Trinity 5 News

Priest-in-Charge Fr John Ainslie (revjohnainslie@gmail.com; 01628 629827)

A very warm welcome to any new readers, and to visitors and newcomers to St Michael’s. If you are new to St Michael's, do join us for refreshments in the Vestry Hall after the service, so we can welcome you properly.

SERVICES THIS WEEK: Mass on Thursday at 10.30am (St Thomas). Next Sunday Sung Mass at 10.30am.

SAINTS DAYS THIS WEEK: As I write this (Friday 28th) the Church remembers St Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon, who lived between ca 130 and ca 200. As a boy he heard St Polycarp preach, who in turn had been a disciple of the Apostle John, so the teaching of St Irenaeus (especially on the full humanity of Christ) is an important link between the first Apostles and the emerging Church of the second century. This weekend we keep SS Peter and Paul. Wednesday 3rd July is the Feast of St Thomas the Apostle (patron saint of India).

THANK YOU to all who contributed in whatever way to the Memorial Service for Peggy Thresh, and especially to Eleanor who mastered the organisation and led the service so well. May Peggy rest in peace and rise in glory.

Our Churchwarden Jonathan will be formally sworn into office for the year 2024/5 at the Archdeacon’s Visitation Service this Tuesday 2nd July. The service is at St Michaels Sittingbourne at 7pm. I know that some of you will be supporting Jonathan by attending the service, if anyone else would like to go I’m sure your presence would be welcome. We thank Jonathan and pray for him as he serves for another year. William Danes-Volkov, also elected Churchwarden at our APCM, is unable to take up his position due to ill health. We continue to pray for William.

Forward in Faith Events. Two very enjoyable events are coming up, to which you are all invited. Next Sunday, 7th July there is the Blessing of the Fisheries at St Peter’s Folkstone at 3pm. And on Sunday 28th July there is a BBQ at St Michael’s Harbledown from 3pm, with Evensong and Benediction at 6pm. Details from Eleanor or myself.

Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham / Mass of Our Lady of Walsingham. Fr Paul has suggested that we might form a Cell of OLW at St Michaels - to celebrate Mary of Walsingham, pray for the Shrine and for the mission and ministry of St Michael’s, and offer a monthly Mass of Our Lady. Please let me know if you would be interested.

IMPORTANT NEWS ABOUT OUR INTERCESSIONS LIST. From the beginning of July we will use a completely new list of those who are sick or otherwise need our prayers– please let me know if either you yourself, or someone you know, would like to be on our prayer list. The preference in future will be for Christian names [and Surnames]{.underline} to be used, so we have a better idea of who we are praying for. Email to me is good – revjohnainslie@gmail.com - including full name, an idea of the reason for inclusion, and indicating whether the person concerned has given their agreement to be included (if not, Christian name only will be used).

FOR OUR PRAYERS: In our National life we pray for the General Election, and in our Church life we pray for all being ordained as Deacon or Priest this Petertide. We pray for Jonathan as he begins another year as Churchwarden.

We pray for all those in need, and especially Paul, Margaret, Ellie, Pauline, Rue, Fr Leon, Antony, Fran, Ellie, Tom, Joseph, Peter, Joan, Margaret, Lindsay, Glynis, Ethan, Sarah, Yvonne, Jessica, Leon, William, Martyn, HM The King and Catherine, Princess of Wales.

We pray for the recently departed, and those who’s year’s mind falls at this time: Betty Stevens, Joyce Worsfold, Molly Perkins, Dorothy Methven, Stella Dixon, Mary Baxter and David Parsons.

Readers for July: July 7th: OT+Ps Catherine Garland, NT Ralph Baldock; July 14th: Margaret Gatehouse, Eleanor Relle; July 21st: William Danes-Volkov, Mike Trout; July 28th: Ralph Baldock, Alison Heywood

From the Bell Tower: Sunday, 23 June 2024 in 39m (6–1–24 in C)
1269 Surfleet Surprise Minor
1 Emma Jarvis 2 Jacqueline Barlow 3 Philip Jarvis 4 Mark Elvers 5 Pam Thomas 6 Neil Jones (C)

Rung on the Saint’s Day of Etheldreda, Abbess of Ely (c.678) to celebrate Fr John’s 6th Anniversary of the Priesthood.

Thursday, 27 June 2024 in 43m (6–1–24 in C)
1260 Grandsire Triples
1 Terry Barnard 2 Paul Barton 3 Jacqueline Barlow 4 Jane L Kostelnyk 5 Janice Byrne 6 Kath White 7 Neil Jones (C) 8 Mark Elvers

Rung for the Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Peggy Thresh (5/4/1922 to 23/4/2024).