Hello all.
Last Saturday was a beautiful sunny day. Nancy and I enjoyed our stroll through the churches (and shops) of Wortley Village. We met people we knew in each of the churches we visited and learned something new at each one. St. James Westminster Anglican has a memorial garden now where ashes can be spread. Wesley- Knox United Church has a stained glass window commemorating the first meeting of the Salvation Army in Canada. Many of you may know of the plaque in Market Lane but the actual first meeting took place at Wesley-Knox. Elmwood Presbyterian, for those of you who have never seen one is a proper Kirk and worth the visit. Unfortunately we ran out of time before we got to St. Martin's Roman Catholic Church. Another day perhaps.
After filling out the appropriate forms in triplicate Management has approved the request for a new laptop. This will happen next week and may result in a delay or no Midweek News, depending on how long it takes to transition the files. We will advise. In the meantime let's get on with it.
Remembrance Sunday. St. Martin of Tours was a soldier and it is entirely appropriate his feast day is November 11th. It is also appropriate we mark Remembrance Day as part of our Sunday Service. It very closely resembles the graveside service which until recently grieving relatives and friends were unable to attend as service personnel were buried where they fell. The haunting sounds of the "Last Post" signalling the posts are set for the night and the gates are closed. It signifies death and the end of earthly life. This is followed by the Lament, traditionally "The Flowers of the Forest", which laments the loss of the flower of youth. Finally the stirring call of the "Rouse", the first bugle call of the day, signifying the resurrection and new life. The Act of Remembrance is from the poem "For the Fallen" by Laurence Binyon. Written in 1914 it should be read in the context of the rest of the poem and the time, not unlike scripture. I have attached additional thoughts on Remembrance Day. On Sunday Veterans may wish to wear their medals. There is also a tradition of wearing the medals of loved ones on the right side.
The 186th Synod the the Diocese of Huron met on October 24 & 25 at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. St. Martin's parish representatives for the proceedings were Rev'd Sarah and Norma Chicoine, Lay Delegate to Synod. Sarah+ and Norma have summarized key-points from the gathering in a report that is attached.
The Schedule. It's a busy month so here is the schedule of upcoming events. Additional details will be provided but mark down these dates.
Parish Council Meeting. The next meeting of Parish Council will be Monday November 17, 2025 at 7:00 pm. Please contact Ian Haley if you need a ride.
Reception For The Bishop of Huron. Bishop Todd will be both the Celebrant and the Preacher when he visits on November 23rd to help St. Martin's mark our 70th year. While there will be some formality to the service there will be an opportunity after for the Bishop and Congregation to mingle in a more casual atmosphere. The plan is to hold a reception after the service with coffee, tea and goodies. The maestro of the coffee grinder, Vince Chicoine will be serving up his excellent coffee but we could do with some assistance with the goodies. If you are whipping up something could you whip up a few more and bring them in? There will be one of our famous sign up lists on the Narthex table starting this Sunday. Above all, bring yourselves and a friend.
St. Martin's Brunchers. Martin’s Brunchers had an enjoyable “brunch” in October with 8 members of the parish gathering at the Gaggling Goose. For November, we will be gathering on Wednesday, November 19 at 10:00 a.m. at Pur and Simple. This restaurant is located in the small plaza, to the east, across from Masonville Mall and close to Wendy’s. If you would like to participate but need some help with transportation please call the church or contact Larry and Janice Chisholm (lchisholm@rogers.com; 519-657-5279). Looking forward to seeing everyone.”
St. Martin's, Our History and Our Artifacts. The first Services of St. Martin-in-the-Fields parish were held Sunday November 6, 1955 with Holy Communion celebrated in a chapel constructed in the basement of the Rectory and Evensong at Riverside Public School. To commemorate our beginnings on Sunday November 16, 2025 we will celebrate Holy Communion at 10:00 am and Evensong at 4:00 pm. Come and enjoy both events.
St. Paul's Social Services -Thank you for your generous donations . This news item never goes away because hunger never goes away St. Paul's Social Services is an outreach program, a part of which is the St. Paul's Food Bank. Your generous donations help support it. Look for the bin in the cloakroom marked "St. Paul's Food Bank". Food of all descriptions should be the first priority. Please give what you can. In addition to food, toiletries, especially in small sizes are always useful. Monetary donations are also well received as it lets them buy items which are needed but not always donated or they buy in bulk. Like everyone else they are being hit by the rising price of food. Please make cheques payable to St. Paul's Social Services. Tax receipts will be issued directly by St. Paul's Social Services. For the moment please do not donate containers as they are in discussions with the local Health Inspectors on their use.
Church Calendars are now available on the table in the Narthex. The cost is $7.00. Exact Change is appreciated. Please call the office if you wish to have one put aside for you.
We Are Collecting Egg Cartons. Annele Robertson has a friend who can use egg cartons for......eggs! Drop them off in the cloakroom and Annele will pick them up.
Milk Bag Collection is Back. The ladies are back to making mats. Please bring in your milk bags and put them in the marked box in the Cloakroom
Email Address Please check that you have our correct email address in your contacts. It is stmartinslondon@diohuron.org . The old email address is no longer supported, and we will be losing access to it soon. Also, if you change your email address, please let us know so we can update our records.
Readings for Remembrance Sunday
Wisdom 3:1-9, Psalm 116:1-8, 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 11:21-27
Parish Family Circle of Prayer – As we gather this week we pray for the following members of our congregation and their families.
Sanfrid & Sandria Aris Aidan & Sarah Armstrong Chris & Susan Arscott
See you Sunday.
Ian
Ian Haley
Church Warden