People & History
“Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy was one of the new breed of Church of England chaplains that arose during World War I. The new chaplains spent time with the regular soldiers instead of officers and found themselves transformed by the harsh realities of war,” says The Very Rev’d Dr Peter Catt
Dates & Seasons
“Erecting memorials after World War I was one way of helping people come to terms with their grief, as well as expressing gratitude for the sacrifice and courage of the Diggers who served. The size of the monument at the Ma Ma Creek church reflects the sheer scale of loss experienced by one local Anglican family, the Andrews family,” says Denzil Scrivens from St John’s Cathedral
“A ‘benediction’ is a divine invocation for blessing or help. The film Benediction is also such a thing – a desperate and lingering cry for wholeness amidst some of the very worst that humanity can inflict upon itself,” says Jonathan Sargeant from St Francis College
“Gradually, soldiers climbed out of their trenches, responding to each other as human beings…They walked into no-man’s-land, trusting each other and welcoming each other as they did so. This was the first time they had really seen each other – as people welcoming each other in the spirit of Christmas,” says The Rev’d Selina McMahon on the widespread unofficial Christmas ceasefires along the Western Front on Christmas Eve in 1914
“More than 3,000 Australian civilian nurses volunteered for active service during World War I. They were posted to Britain, France, Belgium, the Mediterranean, India and the Middle East. They nursed in hospitals, on hospital ships and trains, or in casualty clearing stations closer to the frontlines. Of these nurses, 25 never came home – Staff Nurse Norma Mowbray among them,” says former Archives Researcher, Adrian Gibb
“Today, St Martin’s House still serves a vital role for the Cathedral and our wider Diocesan community. Its role as a hospital ceased in 1971, and after much debate about its future, it was renovated and is now used as office space for our Archbishop, Regional Bishops and clergy and staff for the Cathedral and various Commissions. However, there are still some mysteries that my research is yet to solve,” says Diocesan Archivist Michael Rogers
Features
News
Features
News
Get some soul in your inbox
Thank you for subscribing