VR7 Chapel

VIRTUAL

Chapel

You all know how much Chapel means to Radley: the daily opportunity to meet to together as one community, to sing, reflect and worship. The moment I look forward to most about being able to resume normality here at Radley is that first Chapel service. It will mean that we are back together.

But spiritual care continues, and is crucial. It is no coincidence that it is part of the Virtual Radley image.

As the Chaplain says in his letter, Chapel will continue at Virtual Radley. We will broadcast a Chapel service at 1745pm each Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The Pups will read. The Chaplains will lead us in prayer. We will play recorded responses and a hymn and the words will be on the screen . . . I like to think that some of our less self-conscious Radleians will join in. And we will have a few talks and our weekly musical slot. Twenty minutes or so to close the formal part of the day.

Do join us.

The Warden

While we will not run a formal service each Sunday, we would encourage families to tune in to their local church or, if they would prefer, to one local to Radley.

Bishop of Oxford: https://www.oxford.anglican.org/coronavirus-covid-19/livestream/ St James the Great (Radley): https://www.rskbenefice.org/sunday-worshipresources.html St Ebbes’ Oxford: https://www.youtube.com/stebbeschurch St Aldate’s Oxford: https://staldates.org.uk/news/article/sunday-services-online Or more generally: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/church-online

Catholic Services Campion Hall in Oxford: https://www.catholic-chaplaincy.org.uk/live-stream-of-masses/ The Pope: http://www.catholictv.org/shows/papal-programming

A letter from The Chaplain….

I have heard it said many times before that Chapel is at the heart of the school and I am sure people immediately think of the wonderful building. But Chapel is not only a building; it is also all the boys and dons that make up our daily gatherings. With them absent, it is like the heart is ripped out of our College and it we will miss our boys, parading their black gowns and walking around the school. We will miss those lovely summer days playing cricket on Bigside or watching the first eight at Henley. That is why we, as a College, are collectively determined to make virtual school work well, demonstrating whether gathered or scattered we are one community of Radley.

It goes without saying we will be providing virtual Chapel!

Over the Easter Holidays I have, as an Army Chaplain (Reserve), been serving with the Welfare Team and have given pastoral support to those whose lives have been turned upside down with this hideous virus. And I realise, as Chaplain, many of us might go through or be going through suffering ourselves. I want to re-assure you that my love and daily prayers are with you; as St Paul writes: ‘we should pray without ceasing”.

I am sure that many of us were moved by Her Majesty’s words on Sunday evening and with the promise that ‘we will meet again’. I would like to make this promise to all the boys that when we do meet again for our next act of worship in Chapel I will choose two of your favourite hymns and we will, as one community, sing with a full voice and a thankful heart.

With Blessings.

The Chaplain