Qui diligit Deum

‘It is so impossible for the world to exist without God that if God should forget it, it would immediately cease to be.’

SØREN KIERKEGAARD Journals, 1837

In Chapel we worship God. We do not forget him, because most surely, as Kierkegaard says, he does not forget us. For all this term we have managed to keep a regular celebration of the Eucharist for a different House group four days a week, just as we have managed to keep the same celebration by year group bubble in the two Prep Schools. This is at the heart of our identity as a Christian school and I am grateful to the Head Master for reminding me of this when, in a moment of weakness, I even went as far as to suggest that we did not have a Leavers’ Eucharist this year. ‘No,’ he said, ‘that would not be right. We are a Eucharistic community.’

Of course, he is right and so there was a rare sense of excitement when we were allowed for the first time a largescale celebration of the Eucharist, most appropriately on the Eve of Founder’s Day, when the Archdeacon of Chichester (also a parent) Fr Luke Irvine-Capel preached to a full (but socially distanced) Chapel. This followed five weeks when we had continued to gather at a ‘Liturgy of the Word’ every Wednesday. The Ascension was marked in this way, as also Pentecost, when our Provost, Bishop Jonathan Meyrick preached.

This term was, in fact, the ‘Term of Three Bishops’ for, hot on the heels of the Provost, Bishop John Inge, President of the Woodard Corporation (pictured opposite), gave the speech at Prize Giving on Founder’s Day. Then towards the end of term the Bishop of Lewes, the Rt Reverend Will Hazlewood, came and celebrated the sacrament of Confirmation for Nicolò Beretti, Tristan Cornish and Freddie Pritchard (pictured below). Of course, there were far more who had been prepared for this important marking of their fuller commitment to the Christian faith, but this was sadly made impossible due to COVID restrictions. It was incredibly moving to see the Bishop come for such a small group and see the sacrament administered in such an intimate way, with so few in Chapel. It was also wonderful that one of those confirmed, Freddie Pritchard, had himself preached only the Wednesday before.

Through all this term, our worship of God was held up and enhanced and embellished by the beauty of singing, lead by the Choir under the inspiration of Alex Mason, and the beauty of the Liturgy, carefully nurtured by Andrew Wynn-Mackenzie, our Verger, guiding our Head Sacristans Emilie Jakob and Freddie Pritchard, supported by Nicolò Beretti and Quentin Bailey. I was especially touched by those sacristans who came to the Leavers’ Eucharist, even though it meant delaying their departure by several hours on this last day of term: Shirin Mirzayasheva (soon to be joined by Miles McNamara as Head Sacristan), Joe Fry, Dan Thornton and (in intention if not in actuality) Bradley Harman. This recognition of the importance of what we do in Chapel always moves me and makes me realise that what we do here matters.

FR RICHARD HARRISON Chaplain

‘God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still more wonderful: he makes saints out of sinners.’

SØREN KIERKEGAARD