Last Friday, Pam, my ordained wife and I visited Ely Cathedral with two intentions: one to support the doughty pilgrims walking the COAT OF HOPES around the United Kingdom as they passed through Ely on their way to Lakenheath and onward to Norwich Cathedral. The full story of the COAT can be found at coat of hopes and I will post more on this remarkable initiative tomorrow.
The second intent was to visit the ‘Clothed in Glory’ exhibition currently on display in the Lady Chapel at Ely. The embroideries of The Sisters of The Church (an Anglican Order) is exquisite: love and dedication radiate from every beautiful garment on show. Do visit if you can: it is in the Cathedral until 16th March.
Our informal guide to the exhibits was Sister Marguerite and we had a thoroughly enjoyable 40 minutes looking at the exhibits and chatting with Sister.
One of the more striking exhibits is a black fabric effigy of the head of a beautifully shaped young woman’s head wearing a Mitre! I am delighted to say that exhibit was the genesis of the poem below titled ‘Just Saying!’ It touches on a justice issue that needs to be regularly aired - and especially at this time of confusion and anxiety in the Anglican Church.
Just Saying!
I am in the wide -open space
Of Ely’s Lady Chapel,
surrounded by the
exquisite embroidery
of The Sisters of The Church
I am drawn to gaze
into a glass case
displaying
an elegantly feminine effigy:
black, and wearing a mitre.
Is this a prophetic insight
for a struggling, wounded church?
An Archbishop,
female and beautifully black?
The antithesis of
a misogynistic, male, managerial mode,
that clings onto temporal power
in sanctified palaces,
whilst its diaspora spiral into despair.
An Archbishop who has known
the torments of poverty:
who is an icon for the victims of
the extremes of exclusion .
A woman, derided for her gender and race,
who knows and unreservedly loves Jesus.
TT 23.02.25
I was pleased to be able to take further photos of the exquisite work on display, and was especially impressed by the apparent beading on the coat of the angel shown. It is all embroidered although appearing as if pearls had been sewn on. Amazing! (although the blog site will not accept my photos at present: I will try again in the next few days)