Maundy Money Service
Two members of our diocese had the special honour of receiving Maundy Money from HRH King Charles during a service at York Minster.
Paulette Brown and Rod Davies attended the Royal Maundy Service where they were presented with two purses: a red purse containing two commemorative coins, symbolising the Sovereign's historic gift of food and clothing (this year, one will celebrate His Majesty’s forthcoming 75th birthday and the other will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Windrush Generation) and a white purse containing a set of specially minted silver Maundy coins, equivalent in value to the age of the Monarch (this year is 74p).
During the service, His Majesty presented 74 men and 74 women with the Maundy Money to thank them for their outstanding Christian service and for making a difference to the lives of people in their local communities. The service dates back to 600AD and these special coins have kept much the same form since 1670. The first recorded Royal Distribution was at Knaresborough, North Yorkshire by King John in 1210.
Paulette said, “It was a great and unexpected honour to be nominated to receive the Maundy Money from King Charles in the glorious setting of York Minster. Great pageantry, wonderful music, beautiful readings - an awesome occasion but the theme of humble service was never lost.”
She went on to describe the day:
“So many things will stay in my memory - the tapping sticks of the Yeoman of the Guard in stately procession, the majesty of Zadok the Priest and the resounding rendition of Love Divine to the Welsh tune, Blaenwern.
“The fleeting moment with The King whose wonderful smile, kind eyes and whispered words made it a very personal occasion.
"It was a very special day which concluded by being present at the Mass of The Lord’s Supper in a tiny medieval Church in the heart of York. The Liturgy of Good Friday was kept in York Minster which had a very different feel from the previous day . Then, it was time to return to Newport to share the celebration of Easter Day with my Church Family at SS Julius and Aaron.
"Not a day but a week to remember!"
It was ‘a truly unforgettable day!’ for Rod too!
He says: “What would I be doing receiving a letter from the Royal Almonary Office of Buckingham Palace in January this year? Total surprise! The letter was an invitation to receive Maundy Money from His Majesty the King on 6th April at York Minster.
“I was truly honoured to be considered for such an occasion and thrilled at the prospect of attending such a special service. Of course this is the first time the King will have carried out this service in his own right. 74 men and 74 women received the gift, 74 being the age of the monarch.”
Rod was allowed one companion on the special day, and he took his son John.
Speaking about the day, Rod said: “York Minster is a breathtaking building! It is enormous and awe-inspiring. On the morning of the service the nave was full with some 1500 people in attendance including the Maundy Money recipients, their companions and those invited from the local community, diocese and wider area. The pageantry and organisation was superb, to the usual high standards for national events of this sort. The service started a few minutes after 11 am and finished at 12pm.
“The actual presentation of the Maundy Money was completed with equal efficiency. In my case the King was directed towards me, he said some words of gratitude and handed me the 2 purses each containing the Maundy Money.
“The whole event form start to finish was a humbling and unforgettable experience for me. The gift is symbolic and resonates with Jesus washing the feet of His disciples.”