CAPTION:
Diocese of Exeter to Commemorate 80 Anniversary of D-Day in Normandy
A group of 18 representatives from the Diocese of Exeter will be travelling to Normandy next week to take part in the commemorations of the 80th Anniversary of D-Day.
D-Day, which took place on the 6 June in 1944, was the largest invasion ever assembled. 156,000 Allied troops landed by sea and air on five beachheads in Normandy, France.
During their visit to Normandy, the group will be visiting Commemoration Services at the Mémorial de Caen, Bayeux Cathedral, the British Cemetery in Bayeux and the new Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer.
They will also be meeting with veterans and the Lord Mayors of Caen and Portsmouth for a reception, and taking part in a panel interview for the Catholic TV Channel KTO with the Bishop of Bayeux-Lisieux and other guests.
The Diocese of Exeter is twinned with the Catholic Diocese of Bayeux-Lisieux.
The group is being led by Rev’d Sarah Mounoury, who is a former Royal Naval Veteran who previously lived and worked in France, and Rev’d Marisa Cockfield, who has military connections.
Sarah and Marisa said, “It is a huge privilege to take part in these commemorations, to represent our Diocese, and to be offered such a warm and generous invitation by our French colleagues.”
“Our growing understanding and deepening friendship shows that relationships are at the heart of all reconciliation.
“The Act of Commemoration is not only a reminder of what has happened in the past, but puts hope and friendship at the forefront of our futures. The differences between our Dioceses, churchmanship and culture pale in the face of a more significant commandment – to love one another in Jesus’ name.”
Rev’d Sarah Mounoury said, “I have a deep desire to pay tribute, to remember and to pray for peace, especially in light of current world events.
“While our remembering is often private, there are occasions when it should be shared and public, and inviting some younger members of our Diocese to be part of these commemorations is deeply important – in remembering the past, we can build a better future.
“Our links with the Diocese of Bayeux-Lisieux remind us that we are part of a wider family of God’s children- there to support and encourage one another in our search for greater peace and reconciliation between nations.”
Rev’d Marisa Cockfield said, “I have military connections and value these acts of Remembrance highly. I think remembering teaches us something of how to be in the modern world – how to identify and mark events that touch a nation’s soul.”
The group consists of young people from the Royal Wessex Yeomanry along with their Regimental Chaplain, and six of Exeter Cathedral’s Choral Scholars.
They will be representing their organisations, the Diocese of Exeter and the UK by laying wreaths, singing and being ambassadors for young people across the events.
