St Mary’s Monthly News

January 2016 gender, mental health, physical Year of Mary ability, race and sexuality. We all bring with us diverse perspectives, work experiences, life style, gifts and cultures to make our community a place where God is always present. We must see the love of God in every human being. So we must cultivate tolerance, mutual respect and understanding between us. Building an inclusive church is a dynamic process Next in our Year of Mary is the From Jules Mambu, which needs patience, respect, celebration of the Presentation faith and prayers. of Christ in the Temple, or Assistant Curate Candlemas, which will take place Let God make St Mary’s a place on Sunday 31 January at 1030. “We are all humans” - I was which welcomes and serves all This occasion is also known as delighted to accept the position people in the name of Jesus the Purification of the Blessed of Assistant Curate in the parish Christ - because we are all Virgin Mary. With Mary we pray: of St Mary the Virgin Prestwich humans. Lord Jesus Christ, light of the after a consultation meeting with nations and glory of Israel: make Rev Chris Wedge. I met a man of Jules Mambu, Assistant Curate your home among us, and integrity, faith and conviction. present us pure and holy to your That’s why I wanted to work with Rev Jules Mambu will be heavenly Father, your God, and him and the congregation. welcomed as Assistant Curate of our God. St Mary’s at a service to be held St Mary’s vision statement does on Sunday 24 January at 1500. Christmas in the Holy Land not exclude members on the grounds of gender, race, class, sexuality or disability. St. Mary’s seeks to be totally inclusive. We are all made in the image of God: Green Christian is a charity which tall, short, male, female, blues helps Christians to understand eyes, brown eyes, black, our responsibilities for our white….The miracle of being impact on God’s creation, and to human is that we are all relate this to our faith. Green The West Bank city of Bethlehem individual, even identical twins. Christian was formed in 1981 and (meaning ‘house of bread’), just We all have different strengths supports Christians from all south of Jerusalem, is celebrated and limitations; and even backgrounds and traditions. One as the birthplace of Jesus. The preferences. God has called us to of the charity's patrons is James cave-birthplace (pictured above) be together, to work together, to Jones, former Anglican Bishop of can be visited underneath the celebrate life and death together Liverpool. Visit the website huge Basilica of the Nativity, as members of same family. at www.greenchristian.org.uk for which is the oldest complete

more information and free church in the Christian world. In I strongly believe in inclusivity resources including prayer 1995 Bethlehem came under the and diversity in life. Jesus’s vision guides, information on administration of the Palestinian is always to make the church a campaigns, publications and Authority and the city now has place which does not articles. a Muslim majority population. discriminate, on any level, on grounds of economic power,

The Parish of St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich www.stmarysprestwich.org Page 1

St Mary’s Monthly News

Mary around the Globe has been of chatting to the men and women central importance ever since. who make use of the facilities. The current chair of trustees is Between the conversations on the . Members of the streets and those in the St Mary’s have supported the centres I’ve been able to build up work of the Children’s Society for a bit of a picture of what pushes many years. Find out more at: people out into sleeping in www.childrenssociety.org.uk. ’s doorways and carparks, and what makes it so Junior Church news hard for them to get back to having a home. Hearing the voices of street sleepers, and beginning to recognise both the individuality and the repeated patterns in those voices, has equipped me for the task of speaking out, and the pastoral becomes the political, albeit a This month’s image of our Patron politics without party affiliation. Saint features the rock cave at Leaders from our Junior Church But it goes deeper than that. Lourdes in France, where were recently awarded a Bishop’s Alongside the encounters I have Bernadette Soubirous (later Certificate in Children’s Ministry in streets and projects I am laying canonised as St Bernadette) (Level 2). Above Jo Conchie, my encounters with God, in my claimed to have seen the Blessed Emma Chadwick and Jo reading of scripture, my Virgin Mary in 1858. Lourdes has Parkinson are pictured in participation in liturgy and in my become one of the greatest with prayers. All these become part of pilgrimage sites of the world - Bishop Mark. the pattern. They make me part one of its churches can of it too, forming and reforming accommodate 25,000 people. The Social Gospel me in the process. So when I by the Bishop of Manchester speak out about homelessness, or “Several times a week I walk take some action to combat it, across Manchester’s city centre. I’m doing so from the heart of my In the two years I’ve been making theology and my spirituality.” this walk the number of people Adapted from an article by sleeping in doorways, or sitting Bishop David Walker in a recent quietly behind polystyrene cups edition of Affirming Catholicism with a few coins in the bottom, Review. must have doubled. To the ones The Children’s Society is a who are awake I offer a greeting national charity which runs local and a blessing; if they look ready projects, helping children and for it, I stop for a brief young people when they are at conversation. Around the city their most vulnerable. The centre there are a number of charity also campaigns for projects offering support to rough changes to laws affecting sleepers. Pretty well all of them A New Year Prayer children and young people. Last are run by Christian groups. One Jesus, Lord of time, hold us in year the Society worked directly was housed in Manchester your eternity. Jesus, image of with over 34,000 vulnerable cathedral until last year, when God, travel with us the life of children. The charity was we had to move it into much faith. Jesus, friend of sinners, founded in 1881 by Edward bigger premises. From time to heal the brokenness of our Rudolf, a Sunday school teacher, time I drop in on one of the world. Jesus, Lord of tomorrow, and its partnership with the schemes and spend a while draw us into your future.

The Parish of St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich www.stmarysprestwich.org Page 2

St Mary’s Monthly News

Diary Dates Saturday 16 January - Beetle Drive with pie & pea Saturday 6 February - Church Mardi Gras Party supper. Sunday 7 February – the will be Sunday 17 January – Prestwich Mission Partnership presiding at the 1030 Eucharist at St Mary’s. Anniversary Service at St Mary’s at 1030. Wednesday 10 February – Ash Wednesday Sunday 24 January – Welcome service for Rev Jules Saturday 20 February – Lent Quiet Day (Lent with Mambu at 1500, with the Bishop of Manchester. Mary)

Crossword Puzzle – The Creation Story - Read about it in Genesis Chapter 1

Lent begins on 10 February

Ash Wednesday Eucharist – 10 February at 1000 God our Father, in your love and goodness you Midweek Lent Group – look out for teach us to come close to you with prayer, fasting and generosity; accept our Lenten details nearer the time discipline, and when we fall in our weakness, raise us up by your unfailing mercy; Lent Quiet Day (Lent with Mary) - through Christ our Lord. Saturday 20 February

The Parish of St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich www.stmarysprestwich.org Page 3

St Mary’s Monthly News

witness to the generosity of the Regular worship at St Mary’s Kingdom of God.

A joint venture between the Diocese of Manchester and Gospel Imprint affirms all that is Church Urban Fund, has brought positive, inclusive and joyful together a group of 6 churches to within a Christian tradition that is provide overnight shelter to orthodox and liberal, open and homeless men who would catholic. Short leaflets are otherwise be sleeping rough. available on topics such as Who The Greater Manchester Winter is Jesus?, How can I Night Shelter is being piloted pray? Baptism, the Eucharist, from January – March 2016 and the Blessed Virgin Mary, All the is part of a wider campaign to resources are available free improve services for homeless at www.gospelimprint.com Eucharist people across Greater Sunday 0800 & 1030 Manchester. For more Sunday Gospel Readings Wednesday 1000 information and to find out how Thursday 0730 in the Oratory to provide support visit Friday 0915 in St Mary’s School www.gmwns.wordpress.com.

3 January Morning Prayer in the Oratory 0800 Matthew 2: 1-12 Tuesday Wednesday Friday 0730 1030 Matthew 2: 1-12 The Oratory is in the Rectory, Church Lane 10 January 0800 Luke 2: 41-end Contact us The “Five Marks of Mission” 1030 Luke 3: 15-22 express the Anglican Web: www.stmarysprestwich.org 17 January Twitter: @stmaryprestwich Communion’s commitment to, 0800 John 2: 1-11 and understanding of, God’s E: [email protected] 1030 John 2: 1-11 Post: St Mary the Virgin, Church mission. The Five Marks of 24 January Mission are: Lane, M25 1AN 0800 Matthew 20: 1-16 Parish Priest: Chris Wedge  To proclaim the Good News 1030 Luke 4: 14-21 of the Kingdom telephone 0161 773 2912 31 January Assistant Curate: Jules Mambu  To teach, baptise and nurture 0800 Luke 2: 22-40 new believers Church Wardens: Stewart Barnet 1030 Luke 2: 22-40 telephone 07950 354445; Julia  To respond to human need by loving service Dutton telephone 07931 293470 Children are a valued part of our  To transform unjust community. structures of society, to Junior Church meets on Sunday challenge violence of every at 1030. The Prestwich Mission kind and pursue peace and Partnership Youth Group meets reconciliation on Sunday at 1830. Uniformed  To strive to safeguard the Organisations meet on weekday integrity of creation, and evenings. We enjoy a close sustain and renew the life of relationship with our Parish the earth. School. More information at: www.stmarysprestwich.org/church-groups. Gospel Imprint is a new Anglican publishing organisation sharing We welcome contributions to St free resources with all Christians Mary’s Monthly News by email to who seek to learn, worship and [email protected] The Parish of St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich www.stmarysprestwich.org Page 4