Pilgrimage to a 'Romantic Kentish Mission'

The annual Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Hartley in Kent on 4 May 2024 from 12pm.

'The Romance of a Kentish Mission' is the title of a booklet by Cyril Charlie Martindale, SJ, who was was a prominent priest, scholar, and writer in the first half of the 20th century. He referred to the unlikely development of an Oratory in rural north-west Kent by Miss Beatrice Davies-Cooke, a direct descendant of the Plantagenet Kings.

In an era when women had few rights, the deaths of both her father and brother had allowed a considerable inheritance to come to Beatrice and she decided to found a church in their memory. Diocesan myth has it that she visited Bishop Amigo in 1910 to say, "I want to do something to spread the Faith in the rural areas", and spotting a map on the wall of his office, promptly selected an area and said, "I shall try there", commissioning an estate agent to find suitable land.

As it happened, a speculative venture by Small Owners Ltd had bought up a large estate at Hartley in the Northfleet parish and divided it into holdings of a few acres each, where people could grow fruit and vegetables or rear poultry and pigs. By 1912 she had bought a pair of plots containing cherry orchards along with a former tenant farm with its various outbuildings and a well.

The thatched barn over 500 years old became a place of worship where Sunday Mass was offered by visiting London priests, such as Fr Martindale and Mgr Ronald Knox, translator of the bible. The Duke of Norfolk, the premier Catholic nobleman, was among the visitors, entranced by worshipping in a stable, perhaps akin to that of Bethlehem.

Beatrice seems to have managed the church rather like a parish, apart from relying on visiting clergy to administer the sacraments. Perhaps a model that will become less unusual with the dwindling number of priests? (Sunday Mass was missed on only two weekends in 24 years before the Carmelites arrived to look after things for several decades.) She built houses on parts of the remaining farmland, selling them to well-off Catholics and advertising for Catholic servants to come and work in their households.

A number of historic vestments, furniture and sacred vessels were donated and a statue of the Virgin and Child, then 300 to 400 years old, was bought in Kensington. This was identified as a contemporary copy of a miraculous statue in Flanders that had been destroyed by fire. Favours were soon being reported from prayers before the Hartley statue.

Beatrice had a number of aristocratic friends including the Italian-born second wife of Lord Cadogan, former Viceroy of Ireland and owner of much of Chelsea. The Cadogans travelled in Italy and sometimes joined diplomatic receptions in Rome, where Pope Benedict XV heard about this unusual development. He sent his blessing and a rosary and asked to be kept informed of progress - without working through the bishop. Beatrice and her mother also travelled in Europe, becoming acquainted with a young priest named John Bosco (who inspired the church's dedication to St Francis de Sales) and with various cardinals who accredited relics of the saints presented to the new church.

The Pope's approval increased during the First World War due the news that refugees were being housed in the village and prayers were being offered for peace. In May 1921, when noting the work of a number of European churches during the war. He used the new title of 'Our Lady of Hartley' and gave the shrine high status by establishing a number of indulgences. These include a Plenary Indulgence to be gained by those who visit the shrine and pray for peace among the nations of Europe.

Although few people know this history, the parish welcomes pilgrims who visit to follow the Pope's request. All are welcome to join the event on Saturday 4 May which starts at noon (with refreshments for those who arrive early) and ends before the parish Vigil Mass of Sunday at 5.30 pm - hopefully folk will be able to stay and socialise afterwards. The address is St Francis de Sales, Church Road , Hartley DA3 8DW (on the corner of Stack Lane) and the nearest station is a mile away at Longfield on one of the main lines from Victoria to the coast.

LINK

2024 Pilgrimage to Shrine of Our Lady of Hartley: www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/news-events/events/2024-pilgrimage-to-the-shrine-of-our-lady-of-hartley/?d=638504208000000000