by David Skidmore
Lambeth Conference Communications
Bishops, spouses, and staff of the Lambeth Conference will take a recess from workshops, section meetings and myriad administrative tasks starting at 3:30 p.m. Thursday as they enter into the silence of an all-night vigil.
Led by Jean Vanier, founder and director of the L'Arche network of communities for people with learning and other disabilities, the vigil will feature three meditations, a service of light and a service of reconciliation which includes a liturgy of foot washing. The vigil will be held in the main plenary halls, St. Columba and St. Augustine, and will conclude at the 7:15 a.m. Eucharist on Friday.
The vigil begins with Archbishop George Carey introducing Jean Vanier who will give a "Holiness" reflection and address. Three bishops will then respond: Bishop David Andres Alvarez-Velazquez of the Diocese of Puerto Rico (ECUSA); Bishop Barnabas Dwijen Mondal of the Diocese of Dhaka (Bangladesh); and Bishop Thomas Shaw of the Diocese of Massachusetts (ECUSA). The responses will be followed by a mime performance by the L'Arche Community of Canterbury, and a Service of Light. A simple dinner will be available to those not fasting during the one-to-two hour break following the Service of Light.
The vigil will resume at 8:30 p.m. with a Service of Reconciliation in St. Columba hall. Jean Vanier will give the homily and join the chaplaincy team in the foot-washing liturgy. All those participating in the vigil are encouraged to join in the foot-washing. A prayer watch will be maintained throughout the night in St. Augustine hall.
Vigil as celebration
L'Arche members will be present for the liturgy, according to Bishop Roger Herft, coordinator of the conference chaplains. Their unique manner of spiritual expression will underscore the vigil's message of humility and forgiving hope, he said.
Bishop Herft also emphasized the importance of the vigil as the bishops prepare to enter into the issue-oriented phase of the conference. The planners, he said, wanted "a God-given opportunity coming at a hinge point of the conference."
In an interview last spring, Jean Vanier described the vigil as "essentially a celebration-a celebration of reconciliation and of humility and of love, and the love of Jesus. What we are going to suggest is that if bishops and their spouses would wish they can wash each other's feet."
The reason, he explained, is to underscore the nature of discipleship. As followers of Jesus, Christians are being called forth "to love and to serve each other." In washing one another's feet, they are learning about forgiveness, reconciliation, and the desire for humility, he said.
A noted French Roman Catholic lecturer and retreat leader, Mr. Vanier founded the first L'Arche community in Trosly-Breuil, France, in 1964. Today, the L'Arche network has over 100 communities in 29 countries. In addition to serving the physical and psychological needs of its clients, L'Arche also sees to their spiritual development, a characteristic that sets it apart from most institutions for the mentally handicapped. Jean Vanier is also the founder of the Faith and Light community movement, which brings together the mentally handicapped and their parents and friends for mutual celebration and support.
Notice to press: All interviews with conference participants and staff will be suspended for the duration of the vigil. The communications office will operate with minimal staffing.