Everyone is warmly welcomed to St James’ Thursday morning less formal Eucharist which starts up again after a short summer break in the Parish Rooms at 9.45am on August 22nd.
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Everyone is warmly welcomed to St James’ Thursday morning less formal Eucharist which starts up again after a short summer break in the Parish Rooms at 9.45am on August 22nd.
Photos: 1 – Bob and +Paritosh, 2 – Bob and +Paritosh at Bangladesh Border, 3 – St Bartholomew’s Cathedral, 4 – Street in the diocese of Barrackpore,
In February 2019 at the gracious invitation of the Right Reverend Paritosh Canning, Bishop of Barrackpore, Canon Bob Harley of the Diocese of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane, spent six days in the Diocese of Barrackpore.
Barrackpore is an army city, having been the first cantonment of the British East India Company. On the way to the Bishop’s residence a multicoloured Diocese of camouflaged tank stands as a gate guardian for a military establishment. The railway station has a splendid façade. +Paritosh’s residence is within a walled compound, which includes the beautiful St Bartholomew’s Cathedral, offices, a delightful garden and the single storey residence. Canon Bob received the warmest of welcomes from +Paritosh, who met him at Kolkata Airport, and from his House Staff and his drivers.
A comprehensive programme was provided for the visit: preaching in St Stephens, Dum Dum, four school visits, a house blessing, the inauguration of a skills centre, the conduct of seminars with the Diocesan Clergy and with the School Principals.
It was a pleasure for Canon Bob to make new friends and to renew acquaintance with old friends, e.g. Charles Ringrow and Raghab and Monica Naik. It was the latter’s house, which was blessed . +Paritosh invited Canon Bob to say an introductory prayer in English before conducting the service in Bengali. This is typical of +Paritosh’s generosity in allowing Canon Bob to participate in events. Another example of this was at the inauguration of St Stephen’s Skill Development Centre, Baruipur. Canon Bob said a few words, cut the ribbon and unveiled the plaque, which contained the names of the Bishop and the Canon. In a previous career in the Royal Navy Canon Bob had arranged vocational training courses for sailors to prepare then for new careers in civilian life and so appreciated the value of such training. The aim of the most worthwhile Baruipur project is to provide local young people with skills to enable them as self-employed businessmen and businesswomen to earn a living and to make a contribution to society.
Canon Bob was given the opportunity to conduct seminars on his own initiative with all the clergy and the next day with all the school principals. These were stimulating sessions exchanging information about method and practice, and acknowledging shared and diverse experience. It was good later in the week to cross paths again with some of the participants.
One difference between CNI and SEC noted by Canon Bob was the administration of the Communion. In St Stephen’s, Dum Dum, the universal practice was Intincture. In Scotland communicants choose whether to dip or to receive the chalice.
Geographically the Diocese is very widespread and predominantly rural. There were long drives to destinations. +Paritosh has reliable cars and dependable drivers. Great fellowship was enjoyed on the way. Comfort breaks were gratefully received (particularly at a café with fantastic fish fingers). A special moment was to have a Scottish breakfast provided by a School Principal’s wife, who had visited Scotland: porridge followed by scrambled eggs on toast, tasting just like it would in Kirriemuir. The furthest destination is a five and a half hour drive. A great initiative of +Paritosh is to have accommodation built for the Bishop and his staff at this far away school. A highlight of school visits was to be entertained in the beautiful school chapel by a young girl accompanying herself on keyboard while singing ‘As the deer pants for the water.’ The welcome was universally warm and spectacular in the case of St Stephen’s School as children lined our route and showered us with petals while their older colleagues sang us a song of welcome while we were felicitated with floral garlands; and practical: at the prayer meeting on the island in the mad river. During a thunderstorm, which rendered the muddy ground impassable, Canon Bob was gripped on either side by the elbows and steered to firmer ground by considerate hosts who on their own initiative saw a need and provided a service.
A profoundly moving experience was the visit to St Stephen’s School, Malia Pota, where 125 years earlier a manifestation of God, the Holy Spirit, in the manner of Pentecost had occurred. Every anniversary there is a two day event attended by 6,000 pilgrims who sleep on the school lawn. Canon Bob viewed the ovens where food to feed them was cooked.
There were moments for entertainment and leisure: relaxing dinner parties, a tour of a tiger reserve, a visit to the Kolkata Wax Museum, a ‘Toy Train’ ride in a beautiful park (which included an Eiffel Tower) and a photo opportunity at the Bangladesh border.
Canon Bob had an informative and fascinating visit. He considers that there is huge scope for a successful link between the Dioceses of Barrackpore and St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane.
Photo from left: Sally Carr, Gwynneth Crawford, Rev Gerry Dillon, Gordon Munn and Fiona Munn from St Luke’s Church
St Luke the Evangelist in Auchmuty, Glenrothes has received a National Lottery grant of £375,235 to help transform part of their building to create a community café, kitchen and social hub and to run it for the next three years.
The facility will be called Peace ‘n’ Jam and it will benefit around 500 people in the community, as well as creating 20 volunteering opportunities. It will allow people, many of whom would otherwise be socially isolated, to come together to build relationships and benefit from low cost nutritious meals.
Peace ‘n’ Jam will provide upgraded kitchen, toilet and disabled facilities as well as creating 2 new meeting rooms and it will allow us to benefit the local community in so many ways and serve as a focal point for everyone to feel they can access.
The cafe will run throughout the school holidays, allowing breakfast clubs to continue and providing meals to families who would have been in receipt of free school meals during term time.
It will also provide a base for a monthly youth cafe for local youngsters, cookery workshops for young parents and support for vulnerable and at-risk families.
Further match-funding has been secured from Fife Environmental Trust and we are awaiting the results from applications for additional match-funding, as well as continuing to seek other funding streams.
The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland chairwoman Maureen McGinn, has said: “The funding will make a big difference where it is needed most, and I wish Peace ‘n’ Jam every success.”
Jenny Gilruth, MSP for Mid Fife and Glenrothes, has also lodged her congratulations for the award in a motion to the Scottish Parliament, and wished St Luke’s every success with the project and its other work.
Messy Church at st Anne’s Coupar Angus with 14 children. The theme was about the men who built their houses on rock or sand and Janice demonstrated with watering can to the delight of the children.
The rain didn’t dampen the spirits of 60 members of local churches and visitors from further afield who came together on a pilgrim walk yesterday to mark St Blane’s Day. Thank you to the Dunblane Churches Together committee for organising the event.
A group from the diocese represented the Scottish Episcopal Church at the Pride Parade in Perth.
This event was very well attended with approximately 7500 in attendance.
On Sunday 28th July St John’s Lay Reader took on a very diverse role at the 10.30 am service.
Here he was ringing the bell to call the faithful to worship.
Some of the congregation had a lovely and truly memorable morning walking the outdoor labyrinth at Backhouses. The water feature next to it is also beautiful and calming.
There were beautiful flower arrangements for the Flower Festival. Many grateful thanks to the people that created the arrangements and to the stewards who welcomed visitors to St Columba’s.
If you’d be interested in taking part in a Psalmathon, singing the whole of the Psalter in Gregorian Chant, get in touch with All Saints Church. It will take place on Saturday 10 August, from 1400 onwards
As well as being an achievement, good fun, and good for the voice and the soul, it will help us find and correct errors in the newly pointed Psalter being used at Mattins and Evensong.
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