Norwich, UK
Celtic churches in Cornwall are joining together to provide a network offering peace, sanctuary and solace linking churches and ancient Celtic Christian holy sites.
Known as ‘Celtic Quiet Places‘, the network is the brainchild of Pat Robson, a retired parish priest who believes that the role of the Cornish Celtic Church needs to be better known.
St Clether’s Chapel in Cornwall (with the holy well in the background). PICTURE: Chris Gunns (licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)
Celtic Christianity flourished in the years following the fall of the Roman Empire, taking root in the West Country, Brittany, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. Celtic saints travelled hundreds of miles and taught how God was present in meadows, streams and the beating of a bird’s wing, just as much as in churches.
Revering the beauty of nature, many Celtic saints sought out isolated places to be alone with God. Often communities grew up around them, such as the town of Bodmin, said to have been built around a site where St Petroc lived in a small clearing.
Pat Robson. PICTURE: Courtesy Pat Robson
While the islands of Iona, off the east coast of Scotland, and Lindisfarne, off the west coast of England, are the best known Celtic Christian sites, there are more than 300 Celtic churches scattered across Cornwall located everywhere from town centres to isolated moorlands and places like the remains for the Holy Well at Madron and St Clether’s Chapel close to the banks of the River Inney.
“The whole of the county is holy, almost every road that the Celtic saints walked on, every village they stopped in, has something significant,” commented Robson.
She was prompted to set up the Celtic Quiet Places network following an encounter with a troubled young man in Gorran Haven Church in St Just. He told her that all he wanted was to sit and “let the church hug me”.
His experience was not unusual,” noted Robson.
“People come in and sit in these churches. They leave lovely heartfelt messages in the visitors book. Everyone I have spoken to has stories of both locals and visitors finding peace from just sitting quietly in the church. They recognise that this is a mission they can take part in.”
More than 70 churches across Cornwall have already joined the network which launches officially this spring.
The Church of St Winwaloe, Tremain. PICTURE: Provided by Caroline Stone
The tiny church of St Winwaloe, Tremain, is typical of those which have joined.
“This is the smallest parish church in Cornwall and a very special place, it has always attracted people from a wide area,” explained parishioner Caroline Stone. “The church itself is very simple and exudes a sense of calm and peace. Many people come to sit in the church, just to benefit from the tranquil feeling. Our Fellowship of Peace service uses Celtic style prayers; it suits the church. We have no electricity and the church is lit by gas lights and candles.”
All that the churches need to do to be part of the network is to open their doors, and provide a sign – which could be just a vase of flowers – to welcome visitors.
“It’s the church itself that will do the work,” said Robson. “People feel that the church is putting its arms around them – it’s a sanctuary. Churches have had generations of prayer soaking into the walls, and people know this when they walk in. Who are we to lock that away?”
Robson said Celtic Christianity stressed “the need for everyone to find a quiet or ‘desert’ place where they can be alone with Christ”.
“It teaches that to follow Christ we need to do away with the trappings of wealth and live simply, and with great respect for the world around us, and it teaches us to hear the word of God in the parable of life itself. It is a dynamic message which holds great appeal in today’s world, and it speaks very directly to the youth of today.”
