Restoring Faith’s Fabric: Appeal to Save Vestments

Members of the History Group at St Edmund’s Church, Bury St Edmunds, continue their valuable work. 

In addition to previously cataloguing all the items in the church and maintaining an impressive parish chronicle (which can be viewed at St Edmund’s Chronicle), the group has now turned its attention to the repair, conservation and preservation of the church’s historic vestments.

RoseMarie Counihan, who is leading the project, explained:

“We discovered several vestments at the church that are of significant historical interest, being more than 100 years old and most likely the oldest clerical vestments in the town. They are of exquisite quality but, sadly, in the past these vestments have been unused and uncared for. We aim to revive, reveal and explain what was previously hidden. A textile conservator has been engaged to catalogue the vestments, to advise on their condition and to carry out any necessary remedial work to preserve them for future generations to appreciate.”

Throughout this work, the group has been supported by the parish priest, Fr Sean Connolly.

One example among the ten vestments currently undergoing conservation is a cream silk damask cope shown in the accompanying photographs. Dated to the late 1800s, it appears that the embroideries are about a century older, created from exceptionally fine hand-sewn silk threads. The remarkable detail includes images of St Edmund and Our Lady, and a depiction on the back of angels and a monstrance.

RoseMarie continued:

“We are keen to hear from anyone who may have memories of the past use of the vestments, so that we can piece together their history. It is our intention to produce a booklet detailing the vestments in time for our St Edmund’s Day celebrations in November, and subsequently to exhibit them to young people studying art, design and textiles, as an inspiration for their own work.”

Inevitably, the project requires funding. The Chair of the group, John Saunders, added:

“We have a target of £10,000 and are already a third of the way there. This is about rescuing our Catholic history and heritage. We would be grateful for any donations, and we also welcome suggestions for potential funding sources.”

If you would like further information or can help in any way, please contact RoseMarie Counihan at rosemarie166@icloud.com or John Saunders at jes767894@btinternet.com.

Background Information

The St Edmund’s Catholic Parish History Group comprises 16 parishioners engaged in a range of projects. These have included cataloguing all items within the church and producing a secure record of assets, which can be reviewed at intervals. The history of many of these items is set out online at St Edmund’s Chronicle, a detailed record of events since the chapel was first established in Bury St Edmunds in 1762 and the dedication of the church in 1837.

Various ongoing projects have emerged from this cataloguing process, such as researching the origins of plate and vestments. The project described in this article concerns vestments discovered during cataloguing, many of which showed signs of neglect. A professional conservator has been engaged to assess their condition and to carry out any necessary conservation work to ensure they survive for future generations.

To enable this, £10,000 needs to be raised, of which about one third has already been secured from donations, including contributions from The Bury Society, town and county councillors, and two funding grants.

The intention is to restore ten of the most significant vestments and to exhibit them publicly, beginning with a small exhibition during the St Edmund’s Day celebrations in November. This will be followed by wider displays to parishioners and to young people studying art, design and textiles, offering inspiration for their own creativity.

These vestments are a remarkable testament to the faith and generosity of their donors over many years, particularly in the period before Catholic Emancipation.

This article aims both to inform readers of this important work and to appeal for donations and information that may help identify further funding opportunities.

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