The Celtic Church of The Way is

so Ancient it demands respect

is so Traditional it is refreshing

and so Conservative it is reassuring.

 

SOURCE MATERIAL: ECCLESIASTICAL ANNALSĒ BY

CARDINAL BORONIUS

CURATOR OF THE VATICAN LIBRARY

 

Following the crucifixion of Jesus, St Joseph of Arimathea was driven from his home and began a journey of conversion. He traveled to Glastonbury in an attempt to bring Christianity to the Britons. Joseph was the owner of the tomb in which

Jesus Christ's body lay from Good Friday till the third day, Pascha (Easter). Joseph was from Ramah that today is known as Ramallah. It was the birth place of Samuel, the prophet, and is called in the Septuagint Arimathaim. Josephus calls it Amartha.

 

 

Upon their arrival and tired from the journey, he and his 12

companions laid down to rest. As he did so, he thrust his staff into the hill. When he woke up, the staff had taken root and begun to grow. It flowers every Christmas (Old Style) and every spring. This became the site of the Glastonbury Abbey.

 

 

The original thorn was cut down by a Puritan soldier in 1653 and he was blinded when struck in the eye by a splinter. Many cuttings were taken from the original before its destruction. The current thorn on the grounds of Glastonbury Abbey is said to be a cutting from the original plant which was planted in secret after the original was destroyed. Botanically, the Glastonbury Thorn is a hawthorn,

which usually blooms only in the spring. Blooming at Christmas that falls in January is considered a miracle by God to honor the faith of Joseph of Ariamathia.

 

 

Joseph of Arimathea was the Virgin Mary's uncle. It was he, along with St. John who buried Jesus after the crucifixion. Joseph, in the tin trade, made a lot of trips to Britain, where being a rich merchant made close contact with British Royalty; namely Kings Beli, Lud, Llyr and Arviragus, who gave Joseph and his companions some 2000 acres of land, tax free. On these trips to Britain, Joseph took Jesus, as we know through many geographical, historical and traditional

references. The details of this study are taken mainly from "The Drama of the Lost Disciples", by George F. Jowett.

 

Historians William of Malmesbury, (Born 1080 died 1143), Polydore Vergil (Born 1470 died 1555) and others all place Joseph of Arimathea at Glastonbury. Even the four Church councils of Pisa 1409, Constance 1417, Sienna 1424 and Basle 1434, mention that "the Churches of France and Spain must yield in points of

antiquity and precedence to that of Britain as the latter Church was founded by Joseph of Arimathea immediately after the passion of Christ."

 

Three Celtic Bishops (London, Lincoln and York) were

present at the Council of Arles in 314 A.D. Joseph, with many disciples traveled from the holy land by boat and landed at Marseilles, in the Vienoise province of the Gauls (France). From there he went on to England where he established the church, sent out missionaries, and helped in the conversion of the Royal family.

 

In his "Ecclesiastical Annals", Cardinal Baronius, (1538-1607)

Curator of the Vatican library, gives this account. "In that year the party mentioned was exposed to the sea in a vessel without sails or oars. The vessel drifted finally to Marseilles and they were saved. From Marseilles Joseph and his company passed into Britain and after preaching the Gospel there, died."

 

 

How many of the disciples were with Joseph of Arimathea during his

short stay in Gaul, before going on to England, is hard to say.

Various existing records agree in part with the Cardinal Baronius

record, naming among the occupants of the castaway boat Mary

Magdlene, Martha, the hand-maiden Marcella, Lazarus whom Jesus

raised from the dead, and Maximin the man whose sight Jesus

restored. Other records state that Philip and James accompanied

Joseph. Others report that Mary, the wife of Cleopas, and Mary, the

mother of Jesus, were also in the boat. Here's Baronius' complete

list of passsengers:

St. Mary, wife of Cleopas

St. Martha

St. Lazarus

St. Eutropius

St. Salome

St. Cleon

St. Saturninus

St. Mary Magdalene

Marcella, the Bethany sisters' maid

St. Maximin

St. Martial

St. Trophimus

St. Sidonius (Restitutus)

St. Joseph of Arimathea

 

 

True to God's way, Philip was waiting for the travelers in

France. There is a wealth of uncontroversial testimony asserting his

commission in Gaul, all of which alike state that he received and

consecrated Joseph, preparatory to his embarkation and appointment as the Apostle to Britain. Although there are some who would argue for France being first, most records agree that Britain, at Glastonbury was the Root of the Christian movement. One would expect that history would show that the missionary activities would flow out of the well-spring of Christianity. And well does history record this. The Gaulic records state that for centuries the Archbishops of Treves and Rheims were all Britons supplied by the mother church at Glastonbury-Avalon. St. Cadval, a famed British missionary, going out from Glastonbury, founded the church of Tarentum, Italy, A.D. 170. Did you notice that this was four hundred years before St. Augustine? And as we'll see later, even this date was at least fourteen years after King Lucius Christianized all of Britain in A.D. 156. Converts literally flooded into Glastonbury for conversion, baptism, instruction and missionary assignment. Philip sent, from Gaul alone, one hundred sixty disciples to assist Joseph and his team with the crowds. And it is surely known that helpers were sent from other places beside France.

 

One of the first to go out from Glastonbury was Mary and Martha's

brother Lazarus. He headed straight back to Marseilles where he held the Bishopric for seven years. But that was only natural. France was a Family thing for the Bethany household.

 

 

Many famous names are recorded as having been associated with

Glastonbury-Avalon. Sidonis, Saturninus, and Cleon taught and supported other Missionaries in Gaul, then returned to Britain.

Martial's parents, Marcellus and Elizabeth were there along with St.

Zacchaeus. Many faithful Judeans moved to Britain. Parmena, disciple of Joseph, was appointed the first Bishop of Avignon. Drennalus, helped Joseph found the church at Morlaix. He was then appointed to Treguier as it's first Bishop. Beatus founded the church in Helvetia, after receiving his baptism and education at Avalon. Beatus was baptized by St. Barnabas, the brother of Aristobulus. Beatus was sent in advance by St. Paul to Britain. He is referred to in scripture as Joses, the Levite. Mansuetus was consecrated the first Bishop of the Lotharingians A.D. 49, with his See at Toul. He also founded the church at Lorraine. Mansuetus was a constant visitor at the Palace of the British at Rome after Claudia had married Pudens. Mansuetus was a friend of Linus, the first Bishop of Rome, and brother of Claudia. At the age of 17, Claudia (former name Gladys (means Princess) the Younger, married Pudens a Roman Senator. Many Apostles especially Paul were frequent

visitors to the home of Claudia and Pudens. St. Paul was the half

brother of Pudens, the husband of Claudia. Priscilla was mother

to St. Paul and Puden. Eurgain (Claudiaís sister) was the first

woman Baptized in Britain and she was Baptized by St. Joseph of Arimathea. Linus, the first Bishop of Rome who had been consecrated by St. Paul was the Grandson of Joseph of Arimathea. In 66 A.D. Claudia, her husband and children were able to claim the mutilated body of St. Paul from the Romans and bury him on Pudens estate. After the death of St. Clement, Mansuetus became

the third official Bishop of the British Church at Rome. Thus we have three disciples of Avalon, instructed by St. Joseph, to become, in succession, Bishops of Rome. Iltigius, in "De Patribus Apostolicis", quotes St. Peter as saying; Concerning the Bishops who have been ordained in our lifetime, we make known to you that they are these. Of Antioch, Eudoius, ordained by me, Peter. Of the Church of Rome, Linus, son of Claudia, was first ordained by Paul, and after Linus's death, Clemens the second, ordained by me, Peter."

 

St. Joseph built a little chapel on the hills of Glastonbury

in southern England. The church stood on the same spot

until Cromwell had in torn down in 1665.

 

With the disruptions caused by the pagan Anglo-Saxons,

the Celtic Church was forced to the fringes of the Celtic Britain,

hiding in caves and on small islands.

It took on the monastic-style of leadership. There was

considerable monastic influence from the Coptic Church

(Coptic Orthodox who were Egyptian).

 

The Northern portion of the Island (Scotland and England)

was primarily Evangelized by the Celtic Church in Iona.

The Celtic Orthodox Church was also strong in Cornwall

and Wales. In the South, centering on Kent and Canterbury,

 

The Celtic Church of The Way remains vibrant and committed

to the ancient faith and praxis of the early church. The Celtic Church

of The Way remains a church in resistance to modernism and

remains a member if the Catacomb Church Movement.