Mamerto Gueritz was a country priest in the second half of the nineteenth century. His is a fascinating tale, with the adventures of his father and grandfather in Spain and the subsequent deeds of his children, framing the story of the man himself.
However, Mamerto Gueritz also offers an illustration of the ways in which the Catholic Revival in the Church of England, the Oxford Movement, spread and took root in the remotest corners of the kingdom. His story tells a much wider tale of the renewal of the Church, the revival of a glorious liturgical heritage and the search for holiness which, for Gueritz and many of his peers, was the driving force behind it all.
Mamerto’s father had been an officer in the Royal Guard of Spain but his opposition to the absolutism of Ferdinand VII meant that he and his family had to flee. The period between the time of Gueritz’ arrival as an infant refugee from Spain in 1823 and his death in 1912 may indeed be seen as the time of the emergence and flowering of what became known as the Oxford Movement. However, it was also a time of great conflict and change both in the Church and in society. Such change was not without cost and Mamerto Gueritz shared in it all, both in the battles in London and in his country parish, which proved anything but a safe haven.
The reader with a straightforward love of history will find Mamerto’s story a significant addition to their store of knowledge. Those who read widely in Church history, particularly that of the nineteenth century, may find that what seems like familiar ground can be anything but! The student of the Oxford Movement and the catholic heritage of the Church of England may yet find some further insight from hitherto unreported events and in Mamerto Gueritz find also an encouragement for the work of today.
About the Author
Born the son of a Pentecostal Minister, David Gunn-Johnson made the journey to a priestly ministry in the Church of England. After training for the priesthood in Oxford, David served two curacies, was Team Rector of Colyton in Devon and latterly Archdeacon of Barnstaple. In retirement he is Priest Vicar at Exeter Cathedral.
