OPEN WIDE YE GATES!
I am delighted to announce that St Mary’s Woodbridge will re-open for worship on Sunday 21st March (Passiontide) and St Mary’s Great Bealings on Thursday 25th March (Annunciation). As before, bookings will be needed to our Benefice office by e-mail, please, and the customary wearing of masks and social distancing will also be the same for the foreseeable future. It is very much hoped that, following all Government and medical advice, we will be able to open up our churches on a daily basis again from 12th April – but not before. The excitement with balloons announcing going back to school, is shared by those of us going back to our sacramental ‘life together’ at a very special time of our liturgical year. And for those still unable to join us, we shall continue the facility of livestreaming many of our services during Holy Week and Easter.
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
This tradition (usually on Friday afternoons in Lent) of stopping and praying at each moment of Christ’s Passion is usually done in small groups processing around our churches. As we can’t do this, we are inviting you to do this ‘online’ via our church website. They have been given an imaginative ‘local twist’ using familiar buildings and every-day spaces. The focus of our prayers very much represent the pains of this past year, as well as our thankfulness for all who have helped us and served us during lockdown. Christ’s sorrow and comfort has never been absent and never will be.
Say it with Flowers
Yes, it is Mothering Sunday again, so many of you will be rightly, spoilt! But the special DAFFODIL poster attached, for you to display, is for the national ‘Day of Reflection’ on Tuesday 23rd March. For those of you who missed my homily on this at last Sunday’s Evening Prayer, please do visit our church website and you can find further details of what we are planning to do and why. The idea came from ‘Marie Curie’ so there will be an opportunity to make a donation for their Ipswich ‘branch’ at our Quiet Hour between 7-8pm on that evening, as well as lighting your own candles to aid your private intentions and prayers. Go placidly…
Fr Nigel