemplative Buddha, the Hindus have their various gods, alive with vitality and meaning for believers. But the Christian Faith is symbolised by the image of the young man, the Christ, suffering a most painful death. The almost impossible problem for an artist is to show that this young man, there before us in His agonies, is also the Almighty God. Even more, the artist is challenged to show a real death into which Jesus enters, but through which Jesus will pass: this death is not ‘the end’, as it always seems to be in human experience.

Usually, artists try to depict the divinity by showing the dying Jesus as a man of profound dignity and beauty. Only very occasionally, (El Greco is an artist who comes to mind), is there any suggestion of the glorious Resurrection that is to come. Tricker’s deep and prayerful understanding of the mystery of Jesus makes it possible for him to create this extraordinary image. Apart from the horizontal cross beam, it is all verticals stretching up to the heavens to which Jesus belongs, yet rooted to the earth where He also belongs. The face of Jesus is almost occluded.

One of the greatest humiliations for Jews, a modest nation, was the naked exposure that crucifixion imposed. The crucified hung there, naked, for all to see. Tricker reverently shadows the face and body of the Christos, and yet the scene flanked by dark panels, is radiant with light. A rich gold streams around the Cross and down it. Tricker thinks of this as lava flowing from the divinity, down to the dark earth that is mankind. A full moon hangs in the sky, because Jesus has brought to fullness the work which His Father gave Him. The green and the blue, green emblem of the life force, the life of God that through Jesus He shares with us, and blue, emblem of spirituality, are colours that have been important to Tricker ever since his visit to Chartres. There he understood how colour could become more than itself, rather as in Christ, humanity is enabled to become more than itself.

This dark and suffering Jesus dies, but almost visibly rises. He is the life force into which all humanity is drawn, and His lifted arms offer us, with Himself, to the Father. Tricker reveres, as few artists have done, the privacy of Jesus, the loneliness that was the inescapable effect of His unique significance, a significance we can never fully understand let alone describe. Yet those arms raised in surrender, are also raised in victory and gratitude. It has always seemed to me that Jesus died in an ecstasy of joy, because He could say to the Father ‘it is consummated’, it is finished, I have achieved what you have asked of me. The glowing richness of the colour here hints at that immense and overwhelming joy.

Text © St Pauls Publishing taken from The Christ Journey by Sister Wendy Beckett
Picture © Nigel Noyes

Changes at St Pauls

After thirteen and a half years as Manager of our London bookshop, David Chapman has now retired. Throughout his time at St Pauls David has played a pivotal role in the day to day running of the bookshop. His commitment to the mission of the Society of St Paul in spreading the Gospel is testimony to his deep-rooted Christian faith. As one member of staff said, "I couldn’t have asked for a better boss". Members of the Society of St Paul could not have asked for a better example of how to fulfil their apostolate. David will be greatly missed, but all at St Pauls wish him a very long, happy and blessed retirement. As Shaun Glossop replaces him as Manager, we take this opportunity of welcoming Shaun to St Pauls.