St Michael & All Angels SSWWOORRDD Mildred Avenue Parish Magazine Watford ISSN 2397-2211

JULY 2019 Price 75P CONTENTS

3. Pastoral Letter from Father Geoff Editorial Team Rob White 4. Bike & Hike 2019/Foodbank Sylvia Moring Father Geoff 5. Stewardship 2019 Vicki Matthews Subscriptions 6. Trek 26 for Alzheimer's Society Valerie Alvarez Diary and Rota 8. 17th Watford Brownies Sylvia Moring Crossword 9. The Treasurer Goes on Holiday Peter White 10. Diary of Events Distribution Dennis Beach Duncan Turton 12. Sung Eucharist Duty List Sylvia Moring 13. Trinity Sunday Service Cover Illustration Martin Matthews 15. From the Mission Committee

Contributors 16. Elizabeth Ferard, Robert Bilson 18. Crossword Paul Chandler Sue Ellison 19. Calendar of Feasts & Holy Days Father Geoff Sylvia Moring Marilyn Tozer Duncan Turton Elizabeth Watkin Deadline for August edition of SWORD Printers DPD Printing Ltd Sunday 21st July 2019 35 Market Street Watford WD18 0PN Please submit copy or email to: [email protected] A Pastoral Letter

Dear All,

It is the evening of June 17th, the sun is shining (at last, but for how long?), and I have just arrived in Barrow in Furness on the third leg of my journey, following stays in Boston and Lancaster.

You may have seen on the news that Lincolnshire was badly hit by rain and flooding while I was there, and my sat-nav took me down some flooded roads, but I still managed to see the churches on my list. On the way from there to Lancaster, I stopped at Sandbach (no, not the M6 Services, but the town itself) which has a pair of Anglo-Saxon crosses standing in the market place. The crosses are very moving to see and reflect on, particularly as there is a very nice little cafe with a splendid view of them!

Lancaster has the impressive Priory, which I visited twice to take it in. Saxon sculpture there and in the Museum shows the ancient roots of the site.

On Sunday morning I went to worship at Heysham, a lovely little Saxon church, containing one of the best preserved Viking 'hogback' tombstones on the country. Sometimes the best way to take in the spirituality of a church is to worship there. Heysham is right on the coast at Morecambe Bay, and its setting is also magnificent. The Vicar was very lively and very Australian! The way he took the service would give some people at St. Michaels palpitations, others perhaps not!

After church, I have to confess I drove to Sedburgh, 'Town of Books', but I got some treasures.

On the way to Barrow today, I stopped in Kendal, where the church has a nave, two North aisles, and two South aisles; five in all and a forest of columns.

Barrow is a good base for the West Coast of Cumbria, and I hope to get to Gosforth and St. Bees tomorrow, where there are churches with significant Anglo-Saxon sculpture. Another day will be Furness Abbey, then Cartmel Priory and some other churches with Anglo-Saxon and Viking sculpture. Then on to Carlisle. 346 and just over 1000 miles so far!

Love and prayers,

Fr Geoff

JULY 2019 Page 3 The purpose of this early note is to advise that this year’s venture will take place on Saturday 14 September. As usual, it would be good if we can enlist volunteers either to cycle or hike - locally or further afield. It is open to use other means of transport. Further details will be given in due course at which point choices can be made. I expect to receive the appropriate documents some time in June.

Last year, we raised £362.00 for the Beds & Herts Historic Churches Trust and that was based solely on supporting Church Helpers, having no cyclists or hikers available on the day. I think we could raise more if we have cyclists or hikers available on 14 September. Hopefully, there will be a frantic search through diaries to check availability, and a risk of my being trampled underfoot by a rush of volunteers.

Robert Bilson

Foodbank

This month the Parish donated 32.4 kgs to the Watford food bank. They also sent their thanks to all who donated plastic bags as they were very pleased to receive these as well.

Page 4 SWORD On Sunday 28th April Fr Geoff preached about how we can think about our time, talents and funds. How can we put this into practise?

Here are some thoughts we all need to consider.

The Annual Parish Report was published recently and in it the Financial Report showed a deficit of over £8,000.00. The projections for the next 5 years are in excess of £10,000.00. The first question is how can we increase our income? How can we do more?

It is not for me to tell you what to do. It is for each of us to decide what we can do.

Many of us give in envelopes, usually weekly. Could we just squeeze another pound into the envelope? Many give by Direct Debit, often monthly. Could we add another £5.00 each month?

Does anyone have ideas for a fundraising event? How about a sponsored event? Something in the daytime? Something in the evening? Indoors? Outdoors?

Has anyone a connection with a group that needs to rent a hall to meet? Not too big, not too small, just about the size of Littlebury Hall. This would be a great help.

Can you spare some time? Remember the days when people would ask what you were going to do in your spare time? We don’t seem to have ‘spare time’ anymore. However, there is a saying that says if you want something done, ask someone who is busy. So, do you have a little bit of time? Could you help with one session of Childrens’ Church? Could you come and join a Committee (the sign-up sheets are at the back of the church)? Could you come and join PCC? Bring your thoughts and ideas and help make decisions about what we are doing.

We have a beautiful building and a congregation of interesting individuals. How can we care for the building and care for each other?

This is our church. This is our challenge. This is our responsibility.

Elizabeth Watkin

JULY 2019 Page 5 Page 6 SWORD TREK 26 for Alzheimer’s Society, 1 June 201 9

Hooray, we did it! 26 miles around London on the hottest day of the year so far!

To date, we have raised over £1550 with promises of more to come, for the work of the Alzheimer’s Society in its research to combat dementia.

Neither Rebecca nor Paul suffered too much from the experience but Rebecca did say at one point that Dad was definitely fitter than her!! As the route went through many tourist ‘hot spots’ we probably walked several extra miles weaving in and out of the meandering swarms. We both thank everyone at St Michael’s for your generous support and encouragement for our endeavour in the termination of this terrible disease.

Paul Chandler and Rebecca Sells

JULY 2019 Page 7 Our visit to Rock Up, in the Intu Centre, was great fun. The safety talk first was useful and clear, and the staff couldn’t have been more helpful. Quite a lot of the girls had been before and were quickly climbing up and down the various walls. The ones who hadn’t been before all had a go and most of them took to it straight away, just one or two needing more encouragement. It was all great fun.

One of the unit meeting activities that the girls chose was “First Aid in the Field”. This challenged the girls, in pairs, to create some sort of sling to support an injured arm, using whatever was around. There was good use of jackets and sashes, as well as skipping ropes and scarves. We even had a couple of splints made from tennis rackets! The injured person then had to go over an obstacle course. We were looking to see whether the arm was supported and whether it was held still. They were obviously watching carefully, (they had to give the successful slings a thumbs-up) because when the pairs swopped places, some of the better ideas were widely used.

Some of our older girls went to visit Guides, and were involved in an activity about camp fires and camp fire songs.

Our latest Skills Builder is “Happy Feet”. It’s about the importance of looking after your feet and making sure you have dry clothes to change into if you get wet while hiking or camping. The girls have to wrap a spare pair of socks and a jumper or similar in a bin bag, and then water it using a watering can. Then after a short walk they will clean their feet using hand gel, dry them, and then unpack their bag and hope they have dry socks to put on. If the clothes are damp, the moral is, pack it more carefully next time! (and put your other socks back on).

Marilyn

Page 8 SWORD The Treasurer Goes on Holiday

Every year in summer my wife and I head off to Macedonia to see my parents in law. It’s not always an easy place to go to. It is a long journey, especially with a small child, and the Balkans tend to get to forty+ degrees in July and August. Relaxing on the beach it is not. But it is always worth it. It is as ever wonderful to see the family and to visit new parts of Macedonia.

One place I head to without fail each year is The Monastery of St. Bogorodica Prečista just outside the town of Kicevo in west Macedonia. Accessible only by a narrow, poorly- surfaced road and set high in a mountain it is a magnificent place. I have many happy memories of the monastery. My daughter had a christening in the magnificent chapel, my brother in law was married there and doubtless the future will bring more! The monastery itself is now a community of secluded (despite locally it still being referred to as a ‘monastery’) and despite Macedonia being one of the poorest countries in Europe the people’s generous giving to the nuns allows the community to live a spartan life in the buildings.

The church on the current site is actually the third church, the previous ones having been destroyed in 1558 (by the Ottomans) and in 1843 (by the renegade citizens of Debar). The current building was started by Abbot Teodosij, first of all with his own funds collected during his service in the small church of Prechista in Gostivar and, later, with financial support from several local families. The books at the monastery were burnt in 1850 at the behest of a Greek Archbishop and subsequently replaced. Local story is that when an attempt was made to move the monastery from its secluded location to the town centre a fresco painting miraculously returned from the proposed location to the mountains several times. All this is just a small flavour of a remarkable history, that takes in war, revolutionary partizans and a truly fascinating Balkan history.

If you want to see more go to https://kicevo.mk/holy-mother-of-god-immaculate- kichevska/.

Duncan

JULY 2019 Page 9 DIARY OF EVENTS FOR JULY 2019

JULY

7th SUN TRINITY 3 First Sunday of the month Eucharist Holy Communion (Fr George) 8.00 am SUNG EUCHARIST (Pres & Preacher: Revd Guy Buckler) 9.30 am

14th SUN TRINITY 4 NO Holy Communion SUNG EUCHARIST (Pres & Preacher: Revd Jonathan Beach) Children's Church in Littlebury Hall 9.30 am (The Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church 1 - 5 pm) 17th Wed PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL 7.25 pm

21st SUN TRINITY 5 Holy Communion (Fr George) 8.00 am SUNG EUCHARIST 9.30 am (Pres & Preacher: Fr George) Children's Church in Littlebury Hall 25th Thu Estates Committee (Choir Vestry) 2.30 pm

28th SUN TRINITY 6 NO Holy Communion SUNG EUCHARIST (Pres: Fr George; 9.30 am Preacher: Dr Martin Heath) Children's Church in Littlebury Hall Followed by Bring-and-Buy Sale in aid of Church funds (The Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church 1 - 5 pm)

Morning Prayer is said daily in the Lady Chapel (Monday to Friday) at 9.00 am.

A service of Holy Communion is held at 8 am on alternate Sunday Mornings when Order One in Traditional Language is used. There will be no Communion Service on Thursday mornings nor Evening Prayer in June, July and August on Sunday evenings.

The Toddlers’ Group meets in Church (or Choir Vestry) every Monday from 10.00 – 11.30 am except on Bank Holidays.

Tea, Coffee & Squash are served in Church every Wednesday from 10.00 until noon. The Food Bank is open on Wednesdays from 10.00 am- 12 noon.

SUNG EUCHARIST DUTY LIST JULY 2019

7 July 2019 Deacon JW Chalice BH, MW Intercessor TBA Lesson Readers TBA Tea/Coffee Duty PH, EJ Sidespeople ES, VB Money Counting Rota VB, MM

14 July 2019 Deacon VA Chalice DD, AK Intercessor PG Lesson Readers SM, HGM Sidespeople JO, HGM Tea/Coffee Duty BB, SM Money Counting Rota AH, VO'R

21 July 2019 Deacon MDS Chalice MW, PG Intercessor VM Lesson Readers IB, BB Sidespeople JH, PH Tea/Coffee Rota M & EW Money Counting Rota PC, AE

28 July 2019 Deacon JW Chalice AK, DD Intercessor SD or SM Lesson Readers MW, EW Sidespeople AM, IW Tea/Coffee Duty M & VM Money Counting Rota VB, MM Trinity Sunday Service

These emails followed our Trinity Sunday service.

Dear Archdeacon Jonathan

Thank you so much for being with us yesterday. Many people said how they really appreciated the way you took the service, and what you said in your sermon. It was lovely to have you with us again and you clearly relish our style of worship and you made it relevant and exciting.

Very best wishes

Gill Heath (churchwarden)

Dear Gill

Thank you. I greatly enjoyed my visit to St Michael's. Gentle catholic liturgy done in an unfussy way is right up my street. Hearing Alan Wilson's Anthem Holy, Holy, Holy again after all these years was particularly special and the Boellmann Toccata from the Suite Gothique is one of my favourite organ voluntaries.

With all good wishes

Jonathan

Keith Honour’s Barbecue which is on 20th July at 4 pm at:

34 Harvey Road, Croxley Green.

Tickets £10 (includes food and drinks) available from Iola Bilson.

JULY 2019 Page 13 From the Mission Committee

The Watford & Three Rivers Refugee Partnership: More than Material Support

The main purpose of the Watford and Three Rivers Refugee Partnership is to support people in their efforts to regularise their immigration status. All of the volunteers are unpaid – there are now approaching 90 workers, so by far the largest outlay goes directly to clients. Most of that is for help with Home Office fees. This year the WTRRP has helped 15 families with HO, NHS or solicitor fees and a further 15 families with other monetary support to make their lives a little more tolerable, such as funding for essential travel, moving costs and purchasing of much needed household items.

The number of clients on WTRRP books continues to grow unabated and currently over 100 families are actively supported. Each week sees at least one new client at the drop in consultation centre and on average 6 clients use the drop in each week. There are usually 3 and sometimes 6 or more volunteers at the drop in serving clients, in addition to the English teachers running ESOL classes at the same time. Twice a month there is the food parcel distribution, run in conjunction with the Watford Food Bank.

Wanting to do more than offer material support, the Partnership is expanding efforts to reduce isolation and improve clients’ welfare, helping to build friendships, trust and understanding between clients and between clients, volunteers and society as a whole. Hence, in addition to the 3 annual parties, the introduction of the Women's Group which is offering craft activities and relaxation whilst their children are kept at meaningful play separately. For the second year running there is also a programme of a range of activities in the summer holidays. It is always an extra challenge for WTRRP families to provide activities for their children as well as extras such as food during summer holidays. WTRRP is giving them new experiences similar to their peers at school, developing skills in the young and introducing new adventures to older children. Many of the children and young people who took part last year increased in confidence and sense of self- worth. They had something to talk about and share with their school friends in September.

As well as financial support, St Michael and All Angels has been able to give a significant amount of toys and other children’s items and WTRRP has been extremely grateful for these: they are distributed in the pre-Christmas parcel drop.

Having read this you may also like to visit the website: http://www.wtrrp.org.uk

If you feel inspired to offer of your time and talents, be it occasionally helping move home, a couple of hours a month befriending or a more regular weekly contribution to the drop in for example then please do call the number on the website or email Marie-Jo at marie- [email protected] .

Sue Ellison

JULY 2019 Page 15

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i services to the Bishop. k i m e d i a In 1861, with the approval of Bishop Tait and with the help of P u her relative, the Reverend Thomas Pelham Dale, Elizabeth b l i c founded a community of in a house near King’s D o Cross Station that became known as the North London m a i Deaconess Institute. The house was located in a notorious slum n district and the Rev Dale was its first chaplain.

Pastor Theodor Fliedner On 18 July 1862, Elizabath Ferard received Deaconess Licence No 1 from n the Bishop of London, making her the i a m

first deaconess in the . o D c i l

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chaplain in 1868). In 1873, the Institute was relocated to Tavistock k i

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a strict disciplinarian, with an indomitable will and a strong love of justice. She was generous and affectionate, but intensely reserved with a shy manner that gave her an appearance of haughtiness. She had not that gift of ready sympathy which would have enabled her to win many helpers for the cause, but those who knew her well loved and respected her deeply. s n o m m o C e v i

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JULY 2019 Page 17 UPS AND DOWNS: No. 62 BY CLUELESS

ACROSS 1. Huffs & puffs (5) 4. To whinny (5) 10. Courtyard (5) 11. County (5) 12. Female name meaning 'God is gracious' (5) 13. Chocolate drink (5) 14. Equal chance (5) 15. Able-bodied seaman (abbrev.) (2, 1) 16. Writing fluid (3) 17. Royal Navy (abbrev.) (1, 1) 22. Capital New Delhi (5) 23. Horrify (5) 24. Plan, sketch (5) 25. Article, item (5) 26. Nucleus, ticker (5) 27. Alert, geared-up (5) 28. Question (5)

JUNE CROSSWORD SOLUTION DOWN 2. Capers, stunts (6) 3. Plucky fellow (6) 5. Oldest Christian festival (6) 6. Piloted, steered (6) 7. Experts, connoiseurs (11) 8. Condense (11) 9. Individual (11) 18. Inform, recommend (6) 19. Scrounged (6) 20. Parent, priest (6) 21. Spread, lounge (6)

Page 18 SWORD Calendar of Principal Feasts and Holy Days

JULY

1 Henry, John, and Henry Venn the younger, Priests, Evangelical Divines, 1797, 1813 and 1873 3 6 Thomas More, Scholar, and John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, Reformation Martyrs, 1535 11 Benedict of Nursia, Abbot of Monte Cassino, Father of Western Monasticism, c.550 14 John Keble, Priest, Tractarian, Poet, 1866 15 Swithun, Bishop of Winchester, c.862 15 Bonaventure, Friar, Bishop, Teacher of the Faith, 1274 16 Osmund, Bishop of Salisbury, 1099 18 Elizabeth Ferard, first Deaconess of the Church of England , Founder of the Community of St Andrew, 1883 19 Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, and his sister Macrina, Deaconess, Teachers of the Faith, c.394 and c.379 20 Margaret ofAntioch, Martyr, 4th century 20 Bartolomé de las Casas, Apostle to the Indies, 1566 22 Mary Magdalene 23 Bridget of Sweden, Abbess of Vadstena, 1373 25 James the Apostle 26 Anne and Joachim, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary 27 Brooke Foss Westcott, Bishop of Durham, Teacher of the Faith, 1901 29 Mary, Martha and Lazarus, Companions of our Lord 30 William Wilberforce, Social Reformer, Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Clarkson: Anti-Slavery Campaigners, 1833, 1797, 1846 31 Ignatius of Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus, 1556

Alternative Dates The Visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth may be celebrated on 2 July instead of 31 May. Thomas the Apostle may be celebrated on 21 December instead of 3 July. Thomas Becket may be celebrated on 7 July instead of 29 December.