Prince Albert and the pigeon
‘Is everything alright?’
In the churchyard the worried tourists stood looking in disbelief at the stained glass window at the east end of St Giles’ Chapel.
’The window’s just exploded’ they told the freshly-ordained curate who had hot-footed it outside. ‘The glass just flew out’
What had been a peaceful service of Holy Communion following the liturgy of the Book of Common Prayer had become somewhat challenging for Roger, the Vicar.
As he began the prayer of consecration, facing the congregation, several noticed his face change. But they couldn’t see why. What he could see was a pigeon, flying directly at him, at speed.
He ducked.
The pigeon flew low, immediately above his head before veering right, back into the main part of the church. Gathering himself, Roger announced he would begin the prayer again. He re-started Cranmer’s liturgy. He elevated the bread for consecration … and at that exact moment the pigeon reappeared, flying directly over the altar and crashing into the Victorian stained glass window installed in memory of Prince Albert.
There was a loud thud and the sound of shattering.
Glass flew outwards. The pigeon rebounded and flew on. Roger continued the prayer of consecration. The curate quickly left the service to retrieve the historic glass from outside and met the shocked visitors to Malvern. Inside, Holy Communion continued, reverently, whilst the custos stalked the now disoriented pigeon.
Fast forward from early July to early September and the repair of the Prince Albert window has begun. Scaffolding has been erected inside and out, and craftspeople from Jim Budd Stained Glass have carefully stabilised and taken out the damaged panel to be repaired at their studios. Services continue to be held in St Giles’ Chapel - morning Prayer Monday - Saturday and Holy Communion on Wednesdays - with a new temporary scaffolding ‘reredos’ and polycarbonate replacing the glass.
Work on the window is expected to be complete in time for the Priory Christmas Super Saturday on 22nd November, when Malvern’s Town Lights are switched on, and when the first Priory Christmas Tree Festival will fill the eastern end of the church with light-bedecked Christmas trees.
And the pigeon?
It turns out that the Custos has excellent pigeon-catching skills, managing to drop a towel over it (at only the third attempt) carrying it carefully out to freedom in the churchyard.
