Just when you think spring is near we get hit by a “polar vortex” and we have another week of cold weather to look forward to. It is also the second Sunday of Lent and the origin of the word “Lent” comes from an old English word meaning spring and suggests the image of new life pushing out of the cold, hard earth. Although there are signs around St Mary’s of the daffodils trying to break through the ongoing cold snap makes the colour of spring seem slightly remote, although it will eventually come. We are still in February and early in the season of Lent and it seem a long time until the church is filled with the flowers and fragrances of Easter. To use a running analogy: In the London Marat
The annual St Mary's Summer Fete will be held on Saturday 7th July 2018! Please save the date and watch out for more information soon! It promises to be another fun packed day raising valuable money for some great causes!
Life is Beautiful, the second in our Lent Film Course which focuses on the theme of sacrifice, will be show on Monday February 26th at 20:00 in the Parish Rooms. The most uplifting and inspiring sacrifices are made on behalf of those that we love. The film is set in Italy in the late 1930s and focused on Guido who falls in love and begins a new life with his wife and son. Yet, Guido is Jewish and after war breaks out he and his family are in great danger. Despite the growing sense of menace and threat Guido attempts to protect his son from the horrors surrounding them by his creativity and imagination.
Last weekend we had a few days away and stayed with Stephi in Leeds. The highlight was being able to see Manchester City playing Leicester. I also watched a television program that I had never seen before called “Who Dares Wins” in which a number of volunteers endured a series of physical and psychological challenges to see if they could pass the test and join the SAS. To say the least it involved high levels of endurance and stamina both mentally and physically. Whilst watching on a comfortable arm chair I was thinking why anyone would put themselves through this. Yet putting yourself through tests of spiritual endurance has always been part of Christian tradition. There are a number of peo
The St Mary’s Lent Film Course on Sacrifice will start on Wednesday 21st February at 20:00 in the Parish Rooms. Silence - Martin Scorsese StartFragmentEndFragment Set in the 17th century, Silence tells the story of two Jesuit priests who travel to Japan to find out whether the leader of their order has renounced his faith. They enter an environment where the Christian faith is brutally persecuted and will have to decide what is more important: the integrity of their faith or the safety of the people they serve. As the title of the film suggests, there is no easy answer to this question. Join us for other films in our Lent film course on the following dates: 26th February - Life is Beautiful
Keep up to date with the latest Parish news in the February edition of the Parish Newsletter. If you have any advertising or editorial queries please direct these to Editor, Jill Hipson.
Do you have a little one who you need to entertain?! Or are you looking to meet some local mums, dads and carers? Come along to the St Mary's Playgroup every Tuesday morning during term time and join the fun! The St Marys Playgroup is held in the Parish Rooms from 09:30 - 11:30 on Tuesdays. There is lots of play and crafts to keep little (and big!) minds busy and everyone is welcome. We ask for a £2 donation per family which covers coffee and biscuits and fruit for the children. Join our group on Facebook to keep up to date with all of our latest news. Any questions please just drop Heidi a line on 07765 440 590.
A very warm welcome to the new St Mary's Northchurch website. We hope that you like our new look and enjoy using the site. Hopefully you will be able to find everything that you need but if you have any questions please do let us know and we will be happy to help. If you have anything that you would like to add to the website, any photos that you would like to share or any news that you would like to feature, please do contact us on stmarysnorthchurch@gmail.com. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with all of our latest news!
