FRIENDS of EPIPHANY HOUSE

NEWSLETTER October 2012

1

Sister Elizabeth:

Sixty years since her Profession

Since the 6th century, monks and nuns following

the Rule of Saint Benedict have made the so-called

Benedictine vow at their public profession of obedience

(placing oneself under the direction of the

abbot/abbess or prior/prioress), stability (committing

oneself to a particular monastery) and conversion of

manners (which includes celibate chastity and

forgoing private ownership). In other orders, people

who make a commitment to the religious life make a

public profession of the vows of chastity, poverty and

obedience. In October 2012, Sister Elizabeth celebrates

the sixtieth anniversary since her profession.

Elizabeth Nott, born on 20 April 1916 and known by

her family as Betty, celebrated her 96th birthday this

year. She was born in Devon, the eldest of three girls,

and her father was the Vicar of the parishes of

Hennock and Chudleigh Knighton. Her younger sisters

still live in Devon. Elizabeth was educated in Bristol

where she boarded at St Brandon’s, a school for

daughters of the clergy. She was aware of a religious

calling at the age of seven and, when she left school,

trained as a nanny with Dr Barnardo’s and continued

to work with that organisation for several years.

During the Second World War she was based in

Exeter.

Elizabeth came to the Community of the Epiphany in

Truro in the late 1940s when it was located at Alverton

Manor and has spent most of her long life in Cornwall.

By the time she made her profession she was in her

mid-30s. She spent three years as a novice and, having

strong academic and spiritual qualities, became a sister

of the ‘First Order’. During her time in the Community,

she lived for a period at the daughter house in

Penzance and also worked at the convalescent home

run by the sisters in St Agnes. Sister Elizabeth had a

strong commitment to Sunday School work and used

to teach at the Sunday School in Tresillian. She was

accustomed to walking everywhere and would walk via

St Clements to pick up children and accompany them

to the school.

A long-standing friend, Kathy Furze, remembers her

first contacts with the sisters in the mid-1970s when

they were still at Alverton. Arriving for tea with her

daughter, who was just nine months old, Kathy

remembers sisters appearing from all around the

staircase and their excitement at seeing her baby.

Kathy also recalls the simplicity and austerity of the

accommodation during her first retreat, how Sister Ana

would take jugs of warm milk up to the retreatants at

bedtime, and how there would be jugs of warm water

for washing in the morning.

When the decision was taken to leave Alverton Manor,

twelve sisters transferred to Copeland Court that was

renamed Epiphany House. Among Sister

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Elizabeth’s duties in the convent was the task of

preparing the

altar for services

and ringing the

chapel bell.

Alongside her life

of prayer and

visiting was a

ministry of

correspondence,

writing long

letters to people

in the UK and

around the world.

The last two nuns

in the Community, Sister Elizabeth and Sister

Rosemary, left Epiphany House in 2001 and Elizabeth

returned to Devon, moving to a residential home at

Bovey Tracey. Those who visited her there

commented on the renewed mission she found and a

member of staff perceptively spoke of the ‘grace that

fell over the home’. Sister Elizabeth prayed for the sick

and regularly visited and sat with the dying. She

continued practical work: sewing name tags on the

clothes of newly arrived residents, shredding the

confidential documents in the office, ironing the linen

napkins. She ran the small shop in the home. For

herself and for other residents she would visit the

local Post Office. Rarely would Sister Elizabeth miss

the daily offices or services and latterly a number of

local clergy have visited her for communion.

In 2008 the Community of the Epiphany celebrated

125 years since its foundation and Sister Elizabeth

achieved national fame when local and national

newspapers ran stories about her as the last sister of

her order. Sister vehemently denied reports that the

Community was ‘defunct’!

Kathy describes Sister Elizabeth as an ‘absolute lady’.

Visitors never fail to be moved by her deeply spiritual

qualities. She has led a life of commitment, centred on

obedience, faithful to her Christian beliefs and loyal to

her many friends. There was a brief hiatus in letter-

writing during her recent illness but Sister Elizabeth is

intent on resuming her correspondence.

As the anniversary of her Profession approaches,

Sister Elizabeth’s mental faculties are undiminished

although physically she has become very frail. She still

takes her vows seriously: Kathy spoke of the difficulty

of persuading Sister to purchase a book that cost all of

£30, an amount that Sister regarded as an

extravagance. She agreed to accept the book only on

condition that it should eventually be passed on to

another suitable reader.

The celebrity culture reflected and promoted by our

newspapers and television is notable for its

preoccupation with achieving wealth, with the sexual

behaviour of the rich and famous, with the rights of

individuals to do as they please - the opposites, in

fact, of poverty, chastity and obedience. Sister

Elizabeth is exemplary testimony to sixty years of

leading a life of service that is a remarkable

counterpoint to contemporary values.

Compiled by Michael Tedder with extensive help from

Kathy Furze

Anniversary Celebration

The Anniversary of Sister Elizabeth’s profession was

28 October and there was a celebration at Tracey

House, attended by several Friends. The photograph

shows Sister Elizabeth with Kathy and Tony Furze.

Rose Simpson writes:

Sister Elizabeth indicated some time ago that she

wanted to celebrate the Anniversary of her Profession

with a Eucharist service at Tracey House and she

wanted Canon Perran Gay to conduct it. In the event,

about forty people attended, mainly other residents

and Sister's family. Sister chose the readings and

Perran gave a short homily. He pointed out how very

apt the readings were - one from St John about the

calling of the disciples and the other about St Jude and

Jesus’ friends. It was a gently joyous occasion and we

were all able to speak with Sister and she recognised

each one of us. The owners of Tracey House, Cynthia

and Jo, arranged a lovely cake to celebrate Sister's

anniversary. It even had the Epiphany Star bosse on it!

3

The Macaulays move on….

Bridget writes about a new stage in

her family’s life after Epiphany House

Kayna, Evie and Chirstin summer last year

With nearly four years at Epiphany House under our belt, a

few more grey hairs and frighteningly large children, we will

be moving on from our work here at the end of October.

When we arrived at the end of 2008 Evie (now 8) hadn’t

even started school, and Kayna (now 14) and Chirstin (now

12) were still in primary school. The pace and depth of

change for them, and for us as both parents and in priestly

ministry, has been huge. We can’t pretend the last four

years have been easy. Seeking to clarify the direction of the

House and its ministry for the next stage; increasing the

level of evening meetings, weekend bookings and overnight

guests and laying the foundations for change in a climate of

financial down-turn, has been demanding. We have been

so grateful for the appointment of Tim as House Manager

at the point when we were close to being burnt out.

Tim’s arrival coincided with the need to start thinking about

our future as a family and, with Kayna at the point of taking

her GCSE options, it became clear that we needed to

relocate at Easter time this year in order that we could get

the girls settled into the schools they would be in long-

term. Moving out of the House was the first step towards a

new chapter for us in family life and ministry. With the

death of Bridget’s mother in September 2011 and the need

to be closer to her father, the west of the county was

calling.

So what will we be doing? All being well, we will be taking a

bit of a ‘building sabbatical’ over the next year or so. About

twenty years ago Bridget inherited from her mother a plot

of land in Perranuthnoe, a few miles east of Penzance. We

have recently obtained planning permission to rebuild the

little cedar-wood shack that presently sits on the site and

we hope soon to begin building the first ‘home of our own’.

This feels like God’s gift to us. The build seems somehow

symbolic of God’s action in our lives; a stripping right back

to the foundations and creating a new place to live and be

and offer hospitality from that is fit for purpose at this

stage in our lives but that also builds on the way God has

led us to date.

It is a leap of faith. There are still many practical issues to

resolve but we are excited to take on the joys and

challenges of some physical labour! It will also be a

different kind of head and spirit space to discern how God

is leading us to serve him. There are some shapes in the

mist ahead regarding future opportunities for ministry and

we believe these will start to firm up in the spring next

year.

We have learnt a huge amount during our time at Epiphany

and hope we have contributed something to its life and

ministry. We continue to pray that God will guide the

decisions regarding staffing and that the wonderful

potential of the House will be realised more and more so

that it might become a spiritual hub for the county and

beyond. Thank-you for the practical support and kindness

you have offered us during our time at Epiphany and we

look forward to on-going friendships with many of you as

we head west. With our love and thanks,

Kenny, Bridget, Kayna, Chirstin and Evie

View from the Macaulay building plot

Staff and Trustees say Farewell

On 18 October, Bridget and Kenny were presented with a

garden bench that should be a great addition to their new

home and enable the whole family to enjoy the view at

Perranuthnoe.

4

Silence and Solitude

An ‘evangelical protestant’ encounters

the spiritual exercises of St Ignatius – Debbie Mitchell talks with Michael Tedder

Debbie Mitchell remembers coming to Quiet Days at

Epiphany House twenty years ago when the sisters lived

here. She recalls how she would be greeted by a sister at

the front door and remembers the chats at the end of the

day over tea and cake. Once, when she felt burdened by a

family problem, a sister told her that ‘silent prayer achieves

great things’. She came to realise that ‘silence and solitude

have greater significance than I understood’.

These days Debbie is a regular worshipper at the Baptist

Church in Truro. Mother of two teenage girls, she finds

that, as her family grows up, she is able to offer more at

Epiphany House. She is one of the bank staff, she comes to

Quiet Days and has attended courses like Soul Spark and

Nurturing the Listening Heart. It seemed almost inevitable

that she would move on to taking the Exercises of St

Ignatius. She had wanted to undertake a retreat for a long

time, saying how these days we lead lives with 24/7

pressures that ‘assault our senses’. The opportunity to

undertake a guided retreat – and to take it locally – was a

chance she could not miss and she came to the ten day

Stage 1 retreat in July.

The first few days of the retreat set the scene, looking at

Creation, with everyone reviewing their own lived history.

Then for five days they focused on the Exercises

themselves. Each morning a retreatant spent about an hour

with their spiritual director. For Debbie, the meeting took

place at the end of the morning and served to set the

agenda for the next twenty-four hours. Each day included

several periods of

purposeful solitary

prayer that each

individual planned

around meals and

services. Breakfast

was provided in the

Refectory and then

retreatants prepared

their own packed lunch. The

whole House was available for

the Retreat, including the

Parlour for individual prayer and

for the daily eucharist at 5.30

and the Blue Room for

corporate prayer after supper.

The only spoken communication each day was with the

spiritual director – otherwise everything was undertaken in

silence. Debbie says she did not find it difficult to maintain

silence though was aware that, for some, it was a

challenge. She said that, after three days she had to

withdraw further from non-verbal communication because

she felt that even eye contact was an intrusion into other

people’s space. There were a few departures from the rule

of silence, however, and Debbie mentioned the hilarity

caused when serving and eating spaghetti!

At each meeting with the spiritual director, written material

was provided to work with during the following twenty four

hours: a choice of scriptures, a set text, a particular theme

to explore. This was referred to as the ‘road map’, the

scaffolding for the retreat. The meeting with the spiritual

director was an opportunity to discuss what had emerged

and to explore questions together.

During each set prayer period, Debbie described how she

would spend time becoming familiar with the particular

scripture, a stage of ‘coming to stillness’ followed by

prayerful meditation. She talked of ‘praying for a grace’ as

an instance of developing her experience of prayer. She

described how she found this search to be ‘Looking for God

to reveal more deeply who He is and where He is active in

my life.’

In the early part of the

retreat, Debbie stayed

in the House and

walked in the grounds

but then she started to

develop a walk around

the local villages of

Idless and

Shortlanesend as part

of her rhythm of

prayer.

The retreatants were

encouraged to keep a

journal, something that

Debbie has been doing

for years. She said that the journal brings together various

threads and loose ends revealing a more complete picture

of God’s presence in her life. She described how it helps to

ground a different appreciation of scripture, how a familiar

text such as the parable of the Prodigal Son in St Luke’s

gospel can say something new, can give new insights. She

said it helped her in discerning what God was saying to her.

5

Debbie explained how the journal is something you can’t

ignore, you can’t avoid, it’s ‘the place for externalising the

internal experience’. The journal commits things to words

and enables you to continue holding

on to what is revealed about oneself

and about God. Debbie described

how she understands that there is

an aspect of God that is mystery

whilst knowing at the same time

that there are other aspects that

can be known more fully. The

journal offers a ‘snapshot’ of that appreciation.

Asked what she thought about the retreat two months

later, Debbie said that she went on holiday with her family

after leaving Epiphany House, so did not have to return

immediately to the usual routines. The journey in the family

car was a ‘good re-entry’, an opportunity to talk to family

members and a good chance to share some of what she

had experienced with her daughters. More recently she has

started to look at the material she was given to explore

between Year 1 and Year 2 and talked of the discipline

needed to ensure ‘desert days’ when she could revisit what

God had revealed during the retreat. The journal continues

to be a regular part of her prayer life, a work in progress.

Debbie hesitated when asked if she was looking forward to

Stage 2 next year. She said it would be a challenge, not

something to be undertaken lightly. ‘A retreat is a time of

surrender to God, it’s not a holiday, not a nice few days of

peace and quiet.’ She quoted lines from T.S. Eliot’s Four

Quartets to explain her quest:

We shall not cease from

exploration, and the end of all

our exploring will be to arrive

where we started and know

the place for the first time.

The Spiritual Exercises of

St Ignatius in 2013

Epiphany House is able to offer all three stages of the

Exercises led by a team of experienced Spiritual Directors.

In 2013 the Retreats are programmed as follows:

Stage I: Tuesday 9 July to Saturday 20 July

Stage II: Monday 22 July to Friday 2 August

Stage III: Monday 5 August to Friday 16 August

Please contact the House for further information.

Music from East and West

On Saturday 23 June the House hosted a day organised by

local members of the Fellowship of St Alban and St Sergius.

The Fellowship has existed since the 1920s to promote

understanding between Christians of East and West and

sustains a dialogue between Anglicans and different

Orthodox traditions.

On this occasion, Canon Perran Gay presented a survey of a

thousand years of Western church music, from Gregorian

Chant to Worship Songs while Reader Christopher Rakowski

traced the evolution of Orthodox chant through the

numerous cultural influences that have made it such a rich

form of musical expression.

At the end of the day, Father Benedict Ramsden led a

service of Vespers following the Orthodox tradition that

included an able quartet of singers offering a capella

musical praise. The service brought a touch of the East to

our South West chapel!

R I P

Giles Blomfield (1925 – 2012)

Giles Blomfield, who died on 12 October, was a

long-standing Friend of the Community of the

Epiphany and of Epiphany House. His sister was a

member of the Community. During his

retirement, Giles used his professional skills as an

architect in the service of the Trust in projects

such as creating the kitchen we now call

Martha’s. His funeral took place at St John’s

Church on 25 October and the reception that

followed was held at Epiphany House.

The Staff and Trustees express their love and

prayers to Jean and their family.

6

Way of Life day

Jennie Eglington writes about a Quiet

Day on Saturday 21 September

Recently a small booklet

entitled Way of Life - A

pattern for Christian Living

was sent to churches in

Cornwall. Copies were

available for every Church

member and included an

introduction by Bishop Tim

encouraging all of us to read

it, and to give it much

thought. It was to be used as

a 'tool’ for help and guidance

in our Christian lives, but

also to get us to think about

better and more productive ways of using our time day by

day on our journey of faith; new ways of becoming closer to

God through a different rhythm of daily life and being able

to be more balanced in our outlook, our work, and our walk

with God.

I noticed that Bridget Macaulay was leading an exploratory

day on "Way of Life" at Epiphany House so, having read the

booklet, I went along to the day to find out more. I was not

disappointed! It was a very thought-provoking and

interesting day as Bridget led us quietly and thoughtfully

towards a different way or 'rule' of life that we might like to

consider in our journeying.

After coffee and a short time of worship, Bridget explained

clearly and movingly the way of life that is followed in

monastic living, where the days are balanced and broken up

between patterns of work, prayer and worship, rest and

reflection, and study. The days are punctuated with seven

short forms of prayer and worship that begin early in the

morning and end in the evening before sleep. These days

are not governed by 'routine' but by gentle rhythm similar

to the tides ebbing and flowing.

We had space and opportunity during our day for reading

and recording our own personal reflections on the

questions carefully asked by Bridget. It was a chance to

rethink and reflect on our own journey with God, and on

our life patterns in general, and that was for me full of

surprises! Bridget explained so well the importance of small

pauses, or 'commas' in the day: watching the steam rise

from the early kettle, looking at the stars in the night sky,

hearing the first bird begin to chirrup in the early morning,

and having always that sense of wonder, that sense of

peace and stillness. This really made me think.....

Bridget had prepared a wonderful collage on the floor of

four ways of journeying with God, namely: journeying Up

through prayer and worship; journeying In through study,

attending courses and being open to God; journeying Out

by meeting, interacting and sharing with others on the way;

journeying With by hospitality and friendship to others,

especially those who are in need. But also in the centre of

the Collage was the ‘Garth’, a quiet sacred space for rest,

reflection and peace which had a definite importance in the

rhythm of the day. All these were joined by the 'Cloisters',

signifying the journeying from one activity to another

during the ordinary day.

The day ended with worship and prayer, and I left feeling

very blessed and rejuvenated. I recommend this day to you

as it will give you new thoughts on your own journey of

faith. Epiphany House was a superb venue, it was my first

visit, and I am sure it will not be my last. It is a warm,

homely, comfortable and welcoming space with the most

beautiful grounds and gardens. We were given an excellent

lunch, and there was always plenty of tea and coffee

available. It was so good to be looked after in this way so

that we could truly concentrate on the day and all that it

provided for us.

Way of Life is an initiative of the Diocese of Truro and

is a tool for disciples irrespective of tradition, age and

situation. It is designed to help us be intentional and

disciplined in our walk and talk with God, as pilgrims

of the Way, rather like a packing list for the rucksack

which we carry as we walk with God.

A similar workshop will be offered on Saturday 19th

January 2013

7

Cornwall Business Show

Tim Elliot goes out to the business

community

On October 3 and 4 Epiphany House had a stand at the

Cornwall Business Show at Kingsley Village. This was not

the first time that the House has had a presence at a

business show – earlier in the summer we took part in a

similar event on Lemon Quay. The intention is to raise

Epiphany House’s profile among the business community

and persuade more people to cross the threshold knowing

that whoever comes here, for whatever reason, always

wants to return. We are also trying out the idea of

Corporate Well-Being Days.

Jane (admin assistant) and Tim had a busy couple of days

with a steady flow of visitors to the stand. We

unashamedly used bribery with a delicious array of mini

Mollie cakes available and on both days took the trays

round to the other exhibitors.

We were faced with the usual combination of comments

such as: ‘I didn’t know you existed’ and ‘I thought you were

a convent’ etc. We dispelled a few myths and persuaded a

several people that it was worth paying us a visit to sample

our coffee and now we look forward to reaping the benefits

in years to come.

New Bank

Please renew your

Standing Order

Earlier this year the Board of Trustees

approved a proposal to arrange banking

services for the Epiphany Trust (Truro) Ltd

with the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)

Bank. This is an organisation that

specialises in providing for charities and

promises to make banking for the

Epiphany Trust more flexible than we have

found with our previous provider.

Unfortunately, the change means that we

have to ask all Friends to complete a new

Standing Order form to continue their

subscription as Friends. A copy of the form

should be enclosed with this Newsletter

mailing and we request that you complete

it and return it to the office.

Prayers in the House

Morning prayer is said by staff each day at 10.00

am from Monday to Friday and at 9.30 am on

Saturday.

The Eucharist is celebrated on Tuesdays at 12

noon. On the first Tuesday of each month, the

emphasis during the Eucharist is on prayer for

healing.

If you would like us to include you, or any friends

and family, in our prayers, please write down the

names and leave them in the box in the reception

hall of Epiphany House.

8

Forthcoming Events

Friday 9 - Saturday 10 November The Enneagram and Spirituality

Led by the Revd Dr. David

Rake, this workshop

explores how the insights

of the Enneagram can

deepen our understanding

of personal prayer,

worship, spiritual direction

and the development of

the spiritual life.

Participants should have

attended a basic

Enneagram workshop and know their Enneagram type.

Attendance at both sessions is necessary.

The workshop takes place on Friday 9th November at

7.30pm - 9.30pm (tea and coffee from 7pm) and Saturday

10th November from 10.00am to 5.00pm. Please bring a

packed lunch for Saturday, drinks will be provided. The

charge is £26.

Saturday 17 November The tender whisper of thy call Chairman of the Methodist Circuit, the Revd Steve Wild, will

lead this Quiet Day. It will start with a celebration of the

Lord’s Supper at 9.30. Steve says that it will be ‘A day to

draw near to God in order to reflect on how the Holy Spirit

calls us to various tasks. We will explore the call of some

Biblical characters.’ There will be silence and Steve will be

available during those slots for personal counselling.

Saturday 19 January Waymark Event: Monastic rhythm for busy lives The Revd Bridget Macaulay will lead this reflective

workshop offering an opportunity to explore ‘Way of Life’

as a means to deepen our

journey with God and each

other. Using insights from the

shape and rhythms of monastic

life there will be guided

resources and quiet space in

which to think about our own

patterns of prayer and service

within the routines of daily life.

The event will take place from 9.30am – 4.00pm. The

charge is £15 to include all drinks and a simple lunch

Friday 25th to Sunday 27th January Individually Guided Retreat An opportunity to undertake a silent residential retreat

away from the demands and rush of everyday life. Led by

an ecumenical team of prayer guides.

Saturday 16th February Boundless and Bare This quiet day will be led by Fr Mark Skelton and will reflect

on the desert experience in Lent using literature and

poetry.

Christmas Open Day

Saturday

1st December 10:30am to 5pm

Refreshments - art exhibition –

teas – cakes - craft fayre -

children's activities

Feast of the Epiphany

Sunday 6th

January

The Eucharist at 6.00 pm will be celebrated by the

Bishop of Truro, the Rt Revd Tim Thornton. The

Eucharist will be followed by a light supper.

Please let the Office know if you plan to attend.

There is no charge for supper but an appropriate

contribution would be appreciated.

For more information or to book a place for any

event please contact Epiphany House:

Telephone: 01872 272249

email: bookings.epiphanyhouse@keme.co.uk