The Henson Journals

[216]

Low Sunday, April 7th, 1918.

1343rd day

Ella and I received the Holy Communion in the Lady Chapel at 8 a.m. Then, after breakfast, we motored to Leominster where I preached twice in the grand old Priory Church – an amazingly impressive building. At Mattins there was but a moderate congregation, but in the afternoon, when the Mayor & Corporation attended in state, the church was entirely filled. Before the service I went to the Town Hall, & was welcomed formally by the Mayor, with whom I walked to the church. Mr Nelson, the Vicar of Leominster, has a cast in his eye, and an apologizing manner. Nor, from what I can collect, has he anything in his public record to correct the impression made by his personal appearance! There are about 5000 people in the parish, of which the acreage is very large (8294 acres). Yet he seems to have no curate, and as the net income is no more than £287, he can hardly afford one himself. He was very anxious to impress me with the liberality of his theological opinions, & his dislike of Ritualism! The 15th century chalice of Leominster has a large bowl, suggestive of the communion of the laity. I suggested that it might have been used for administering the unconsecrated wine, which was given to the communicants in order to assist them to swallow the wafers. Against this theory, however, must be urged the elaborate ornamentation of the chalice. We returned to Hereford immediately after the service. Miss Campbell, sister to Mrs Lillingston, called on us after dinner. She is visiting the Y.M.C.A. club here, and has formed no favourable opinion of the Munition–girls clubs.

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