Happy New Year! - church of St Edward the Confessor

Who’s who at St. Edward’s
Vicar
Town Centre Chaplain
Assistant Curate
Reader
Parish Secretary
Churchwardens
Revd. Stephen Waine
Revd. Barbara Dennis
Revd. Sally Lynch
Mrs Winifred Roper
Mrs Pat Norford
Mr John Bloomfield
Mr Phil Hensher
Mr Chris Patmore
Verger & Wykeham Centre
740385
739676
725462
725194
744973
745273
764429
07934789405
Magazine Editor
Revd. Sally Lynch
725462
[email protected]
Director of Music
St. Edward’s Primary School
St. Edward’s Secondary School
Mr Jonathan Venner
704085
745971
730462
For information about Church activities and uniformed organisations contact the Parish office,
or pick up a Welcome Leaflet from inside the church.
Church website: www.stedwardsromford.org
Email: [email protected]
Church services
Sundays
Holy Communion8.00 am
Junior Church
9.45 am
Parish Communion
10.00 am
Choral Evensong 6.30 pm
Sunday Club
7.30 pm
Monthly
Pram service
10.00 am
Second Tuesday
free!
The Church of St.
Edward the Confessor
November/December 2009
Market Place, Romford
Parish Office: 0708 744973
Happy
New
Year!
Daily Tuesday - Friday
Mattins
8.30 am
(and Saturday
9.00 am)
Evening Prayer
5.00 pm
Holy Communion
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
9.00 am
4.00 pm
10.15 am
9.15 am
1.10 pm
The Litany is said
on Wednesdays at
10.00 am
Copy date for next issue:
Please let Sally have items for the
March / April edition by 11th February.
All articles warmly received in any format
- though electronically is a great help!
[email protected]
www.stedwardsromford.org
Pg.20 January/February 09 Spire
www.stedwardsromford.org
Pg.
January/February 09 Spire
Editorial
Happy New year – to everyone
Welcome all wonders in one night!
Eternity shut in a span.
Summer in winter, Day in night,
Heaven in earth, and God in man.
Great little one whose all-embracing birth
Brings earth to heaven, stoops heaven to
earth
These words are sometimes used at the
Midnight Communion service in churches.
They remind us that Jesus came for all
people, all over the world. The church has
just entered the season of Epiphany. This
means ‘manifestation’ or ‘showing’ and recalls
the visit of the wise men to the infant Jesus.
With their visit the nativity scene is complete.
And so we see (although they were not
all together in the Bible accounts) poor
shepherds, well educated wise men, animals
and angels, all adoring the baby Jesus – God
in an animal feeding trough. The nativity
scene emphasizes the inclusive nature of the
church – all beings in heaven and earth have
a place in it.
From the parish registers
The Church also looks to a new decade in
the light of all that has gone before. For
the Church of England the last decade
has seen tensions over issues of human
sexuality, women bishops and a wide variety
of styles of worship. It would be easy to be
overawed and sink into a particular camp or
view. Perhaps the Church might see in the
nativity scene God speaking to all people
and reveling in diversity and learning from
difference.
The season of Epiphany continues to include
reflection on Jesus’ infancy, his first miracle
and his being made known to all people
through his baptism. May we share in that
baptismal promise of eternal life – and, along
with all people, know fullness of life in this
coming year.
September / October
November / December
We welcomed into the Church family
through baptism
We welcomed into the Church family
through baptism
Mia Vivienne Sherritt, Rachel Louise Pettit
Amy-Leigh Billings
Dean Martin Pickering, Richard Edward Burke
Corina Lupson
Kerry Samantha Lupson, Nathan William
Durrant
Jessica Mary-Ellen Whatmough,
Pg.2
January/February 09 Spire
Julie
Lexi Anne Marcou, Paige Jamie-Lee Barthram
Sarah Louise Barthram, Brian Jay Barthram
Candice Leanne Lillywhite
Liam John Christmas, Sarah Louise Christmas
Chanel Louise Clemence
Esme Margaret Bowhill Hodges
We celebrated the marriage of:
The clergy all wish you a very happy, healthy
and peaceful new year.
We celebrated the marriage of:
Richard Kin Yong Man and Sitz-Yee Michelle
Wong
Lois Stevenson and Martin Nicholls
At their funerals we committed to God’s
keeping:
As we stand at the beginning of a new
decade it is helpful for us as individuals and
as a church to take note of that inclusivity.
New year is often a time of personal
reflection and, if we are honest, many if us
find it a hard time – thinking about past
losses and concerns, alongside hopes for
the coming year. We may feel unworthy and
insecure. The Epiphany reminds us that God
was made manifest in Jesus for all people,
whoever they are, whatever they have been
through. The grace of God allows Him to
envelop us in His love and to walk alongside
us in the new year.
George Lupson, Robert James Fenner
Sanders
At their funerals we committed to God’s
keeping:
Geoffrey Howard Taylor, Liam Jay Heseltine
Aaliyah Wells
Lynda Margaret Aston, Eric Anthony Griffiths
Charles William Gear,
Carol Ann Port, Gladys Winifred Walpole
Charles Terence Fancourt, Peter Sandell
June Gladys Parkinson
Andrew Philip Bridge, Christine Mary Prior
Pg.19
January/February 09 Spire
Christmas at St Edward’s
– Children’s workshop
On 21st December 94 children came along
to St. Edward’s for the second of our Christmas workshops. With over 30 helpers and
lots of pre-organisation we had a really good
day. Children started by making Christmas
place mats which were laminated (and then
used at lunchtime). They also tied stars with
their names on on trees in groups and made
peg bookmarks of nativity characters.
After lunch of sausages and mash we
planned a nativity service in which every
child had a part. Younger children acted out
the story as older ones read the parts. Some
performed a dance to the song Mary’s Boy
Child, choreographed by year 6 Holly Barrett.
Parents and others joined us for the service
which was a reminder the Christmas story.
Interview: Winifred Roper,
Reader at St. Edward’s
How did you become a Reader?
I was doing the London University Diploma
in Religious Studies and enjoyed it, when
I had the idea that I could use it further
and become a Reader. Women were only
admitted to the office of Reader from 1969.
This was the early 1970s and it took a further
ten years before I was actually admitted as a
Reader on 8th October 1983, although my
actual training was quite short as I had the
Diploma. I have never regretted becoming
a Reader, and I have had great fulfilment in
the role.
As they left each child was given a party bag
with a chocolate angel, Happy Birthday Jesus
balloon, the story of Papa Panov, a bookmark,
picture of one of the cribs from Bethlehem
and other goodies, including all they had
made. It was a great day, everyone behaved
well, and had fun - and the snow held off
until everyone had left!
How did you get involved with St. Edward’s?
In church we sang some Christmas songs
and then children searched for 10 characters
that make up the nativity scene. We used
the beautiful crib set that had come from St.
John’s church. We looked at photos of cribs
in Bethlehem which had come from all over
the world – an igloo one from Greenland,
wooden ones, a wild west saloon from the
USA, a knitted one from Ireland, and many
more. Each group then made crib scenes
from different materials such as fir cones,
corks, acorns, pipe cleaners, stones and so on.
These are stunning and very creative – they
are currently on the window sills by the font.
I was brought up in a Church family which
has a tradition of service to the Church. My
father ran all of the youth work at the church
we attended in Stockwell. He had sung in
the choir at the Guards Chapel. We moved
to Romford when I as eight years old and
my father took me to St. Edward’s. I had no
choice: I was sent to Sunday School and
taken to church.
What did you then do?
When I was 15 I started teaching in the
Sunday School. That taught me that I was
no good with children as a career! – in those
days the main careers for women were
nursing and teaching. So I went into the Civil
Service.
I met my husband at St. Edward’s, when I
was almost 16, at a Sunday School teachers’
meeting. The teachers met weekly then.
Then war came and I was sent away. When
we married we lived at Forest Gate for a short
time, but when my husband became ill, and
then died, I moved back with my parents in
Romford.
St. George’s was the daughter church to St.
Edward’s and I taught in the Sunday School
there with my sister. We started Brownies
there together. I then moved back to St.
Edward’s and taught Sunday School and was
on the PCC.
Pg.18 January/February 09 Spire
Reader ministry is in some ways very ancient.
Jesus was a sort of Reader as he read from
the Old Testament in the synagogue and
was invited to preach on it. and of course
in the early church there were readers who
were literate and literally read Paul’s letters to
the churches. In sixteenth century England
readers were appointed in time of clergy
shortage to lead Morning and Evening Prayer
and to take funerals. Today licensed Readers
have a varied ministry but it is essential a
teaching and preaching role.
In what ways has being a Reader been
fulfilling?
In the ‘old days’ Readers simply read the Bible
readings and preached but I was also able
to take funerals which gave me a feeling of
satisfaction – that I had been able to help
some people in times of need. I also tutored
on the Course of Christian Studies for eleven
years. I was privileged to be at the 125th
celebration of Reader ministry in Birmingham
in 1991. People have been very kind to me in
my ministry.
I would like to thank people for their cards,
good wishes and prayers at Christmas.
As you probably know my health has
deteriorated to the state where I now need
more help and care and am not able to
perform my duties as Reader, to my great
regret.
Pg.3
January/February 09 Spire
William of
Wykeham
Nicola Sharp reports on the
Ladies Breakfast
Saturday 7th November 2009
(Family, Faith and Fun – a breakfast for ladies
of all ages – organised by Sally Lynch)
Margaret Appleby found this article
about William of Wykeham in an
old copy of the Romford Record
(number 12, undated)
WILLIAM of WYKEHAM by Charles J,
Whitwood
ON the front of the Church House, Romford
is an heraldic device overlooking the Market
Place, which displays the coat of arras of
William of Wykeham, while to the rear of
Church House stands the Wykeham Hall.
Inside the church again is displayed the coat
of arms. One might reasonably ask why
this individual seems to be associated with
Romford, especially when one learns that he
flourished as long ago as the 14 th century.
Flourished is the right word as during his
long life he showed himself
to be a remarkable person.
He was born in the
village of Wickham near
Fareham in Hampshire
in the Summer of 1324.
He came of humble
peasant stock and his
father was John Long(e)
who is described as
“of free condition”,
while his mother, Sibill
Bowade had some gentle blood. Their son
took his name from his native village and
became William of Wykeham, He was sent to
Winchester to school, presumably Winchester
Grammar School, by some unknown patron,
perhaps Sir Ralph Button or John Seures
(Lord of the Manor of Wykeham) for whose
souls he long afterwards ordered masses to
be said in his colleges.
in Winchester and by 1356 he was in the
royal service and became clerk of the
works at Windsor Castle and his work there
established him in his career. With his work at
Windsor he much pleased the king, Edward
III, who enriched him with many benefices
and in 1363 he was made Lord Privy Seal,
and three years later at the age of 42 he
became Bishop of Winchester and thus one
of the richest men in England. The church
at this time was the main avenue to power
and wealth open to the ambitious and
unprivileged and of all the positions in the
Church of England the see of Winchester was
one of the richest and most powerful.
At this time there was growing up opposition
to the appointment of clerics to the major
positions in government as was customary
and one of the chief exponents of this
attitude was John Wycliffe. However, the
clergy at that time were the more literate
and educated section of the population
and the king continued to use them for
governmental positions. Thus in 136? the
king made William of Wykeham Chancellor
and head of his government, but he did
not love office and was not a conspicuous
success and this with the pressure against
clergy in government, induced him to resign
after three years.
Following school, having attracted the
attention of William of Edington, Bishop
of Winchester and King’s Treasurer, he
obtained employment at the Royal Castle
In William of Wykeham’s time the Black
Death had decimated the population and
many parish livings were vacant owing to
the death of the incumbents. In the diocese
Pg.4
January/February 09 Spire
A group of us had a very enjoyable breakfast
at the beginning of November. There was a
buffet of fruit, muesli, cheese, bread/pastries,
and jam (I particularly enjoyed the “pain au
chocolat” with some strawberries) and we
were served tea and coffee at our tables.
There was a wide range of ages. I sat on a
table with several ladies with children at
nursery and/or school (like me) and it was a
chance to have a good natter over breakfast
about families, children, the church and life
in general.
For those who live alone it was an
opportunity to have breakfast with good
company, for others it was an opportunity to
leave spouses and children behind and have
a leisurely breakfast (without interruptions!).
The next Ladies Breakfast will be on Saturday
27th February, from 8.45 am.
Sally gave a talk towards the end of the
breakfast and afterwards we had a wander
round and a look at goods from the church
shop, Phoenix Trading (greeting cards) and
the Body Shop. There was the opportunity
to have a hand massage and also to collect
a free kit to make a pretty flower brooch. I
was also interested to learn more about the
Mothers’ Union.
Pg.17
January/February 09 Spire
News from the Reverend
Charles Carey, in Worthing
It’s three months since I left Romford. The
time has fled. Here I am, and still grateful
for all the unwarranted attention I get from
so many friends. I did say I would try to tell
you something of my experience here so, for
better or worse, here’s the present and partial
picture. Life within a C/E Pensions Board
supported housing scheme is in some ways
unusual, in others the same as anywhere else.
Initially I was led to believe that the chapel
is the centre of this ‘community’. It isn’t. That
position is held by the common dining
room where all residents gather for lunch at
12.30 each day. Eating has the appearance
of our chief exercise, and gossip runs it a
close second. The smallest quirk of behaviour
is noted. About half of the current thirty
residents are over 90, but this is not a carehome despite the increasing frailties of one
or two.
At the lunch table conversation (always
very noisy) may run as follows: ‘What lovely
bright flowers on the table! What are they?’
‘They are called Gerbils.’ Or, perhaps, as a
slightly exaggerated suggestion has it, ‘Soand-so died in the night.’ ‘Oh, really? Pass the
salt.’ Some things are commonplace, and a
persistent refrain is, ‘I can’t remember.’
Frequently friends and relatives visit for
meals or to stay overnight in one of the two
twin-bedded guest rooms. The sea is all of
Pg.16 January/February 09 Spire
of Winchester alone some 350 rectors are
shown to have died, while in the diocese of
Norwich, two-thirds of the parishes became
void. Of the total population it has been
estimated that from one-third to one-half
of the total died. This caused the enlistment
of many unfit and untrained men for the
priesthood and thus pluralism was to some
extent Justified.
200 yards distant, but is seldom more than
a featureless expanse - excepting dramatic
waves caused by violent winds. Shipping
lanes are far out, and out of sight, but
occasional surf-riders can be seen in-shore
even in stormy conditions.
The shops - most of the familiar names - are
not quite up to the standard to which you
are used, and a number of residents buy their
clothes etc in the numerous charity shops.
It would be easy to drift into an endless
monotony of life, so personal and outside
interests are essential, but local churches
tend to extremes in one direction or another.
Of course, a brief summary cannot properly
reflect the lived experience, but all the
disparate fragments, the debris of human
life, are here even before switching on
the television. Here are the people who
have dared to claim to wear the garments
of Christ’s self-sacrifice, to present and
re-present a whole picture in truth (and
nothing but the truth?). The complexities
of this puzzle, with its misleading patterns
and colours, put the ultimate ‘big picture’
beyond our grasp. However determined our
efforts what we see is distorted, jig-sawed,
by our faulty vision, our mistakes. We need
to be constantly aware that the final picture
belongs to the manufacturer, the creator of
the original, who must and will inevitably
have the last word.
In the 1370’s Wykeham in some way incurred
the enmity of John of Gaunt the king’s
son, and in consequence was impeached
and disgraced. However, in 137? he was
pardoned and his revenues restored.
He then in 1379 commenced or perhaps
resumed his work on the foundation of a
college in Oxford which he named “Seinte
Marie College of Wynchestre in Oxenford”
although then and still known as New
College, and it is in this connection that
Hornchurch and Romford become involved.
In the twelfth century during the reign of
Henry II was established at Hornchurch a
cell or hospital subordinate to the famous
great hospital of St. Bernard de Monte Jovis
in Savoy, and Henry endowed this monastic
establishment with certain manors of which
Buttons and Hornchurch Hall were two.
In order to endow his ‘New College’, William
of Wykeham obtained permission from the
Pope and King Richard II to purchase from
the hospital of St. Bernard de Monte Jovis
in Savoy, all the revenues belonging to the
establishment at Hornchurch. Shortly after
this all foreign monasteries in the Kingdom
were suppressed and their revenues seized
by the crown. The Bishop of Winchester was
in time to secure the ecclesiastical revenues
of the parish of Hornchurch, which then
included Romford, into his own hands for his
“Seinte Marie” college and the connection
still exists between the churches of Romford
and Hornchurch with New College,
Oxford, and the right of presentation of an
incumbent to these churches still rests with
New College. The parishioners of St. Edward’s
church are in this latter half of the year
1979 very conscious of this because of the,
interregnum following the departure of the
Revd. James Makepeace to another living.
William of Wykeham will long be
remembered for his outstanding work
in medieval architecture as, in addition
to the building of his “New College”, he
was responsible for the superb nave of
Winchester Cathedral for most of which work
he bore the cost. In his early days he did
much fine work on Windsor Castle and of
course between 1387 and 1394 he built the
famous Winchester College.
It is accepted that he made an important
contribution to educational development in
this country and aspects of the Public School
system can be found in his statutes for
Winchester College.
After a remarkably active life he died in
1404 at the age of 80, and Romford and
Hornchurch should be proud to have had
associations with one who may justly be
termed a great man.
This year St. Edward’s Church celebrates 600
years of a church on our site. The foundation
of our Church Schools is also 300 years old.
A variety of activities will take place over the
year in celebration. Watch this space, and
the weekly pew sheet, for details. Beautiful
commemorative 2010 calendars are on sale
in the church shop.
Pg.5
January/February 09 Spire
Bill Aves writes of“One Hundred
Best Ruins?”
All Treat, No Tricks – a family
alternative to Hallowe’en by
Sarah Cansell
In the December issue of the Diocesan’s
“The Month”, Stephen is quoted as having
a passion for creating “holy places”, where
he believes God can be encountered. My
experience tells me that such places can
retain that power even long after they have
ceased to be used as established places of
prayer and worship.
I don’t really like walking into the
supermarkets and shops during September/
October and facing a large ghoulish display
of Halloween products including the life size
bodies which moan and groan at me (no, not
the staff!). The display isles have expanded in
recent years which show what a significant
market with good profits Halloween is
proving to be.
Gwen’s paternal grandparents hailed from
Buntingford in Hertfordshire, and they are
buried in the cemetery there. From time to
time we make a special visit to remember
them – and to tidy their grave, which is
actually in the churchyard of the former
parish church. This stands about half a mile
up the hill outside the small town, and
although largely intact has been disused for
many years. Its tower and walls still stand,
although it is roofless, and entry to the
building is not possible, but it was a church
which served the local population over the
centuries from mediaeval times.
Door to door trick or treating isn’t on my list
of things to do either but before I begin to
sound like a total killjoy, I do really like and
value family time and fun. It was, therefore,
with some sense of the unknown that Andy,
I and the children attended the All Treats, No
Tricks event on 31st October.
It is still a sacred place, and the graves
outside, in the well-tended cemetery help to
perpetuate that sacredness.
And there are other examples of sacred
ruins – for example, those City churches
so badly damaged in the “Blitz” that they
have never been restored, but where their
towers have survived as a reminder of their
past, and of man’s destructiveness. Coventry
Cathedral is a different case, where the ruins
have been skillfully incorporated into the
reconstructed building. Something similar
has happened in Berlin, where the tower of
the – consecrated in 1895, and dreadfully
damaged by bombing in 1943 – alone
stands next to the new blue glass church
built in its place. Elsewhere in Germany,
more complete reconstruction has taken
place; in Hildesheim, a new cathedral based
on the original 11th Century design has
replaced the bombed 19th Century neoGothic building, whilst in Dresden both
cathedrals, the Catholic Hofkirche, and the
Lutheran Frauenkirche have been completely
reconstructed, largely in their pre-February
13th 1945 form, reusing the holy ground on
which they stand.
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January/February 09 Spire
We gathered in church at 4pm and our
“warm up” was to undertake a Treasure
Hunt which centered on the symbols of the
Saints. St. Catherine’s wheel and St. Peter’s
keys lay not exactly hidden around the
church and once found were attached to a
letter. The letters together made the phrase
31st October, all treats, no tricks (I hope as I
never actually checked our answers!). Then
followed a welcome with a short act of
worship plus the addition of our individual
and/or family name to leaves on the tree.
If “crafting” wasn’t your thing or older children
and adults desired some time for meditative
reflection then you were free to visit the Lady
Chapel and Chancel in church to sample
these as you liked. I didn’t get across as we
were having such an enjoyable family fun
time!
At 6pm (ish) we headed down to the car park
where a small and contained bonfire awaited
us. Reverend Sally led us in songs around
the fire whilst pumpkin soup, hotdogs and
cakes were served. Two members of the local
constabulary stopped by to see what we
were up to and were no doubt offered plenty
of food and drink.
All too soon we were saying closing prayers,
collecting our crafts and heading home.
I collected some leaflets detailing the
background to Hallowe’en, how it is seen
today and why it has become so popular all
of which make for interesting reading.
This event was a lovely opportunity for
family time but also spent in the company
of friends old and new. Don’t miss out if it is
repeated!
Our next experience was in the Wykeham
Hall which comprised a number of different
and entertaining craft activities. Between us
we made a painted glass lamp, a peg angel/
saint, candle holding card angels, painted
rocks, paper boats, a mini torch (complete
with battery and bulb), a dragon puppet and
a family square for the All Saints patchwork to
name but a few! All activities were supervised
by a willing volunteer and tea, coffee and
squash were also provided. We were having
so much fun that there wasn’t really time
for us to partake in the scheduled apple
bobbing, parachute and balloon races! There
were also a few but imaginative entries to
the Saints fancy dress competition.
Pg.15
January/February 09 Spire
Book review: Leading Common
Worship Intercessions, Doug
Chaplin, pub. CHP
This little book is a gem and really helpful
for anyone who has to lead prayer, in church
or anywhere else. The author draws on
extensive personal parish experience to
produce a useful guidebook. The opening
reflection on what prayer is sets the scene
and helps pray-ers to be very clear about
what we do when we lead prayer in services,
especially of Holy Communion. It stresses
the need for preparation and gives a brief
Biblical rationale of prayer.
The book uses the basic pattern of prayer
found in Common Worship and explores
ways of using this in a very simple way and
then in more complex ways, as confidence
grows in leading prayers. It explains why
the pattern is useful and makes sense of
the liturgy. Worked examples of prayers
are given as well as practical exercises and
checklists.
Alan Oakley contributes this
poem found near the entrance
to Fawley (New Forest) Parish
church. It is well suited to St Edward’s.
You have come into this House
Where God lives.
Whoever you are, He welcomes you,
With your gladness and your sadness,
Your success and your failures,
Your hopes and your disappointments.
Be welcome,
Before you, generations loved
This place, helped to build it,
To make it nice, and prayed here.
Enter it. Be silent.
If you believe, pray.
If you are seeking, think.
If you are doubting, ask for the light.
If you are suffering, ask for the strength.
If you are in joy, give thanks to God.
In this house you will also be able to
Meet the people of God,
And to pray to God with them.
May your stay in this place
Animate your heart and renew your spirit.
Whoever you are, He welcome you.
Welcome Him too.
I have been very fortunate in my travels,
although I have never crossed the Equator.
Russia has become a particular source of
fascination, although I am aware that I have
barely “scratched its surface”. Even under
the Communists, a few of the most famous
and prestigious churches in Moscow and
Leningrad survived, largely as status symbols,
but since Perestroika many more, notably in
the cities and tourist centres have been very
spectacularly restored, seemingly expense
being no object; gold leaf everywhere!
However, what is not appreciated is that in
European Russia, many church buildings
out in the countryside have miraculously
survived, if only as shells, even after Stalin’s
brutal regime and 70 years of despoliation.
There are, sadly, few chances of
reconstruction, largely because under
the Communists collective farms and
the enormous expansion of industry the
countryside has become depopulated.
Villages and even small towns have
disappeared, and, of course, the country
estates of the aristocracy are no more. So,
where the church buildings, which are
testimonies both the skills of their architects,
the skills of the artisans and craftsmen (no
doubt often serfs) who built them, and
the many generations who worshipped in
them, still exist there are no longer potential
congregations to use them. But they have a
special beauty of their own.
Another feature of European Russia is the
number of very substantial monasteries,
many of which also still stand, having
been found secular use in the days of
Communism. To quote one example, the
monastery of Bogoliubovo, outside the town
of Vladimir (itself with two cathedrals – of
the Dormition (= the death of the righteous),
and of St. Demetrius), some 100 miles form
Moscow, largely dates from the 18th Century
is an extensive complex of distinguished
buildings. When we went there six years
ago, it was still largely derelict, inhabited
by a small community of nuns who were
tending the grounds, and carrying out
some desultory work clearing the buildings
accumulated rubbish of years of neglect and
misuse. But, it was, nevertheless. holy ground,
sanctified by its centuries of holiness.
And finally – it is not just Christendom which
leaves its indelible imprint on locations and
buildings. Probably my most exotic visit
was to Burma in 1976 – when hardly any
foreigners had set foot inside that beautiful
country for 20 years. The famous Shwe
Dagon Pagoda, the main Buddhist temple
in Rangoon was a sad disappointment; the
local faithful had spent fortunes covering
the building with gold leaf, but any appeal
which it had was destroyed by the flashing
neon lights festooned everywhere. But,
there were compensations, again for, out in
the countryside, apparently long-disused
Buddhist shrines could be glimpsed, peeping
out of the lush vegetation, still with vestiges
of their original decoration. Truly holy
places, lasting tokens of the faith of previous
generations.
In just 66 pages this book gives all one needs
to lead public prayers with confidence and to
help other people worship.
Pg.14 January/February 09 Spire
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January/February 09 Spire
Liz Sheppard writes about her
most recent visit to the Holy
Land…
After my first wonderful visit to the Holy Land
early in 2008 I knew I wanted to return, but
next time to spend more time in Bethlehem,
to meet local people and to learn more
about the situation there. I found exactly
what I was looking for on a pilgrimage led by
the Revd. Andrew Ashdown. As it was a very
full and intensive itinerary I am only able to
mention here a few of the people and placed
we encountered.
Sunday started calmly enough when we
attended the Eucharist at St, George’s
Cathedral in Jerusalem. However, later
that morning we were soon reminded of
“man’s inhumanity to man” when we visited
Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial. We
then went on to a Palestinian village for a
meal with a family whose home had been
demolished four times.
On the last occasion the owner didn’t want
his wife and children to go through such
trauma again, so it was re-built as a Peace
Centre. Each time the house had been rebuilt by The Israeli Committee Against House
Demolitions (ICAHD). This organisation was
founded by Israeli sociologist, Professor Jeff
Halper, and as well as re-building demolished
Palestinian homes its members campaign
domesticallly and internationally for
Palestinian rights to be respected.
Another day we went to a refugee camp
and in the midst of all the deprivation we
visited a Cultural Centre
working mainly
with children.
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January/February 09 Spire
Its stated objectives are amongst other
things “to combat the suffocating political
conditions that people of Palestine and
children in particular are facing” and :”to
promote, through art and play, values based
on peace and a spirit of fraternity, mutual
respect and tolerance, in order to replace
violence with art and play”
One visit I found extremely disturbing
and upsetting was to a Home in Bethany
where the dedicated staff care for severely
brain damaged adults and children. They
rely entirely on voluntary contributions
and certainly didn’t ask for anything and
were just so pleased to see us (as we found
everywhere we went), but at the end of
our visit the 30 of us had an impromptu
collection and were able to give them £450.
I was so pleased to spend 4 nights in
Bethlehem as the Israeli 9 metre high wall
surrounding it has had a dire effect on the
economy and many pilgrims and tourists
only visit for the day. Whilst there we visited
Bethlehem Bible College and Bethlehem
University. At the bible College we met Alex
Awad, the Dean.
He was one of the people who had
contributed to Garth Hewitt’s book,
‘Bethlehem Speaks’, in which Christians in the
Holy Land say that it seems as if the Western
Church has forgotten them. I told him I had
read what he had written and said to him, ‘I
want you to know the Western Church has
not forgotten
Year 6 Independent Travel Talk
Cross Country
Environmental Superheroes!
Romford Town Hall Visit
Chloe Slater and Thomas Button, 6B write:
Heather Doyle from ‘Transport for London’
visited Year 6, on Tuesday 17th November, to
talk to us about independent travel and how
to stay safe. We watched a video showing
a group of children travelling on public
transport, then had to identify what they
were doing wrong, discuss how unsafe they
were and the possible consequences of their
actions. We also learnt how to use a bus
map, the best way to pay for travel and how
to treat other passengers.
Years 1 and 2 took part in an interactive
theatre workshop about superheroes and
recycling. The children particularly enjoyed
being part of the story and acting and
dancing. They spoke about the importance
of recycling and why it is important to look
after our planet.
Greek Theatre
On 15th December, Year 3 participated in an
Ancient Greek Theatre workshop. The pupils
dressed in Greek costumes and spent the
morning with the Rainbow Theatre
company who introduced them to an
Ancient Greek couple. After being
introduced to Life in Ancient Greece, the
children were divided into four groups to
prepare scenes from everyday Greek Life
including: the home of a successful
Merchant; a school lesson in the open air;
visiting the agora (market); the gymnasium
where the children played their own games
and practised their athletics. The actors
then prepared three myths with groups of
children including Oedipus and the Sphinx,
Odysseus and the Cyclops, and Theseus and
the Minator. The morning was a fantastic
way to complete our Ancient Greek topic, it
was fantastic, funny and full of information,
which was cleverly presented with lots of
interaction for the children.
On 1st December, fourteen pupils took part
in the annual district cross country race.
About 340 pupils from 25 Havering schools
took part in the race at Pages Wood. Our
athletes were very successful. Both girls’
and boys’ teams came sixth in the race and
St Edward’s was sixth overall. However, the
performance of Lestine Manduakila stood
out - she finished first in the girls’ race, out of
160 girls. Her brother, Marlin, was our most
successful boy, coming eleventh in his race
out of 180.
Harriet Sewell-Jones, 6H, writes:
The School Council representatives, SNAG
and Eco Schools group members were lucky
enough to go on a trip to the Town Hall on
Monday 16th December and met the Mayor.
We also went in the Council
Chambers to ask the Mayor questions
about his job in Havering. We then visited
the Mayor’s Parlour and the Mayor asked
questions about us. We all enjoyed the visit
and learned lots about Romford and the
Mayor.
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January/February 09 Spire
Schools news
you and when I go home I will tell your story’
– and he gave me a hug!
Watoto
The school’s Christmas charity this year was
Watoto. We sent £650 to this charity. Miss
Morris writes: As you may know, in October
I visited Uganda to experience the work of
Watoto. I was overwhelmed at the work
being carried out by the charity throughout
Uganda and it was amazing to see the power
of God’s love in action. Watoto’s mission
statement is to rescue a child, raise a leader
and rebuild a nation. This mission is central
to all the work they carry out in their baby
homes and the villages. Before I went, the
children in year six created bookmarks for the
children in one of the Watoto schools.
Thank you for all your kind donations
throughout the Christmas period towards
Watoto. I have experienced first hand
what a difference it will make and how our
donations are helping to achieve Watoto’s
dream.
Operation Christmas Child
Each Christmas, the charity Samaritan’s Purse
distributes well over a million gift-filled shoe
boxes from the U.K. to suffering children
across Central and Eastern Europe and Africa.
This year we collected 163 Christmas gifts
which were collected from school on Friday
27th November.
Ebenezer!
Our Year 6 production this Christmas was a
stunning present-ation of Charles Dickens’
‘A Christmas Carol’ - ‘Ebenezer!’ The
children sang and acted the story and their
performance was likened to a West End
Show. Every child in the year group played
their part in this success and both they, and
their teachers, deserve our congratulations.
Well done, Year 6.
Christmas at London Zoo
On Tuesday 1st December, all the children
in Years 1 and 2 enjoyed a very special trip
to London Zoo. The children saw a Living
Nativity where they followed a star and met
the different characters from the Christmas
story. A favourite part was talking to the Wise
Men and the shepherds. The children also
met Father Christmas who explained about
different animals from around the world and,
because the children were so well behaved,
each child was given a small gift. The children
also had a short time to visit other areas
of the zoo; the butterfly house was very
popular.
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Bethlehem University was founded in 1973
by Brothers from the Roman Catholic Church
with just 100 students and now has about
2600, Muslims and Christians. We were given
a presentation in the lecture hall where some
of the students told us of the difficulties
of living under Occupation, how if they
live outside Bethlehem the problems they
encounter daily getting to the University
because of all the checkpoints. One student
whose village is divided between Jerusalem
and the West Bank had had his house, which
was on contested land, demolished twice.
Apart from the trauma of losing his home,
vital papers from his studies had been
lost. I asked the young woman leading the
presentation how important it was to them
for groups like ourselves to visit and she said
it was very important as it gave them hope.
Our last days were spent in Nazareth and
round and on the Sea of Galilee. While there
we had the tremendous privilege of meeting
with Archbishop Elias Chacour of the Melkite
Church in Israel. In 1948, as a child, he and
his family were forced to leave their home
in a small Palestinian village in Galilee. The
following is a quote from the introduction
of his book “Blood Brothers” - “an exile in his
native land, Elias began a years-long struggle
with his love for the Jewish people and the
world’s misunderstanding of his own people,
the Palestinians. How was he to respond?
He found his answer in the simple, haunting
words of the Man of Galilee: ‘Blessed are the
peacemakers’”. He is responsible for having
had built in the region where he lives near
Nazareth, schools, libraries, community
centres etc. and has founded the University
Mar Elias Educational Institution. Here
Christians Jews, Muslims and Druze study
side by side.
I will never forget his last words to us “If you
take sides you are not my friend. If you take
sides you are not just not my friend, you are
my enemy”.
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January/February 09 Spire
Schools news
From Reachout, the newsletter of St. Edward’s
Secondary School
The Art Club mural
A group of lower school students – mainly
from year 7 - have been working on the
mural for the last two years.
They designed it taking inspiration for the
layout from the artist Piet Mondrian and have
added sections of artworks from all over the
world. Maybe you can recognise some of
them. The mural has taken a
long while to complete because the students
initially worked one lunchtime a fortnight,
gradually increasing to every week. Still, in
that lunch period they also
had to find time to eat their lunch as well!
We would like to say a BIG “thank-you” to all
of the students who have been involved,
they have done a brilliant job.
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Although it was a blustery afternoon
for the Sports Leaders, the Referees,
the Media Team and staff, the
participants were full of energy and
raring to go, all excited and each
team believing they had what it took
to win that afternoon. The games had
started and every child was running
around the pitches, and if they were
not in a game, they would be
practicing passes and technique with
a Sports Leader that could help win
them their place in the Finals in
January. As the afternoon went on so did our
very own sixth form student Jack
Goldrick who refereed an infinite amount
of matches, he was impressed with all the
primary school children and their grasp of
the game. However, the two teams
that stood out to him were St Edward’s C of E
Primary and Parklands Junior.
Tournament that brings Havering
Primary Schools Together
On Tuesday 24th of November 2009 St
Edward’s C of E School and Sixth Form
College hosted the 4th Annual Primary
Mixed Tag Rugby Tournament. This was one
of three tournaments taking place across
Havering, which saw over 500 Year 5 and 6
girls and boys come together to compete
and have fun. Other tournaments were being
held at Abbs Cross and Hall Mead Secondary
Schools.
The event was organised by the Emerson
Park School Sports Partnership Western
Zone SSCo Team with the help of students
from the hosting school. This event was
intended for pupils from the local primary
schools to come together and take part
in a competition with the opportunity of
securing a place in the Finals Day in the
New Year. Schools that took part in the
competition were; Crowlands Primary, St
Edward’s C of E Primary, Parklands Primary,
Hylands Primary, Crownfield Primary, St
Ursula Juniors, Rise Park, St Peter’s, and St
Patrick’s Primary school... and as the clock
struck 1pm we wished all Primary Schools
good luck.
Jack commented on St Edward’s C of E
Primary’s fast pace with which they were
able to score many tries and also their
defence to close down and get tags from
their opponents. He also noted Parklands
teamwork and
their ability to pass and get round their
opponents. He enjoyed refereeing and
watching, and just like everyone else on
Westlands, Jack seemed to be enjoying
having a part to play in the tournament.
As the afternoon was coming to a close, the
last few matches were in action and one
of them involved our very own St Edward’s
C of E Primary and Hylands. This was an
outstanding intense match. Both schools
had won every single one of their matches
and both teams were not considering losing
now. The match kicked off with the star of St
Edward’s Primary, Owen Taylor, making a full
run of the pitch and scoring his thirteenth try
of the whole tournament. But then Hylands
decided to run circles around St Edward’s and
scored one back. After minutes of tags being
ripped off and tries coming from every angle,
3-3 was the end result of this outstanding
game. But thanks to Owen (who later went
on to score another two tries to make his
total 15 of the
tournament) and also to Henry Beckett’s
leadership role as Captain to St Edward’s C
of E Primary , they came out on top having
scored the most amount of tries. Mr Jolly
from St Edward’s PE Department, who had
provided coaching to the St Edward’s Team,
congratulated the school on their success
and said he will continue to offer support
to the primary schools. It was the first time
St Edward’s C of E School & Sixth Form
College had hosted one of these events
and thanks to Ms Escoffery and the School
Sports Coordinator Team, the tournament
was seen to be a success by everybody who
had attended. Not only were the children
smiling but their Teachers,the Referees,
Sports Leaders and even Mr Perry (Head
Teacher), came out to show his support for
the teams and was happy with the outcome
of the tournament. Mr Perry congratulated
each school during the presentation with
certificates and wished St Edward’s C of E
Primary and Hylands School every success
at the Finals Day in the New Year. But more
importantly when the tournament had come
to an end each primary school child said that
they had had a good time that afternoon
and if given another chance they would love
to do it all over again. Well done and thank
you to everyone that played a part in making
this event a success. More information about
this event can be found on the Partnership
Website
www.emersonparkssp.co.uk
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January/February 09 Spire