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GB ARCHON 2913 DEA-09-01-07 · File · June 1970 to October 1976
Part of Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA)

Text from June 1970 edition (see image):
A Dream becomes Reality
Why PACE was started
This is "PACE" the new Catholic paper for the diocese of Northampton. You may have already heard something about it in your parish and as you will see from the letter on this page the Holy Father has heard about "PACE"; The idea for it has evolved in the Administrator's mind over the past 10 years. There has been a need for better communication in the diocese and a newspaper format was thought to be the best. "PACE" it was felt should belong to the Church with all Catholics playing their part in its production.

It is to be a medium through which everybody can make their activities known, but because of its 25 localised editions people in Bedford or Northampton will not have to read the "parish pump” activities of Yarmouth or Norwich.

The activities and events organised by sodalities and parish organisations, stories written by members of the diocese, letters, queries, photographs, cartoons - all will have their place in ‘PACE’ because it is YOUR paper. The whole presentation of it except printing is done by lay people, and you are encouraged to contribute to its content

When “PACE” was devised it was thought 62 different editions would be needed but by mutual amalgamation of parishes this has been cut to 25. It will circulate in all seven counties of the diocese - Bedford, Buckingham, Cambs., Huntingdon, Norfolk, Northamptonshire and Suffolk - distribution being done by the parishes. Forty thousand copies are being printed to begin with and the long term aim is for every Catholic family in the Diocese to have one.

DEDICATION IN LOURDES GROTTO
Dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes it was appropriate that the Dedication was personally placed in the Grotto at Lourdes by the Administrator.

Why “PACE” as a name? Many names were thought of and among them ‘VIATOR', suggesting the pilgrim road this paper is travelling and the road the Church travels. However, in this age of the vernacular an English name was thought better and “PACE” indicated the “healthy pace at which the Church is moving". Somebody has also suggested it is the link between the Parish and the diocese and that is what we hope it will be.

Setting the PACE for us
Printing of “PACE” is carried out by Tilbury Printers Limited on a Planeta Brilliant machine, which is the first in this country. It is the fastest sheet-fed litho offset machine in the world with a speed of 11.000 copies per hour. Illustrations are reproduced on 133 screen. Collating of pages, packing and dispatch is all done at Tilbury.

Holy Father sends His Blessing
SEGRETERIA DI STATO
N.159.634
DAL VATICANO. April 23, 1970
My Lord Bishop,

The Holy Father has learned with pleasure of the new diocesan magazine "Pace", which you plan to begin to publish shortly and he has bidden me convey his good wishes for the success of the venture.

In view of the immense power of the press, it is important that Catholics should play their full part in publishing and supporting newspapers and magazines that will conscientiously fulfil their high mission of spreading knowledge of the truth in a manner consonant with the Gospel.

Accordingly His Holiness is very happy to bestow his Apostolic Blessing on all who are collaborating with Your Lordship in the realization of this project, which he prays may be of great benefit to the Diocese of Northampton.

With my personal good wishes and regard, I am
Yours sincerely in Christ, J. Card. Villot

Welcome Note from the Bishop
I welcome PACE. In these days of increased sharing by everyone in the life of the church it is more important than ever that news of this life should be readily available. PACE with it's many local editions, will provide the news in each neighbourhood which is the first interest of those that live there, while the diocesan coverage will help the local community to look to the diocese, which is it's link with the universal church, and so avoid a narrow concern with it's own affairs exclusively. I hope to make great use of it myself as an excellent means of communication with the diocese. I express my thanks and blessing to all those who have worked so hard to make PACE the success it deserves to be.

DEDICATION
This publication is dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes and we will at all times endeavour to be worthy of such a dedication.

Grant, Charles Alexander Rev LCL BA (1906-1989)
GB ARCHON 2913 DEA-09-01-08 · File · January 1942 to Winter 1947-8
Part of Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA)

The magazine was edited by Fr Thomson, a co-founder of the Guild. Originally a monthly magazine, during the war years (and to the Winter of 1948-9) it became a quarterly issue. The format comprised regular items (see contents file) of news from parishes, articles on the Catholic faith and belief, historical items, a series describing Diocesan Churches, clerical appointments, obituaries and an irregular listing of the Bishop's appointments for the month/quarter.
News from the Parishes were free form and depending on the parish may contain references to events (fetes, parties, visitations, confirmations, etc.), comments about clerical comings and goings, references to significant parishioners, births, deaths, marriages, war time restrictions and events, etc.

Thomson, John Henry Rev RD (-1968)
GB ARCHON 2913 DEA-09-01-12-1 · Item · January 1926
Part of Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA)

Er Aedibus Nostris - Bp Dudley Charles
Diocesan News: Aldeburgh; Bedford; Bury St Edmunds; Cambridge; Daventry and Weedon; High Wycombe; Ipswich (St Mary's); Ipswich (St Pancras); Olney; Slough; Woodbridge
Elderney the Little - Canon James Flint
Norfolk Annals - H S Squirrell
Baylis House. Catholic School and Catholic Centre, 1830-1907 - Edwin H Burton DD
Rescue Work: St Francis Birthday Society; InterAlia; Deceased Benefactors of St Francis Home; Masses for Benefactors
Advertising

GB ARCHON 2913 NTM-01-02-1 · Item · Summer 2006
Part of Northampton Diocesan Travelling Mission - Fr McCormick

Manuscript annotation: "Written by Michael Hazell in Summer 2006"
Text:

Fr. Bob McCormick and the Northampton Diocese Travelling Mission

Canon Anthony Hulme had begun the work of providing an occasional Mass in the more remote parts of the seven counties of the Diocese at the end of the '40s. He worked from a base in Burnham Beeches called 'Fox Den'. For a short time he had the assistance of Fr. Robert Manley who worked from his father's home in Ipswich. 

Fr. Bob McCormick joined the Travelling Mission early in 1959. Bishop Leo Parker gave Fr. Bob a fortnight to make up his mind whether to accept the job or not. He said he hoped his answer would be "Yes", but that if he felt Bob would go 'off the rails' on this kind of work then he hoped he would tell him so. After a year Canon Hulme was appointed to Bedford and Bob then worked the Travelling Mission on his own from 1960 until it was closed in 1975 shortly before the division of the Diocese and the establishment of a new Diocese of East Anglia in June 1976. 

Before the great influx into the Diocese of people from London and Birmingham, much of East Anglia was rural, parishes were relatively few and many small towns did not have their own Catholic church, and were frequently a distance from the nearest Mass on Sundays. The Mission work was aimed at making some provision for the Catholics who lived in remote villages and towns, and was done in consultation and cooperation with the local parish priests. 

The work revolved round a rota of 'quarterly Mass centres'. These were villages or towns in which Bob offered Mass each quarter and gave the local Catholics the opportunity to have their babies baptised and provided instruction for the children. Each Sunday he offered Mass in two, and very often three, such centres. He was only able to go to each of the centres once every three months because of the large extent of the Diocese and the number of centres he established. 

There were some people, (very often living on the doorsteps of their own parish churches,) who questioned the usefulness of having Mass on such an infrequent basis. Bob's answer to this was that it is always beneficial to get the local Catholics together for Mass in their own villages or towns because the quarterly Mass provided an opportunity for the people to talk to a priest. It gave them a realisation that the Church was trying to provide them with the means to be the visible church in their localities, get to know each other as members of the same Church and community. 

Bob used to spend a few days in each place he was to say Mass, staying with a local family. It often intrigued him that he was likely to receive more spontaneous hospitality from those who were not Catholic. He suspected that some Catholics thought a priest lives off a 'golden platter’ and so were somewhat apprehensive about offering hospitality in case they might not come up to standard. Non-Catholics on the other hand were more likely to look upon the priest as just another human being in need of bed and board. But he always maintained that once he was known in a district there was never any shortage of offers of hospitality. 

In the first years of his missionary activity, Bob used a great variety of places in which to offer the quarterly Masses. These included village halls, British Legion halls, public house rooms, private sitting rooms, stately homes, theatres, a boxing ring, and the open air. Later in quite a few places he was able to use the local Church of England churches. He would book each of these venues for two hours, allowing himself half an hour to get them ready – putting out chairs and kneelers, setting the large tape-recorder to play "holy music' until the Mass began, finding a suitable spot to display the large carved statue of Our Lady, giving out Mass leaflets, and finally giving the whole place a good whiff of Prinknash incense to smother any noxious odours leftover from the previous night's riotous sessions in village halls and pubs. He would then hear confessions for half an hour before the Mass which lasted half an hour, and was followed by the same period of time given over to packing up before moving on to the next centre. This, repeated three times each Sunday, made for a fair day's work. 

Bob used a Land Rover in which to carry his kit and travel some 35,000 miles around the Diocese each year. Whilst having a remarkable thirst for fuel this proved to be the best vehicle for the job. His kit weighed about 5 cwt, and this was carried everywhere he went, month in and month out. He used to pick people up from remote farms and cottages and bring them to Mass and take them home afterwards. The Land Rover was ideally able to stand up to this constant heavy usage without heavy repair bills. In the winter months the Land Rover came into its own because with its four-wheel-drive it was able to keep going when most other vehicles had stopped. He often felt that he did more good with the Land Rover pulling cars out of snowdrifts during the bad winter months than by several years of preaching! 

When Bob went to an area for the first time he would usually have a few addresses of known Catholics. Some of these would be supplied by the parish priest of the district, some by the Bishop who would pass on letters he had received from people in the area who had written to him about the difficulties they had in getting to Mass. He would then call at these addresses and often get more leads about other Catholics living in the area. The local vicar would sometimes be able to provide a name or two, as would the local shopkeeper. In these and other ways he was able to build up a comprehensive register of local Catholics. 

Cynical clerical colleagues would often wonder what he did during the week. He would remind them that four days were spent in the village areas where he had Mass centres finding and visiting the people, arranging instructions for the children, and smoothing out arrangements for the coming Masses. On the weekdays when he was in the villages he would have a morning Mass in the houses where he stayed. Two separate half days were spent travelling to and from the work areas. The other two days were spent at his headquarters in Burnham Beeches writing letters and Mass notices, and preparing the next edition of 'Travelling Mission News'. He would always have at least 75 outgoing mail items each week. 

Over the years there was a slow development in the Mass centres. Each year he would hand over about four of his quarterly centres to the parishes so that they could be more regularly served from there. He was then able to include another centre from his waiting list, and begin the process over again. The average attendance at these Mission Masses was 34. Over half of these went to confession and received Holy Communion. About a third of those who attended would have managed to get to Mass elsewhere on a regular basis when the Travelling Mission was not in town, but the rest were unable to go to Mass in these circumstances.

Canon Hulme also had a trailer caravan chapel which was almost unroadworthy when Bob took over the TM. Bob was very excited when a newspaper gave him to understand that they would through their columns fund a project for a custom-built articulated mobile church. When they soon forgot this idea he resorted to making a mobile chapel himself out of an old Leyland Lion single deck bus. This had a permanent altar, stained glass windows, organ, Stations of the Cross, a large collapsible canvas porch and a large painting of Our Lady and Child in the indicator board on the front of the bus. Each year he tried to get the services of a priest from one of the Religious Orders to give a week's 'Mission' in one or two of the villages where Bob had his quarterly Mass. The Mission was given in the mobile chapel which Bob parked in the village for the week. He also took his chapel to the country agricultural shows each year, and usually got a good attendance at the daily Mass as well as a great number of interested folks on board during these shows. 

In February 1961 Bob decided to produce 'Travelling Mission News', a quarterly news-sheet, price 2d. In this he would give the programme of Masses for the coming 
quarter and include other items of interest about postal instructions for children etc. 

This was the programme of Masses for the first edition: 

Sun. 12 Feb: Mildenhall, Suffolk  8.30am 
Fordham, Cambs  10.00
Burwell, Cambs 11.30
Sun. 19 Feb: Wickham Market, Suffolk  9.00
Saxmundham, Suffolk 11.00
Sun. 26 Feb: Woolpit, Suffolk  9.00
Bildeston, Suffolk 11.00
Sun. 5 Mar: Upwell, Norfolk  9.00
Eye, Northants 5.00pm
12 Mar: West Walton, Norfolk  9.00
Barnack, Northants 5.00pm
19 Mar: Eye, Suffolk  9.00
Long Stratton, Norfolk 11.00
26 Mar: Irthlingborough, Northants 9.00
Sun, 2 Apr: Welford, Northants  9.00
Lamport, Northants 11.00
9 Apr: Boxford, Suffolk 9.00
16 Apr: Aston Clinton, Bucks  9.00
Cheddington, Bucks 5.00pm
23 Apr: Holt, Norfolk  9.00
Blakeney, Norfolk 10.30
Sun. 7 May: Histon, Cambs  9.00
Caldecote, Cambs 11.00
Haslingfield, Cambs  5.00pm
(This list includes only those centres which had quarterly Masses. More Masses were said on some Sundays, but not on a quarterly basis). 

Subsequent newsletters would relate the story of other centres where Mass would be said, including a number which were destined to become regular Mass centres in the parishes. Amongst these were Barton-le-Clay, where 70 were present for the first Mass on 29 January 1961, Trimley-St. Mary in Suffolk, Yaxley in Norfolk, Mildenhall, Suffolk, Holt, Norfolk, Blakeney, Norfolk, Long Crendon, Bucks, Woolpit, Suffolk. 

Fr. Bob's Travelling Mission Report for 1961 described how 3 Masses had been offered on 19 Sundays of the year. In total 3341 people had attended the 110 Masses. 7 new quarterly centres were opened, 4 existing centres were handed over to parishes for weekly Mass, 300 children were provided with postal instructions by Our Lady's Catechists. Illustrated slide talks on the work and needs of the TM were given at Bury St. Edmunds, Princes Risborough, Ipswich, Cambridge, King's Lynn. The mobile chapel (“The Mobile Busilica') had attended the Suffolk County Agricultural Show at Ipswich and the National Caravan Rally at Woburn Park - where 180 caravaners came to Mass in a large marquee provided by the Caravan Club and arrangements for the Mass were organised by the club entertainment officer! 

Statistics for 1964 revealed that 5,820 people had attended the Mission Masses and that a total of £398.12.8d was donated to the TM through the collection allowed by the Bishop on Home Mission Sunday. 

On 15 July in that year Fr. Bob was delighted to receive the Apostolic Delegate, Most Reverend Igino Cardinale, at the TM headquarters at Fox Den in Bucks.

Later that year the TM Land Rover proved itself on Christmas Day in combating the hazards of heavy snow and ice in the roads of the Fen districts of Upwell, Newton and Sutton St. Edmunds. The mobile crib which was used on a trailer from the beginning of Advent until the New Year came to an untimely end when the figures broke up through the vibration of trailer wheels on the roads. Fr. Bob was a man of many gifts, and he repaired all the figures and presented them to the new parish of Dogsthorpe which was in process of formation in Peterborough. He replaced them with figures made of unbreakable material, and the three open sides of the crib were fitted with clear perspex sheets so that the illuminated crib could be left on the trailer overnight in all weathers.

Other centres which were to be opened and supplied with a regular Mass by the TM were: 

SUFFOLK: Framlingham, Acton, Bures, Debenham, Dalham, Glemsford, Ixworth, Long Melford, Monks Eleigh, Newbourne, Orford, Rickinghall, Stradbroke, Wickhambrook. 

NORTHANTS: Bozeat, Braunston, Finedon, Hackleton 

BEDFORDSHIRE: Bromham, Harlington, Hockliffe, Houghton Regis, Totternhoe. 

BUCKS: Stewkley, Stoke Goldington, Waddesdon. 

CAMBS: Bottisham, Burwell, Cottenham, Impington, Soham, Thorney, 

NORFOLK: Attleborough, Bracon Ash, Brundall, Burnham Market, Holt, Long Stratton, Reepham. 

LINCOLNSHIRE: Sutton St. Edmunds.

In August 1975 Bishop Charles Grant of Northampton closed down the Travelling Mission. He informed Fr. McCormick he had reluctantly decided to do this in view of the pending division of the Diocese in June 1976 and the setting up of the new Diocese of East Anglia with a new Bishop, Alan Clark. The news was met by great sadness in all the Travelling Mission Centres as well as by the Missioner. He had worked tirelessly for 17 years in this specialist work, and became parish priest of Diss. 

Hazell, Michael Rev (1933-2021)
GB ARCHON 2913 NTM-02-04-1 · Item · 22 August 1963
Part of Northampton Diocesan Travelling Mission - Fr McCormick

pg1: index
pg2-3: letter to Ransomers, signed Laurance Goulson, Master of the Guild
pg4: The Wilderness - image of rubble and scrub
pg5: Mass in the Cafe - image of priest elevating the host with a number of worshippers, crockery in the foreground (annotation: "Robert L McCormick")
pg6: The Travelling Chapel - image of Fr McCormick's converted bus (annotation: "Robert's mobile chapel")
pg7: Inside the Bus: Image of Fr McComick saying Mass (annotation: "Robert saying Mass in mobile chapel")
pg8: The Temporary Church: image of front of church with priest, ladies and children. (annotation: "St Matthew's / Barton Le Clay (Beds) 1961 / This was my record - from my first visit when there was no church to getting this was six months and then they got a permanent church"
pg9: A Church at Last - image of a church. (annotation "This is the new church at Newmarket opened in 1966")
pg10: What the priests say (6 comments from diocesan priests).

Guild of Our Lady of Ransom (1889-)
Branch formation - history
GB ARCHON 2913 CWL-12-00-2-1 · Part · c. 1974
Part of Catholic Women's League - East Anglia Branch

This document was found inside CWL-12-00-2.
Heading: "Catholic Women's League - Woodbridge"
Text: 1948. "At the end of May steps were taken to form a branch of the CWL. Twenty ladies attended the inaugural meeting which was addressed by Mrs. Rope of the Ipswich branch. The priest at Woodbridge at this time was father (later Canon) Thomson. When Father Nicholson was at Woodbridge he had founded the St Thomas Guild' as there were insufficient numbers for CWL branch."
Citation: "The East Anglia Guild Magazine with which was the Northampton Diocesan Chronicle / No1 Summer 1949."

GB ARCHON 2913 DEA-09-03-01-3-10 · Part · 28 March 1859
Part of Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA)

The good Shepherd knows his sheep. The Bishop declares that from 2nd Sunday after Easter ("Bonus Pastor Sunday") he will start a Visitation which will remain open until he declares it closed. "The Bishop will therefore diligently visit the Church, the Presbytery, the Schools, the Cemetery and everything therein contained, and will examine the sacred vessels and furniture, the Altars, tabernacles, and whatever belongs to the worship of God or the administration of the sacraments." Visitation will be announced and confirmations should be arranged for then.
To the clergy: have ready two sheets of foolscap containing - a return for 1958 of Marriages, Baptisms, Conversions, Easter Communions, Deaths; list of details of mass obligations; List of all documents relating to the Mission; Statement of Mission . School property; Account of all debts and liabilities; Mission 1958 income/expenditure balance sheet; same for Schools; exact inventory of Church, Sacristy, House and Schools.

Amherst, Francis Kerril Rev (1819-1883)
GB ARCHON 2913 DEA-09-03-01-4-11 · Part · Advent 1894
Part of Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA)

signature on front cover "Aug. P. Peacock"
474 Notanda: Pastoral and Collection, Midnight Mass, Duplication, Peter's Pence, Report and Statistics, Remittance of Moneys
475-487: Advent Pastoral letter - A state of the Diocese report - Mrs Lyne Stephens (benefactoress; at her sole cost built churches at Lynford, Shefford, Cambridge, and a donation for Wellingborough church); since 1880 much has been done; 14 new missions started (mentions oratory in Beccles with Benedictines); land for a further 14 missions acquired; encouraging the good work and maintaining funds to underpin the growth.

Riddell, Arthur George Rev (1836-1907)
GB ARCHON 2913 DEA-09-01-12-11 · Item · January 1932
Part of Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA)

To the Diocese - Provost John Freeland, VG
Diocesan News: Aston-le-Walls; Beaconsfield; Beccles; Bedford; Bury St Edmund's; Cambridge; Ipswich (St Pancras); Norwich (St John the Baptist); Sudbury; Swaffham; Wellingborough
The Church and the Poor (313-900AD) - CA Snowden
Father George H Miles RIP - MJ Geraghty [Obituary]
Rome Fifty-Nine years Ago - Francis Seymour Stevenson
Favours Received at Leighton Buzzard - through the miraculous medal of Our Blessed Lady - Henry Long
Pastons of Appleton, Norfolk - Katharine Paston-Bedingfeld
They that go down to the Sea in Ships III - Harold S Squirrell
Rescue Work: Deceased Benefactors of St Francis Home; Masses for Benefactors
Advertising

GB ARCHON 2913 NTM-01-01-11 · Item · c November 2005
Part of Northampton Diocesan Travelling Mission - Fr McCormick

Unsigned/undated covering letter. Fr McCormick being aware of his mortality has pulled together notes and images about his work on the Travelling Mission. These he will send to the Archives at East Anglia and Northampton. Also, a copy for those who might remember the olden days.

McCormick, Robert L. Rev (-2015)
GB ARCHON 2913 DEA-09-03-01-4-12 · Part · Lent 1895
Part of Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA)

490 Notanda: Collection, Extraordinary Confessors, Easter Communion, Quarant Ore, Holy Oils, Peter's Pence, Ecclesiastical Fund and Poor School's Fund, Poor School Committee
491-503: Lent Pastoral letter - Statement on schools in the Diocese - student numbers are 2584 with accomodation for 5161 elementary scholars; comments on the impact of the 1870 Act and the Department for Education; comments on the plans for education by the Bishops
504: Dispensations for Lent 1895
505: Notanda continued: Collection for the Holy Places, appointed Treasurers, Catholic Teachers' Superannuation Fund
506-512: Confraternity of St Peter's Pence / Ecclesiastical Education Fund / Diocesan Poor Schools - receipts for year 1894

Riddell, Arthur George Rev (1836-1907)