Our Dedication and Friends’ Sunday will as usual be the first Sunday in October. If not already up and running by then, it is hoped that the restored floodlighting will be in place by the previous evening to mark the occasion.

The choir embarks on its 'Grand Tour' on 11 October. In case you aren't already aware of this event, find out more here.

The Guides and Brownies will be playing a major part in the Sung Eucharist on Sunday 12 October.

The Ringers invite you to a 'Beetle Drive' in aid of the Tower and Bells Fund on Saturday, 18 October at 7.30 pm in the Centre.

On Sunday, 26 October we shall be undertaking our 'The 7 Marks of a Healthy Church' exercise. More details here.

Our annual observance of All Souls’ Day will happen this year on Friday 31 October. The occasion will be marked by a Sung Eucharist, including a near-complete performance of a setting of the text of the Requiem by the choir. This year’s will be the Requiem by John Rutter. Please note that the service will begin at 7:30 pm, or a very few minutes later, to allow for any confusion-time necessary between the start of the service and the end of the Families Group’s Alternative Hallowe’en Party! This begins in the Centre at 5:30 pm – full details from Carolyn or Helena – and is so timed to allow anyone enthusiastic enough to consider attending both events to do so, and to make the gear-change and change of venue as quickly and quietly as possible. If there is anyone whom you would like remembered by name in the course of the service, then please add their name to the list which will very soon be on the table under the tower.

This month the Eucharist will additionally be celebrated on Saturday 18th (St Luke) at 9.00 am, and on Tuesday 28^th (St Simon & St Jude) at 10.00 am.

Advance notice for your diaries:

5 November - Pat Kingsbury will be hosting an 'Alternative Fireworks Party' at her home. Watch out for notices in church about this event. (Clue: think bangers = sausages!)

What’s on in October?

Wed	1	St Mary's Guild AGM at St Mary's Court	2.30 pm
Thu	2	MU&OG. Mr Peter Pike talks about God's Bouncers. Church Centre	8.00 pm
SUN	5	DEDICATION AND FRIENDS SUNDAY
		MU Deanery Service at St John's, Belmont	5.30 pm
Mon	6	Magazine Panel meets at 35 Vanguard Way	6.00 pm
		Bible Study Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close	8.00 pm
Tue	7	Parents & Toddlers group meet in church	10.00 am
		Deanery Synod Meeting at St Mary's	7.45 pm
Wed	8	Social Committee meets at 2 Caraway Place	8.00 pm
Sat	11	The choir's 'Grand Musical Tour of the British Isles'.	12 noon to 9.00 pm
SUN	12	TRINITY 17
		Guides & Brownies attend 9.30 service
Mon	13	Bible Study Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close	8.00 pm
Wed	15	MU Corporate Eucharist	10.00 am
Thu	16	MU&OG. Hands on Aromatherapy with Claire Murden. Church Centre	8.00 pm
Sat	18	ST LUKE
		Eucharist	9.00 am
		Beetle Drive in aid of Tower and Bells Fund. Church Centre	7.30 pm
SUN	19	TRINITY 18
Mon	20	Bible Study Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close	8.00 pm
Tue	21	Explore 'Poetry and Spirituality' with Jackie Egerton. Church Centre	7.30 pm
Sat	25	St Mary's Court trustees meet at St Mary's Court.	10.00 am
		Clocks go back one hour tonight
SUN	26	LAST AFTER TRINITY
Mon	27	Bible Study Group meets at 23 Mortlake Close	8.00 pm
Tue	28	ST SIMON & ST JUDE. Eucharist	10.00 am
Fri	31	Families Group Alternative Hallowe'en Party. Church Centre	5.30 pm
		ALL SOULS . Sung Eucharist: the Choir sings the Requiem by John Rutter	7.30 pm

Saints in October

Sat 4 Francis of Assisi, Friar, Deacon, Founder of the Friars Minor, 1226

Fri 10 Paulinus, Bishop of York, missionary, 644

Sat 11 Ethelburga, Abbess of Barking, 675

Mon 13 Edward the Confessor, King of England, 1066

Wed 15 Teresa of Avila, Teacher of the Faith, 1582

Fri 17 Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, martyr, c107

Sat 18 LUKE THE EVANGELIST

Tue 28 SIMON AND JUDE, APOSTLES

Wed 29 James Hannington, Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa, martyr in Uganda, 1885

Fri 31 ALL SOULS

Readings for Sundays in October

Sun 19 Oct

Trinity 18

Isaiah 53: 4-12 (page 707)

Hebrews 5: 1-10 (page 708)

Mark 10: 35-45 (page 709)

Sun 26 Oct

Last After Trinity

Jeremiah 31: 7-9 (page 713)

Hebrews 7: 23-28 (page 714)

Mark 10: 46-52 (page 715)

Sun 5 Oct

Dedication Festival

Genesis 28: 11-18 (page 720)

2 Peter 2: 1-10 (page 722)

John 10: 22-29 (page 723)

Sun 12 Oct

Trinity 17

Readings to be presented by the Guides and Brownies

'The 7 marks of a healthy church'

As you will have seen in the September magazine, part of Bishop Nick’s visit to the parish in July involved the PCC working through an exercise called ‘The 7 Marks of a Healthy Church’. This is a fairly light-hearted process, with a serious point to it – in this case, asking all churches to think seriously about their ‘Mission’ and direction for the next few years. The exercise identifies areas of church life and procedure where some work might need to be done.

The PCC has already been through the process, and is putting together a new ‘Mission Statement’ based partly on these results and partly on things left undone from the last similar document which was passed by the APCM as long ago as 1996. The hope is that there may be a similar but new paper to submit to the APCM next April.

The MU and the Families Group, as two distinct organizations, have the opportunity to look at this exercise separately during the autumn, and their answers will be fed into the PCC discussions too; but it is of course only right that the whole congregation should get the chance to think about what are the things we do really well as a church community, and what are the areas of our life that need some sprucing up. So on Sunday, 26 October the simple question paper will be available for everyone at all three services. Obviously we won’t ask you to complete one if you’ve already done so as a member of the MU, the Families Group or the PCC. At 8.00 am and at Evensong the papers will simply be there for you to take, complete, and get back to The Rectory by a given date. At 9.30 we’ll allow ten minutes in what would normally be the sermon-slot so that you can complete the papers then and there (conferring is encouraged!) and hand them in at once.

The structure of the paper is simplicity itself. It lists seven things that are reckoned to be ‘the marks of a healthy church’. You are asked to score St Mary’s out of 10 for our performance on each one. Secondly, each of the seven marks is broken down into four elements. You are asked just to say which of the four you think we do best, and which we do worst. There are no trick questions, no ‘right answers’, and no holds barred in your replies . . .

It should be fun as well as informative and helpful!

Selwyn Tillett

October 18: St Luke the Evangelist

To St Luke, a gentile, we owe the beautifully written Gospel of Luke, and the Book of Acts. He was a Greek physician, an inspired writer, a disciple of St Paul and companion on some of his missionary journeys.

Luke’s gospel focuses on the compassion of Christ. His gospel contains some of the most moving parables, such as the Good Samaritan and Prodigal Son. This, with his emphasis on poverty, prayer and purity of heart, make up much of his appeal to the Gentiles, for whom he wrote.

Women figure more prominently in Luke’s gospel than any other: look out for the extended story of the Virgin Birth, and stories of Mary, Elizabeth, and the woman who was a sinner.

In Acts, Luke is remarkably good as linking sacred and profane history, as subsequent archaeology has shown. A principal theme of his Acts is how the early Christian moved away from Jerusalem into the pagan world, and especially on to Rome.

Luke is the patron saint of doctors, surgeons and artists (due to his picturesque style of writing). His symbol is an ox, sometimes explained by reference to the sacrifice in the Temple at the beginning of his Gospel. In England 28 ancient churches are dedicated to him.

Hallowe'en

Modern Hallowe'en celebrations have their roots with the Celtic peoples of pre-Christian times. On the last night of October, these ancient peoples celebrated the Festival of Samhain, or ‘Summer’s End’. The priests, Druids, performed ceremonies to thank and honour the sun. For there was a very dark side to all this: Samhain also signalled the onset of winter, a time when it was feared that unfriendly ghosts, nature-spirits, and witches roamed the earth, creating mischief. So the Druid priests lit great bonfires and performed magic rites to ward off or appease these dark supernatural powers.

Then the Romans arrived, and brought their Harvest Festival which honoured the Goddess Pomona with gifts of apples and nuts. The two festivals slowly merged.

When Christianity arrived still later, it began to replace the Roman and Druid religions. The first day of November - All Saints’ Day - was dedicated to all Christian Martyrs and Saints who had died. It was called ‘All Hallows’ Day’. The evening before became an evening of prayer and preparation and was called ‘All Hallows’ Eve’, The Holy Evening, later shortened to ‘Hallowe'en’.

For many centuries, however, fear of the supernatural remained strong. During the Middle Ages, animal costumes and frightening masks were worn to ward off the evil spirits of darkness on Hallowe'en. Magic words and charms were used to keep away bad luck, and everybody believed that witches rode about on broomsticks. Fortune telling was popular, and predicting the future by the use of nuts and apples was so popular that Hallowe'en is still sometimes known as Nutcrack Night or Snap-Apple Night.

Today, Christians have learned to turn to prayer instead of charms to overcome the powers of darkness. And the deeper, true meaning of All Hallows’ Eve, should not be forgotten. As Christians, we all draw closer to Christ when we remember and give thanks for our loved ones and for others who have gone before us through the gates of death.

A blessing on you

May there always be work for your hands to do;

May your purse always hold a coin or two;

May the sun always shine on your windowpane;

May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;

May the hand of a friend always be near you;

May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

From the registers

Baptisms

Sept 13 Ryan Michael Jefcoate of 7 Wandle Bank, Beddington

Sept 13 Jessica Juliet Sharp of 12 Woodfield Avenue, Carshalton Beeches

Sept 13 Mia Rose Seward of 7 Royal Walk, Wallington

(by permission of the vicar of All Saints, Hackbridge)

Sept 14 Samuel William Tutt of 200 Desmesne Road, Wallington

Sept 14 Ellie Sasha O'Brien of 28 Morton Gardens, Wallington

Weddings

Aug 30 Simon James Rees to Louise Riley 3 Bond Gardens, Wallington

Sept 5 Daniel Oliver Frazer to Sarah Elizabeth Walden 8 Marlow House, 19 Kingston Gardens, Beddington

Sept 6 Matthew Gary Byde to Catherine Privett 7 Demesne Road, Wallington

Sept 13 Terrence Lester McHale to Janet Christine Ede 15 Church Lane, Beddington

Funerals

Aug 20 Millie Louise Brett, aged 92, of 35 Royston Avenue

Aug 26 Raymond Wiley, aged 47 of 44 Morton Gardens

Aug 29 Raymond Robert Ayers, aged 20, of 52 Carter Close

Sept 1 Jean Millie Cridlan, aged 83, of 5 Wandle Lodge

Sept 5 Leonard Harvey, aged 72, of 3 Twickenham Close

Sept 5 Gordan Richard Illman, aged 68, of 14 Grassway

Sept 8 Arthur Edward Mills, aged 86, of 150 Desmesne Road

Sept 10 Shirley Marcella Alice Cheese, aged 70 of 17 Eastway

Sept 12 Edwin John Stepney, aged 79, of 37 Richmond Green

Daily prayer topics in October

Wed 1 Godstone Deanery

Thu 2 The Church in Japan and the Japanese people

Fri 3 Those recently confirmed

Sat 4 The Friars Minor (Franciscans)

Sun 5 St Mary's Church and Friends

Mon 6 The Bible Society and translators of scriptures

Tue 7 Deanery Synod Meeting tonight

Wed 8 Fair trade for the world's poor

Thu 9 Give thanks for the church in the Province of the West Indies

Fri 10 The Church Army and all Evangelists and Missionaries

Sat 11 Local homeless and those who work with them

Sun 12 Our Guides and Brownies

Mon 13 The Diocesan Retreat Centre at Wychcroft

Tue 14 The College of St Barnabas, Lingfield and retired clergy

Wed 15 Tearfund and its work with the world's poor

Thu 16 Croydon North Deanery

Fri 17 Trustees and residents of St Mary's Court

Sat 18 The Tower and Bells Fund

Sun 19 Give thanks for the Anglican Church of Tanzania

Mon 20 Hospital chaplains and visitors

Tue 21 Peace and stability in Iraq

Wed 22 Young people and youth workers

Thu 23 The Church in Jerusalem

Fri 24 Orphans and children in foster care

Sat 25 Readers pre-Licensing Retreat at Wychcroft

Sun 26 Give thanks for the Church of South East Asia

Mon 27 Readers admission service at Southwark Cathedral tonight

Tue 28 Our link dioceses in Manicaland, Matabeleland and Central Zimbabwe

Wed 29 Mayday University Hospital and St Helier Hospital

Thu 30 The Bishop of Croydon and staff at St Matthew's House

Fri 31 All Souls Requiem tonight, our choir and organist

Thank you, Joan

We are all very sad that Joan Walker has been forced to give up her role masterminding the Church Flowers. For many months she has battled on, ignoring very painful knees which have made getting about very difficult. She is a very independent lady and has hated having to rely on others to pick her up, although she has also been very grateful for the lifts.

Joan joined the Flower Arrangers 25 years ago. She knew very little about flower arranging and even less about church flower arrangements: she says that she did not even know what an 'oasis' was! But with the expert guidance of Margaret Powell, many suggestions from other arrangers and lots of background reading she soon became an integral part of the Arrangers Team. When Margaret Powell died fifteen years ago, Joan willingly took over the organising role, a job she has made very much her own.

First she found that she could get flowers much cheaper from West Croydon Station - but this meant having to collect them; and this she has done most weeks of the year ever since. She would order them at the beginning of the week and then collect them on a Friday, prepare them and put them in the buckets of water so that they were ready for each display when the arrangers arrived.

She also realised that the flower arrangers had busy lives so she starting getting the pedestals ready by taking out the previous week's flowers and putting in new, soaked oasis on a Thursday. For many years she did this mostly on her own but for the last two or three years other arrangers have helped her.

Every Saturday, except during Advent and Lent, Joan was in church to lend a hand, give advice, make the tea and generally clear up while other arrangers got to work producing the displays. She would also stay for all the weddings so she could tidy up any button-holes that were left behind and make tea for the Rector. Sunday mornings often found her spraying the arrangements before church and on Tuesday or Wednesday she would pop in to top up the water.

Then there were the festivals. For fifteen years she has masterminded Christmas, Easter and Harvest, gathering all the arrangers together to decorate the church for these special celebrations. To encourage them there would not only be coffee and biscuits, but also ham sandwiches for all, to go with Scottie’s cakes.

During the fifteen years there have also been three flower festivals which were very successful, both as money raisers and in drawing many people into our beautiful building. Flower festivals involve months of planning before two very hard days of arranging from early in the morning until late at night…….one night a small group were so tired by about 7 pm that fish and chips had to be brought in to sustain us for the final tidy up!

Thank you, Joan, for the many dedicated hours you have given so that we could worship in style.

For some weeks the arrangers were talking about how they could continue and who would be willing to step in as organizer. We are therefore very pleased that Sue Ardley has agreed to take over. She has scaled down her teaching work to give her more time to do other things and so has agreed to spend much of that time ‘doing’ church flowers.

Heather Cosgrove

No Problem

It was like setting sail without the helmsman - the Ringers' Outing without the Master (sadly left at home polishing his shiny new hip replacement). The captain’s mate felt she could well be swimming against the tide but luckily the tide turned, with the help of the family’s submariner, and we all floated along on a remarkably calm sea!

The plans for the Outing had been drafted way back in May. The South Oxfordshire area that we had chosen abounds with picturesque villages with good rings of bells. Excellent Outing material, we thought. As Stewart and I drove around, however, we realised the churches were in such picturesque settings that one couldn’t get a coach to them! We made two “recces”, changing the route constantly, and finding a venue for our evening meal proved a headache too. Good pub - nowhere to put the coach; spacious church surrounds - no pub.

In desperation we went “up-market” and found a hotel/restaurant in Faringdon a few steps from the church, with value-added parking. The owner was full of enthusiasm of how to feed hungry ringers and all began to look promising. But you should never judge a book by its cover.

Four weeks before the day, Stewart rang the restaurant just to check. The owner seemed very distant, even hassled. Oh, yes, he remembered us and he’d see what he could do. There were problems but he’d sort it. Seeds of doubt crept in at this point.

However, when I rang him with the order, he was back to his cheery, confident self. His kitchen franchise had been taken over by a Thai restaurant! But no problem, he said. The lasagne could contain soy sauce, the fruit crumble would probably be lychee, and we might have to eat the steak & kidney pie with chopsticks. No problem.

And there wasn’t. Departure time was the usual 8.00am from The Plough and this year’s first port of call was St Mary-le-More, Wallingford. The bonus here was the convenient coffee shop opposite the church. St Agnes, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell came next, followed by Dorchester Abbey. The forecast had been grim but in fact we were blessed with hot sunshine and the garden of The Fleur de Lys provided a perfect lunch setting.

Our only ring of 10 bells came next, at St Helen’s, Abingdon. These bells are very similar to St Mary’s, so people felt more at home. The bells at St Denys, Stanford-in-the-Vale, were quite different, being very light. They were lovely bells though, and we acquitted ourselves well there. Then it was off to Faringdon, followed by the aforementioned meal. It was actually delicious, whichever dish one had chosen. The owner obviously hadn’t had much dealings with ringers (or the Anglican church) because, although he had very kindly included free soft drinks, the queue which quickly formed to buy “something a little stronger”, seemed to take him by surprise. He even had to go and borrow more glasses!

Because our last tower was one of the churches Stewart and I had not visited, we were unaware of the three hump-backed bridges that lay between Faringdon and St Stephen’s, Clanfield. We negotiated the first two successfully but the third bit back, damaging the exhaust shield. The driver decided against further encounter with those hazards and chose the long way home via the M40. The necessary swift departure meant my glass of cider sat alone in the Clanfield Tavern!

Safely back at The Plough, I breathed a sigh of relief; we’d made it. Frequent phone calls had been made to the Master, partly to enquire after his comfort but mainly to get the Test score! My heartfelt thanks go to all the ringers and friends who supported me throughout the day and of course to Stewart, who had laid the foundations of another successful Ringers’ Outing.

Jean Kimber

Christians do have more ‘luck’, survey reveals

Christians lead ‘luckier’ lives and cope better with ill-fortune, according to the results of the first experiment to examine the relationship between religious belief and ‘luck’.

The experiment, carried out by The Luck Factor, The Church of England Newspaper and The Methodist Recorder, found that Christians are more likely to chat to strangers, meditate or enjoy a time of quiet, expect others to be pleasant, and believe that negative events will eventually work out for the best.

In the experiment Christians strongly endorsed the statement ‘I sometimes chat to strangers when standing in a supermarket or bank line’, a result which suggests that Christians are more ‘outgoing than most’, explained psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman of The Luck Factor, a study of the scientific reasons behind why some people seem luckier than others.

“This is likely to result in them having more ‘lucky’ encounters than others, and they connected well with the people around them,” he said.

Professor Wiseman also said that Christians’ expectation of others to be ‘pleasant, friendly and helpful’ became “a self-fulfilling prophecy.” Also, as Christians strongly agreed with the statement that ‘negative events will work out well for me in the long run', “This suggests that Christians are more likely than others to be able to cope well with adversity."

In short, the results suggest that a Christian’s beliefs and overall lifestyle will have a significant effect on the factors that go into having a ‘lucky’ life.

The Professor has concluded that religious beliefs can “help people encounter more seemingly ‘lucky’ life events, and cope with apparent ill-fortune.”

Choir's 'Grand Tour' …

We hope you've kept Saturday, 11 October free in your diary. On that day the choir will be leading us on a musical mystery tour of the British Isles, by means of the geographical directions supplied in the pages of the New English Hymnal - the choral equivalent of the journey from John O'Groats to Land's End. With frequent intervals for rest and refreshment, the trek is likely to take eight hours or more, commencing at 12 noon in Caithness ('O for a closer walk with God') and ending somewhere around 8.00 pm with a great and final shout of praise in Truro ('Jesus shall reign where'er the sun').

Naturally they are not doing this just for the sheer unalloyed pleasure of standing and singing hymns for eight hours at a stretch! Sponsorship is now being actively encouraged for this exercise - at so much per hymn, or per hour - and the money raised will go to choir funds. This being an equal opportunity event, there's room for members of the congregation to earn some money for the Shopping List in the same way; come along and take part and get yourself sponsored to do so. Or just drop in for a while and enjoy the singing, and perhaps a cup of tea in the Centre, and make a contribution as you go. Tea and biscuits will be available in the Centre from 1.30 - 6.00 pm. A prize of a new UK atlas for the car will be on hand, for whoever guesses nearest to the precise time the whole journey will take. Guesses 30p a go, payable beforehand or on the day.

As well as being a voyage of discovery, this is also a wonderful opportunity to learn some new hymns (or at least, hymn tunes) which might start making an appearance on Sundays in future …

Selwyn Tillett

Trekking For Children

Sonya Murray, one of our younger bellringers (and virtuoso on the cornet at the Parish Concert), is off trekking for eight days in New Zealand's South Island in November. This is no pleasure trip, however, as the purpose of the trek is to raise money for the Children's Society. Each member of the party has to raise at least £2,750 in sponsorship. She regards this as one of the greatest challenges of her life with up to nine hours of walking on some days.

If you would like to contribute to Sonya's sponsorship just pass some cash over to any of the ringers and they will forward it, as Sonya rushes off after morning ringing to sing in a choir at another church.

Perhaps we will read about her adventures in the parish magazine eventually.

Stewart Kimber

On Tuesday, 21 October, Jackie Egerton will explore

Poetry and Spirituality

when she will look at some of the different ways in which poets have attempted to express the inexpressible. The evening will begin at 7.30 pm in the Church Centre.

Make your hedgehog a cosy home for the winter

Hedgehogs are in short supply these days - and need a bit of helping out. Here’s how to provide one (or more?) with a safe place for the winter.

Choose a quiet corner in your garden (or the churchyard!), preferably in thick undergrowth or a bramble patch. Build a small cave - you can use six concrete building blocks, four as sides, and two on top. Next, form an entrance tunnel with an old piece of drainpipe at least 400 mm long. Then, half fill your cave with dry material such as dead grass and ferns. Finally, cover the whole thing with a thick layer of earth and turves or compost, so that just the entrance to the tunnel shows.

Rent? The hedgehogs will repay you next spring in consumption of slugs and snails.

A Special Day

Sunday, 14 September was a very special day for six of us from St Mary's - our Confirmation Day at St Paul's, Roundshaw. Once inside we met members of other churches who were also being confirmed. We were all feeling rather nervous but knew we were there to help and support each other. Bishop Nick came and spoke with us before the service which made us feel better, and having Selwyn sitting nearby was a great comfort. It was lovely to see some of the St Mary's congregation who had come along to support us.

The service was beautiful - a very solemn but joyous occasion, and all went well. Taking our first communion was very special.

While I think we would all have felt less nervous at St Mary's, everyone at St Paul's made us feel very welcome and a marvellous spread was provided for us afterwards. It was good to have a chance to chat with so many people as well.

It is a day I will never forget and I'm sure I speak for all of us - Maud Adams, Kay Hallam, Emma Thompson, Brenda Wieczorek and Penny Willoughby.

Pat Gaiger

Dear Dogs, may I explain some things?

When I say to move, it means go someplace else, not switch positions with each other so there are still two dogs in the way.

The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help, because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king size bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue to sleep on the couch to ensure your comfort. Look at videos of dogs sleeping, they can actually curl up in a ball. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space used is nothing but doggy sarcasm.

My floppy disks are not miniature Frisbees. My CDs are not miniature Frisbees.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, try to turn the knob, or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. In addition, I have been using bathrooms for years, canine attendance is not mandatory.

The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog’s rear end. I cannot stress this enough. It would be such a simple change for you.

Thank you!

Parishes Reunited

The Friends of Beddington Park celebrated the re-opening of the Grange Footbridge on 27 August. About 180 people were there to see the Mayor cut the tape on the St Mary's shore, walk over the bridge - followed by most of the 180 - and cut the second tape on the Holy Trinity shore. The bridge was officially open.

In his speech, Mayor Landeryou spoke of the importance of the parks to the area and thanked everyone, including the Friends, who keep them in good order. His one small regret was clearly shared by many of the assembled company: unlike the old bridge, our handsome, new, safe, pram-and-wheelchair-friendly footbridge doesn't 'bounce'.

Pat Kingsbury

Gifts at Harvest Time

All good things around us

Are sent from heaven above

Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord

For all his love

So sang the 60 people gathered in the Centre before helping themselves from the array of dishes which was St Mary's Harvest Supper. The food, like the people, represented many parts of the world and all corners of the UK. So the supper was a celebration of friendship as well as a thanksgiving for our daily bread.

During the evening many took the opportunity for a preview of the harvest flowers in church - another variation on the international theme and a riot of late summer colours.

This weekend was a great festival of the harvest, of people and of gifts of every kind.

Pat Kingsbury

October 4 - St Francis Of Assisi

St Francis (1181-1226) is surely one of the most attractive and best-loved of all the saints. But he began by being anything but a saint. Born the son of a wealthy cloth-merchant of Assisi, Francis’ youth was spent in fast-living, parties and on fast horses as a leader of the young society of the town. Then he went to the war between Assisi and Perugia, and was taken prisoner for a year.

By the time of his release, Francis had changed. Perhaps his own suffering had awakened him to that of others. In any case, he abandoned warfare and carousing and began to help the poor and the lepers of his area. Then one day a voice which seemed to come from the crucifix in the small, semi-derelict church of Damiano Assisi spoke to him saying, "Go and repair my house, which you see is falling down".

This religious experience was a vital turning point in Francis’ life: Jesus Christ became very real and immediate to him. His first action was to begin repairing the church, having sold some of his father’s cloth to pay for materials. His father was not amused, in fact he was furious - until Francis renounced his inheritance and even his clothes by dramatically stripping off in the public square of the town. The Bishop of Assisi provided him with simple garments, and Francis began his new life.

His inspiration was always religious, not social, and the object of his quest was always the Crucified Christ, not Lady Poverty for her own sake. Francis rebuilt San Samiano, and then travelled as a pilgrim. His compassion for the poor and lepers became famous. Soon disciples joined him and they set up a communal life in simple huts. They went on occasional preaching tours, but not until later did they become an Order whose theologians won fame in the Universities.

In 1219 Francis visited the Holy Land, where his illusions about the Crusaders were shattered. He went on to seek out the Sultan and tried to convert him. On returning home, he found his Order had grown to some 5,000 strong, and was still growing. Francis stepped down as head, but continued to preach and was immensely popular. He died after a prolonged illness at 45, and was canonised in 1228.

Francis’ close rapport with the animal creation was well known and the story of his preaching to the birds has always been a favourite scene from his life. He also tamed the wolf of Gubbio. This affinity emphasised his consideration for, and sense of identity with, all elements of the physical universe, as seen in his Canticle of the Sun. This part of his nature makes him an apt patron of nature conservation.

The 20th century witnessed a widespread revival of interest in Francis. Sadly, some films and books caricatured him only as a sentimental nature-lover, or a sort of hippie drop-out from society. This ignores the real sternness of his character and his all-pervasive love of God and identification with Christ’s suffering, which alone made sense of his life.

Two ancient and many modern English churches are dedicated to him.

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