Parish of Bishopstoke

Kat was ordained deacon on Sunday 2 July at Winchester Cathedral. She will lead her first service in Bishopstoke on Sunday 9 July and there will be the chance to get to know her a bit more at our bring and share lunch afterwards. The lunch will be at St Mary's and will start at 12.30 pm. Please come along if you can, bring some food for the table (drinks will be provided), and give Kat and her family a wonderful welcome.

Dear Friends In May I went on retreat to Hilfield, a Franciscan friary in the beautiful Dorset countryside south of Sherborne. But it’s not just a beautiful place. Like other religious communities it’s a place where there’s a rhythm of prayer – something I really value when I go on a retreat – and you can join in as much or as little as you wish. But Hilfield is also a busy place. You can take a very quiet retreat there if you wish and no one will disturb you. But all aro

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed towards the appeal run by The Kensington and Chelsea Foundation. Through our church we raised an amazing total of £641.50, including £300 from Prayer Healing Fellowship, all of which was match funded (doubled by a donor). We also have a small amount of Gift Aid to claim, which we can then add to this total.

I have recently heard that our last year’s sales raised £41.90 for the Children’s Society on a total sales figure of just over £100. I have been asked to thank everyone again who supported the Children’s Society in this way. On another matter, if you think you may have an old style £1 coin in your Children’s Society box, please contact me before October when they become obsolete and I will do a mid-term box opening. Many thanks. Peta Thornton (tel. 8064 3596)

There was an urgency in her step despite the heaviness of her heart. This would take all her courage, but her mind was set. She was very determined by nature – she would not have survived otherwise. Perhaps she had heard of Simon’s intention and it angered her, but it was mostly something much deeper and much more personal that compelled her to take from its special place at home the exquisite alabaster jar of expensive perfume. Who knows how she came by it. Needless to

Thank you so much to everyone who supported our Big Community Lunch this year. We had lovely weather - compared to the heat wave a few days before! - and it was lovely to welcome a variety of people into the church building. Thank you to everyone who helped to organise the lunch and all those who ran stalls. Also to the 12th Eastleigh Scouts for lending and erecting a marquee for us. The main aim was to invite our community along to church and share lunch together, but we