From Maisons-Laffitte to the Rock: A Very Canonical Adventure!
You may have noticed that our very own Reverend Charlotte Sullivan has recently acquired an extra title and is now known as Reverend Canon Charlotte Sullivan. But what does this mean, and should we be worried that our Chaplain is about to disappear off to Gibraltar permanently?
Fear not! Charlotte is staying with us. Becoming a Canon is a great honour, recognising her distinguished service within the Diocese in Europe. She has been given the stall of Our Lady of Europe at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Gibraltar, and becomes a member of the Cathedral Chapter. Along with the new title comes the right to wear Canon’s vestments, preach in the Cathedral, but also the requirement to undertake to uphold its statutes. You can watch Charlotte doing all of this in the video below.
Of course, since Our Lady of Europe doesn’t travel particularly well, Charlotte had to make the journey to Gibraltar to be formally installed in her new seat. And, having been invited to accompany her, I found myself boarding a plane to Málaga one October morning for the start of a very Gibraltarian adventure.
Gibraltar is a fascinating place: imagine someone picking up a medium-sized town from the Home Counties and dropping it onto the very bottom tip of Spain! The familiar UK high-street shops are there, but the streets have a distinctly international feel, with around 15,000 Spanish nationals crossing the border to work each day.
We were warmly welcomed by the Dean, Ian, his wife Sally, and members of the Cathedral congregation. Sunday’s Service of Collation and Installation was a moving occasion, with an excellent sermon and some wonderful singing. I was even invited to join the Cathedral choir! Singing in a cathedral choir had been a childhood dream of mine, so it just goes to show that we should never give up on our dreams. You never know when one might come true!
Watch the service here: Reverend Canon Charlotte Sullivan’s Installation
But before the big occasion, we managed to pack in enough adventures to fill a small expedition diary.
We climbed the Mediterranean Steps to the top of the Rock, 426 metres above sea level. Calling them “steps” seems a little misleading. By the end, we had scrambled up the equivalent of 71 floors, using steep steps cut into the rock and a conveniently placed rope to haul ourselves upwards. The view at the summit was largely hidden by the famous levanter cloud, which can sit over the Rock for days without actually producing any rain. Still, the sense of achievement was enormous!
We also explored the Great Siege Tunnels, edged across the Windsor Suspension Bridge, and encountered Gibraltar’s famously bold macaques (keeping a respectful distance seemed wise). We encountered an archangel in St Michael’s Cave, successfully ordered sausage, egg and chips from a Spanish waitress, and even walked across the airport runway to reach the Spanish border. Not your average weekend away!
All in all, it was a wonderful mixture of fellowship, faith, adventure and a little physical exertion. Charlotte’s new title is a well-deserved recognition of her ministry, and it was a privilege to share in such a special occasion.
