Issue Number 443 November 2017 From the Rector Remembering St Martin Though flowers have perished at the touch Of Frost, the early comer, OUR MISSION I hail the season loved so much, A community seeking to live well with God, The good St Martin’s summer. gathered around Jesus Christ in prayer and fellowship, and committed to welcome, worship and witness. John Greenleaf Whittier, a nineteenth century American Quaker and The Church Office poet, is best known as the author of the much-loved hymn Dear Lord Bolton Abbey, Skipton BD23 6AL and Father of mankind. Amongst his many other works is a poem, St 01756 710238 Martin’s Summer, which celebrates the period of mild weather (also [email protected] known as an Indian summer) that frequently occurs around the The Rector Feast of St Martin of Tours on 11 November. The Rectory, Bolton Abbey, Skipton BD23 6AL In the United Kingdom 11 November is better known as Armistice 01756 710326 Day, solemnly marked each year as the date on which the [email protected] agreement for the cessation of hostilities on the western front came Curate into effect in 1918. Remarkably, another stanza of Whittier’s poem 07495 151987 seems to anticipate the armistice by describing a (figurative) [email protected] cessation of hostilities between two weather systems on Website St Martin’s Day: SUNDAY www.boltonpriory.church The summer and the winter here 08.00 Holy Communion Midway a truce are holding, 09.15 Liquid Family Worship First Sunday of month A soft, consenting atmosphere Their tents of peace enfolding. 10.30 Sung Eucharist 18.30 Evening Prayer (said) April to September Monday 11 November 1918 was cold and dam but, on the days following, high pressure settled over the continent as St Martin’s 16.30 Evening Prayer (said) October to March Summer set in and the ‘tents of peace’ were finally pitched in WEDNESDAY Europe. As we prepare once again to remember the terrible toll that war took in the bloody conflicts of the twentieth century, we also 10.00 Holy Communion look forward with hope to a time when a ‘soft consenting 18.45 Choir Practice atmosphere’ will herald God’s final reign of justice, mercy, and peace. All regular services are according to the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), except for the Family service, an informal service for young and old. May God bless you in your remembering WEDDINGS and BAPTISMS: By arrangement via the Church Office. and in your hoping. 1 2 RECTOR’S NOTES Guiding Team: Last month the summer guiding season drew to a close, Remembrance Sunday: The preacher at our Sung Eucharist at 10.30 but weekend guiding continues. I take this opportunity of thanking our on Sunday, 12 November, will be the Revd Ikuko Williams from the team of guides and welcomers who have committed their time and chaplaincy team at St James’s Hospital. The service will incorporate an energy so unstintingly to ensure that our tens of thousands of visitors Act of Remembrance, including the two minutes’ silence. are offered a warm welcome to the Priory between Easter and October. Cantores Salicium: On the afternoon of Remembrance Sunday there I am particularly grateful to Gerry Yates who has taken on the role of will be a special service at 15.30 led by Cantores Salicium (who co-ordinating the team with such grace and aplomb. We are asking for a regularly sing at the Priory on Palm Sunday). The service will include a Guides presence in the Priory on Boxing and New Year’s Day to welcome complete performance of the Missa Defunctorum (mass for the dead) visitors. A smile is all that’s needed. Ring Gerry on 01535 610690. by Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548 – 1611) as well as readings from John Donne, Wilfrid Owen and others. This promises to be a very moving way of marking the ninety-ninth anniversary of Armistice Day. LIVE NATIVITY 2017 – SAVE THE DATE Choral Evensong with Act of Commemoration of the Faithful Following the good reception for the inaugural Live Nativity at the Priory Departed: This annual service will be held on Sunday 19 November. in 2016, the event will be repeated this year on Saturday 09 December, As usual, we shall be formally inviting the families of those whose with two showings at 11.00 and 13.30. funerals we have held in the past twelve months and whose names The Bolton Abbey Estate are partnering with us again and have sourced will be read out at the service, but I hope that many of you will take the animals, a big hit at last year’s event, and the stable. It is hoped that this opportunity to give thanks for the lives of loved ones now the cast will be drawn from among the students and parents at the departed. Boyle and Petyt School, Beamsley. Confirmation Service: On Sunday 26 November, the Feast of Christ I will be approaching a the King, the Rt Revd Chris Edmondson will preside at a service of few people over the Confirmation. Bishop Chris was Bishop of Bolton in the Diocese of next few weeks asking Manchester until last year and now serves as an Honorary Assistant them to get involved Bishop in our diocese. Please pray for Lily, Bill, Charlie, Ann, Paul, and as stewards and Pippa who are currently undertaking courses of preparation with a providing view to offering themselves for Confirmation. refreshments. If you would like to get Christmas Services: We publish details of our Christmas services this involved with this key month, which will also be on our website soon. We are delighted once part of the Priory’s again to be holding a Carol Service to which all who live and work on mission activity, please the Bolton Abbey Estate will be specifically invited (though all are very do get in touch. welcome); and please make a special note of the two ‘live’ Nativity Services on Saturday 09 December which we are holding in Many thanks, partnership with the Estate. Last year’s services were a tremendous Jonathan success and we hope that St Martin’s Summer (see Rector’s letter) will last long enough for these outdoor services to be sunny and dry again. 3 4 ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS SERVICES 2017 WEDNESDAY NIGHTERS Sunday 03 December Bolton Abbey Village Hall 19.30 16.30 Advent Carol Service On the 01 November retired Police Inspector Chris Binns will regale us with ‘Famous People I have met in my Police Career’. This talk has Thursday 07 December already been heard by one of our group and we are assured that it 19.00 Bolton Abbey Estate Carol Service (all welcome) will be a fascinating evening. Saturday 09 December Everyone is very welcome. Entrance is free, we hold a raffle to cover our costs. If you would like to help with tea and cake after the 11.00 Live Nativity (first performance) meeting please have a word with Margaret Cody 01756 710587. 13.30 Live Nativity (second performance) On the 06 December we will be holding our Christmas Dinner at 19.00 for 19.30. Sunday 10 December Tickets will be on sale at the November meeting or from 15.00 Roaming Carols (meet at Bolton Abbey Village Post Office) Barbara Pickersgill 01756 710630. Sunday 17 December WORLD’S BIGGEST COFFEE MORNING 16.30 Service of Lessons and Carols I would like to say a great big ‘thank you’ Thursday 21 December to all who helped in any way at the Macmillan Coffee Morning in Bolton 18.00 Boyle and Petyt School Carol Service Abbey Village Hall. The hall looked lovely Christmas Eve with flowers donated from Bolton Hall. Sunday 24 December As always everyone was so generous 08.00 Holy Communion donating cakes to sell and eat, giving raffle prizes and generous donations. Selling donated, excess fruit 10.30 Sung Eucharist and vegetables in the Priory Church raised around £200! A ‘must do’ 16.00 Christingle again next year. I am sure everyone enjoyed themselves on the day. I was hoping that we could better last year’s total of £851.45. We did 23.30 First Eucharist of Christmas £1000!! Yes that was the exact total! Christmas Day My grateful thanks to you all, it couldn’t have happened without your Monday 25 December magnificent support. 08.00 Holy Communion Margaret Cody 10.00 Festal Eucharist PRIORY MAGAZINE DEADLINE Wednesday 27 December DECEMBER/JANUARY MAGAZINE St John, Apostle and Evangelist Please may we have any copy by 15 November sent either to the 10.00 Holy Communion Editor or the Church Office. 5 6 MARY’S MEALS SINGING WORKSHOP We raised £450 in the process, enough to feed another 32 children A group of around 40 of us gathered at the Priory on Saturday 23 for a year at the school we are supporting in Malawi. September for an African Singing Workshop, run to support our What a lovely way to raise money! Mary’s Meals project. The day was directed by musician and Keely was extraordinarily generous in giving us her time, expertise composer, Keely Hodgson, who leads and directs Ben Rhydding and joie de vivre as a contribution to the charity on this occasion. Community Choir and various other singing groups. We kicked off at Thank you so much Keely. 10.00 with some warm up exercises and then started the joyous task If you would like to know more about Keely’s singing groups – please of learning, in different parts, a number of African songs.