Trinity 7 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, with a Homily learning from SS Gregory and Macrina. Next Sunday Sung Mass for Trinity 8 at 10.30am.

SAINTS’ FOR THIS WEEK: Monday is St Swithun’s Day. Swithun was a 9th century saintly Bishop of Winchester noted for a life of simplicity and holiness. He was buried humbly in 862 as he requested, and when on t15th July 971 his successor Ethelwold moved his remains into a shrine in the new cathedral, his displeasure was felt as it rained non stop for 40 days! Also on Monday we remember the thirteenth century Italian Franciscan leader-reformer St Bonaventure, and on Tuesday the 11th century Bishop Osmund of Salisbury, who is said to have compiled the ‘Use of Sarum’ setting out the liturgical texts, music and seasonal colours used across the English Church for many centuries (elements of which are still used in some places today). Friday is the Feast Day of SS Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, and his Deaconess sister Macrina, both highly influential figures in the 4th century Church. Gregory with his brother Basil The Great and friend Gregory Nazianzus, Patriarch of Constantinople, are known as the ‘Cappadocian Fathers’, and widely revered theologians in both the Eastern and Western churches.

SUNDAY BBQ: We as a Parish are warmly invited to join with our friends at St Michael’s Harbledown for their annual FiF BBQ on Sunday 28th July, starting at 3pm and ending with a lovely service of Evensong and Benediction at 6pm. I hope that as many of us as possible will be able to go, using car-share to ease the burden of driving, and treating this as an opportunity for a very enjoyable Parish outing together – food, friends, a beautiful church and lovely worship. It would be good to know if you plan to go: there is a sign-up sheet at the back of Church.

CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL ARCHAEOLOGY TALKS Thursdays 6.15pm – this week “Archaeological Discoveries at the Cathedral.” Another chance to car-share to an interesting event? Pre-booking required – go to https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/ and search for “Festival of Archaeology”. Next week – The Vikings.

CHANGE OF TREASURER: Nelly is retiring as our PCC Treasurer due to work and other time pressures. We give thanks to Nelly for all her work as Treasurer, and we are pleased that she and her family will be continuing as a member of our congregation. I am delighted that Lee Derbyshire has offered to step into this role, and was appointed Treasurer by the PCC on Thursday. We are very grateful to Lee for offering his services to our Church in this way.

PRAYER REQUEST SLIPS are available at the back of church if you want to request prayer for yourself, for someone else or for a particular situation. Prayers may be offered either by a Priest privately or included in our regular intercessions in church (in which case names will be prayed for at Mass on Sundays and Thursdays).

FOR OUR PRAYERS: This week we pray for our King and all the Royal Family, and newly elected MPs; for the political situation in America; and for peace in places of war including Ukraine, Sudan and Gaza. Locally, we pray for our social care and NHS services. We give thanks for the Oxford Movement and we pray for renewal in the sacramental, teaching and pastoral life of the Church here and across the Church of England. We pray for Lee as he becomes our Treasurer.

We pray for all those in need, and especially Paul Jones, Glynis Reynolds, Yvonne Young, Jessica O’Sullivan, Ellie Pointer, Rue McGeouch, Frank Carr, Lindsay Wheeler, Peter Rowe, William Danes-Volkov, Martyn Nash, Lisa Thompset and Fran.

We pray for the recently departed, for all those who faithfully served God in this place in previous generations, and for those who’s year’s mind occurs this week: Arthur Rickerby, Renee Page, Lily Levick, Pamela Rose Mason, Jeanette Ardley and Annemarie Ward.