Lockdown Stories: Marston Moreteyne with Lidlington – Using all their gifts

What happens when your church includes artistic youth, a baker, a florist and a musician? Exceedingly good things!

Aware that the residents and staff of care homes had been under exceptional pressure during this pandemic, the congregation at St Mary’s Marston Moretayne with Lidlington has been supporting the village nursing home.

They encouraged different members of the congregation to find their own ways to show love and care and the result was something the curate, Rev’d. Kate McFarlane, said would stay with her forever. The church youth group created cards which were sent to the home along with some flowers from the church ‘florist’.

A member of the congregation who is a professional baker prepared a treat for all the staff and residents of a parcel of cakes, scones and jam. This got delivered to the home one afternoon accompanied, literally, by another church member who is a professional musician who played favourite hymns and tunes in the garden of the care home.

Those able to gathered in the lounge, along with the carers and office staff, while other residents opened their patio doors so they could hear, while others joined in from an upstairs sitting room. Rev’d. Kate was invited to pray especially for the residents who had recently died and those currently unwell, including one of members of staff.

The activities manager at the care home said that these seemingly and simple small actions had “made lots of people smile and the prayer was extra special. Lots of the carers felt better after it. It was very moving and the cakes were yummy!”

Since then the church youth group have made decorations for the bedrooms, and this year’s harvest offering was of plants for both indoors and for the patio at the care home. Rev’d Kate has been invited to bless the new outdoor area created in memory of a resident who died this year, and they had even more fiddle-playing and dancing from the residents and staff.

Rev. Kate herself said that she would never forget watching an elderly resident dancing at an upstairs window as the strains of “We’ll meet again” drifted across the gardens.