But Joy, surely you're not going to accept a slice of Adele's delicious coffee cake? You know you shouldn't!
Lent begins this week, on Ash Wednesday February 17th. It will be remembered right across the world, and the fasting and abstinence of Ash Wednesday will be observed everywhere. In Afganistan last year a marine is shown receiving the ashes as he prepared to take his armoured vehicle through territory peppered with I.E.D.'s
Not many of our Parish Councillors could be persuaded to take off their outdoor clothing at this week's meeting of the P.P.C. in the Parish rooms. This photo was taken as Cathy, Frances, Fr Jamie and the other members were getting ready to tackle the packed agenda, which as usual included reports, discussions and the making of recommendations about Parish action, liturgy, sacramental life, prayer and social activities.
Have you ever wondered, as you are trying to drink your coffee after Mass, where all that noise is actually coming from? In the true spirit of academic research, a camera was taken in to the Parish Rooms after Mass last Sunday, though a decibel counter would have been more appropriate. Paddy, Jo, Franki and Eileen were laughing so much that Blog had difficulty hearing himself think. What could have been the cause of all this hilarity? Had a little something been added to those now suspiciously empty coffee cups? Or does this month's Portsmouth People include a cartoon page?
Our Blog has reported on many events taking place in the Parish of Lymington in its attempt to keep you fully informed of all the different enterprises in which our parishioners and their friends are involved. Sadly, as you can see, on this occasion we arrived after the drama was over. The audience had left, the leading lady was recovering from her ordeal, and the humble screwdriver, praised and honoured for the part it had played in the rescue operation, had been returned to its proud owner. The story behind this picture, however, cannot fail to become one of the mighty legends of our hallowed site. Never before in the long history of this parish has so much been owed by one parishioner to so many of her friends. Free at last! What bliss must it have been!
Due the difficulty of driving into deepest Dorset (especially in the kind of weather we've had recently) our Parish S.V.P. Conference has now joined the Southampton District Council. Last Wednesday a meeting of the Southampton Council was held in our Parish to mark our inauguration into membership with them. Tom, who is our President, was welcomed by Keith Powers, President of the Southampton Council (on the right). Our S.V.P. will continue in a spirit of justice and charity, and in complete confidentiality, to help those who are suffering or who need assistance, through the person-to-person involvement of our members. Our Parish Conference meets on Wednesday afternoons.
At the beginning of our Sunday morning Mass, boys and girls leave the church to go to their liturgy classes. Have you wondered what the very young children do there? After the teacher has presented the subject, the little ones do appropriate practical work. What a hive of activity! These kiddies are drawing pictures to illustrate aspects of this week's liturgy best suited to their level of understanding. Iciar, who is teaching this session, really believes in getting down to it. She's on her knees working with one child, whilst the parents assisting her help with others.
Cinderella is still waiting for Prince Charming to arrive with a coat that exactly fits her. This picture, taken before the beginning of last week's Parish Dinner, is of Ellen, rashly having left her outer garment in the hotel cloakroom before she found out that Thursday is Coat-Swapping Day at the South Lawn. (You can see that Tom and Margaret had been tipped off about it, so kept theirs on!) But seriously, this is no weather for Ellen to be short of a coat, so please, if you are the owner of a three-quarter length coat in a sort of pinkish lilac (well, use your imagination, then!) check that it is really yours. If you do find it, please ring Ellen on 677363 or email her at e_t_turnbull@yahoo.co.uk
Last weekend there was a conference at Bournemouth organised by the Portsmouth Diocesan Department for Pastoral Formation . The four that were sent to represent our parish were Clare, Peter, Jill and Cathy. We are sure they must have been working hard all weekend. So why are they looking so relaxed? (No need to put your answers on a postcard, just click on "comment" below.)
This is a picture of Mary (on the right) and her friend Briji, who together present the Brockenhurst Workshops called Ways of Praying. Mary is a parishioner of St Anne's, who is currently completing an M.A. in Christian Spirituality at Sarum College. She has her own blog at http://wisdomspirit.blogspot.com/ We shall keep a link to it in our right hand column.
Lymington Churches Together held a joint service for Christian Unity at our Church last Sunday. It was led by Fr Jamie, and among the readers were the Rev Peter Salisbury, the Vicar of St Thomas Anglican Church, at the front on the right of this photo, and Sandra Jackson of the United Reform Church nearest to the camera on the left.
Jacqueline and Bernard were among the early arrivals at our annual Parish nosh-up, which this year was held at the South Lawn Hotel.
This is the annual week of prayer for Christian Unity. Members of congregations from the Anglican, Catholic, Baptist, Methodist and United Reform Churches together with Quakers and members of the Salvation Army pray together that we may all one day be part of a single united Christian Church. Here are some of those who attended a joint service last Sunday afternoon enjoying tea, cake and a chat afterwards in the beautiful old church of St John the Baptist at Boldre.
Officers of the Catholic Women's League preparing for their first meeting of 2010, due to start a few minutes after this photo was taken. Nearest the camera is Patricia, the chairman, and next to her is the treasurer, Deirdre. At the far end the secretarial duo of Anne and Freda are finalising their arrangements (Anne is the one who has been told that the heating is on.)
On this day we pray for peace throughout the world, and celebrate the work done by organisations which campaign for peace. Prominent among them is Pax Christi, whose website (http://www.paxchristi.org.uk/) gives a balanced, informed and thoroughly Christian view on the Peace Movement, on issues of peace and about situations in parts of the world where peace is desperately needed. We shall keep a link to this site in the right hand column of our blog from now onwards.
Despite snow, ice and freezing temperatures John, Pam and the rest of the Basics Bank team carry on making up emergency food parcels from the stock on the shelves, all donated in kind or in cash by the people of Lymington and the local area. Instant redundancy does not produce instant DSS payments, so enough food has to be delivered to unlucky families to fill the space between. The new Basics Bank cabin, at the rear of the United Reformed Church, is certainly smarter than the cold old room at the back of our car park which they used last year, but today it doesn't feel much warmer!
To save heating the whole Church on the icy weekday mornings of the past week, on some days arrangements were made to have Holy Mass offered in the relative warmth of the Presbytery Office. Up to about ten parishioners were able to be seated inside the room itself. Even some of those who had to sit on chairs just outside in the corridor said that they felt very involved in a Mass said in such intimate circumstances.
As Sr Rosaleen has now reached the end of her six-year term, an election was held today at St Dominic's Convent for a new Prioress. The sisters elected Sr Michelle. We send her our sincere congratulations, promise her our prayers and wish her all success in the years ahead.
Members of the four parishes of our Pastoral area will get together to enjoy this short visit to the home of St Therese, whose relics made such a successful tour of this country during the Autumn. Ferry crossing will be from Portsmouth to Le Havre with LD Lines. Half board will be booked at L'Ermitage, and visits are being arranged to the Carmelite Convent, les Buissonets, Mont Saint Michel and the Benedictine Abbey. Further details and booking forms will be available shortly.
That's Pam in the middle about to throw her hands up in protest when she sees she's going to be shot,but the rest of the Friendship Club and their chauffeurs, enjoying their annual Christmas lunch at the Walhampton Arms and surrounded by their friends, didn't notice what was happening!
This year the crib was moved to a new position in front of the altar. The shepherds and the livestock waited respectfully under the arches of the altar, while the Magi travelled along the windowsills at the side of the church until their arrival on the feast of the Epiphany. Some people liked the new arrangement, but perhaps there were some who saw disadvantages. Let us know what you think, by clicking on "comments" below.
Hitherto we have been able only to imagine how hard Santa's elves have laboured to clean up his subterranean grotto after all those grubby reindeer have been in and out of there having their sleighs loaded up with presents. But now, in order to uncover the true facts for our readers, we have boldly gone deep into the cellars below our very own Parish Rooms. So at last we are able to show you how John's prodigious labours to maintain control of our capricious heating system have kept us all from freezing over Christmas.
Not everything is completely happy in a warm church, so Pat is kept busy continually slaking the thirst of the flowers in the splendid arrangements she and her team have set up around the altar and on the window sills, which as always have added to the dignity of the Masses celebrated here, and were much appreciated by those who attended our Parish Christmas services.
J.Tissot
This photo is of South Lawns Hotel, Milford, where our annual Parish Dinner will take place on Thursday 21st January (7pm for 7.30). The cost of £22.95 per person includes three courses, coffee and mints. If you would like to join us, please complete one of the forms on the table at the back of the church and return it to the Presbytery by this Sunday, January 3rd, together with a cheque made payable to the South Lawns Hotel.
The performers are shown here relaxing at the end of this year's beautifully produced and thoroughly enjoyable performance, while Fr Jamie thanks them and their parents for all their efforts. He expressed the gratitude of the congregation to Monica and her helpers for producing such a delightful Christingle service. And so say all of us who were fortunate enough to be there!
After the Christingle was over, who do you think suddenly appeared in the Parish Rooms with three of his young admirers? Yes, I know it's Father Christmas. But who was the Parish Father Christmas? Whose good-looking visage was hidden behind all that face-fungus? Whose handsome blue eyes shone through those specs? If you really can't penetrate the disguise, you'll have to look at the first comment. (The first polite one, that is!)
This delightful Nativity scene illustrating cleanliness in caring for the Holy Child has been painted in the style of the early Medieval period. So were the people of that time so aware of the importance of proper hygiene? The extraordinary arrangement, the fascinating detail and the delicacy of the brushwork on this beautiful painting can be better appreciated by clicking on the picture to enlarge it. It can be found on Google Images, but without title, name of artist, date or other details. Can anyone help, please? (Please click on "comment" below if you can assist.)
Those of us who were lucky enough to be able to get to this year's Christmas Concert spent a delightful afternoon with a group of girls and boys who showed their talents by dancing, singing, and playing musical instruments, while Henry, the young M.C., kept us all laughing at his corny riddles. Our thanks and congratulations to them, to their parents and to Bernadette with her helpers for their hard work and for the amount of time that must have been spent practising and rehearsing. Well done!
Joan is one of several parishioners who, together with Al and other Christians working for Basics Bank, and assisted by a group of girls from the Lymington Rangers, packed more than 140 bags of Christmas goodies for delivery to needy families in the New Forest Area.
One reader admits to not having recognised the photo which we published in November of the 35-year-old future Pope. Scroll right down this blog until you come to the photograph headed: "Of course, you recognise this man, don't you?" Now compare that to the above photo, which is from Papa Ratzinger's Blog (http://paparatzinger-blograffaella.blogspot.com/)
Fr. Jamie reads a lesson at the Blessing of the Crib outside St Thomas Church in the High Street. The Vicar, the Rev. Peter Salisbury, is in the shadows behind him on the left of the picture, and the Mayor, Cllr. Jan Hawker, is standing directly behind the microphone. The three senior representatives of other Christian denominations whose faces are most clearly visible in this photo are Sandra Jackson (United Reformed Church), Phil Wiseman (Lymington Methodists) and, standing just behind them, Dr.Phyllis Lemon (Quakers).
Veronica and Delia, Noreen and Moira, and Ivy and Betty were so involved in being friends with each other at the Christmas meeting of the Friendship Club that they nearly forgot to eat Joan's delicious cake!
This painting of St Anne with Mary in her womb by the Flemish artist Jean Bellagambe (c.1480- c.1535) is his attempt to illustrate Our Lady's Immaculate Conception, which was not declared a dogma of the Church until more than 300 years later.
Fr.Jamie, Sean, Peter and Linda are part of our Lectio Divina group, caught here relaxing after a recent session in the Parish Rooms. Lectio, or Sacred Reading, which is a slow, contemplative praying of the Scriptures, has been practised since the early years of Christianity, and has been an important part of the spiritual routine of the Benedictine order since its foundation in the sixth century.
What a lovely Christmas present! Floppy-eared goats cost their donors £30 each, but Zemansh is not starting a herd. Having received this present she will give away all the kids her pair produce to help other families in her village to become self-supporting. If you want to know more about the organisation which gives presents like this to people like Zemansh, just click on Farm Africa.
Margaret, seen here serving Anna, Ellie and Hannah, is one of the Catholic Women's League who organise coffee and biscuits each Saturday morning for market shoppers and the occasional stray parishioner (Sorry, Peggy!). Saturday coffee mornings are the main source of the donations made by our C.W.L. to charities. Between January last year and October this year they donated a total of £1595. A list of the good causes which benefited is on the coffee room door.
Have a close look at this young theologian. This photo of him was taken during Vatican II when he was only in his thirties, and was helping to formulate the doctrines adopted at that Council. If you don't recognise him, click on "comment" below.
At the Convent Christmas Market, Sisters Julie and Michelle check to see who's won the whisky.
