St Mary's Church
Fairford

Special Services

2 June, we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. In church special prayers will be said to mark this occasion and to honour the achievements of her reign. Throughout the last sixty years the Queen has embodied Christian beliefs and principles in a unique way and served the nation and Commonwealth with conspicuous dedication.

30th June, Pet Service, otherwise known as Wet Nose Sunday.

All pet owners are invited to bring their dog/cat/goldfish/budgie etc to church so that we can give thanks to God for the beauty and variety of the animal kingdom and to celebrate the special bond between humans and animals epitomised in our pets. And as well as the obvious bond of love and affection there can also be a bond of reliance and help - think of Guide Dogs and Hearing Dogs, for example.

All this and much more will be celebrated in the service and there will of course be a Vicar’s Rosette - awarded to the most attractive, quirky, outrageous, scary pet!

16 June, Bring & Buy Table
for Help Madina

Dr Veronica Sawicki and Dr Rohit Sethi will be coming to the 10am service in St Mary’s on Sunday, 16 June, to talk about the work of Help Madina, their charity in Sierra Leone (see below).

They will also join us for coffee in the Community Centre afterwards to answer any questions you may have.  We plan to have some extra "goodies" to go with the coffee, plus a Bring & Buy table to raise funds for this worthy charity.  Items for sale,  including cakes, etc. will be very welcome.

Charity of the Month:
Help Madina

Help Madina achieved charity status in 2012. It is run by two local doctors, Rohit Sethi and Veronica Sawicki. They work in practices in Cirencester and Lechlade and live in Fairford.

The action takes place in Sierra Leone, a small West African country about half the size of England with a population of 6 million. Their infrastructure was destroyed by a civil war which ended in 2002. Most of the country still does not have running water or electricity. During the war most government buildings were destroyed including many hospitals and medical facilities. The country remains one of the poorest in the world.

The Help Madina charity is based around the Catholic Feeding Centre in Madina which was opened in 2009 and has been offering treatment facilities for children with malnourishment since then. The Centre provides in-patient facilities for up to 15 children with Mothers or Carers, and is staffed by a team of dedicated nurses. The Doctors became involved with Dr Veronica taking the lead in supporting the Centre and spending three months each year in Madina also with her sister Vivianne Brackenbury providing Orthoptic care assisted by Vivienne Bestwick, a practice nurse in Lechlade.

Very much a local worthy cause and with your financial help the Centre will be able to continue and expand their work. There is more information about the Centre and its work on the south wall shelf in the church. For more information write to HelpMadina, Dr V Sawicki, Laverton House Market Square FAIRFORD Glos GL7 4AB. Tel: 01285 711180.
Website.

Previous Charity Fundraising

Monies collected from the box on the south wall for the April charity, Cotswold Care Hospice, came to £49.87 to which the PCC will add further amounts.

Coronation Lunch

12.30pm on Sunday 2 June
The Palmer Hall

In celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Tickets £10, to include a glass of wine or soft drink available from Mitchell & Sarjent (711582) and Heather Gorton (712428). Proceeds in aid of St Mary’s Church, Fairford.

Summer Fete

Saturday 13th July 2.00 to 5.00
at Colnside, Horcott, Fairford

In a beautiful river setting by kind permission of Mr and Mrs David Perry.

Cakes etc, Tombola, Aunt Sally, Bric a Brac, Toys, Plants, Books, Roller Ball, Coconut Shy, Skittles, and many more games.

Refreshments: Teas and a Wine Bar.

Grand Raffle (Tickets now on sale).

Chedworth Silver Band and other musical entertainment.

A police car and fire engine for the children to explore. Something for all the family - and all within walking distance of the town centre.

Proceeds to St Mary’s Church and Town Charities.

Parish Retreat

This year the Parish retreat will be the 1st - 3rd November 2013. The Retreat will again be held at the Marist Centre in Nympsfield, a place of peace and tranquillity.

It will be led by The Rev’d Dr. Mike Tucker, a priest and former nuclear physicist. After retirement from Berkeley Power Station he became vicar of Amberley and also Gloucester Diocesan Officer for Ordinands.

The cost of the weekend is £100.

Please contact Denny Rawlinson, 01285 711009 for further details.

Jesus and Me Club, 9th June

10am St Mary’s Church, Fairford
Stories, craft,
fun and food
Every second Sunday

X:site, Saturday 13th July

X:site is a fast moving, high energy event for anyone who is 7-11 years old.

Visit the website for more information and photos. It is organised in each area by a partnership of local churches and Scripture Union.

For further details contact Joanne Roberts - Tel 01285 711386

COME AND SIT IN ST MARY’S!

We are very grateful for the response to our earlier appeal for Stewards for Churchwatch; however there are still spaces in the rota we are unable to cover - particularly Tuesday afternoons.

Could anyone cover an hour or two then? Or a group  of friends cover Tuesday afternoons between them?

It’s a bit of a doddle really - chatting to visitors, selling postcards and, if it’s quiet, doing a crossword, knitting or reading... You don’t have to be a churchgoer and if you are, it doesn’t have to be our church you go to! The visitors St Mary’s attracts normally visit the town too, helping the local economy, so this is also a community service. Even one hour a week would help; if you would like more details please ring 713341.

News May 2013
News April 2013
News March 2013
News February 2013
News January 2013
St Mary's News Round-Up 2012
St Mary's News Round-Up 2011