The Tree of Life at Holy Cross Priory

One of the main features of the Requiem Mass at Holy Cross was a large sculpture installed in the church for the occasion. It was installed by Neill Strain, a renowned floral designer from London.

The white rose was seen everywhere in Leicester during this week.

It is a heraldic symbol goes back to Edmund of Langley, the first Duke of York, in the 14th Century. The Yorkist rose is white, reflecting the Christian liturgical symbolism of light, innocence, purity, joy, and glory. Richard III was the last Yorkist king of England.

Planta Genista

Richard's family name was Plantagenet, which in Medieval Latin is Planta Genista, the common broom plant. The family dated from 1126 with Geoffrey V of Anjou, another of my ancestors, and was held by the English ruling family from 1154 to 1485, ending with Richard III. The Plantagenets were the most successful ruling house in England, passing the crown through 14 kings.

The Tree of Life sculpture was quite impressive. It was composed of 2,000 Avalanche roses on branches, fastened into little glass vials full of water. There were little genista flowers intermingled with the roses surrounding the trunk at the bottom of the sculpture, almost in a rectangular grave shape.

When I first saw the Tree, I was reminded of a feeling of coldness, with the glass vials resembling icicles. But looking more closely at it, I could see the individual roses blooming all over it, giving it an ethereal appearance, delicate and brittle yet alive.

I thought of several things looking at the Tree:

• Richard's new grave that we had come to create and celebrate  
• Robert Herrick's garden blooming over Richard's original grave years after the Greyfriars Monastery was gone
• Songs and stories of beautiful flowering plants rising up out of graves as a reference to the Resurrection of Christ, life coming from death
• And, oddly enough, the White Tree of Gondor in Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Maybe that last allusion isn't totally strange and unexpected. Although it had been dead for many years, Aragorn and Gandalf find a sapling of the White Tree and plant it in the Court of the Fountain, where it grows and blooms to bring hope and courage to Middle Earth. In the movie version, the blooming is even more dramatic as the dead tree comes back to life and blooms, signaling the return of the King and peace again to the residents of Gondor. 

In this case a King has also been returned to us--a real, historical man who has become legendary to the many students of history who have searched for him for so long.

I also see hope and courage in this sculptural Tree.

Every day we learn more about Richard as a man and King and find that he was not like the character out of Shakespeare but a man of courage and conviction.

Other of life's mysteries, lost in time for centuries, can be rediscovered and change how we think about our past and our present. We just need to keep digging.

Medieval Music Concert

One of the events I am particularly excited about is a medieval music concert.

This music from the time of Richard III will be performed at Holy Cross Priory the evening after the Requiem Mass. Besides being great music to inspire us all, the tickets were free! I reserved my two tickets the first night they went up on the website!

Here is some more information about the concert on the Leicester Cathedral website.

This recording is of some Medieval English music from the Hillard Ensemble, about 50 minutes.

Requiem Mass at Holy Cross Priory

What some of you might not know is that there have been several public ballots for spots at various Richard III events during Reinterment Week.

One event that caught my eye early on was the Requiem Mass at Holy Cross Priory Church in Leicester with Cardinal Nichols. This is to be the main Catholic ceremony for Richard's repose.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols

The notice said that this ceremony, complete with the Choir from St. Barnabas' Cathedral of the Diocese of Nottingham, was open to the public. However, it was another ballot. How could I resist another chance?

On 6 March, I joyfully learned that I was again successful in another ballot and this time I would not have to go all by myself since we are allowed two tickets! The tickets look very lovely with a picture of Richard on one side, and the other with the text with the information, with a white York rose watermark.

Picture courtesy of John

This event is on Monday, 23 March at 5:00pm. We are to be in our seats at 4:30pm. I heard that this event will last a couple of hours. I can't wait to hear which setting of the music they use. I need to brush up on my Latin.

Here are some pictures of Holy Cross for you.

Exterior 

Inside showing the nave

Construction on Holy Cross Priory began in 1929 and was completed and consecrated in 1958. Its roots go back much longer. The Dominicans, who serve the Priory, reached Leicester in 1247 and thrived there. However, in 1538 the priory was surrendered to King Henry VIII's agents. The remaining friars fled to Flanders.

Eventually the Dominicans returned to Leicester, but not until nearly the late 18th century, early 19th. Holy Cross was established as a priory in 1882.

Although Holy Cross isn't an old church building, it looks quite beautiful and I can't wait to visit.

For more information about this event, you can click here.

For more information about the church, click here.

Watch for a more detailed account about this great event next week!