This evening James Roriston treated us to an excellent concert of piano music including pieces by Bach, Mozart, Ravel and Mendelssohn. The recital took place at the home of Hilary Platts and Michael Jones, who also provided a splendid supper to follow. More than 20 people attended and enjoyed both James's excellent performance and the delicious food. The evening raised £405 towards the building project at St Marys, and was greatly enjoyed by all who were there! many thanks to James, Hilary and Michael for their talented hard work this evening.

Trinity Sunday and also the third Sunday in the month, so our 10 o'clock service was Matins. Father Stephen spoke of the concept of the Trinity, and how it has been a difficult one for people to grasp, a dogma not a doctrine, the one God in three different aspects. The Choir sang the Irish Blessing traditional words arranged by Bob Chilcot.
Coffee was served after the service.
Next weekend James Roriston will give a Piano Recital at the home of Hilary Platts and Michael Jones, please contact Hilary for tickets.

This gloriously sunny Sunday morning was a double celebration for us at St Mary our Lady. We celebrated Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, and we welcomed to our congregation the 5 young people who had been confirmed on Friday at St Paul's Church. The newly confirmed were in Church with their families supporting them, and took communion together before the rest of the congregation. At the end of the service they were presented with a lighted candle each, to mark their passing into full adult membership of the Church. In his Sermon Father Stephen spoke of the gifts of the spirit, and how we are invigorated by the Holy Spirit to help us go forward in our christian life, and that we who were confirmed a long time ago are delighted to see the next generation joining us to carry forward the work of the church into the future.

The Choir sang 'I will sing with the spirit' by John Rutter as the anthem. After the service there was coffee, and special cakes to mark this lovely occasion.

Welcome to William, Hazel, Harvey, Seth and Emily

Our Pentecost Flowers

Summer is with us

At 7:30 on Friday evening Bishop Mark, the Bishop of Horsham confirmed 5 young people from Sidlesham along with others from our Deanery. Seth. Hazel, Emily William and Harvey became full members of the Church and received their first Communion. It was a joyous occasion for them and their families and friends. Welcome to them all!!!

Our Candidates with Bishop Mark

and with Father Stephen

On Thursday evening we were treated to a presentation by the members of the congregation who had attended the Ordination of Father Aho in south eastern Turkey at the end of April. The evening included an opportunity to see some pictures of the event, listen to some of the chanting in Aramaic from the service, and to hear the experiences of the travellers. We were honoured to have Bishop John, the retired Bishop of Chichester with us, it was Bishop John who had made the initial contact with the Syrian Orthodox Church in southern Turkey, and has been instrumental in arranging for Aho and others to visit and study in Chichester. There was an interesting and lively discussion after the presentation, and it was agreed by all that the experience of visiting the Ordination had been a most moving and inspiring one.
We then tucked into a wonderful spread of Turkish food provided by those who had been to Turkey.
Many thanks to all who helped to clear up and in particular to Chris Field for organising and helping us.

Saturday 21st June 2014 6.30pm

James Roriston

James is currently head of music at the International School in Bangalore, India. He is no stranger to St Mary's  when back home on holiday.  He has helped us out by singing bass in the choir,  and at various  times conducting the choir and playing the church organ.

He will be returning to England in June and has agreed to perform a piano concert for us. The tickets are £20 and will include a two course supper plus wine.

Tickets are available from Hilary Platts you can contact her via the form on the   Contact us  page. Money raised will go towards the parish rooms project.

 

Programme

• JS Bach: Partita no. 3 in A minor
• Mozart: Piano sonata no. 18 in D major
• Ravel: Sonatine
• Mendelssohn: Rondo Capriccioso

Note: The concert will take place in Hilary Platts house in Selsey, not the church.

The first Sunday in the month brings a Family Service, and the Sunday after the Ascension. As it has been half term this week, the usual role of the Sunday School in this service had to be taken on by the Adults! We followed are usual family Service liturgy, but the Presentation was made by Mrs Field, who told us something of the work being done in Sunday School and of the project to help an Orphanage near to the town of Chernobyl, were children are still having a very poor time. Any one can prepare one of the shoe boxes we are sending, please look at the display in the church for details. She then told us about the Day of Reflection which took place yesterday and is detailed below.
The Choir, both Junior and Senior together sang 'God has Gone up with a Merry Noise' by William Croft for the anthem. There was coffee after the service and a special treat banana cake to go with it!
Next Sunday is Pentecost, and it will also be the first communion in our Church of our confirmation candidates, who are to be confirmed on Friday at St Paul's Church in Chichester. Please pray


for them as they prepare to become full adult members of the Church, and join us next Sunday to share their first service with us as full members of the Anglican Communion.

On Saturday the 31st of May some of our parishioners visited the Bishop's Palace in Chichester for a period of refection and renewal.Dr Andrew Mayes, Diocesan Spirituality Adviser lead a reflection with us, discussing the annunciation and the visitation by Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. We were encouraged to write our own Magnificat in response to his thoughts. The Eucharist was celebrated in the Bishops private chapel, and we enjoyed a picnic lunch in the gardens. This was a very rewarding experience for those who attended and it is hoped that we can organise something similar in the future, as many who wanted to attend were not able. Many thanks to the Bishop and to Dr Mayes for this enriching spiritual experience.

The painted celing in the Tudor Room

Bishop Bell

Our lunch break one of us still writing a Magnificat!

This 12 centry roundle in the Chapel was rediscovered in 1829