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FAITH MATTERS
The Parish Magazine of St.
Faith, Havant with St. Nicholas, Langstone
JANUARY
2005 (Internet Edition)
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From the Rector – New Beginnings
At this time of year we expect to
make new beginnings. Indeed we have a tradition of
making New Year Resolutions, but we rarely keep them for
more than a pitifully short time. As we look at the
political situation we can see promises for a fairer
election in the Ukraine, efforts to re-establish the
power sharing Assembly in Northern Ireland, a date for
‘democratic’ elections in Iraq, a new Government
in Afghanistan, reassurances from the Sudanese
Government that organised gangs of militia will not
continue to harass, murder and ‘ethnically cleanse’
their own population and many more incidents throughout
the world. We look at these affairs with a mixture of
groans, horror and despair, but every now and then there
is a silver lining, a breakthrough that moves the
situation forward. Eventually an uneven peace is
brokered and the world sighs with relief until the next
incident.
So it seems to be, that there is
always the next conflict around the corner and rarely,
if ever, is an issue completely satisfied. The effects
of history run deep and generation after generation hold
onto the wounds of yesteryear. And yet there has been a
great degree of reconciliation between, say Germany and
Britain or between America and Japan after the two
devastating world wars. Most moving are the stories of
individual efforts of reconciliation. We think of the
story of the German and British troops sharing carols,
stories of family and even a game of football on
Christmas day 1914. Even though they had to resort to
murdering each other the following day and the war
continued for another 4 years in which millions
needlessly lost their lives, a small beacon of hope,
however slight, was lit that day.
Another story of reconciliation, from
the Normandy landings of 1944, was revealed at this
summer’s 60th anniversary, during the moving
ceremonies we witnessed. The German battery gunner who
slaughtered countless American marines as they landed on
Omaha beach before finally surrendering was contacted by
one of the surviving Americans. Can you imagine the
intensity of the meeting? The American had every reason
to hate this man and the German likewise, yet they met,
shook hands and exchanged memories.
Against the horror and despair of
war, the enormity of loss and the sheer senselessness of
it all such reconciliation seems small fodder. And let’s
be honest it is. And yet, it is another slight sign of
hope. That somehow, against the backdrop of futile and
utterly selfish greed, there exists the hope and light
of Christ in the hearts of ordinary men and women. Jesus
birth and the search of the Wise Men symbolised and
signified the hope of the world alive in the heart of
God. As we enter a New Year, we continue to search for
that love in the hearts of those around us, near and
far. Let us not lose sight of that hope, and trust that
God will reveal the light amongst the darkness.
As we enter this New Year may God
bless you in your search for His love. Thank you for the
hope and love that you continue to show in your love
towards others and may you always know Christ’s peace
and love within your heart.
David
About The Parish
Last month we looked at the Magi and
the Star of Bethlehem. But something was missing. We
sing that beautiful carol:
"See them bend, their gifts to
offer;
Gifts of incense, gold and myrrh.
Solemn things of mystic meaning;
Incense doth the God disclose;
Gold a royal child proclaimeth;
Myrrh a future tomb foreshows."
What do we know of these gifts? The
ancient world, particularly Persia, was famous for its
goldwork. Frankincense was taken from the bark of the
Boswellia tree and myrrh was an aromatic gum derived
from shrubs and small trees. Mark's Gospel tells us that
when Jesus was dying on the Cross, He declined a drink
of wine mingled with Myrrh, which would have acted as a
sedative. We will never know for certain what gifts were
offered but, given the nature of their journey, almost
certainly the Magi would have taken gifts suitable for a
royal birth.
In the Middle Ages, the Magi featured
greatly in art, sometimes by painters who were reminding
their own monarch of our Lord's sovereignty over mere
kings. In many, the Blessed Mother Mary was depicted as
offering a gift in return. Adrian Gilbert sheds light on
this in his excellent book "Magi The Quest for a
Secret Tradition". He tells us that Matthew was a
Christian Gnostic and that in the Second Century there
was an Apocryphal Gospel which contained the following
story: "And it came to pass, when the Lord Jesus was
born at Bethlehem, a city of Judea, in the time of Herod
the King; the wise men came from the east to Jerusalem,
according to the prophecy of Zoradascht, and brought
with them offerings: namely gold, frankincense and
Myrrh, and worshipped him, and offered to him their
gifts. Then the Lady Mary took one of the swaddling
clothes in which the infant was wrapped, and gave it to
them instead of a blessing, which they received from her
as a most noble present."
It is said that this exchange of
gifts was the reason for the custom of giving presents
at Christmas. In some countries, gifts are not given
until 6 January, the feast of the Epiphany. The gifts of
Jesus are beyond value and this Epiphany we should count
the blessings He gave to mankind. But what gifts do we
give in return? So many in St Faith's give Him in
generous measure their time and talent. Just look around
you at the flowers, which are arranged so beautifully by
Rosemary Thomas and the many ladies with her. Listen to
our organist, Judith Williams, and our lovely choir.
When we were without a Rector, we had to produce a
profile of our church for the information of likely
candidates. It stated that our singing was led by a
single chorister, John Smyth. Happily he still sings
beautifully for us each Sunday, as witnessed by his
charming daughter Caroline on a visit to us last year
from Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
There are so many other people who do
so much for this church, who perhaps do not always get
the recognition and appreciation they deserve, so may I
wish them and everyone at St Faith's a very happy and
prayerful New Year.
Roger Bryant
Why God Created Children (and in the
process, Grandchildren)
To those of us who have children in
our lives, whether they are our own, grandchildren,
nieces, nephews, or students, here is something to make
you chuckle.
Whenever your children are out of
control, you can take comfort from the thought that even
God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children.
After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and
Eve. And the first thing he said was "DON'T!"
"Don't what?" Adam replied.
"Don't eat the forbidden fruit," God said.
"Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve, we
have forbidden fruit !"
"No way!"
"Yes way!" "Do NOT eat the fruit!" said
God. "Why?" "Because I am your Father and I said so!"
God replied, wondering why He hadn't stopped creation
after making the elephants. A few minutes later, God saw
His children having an apple break and He was tickled!
"Didn't I tell you not to eat the
fruit?" God asked. "Uh huh," Adam replied.
"Then why did you?" said the Father. "I don 't
know," said Eve. "She
started it!" Adam said. "Did not!" "Did too!"
"DID NOT!"
Having had it with the two of them,
God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have
children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and it
has never changed.
But there is Reassurance in the
Story!
If you have persistently and lovingly
tried to give children wisdom and they haven't taken it,
don't be hard on yourself. If God had trouble raising
children, what makes you think it would be a piece of
cake for you?
Things to Think About!
1 .
You spend the first two years of their life teaching
them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next
sixteen telling them to sit down and shut up.
2. Grandchildren are God's reward
for not killing your own children.
3. Mothers of teens now know why
some animals eat their young.
4. Children seldom misquote you.
In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you
shouldn't have said.
5. The main purpose of holding
children's parties is to remind yourself that there
are children more awful than your own.
6. We childproofed our homes, but
they are still getting in.
Advice for the Day: Be nice to
your children. They will choose your nursing home
one-day.
And Finally: if you have a lot of
tension and you get a headache, do what it says on the
aspirin bottle: "take two aspirin" and "keep
away from children"
From the autumn edition of ‘Contact’,
the Mothers’ Union Diocesan Magazine
Parish Shop.
For over 30 years the Parish Shop has
raised funds for the ministry of the church. Set up
under the vision of Canon Brown to replace endless
Jumble Sales it grew into a reliable, efficient and
effective means of support to so many. A large team
faithfully supports the efforts of the shop and between
them they enjoy the community and friendship that the
endeavour brings. They have raised well over £300,000
for the running of the church over the 30 years. It is
an incredible effort.
As you all know the woman at the helm
through all of this time has been the amazing Edna
Gommersall (with the faithful and loving support of Tom,
of course). Everyone who knows Edna is struck by her
energy and passion, her flair for organising and her
boundless enthusiasm for the shop. Not only does she run
the shop, but she also oversees its letting to other
charities (who so greatly appreciate the facility as
their ‘big fundraiser’ of the year). Edna always
seizes an opportunity to extend, improve or grow the
shop. If she can assist a customer she will, or at least
find a volunteer who can. Edna is the shop, and all the
volunteers would give their right arm for her (and often
have!).
So where am I going with this? Is she
alright? Yes – she’s fine (apart from a very painful
shoulder). But Edna has decided this is to be her last
year in charge of the shop. As she approaches a
significant birthday she has decided now is the time to
step down. Of course she doesn’t want to. And of course,
you know that in her retirement she will find numerous
ways to keep her resourceful mind active.
But you also know that replacing her
is going to be an impossible task. There is only one
Edna Gommersall, as they say. Yet we owe it to Edna to
allow her to retire with dignity and with our sincerest
gratitude. The best gift we can give Edna is a
continuation of the shop without her. But how are we to
do this?
I desperately need your help. I need
a successor, or team of successors to Edna. Not a
replacement, but a successor as leader of the shop. I
understand that a new leader will need to find new ways
of running the shop. The systems that have worked so
well under Edna’s leadership cannot be easily recreated
under anyone else’s – for one thing are you happy to
have the donations for the shop brought to your house
for sorting, cleaning, storing and pricing? Can you then
bring them to the shop? If so – great! Please give me a
call as soon as you see this!
I suspect that Edna’s contribution is
completely unique, however. Finding a successor will not
be easy, but I am sure you are out there. Please
identify yourself and work with me to build a new way of
running the shop that Edna and we can be proud of. Even
if you simply want to consider what might be involved
get in touch. Together we can work out how the shop can
be run into the future. Clearly I am hoping someone from
the present team will come forward, but perhaps someone
not currently involved may be interested. Go on – have a
go and enable this most valuable, worthwhile and
exciting project the chance to continue for years to
come.
David
Launch of Our New Youth Club
A Youth Club will be launched this
month starting on the 9th January at 6pm. The
group, yet to be named, will meet every other Sunday
evening in the Church Hall for those aged between 9 and
13 years.
Each week there will be a
presentation or theme with an associated activity. Ideas
include juggling, making a banner for the church with
the club’s name on it, making pancakes and training
dogs! There are games and snacks, fun and friendship.
You can even bring a friend with you.
The dates for this term are: January
9th & 23rd, February 6th
& 20th, March 6th & 20th.
Time 6-7:30pm
This is the beginning of a New Day,
God has given me this day to use as I
will.
I can waste it or grow in its light
and be of service to others.
But what I do with this day is
important because I have exchanged a day of my life for
it.
When tomorrow comes today will be gone
forever.
I hope I will not regret the price I
paid for it.
Ruth Prior
A man takes his Rottweiler to the vet
and says, "My dog's cross-eyed, is there anything you
can do for him?" "Well," says the vet, "let's
have a look at him". So he picks the dog up and
examines his eyes, then checks his teeth. Finally, he
says, "I'm going to have to put him down." "What?
Because he's cross-eyed?" "No, because he's really
heavy"
Ant and the Contact Lens (A Modern
Day Parable)
Brenda was a young woman who was
invited to go rock climbing.
Although she was scared to death, she
went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff. In
spite of her fear, she put on the gear, took hold of the
rope, and started up the face of that rock. Well, she
got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she
was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against
Brenda’s eye and knocked out her contact lens. Well,
here she was on a rock ledge, with hundreds of feet
below her and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she
looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on
the ledge, but it just wasn’t there.
Here she was, far from home, her
sight now blurry. She was desperate and began to get
upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to find it.
When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and
her clothing for the lens, but there was no contact lens
to be found. She sat down, despondent, with the rest of
the party, waiting for the rest of them to make it up
the face of the cliff. She looked out across range after
range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that
says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout
the whole earth". She thought, "Lord, You can see
all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and
You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help
me".
Finally, they walked down the trail
to the bottom. At the bottom there was a new party of
climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of
them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a
contact lens?" Well, that would be startling enough,
but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving
slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it. Brenda
told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told
him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the
contact lens, he drew a picture of an ant lugging that
contact lens with the words, "Lord, I don’t know why
You want me to carry this thing. I can’t eat it, and
it’s awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to
do, I’ll carry it for You".
At the risk of being accused of being
fatalistic, I think it would probably do some of us good
to occasionally say, "God, I don’t know why you want
me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it’s
awfully heavy. But, if you want me to carry it, I will".
God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
A true story by Josh and Karen Zarandona
A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under
his arm and says: "A beer please, and one for the
road."
A Jew From Tarsus!
As we saw last month, Paul had left
Damascus, never to return, and, on arriving in
Jerusalem, he quickly made contact with Peter. They
spent some two weeks together. There was one major
difference in their Ministry. Paul made the crucifixion
the centrepiece of his preaching, whereas Peter focused
on the death of Jesus rather than the manner of his
death, probably thinking that people would reject a
Messiah who had died such an ignominious death. Paul
recognised, unlike his contemporaries, that Jesus could
only be the dead Messiah, if He chose to be. He was
sinless and had chosen to die to atone the sins of the
world. He had displayed an extraordinary depth of love
for mankind. As Paul put it, "He loved me, that is,
he gave Himself for me." Time and time again in his
preaching, Paul brought out the significance of the
cross on which Jesus died.
Paul left Jerusalem and his
whereabouts for the next three years are unknown,
although it is thought that he was in Syria and Cilicia.
We next learn of Paul in AD40, when Barnabas recruited
Paul to go to Antioch-on-the-Orontes where hotheads were
using Christianity to stir up civil disorder. Barnabas
was a Jewish Cypriot convert named Joseph who was
nicknamed Barnabas (meaning son of consolation). He had
originally been sent to Antioch-on-the-Orontes (now
Antakya in Turkey) to establish the church in what was
an important city in the region. He quickly gathered
converts but the preaching that Jesus of Nazarus was the
new Messiah caused great hostility with the
predominantly Jewish community. Barnabas returned to
Jerusalem but the fledgling church was soon in trouble,
with the Jews blaming the Christians for the unrest
between the Jews and the Romans. In desperation,
Barnabas turned to Paul to go with him to Antioch to
give the Christians leadership.
Despite the activity of a number of
Jewish hotheads and agitators, things were better than
Paul expected, with much tolerance between the different
communities. The Jews worshipped at their Synagogues but
the Christians were not permitted to meet publicly which
meant that they met in private houses. They did not have
wealthy members with mansions, so their house-churches
would have held small congregations. Nevertheless, there
were many of them.
Barnabas and Paul decided to go on a
missionary tour and Luke reported that it was first to
Cyprus and then on to the southern part of central Asia
Minor. However, modern experts consider that a trip to
Cyprus was unlikely and certainly there is no evidence
of it in Paul's Letters. There were certainly strong
trading links between Antioch and Cyprus and many
expeditions were made between the two, so Luke could
have been confused about Paul's journey on this
occasion. What is known is that Paul and Barnabas
travelled to Antioch-in-Pisidia, passing through Derbe,
Lystra and Iconium, to mention a few of the towns en
route. There was law and order in most towns with a
magistrate exercising authority, although the wealthy
were above the law. Travelling between towns was
extremely dangerous. Remember that there were no
travellers’ cheques or credit cards, so travellers
carried cash, which made them targets for gangs of
brigands. Paul recounts in his Letter to the Corinthians
all the perils, which he encountered:
"Of the Jews, five times received I
forty stripes save one; thrice was I beaten with rods,
once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck; a night
and a day I have been in the deep. In journeying often
in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by
mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils
in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in
the sea, in perils among false brethren. In weariness
and painfulness, in watching often, in hunger and
thirst, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness."
On returning from their successful
missionary work, which saw churches established in the
towns and cities mentioned in this narrative, Barnabas
and Paul fell out. Luke tells us that Paul objected to
Mark joining them but modern experts consider that the
most likely reason was that the two were too forceful
personalities to be compatible for very long. Whatever
the reason, Paul and Barnabas split up but were to unite
again some five years later to challenge some of the
articles of the New Faith emanating from Jerusalem. But
that is in the future, for now Paul set off on a second
missionary expedition to Antioch-in- Pisidia.
This time, Silas and a man who was to
become his closest collaborator and lifetime friend, who
co-wrote six of his Letters, accompanied Paul. This was
Timothy who had been sent by Paul on many missions
including to Corinth, where, to the fury of Paul, he was
very badly treated by the Corinthians. Paul and his two
companions left Antioch-in-Pisidia in about AD46 and
made their way to the Roman Province of Galatia,
arriving there with Paul extremely ill. We can only
speculate on the nature of the illness. His stay was
long and he had time to study the Galatians who were a
pagan and primitive people. There was no Jewish
settlement in Northern Galatia and Paul was probably the
only Jew the people had ever seen. He preached to them
by way of conversations and yet formed a lasting and
strong church in Galatia. In AD48, Paul had a vision in
which a man was beseeching him, "To come to Macedonia
and help us!" And that is where we are going next
month, with Paul, Silas and Timothy.
Roger Bryant
"Doc, I can't stop singing 'The
green, green grass of home'"."That sounds like Tom Jones
syndrome." "Is it common?" "It's not unusual."
Harry Burcher – Havant
Dear Sir, I came across your site
whilst surfing the Internet looking for information on
Havant. I wondered if the attached document would be of
interest for inclusion in your magazine. As you might
have guessed I am researching my family's history and if
there are any Burcher’s still in the Havant area they
might want to get in touch.
Mrs Jennifer Smith, Caerphilly, Mid-Glam |
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My great grandfather Harry Burcher
was born to parents Charles & Lavinia Burcher in Havant
on the 23rd March 1852 and baptised in the church of St.
Faith on 28th April 1852. Siblings George Davey Burcher
(1854), William Burcher (1857), and Lavinia Burcher
(1860) were also born and baptised there too. Charles
Burcher was listed as Tailor of West Street, Havant in
the 1884 Hampshire Directory. Harry Burcher’s profession
was also a Tailor, possibly learnt from his father, and
according to oral family history came to South Wales on
business, met my great grandmother Mary Ann Davies and
stayed. They were married on June 23rd, 1877
and resided in the market town of Caerphilly where Harry
conducted his trade in Manchester House, an old
established firm.
(Should you know of any Burcher’s, I have Mrs Smith’s
address – Ed)
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God grant me the
Serenity to accept the things I
cannot change,
Courage to change the things I
can, and
Wisdom to know the difference.
From the Editor
Here we are at the start of another
year. What will 2005 bring to St. Faith’s? Will we agree
on a plan for the future development of our buildings?
Will we be able to produce a viable financial plan to
implement the development? What will be the topics of
conversation this year for your letters? Will the Youth
Club take off? To find out, read the magazine each
month, as it is the focal point of communications within
the Parish.
Peter Appleby has retired as the
Distribution and Advertising Manager for the magazine
after 25 years. As there were no volunteers from any
parishioners, Beryl has taken on the job but can’t see
herself doing it for 25 years! – we are now going to do
the magazine as a team!
This month is the start of the second
half-century (number 51) for the crosswords compiled by
Sisyphus. They have therefore been produced for over
four years – quite a feat. Sisyphus is to be
congratulated on being able to think up all these
cryptic clues which must be around 1,200. The crosswords
have given many hours of enjoyment (and frustration!) to
a lot of parishioners.
Have you made any New Year
resolutions? Will you be able to keep them? Why not make
one to write an article for ‘Faith Matters’ and keep it!
Hint!
Colin Carter
Parish Epiphany Dinner
For the third year running the annual
Parish Dinner will be held at the Bear Hotel on Thursday
6 January 2005 on completion of the 6.30pm Epiphany
Service.
Burns Supper
There is a Burns Supper at St. Faith’s Church Hall on
Saturday 29 January 2005 from 7pm to 10.30pm. Cost is £6
including a ‘piping’ hot supper, followed by tea
or coffee. Please bring your own drinks and glasses.
A Holiday with a Difference |
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When my husband died we gave the
generous donations received to the Poppy appeal. As a
result, I was invited to be present when HM The Queen
added her poppy to the Field of Remembrance at
Westminster Abbey. During the gathering for refreshments
after the ceremony, I learned of the existence of a firm
called Remembrance Travel. It is associated with the
Royal British Legion and takes parties of "pilgrims"
back to the fields of conflict all over the world. My
husband was a young soldier of 18 in 1942 when the
battle for Italy began. Like many old soldiers, he did
not talk much about that horrendous time. Now, I feel I
would like to learn more about that part of his life I
did not share. I therefore decided to join the
expedition to Southern Italy this year. My sister in law
came with me.
We were thoughtfully issued with a list of people
coming, so that we could be in touch with anyone from
the same town/locality. We flew to Rome, one group from
Heathrow and one from Gatwick. Then there was a two and
a half-hour coach ride |
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down the coast to Gaeta. The
hotel we stayed in has its own beach as well as a heated
swimming pool. The weather was beautifully warm in mid
September. Mid-week there was a cracking good storm with
a tropical downpour of rain. The accommodation was
comfortable and the surroundings pleasant and litter
free! The bins were emptied noisily and uncommonly early
which left us giggling rather hysterically.
Good care was taken of us, with a doctor and nurse in
attendance. We had an excellent commentary, by an
ex-officer who knew not only about the campaign, but the
history and the geography of the area as well. There
were outings organised daily. We visited the beautifully
tended war cemeteries at Caserta, where Gen. Alexander
had his HQ in the Palace, and Salerno, where the
fighting took place in and around the steep hilly
terrain. The coach took us through tunnels under the
hills with here and there a glimpse of azure blue sea.
How different it was in 1942/3. At Anzio the German
Tiger tanks proved superior to our Shermans and we
sustained very heavy losses. Apparently the soldiers
were also short of food and killed sheep to eat.
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"Cats whisker" radios were used to
keep in touch with the world - not in the same league as
the mobile 'phones of to-day! We also saw the American
and Polish cemeteries. Each country has its own style of
commemoration. British graves are planted like English
gardens, with roses and lavender. The American
equivalent is geometrically perfect with the crosses
laid out in concentric arcs and a building housing a
depiction of the battles. There I met a lady from the
USA and I thanked her that her country had come to our
aid in wartime! The Polish dead are remembered with
crosses each of which is hung about with a Rosary. Gen.
Anders had requested to be brought back here to be
interred. In Monte Cassino cemetery we had a Service at
the foot of the central memorial. A Standard Bearer
travelled with us and an Anglican priest came to join us
from Rome. A trumpeter from the Italian Navy rendered
the traditional tribute. The Veterans in the party, all
very elderly now, wore their hard- earned medals and
Regimental headwear. They marched from the entrance to
the Memorial. I feared someone may succumb to the heat,
and was very relieved when the sun went obligingly
behind a cloud at the appropriate time. It was a very
poignant and moving occasion. To see all those graves
and try to absorb the enormity of the death toll is
awful in the true sense of the word - SO MANY AND SO
YOUNG! |
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Afterwards we journeyed by coach via the
steep hairpin bends, to the Abbey. How this hill was
ever captured beggars belief. The Allied bombing of the
Abbey was controversial. It has now been completely
restored to its former glory. White doves fly around the
cloisters and the courtyard gardens. The church is a
wonder of white stone, gold and colour. The Benedictine
monks were singing Compline as we arrived in mid
afternoon. It was a profound spiritual experience for
those able to climb a daunting number of steps. |
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I met some lovely people during the
week. One lady, a war widow, was with her daughter who
had never seen her father. He died with a picture of his
baby girl. The mother used a walking stick presented by
Prince Charles. He had had all the war widows to
Highgrove for the day, talking to every one and giving
them a memorable, enjoyable time. Several old gentlemen
in the group were accompanied by their sons. One man was
looking for his brother's grave, and yet two more
brothers had brought their young sister with them. The
Royal British Legion representatives went out of their
way to accommodate special requests. One day the coach
driver negotiated very narrow streets so that one chap
could revisit the ridge where he fought for his life 60
years ago. A butcher since the war, his daughter had
paid for the trip, which moved him greatly.
I learned so much from my
"holiday". I had not realised what a formidable
range of mountains the Apennines is. There are steep
gullies and much bare rock and scrub. When our "boys"
were there the weather was not warm and sunny, but
bitterly cold and wet. One tried hard to imagine the
coast road crowded with army traffic, keeping the troops
supplied and moving many men. All this was happening to
the accompaniment of heavy gunfire from our ships off
shore and the German defensive positions ahead. We have
all seen film footage, and heard the commentaries, but
to go and "feel" the surroundings is a salutary
experience. The noise, the smells, the dreadful sights -
it is no wonder the men who served, wanted to forget. We
put our sprays of poppies on graves where the young men
were "known only unto God" and gave such grateful
thanks that our husbands had survived where so many
thousands had not.
Joan Medley
(The campaign in Southern Italy
lasted from 3 September 1943, when British and Canadian
troops crossed the Straits of Messina from Sicily to the
mainland of Italy, until 4 June 1944, when the first
Allied troops entered Rome. During this campaign and in
the subsequent period of garrison duties, just over
20,250 members of the Commonwealth forces laid down
their lives in Southern Italy. They are buried in eleven
war cemeteries at: Bari, Salerno, Naples, Caserta,
Minturno, Sangro River, Moro River (Canadian) at Ortona,
Beach Head at Anzio, Anzio, Cassino and Rome.)
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Parish Share 2005
In September’s edition of the
Pompey Chimes", the diocesan 2005 draft budget was
published. The proposed budget for 2005 is £4,636,849,
which, after subtracting offset and other income, means
parishes will be asked to find £3,415,998 in their
parish share, an increase of 6.54 per cent on 2004.
The system of calculating the amount
each parish pays has been updated by using the 2001
census information. This means that, although the
overall increase in parish share across the diocese is
6.54 per cent, some parishes will be asked for 10 per
cent more as the new calculations are phased in, while
others will be asked for virtually no increase at all.
This reflects that the wealth of some parishes has
changed up or down based on current information rather
than the 1991 census.
In 1992 the diocesan synod asked the
board of finance to come up with a way by which
wealthier parishes paid more per capita than poorer
ones. With the help of statisticians at Portsmouth
University, a method was devised by which information
from the census could be used to calculate a
socio-economic score of between 0.5 and 1.5 for each
parish. This is then multiplied by the average
attendance in a church over a rolling ten-year period to
establish a figure on which to calculate the share.
Using the census information avoided the need for
parishes to conduct their own "census" of
parishioners each year.
For 2005 St. Faith’s socio-economic
score (SES) based on the 2001 census is 1.066 compared
to 1.165 on the 1991 census. This means that our parish
share for 2005 is £35,490, compared to £36,208 for 2004,
a reduction of £718, or 1.98 per cent.
Here is a comparison for the Havant Deanery for 2005:
|
Parish Area |
SES Score |
Attendance |
Share |
Per Head |
|
Havant
(2004) |
1.066
(1.165) |
108
(108) |
£35,490
(£36,208) |
£328.61
(£335.26) |
|
Cowplain |
1.097 |
189 |
£63,913 |
£338.16 |
|
Crookhorn |
0.843 |
118 |
£25,259 |
£214.06 |
|
Purbrook |
0.909 |
106 |
£29,702 |
£280.21 |
|
Portsdown |
1.146 |
117 |
£41,332 |
£353.26 |
|
Rowlands Castle |
1.305 |
82 |
£32,987 |
£402.28 |
Extra Parochial Giving 2004
Each year we make donations to individual charities.
For 2004, the PCC selected the following:
|
IDWAL |
500 (Father Felix in Ghana) |
|
Mission to Seafarers |
200 |
|
Overseas Missionary Fund |
200 (Rod and Glenda Thomas in
Japan) |
|
International Children’s Trust
|
150 |
|
Emmaus |
200 |
|
Mercy Ships |
200 |
|
Total |
£1,450 |
Note that Christian Aid has already
received a donation by a generous reduction in hiring
charges for the use of our Hall in May when we lose
income from bookings that we cannot take in the two-week
period.
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Congratulations to Ann Buckley on
being elected as a councillor for the Battins and
Bondfields division for Hampshire County Council.
(Picture: Jonathan Brady – The News
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The children preparing for Christingle on
Tuesday 30 November at St. Faith’s Church |
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Taken From a CV
Wholly responsible for two (2) failed financial
institutions.
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Back to Magazine |
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