Trinity 9 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.

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.

SERVICES THIS WEEK: Mass on Thursday at 10.30am. Next Sunday Sung Mass at 10.30am.

SAINTS FOR THIS WEEK: On Monday the Church celebrates Mary, Martha and Lazarus of Bethany. This family of two sisters and a brother were very supportive friends of Jesus. Bethany lies just outside Jerusalem and Jesus stayed with this family during Holy Week, going into Jerusalem by day. Jesus’ raising of Lazarus is the occasion for his words to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live.”

On Tuesday we remember William Wilberforce. Born in 1759, he was a strong Evangelical determined to work for Christ through serving in Parliament. He is best remembered for his crusade against slavery. The trade in slaves was made illegal in the British Empire in 1807, and Wilberforce lived to see the complete abolition of slavery in 1807.

Wednesday is the Feast Day of St Ignatius of Loyola, 16th century founder of the Jesuits. His teaching on spirituality and methods of prayerful reflection have spread widely and been found helpful by many Christians in our own day.

THIS SUNDAY we travel over towards Canterbury to join our friends at St Michael’s Harbledown for the BBQ at 3pm followed by Evensong and Benediction at 6pm. We have a good number going but more would be welcome.

MASS OF OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM – Please note the date. There will be a Mass of OLW in Church on Saturday 17th August at 10.30am. This will be the first of our Monthly Masses of OLW, and after this Mass we will formally set up our Cell of OLW at St Michael’s. All will be welcome at the Mass, whether you intend to be a member of the Cell or not.

The Cell is a group of lay and ordained people at St Michael’s who will meet regularly to offer Mass in honour of Mary, to pray for the work of the Shrine at Walsingham, and to pray especially for the development of our mission and ministry at St Michael’s, asking Mary’s prayers for all that we do and offering prayer for those on our sick list. I regard this as a very important initiative, which was proposed by Fr Paul, and which reminds us that our Mission and Ministry needs to be underpinned by prayer if it is to flourish under God’s guidance. Interested? Just ask!

FOR OUR PRAYERS: This week we pray for the success of the Olympic Games, that they will remain true to the best ideals of the Olympics and give joy to those who participate and watch. We pray for those who work to combat modern slavery and those who provide safe houses for people in need of a place of safety. In our Church life, we give thanks for our Bellringers, for the joy they bring to those who hear the bells, and for their witness to an ongoing Christian faith in this Parish. We pray for the establishment of a Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham at St Michael’s.

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, Fran, Keanna and Ellie Tomlinson.

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: Alan Cox, Dick van Seenus, James Adam Orwin and Kenneth Jordan.

FROM THE BELLTOWER: Sunday, 21 July 2024 1312
Double Norwich Court Bob Major, composed by Neil Jones.
1 Mark Elvers 2 Nigel Pointer 3 Jacqueline Barlow 4 Jane L Kostelnyk 5 Paul Barton 6 Philip Jarvis 7 Pam Thomas 8 Neil Jones (C).

Rung in memory of Robert C (Chris) Kippin (18/7/24), R.I.P.

Friday, 26 July 2024 in 39m
1296 Uckinghall Surprise Minor
1 Janice Byrne 2 Jacqueline Barlow 3 Stephen Coaker 4 Mark Elvers 5 Pam Thomas 6 Neil Jones (C)

Rung on the Saints’ Day of Anne and Joachim, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary.