Kent: Online event celebrating Our Lady of Hartley

The parish of St Francis de Sales at Hartley in Kent, with its unusual and beautiful thatched church, is hosting an online pilgrim event at 3.30pm on Saturday 1 May to mark 100 years since Benedict XV recognised the new title of 'Our Lady of Hartley' and encouraged prayer to Mary under that name.

The parish owes its existence to Miss Beatrice Davis-Cooke, member of an aristocratic family directly descended from the Plantagenet King Edward III, father of the Black Prince. Legend has it that she visited Bishop Amigo in 1912 saying that she was resolved to do something to spread the Faith in the rural areas. Spotting a vacant area on a map showing the locations of parishes, she announced, "I shall try there," and left the bishop rather uncertain about what had just happened.

Estates around the village had been divided into small plots for sale to city dwellers wanting to try a rural lifestyle. Beatrice bought one holding that contained a farmhouse and outbuildings including a thatched barn, some 400 years old at that time, and adapted it to serve as an oratory within the Northfleet parish. For many years from its opening in 1913 priests such as Mgr Ronald Knox came from London to celebrate Mass, and it was later served by the Carmelites for many decades.

A shrine to Our Lady was created to house a statue that was a contemporary copy of an ancient and miraculous Flemish carving. Reports of favours soon also emerged from visitors to Hartley.

Miss Davies-Cooke's many society friends included the Italian-born second wife of Lord Cadogan, recently retired Viceroy of Ireland, who mingled in diplomatic circles when visiting Rome. Lady Cadogan's accounts of developments at Hartley attracted the Pope's attention and he continued to ask for news. He was horrified by the scourge of the First World War and warmly appreciated the fact that Hartley had become a haven for dozens of refugees from Europe, who worshipped at the Oratory alongside German prisoners.

His grant of the new Marian title was a testament to his satisfaction with the mission and to further enhance its development he attached a plenary indulgence to gained by those who visit the shrine and pray for peace among the Princes of Europe. This gives it the status of a Major Marian Shrine, alongside others that are far better known.

Thanks to Covid, there will be very few in the congregation, but the May 1 celebration will be livestreamed to the parish Youtube channel: https://tinyurl.com/vc7w838m"https://tinyurl.com/vc7w838m .

It will include prayers and hymns, along with a talk by the Shrine Pilgrimage Secretary, Phil Kerton, about its history and another by Dr Anne Inman entitled: "Praying the Hail Mary: how to honour Mary, without diminishing her humanity". It concludes with half an hour's Eucharistic Adoration, followed by the 5.30pm Sunday Vigil Mass.