Today is Palm Sunday which marks the start of Holy Week.
We are very excited that we have Archbishop Justin and the Community of St Anselm here in the deanery to help mark it.
Key dates for your diary:
Palm Sunday 10 April, 6 p.m., St Mary’s in the town centre: ‘Sharing our Story’ launch event with Archbishop Justin speaking.
Holy Wednesday 13 April: Archbishop Justin spends a day in Ashford Town Parish – including Mid-Week Communion at Kennington (11:15am; refreshments served from 10:30am) and Make-Lunch at St Francis (fully booked).
Maundy Thursday 14 April, 7.30 p.m. at St Peter and St Paul, Charing: Deanery Maundy Thursday service, with Archbishop Justin preaching and presiding.
Good Friday 15 April, St Mary’s Community Centre, Rylands Road, Kennington, 10am, Stations of the Cross, followed by Hot Cross Buns.
Good Friday 15 April, 12 noon, Willesborough church: Archbishop Justin joins the service and then walks with the cross to Sevington.
Good Friday 15 April, 2 p.m., Great Chart church: Archbishop Justin leads the reflection for the ‘Hour at the Cross’.
Holy Saturday, 16 April, 12 noon–3 p.m., town centre Bandstand / St Mary’s in the town centre: lots of activities going on, including some for children and families, with Archbishop Justin present and available to meet people and to speak.
Holy Saturday, 16 April, 8 p.m., St Mary’s in the town centre: Easter Vigil, Confirmation and First Eucharist of Easter, with Archbishop Justin preaching and presiding.
EASTER SUNDAY DAWN SERVICE
SEVINGTON CHURCH
5:45 am on Easter Sunday, 17 April 2022
Saturday 23rd April
10:00am-1:00pm
Willesborough church
This meeting is open to everyone on the Electoral Roll of any church in the Ashford Town Parish.
Please come along to share in discussions and plans for the future of our parish.
Refreshments will be available.
HOW RACE NIGHT WORKS
Each race will have 4 runners, they will ‘parade’ 10 minutes before each race to enable you to place your bets.
Each race will be run over 20 ‘furlongs’, the manner of reaching the end will be determined by the ‘jockeys’ rolling the dice and the fiendish rules put in place by the steward, whose decision is final. The start will be determined by who throws the highest number die before the race.
We will need volunteer ‘horses’ and ‘jockeys’, please see the steward to put your name forward. The first race will be run by our volunteers to show you how it will work.
Prizes will be awarded to those who hold a winning ticket/s, all races are to WIN only. Half of all monies bet will go to the Friends and half in prizes, to be divided equally by the winners.
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The event runs on 28, 29, 30 April and 6, 7, 8 May 2022
17 April – Putting the Puff Back in the Organ Third Sunday Concerts:
3.00pm Doors open and refreshments available
3.30pm Short Organ Recital
4.00pm Festal Choral Evensong
Free admission. Retiring collection to help raise vital funds for the refurbishment of the organ.
23rd April 2022 – St Mary’s Willesborough – St George’s Day Celebration – 7.00 pm – Dancing to Contraband – For more details please contact the parish office – info@ashfordchurches.co.uk or 01233 620433
23rd April 2022 – St Mary’s Community Centre, Rylands Road, Kennington – 7:00pm – St George’s Day Supper – Tickets £8 to include a 2 course meal and entertainment (bring your own drinks). Please sign up on the sheet at Kennington church or contact Pam Paddy on 879716 or email mrp.pfp@talktalk.net
23rd April 2022 – Christ Church Community Hall – Ashford Theatre Society present Encore, anevening of Musical Theatre – in memory of Mr Tim Bomback and in aid of The Pilgrims Hospice and WaterAid – to book, visit https://ashfordtheatre.com/ or call 01233 280310
Every Saturday – 10 am – 12 noon – Community Cafe, St Mary’s Ashford.
Every Monday to Friday 9.00 am – 1.00 pm – in inSpire Café, St Mary’s Willesborough.
MAY 2022
14th May 2022 – St Mary’s Willesborough = Richard Harrington – Magician – 7.30 pm – For more details please contact the parish office: info@ashfordchurches.co.uk or 01233 620433
15th May 2022 – St Mary’s Ashford – “Putting the Puff Back in the Pipes” – Third Sunday Concerts – 3.30 pm – The Two Sopranos – Admission £5.00 minimum – Doors Open at 3.00 pm. Refreshments available. This concert helps to raise vital funds for the refurbishment of the organ. For More details and a flyer for this concert series, please contact the parish office at info@ashfordchurches.co.uk
Every Saturday – 10 am – 12 noon – Community Cafe, St Mary’s Ashford.
Every Monday to Friday 9.00 am – 1.00 pm – in inSpire Café, St Mary’s Willesborough.
For events in June and beyond, please click on the button below:
In our parish:
We pray for our Archbishop, Justin, as he join us for Holy Week.
We pray for the members of the Community of St Anselm (COSA), who will accompany the Archbishop to Ashford.
We pray for all those offering accommodation to COSA members.
We pray for everyone involved in organising events, services and meals for the Archbishop and members of COSA.
Collect: Almighty and everlasting God, who in your tender love towards the human race sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ to take upon him our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross: grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. AMEN
Bible readings:
Isaiah 50.4-9a; Philippians 2.5-11;Luke 22.14-23 or Luke 23.1-49
Diocesan Reflection:
[re: 2 Samuel 9. 1-13 ] Lord, you call us to care. To care, even when our hearts are breaking with grief. Even when we stand on the very brink of the valley of the shadow of death You wait and you watch, on the high ground of our lives, at the fringes, in the unexpected deep-down places, and you offer us the strength to reach out from our own sorrow to find another who weeps. In simple broken bread, a banquet is shared. A gift is given and received. We learn afresh what it means to reach out across the chasm. Sometimes it takes us time to let go, time to turn back against the rushing tide of our lives, to see the need we can help to fill. Call us to take the time. To see in the eyes of the other your unmeasurable gift.
(Reflection written by Primrose Northrop - Calendar of Prayer Co-ordinator)
