Parish News - July 2024 - Printable Newsletter
A downloadable and print-friendly newsletter to insert in parish magazines
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A downloadable and print-friendly newsletter to insert in parish magazines
There’s been a lot of walking around the Diocese recently. Bishop Richard has led walks up high places in each of our deaneries, and led simple services of Holy Communion on the hills, as part of our Year of Prayer. The Golden Valley Pilgrim Way, beginning and ending at our Cathedral, has seen more and more pilgrims walking along its route. Some are doing the full 59 miles, sometimes sleeping overnight by prior arrangement in one of the churches along the way.
Asylum Seekers are the real face of refugees in our midst – ‘the stranger.’ They flee their countries of origin often in fear, searching for something better, the freedom to live and eventually contribute through work. They find themselves in a strange place, reliant on the mercy and generosity of others – us.
Parish magazine content each month from the team at Caring for God's Acre
Every day, I and countless others stake all that we are and will be on Easter and the person at its heart, Jesus. We may be fools or we may be right.
I have been delighted to see how many people have already engaged with events in our year of prayer. Not only, that but parishes across the diocese are organising their own programmes
One of the most moving services I have ever attended took place on Ash Wednesday 2009, in Westminster Abbey. I was an ordinand, in training for ministry, and was on placement at the Abbey.
Most years when I was a parish priest in Sussex a group of us used to go Carol singing. We’d visit homes and the local pubs. Rather than asking for money for a charity or Church funds we would finish by giving out mince pies.
November seems to be the month for remembering. All Souls at the beginning of the month is a chance to remember with thankfulness those whom we have loved but see no more.
Pentecost or more traditionally Whitsun is I think the Cinderella of Christian festivals, it has never really had the impact of Christmas and Easter.