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Hemel Hempstead remembered Buncefield one year on at a special service held at Holy Trinity Church, Leverstock Green on Sunday 10 December.
The service was attended by the Mayor of Hemel Hempstead and the MP, Mike Penning. The Rt Revd Christopher Herbert, Bishop of St Albans, preached.
During the service people whose lives are still severely affected by the blast spoke of their continuing problems after a year. One person spoke of the dislocated feelings of being made redundant from work as a result of Buncefield. Another spoke of life living in a hotel with a young family.
The Bishop said he was puzzled why a public enquiry was not held and asked why cuts were being made to the NHS services which were so vital at times of emergency such as Buncefield and train crashes including Potters Bar, Hatfield and Watford.
Read the text of the Bishop's sermon here
The wet weather did not dampen spirits at the annual Sleep Out at St Albans Cathedral on 1 December. By sleeping rough outside the Cathedral, 480 people raised well over £30, 000 for local charities that support homeless people. Other Sleep outs took place in the Diocese this year in Bedford and Watford. Read and hear BBC reports of the night here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/faith/
In St Albans over 250 of those that slept out were under the age of 18. Their needs were catered for by a rock band from the Vineyard Church in St Albans which led a worship event in the Crossing of the Cathedral. Cathedral Chaplain for Youth, Father Stuart Cradduck said, “With a slow steady rain falling all night the kids will have got a real taster of what it is like for homeless people at this time of year.”
Those who slept out included two MPs, two mayors, two local Police officers who had raised over £400 through sponsorship and 6 priests from St Albans Diocese each of whom had brought members of their congregations.
Organiser, Brian Peyton said, “I think it is wonderful that people give their time and vocation to supporting homeless people. The Sleep Out is a great partnership between organisations such as the Mothers’ Union, The Rotary Club and the Cathedral.”
The charities who will benefit are: Dacorum Emergency Night Shelter, Open Door, St Albans, Stevenage Haven, Stevenage and North Herts Sanctuary, Hitchin.
The Bishop of Bedford, the Rt Revd Richard Inwood, was the speaker at a Civic Reception for some 70 local councillors, representatives of other churches and synagogues, headteachers, doctors and other local dignitaries in Radlett church hall recently. Church members offered drinks and canapés, while musicians from the Purcell Music School in Watford provided background music.
The Bishop spoke briefly on the role of church members and other faith communities in local community life. Then there was an opportunity for questions and discussion as people enjoyed further hospitality. The Revd William Hogg, Team Rector, said, “ It was an excellent chance to bring together people from different walks of life in a relaxed and informal atmosphere and for them to hear how churches are active in providing for the needs of people in the community and reaching out in all sorts of positive ways through youth work, care of the elderly, sick, bereaved and others, as well as through professional and voluntary work in other fields.”
The next day Bishop Richard led around 100 church members from the Radlett, Aldenham and Shenley Team Parishes in a three session teach-in on Mission and personal witness. Youth leaders from Christ Church, Bedford provided activities for children so that their parents could attend the teach-in. People relaxed over a picnic lunch together in the church hall, and attendees were encouraged and inspired to play a personal part in outreach as well as to consider how their churches can best offer new ways of reaching people in the community and draw them into worship and commitment.
The weekend was rounded off with Sunday morning services in Radlett and Shenley at which the Bishop preached and celebrated communion with combined congregations from the five churches involved, and a well attended bring and share lunch.
The Revd Pauline Higham, Rector of Little Berkhamsted and Bayford, Essendon and Ponsbourne and Joint Rural Dean of Hertford & Ware Deanery and the Revd John Pedlar, Vicar of St Paul’s, Bedford, were recently installed as Hon. Canons of the Cathedral.
The recent publication, Times & Seasons is a major addition to Common Worship. This vast resource needs study and awareness to use the resources fully. Times and Seasons is a huge mission resource that should be used to its fullest potential.
The Diocesan Liturgical Committee is inviting clergy to a training opportunity on Thursday 1 st February 2007 at Baldock Parish Church. The main speaker will be Peter Moger, the National Liturgical Development Officer. The day will include an opportunity to discover the rich resources and activities to make the text come alive. To reserve your place and receive further details please contact The Revd Andrew Holford via any of these routes, but please do so as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Lunch provided. 10.30am-3.30pm
The Revd Andrew Holford, 9 Pond Lane, Baldock, Herts, SG7 5AS; 01462 892838 (Parish Office); e-mail
Baldock is under 5 minutes from the A1(M) and there is ample parking five minutes walk away.
The Diocesan Community Care Group has published a series of leaflets on mental health. These have been sent to clergy in their monthly mailing and are available on the Diocesan website at: www.stalbans.anglican.org .
Over half of our parishes have now taken ownership of their own pages on the web resource, A Church Near You ( www.achurchnearyou.com ). Every church in the Diocese has a basic entry on the A Church Near You website but parishes can enhance their own pages by appointing a person to be responsible for updating the page. Why not find your church and see if it has all the information it should have on it and if not ask your Vicar about how you can take control! Since July there have been 34641 hits on church pages in our Diocese – nearly as many as our total electoral roll membership.
Christopher Lees has been appointed as Child Protection Co-ordinator to take over from Diane Wearne who will be leaving this month. Christopher spent 30 years as a Police Officer with West Midlands Police and was supervisor in their Child Protection Unit. He can be contacted by e-mail at childprotection@stalbans.anglican.org
The new Continuing Ministerial Education Officer is the Revd Ysmena Pentelow. Ysmena will combine this role with being half-time Priest-in-Charge at Langleybury. Ysmena can be contacted by email: ypentelow@stalbans.anglican.org or on 01727 818151.
Philip Deane has been appointed to the newly created post of management accountant. Philip is a maths graduate who is just completing his professional accountancy exams. He is currently working for Liberata UK Ltd in London and has previously worked at the Archbishops' Council. He will be joining the Accounts team in January.
New Children’s Officer for Bedfordshire appointed. The Revd Ruth Pyke has started work as Children’s Work Adviser for Bedfordshire. Ruth is combining this post with being Priest-in-Charge of Caddington. Ruth can be contacted by e-mail on cwabed@stalbans.anglican.org or by phone on 01717 818176.
The University of Bedfordshire Chaplaincy and Bedford Ecumenical Lay Institute for Education and Faith (BELIEF) will be running a theology reading group from January 2007. The group will be reading Rowan Williams’, Silence and Honey Cakes and will meet on January 11 th, February 8 th and March 8 th at 1.00p.m. at the university chaplaincy in Bedford. Book your place by contacting Stephen Heap (co-ordinating chaplain at the university in Bedford and director of the institute) on: 01234 793177, 01234 216181, Stephen.heap@beds.ac.uk
Four new publications offer churches valuable resources for Vision for Action:
The Archbishop of Canterbury and Pope Benedict XVI held their first meeting since the two met briefly following the Pope’s Inauguration Mass in 2005. The private Papal Audience, on Thursday 23rd November, was the centrepiece of Dr Williams’ visit to Rome, which ran from 21st-26th November. The visit coincided with the 40th anniversary of the historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey in 1966.
Other highlights of the trip included two keynote lectures; the first was given at St Anselmo in Rome - 'Benedict and the future of Europe' - in which the Archbishop said that modern civilisation needs to discover a proper sense of the values of time, authority and participation if it is to renew its sense of purpose and enable communities to cope with modern pressures. The second lecture was given at the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, entitled 'Secularity, Freedom and Faith'.
Both lectures can be read at: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/sermons_speeches/index.html
The Church of England House of Bishops and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales met for a bi-lateral meeting at Hinsley Hall, Leeds, in November.
The meeting, fraternal in character, was based on shared prayer, discussion and a desire for further development of their shared Christian witness. Their reflections were resourced by the work of the International Anglican – Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission, whose report is expected to be published in 2007. Read more about this historic meeting: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr11706.html
“The Benedictine Character of Anglican Spirituality”
Brother Patrick Moore, FSC, will be giving an hours’ talk on The Benedictine Character of Anglican Spirituality . On Saturday, 20 th January, 11am, in the Crypt of the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban.
Patrick is a De La Salle Brother who specialises in Renaissance history, History of Spirituality, and Liturgy. He is currently Scholar-in-Residence at Sarum College, Salisbury, a Christian ecumenical centre for learning, hospitality and spiritual growth. There is no charge for the talk, and places will be available on a first come, first served basis. Coffee and cakes will be served from 10.30am (donations to Christian Aid). For further details, please contact Dorothy Percival tel: 01727 856280 or email