St Mary Redcliffe Parish Magazine - November 2019

St Mary Redcliffe
singing the song of faith and justice
PARISH MAGAZINE
november 2019
Called into Community — Revd Kat Campion-Spall
On being a Curate — Revd Aggy Palairet
Umbrella Church — Becky Macron | Our Young People — David Cousins
Herbert Howells — Bryan Anderson | John Henry Newman — Martin Lee
photo: EV ‘19
1

St Mary Redcliffe
with Temple, Bristol & St John the Baptist, Bedminster
VICAR
Revd Canon Dan Tyndall — 0117-231 0067
email: dan.tyndall@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
ASSOCIATE VICAR
Revd Kat Campion-Spall — 0117-231 0070
email: kat.campion-spall@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
ASSOCIATE MINISTER
Revd Anthony Everitt
email: anthony.everitt@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
CURATE
Revd Aggy Palairet — 0117-231 0066
email: aggy.palairet@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
ASSOCIATE CLERGY
Revd Peter Dill
tHe parisH oFFiCe: 12 Colston Parade, Redcliffe, Bristol BS1 6RA. Tel: 0117-231 0060
email: parish.office@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk. Staff may also be contacted via the parish office.
SMR ONLINE: please visit us at www.stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
CHURCH WARDENS
Elizabeth Shanahan — 07808 505977
eshanahan21@googlemail.com
Richard Wallace — 0117-923 2219
oldwal_wynnford@btinternet.com
operations manager
Position vacant at time of going to print
PARISH ADMINISTRATOR
Sarah Purdon — 0117-231 0060
sarah.purdon@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
VERGERS
Vergers’ office — 0117-231 0061
verger@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
Matthew Buckmaster — Head Verger
matthew.buckmaster@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
Judith Reading — Verger
judith.reading@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
Andrew Kirk — 0117-231 0065
andrew.kirk@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
ASSISTANT ORGANISTS
Claire and Graham Alsop
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Rhys Williams — 0117-231 0068
rhys.williams@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
EDUCATION OFFICER
Sarah Yates — 0117-231 0072
sarah.yates@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
FAMILIES & YOUTH MINISTER
Becky Macron — 07934 041638
sunday.school@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WORKER
Rachel Varley — 0117-231 0071
rachel.varley@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
COMMUNITY YOUTH WORKER
David Cousins — 0117-231 0069
david.cousins@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
Contents
Vicar’s Letter
4
Revd Kat Campion-Spall — Called into Community
4
At church
6
Revd Aggy Palairet — On being an SMR Curate
7
Becky Macron — On Toddler Church and Umbrellas 10
Bryan Anderson — A Good Thing; on Herbert Howells 14
Community
16
David Cousins — Our young people; November news 16
Martin Lee — Cardinal Newman; a personal memoir 18
Listings
22
November Diary
22
Editor’s Note
24
November — Notes on “the Mag” in 2019
24
Prayers
26
Season Of Trinity — All Saints; All Souls
26
In this month’s issue: Thank you to all of you who have sent in
articles, notifications and pictures over this very busy year. This
month we take stock of where we’ve been before moving into the
season of Advent, and the December–January double edition of
the magazine — the deadline for which is Friday 18th November.
Between then and now enjoy this month’s content — including
the cover image detail of the church’s Lady Chapel North Window,
created by Harry Stammers in 1961, that has been chosen for its
resonance with November’s Feast of All Saints. — EV
2 3

Vicar's letter
YOU PROBABLY KNOW that in this
Diocese, clergy are invited to apply to
take an extended period leave once
every ten years for their own development.
As I approach my tenth anniversary of
ordination in 2020, I’m excited to let you
know that I’ve been granted leave next year,
and so I will be away from the parish from
late January to early May.
ALL SAINTS
CALLED INTO COMMUNITY
— REVD KAT CAMPION-SPALL
ASSOCIATE VICAR
There are many reasons why clergy are offered “sabbaticals” — or Extended
Ministerial Development Leave (EMDL) as it is known here. But one that
has been particularly in my mind over the last few weeks as I start to plan
for my absence is how important it is for clergy and congregations to
remember that we are not indispensable. However important and good
and kingdom-building the work any of us does might be, the work of God
in the world does not stand or fall on any individual one of us. While we
were all delighted when Dan came back from his EMDL last September,
actually most things got on just fine without him for a few months, and I
know the same will be the case with me.
It can be easy for us to depend on a single individual to make things happen.
Especially when they are particularly good at something! And there are a
number of people in our church whom we rely on to do important, good
things, sometimes pretty much on their own. But it can be quite a risk to
let them become indispensable. Risky for them, because that can be a
very heavy burden to carry, sometimes too heavy, and risky for the rest of
us because we risk forgetting how to do that important, good thing — and
when that person is not able to do it, important, good things can fall apart.
It can be hard to let go of the things we do really well, things we have
worked and prayed hard at, things we do with God-given gifts and skills — I
speak from my own experience as I prepare to hand over precious projects!
But as Christians we are called into community with each other, to work
together with others and enable them to bring their God-given gifts and
skills, because we are a body, the body of Christ. Sometimes creating a
space by stepping back or stepping away for a while allows others room to
grow and develop. I and others in the leadership team here really valued
that growing room during Dan’s EMDL last year.
So it’s an important part of my preparation for my EMDL next year to be
thinking about the things that I would be doing if I were here, and discerning
whether they are things that need to happen at all, and if they are, to
think and pray about who can be encouraged and nurtured to grow into
the space that I leave. And it’s really exciting to think about how I may
be able to work more collaboratively on some of those things when I get
back, rejoicing in the gifts of colleagues and congregation members that
will have a chance to grow and flourish while I’m away.
But I’m also mindful of the reliance we all have on some others in our
church community. Eleanor, the person we rely on to edit, design and
produce our magazine, has had less capacity this autumn to do what she
normally does, but is becoming indispensable. She and I have talked over
the last year about building a team to produce the Parish Magazine, so that
the work and responsibility and the vision can be shared — so that if one
person has to step back or away for a while, important things don’t fall apart.
So please consider whether you have time and skills to offer to a team in the
new year, or in the future — for instance, in producing content, or dealing with
correspondence and deadline reminders, or helping to plan the year ahead.
As we begin this month of November by celebrating All Saints, we remember
that the work of the people of God has gone on for countless generations
and will continue for countless more, and it is in our working together as
Christ’s body that God’s glory is proclaimed.
Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and
fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: grant us grace
so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that we may
come to those inexpressible joys that you have prepared for those who truly
love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— Revd Kat Campion-Spall; Associate Vicar
4 5

At
church
From Darkness
to Light —
a service of
bible readings
and music in
anticipation
of the birth of
Christ
Saturday 30 November
Sunday 1 December
6:30pm
At church
ON THE GLORIOUSLY
SUNNY SUNDAY
MORNING of June
30th 2019, feeling excited
and a little surreal, I was
ordained by Bishop Viv at
Bristol Cathedral. My training
incumbent, the Revd Canon
Dan Tyndall, placed my stole
upon my shoulder, and we
processed out together,
signifying that I am now a
Deacon, and a Curate of St
Mary Redcliffe — hooray!
LIFE AND TIMES
OF AN SMR CURATE
— REVD AGGY PALAIRET
At church ALL SOULS SERVICE, SUNDAY 3 NOVEMBER
6:30PM — A service to remember those we
love but see no longer, whether the loss is recent or
long ago. We call this time of year “All Souls” because
our journey through life is lived out with the support of
all the people of God, both living and departed, bound
together in one communion of prayer. We light a candle
of remembrance for those for whom we grieve, and
recall the lives of those who have gone before us as
their names are read out in prayer.
After a few photos to mark the
occasion, I was surrounded by
my friends and families and
out we went to my celebration
lunch. Less than 24 hours later,
I took my son to school with
my clerical collar on, and later
walked into the Parish Office
for my first day of work.
My colleagues are lovely and
the church family wonderful;
6 7

I was well impressed with the number of teams that serve the church,
and one of my first appointed tasks was to meet the people and to find out
the various roles and responsibilities of these teams. I have learnt so many
intriguing facts and have met the architect, the bell-ringing masters,
the vergers, PCC members… you name it, I’ve probably met them. Who
knew that artists like to hide secret signatures on their artwork, such as the
lady’s handbag on one of the stained glass panels in the lady’s chapel (and
no, I haven’t found it yet)? Talking to the teams, I’ve realised the effort and
time they have spent to ensure that St Mary Redcliffe Church is a place of
worship where welcome and inclusivity is the norm. The development of
Project 450 also shows me that St Mary Redcliffe is a place where people
are brave enough to stretch their imaginations in order to increase missional
opportunities for the future of this church.
In case you’re wondering what curates do with their time, below is a list of
some of my activities. I do these because a curacy is designed to shape
and equip curates for the ministry of the church. It is about spiritual
formation; using this time to learn and to discover the person God has
called me to be by actively participating in the ministry of God’s church.
The life of a curate includes —
participating in weddings, funerals, baptisms; home communions; school
assemblies; Sunday services and weekday services; hospital visits; learning
to sing the liturgy; sermon prep; intercession prep; lots of meetings; tons of
diocesan training... — and drinking a trillion cups of tea!
Outside of work, I have my lovely husband Ed and two wonderful boys!
They are the ones who see me when I’m prepping my sermons, practising
my singing for Evensongs, who give me wordless support and fill me with
cups of tea and sweeties. So, thank you for welcoming them as warmly as
you have welcomed me — to conclude, my family and I are thrilled to be
a part of the St Mary Redcliffe family, and we look forward to worshipping
and spending time with you for the next few years ahead.
— Revd Aggy Palairet
Curate
tel: 0117-231 0066
email: aggy.palairet@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
Photos — p7: Aggy, Ed and sons with others of the SMR church
family at the Parish Weekend away, Sidmouth, in July. Above top
& bottom: newly ordained class of 2019, with (bottom) Bishops
Viv and Lee and other clergy. Insets — Aggy at the Cathedral
with Dan; at Sidmouth // Photos: Ordination group photos
© Revd Chris Dobson; Sidmouth photos © Chris Duncan;
Cathedral photo, EV.
8 9

Children’s church
ON TODDLER CHURCH
AND MANY THINGS UNDER ONE UMBRELLA
— BECKY MACRON
FAMILIES & YOUTH MINISTER
AS MOST OF YOU MAY KNOW, I spent most of my career as a
teacher of French and Spanish, and I worked in a secondary
school — which reminds me of Redcliffe in many ways. One
of the most rewarding roles during my time in teaching was working
in the pastoral team, and I find it a great privilege to be a part of the
pastoral team at Redcliffe Church.
In school I was part of the Year 7 team and one of the things I introduced
was a group, which met on a lunch-time, that I called the “Umbrella Club”.
It was not a particularly ‘cool’ name — but then, again, I have never been
particularly “cool”, and that has never been my aim in life! The club
described exactly what it was: many things under one umbrella. One of
my pet hates in life has always been labelling people — putting them into
boxes. If we all fitted lovely neat labels, that would work well. But I don’t
think any of us really do that.
Todder Church...
On 11th October, Aggy, our Curate, led the final session of Toddler Church
on our topic of Creation. Toddler Church is a new initiative, something
that has been created ‘from scratch’ — not made — and so it seemed
appropriate that our first bible readings should be taken “from the
beginning”. During this time, we have been thinking about God’s beautiful
world created for us, and for all the things for which we are truly thankful.
This fitted in nicely with the theme of “Creationtide” that ran throughout
September. Through sermons, prayers and reflections, the need to
protect what is ours has become a topic of discussion. Amongst many
changes, this caused us to reflect during the Harvest Festival Lunch on
our own use of disposable single-use plastic. Small changes collectively
make a huge difference and, to quote some wise words I heard during the
week, “we’re never going to change the world unless we are prepared to
change ourselves”.
Running a Toddler Church has been part of my plan of action for a
long time, and facilitating the sessions has truly surpassed my highest
expectations. Unlike my “umbrella group” during my teaching years,
the name “Toddler Church” does not really describe exactly what it is.
For a start, we haven’t had many toddlers! We have, however, had
some babies and during the holidays we had some primary school
children — and, what has been lovely is that I am never short of a team
of enthusiastic, kind and devoted helpers. It has also given me a taste of
a different aspect of the life of Redcliffe. Daily church life.
Last week we started our new topic, Toddlers Knowing God. I always
write my own programmes and have begun to do this for Children’s
Church — it is deeply embedded in my teaching practice that a lesson
has to be purposeful and meaningful; textbooks, although useful, are
not tailor-made to the individual. One size does not fit all. I do, however,
rely greatly on the free online resources on the Internet, and I came
across this theme on a children’s ministry website. The aim of Toddlers
Knowing God is to bring Toddlers (babies, parents, leaders, helpers!)
closer to God. This is a particular interest of mine, not least as I explore
my own vocation. Last week we read about God, the Good Shepherd, so
it goes without saying that this involved a lot of cotton wool and fluffy
sheep — this is Children’s Ministry, after all!
p11 & p13: at Toddler Church
p12: sheep collages
10 11

We each made sheep and had a good laugh at the fact that they were
not going to win any place in an art gallery any time soon. However,
anyone who knows me well will know that what is important to me is
not the end result; it’s the process — it’s the having fun, the enjoyment
and the love that takes place on the road to the “end result”. My own
sense of being is that I want everyone to feel included and loved. Give
me enthusiasm over excellence any day.
Besides, I think the
sheep we made
are far more representative
of human
beings than a group
of beautifully and
perfectly crafted
sheep would be.
And the great thing
is that whilst we will
never be perfect,
our Shepherd was,
is and always will be.
the worst, in anticipation that something bad is going to happen — “it’s
like walking around with an umbrella on a beautiful day. Just in case”.
My understanding of Anglicanism is that it’s all about Knowing God;
knowing Love. And when you find that, that really is liberating. What
I am striving for in the porch of our Mother Church is a huge umbrella
stand — where we can all ‘hang up’ those things that hold us back.
And not just on a Sunday or at festivals but at every moment of every
day, for the long term. That’s how we will preserve and protect our
planet — and that’s how we’ll preserve and protect one another.
— Becky Macron
Families & Youth Minister
Mob: 07934 041638
Email: becky.macron@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
Photos & permissions: Becky Macron
From November 8th, following discussions with my fantastic Toddler
Team, we will be running a group straight after Toddler Church, from
11am–12 noon. It’s a bit of an ‘umbrella club’ (although we probably
won’t be calling it that name). It will be an occasion to come together,
to chat and to drink tea and coffee and eat biscuits (we have on great
authority from our children’s Confirmation group that the biscuits are a
great asset to our church). Do feel free to come and join us — the invitation
is extended to everyone.
•
YOU MAY WONDER why much of my article has focused on umbrellas.
Whilst it could be attributed in some part to the rain we’ve had
lately (!), it is in fact mainly inspired by a conversation I had with the
pastoral teacher at my daughters’ school recently (pastoral workers
clearly are a fan of umbrellas!) She said, you cannot go around fearing
12 13

At church | music
O praise the Lord:
for it is a good thing to sing praises unto our God
Psalm 147
A “GOOD THING”
— BRYAN ANDERSON
THIS WAS the Psalm appointed to be sung at Mattins on
Sunday 20th October, and so it was. As the procession after
the Introit made its way to the stalls, it was good to note that the
congregation was rather larger than usual, and the atmosphere one of
expectant worship.
After the Psalm and the First Lesson came the Te Deum — the morning canticle of
praise — and no ordinary musical setting of the words; the published copy states
“For the Church of St. Mary Redcliffe, Bristol” and was from the pen of the
composer Herbert Howells in 1965. You may know that he created a body of
church, much dedicated to Cathedrals and Colleges, the most well-known
being his “Collegium Regale” setting of his Morning and Evening Canticles
and Communion Service for King’s College, Cambridge. How is it that we have
such an extraordinary and fine setting dedicated to our parish church?
The setting was commissioned by Canon Cartwright and Garth Benson (the vicar
and organist at the time) for the great service of Thanksgiving for the Restoration
of the church on October 21st 1965. In the early 1960’s it became obvious that
much restoration was needed, funds were collected here and in the USA, and on
completion of the work this service was held in the presence of a large congregation
which included Princess Margaret. (A recording exists of part of this service
and a signed photograph of the vicar and princess is in the vergers’ vestry.)
The music itself, marked “ritmico ed elato” is dramatic, colourful and expressive,
with Howells’ usual felicity and sensitivity to setting the words, and the opening
phrase includes his hallmark interval (the difference in pitch between two
consecutive notes) which musicians call an “augmented 4th” — often repeated
throughout the work.
Back to Mattins in 2019. Those who listened on this occasion to the fine music sung
and played during the worship can only wonder at the dedication and expertise
which re-created the soundscape for our service — the boys, ladies and gentlemen
of the choir must have worked with such enthusiasm to bring this setting back
into the repertoire. The organ part is much more than an accompaniment — an
integral part of the whole — here so ably and stylishly played by Claire on the
organ for which it was written. Tribute and much gratitude must be paid to
Andrew for his vision, his direction and expertise in bringing to us all such a
heartfelt performance. Thank you all.
We are indeed most fortunate at Redcliffe to have such a musical establishment
to continue the fine tradition which brings such splendid enhancement to our
worship — indeed a very “good thing”.
•
— Bryan Anderson
ST CECILIA’S DAY CONCERT| FRIDAY 22 NOVEMBER AT 7:30PM
Our church choir, directed by Andrew Kirk, joins forces with
international organist virtuoso David Briggs to mark the Feast Day of St
Cecilia, the patron saint of music — who is often associated with singing
and organ playing! [AWK, Director of Music]
Blessed Cecilia, appear in visions to all musicians, appear and inspire:
Translated Daughter, come down and startle composing mortals
with immortal fire. — W H Auden
Music includes:
Widor — Mass for Choir and Two Organs
Howells — Hymn for St Cecilia; Finzi — My Spirit sang all day
There will be a number of popular organ solo items too.
Tickets £10 (£5 concessions).
14 15

Community
THANK YOU
FOR YOUR PRAYERS!
— DAVID COUSINS
COMMUNITY YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
WORKER
. . . just a quick update from me this month as September has
been quiet while we reflect on a busy summer and prepare for
new projects
WE FINISHED OUR SUMMER PROGRAMME with a great trip to Leigh
Woods with the youth group. They worked with a Forest School leader
to make jewellery, play games, build fires and lots of teamwork. It
was fantastic to see our group out of their normal environment, doing things they
wouldn’t ordinarily have the chance to.
We have been successful in our application for funding to bring a new Young Bristol
youth bus to Redcliffe through the autumn and winter. Thank you for your prayers!
It means we’ll have a mobile base to deliver music, arts, crafts, and healthy eating
workshops, and to offer teenagers a dedicated space to socialise and have fun
with friends. The legacy is that a group of young people involved in the project
will have the opportunity to work with decision makers to shape what permanent
youth spaces in Redcliffe will look like.
In November we will also be starting a weekly football session with LG Sports
Coaching at St Mary Redcliffe School, Fridays 7-8pm. It builds on a successful
couple of football events we’ve organised already and is something that a lot of
young people in the area have been asking for.
And, with all this extra
activity we need some
more volunteers!
If you’re at all interested in
helping at youth group,
with football, or music
tuition, or art/graffiti, or
are passionate about a
different project, please
do get in touch. We can
be very flexible with time
commitments and it’s
a wonderful way to put
your faith into action.
At Leigh Woods during the summer; photos & permissions David Cousins
The youth group has continued to grow and we’re averaging just under twenty
children aged 8-13 coming to Faithspace every week. It can quickly feel very busy!
— David Cousins
Community Youth
Development
Worker
tel: 0117-231 0069
mob: 07928 349523
email: david.cousins@
stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
16 17

Community | histories
JOHN HENRY NEWMAN
A VERY PERSONAL MEMOIRE
— MARTIN LEE
CARDINAL NEWMAN, made a saint in Rome on 13th October,
is by any measure a most significant theologian and churchman
from the Nineteenth Century. Redcliffe would not be as it is, and
certainly our worship would not be as it is, but for the Oxford Movement
initiated by John Keble, Edward Pusey and John Henry Newman in the
1830’s. As an Anglican priest, Vicar of the University Church of St Mary
the Virgin in Oxford who converted to Rome in 1845, we have a claim upon
Newman’s memory and his life story. The Anglican Church commemorates
him on 11th August, the day of his death in 1890.
In a possibly rather strange way the shadow of Cardinal Newman has been
personally evident, especially recently.
As a Sixth Former in Edgbaston just a short lunch-time walk from the Birmingham
Oratory which Newman had founded in the 1850’s, I visited there occasionally. It
always struck me as a most significant place; one where there was a very special
atmosphere. (About as far away as possible from the occasions at SMR when we
gather for coffee after the 9:30am Eucharist or have jollies in the South Transept
or exhibitions to look at. This is not to criticise but to emphasise the contrast.)
One of the few other churches I know which have this impact is perhaps St
Anne’s in Jerusalem just inside St Stephen’s Gate.
Secondly the vicarage where I was brought up on the western fringes of Birmingham
was sold by the diocese and that and the fields surrounding became the site for
Newman College — now Newman University. The address is the same! My
school was also relocated to a site immediately nearby so that’s another contact.
When Newman died it was estimated that more than 15,000 folk lined the route
of several miles from the Oratory to the burial site Rednal. Until recently, we
had relatives only a couple of hundred yards away.
As the Vicar of St Mary’s Newman’s parish extended to Littlemore beyond the
city of Oxford but it lacked pastoral provision. He therefore built the church
of St Mary and St Nicholas together with a school. On a corner beyond the
church further buildings were intended as a small college. They are still there
and function as a Roman Catholic retreat centre. By chance our daughter
and son-in-law acquired a rather ancient house nearby — its ‘new’ extension
is dated 1636 and Newman must have visited it, possibly several times, for he
was an exemplary parish priest, assiduous in visiting. This was possibly quite
unusual. At that time the best description of the Church of England was
‘somnolent’ — many incumbents were absentees.
Lastly the Jerusalem Bishopric. This came about in 1841 and was very controversial
indeed, especially to High Churchmen. It became one of the issues which pushed
Newman over to Rome in 1845. The difficulty was that the original scheme for
an Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem was the result of a Prussian Protestant initiative
and was highly political. It threw into high relief the status of the Church of
England as an organ of the state. An Anglo/Prussian presence was attractive to the
British Government since the French, the Russians and others were already
establishing influence in the Holy City and cultivating the Turkish authorities in
the process — the Holy Land being part of the Ottoman Empire. The Prussians
lacked Bishops, yet the scheme was for a collaborative presence in Jerusalem under
a bishop who would be appointed alternately by us and the Prussians. Oddly there
were no Anglican folk for a bishop to minister to other, it was claimed, than six or
so converts from Judaism and a growing number of travellers.
The first Bishop was Michael Solomon Alexander, a converted Rabbi, but he
died after little more than two years in Jerusalem and was succeeded by Bishop
Samuel Gobat, a Swiss Protestant, nominated by Prussia in accordance with the
agreement. He was consecrated Bishop by the Church of England. This whole
saga emphasised the prevailing Protestant and secular character of the Church of
England at the expense of its Catholic inheritance, which it had become the work
of the Oxford Tractarians, including Newman, to advance. This only ceased to
be a problem towards the end of the century when the Prussians withdrew from
the arrangement and the constitution of the bishopric had been regularised.
The relevance of all this to myself is that I worked for three years at the school in
Jerusalem attached to St George’s Cathedral and the complications of its origins
and subsequent history were much in mind.
18 19

So there we have it. A somewhat random set of events which have had some
bearing upon one’s own outlook. By chance we at Redcliffe failed to make much
of a mark of the event (the Vatican didn’t warn us) but we did manage a Newman
hymn on the Sunday evening — “Firmly I believe and truly”. Other possibilities
might have been “Lead Kindly Light” (which reflects the inner struggle troubling
Newman’s conscience and his future in the Church of England) and “Praise to the
Holiest...” from The Dream of Gerontius.
— Martin Lee
The Dream of Gerontius is a work for voices and orchestra in two parts composed
by Edward Elgar in 1900, to text from the poem by John Henry Newman. It relates
the journey of a pious man’s soul from his deathbed to his judgment before God
and settling into Purgatory [Wikipedia]. — EV.
community | initiatives
CHARITY CHRISTMAS CARD: Cards in
aid of Bristol Churches Winter Night
Shelter (BCWNS) are still on sale at church
this month.
The price per pack of 5 cards is £3. All the proceeds
from the sale will go to BCWNS.
Marcus and Jane Ashman have collaborated with
Eleanor Vousden, who has produced the artwork,
for a third year, on a card in aid of the work of
BCWNS — this year the image is from a drawing of
the Madonna and Child in the central panel of the
Lady Chapel’s East Window.
•
PIPE WALK
If you would like to place an order for packs please
complete and fill in an order form at church as soon as possible. Alternatively, contact
the Parish Office at E: parish.office@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk or T: 0117-231 0060.
Be amazing! Be a Home-Start Volunteer!
Thanks to Kat for sending this photo of the 2019 Pipe Walk, which took place on
Saturday 19th October: a fine day for members of SMR and community gathering
for the annual tracing of the route of the mediaeval pipe laid following the grant of
a right by Sir Robert de Berkeley in 1190 , back in the reign of Richard I.
By volunteering for Home-Start Bristol,
you’ll offer a lifeline to a family; helping
them to get back on their feet and develop
skills to cope with the future.
Home-Start Bristol supports struggling families
with at least one child under five. We recruit and
train our volunteers and carefully match them with
local families.
Our popular accredited Volunteer Preparation
courses are held 3 times a year. Each course runs
for 36 hours over 9 weeks, term-time only, and is
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attend on just one day a week. At the end of our last
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recommend it to a friend.
The Home-Start Bristol Volunteer Preparation
course carries a Level 2 Accreditation which, when
combined with the experience you’ll gain working
with us, can act as a wonderful stepping-stone into
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Parents and grandparents have the experience to
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Tel: 0117-950 1170
Email: admin@homestartbristol.org.uk
Website: www.homestartbristol.org.uk
Find us on Facebook
20 21

Listings | November diary
please note that all entries in the diary are correct at the time of going to print given the
information supplied. please note also that, in addition to the listings below, which vary
in frequency or other details, the following events happen every week in this period —
Tuesday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
NOVEMBER
Coffee Morning / 10am–12 noon // at Faithspace Community Centre
(Faithspace)
Christian Meditation / 6:15–7pm // at the Parish Office
Jazz in the Undercroft / 7:30–10pm
Redcliffe Gardening Group / 10am–12 noon // at Somerset Square
Police Beat Surgery Drop-in / 1–2pm // at Faithspace
1 Toddler Church / 9:30am
1 Light Party / 6:30pm // in the Undercroft
2 Tarnhelm Opera; Wagner’s Das Rheingold / 7:30pm
3 Baptism / 12:30pm
3 All Souls Service / 6:30pm
5 Holy Communion / 12:30pm // St John’s Chapel
6 Hymn Singalong / 11am
6 Redcliffe Film Club / 2:30pm // Faithspace
7 Holy Communion / 12:30pm // Lady Chapel
7 Organ Recital / 1:15pm / Nicholas Johnson; Sheffield
8 Toddler Church / 9:30am
10 REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
12 Holy Communion / 12:30pm // St John’s Chapel
12 Feminist Theology Group / 8pm // at Kat’s house
13 Mothers’ Union / 2pm
14 Holy Communion / 12:30pm // Lady Chapel
14 Organ Recital / 1:15pm / MIchael Overbury; Newark
15 Toddler Church / 9:30am
18 Deadline for December-January parish magazine / 12 midnight
19 Holy Communion / 12:30pm // St John’s Chapel
19 Theology Book Club / 8pm // at Canon John Rogan’s house
21 Holy Communion / 12:30pm // Lady Chapel
21 Organ Recital / 1:15pm / Elin Rees, Bury Parish Church
21 Confirmation Service / 7:30pm // St Paul’s, Southville
22 Toddler Church / 9:30am
22 Choir & Organ Concert for St Cecilia’s Day / 7:30pm
23 Wedding / 1pm
26 Holy Communion / 12:30pm // St John’s Chapel
28 Holy Communion with prayers for healing / 12:30pm // Lady Chapel
28 Organ Recital / 1:15pm / Jonathan Bielby, Organist Emeritus, Wakefield Cathedral
29 Toddler Church / 9:30am
30 From Darkness to Light; Advent Service / 6:30pm
DECEMBER
1 ADVENT SUNDAY
1 From Darkness to Light; Advent Service / 6:30pm
3 Holy Communion / 12:30pm // St John’s Chapel
3–7 Treefest / open daily
4 Hymn Singalong / 11am
4 Redcliffe Film Club / 2pm // Faithspace
5 Holy Communion / 12:30pm // Lady Chapel
6 Toddler Church / 9:30am
Parish register & Sunday records
WEDDING
The above list reflects events known at the time of going to print; for details of those
occuring after that please see the church website or contact the Parish Office
Geoffrey Pugh and Emma North 26th October 2019
•
SUNDAY CHURCH SERVICE ATTENDANCE — Period: 22 September–20 October
Date 2019 22 Sep 29 Sep 6 Oct* 13 Oct 20 Oct
Adult Child Adult Child Adult Child Adult Child Adult Child
8:00am 10 - 6 - 8 - 14 - 9 -
9:30am 108 48 102 40 - - 99 34 89 34
10:30am* - - - - 153 55 - - - -
11:15am 20 - 23 3 - - 20 - 57 1
6:30pm 32 - 34 - 32 - 30 - 37 1
*Harvest Festival — 10:30am all age service and Sung Eucharist; no service of Mattins or
9:30am Sung Eucharist. NB: Sunday Attendance figures refer to congregation not to clergy,
servers, choir or vergers. Reporting the Sunday Collection figures will restart as and when
the information is supplied.
22 23

*permission — ‘Fair Use’
Editor’s note
email: editor.mag@stmaryredcliffe.co.uk
Christ the King... the penultimate festival of the long season
of Trinity: the point at which we celebrate the kingship of Jesus
before our immersion in the hiddenness of Advent — before
we greet again Our Lord as a helpless newborn.
THIS MONTH’S VICAR’S LETTER calls us into community: Kat talks about the
opportunities for us to grow into the space she leaves behind while she’s
away on EMDL, and reminds us that no-one is indispensable. She discusses the
risks of being, or being seen as, indispensable, mentioning my work for the
magazine and concluding with a reference to the Feast of All Saints this month,
before finishing in prayer. Thank you to Kat— and I hope readers may be
interested to read my reflections in the timeline below on the magazine and
my focus as editor in addition to thoughts on this month’s contributions.
This month: Thank you again to Kat, and thanks to Aggy, Becky, Bryan, David and
Martin for their pieces — especially to Aggy for sharing her experiences of ordination
and of settling into life and community at SMR; a big welcome from the magazine to
Aggy, Ed and the boys. Thanks to Bryan and Martin for pieces concerning history,
memory and legacy. I was struck in Bryan’s by the notion of legacy in his discussions
of the Howells music and the creativity and commitment of our musicians at church
today — and in Martin’s by his depth of knowledge and some interesting questions
that seem to hang in the air around Cardinal Newman’s legacy. David’s and Becky’s
updates on their activities with the youngsters in church and parish are invaluable,
and provide inspiration on many levels: the success of the Young Bristol youth bus
application and its wonderful potential; some lively and unexpected resonances (for
me) in the image Madonna of Mercy (opposite*) by the Italian artist Piero della
Francesca (c.1415–92) that came to mind as I read Becky’s article on umbrellas,
toddlers and babies, and that are timely as we approach Advent (more on this later).
May 2019: The Magazine Reader Survey — a project I’ve had in mind since last
year. Thank you to all who responded to it and to Kat for helping make it a reality.
The September magazine provided an overview and I promised to make the full
results available in October. Due to my other commitments this didn’t happen
but I will do so this month though, as Kat has observed, my capacity for work on the
magazine is stretched at present. In this, the Survey and creation of an editorial
team remain a priority — I’m keen for the magazine’s audiences to be more readily
identified, to see a greater sense of ownership of the magazine by its readers, for
a vision of it that’s shared and inclusive and for a publication that’s sustainable
because the editor doesn’t work in isolation and those working on it support each
other. A team is in the pipeline. On the question of design, I’ve wanted to enhance
the look of the magazine because it interests me to do so and as I’ve an art training
(fine art, not graphic design), and because updates are not unreasonable. The
oddity here though, and another thing to consider going forward, is that editing
and designing a magazine is rarely done by the same person. So, responding
to Kat’s words, I’m not indispensible and instead see teamwork at church as part of
a wider process of encouraging others’ creativity, experience, talents, skills and
transferrable skills as an expression of the body of Christ.
May 2017: I was approached to take on the magazine editorship; this caught me
off guard a bit, but I agreed. I enjoy a challenge, and publishing a magazine on
a monthly basis is nothing if not that (likewise editing the parish magazine of a
glorious church like St Mary Redcliffe with its attendant need to talk ‘heritage’ and
‘street’ in the same breath) — and carrying on the good work of my predecessors
felt a good ‘fit’ with my experience and interests. The
tradition, though, of compiling the magazine in the
parish office didn’t. I am easily distracted and didn’t
feel confident about using the office or its regular
software on a project as precise but unpredictable
as creating a monthly magazine. I decided to work
from home. Doing so set the direction of my work,
which in turn set the direction of the magazine. The
reason? Publications are about design as well as
content, as I see it, and the software I have not only
helped me (a visual thinker) engage at-point-of-need
quickly with the content of the magazine I’d inherited,
but also to engage with its look. I felt changes to its
look were in order.
— best wishes, Eleanor
Eleanor Vousden, Editor; tel: 0117-9634856 (direct) or 0117-2310060 (Parish Office)
The deadline for the Christmas double issue is Monday 18 November
24 25

Prayers | Trinity • November
groups within the church
For all the Saints
We thank you, God, for the saints of all ages;.
for those who in times of darkness
kept the lamp of faith burning;
for the great souls who saw visions of larger truth
and dared to declare it;
for the multitude of quiet and gracious souls
whose presence has purified and sanctified the world;
and for those known and loved by us
who have passed from this earthly fellowship
into the fuller light of life with you.
Lead Kindly Light
Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th’encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.
I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!
So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on.
O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile!
— Anon
— John Henry Newman; 1833
Saint John Henry Newman;1801–1890
permissions — for all the saints; from an anthology for the church year; ed h j richards;
kevin mayhew publishing © 1998 // lead kindly light, amid the encircling gloom; as published
in the army & navy hymn book 1920 | creative commons licence [cc by sa]
The regular congregation is large, active and involved. If you would like to
join one of the many groups connected with the Church, please contact
the appropriate group leader:
Head Server
Head Sidesman
Head Steward
PCC Secretary
PCC Treasurer
PCC Safeguarding
PCC Recorder
Sunday School
Faithspace Centre
Lunch Club
Meditation
Mothers Union
Church Flowers
Coffee Rota
Bell Ringers
Canynges Society
Journey into Science
Magazine Editor
Dean Barry
Graham Marsh
Marion Durbur
Keith Donoghue
David Harrowes
Stephen Brooke
c /o Parish Office
Becky Macron
Sarah James
c/o Parish Office
Lewis Semple
c /o Parish Office
Mildred Ford
Christine Bush
Gareth Lawson
Pat Terry
Eric Albone
Eleanor Vousden
0117-9099862
01275-832770
0117-9422196
0117-9422539
0117-9779823
0117-3311260
0117-2310060
07934-041638
0117-9258331
0117-2310060
0117-9255763
0117-2310060
0117-9359064
0117-9773023
07798 621834
0117-2310060
0117-9247664
0117-9634856
If you or one of your family is sick or has gone into hospital, please let us
know — contact the Clergy or Vergers as soon as possible.
Please consult the Parish Office before making any arrangements for
baptisms, weddings or funerals.
NB: the views expressed in the body of the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor
26 27

sunday services
8:00am holy communion
9:30am sung eucharist
with crèche and Sunday School / followed by coffee
11:15am choral mattins
all year round except from mid-July to end August
6:30pm choral evensong
weekday services
holy communion
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12:30pm
2nd and 4th Thursdays at 12:30pm with prayers for healing
morning and evening prayer
Monday to Friday at 8:30am and 4:30pm in the Lady Chapel
toddler church
Fridays at 9:30am in the North Transept
opening times
weekdays all year round 8:30am–5:00pm
bank holidays 9:00am–4:00pm, except New Year's Day
Sundays 8:00am–8:00pm
the church is occasionally closed for special events and services
The Arc Café in the Undercroft
serving home-made refreshments every day
opening hours:
Monday to Friday 8:00am–3:00pm
lunch served from 12:00 noon–2:30pm
tel: 0117-929 8658
28