Trinity 11 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: Thursday Mass at 10.30am (Feast of the Assumption), Saturday 10.30am Mass of Our Lady of Walsingham. Next Sunday Sung Mass 10.30am for Assumptiontide.

This Thursday, 15th August, marks the Feast of The Assumption of Mary into Heaven which is, alongside the Feast of the Annunciation on 25th March, the major Feast of Our Lady in the Christian calendar. Any Church which professes to honour the Blessed Virgin Mary will want to keep this Feast with particular devotion and joy.

There will be three opportunities to honour Our Lady at St. Michael’s during this festival-time: On Thursday we will celebrate the Feast of The Assumption itself at our 10.30am Mass. The following Saturday 17th August we have a Mass of Our Lady of Walsingham at 10.30am, and we will keep next Sunday 18th August as a special Assumptiontide Mass. You will be most welcome at any or all of these special Masses.

The Mass of OLW on Saturday 17th August will be followed by the inaugural meeting of the newly-formed St Michael’s Cell of OLW. The Cell is a group of people, lay and ordained, who commit to honouring Our Lady, praying for the Shrine at Walsingham, and praying for the mission and ministry of St Michael’s and for our Parish. Anyone interested would be welcome to come along and find out more.

Enhancing our Church Presence. Those who have been to our Church recently will have been greeted by the sight and fragrance of beautiful lilies outside the main door – a gift from a donor, enhancing the appearance of our church building, giving happiness to those who see them and speaking of the love, joy and beauty of our Christian faith. A sign of the life of our Christian community here at St Michael’s. If you have other ideas for enhancing the outside appearance of our Church do let me know - we are fortunate to have a large and prominent corner site on the main road with lots of potential. Volunteers to ‘adopt’, care for and maybe replant sections of the borders would be particularly welcome. The grounds themselves are looking tidier following a one-off visit by local probationers, for which we are grateful.

Advance Notice: On Saturday October 12th there will be a Diocesan conference on Sustainability, climate change and Eco-Church, titled “Growing Greener” in Canterbury 9am-12.30.

FOR OUR PRAYERS: We pray for growth in faith, discipleship and numbers of our Church family; for the development of lay leadership within the Church; and for the St Michael’s Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham. We give thanks and pray for those who prepare and serve our refreshments after the Sunday and Thursday services.

We pray for 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, Ellie Tomlinson and Claire Goodwin.

We pray for the recently departed, including Elsie, Bebe and Alice, the three girls who died in the attack in Southport. We remember those who have faithfully served God in this place in previous generations, and we pray for those whose year’s mind occurs this week: Arthur Edwards Pilbeam, Elva Smith and Neil Suitter.

From the Belltower:

Friday, 9 August 2024 in 43m (6–1–24 in C)
1320 Vowchurch Surprise Minor

1 Ann Jenner 2 Jacqueline Barlow 3 Douglas Davis 4 Mark Elvers 5 Pam Thomas 6 Stanley Jenner (C)

With get well wishes to Robert Saunders and Martyn Nash.
Celebrating the founding of the Mothers' Union in 1876 by Mary Sumner.