Author: Jacky

Deacon John Writes:

On Saturday November 2nd, All Souls Day, after Mass, I blessed the Memorial Garden at St George’s and all the graves in the garden. I then went to Willingdon cemetery and blessed the graves there. A good gathering came to the Church garden and a much smaller group accompanied me to the cemetery. Thank you to all who supported me and a special thank you to Anne who transported me.

Last Sunday I preached about Remembrance Sunday and included two poems. I found it quite emotional reading these poems. I was in Plymouth when war broke out. My father was an air raid warden during the war. I remember the air raid shelter at the bottom of the garden and I remember having to move from one shelter to another several times one night as bombs fell around us. In the   chaos of movement I got separated from my parents but was safely returned home the following day. I was 5/6 at the time. My    father was a schoolteacher and his school was evacuated in its entirety to Penzance for the rest of the war. The poems I referred to were: 

Laurence Binyon’s poem ‘For the fallen’:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old
           Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
           At the going down of the sun and in the morning
             We will remember them.

John McCrae wrote the poem “In Flanders Fields” In the spring of 1915, shortly after losing a friend in Ypres, after seeing poppies growing in battle-scarred fields.

In Flanders’ fields the poppies blow  Loved and were loved, and now we lie             Between the crosses, row on row        In Flanders’ fields.
That mark our place: and in the sky   Take up our quarrel with the foe;
The larks, still bravely singing, fly     To you from failing hands we throw
Scarce heard amid the guns below.    The torch; be yours to hold it high, We are the dead. Short days ago If ye break faith with us who die
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders’ Fields.

That poem inspired the use of the poppy as a symbol of Remembrance.

 

St Wilfrid’s and St George’s Writes:

“Our Communities planning the way ahead”

From the minutes of St Wilfrid’s Parish Meeting held on 3rd November, and from the Moderated Communities Council here is an important synopsis.  Full minutes should be available in the church porches.  Diocesan Pastoral Plan 2024.  Gerry wrote to Fr Kevin at the end of September with a list of questions to help with a Q & A session for the next open meeting. Diocesan representatives are meeting with clergy in November to outline plans for development of the       Moderated Parish, it is anticipated that the process will take at least two years to implement. 

Ministries & Formations – Father would like to rotate the Ministers more frequently, all whilst recruiting more Ministers. A Baptism Formation has been established with two Catechists, one for each Church. Angela & Mary.

The Sacristy needs an updated inventory, with additional resources that reflects the needs of the Parish moving forward. This to be carried out by Lorreta & David St Wilfrid’s, and Martin & Angela at St George’s.

Given that in our limited understanding of the Moderated Parish timelines, it was decided that we should look at updating the Parish website. Possibly looking at website revamp and a maintenance contract, that will assist the Parish in changing content on a regular basis.

Christmas Mass times to be agreed by Father, hopefully by the 1^st week in November.

The Diocese sent out a “keep in touch form” that we can use to ask all the Parishioners to fill out.