Farewell Frank Lane

Frank Lane Funeral

Tuesday 23^rd April turned out to be a fine day just like the weather for the Easter Monday pilgrimages to St Albans Cathedral which was a favourite event at the Abbey of Frank’s. Around 30 Vergers from the St Albans Branch and others from across the country, turned up at the Abbey for the Requiem Mass at 2pm. The Vergers had been invited to robe and provide an Honour Guard for him as he arrived and departed from the Abbey. We duly robed in the Lady Chapel, the funeral itself had been moved to the Quire, Crossing and Presbytery due to the large numbers expected. Typically for the Church of England, we were told just before the service what was going to happen. We lined up in rank two by two and then led out of the Pilgrim door on the North side of the Cathedral, splitting each way from the door to form the guard as the coffin arrived in the hearse. When Frank had arrived the vergers in ranks of two, led the coffin in. We waited by the North Transcept whilst the Clergy and the coffin were led in. We led off as the first hymn At the name of Jesus was sung with Janet Lindsay a very old and dear friend of Frank, and a St Albans Branch Member leading the way carrying the Guild’s Millenniums Verge which Chris Crooks had brought with him. Chris was also our Verger keeping us in order. We proceeded into the crossing and up into the Presbytery, peeling off before the High Altar and into our places on either side of the Presbytery behind Lynda’s family. Once Frank’s coffin was in place before the High Altar symbols of his life were placed on his coffin, his Virge, a clown hat(actually a jester’s hat) and a clown puppet. The clown hat and puppet symbolised him as a character and person but also the fact that he was a member of Holy Fools amongst many of the organisations he belonged to. Readings were read by members of his family and a very moving tribute was given by his daughter. Points that I remember included

Frank’s life was very full, he did his National Service in the Navy, and met and married Lynda. He worked at various jobs in London and Welwyn Garden City before coming to St Albans Cathedral in 1967. After retiring as Head Verger from the Abbey after around 35 years of service he then worked at Morrisons for 3 days a week right up until his last illness.   He married Lynda in April 1948 and they recently celebrated their 65^th Wedding anniversary whilst he was ill. But he still chose the flowers and card for Lynda. Together Lynda and Frank had 3 children of their own and also a foster son. Although their first child, a daughter, died soon after birth and this led them to life long association with the Children’s Society.

The Sermon was preached by Canon Richard Watson who also had comments and tributes to Frank amongst his words. Then Communion was taken by all. There were somewhere in the region of 500 in the congregation including senior clergy and people from all walks of life whose paths had crossed Franks who took communion. Many clergy appeared as ordinary folk just wanting to pay their respects. As Frank's grandson said “once met never forgotten.”  The Revd. Canon Richard Watson remembered his first time he met Frank and recounted a typically amusing tale of Frank removing a heckler from the Abbey at the retirement of a Bishop.  

At the end of the Service the vergers once again formed two ranks to proceed the coffin out the way we had come in and then on outside towards the west end of the Cathedral where we stood each side of the path in the sunshine. The vergers of the Abbey led the hearse on its final journey from the Abbey, the family following behind, which was applauded as it went on his way.

There was a retiring collection in support of the Cathedral and the Children’s Society Donations may also be made C/o Phillips Funeral Services,68 Alma Road, St Albans AL1 3 BL ( 01727 851006)

Frank Lane's Requiem Mass 23rd April

Frank Lane's Requiem Mass will take place on 23rd April 2013 at 2:00pm in St Albans Abbey. All vergers are welcome to attend. Frank knew many vergers as a branch Chairman, Nationally and locally. Having talked with Lynda, Vergers are invited to robe at the Mass. She would like as many vergers a possible as a fitting tribute to a great man.

R.I.P. Frank Lane

Our former Branch Chairman, Frank Lane passed away in his sleep at Hospital on Wednesday afternoon 10th April. He had been a member since 1968 and was still a very active member of the branch being on committees and helping to organise the St Albans Festival. He will be greatly missed.

Holy Week

We enter a busy week in the church. Services every day, the big events of Maunday Thursday and the preparation for the striping of the Altar and other parts of the church.
The preparation for the veneration of the cross on Good Friday. Some church like ours has walks of witness and the organisation involved with this.
There is the work on Easter Saturday with events such as Easter workshops and getting the church ready for Easter Sunday.
Our Easter Sunday has a 5:00am service, which means getting up even earlier this year with the clocks going forwards on the Saturday/Sunday night.
Then there are all the events on Easter day and the much larger expected congregations and the planning involved in this.
Easter Monday often provides no rest as if like us you have a pilgrimage to St Albans Abbey.

I wish you a happy and busy Holy week and a busy Easter, and a week after maybe to recover before low Sunday.
Philip

Frank Lane unwell

Frank is poorly at the moment and would appreciate a prayer and perhaps a get well card.

Peter Palmers best wishes

Dear Vergers,
What can I say? but a huge ‘thank you’ for your certificate making me a Chaplain Emeritus of the Guild. The lovely card and your kind thoughts with your generous cheque as I retire as your chaplain was certainly “icing on the cake”. It has been a great joy and privilege to be with you over the past 14 years. I will certainly keep in touch with the Guild as you enter a new chapter with Fr. Andrew.

With my very best wishes, grateful thanks and prayers
God bless you all
Sincerely

Peter Palmer
Chaplain Emeritus

Message from Father Andrew

Dear Vergers
I join you as your Chaplain at a most significant time of the Christian year. The outward signs of Lent within our Church buildings are obvious, purple on the Altar and purple vestments for those celebrating Holy Communion: a colour signifying penitence and sorrow for the actions, words and thoughts that divide us one from another, and also from our relationship with God. It is also a royal colour in this country, so can be seen as the colour of Christ the King, whose kingship became evident on Easter Day, the day towards which we are moving and which is central to our Christian faith. There are no flowers for Sunday services, and the contrast between the glory and fragrance of the Churches on Easter Sunday decorated with the glories of nature and the empty Lenten Church buildings, is particularly powerful.
Of course, these are outward signs. Some people have their own personal disciplines during Lent; abstinence from alcohol, chocolate or some other pleasure. Perhaps you just make space for stillness in your busy life, or sacrifice some of your time for the care of those less fortunate than yourself.

Yet whatever these outward disciplines might be, there is also the call for our own internal time of reflection. The global economic crisis has touched all of us. For too long, we have lived off the fat of the land, with frightening over borrowing. Lent is an ideal time to reflect on getting our priorities right. The call of the prophets in the Old Testament was for the people to turn away from the social evils that beset the culture of their day, and to turn instead to the source and inspiration of their lives, God himself. Jesus made similar calls on the Jewish population of his own day.
Such a calling is timely for our own culture. There are many who are suffering badly and will no doubt will continue to suffer for sometime. We have corporate responsibility for the current situation, however much we might like to find someone or some organisation to blame. The world has got out of balance, and we all have a responsibility for that imbalance. We need to try and put it right both for our personal lives and for the lives of those in poverty around the wider community.
In so many parishes today, people seem merely concerned with survival. But the Lord of the Church shows through the glory of Easter that he isn’t interested in mere survival. Easter doesn’t speak to us about survival or existence. It speaks of New Life. Starting from now we need to rediscover that the risen Christ is our mainspring; only then can we hope to share in the permanent life of Easter. As twenty first century followers of the Risen Lord we believe that the world was changed when God raised his Son Jesus from the tomb. The only possible explanation for the transformation which occurred in the lives of the first disciples, turning them into a world changing power, was the reality of the resurrection. Sadly, so often in the West there has often been more fear than faith in our Christianity, more gloom than joy! No wonder that so many turn their back on us and look desperately elsewhere for life, for meaning in life, and for the living joy that only a living faith can give.

Yet, when I read the New Testament I am struck by the fact that those books were written by men who passionately believed in a Living Lord. They didn’t worry or argue how Christ had come alive. What they knew, beyond doubt, is that Christ was alive. Many of them suffered and died but that didn’t deter others. St. Paul, for one, was certain that nothing, not even death itself, could separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.

Lord grant those who are called to work as Vergers in the House of God, the faith and grace to hear those words again, to have the courage and humility to accept them as the truth. May we live at all times in the joy that comes from accepting and rejoicing in the life that comes from knowing Jesus as Risen Lord.

With every blessing for a Holy Lent and a Happy Easter
Andrew

About Fr Andrew Ferrar

I spent my formative years at St Peter’s School, York and soon found a spiritual home assisting the Chaplain. It was then on to Emmanuel College, Cambridge to read Natural Sciences. This led to research for a doctorate with the team in Industrial Chemistry at Liverpool University specialising in polymerisation. A career in manufacturing industry followed spanning forty years and working on printing, packaging and industrial textiles.

Board level appointments were held in international chemical groups with emphasis on new business development. This meant moving around so the family have lived in Somerset, London, Lancashire, Angus and latterly Hertfordshire. My wife Ann and I have three children, all now married with families of their own so we are proud grandparents to seven of the next generation.

A lifelong Christian, I have served as Lay Representative to the congregation of St Mary’s Broughty Ferry where I was a member of the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Here in Hertfordshire at St Mary’s Church Redbourn, I was part of the first Lay Ministry Team in our Diocese. I trained for the sacramental ministry and was ordained Deacon at St Albans Abbey at Michaelmas 2006 and priested a year later. Since then I have served as a SSM at St Saviour’s Church, St Albans.