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1285: St Médard, Brunoy, France
Mystery Worshipper: Ecclesiastical Flip-flop.
The church: St Médard, Brunoy, France.
Denomination: Roman Catholic.
The building: A church has stood here since before the 12th century,
when a new Gothic style church was built and was enlarged a century later.
At the beginning of the 18th century, St Médard was a small unprepossessing
country church. In 1722, the wealthy financier Jean Paris de Monmartel purchased
the Lordship of Brunoy and set part of his wealth aside for the embellishment
of the church's interior. On 25 November 1981, the church was declared a
historical monument. Between 1997 and 2005, a major restoration brought
the church back to its former lustre of the 1770s. The baroque interior
features white panelling and golden adornments. Half-way down the nave on
the liturgical north side is a prominent pulpit with stairway and a confessional,
both matching this adornment. Also of note, equally matching this embellishment
style, are the sanctuary, organ loft and various side chapels. There are
five ornate hanging lights. The church is renowned for its stained glass
windows, many of which are from the workshop of the late 19th century glassworker
Emile Hirsch. Paintings by the 18th century artists Jean-Bernard Restout
and Johan-Michael Baader portray the role of the clergy, the sacraments
and liturgy, and some of the invocations from the Litany of Our Lady.
The church: St Médard was born in the late 5th century. Anointed
bishop of Noyon in France and later of nearby Tournai (now in Belgium),
he fought against the Huns and the Vandals, continuing the work of evangelisation
in France and Flanders. Legend has it that during the translation of his
relics, there was an exceptionally violent rain-storm. For this, he is the
patron saint of umbrella makers and traders. Four churches in Brunoy are
served by the same team of priests, and the full schedule of weekend masses
is divided amongst these churches. Consequently, the mass I attended is
the only weekend mass at that particular church.
The neighbourhood: Brunoy is the French twinning town with Reigate
and Banstead Surrey. It is located some 20 miles south of Paris, in Essone,
in the diocese of Evry-Corbeil, on the River Yerres. The population of Brunoy
stands at about 23,500.
The cast: Père Christian Marandet was the celebrant and preacher.
Père Marandet was vested in an alb and white stole embroidered with a cross,
but without chasuble. He was assisted by three boys – a crucifer and two
acolytes vested in hooded albs – and an unrobed lady cantor.
The date & time: Sunday, 28 May 2006, 11.00am.
What was the name of the service?
Sunday Mass for the 7th Sunday of Easter.
How full was the building?
Almost completely full, with most of the spare seats in the side aisles.
I estimate the church is capable of holding about 300 people.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
Yes. The priest celebrant was standing just inside the door and shook hands
with everyone as they arrived. I asked him his name and he told me. Apart
from the peace, I had no other contact at all.
Was your pew comfortable?
Yes, interlocking wooden chairs with woven basketry.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
I stood outside to hear the tolling of the solitary bell. Inside it was
reasonably reverential, and I did not register any distractions.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
Apart from the cantor announcing the opening hymn, and the singing of the
hymn itself, about which more later – "Au nom du Père et du Fils et
du Saint-Esprit."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
The congregation helped themselves to hymn books at the back of the church
entitled Les Liturgies de l'Assemblée. I had brought along my own
copy of the current edition of Magnificat, a monthly publication
in French containing all the liturgical readings for each day of the month
in full, together with the order of mass in French. In that way, I was well
equipped to follow the service.
What musical instruments were played?
An electronic organ.
Did anything distract you?
Yes, I could not help being distracted by the gaudy ornamentation of the
interior of the building, and the paintings already described. I was also
distracted by occasional noises from the children, although they did not
disturb me unduly.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
It was a simple sung mass in French. There were bells but no smells. It
was an all-age congregation. The Apostles' Creed – as opposed to the
Nicene Creed – was used. Eucharistic Prayer II was said, which in
our language begins: "Lord you are holy indeed..." In between the Lord's
Prayer and the peace, the prayer which begins "Deliver us, Lord, from every
evil..." was left out, and the doxology was added on to the Lord's Prayer.
The hymns were (or appeared to be) "The strife is o'er," "Make me a
channel of your peace," "Here I am, Lord," and "Let us lift up our eyes."
At the end of the service, a few newly-baptised children together with their
parents were welcomed into the church, and the notices were given.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
8 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
8 – Père Marandet spoke clearly, and the message was short and to the
point. His pastoral letter in the news-sheet was a good summary of what
he said.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
We were reminded that 40 days after Easter we keep the feast of the Ascension.
This feast is at the same time both a looking back to Easter and a looking
forward to the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. He also talked about
the three scripture readings for the day, all of which looked forward to
the Ascension.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
The moment of receiving communion – given in one kind only. I felt a great
moment of togetherness with the congregation, despite that they were all
total strangers to me. We were all united together in this one act of worship
until we went our separate ways afterwards.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
The cantor announced the opening hymn only by page number. I have almost
fluent French but I sometimes don't understand numbers. I hated not knowing
what page to turn to, but I soon realised that what was being sung appeared
to be "The strife is o'er" to its familiar tune. Later in the service, other
hymns were announced in the same way, and I only heard the page number sometimes.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
I had limited time to look lost, as the mass had slightly exceeded the hour
and I was being met outside afterwards for a quick lunch. In addition, I
had to be back on the coach at one o'clock. What appeared to be a baptism
followed straight afterwards, and the large congregation seemed intent on
getting out. Thus, any prospect of chatting did not seem at all promising.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
There did not appear to be any.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
5 – This may be a "for members only" church, and fellowship seemed
rather limited. Also, I would prefer a solemn mass as opposed to a sung
mass.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes, and to feel a transitory part of a worshipping community even amongst strangers.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
An ordinary parish community participating in an ordinary Sunday mass in
such an ornate building. |
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