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Update #13 The Feast of St Botolph

Welcome to this thirteenth edition of ‘Update’, keeping you updated during these difficult times…

THE FEAST DAY OF ST BOTOLPH St Botolph was one of the earliest and most revered of East Anglian saints, and became known as the patron saint of wayfarers. Botolph and his brother Adolph were young Saxon nobles living in the 600s, and were sent for their education to a Benedictine Abbey in France. Adolph rose to be a Dutch Bishop, whilst Botolph came back to his native . He was given, by King Anna, a grant of land on which to build a monastery. This land was at Icanhoh, a site that has been said to be the present (Botolph's Town)in Lincolnshire but is more likely to have been Iken, near Aldeburgh in Suffolk. Certainly Icanhoh was in a marshland area, for Botolph was said to have expelled the swamps of their ‘Devils’ (in fact, he probably had the marshes drained and eliminated the ‘marsh gas’ with its night glow). St Botolph died after a long life of Christian endeavour and teaching in 680. The monastery lived on for two centuries more but in 870 was destroyed by Danish invaders. King Edgar (963-967) ordered that the remains of the saint be taken from the monastery ruins, and be divided into three parts: the head to be taken to Ely, the middle to be taken to Thorney, and the remainder to be taken to . The relics were brought to through various towns and eventually through the four City gates of , , and . The churches at the entrances to these gates were named after him. The frst three remain, but the one at Billingsgate was destroyed in the Great Fire (1666) and never rebuilt. It seems that as his relics were conveyed from place to place, his name became associated with wayfarers and travellers. Over 70 Churches, along with fve towns and villages, are dedicated to him, and although St. Botolph has no place in the Prayer Book Calendar, his feast day is 17th June. [from the website of St Botolph without Bishopsgate]

THE READINGS AND COLLECT FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY — Sunday 21st June Jeremiah 20.7-13; Psalm 69.8-20; Romans 6.1b-11; Matthew 10.24-39 Lord, you have taught us that all our doings without love are nothing worth: send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love, the true bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whoever lives is counted dead before you. Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ’s sake, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. WHEN WILL ST BOTOLPH’S BE RE-OPENING? A note from the Vicar: Thank you to all who responded to the enquiries last weekend about the potential re- opening of St Botolph’s for private prayer. There was an understandable consensus in response that most of our congregation are not only happy to pray privately at home, but also are still concerned about the risks of infection and not yet ready to venture out. In the light of that, and after consultation with the Churchwardens, I am letting you know at this stage that we will not be opening ‘for private prayer’ this month. For most people, the understandable desire is to meet again for public worship as soon as it is safe to do so. We were told some time ago that this will not be permitted until early-July at the earliest, but even then we were warned that there may be restrictions put in place. We will therefore be listening very carefully to the advice for churches in coming weeks to see what will and what won’t be permitted. Once the situation is clearer, I will be in a position to carefully consider this with the PCC. If you wish to see the advice yourself, you can do so via the following websites: • advice from the Church of — www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus- covid-19-guidance-churches • advice from the UK Government — www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the- safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the-pandemic/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of- worship-during-the-pandemic

PCC MEETING IN JULY The Parochial Church Council are due to meet next month. This meeting is likely to have to take place ‘remotely’ (ie. by telephone and email, according to the guidelines laid out for PCCs across the country) due to the ongoing restrictions and the understandable health concerns of those on the PCC. If there are any items for inclusion on the Agenda at this meeting, please ring (01206 572641) or email ([email protected]) the Vicar by 9:30am on Wednesday 1st July.

NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & REMINDERS • The next meeting of the Deanery Synod will be on Thursday 25th June. The meeting will take place online, via Zoom, with the Archdeacon of Colchester in attendance to help the Synod discuss the likely implications of the fnancial crisis being faced by the Diocese (and the whole Church of England). • More than 500 people have already taken part in the diocesan consultation to help identify the next Bishop of Chelmsford. If you have not yet done so you can have your say here — https://bit.ly/3dCDdnY • The Church of England has set up a Daily Hope Phone Line. Daily Hope offers music, prayers and refections as well as full worship services from the Church of England at the end of a telephone line. The line — which is available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044 — has been set up particularly with those unable to join online church services during the period of restrictions in mind. • Sadly, all concerts (and all other bookings) at St Botolph’s have been cancelled until October. • Practical help is available from many quarters. For those who still fnd themselves in need of practical help, however, those at St Botolph’s are warmly invited to make use of [email protected] • Anyone in pastoral need is invited to contact the relevant Pastoral Care Network Co-ordinators (Margaret Willoughby and Nicky Phillips for ‘the north-west’, Marion Abbott and David & Marion Branson for ‘the south- west’, Paul & Sheila Abbott and Gill Poppleton for ‘the south-east', and Jack Harker and Pauline Palmer for ‘the north-east') — or, of course, you can contact Mark directly. Anything for future ‘Updates’? Please email [email protected] or ring 01206 572641.