Why go to England

Without taking up the whole story of relations between Britain and the Foyers, by luck or providence, the Foyer of Tressaint has visited Oxford and London every year since 2004. Contacts are becoming real friendships, which have helped organise retreats in English at Tressaint for the last few years. (In 2008 the retreat will take place in Tressaint from 25-31 May.)

This year, from the 9-13 October 2007, a team consisting of Père Hervé Gosselin, Mana, Monique P., Rozenn and Henri spent several days about which we offer this glimpse.

Evening 9-10 October

Departure by ferry from Caen and arrival at Portsmouth on the Tuesday morning

No sooner landed, we drove to Oxford where we met our friend Fr David Hartley in his house at Littlemore.

Littlemore is a very significant place, where John Henry Newman, famous theologian of Oxford university in the 19th century, asked to be admitted to the Catholic Church. Many followed this movement, known as the “Oxford Movement”, and today there are still priests and faithful who make the same choice to join the Catholic Church.

First meeting on the Wednesday morning with a social club which meets each week in the parish hall. Tea, coffee, biscuits are proffered wherever we go! At Fr David’s request, we presented Marthe and the Foyers de Charité, using a presentation prepared by the communications team of the Foyers. Then a question and answer session on Marthe and Foyers, where we refreshed our English!

Wednesday afternoon: Joy to meet Robert, from the last English retreat at Tressaint. A great rose expert, he showed us round his nursery and then took us to Oxford to visit Worcester College with its gardens and perfectly kept university buildings, then a tour of the centre of Oxford – with a stop for five o’clock tea! Dinner at Fr David’s, where we prepare the rest of the trip. Prayer vigil in his parish of the Sacred Heart.

Thursday 11 October

Set off to London where we met Mgr Keith Barltrop, ordained 30 years ago, parish priest, and superior of the seminary in London, then Episcopal Vicar for London (East End). Currently responsible for CASE, “Catholdic Agency to Support Evangelisation” to co-ordinate and encourage all movements or communities with regard to evangelization.

Fraternal welcome during which we took time to talk about the Church in England, and the possibility of a future Foyer. We ought to say that Fr Keith Barltrop often comes to France and has fond memories of his time at Châteauneuf de Galaure. He accepted to preach with Fr David Hartley at Tressaint for the English retreat in May 2008.

Friday 12 October

We left London for the interdiocesan seminary of Wonersh, in the leafy countryside south of London. Thomas Dubois, fifth year seminarian, who knows the Foyer of Tressaint (where he came on retreat and also stayed with the community), awaited to show us around.

The main goal of our trip to Wonersh was to meet the seminary’s rector, and for Fr Hervé Gosselin to arrange a retreat for the seminarians in Tressaint in June 2008.

Supper with the seminarians, then we were invited to the play « The Acts of the Apostles » in the grounds of Wintershall a few miles away. It was a great show which filled our eyes and hearts!

Saturday 13 October

We went to the parish of New Malden, for a « mini-recollection » open to all between 1 o’clock to 5 o’clock. Lunch in the hall, teaching from Fr David and Fr Hervé, prayer time in the parish church and sharing and witnessing about Marthe and the Foyers.

The participant included some former retreatants : Richard and Audrey, a Franco-English couple who are members of the Communauté des Apôtres de la Paix; David and Alice, in charge of the Emmanuel Community in England.

At the end of the day, we took the boat back to St Malo, arriving Sunday morning, 45 minutes from our Foyer.

This Community Mission gave some publicity to our Foyer.

In one parish meeting, one person described us as the “Mobile Foyer”!

We met a host of people, with some rich and deep respect with contacts.

Prayer united us each day with our English friends and together we were able to entrust our hope for a cross-Channel Foyer to God.

Date for the diary : 25-31 May 2008 Fundamental Retreat in English, at Tressaint, preached by Fr David Hartley and Mgr Keith Barltrop.

Visit the site of the English Friends of the Foyer: www.foyer.org.uk