A CHURCH-SHRINE FOR AYLESFORD

By Marian Curd WHEN Bishop Cowderoy goes . to Aylesford on Sunday not only will he ordain yet another Carmelite priest of the Old Observance, and lead the annual Southwark diocesan pilgrimage to the "jewel" of his diocese, but he will also by laying the foundation stone of the new shrine of Our Lady of the Assumption, continue the work of restoration started some nine years ago when the Carmelites returned to " The Friars."
The stone, blessed in Our Lady's Year, 1954, will be set in place near the first of the 42 ft. piles being sunk deep into the mud-to just beyond rock level-to support the new shrine.
And the thousands who will gather amid the bared foundations of the ancient friary church of the Assumption will he witnessing yet another symbol of the rebuilding of the Faith in England.
up stones, built an altar to God
Elias upon Mount Carmel took
up stones, built an altar to God
and offered sacrifice. In the same
spirit, on Sunday Feast of the Solemnity of Carmel-and the Feast of Elias an altar thrown down 400 years ago at the Reformation will begin to rise again.
The open-air Mass and ordination will start at 11 a.m. The foundation stone will be laid at 3 p.m. followed by procession and Benediction. There will be a torchlight procession at 8.30 p.m. But the quiet scene of previous years withAylesford's giant copper beech tree standing just behind the temporary altar with its lychgatestyle copper roof, has changed. Gone, for the time being. is the great garden-like sanctuary.
THE PLANS
The altar is littered with plans, rulers, pieces of stone. lengths of twine, and other tackle. Cementmixing machines rattle and grind. Pickaxes, spades and barrows abound. Great mounds of stones. sand and cement litter the once tidy grounds.
What will the new church-shrine look like ? Who is building it ? What will it all cost ? These were some of the questions I put to the Prior last week.
It had been difficult to keep up with Fr. Malachy. He was here, there. and everywhere directing, advising, enquiring, and evenrather prophet-like-carting stones around himself.
He cleared a space on the altar. and spread out the plans of the architect. Mr. Adrian Gilbert Scott.
The new building is not strictly speaking a church. It is a large shrine which will stand on the site of the main altar of the 01d rnunitery church-where the temporary altar is now.
The shrine will consist of a hexagonal central block some 50 ft high with four radiating arms about 50 ft. tong.
The two front arms form covered cloister-like tribunes each capable of stating about 100 people under cover and in full view of the altar. The two back arms will contain sacristies.
PIAZZA
At the front will be a very large central arch some 25 ft. high providing a view of the altar from the large open-air piazza in front. This arch is to be glazed to enable services to proceed in windy weather and for security at night.
A chair store is provided beneath the large paved terrace between the two front wings.
The Whole of the exterior will be faced in old, local Kentish ragstone collected from demolished buildings in the neighbourhood and the roof will be covered in old, hand-made tiles, also collected locally, so as to keep the new building in sympathy with the extensive existing buildings, adjoining.
The foundations of the old church of the Assumption, which extend over most of the piazza area are now being exposed and will be preserved surrounded by a low wall and interspersed with grass patches.
For big open air ceremonies the doors of the ehrine will be open wide, the altar will be clearly visible to all and will he rolled forward (in very good weather) out On to the terrace at the top of a short flight of very wide steps.
Who is doing all this work? A contractor is seeing to the boring and piles, hut all the rest of the work is being done by the community and by friends-visitors to Aylesford for a few days who find at the same time spiritual peace arid joy in energetic work.
A Spanish brother was hard at work shaping a flight of steps. a visiting city-worker was way up in a cedar tree sawing off protruding branches (all the wood to be carefully saved for the carpenter's shop); a sales manager was spending his few days off carting load after load of stones in a wheelbarrow. Another" brother was busily building a low wall-he had never built a wall before.
Soon these workers will be joined by others. four stonemasons are coming from Italy, and Fr. Malachy was surprised to receive and quickly accepted an offer from the famous Building Order in Belgium. This Order,
which now has 10,000 volunteers, has in four years erected LOW houses, 31 churches, 20 schools. cloisters and youth centres.
And the cost? This is what seems to worry Fr. Malachy least. Nearly £3,800 is needed for the foundations alone. The community arc doing the building; the 25,00e copies of the Aylesford Newsletter sent out by Fr. Malachy every two months should increase the members of Our Lady's Building Cornparty. For the rest, prayer, Our Lady. and St. Simon Stock will provide . . .