Hello all.  

This week saw an historic event in the history of the worldwide Anglican Communion.  On Wednesday March 25th  The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally was enthroned as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman to hold the office since St. Augustine in 597 AD.  Should you bump into her at coffee hour you may address her simply as "Your Grace". This marks the formal start of her role as both the leader of the Church of England and the spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion.  A wonderful occasion and a great way to lead us into Holy Week.  This is an important week in the life of our Parish in matters both temporal and spiritual. Please make time for as many events as you can.

 

Palm Sunday.  Sunday March 29th.  The start of Holy Week.  The triumphant arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem.  Join us and be part of the welcoming crowd.

 

A Special Vestry Meeting will be held on Sunday, March 29 immediately following the 10:00 am service. This meeting is to vote on the 2026 budget. Please review the  Strategic Plan to address the projected deficit and the budget which you picked up last Sunday and bring them with you.  A few copies will be available on Sunday. 

 Who is able to vote at Vestry/Special Vestry Meetings?

In every Parish within the Diocese there shall be a Vestry composed of all the baptized members of such Parish who have reached 16 years of age and who for at least three months during the preceding 12 months of the date of the relevant Vestry meeting have been identifiably involved with such Parish with regular worship, fellowship and financial support to that Parish, subject to the certification procedure hereinafter set forth. No person shall be considered to be a member of the Vestry of more than one Parish in the Diocese of Huron at one time, except that a person may be a member of the Vestry of a Parish and also of a Summer Church as hereinafter defined. Each person who wishes to be considered a member of the Vestry of the Parish shall sign a statement of compliance with the provisions of this section at such Vestry meeting upon request. There shall be no participation by proxy at any annual or special meetings of Vestry. (From Canon 18 of the Diocese of Huron)

 

Holy Week at St. Martin-in-the-Fields -  Thank you to all who participated in the Wednesday evening Bible Study, and Thursday morning Eucharist and Bible Study throughout Lent. Both have now concluded.

A number of services and studies will be offered during Holy Week:

The Stations Of The Cross.  Wednesday 1 April 7:00 pm .  Part of the Anglican tradition it follows a pattern established in 1731.  It is a simple service of reflection and prayer. Led by a Prayer Leader and a Cantor, Pilgrims visit 15 stations within the Nave of the Church, progressing from Jesus' condemnation to his death and resurrection.   Please do not let mobility concerns  keep you away.  All of the stations are visible from the pews.

 

Maundy Thursday. Thursday 2 April 7:00 pm.  "Maundy" comes from the Latin "mandatum" meaning "commandment".  This refers to the new commandment Jesus gave his disciples to love one another as I have loved you.  It commemorates the last supper and the arrest of Jesus.  It ends in silence and continues with the Good Friday Service.  

 

Good Friday.  Friday 3 April 10:00 am.  Commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus on the cross.

 

Easter Sunday.  Sunday 5 April 10:00 am.    Celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord.

   

Donations to the Chancel Guild For Eastertide   would be very much appreciated.  Please help with the decorations for Easter.  Envelopes are available in the Narthex.

 

An Update From The Cloak of Kindness Squad.  (From Rev'd Sarah)

The Cloak of Kindness Squad is ready for Holy Week! This past Monday the kids completed a Holy Week Scavenger Hunt that had them exploring the Narthex and Nave. They made connections between what we see in the church and the story of Christ's Passion. Next, the group completed the original STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics ed,]  activity--dying eggs using food colouring, vinegar, oil, and even shaving cream! Food and fun go hand-in-hand with the Squad; this month we coloured cookies with edible markers. Everyone went home with a Holy Week timeline to map out the movements of Jesus as we move towards Easter.

 

New participants are always welcome! Pre-registration is recommended. The Squad meets next on Monday, April 27, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm. We will be celebrating Easter with hands-on activities for ages 4-12. 

 

Altar Flower Invoices for November through February are ready for pickup in the cloakroom mail slots. 

 

Altar Flower Invoice Change  There will be change to how the Altar Flowers will be billed.  Going forward we will send out an email approximately 10 days before you are scheduled to sponsor the Altar Flowers.  We ask that you please bring a cheque for $79.08 on the Sunday before your scheduled date.  Be sure to mark in Altar Flowers. The Flower Calendar is attached.  Please contact the office if you have any questions.  This will take affect with the flowers for April 12

 

St. Martin's, Our History and Our Artifacts.  In going through some correspondence I found a reference to an "Alms Basin".  The dictionary defines it as a large plate on which the total offering received at a church service is presented at the Altar.  Ours was donated by Ian and Dianne McIntosh and was dedicated on Palm Sunday March 31, 1996, almost exactly 30 years ago.  I will no longer refer to it as "the large plate"

 

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 Service 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 as well as hats, mitts and socks. 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.

 

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.

 

The Garlands Need a New Home.  A large box in the cloakroom contains the Garlands which were used to decorate the Chancel at Christmas, complete with bows and pine cones.  In recent years we have simplified the decorations and the Chancel Guild is offering them to a good home at no charge.  A donation as part of your Sunday givings would be appreciated. First come, first served.  

 

 Email and Office Hours Reminder  If you haven't already please change your contacts to our current email address  stmartinslondon@diohuron.org .  The Rogers email address no longer exists. Also our office hours are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.  Emails sent outside these hours will be answered the next business day. 

 

Readings for Passion Sunday in Lent.

Isaiah 50:4-9. Psalm 31:9-16, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 27:11-54

 

And now you know the rest of the Gospel.....

 

See you Sunday.
Ian

Ian Haley 
Editor