Launch of the East Kent Chapter

Lucy writes: I'm delighted to announce the start of a new Guild of St Clare Chapter in East Kent. The inaugural vestment mending session, which I will be attending myself, is on Saturday, 9th March at the Shrine of St Augustine's, Ramsgate, 10.30am-3.30pm.

Fr Andrew Southwell celebrates Mass at the Shrine of St Augustine, Ramsgate during the St Catherine's Trust Summer School (photo credit Joseph Shaw)

The East Kent Chapter will, initially, be assisting mainly with the vestments kept at the Shrine, where the Traditional Mass is frequently celebrated. At a historic church such as this one, the work is of particular importance, and the Guild of St Clare is honoured to have been entrusted with it.

This banner at St Augustine's will be one of the first jobs that the new East Kent Chapter will be tackling.

Leading the Chapter is Gerrie Serpell, an experienced stitcher and vestment maker. If you would like more information, or to join the East Kent Chapter, please email her on siew.gerrie@gmail.com .

February 2024 Sewing Retreat: report

The Guild of St Clare Sewing Retreat took place last weekend at the St Joseph's Centre, also known as St Joseph's House of Prayer and Retreat. The welcome was as warm as ever, and we quickly settled in and to work.

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Our chaplain, Fr Edward van den Bergh, celebrated the opening Mass. We were fortunate to have on loan for the weekend a beautiful and striking violet Low Mass Set, the property of the Latin Mass Society. 

We had a wide variety of vestments to mend and make. Fr Edward joined in with zest, and completed repairs to a red chasuble belonging to Fr Saward over the course of the weekend.

We made use of the large refectory tables in the dining room for cutting the damasks. This chasuble, the property of the Dominicans of Haverstock Hill, is being re-made with new damask. The exquisitely embroidered orphreys will be mounted on to the new chasuble and the old lining replaced.

As well as repairs, we had some new vestments to make: here are preparations for making a burse.

We will be returning to St Joseph's for the November retreat (8th-10th November 2024), when our Chaplain will be Fr Stephen Morrison OPraem. Online booking will open shortly: all are welcome!