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People / Organisations
CB104 · Corporate body · 1948-1975

The Travelling Mission was a Mass providing mobile ministry of the diocese of Northampton which operated from 1948 to 1975, the year before the diocese of East Anglia was formed out of Northampton’s eastern counties.
The diocese had been established for over 90 years but, being a largely rural diocese, its parish churches and mass centres in the countryside were few and far between, especially in East Anglia, and many Catholics living in rural villages and small towns found it very difficult to get to where Sunday Mass was being said. This could involve a journey of many miles and become even more difficult in the wintertime.
The idea of a Travelling Mission had first been mooted in late 1945, in an article which appeared in the 1946 Yearbook. It is not clear who wrote the article, but Bishop Parker refers to it favourably in his preface to the 1946 Northampton Diocese Directory. The notion was inspired by a similar and well-established venture in the Archdiocese of Southwark, which had been operating since the mid-1920s. The author commented that Southwark’s “rural extent ... has conditions not very much different from those ... in the seven counties which comprise the Diocese of Northampton ... the largest in England in extent, but with the smallest estimated Catholic population”.
Three years later in the 1949 yearbook, the editor reported “a Travelling Mission for the Diocese is now an accomplished fact… His Lordship the Bishop launched the scheme in July of 1948”. An impressive list of rural locations visited in the latter half of 1948 bears witness to the energy of the first Missioner, Father (later Canon) Anthony Hulme, who was then aged 40, having been ordained in 1939 and served at Northampton Cathedral during the war, and being sent off to the English College at Rome for further studies in 1946. When he began his travels, the Mission was based at Ely, and made use of an ordinary car, without an attached trailer-Chapel, which was “as much an advantage as not, as it means that local Catholics and others rally round more in providing a place for Mass, so that they take a more personal interest in what is going forward. A variety of places have been used for Mass: a Corn Hall, a room that used to be a chapel of sorts, a studio, a hut, a tea-room, a room over a restaurant, a Cinema, the well of a vast stairway,… Great great variety of rooms in private houses, farmhouses, cottages, council houses. A room in an Anglican school, a Nissen hut, in a hostel.” It was claimed that in 15 places the Holy Mass had been said for the first time since the Reformation
The Missioner was kept busy with a great deal of correspondence between trips, liaising with local hosts, the local parish priest, preparing and posting out a fleet of letters to all the Catholics in a district whose addresses were known, following up requests for reception into the Church, baptism of children, convalidation of marriages, etc.
Initially, the financing of the Travelling Mission came directly from the Bishop’s Poor Mission Fund, supplemented by a grant from the Guild of Our Lady of Ransom.
Fr. Hulme continued in this role until 1959 when he was sent as parish priest to St Joseph’s, Bedford, where he ministered for 35 years until retirement in 1984. In the 1956 yearbook he had reported “though the travelling Mission, started in 1948, is now largely a matter of routine, new centres are being founded all the time.” One of the tiny places visited in 1955 had been Milton Keynes!
By this stage the Mission was also including a Travelling Crib for its Christmas Campaign. It had moved its base to a large residential property owned by the diocese at Fox Den in Burnham, near Slough. A report in the summer 1959 edition of the Diocesan Magazine makes it clear that by that stage it was using a Trailer Chapel, specifically a Wilson-Mather Mobile Church.
In 1959, Fr. Hulme was given an assistant, Fr. Robert McCormick, who had been ordained only three years previously and had been serving at Peterborough. When Fr. Hulme went off to panic parish ministry, Fr. McCormick took over and served as the Travelling Mission for another 17 years.
Within a short time, as reported in the spring 1961 Diocesan Magazine, Fr. McCormick had managed to get hold of a secondhand single-decker bus and was in the process of converting the interior of this to serve as a mobile chapel, with a permanent altar, “stained-glass” windows, a harmonium, stations of the cross, and a collapsible canvas porch. Inevitably, he appealed for funds to help with the cost of this, and was amazed to receive a donation from Zanzibar! Fr McCormick had a set of colour slides that he used in presentations to raise awareness of the work of the Travelling Mission, but sadly the whereabouts of these are now unknown. By 1970 he was reporting that he was frequently able to celebrate Mass in a local Anglican Church, although there were occasional difficulties with traditional Anglican vicars who objected to his use of his portable altar for saying Mass facing the people. If he was sure of getting the use of a fixed venue, he would make his journeys by Land Rover, which he found to be the only vehicle suitable for fetching outlying Catholics from their farms and cottages, and pulling other vehicles out of the snow!
But for organised week-long missions the bus would be parked in a village and used as a base to deliver catechism for local children, and as a preaching venue for a visiting priest from one of the religious orders, just like a parish mission. Fr. McCormick found it valuable to park the bus, with permission, at County/agricultural shows where it attracted much interest. As one old man from Ipswich commented, after seeing the bus arriving at its destination, “I’ve often gone past the church, but it’s the first time the church has ever gone past me!”
In 1965, in one of the Travelling Mission newsletters which he had begun to publish when possible, Fr. McCormick was enthusing about the benefits of being able to say the Mass in English, facing the people, as a result of the second Vatican Council.
Bishop Grant closed down the Travelling Mission in August 1975 in view of the pending division of the diocese in June 1976. Fr. McCormick, sent to be the parish priest in Diss, Norfolk, ruefully commented “I can see the day when, in order to keep the presence of the church alive in the community, there will have to be another form of mobile approach”. Has this been achieved, in a way he could not foresee, by the Internet age? Or, as more and more small churches are closed because of the shortage of priests, is there still room in the 21st century for some form of mobile physical presence of the Mass, by means of a caravan, motorhome or large tent?

Fitt Ltd Construction
CB275 · Corporate body · 2015-

2015: Quotation for work on RC Church, Hunstanton

S V Ekins, Estate Agent
CB300 · Corporate body · 1871-

Established 1871
1931 acted to sell property to Diocese of Northampton

King & Gifford
CB313 · Corporate body · 1913

1913: Estimated & supervised work at Huntingdon & Ramsey

Langham, Mark Rev (-2022)
P017 · Person · 1990-2022

1979 to 1983: Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School then studying Classics at Magdalene College, Cambridge
1990: ordained
?-2008: Administrator of Westminster Cathedral
2009-2013: Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
2013-?: Chaplain at Fisher House (the University of Cambridge's chaplaincy for Catholic students)
2022: died

He was influential in relations between the Catholic and Anglican Churches during the consolidation of plans to create the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. A 2012 Tablet article described him as a "clear preacher with a good sense of humour".
Langham was a prolific writer and has contributed to The Tablet, amongst other publications. In 2014, he wrote an article entitled, "God knows where the women bishops vote leaves Anglican-Catholic relations". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Langham (accessed 26-7-2018)
Obituary: RCDEA 2022 Yearbook page 70-71 (accessed 6-1-2024)

Vulliamy, Michael Rev
P030 · Person · 1979-

1979: ordained
1996: mentioned in correspondence with Bishop
2018-2023: PP at St Jude’s, Whittlesey (including Sacred Heart Ramsey)
2023: retired

Hawkins, Pádraig Rev
P037 · Person · 2011-

2011: Ordained
-2021: Our Lady of the Annunciation, Poringland
2021-: PP at St Joseph, St Neots

Finegan, David Rev
P042 · Person · 1985-

1985: ordained
1990-?: PP at St Peter and All Souls, Peterborough
?-1996-?: PP at St Mary's, Thetford
1998-?: PP at Our Lady of the Annunciation, King's Lynn
2019-: St Ethedreda, Ely

P046 · Person · 1977 - 2011

1977 - 1981 PP St Ives
7-1981 - 5-1986 PP at Woodbridge
25-7-2011 died, buried at Miltown Malbay, Co. Claire, RoI

Maddison, Paul Rev
P054 · Person · 1996-2010

1996: Bishop's private Secretary
2001-2010: PP at St Ives

Porczak, Karol Rev
P077 · Person · 2015-2019

2015-2019: PP at Sacred heart, St Ives
2020- : PP at St Peter and All Souls, Peterborough

Fyfe, James Rev
P080 · Person · 1998-

1998: ordained
-2019: PP at Our Lady and St Charles Borromeo Church, Wisbech
2019-: PP at Our Lady and St Joseph, Cromer and Sheringham

P090 · Person · 1895-1963

1895: born
1918: ordained
1922 - 1936: PP at March
1963: died

Wallace George Clare was born in Ipswich and brought up in Suffolk. Educated at Lowestoft College, St Wilfred’s College, and Paris. At seven, he decided to become a clergyman; by nine the curly headed schoolboy nicknamed “Bubbles” had begun his life-long interest in books and genealogy which led to his founding the Irish Genealogical Research Society in1936. At eleven, a visit to an RC church brought him to Roman Catholicism. Father Clare was sent to Paris for training and appointed a Curate at Northampton Cathedral until 1922 when he became the Parish Priest at March, Cambridgeshire.
There, he was a continual surprise to his Bishop. In 1923 Fr Clare wrote of the good work on the presbytery; “1st I heard about a Presbytery being started!” replied the Bishop. Fr Clare’s artistic and theatrical friendships enabled him to convince London artistes to perform concerts in rural March for church funds. The Bishop curtailed these since, whilst well received, they turned very little profit. In 1924 he asks the Bishop if he may erect shrine in Church in honour of St Wendreda. His supporting historical research includes a photograph of an Indulgence granted to parish church by Cardinal Wolsey in 1526; could the Bishop renew it in favour of March church of Our Lady & St Peter?
Soon after, Fr Clare’s presbytery became a small school for “difficult boys”. However, someone sent the Bishop the school’s prospectus, which he queried. Fr Clare replied that it was not truly a prospectus since it was not a school, in the strictest sense; taking only abnormal boys for supervision and treatment. The prospectus was a “camouflage to save the feelings of parents of mental boys whose friends might find out that they are in March”. Pupils were medically examined and once a cure is effected the boys can be taught by qualified teacher. Fr Clare apologised for his thoughtlessness and was “always anxious to make right any wrong”. A contemporary of [Dame] Nellie Melba wrote to say his son was much improved, indeed unrecognisable, following Fr Clare’s schooling.
Fr Clare maintained his interest in theological and ecclesiastical affairs and did much research and writing; he amassed a large collection of books on every aspect of religion and the Church. He published books and articles which included “The Historic Dress of the English Schoolboy”, “A Young Irishman’s Diary”, the diary of his grandfather, John Keegan of Moate, “A Simple Guide to Irish Genealogy”. His life work was the Convert Rolls (uncompleted) making biographical and genealogical notes to the lists of Converts to the Protestant Faith.
Fr Clare dreaded the March winters, which in 1962 exacerbated his bronchitis and he retired, going to the Franciscan Sisters at Maryland, Milford on Sea, and died in April 1963.

"The Wallace Clare Award is named in honour of Rev. Wallace Clare (1895-1963), a Catholic priest and keen academic who founded the IGRS [Irish Geneological Research Society] in 1936. This was as a response to the great conflagration of 1922, which consumed almost the entire contents of Ireland’s Public Record Office. Fr. Clare initiated the Society's core policy of maintaining a library which 87 years later holds an invaluable collection of transcripts and abstracts compiled from documents subsequently destroyed in the fire. He was the author of the first ever book on Irish ancestral research, A Simple Guide to Irish Genealogy, published in 1937. Unsurprisingly, Fr. Clare was the first individual to be elected a Fellow of the IGRS in 1937." From IRGS website "https://www.irishancestors.ie/20004-10 (accessed 20-5-2023)

P091 · Person · 1890 - 1940 (died)

1861: Born
1890 -1906: St Etheldreda's Ely (first Parish Priest)
~1926: St John the Baptist, Norwich
1940, Dec 7: Died

P104 · Person · 1947-1983

1947: Bishop's Secretary
19-8-1952: Address at the laying of the foundation stone for Our Lady of Good Counsel & St Peter in March in presence of Bishop of Northampton.
1956-1958: PP at St Neots
retired from St Oswald's

1983: died

P107 · Person · 1864-1937

1864: born at Baldrock, nr Dublin
1892: ordained
1893: asst. priest Our Lady and the English Martyrs, Cambridge
1899-1937: curate, Parish Priest at St. Mary and St. Charles Borromeo at Wisbech
1937: died

For thirty-eight years priest in charge of the Roman Catholic Church of St. Mary and St. Charles Borromeo at Wisbech, Father Page had not enjoyed good health for several years. For a considerable time his health had forced him to curtail his activities in the priesthood. 
His death, in his 74th year, will come as a sad blow to many, for he was loved and held in high esteem over a wide area, and he will be remembered as a friend to all. None sought his aid in vain if it were within his powers to render a helping hand, and it was said of him that he would give his all to assist one in need.
Although he had suffered considerably during the last four years, Father Page had always maintained a cheerful disposition. His long illness he had borne with great fortitude. 
The Rev. Father Page was born in Ireland at Baldrock, near Dublin, on November 17th, 1864, and he received his early education in Scotland and later attended the Grammar School at Jedburgh. He served an apprenticeship as a nurseryman and seedsman and was evidently very enthusiastic about the work. As a young man he was greatly interested in the culture of rare and expensive flowers and became recognised as an authority on them. In later years he retained his interest in growing and many were the beautiful arrays which he produced from the Presbytery garden at Wisbech. 
Soon after completing his apprenticeship Father Page entered St. James' Aquinas Seminary at Shefford, in Bedfordshire. Three years later, in 1887, he went to St. Peter's College, Glasgow. It was originally intended that he should work in the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, but on account of a breakdown in health he returned to Shefford. He was ordained to the priesthood of the Church of St. Francis, at Shefford, in 1892. The following year he became assistant priest at the Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs at Cambridge. 
In 1899 Father Page came to Wisbech as curate to the late Father Colpman, who was then priest. On Father Colpman's retirement after holding the rectorship for thirty-eight years, Father Page succeeded him. He was appointed Rural Dean of this part of the diocese of Northampton. Father Page had rebuilt the small church at Thorney Toll, used generally for Irish harvesters coming into the district, and every Sunday was filled to capacity. 
Under his guidance the Church at Wisbech has grown and whereas the congregation numbered twenty when he first arrived, the average attendance became about three hundred. During the time of his priesthood a new organ was installed in the church, and it was as a result of his efforts that St. Joseph's Hall was built as a home of St. Joseph's Club. The club itself started in a small room in the Presbytery, subsequently it was moved to the church room, and finally Father Page had the present building erected. Always he took a keen interest in the club and even during quite recent years, while he was still able to do so, he had joined the members in the club room from time to time. 
Father Page was instrumental in starting St. Audrey's Convent in Alexandra Road, and he it was who bought the property. During the War years, Father Page was one of the hardest workers at the V.A.D. Hospital at Wisbech. The patients had a great regard for him and looked forward to his many visits. Soldiers and sailors home from the front on leave looked up to him and they were always assured of a warm welcome from him. 
When he celebrated his silver jubilee as a Roman Catholic priest in 1917, members of the church and many of his friends in the Wisbech district subscribed to make a handsome presentation to him. The gift, a cheque, was handed to him in the then newly-completed hall, by Mr. K. de H. Ollard. 
Father Page had done his duties as parish priest in a most noble manner, and he gained the affection of Catholics in Wisbech and elsewhere, and all who had the good fortune to be associated with him in any way: A friend to all, he valued his friendships highly. Of a quiet and unassuming nature, he did far more good work than will ever be known. His sympathies and advice were readily given to those who needed them, and his cheery word of greeting is sadly missed.

This obituary, and the image, is from “Catholic Brochure & Blotter Easter 1938-1939”