PARISH CHURCH OF ST. MARY THE VIRGIN,
MENDLESHAM
www.stmarysmendlesham.org.uk
Vicar:
Fr Philip T Gray, B.A. S.S.C.
Mendlesham Vicarage
01449 766359
Churchwardens
also St Joseph Centre Bookings:
Andrew Fleming 01449 71106
Tina Pipe 01449 766339
Sunday Services
9.30 a.m. Parish Mass & Address every Sunday
Saturdays: 1st Mass of Sunday – 7th & 14th Sept- 7.30 pm;
21st Sept- 5.00 pm. No Mass on 28th Sept.
Daily Mass: See calendar on back page, but also check porch
notice & weekly bulletin.
Daily Morning & Evening Prayer: Times on porch notice
Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick & Holy
Communion from the Reserved Sacrament: please
contact Fr. Philip.
Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confessions):
Saturdays 7th & 14th Sept: 6.30pm; 21st Sept: 4.00 pm
WHAT’S ON THIS MONTH
2nd Sept
9.30: Requiem Mass (September Anniversaries)
6th Sept &
20th Sept
2.30 pm: Mass in Mason Court – all welcome
9th Sept
14th Sept
21st Sept
22nd Sept
23rd Sept
24th Sept
28th Sept
6.30pm at Dennington: Society of Mary Mass, followed
by supper at ‘The Queen’. Details from Fr Philip
9.00 – 5.00: National Cycle Ride for Churches. You can
be sponsored for cycling, walking or for the number of
people you sign into church. Details from Kathy Warren
From today until next Spring, First Mass of Sunday will
be at 5.00pm
9.30: Parish Mass
12 noon: PCC lunch & meeting
2.30 pm: Mass & Healing Service – all welcome
12 noon: Mass in St Joseph’s Centre
12.30 pm: lunch
1.45 pm: Course on Healing
No 1st Mass of Sunday today
LOOKING AHEAD
Sunday 6th October
9.30: Parish Mass & blessing of clothing, blankets, toiletries
etc. for Norwich Night Shelter.
Thursday 10th October
9.30
School Harvest Service in Church.
2.30 pm
Harvest Thanksgiving Mass in Mason Court.
Sunday 13th October
9.30 Parish Mass – HARVEST THANKSGIVING
Sunday 21st October
9.30 Parish Mass – DEDICATION FESTIVAL & Blessing of
Friends of St Mary’s Boxes
FROM THE PARISH REGISTERS
HOLY BAPTISM
28th July: Jasmine Kaur Gray
HOLY BURIAL
9th July: Arthur Clements, aged 79
19th July: Derek Arthur Hundleby, aged 82 (cremated remains)
---oOo--The National Cycle Ride for Churches takes
place this month. People of all kinds –
Anglicans, Non Conformists, Roman Catholics and agnostics will unite in
the desire to preserve our churches. Ivor Bulmer-Thomas, the founder of
“Friends of Friendless Churches” wrote about old churches: “Their chief
use is to be what they are, whether crowded with worshippers or not,
lovely, ancient, perpetual reminders of a world of spiritual values.”
Fr Philip Writes…
I quote from a visitors’ book in a redundant church cared for by the
Churches Conservation Trust: “What struck me most within this church.
It is as though once inside you are completely cocooned from all the noise
and stress of modern day life.”
St Mary’s Mendlesham is, of course, far from becoming redundant, since
daily Mass, Morning and Evening Prayer take place here, but those words
could well apply to our church, too. Roy Tricker, in ‘Suffolk Churches
Ancient and Modern’ reiterates that comment when he writes: ”the
interior is a fascinating treasure-house of beautiful things… all this
together with flickering votive lamps, the objects of piety and the Blessed
Sacrament reserved here, create the atmosphere which brings people to
their knees, in a building which is so obviously used and prayed in.”
I hope you all feel welcome to go into St Mary’s in daylight hours to enjoy
the peace, for prayer or to light a candle. I include below a suggested
prayer which I saw in a church in Somerset:
I hope, too that you
will join the “Friends
of St Mary’s” to help
us maintain this
beautiful building.
The contribution of
every person is
important, however
small, and I conclude
my notes with these
words from Benjamin
Franklin in this
passage from ‘Poor
Richard’s Almanack’:
For want of a nail a shoe was lost
For want of a shoe a horse was lost.
For want of a horse a rider was lost.
For want of a rider a battle was lost.
For want of a battle a kingdom was lost
And all for want of a horseshoe nail.
We shall not lose our church
for want of friends, but we
could always do with more and each individual does matter.
The Service Bell
According to Canon Law (the rules of the Church of
England) all priests are to say Morning and Evening
Prayer daily in church and to ring the bell, irrespective of
whether any congregation attends. I have done this daily
(except when on holiday) ever since being instituted as
Vicar. The bell is rung 33 times. This represents the 33
years lived by Our Lord on this earth and the priest is
continuing this ministry. Morning Prayer is usually said
at 9.00 and Evening Prayer at either 4.00pm or 5.00pm. The times are
on the porch notice and anyone is welcome to come.