March 2017 Diary – St Mary's, Battersea

St Mary’s Church, Battersea Church Road, London SW11 3NA

Vicar: Canon Simon Butler

Tel: 0207 227 9648

www.stmarysbattersea.org.uk

Monday-Friday 9.00am-1.00pm Parish Office open

(Administrator: Mrs Sunny Walker-Kier)

Email: [email protected]

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A Week At St Mary’s

Monday

8.30am Morning Prayer in Church

7.45-9.00pm Bell Ringing Practice in St Mary’s Bell Tower

Tuesday

8.30am Holy Communion in Church

10.30am-12.30pm Church Open to all during Sewing and Knitting Club

Wednesday

8.30am Morning Prayer in Church

7.30pm-8.45 pm Choir Practice in Church led by Tyrone Whiting, Director of Music

Thursday

12.30pm Holy Communion in Church

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Sunday Services

8.30am Holy Communion

11.00am Parish Eucharist & Junior Church

6.00pm Evening Service

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March 2017 Diary

1 March

Ash Wednesday

7.30am Holy Communion Service in Church

8.00pm Ash Wednesday Service in Church with Choir and Organ

5 March – 2 April Lent Talk Series, 6.30pm-8.00pm Five talks led by our Vicar

5 March

6.30pm-8.00pm Talk – Romans 1-4, in Church

12 March

6.30pm-8.00pm Lent Talk – Romans 5-6, in Church

19 March

6.30pm-8.00pm Lent Talk – Romans 7-8, in Church

26 March

6.30pm-8.00pm Lent Talk – Romans 9-11, in Church

2 April

6.30pm-8.00pm Last Lent Talk – Romans 12-16, in Church

St Mary’s Church, Battersea Church Road, London SW11 3NA09Apr2017

6 April

Palm Sunday

6.00pm-8.00pm A Concert for Holy Week – Faure’s Requiem and other pieces with St Mary’s Choir and Soloists, in Church

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Lent Groups Through The Week – 1 March – 6 April

TIME	DAY	LOCATION	COURSE	CONTACT
9.30am	Sunday	St Mary’s Crypt	Staying Close	Colin W or Debbie A
8.00pm	Tuesday	Asi’s home	TBC	Ellie Cooke
7.30pm	Wednesday	Vicarage	TBC	Simon Butler
1.00pm	Thursday	St Mary’s Upper Vestry	York	Leslie Spatt
Evening (TBC)	Thursday	Sacred Heart	The Way	Simon Butler/Fr Gerry.

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Events and News

Pancake Day – 28 February

Junior Church Pancake Party Tuesday 28 February 4-6pm. Please in to mark the start of Lent, by eating lots of delicious pancakes and playing games. Please sign up at the back of Church or email Cal: [email protected]

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Mothering Sunday is 26 March

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Flower Group calls for Mothering Sunday Posy makers

At 10.00 am on Saturday 25th March St Mary’s Flower Group will be in the Crypt to tie flower posies for distribution on Mothering Sunday, the next day. It’s always a fun occasion, and the work will be accompanied by coffee and biscuits! Any help welcome! [email protected]

After Mothering Sunday Parish Eucharist, 11.00am, the Flower Group will be holding its usual Easter Stall to help the Flower Fund. Selling home produce, including cakes, biscuits, fudge, Bakewell tarts, lemon curd and much else besides makes it a tasty and joyous event.

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Bell Tower News

An update from St Mary’s Bell Tower. Recently Bridget Cassey and Nicola Buckthorp rung their first-ever quarter peal. This means they rung for around 45 minutes without any breaks! (Phill Ridley)

St Mary’s Church Bells continue to ring out on Sunday mornings. (Caroline Prescott writes:) We do not always have enough people to ring all eight bells in the tower. We normally get at least six going!

We welcome visitors into the tower to see what we get up to. Bellringing practice is on a Monday 7.45pm-9.15pm, and we ring on Sunday 10.30am-11am. Tuition with Bob Cooles, Tower Captain is usually Mondaty 7.30pm-7.45pm. Please come and find us. You can learn at any age and it sharpens the brain!

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Bellringing has struck the national news recently

Put his foot in it…. ding

Mid February, bellringer Ian Bowman was on a tour of Worcester Cathedral. While in the bell tower before evensong, his foot caught in the rope and he was pulled into the air and then dropped. He fell badly and had to be rescued from the heights of the tower. Fire crews and a specialist rope rescue team eventually lowered him 80ft from the bell tower on a stretcher to the ground, during evensong, and took him to the hospital.

Strike back …. dong

A ringer called Julie McDonnell has galvanised the ringing community in fundraising for her charity Strike Back Against Blood Cancers. National and International bellringing has raised millions so far in support of this. Our very own Phillip Ridley was in the ringing at St. Paul’s Cathedral to support this charity which some may have heard about on the radio.

Find out more http://juliedmcdonnell.wixsite.com/sbabc

A flashback to Christmas – St Mary’s bellringers welcomed local ringers from other churches to celebrate the season with songs, ringing hand bells and enjoying mulled wine. This wonderful gathering was fun and brought together the community of bellringers in South London.

Flower Group

This group is run by volunteers and values donations in money and/or flowers so that St Mary’s is decorated for services and worship with fresh flowers. You can donate money for flowers on a set day, maybe to commemorate an anniversary or mark a special occasion, and you can give flowers to the church which the Flower Group will arrange. All gifts are welcomed. [email protected]

Sewing and Knitting Club

In January this year, this small group began on Tuesdays 10.30am-12.30pm meeting in Church to sew, knit or crochet, to make friends and share church-based time. Caroline and Susanna have been joined by Libby, Hatta and artist Sarah. The Church doors stay open and people passing by pop in for their own quiet times. Here’s the space to work and pray. Recently a local Ramblers Group, all walking along the riverside, came in and saw St Mary’s wonderful windows, and learned of renowned artist JMW Turner’s visits to paint local scenes, and English poet William Blake’s love of the building. The Club welcomes all on Tuesday mornings. Be hands on! Telephone Susanna 07811 406080 or just drop in.

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Sunday School

News of Sunday School and Junior Church has been sent to Emrys directly by Cal.

St Mary’s Church, Battersea Church Road, London SW11 3NA

Vicar: Canon Simon Butler

Tel: 0207 227 9648

www.stmarysbattersea.org.uk

Monday-Friday 9.00am-1.00pm Parish Office open

(Administrator: Mrs Sunny Walker-Kier)

Email: [email protected]

Who’s Who of St Mary’s:

Vicar