The Battle of Britain Commemorative Service at the Air Forces Garden of Remembrance in Stanley Park, Vancouver is unique, in that it features the parading and presentation of the “Lamp of Brotherhood.”

THE LAMP OF BROTHERHOOD

or

“Fraternitatis Lumen”

 

A “Lamp of Brotherhood” presently in Vancouver, Canada is one of 46 (or variously cited as up to 84) Lamps fashioned from the bronze doors of the destroyed Monte Cassino Abbey of Italy.The concept was that each of these Lamp would be sent to those countries which participated in the freeing of Europe from the Nazi menace of Germany during the years 1939 to 1945.

The lamp is approximately 32 cm in length, 12 cm wide, and 8 cm high.

The Vancouver Lamp is the “Lamp of the Americas,” representing both North and South America. It arrived in Vancouver through the participation of Air Vice Marshall Ken Guthrie in the original Lamp service - known as the “Lampada” - when the Lamps were given out in the newly re-built Monte Cassino in 1956. Ken Guthrie said that he and his wife were the only representatives from North America at this Lamp-giving ceremony and it was placed in their custody.

According to Ken Guthrie, each country that received a Lamp was to create an organization to be known as the “Lampada” to cherish and care for the Lamp. No such organization was brought into being in North America, and so the Lamp remained in the custody of Ken and Kay Guthrie who brought it to Vancouver in the 1964 .  Prior to the move to Vancouver, the Lamp was a focal point at a ceremony in St Agathe, Quebec in 1959.  A Mrs. Stockdale, National President of the Mothers of the Silver Cross Association laid the Lamp at the base of the Cenotaph.  Since 1964. the Lamp has been a focal point of the annual Battle of Britain Ceremony at the Air Forces Garden of Remembrance in Stanley Park.

There are a number of historic photographs from Ken’s album featuring the Lamp:

OTHER KNOWN LAMPS:

New Zealand - National War Memorial

The Lamp is mounted in the Sanctuary of the War Memorial

    http://www.nationalwarmemorial.govt.nz/hall.html

Netherlands - Church at Venray

The Lamp would burn as a symbol of peace. 

     http://www.kerkgebouwen-in-limburg.nl/view.jsp?content=865

England - St Mary’s Church, Banbury

A Lamp of Brotherhood from Monte Cassino was installed in 1964. It is cited as one of 84. 

    http://stmaryschurch-banbury.org.uk/

Italy - Montecassino Abby 

Blessed by the Pope Paul VI in 1968, a Lamp of Brotherhood is set alight at the tomb of St. Benedictine every year on March 21st.