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21 November 2020

The following documents have been received. Please ‘click to read the PDF’:

Diocesan Safeguarding Office 

The Diocese of Plymouth’s Safeguarding Team is available on:

(01364) 645430 or by email on: safeguarding@prcdtr.org.uk

Safe Spaces

The Safe Spaces team is there for those who have experienced church-related abuse of any kind through its helpline and live chat service between Monday–Saturday 10am-6pm, apart from Thursdays when the service is open 12-8pm.

Tel:         0300 303 1056

Email:      safespaces@victimsupport.org.uk

LiveChat:  www.SafeSpacesEnglandandWales.org.uk

Website:   www.SafeSpacesEnglandandWales.org.uk

SALT Southwest

“Sexual Abuse Listening Therapy”

142 Union Street,
Plymouth,
Devon,
PL1 3HL

EMAIL:  email@saltsouthwest.co.uk
PHONE:  01752 600599

Operation Emotion (for men who have been sexually abused)

Telephone helpline:  07539 810096 or 07837 321514.  Email: opem@pm.me

Women’s Centre Cornwall  (run by women for women)

Tel: 01208 77099                 Email: admin@womencentrecornwall.org.uk

Sexual Assault Referral Centre

Tel: 03003034626                Website: https://www.archelp.co.uk

First Light (for those who experienced abuse and violence)

Helpline: 0300 777 4777     Email: info@firstlight.org.uk

Survivor Pathway

An online resource at: https://www.survivorpathway.org.uk/Devon

My house overlooks the Seaton Wetlands and I often see birdwatchers in various part of the marshes.

They are truly remarkable people,; not just for the enthusiasm for their hobby, but also for all of the preparation which they do.  Getting the right clothes and equipment.  Being in good shape.  Trekking out into inhospitable territory.  Developing keen sight.  Watching.  Staying awake and alert .  Being ready.

But when the moment comes and the call arrives which says that a special bird has been spotted, all the preparation and waiting make sense.  All the talking and reading about birds, all the getting up early, sitting in the rain, being bitten by insects, becomes worthwhile.

Now, the early Church had a problem.  The first Christians had been taught and believed in the coming of a new age which would transform everything.  A few verses before today’s passage starts, this is depicted as the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.  However, this hadn’t happened, and the more time that passed, the greater the problem.  The gospel of John may be thought to have solved this problem by understanding the return of Jesus as the coming of the Spirit he’d promised.  But the other three Gospels take a different view, and hold on to the expectation of Jesus coming again in power when he brings in the fullness of God’s reign at the end of time.

This expectation, as Mark has described it, outlines various historical, natural and cosmic events that must first take place, but always emphasises, the need for the followers of Jesus to keep alert and awake, and to be prepared.

The reason for being prepared, we are told, is that from a human point of view, we just cannot know when all of this will take place.  Jesus himself is reported as saying that only God the Father was privy to this information.  And of course, just as a bird watcher would miss a rare bird if he or she wasn’t prepared for its coming, so too would the unprepared Christian miss the second coming.  A coming which is described here in a way which says that what is to happen will affect the whole of creation and will be cosmic in its significance.  And a picture which has been influenced by descriptions of the “day of the Lord” in the Hebrew scriptures, as well as the vision which Daniel was given with respect to the “Son of Man, coming in clouds”.

So we have a dramatic picture of a cosmic closure to time, and a collection of stories and sayings whose purpose was to make sure that disciples will wait and watch and continue to trust in Jesus, above all by staying awake and alert.  In verse 34 of t reading Jesus is reported as saying “it is like”.  So I think we can be fairly sure that at least as much in Mark’s time as our own, those who heard the stories would also hear them as poetic language used to describe the indescribable.  But the essential message for them was “Beware!  Keep alert.  Something important is about to happen!”  And this very same message is also meant for us, today.

Throughout history, the people of God have longed for this time.  They have lived through fears and disappointments.  Many early Christians thought the new age was near, and groups of them got rid of their possessions in preparation for the predicted day.  But it didn’t come as they expected.  And still the disciples were told to keep on  watching, longing, hoping, staying alert, and waiting.

And you know, when you think about it, there’s a great deal of  waiting in the Bible.  Waiting for exodus from slavery in Egypt.  Waiting to return from exile .  Waiting for the rebuilding of Jerusalem.  Waiting for the coming of the Messiah, the coming of the kingdom, and the return of Jesus.  God’s people hope for salvation and the hope becomes a part of their story.  We have to try to understand why God so often doesn’t seem to hear.  Why evil and suffering often appear to dominate us.  Is God angry?  Is it our sin?  And yet we are told that God is faithful.  The evil will be judged and the suffering redeemed.

Perhaps in some way it’s the waiting that’s important.  Maybe it’s in looking for the Kingdom of God and trying to live by its ways that disciples are to become the people God hopes for.  Those who will first of all seek the Kingdom of God and its ways of mercy peace and justice.  As we hunger and thirst for righteousness so we become a people more just and fair.  As we desire that time when all can be loved, so we begin to love our neighbours as ourselves.

So perhaps what we should take from all of this is the importance of our desire to be drawn ever more deeply into the ways of God and the mystery of Jesus Christ.  Given the importance of the waiting, maybe this being drawn in is one of the ways in which we should prepare ourselves as we wait.

And just how do we do this?  Well, first of all, of course we have to be serious about our faith.  There may be a great deal about it which is beyond us just now and so there may be large chunks of it which makes us feel frustrated and angry.  This has certainly been my experience.  But perhaps we are not even in this position, and for us being a Christian means little more than behaving reasonably and putting in the odd attendance at church. But if this is the case then ask yourself if you can honestly say that you never have the occasional, all be it, fleeting, thought about the meaning of life, Jesus, and all that stuff.  There are you are, you see.  You are in the position of wanting to want, which is just one step behind wanting.

But for all of us, the first stage is to ask God to draw us ever more deeply into his life. He will do this, but it probably won’t be by means of a thunderbolt.  So keep your eyes and ears open for ways in which he will answer your prayer.  When you pray, coincidences often happen.  You may feel drawn to speak to somebody.  To read something.  To visit somebody. Perhaps you will feel a strong desire to change the way in which you do something.  Maybe your daily routine needs changing.  But respond to these things in faith, and as you respond so other things will begin to connect with them.  God is indeed answering your prayer and perhaps the miracle is that he is doing it through the common occurrences of everyday life.

So, perhaps we need to hold together the teaching which we find in  Mark’s Gospel with that which we find in the Gospel of St. John. Time will end.  God’s kingdom in all its glory will arrive.  But as we wait and try to do his will; as we co-operate with him and allow ourselves to be drawn ever more deeply into his life then Jesus, through the Spirit, comes to us now.

“Maranatha. Come quickly, Lord Jesus,”

Amen

by Jeny Butler

With acknowledgement to ‘The Book of Axminster’ by Angela Dudley and our own church records, some of which might be open to reinterpretation. (first published in the church magazine Issue 18, Autumn 2017)

In the 16^th Century, the manor of Axminster was acquired by the Catholic Petre family and added greatly to what was already their large ownership of land in the West Country.  In far-away Essex, Robert Petre was born in 1742 and  became the head of his wealthy family, succeeding to the title as 9^th Baron Petre.

Fear and some animosity were shown nation-wide towards Catholics in the 18th and early 19th century, exemplified by the Gordon Riots of 1780. However Lord Petre in Essex was both the senior Roman Catholic layman in England and, for a year, Grand Master of the nation’s Freemasons.

Amos Callard, an attorney, was Steward of the Petre estate in Axminster and Hilary House was built for him in 1761.   In 1763 he sold it to his successor John Knight, another attorney who added a chapel and brought a Catholic priest to live with him and his family. Mass was celebrated at Hilary House for nearly seventy years. Meanwhile responsibility for the estate had passed to others, the last but one being Henry Knight an Axminster solicitor who, in 1790, built as his main residence Terrace Lodge (now known as Pippins) on the Lyme Road.

In 1801 both John Knight and Lord Petre died. John’s son William moved into Hilary House, his widowed mother Sarah living with him until at least 1850.   In 1861 the house was demolished and re-built, occupied in succession by two retired senior naval officers and then, approximately 1902-1939 by a last family resident, William Henry Barns Knight.    

After the Catholic Emancipation Act was passed in 1829, Axminster’s first Catholic Church since the Reformation was built. Several members of the Knight family funded the construction and Henry and his brother Charles covenanted £73 towards the £80 stipend for the priest.  St Mary’s Catholic Church opened for public worship on the Feast of the Assumption 1831.   Henry died on 10^th May 1858 aged 79.

Henry Knight’s eldest son was also named Henry. He was educated at Stonyhurst and from 1853 lived at Cloakham House until his death in 1894.  He was the main benefactor when in 1861 the original church was pulled down and replaced by the present building.

The adjoining school was at that time built as just one room measuring 25ft by 20ft..  The first occupant of the new presbytery was Father John Toohey, who served the church for 37 years and is buried close to the west wall. Particular family benefactors of the church include Mary Loveridge (died 1886), who donated the Sacred Heart statue, and Emily Mary Frances Langran, who donated the Stations of the Cross.

The Knights in Axminster were a very respected and influential family.  After the new church was built, many members of the Knight family were buried in the churchyard and several windows in the church are dedicated to their memory. Three plaques are also seen in the Minster church.

Julia Frances Knight was sacristan for many years and lived with her sister Mary in Loretto Cottage, opposite the church in Lyme Road.   On Julia’s death in 1902, at her express wish, a community of teaching nuns of the Sisters of Charity occupied her cottage and took charge of the school. They were succeeded by Sisters of Mercy in 1910, who in their turn left in 1924.   The last descendant of the Knight family to live in the parish was Aidan Charlesworth born in 1933.  He was a grandson of Emily Langran and latterly Treasurer of St Mary’s School.  Several parishioners in the parish will remember Aidan before he died in 2004.

Hilary House was sold and pulled down in 1972, and since replaced with a development of spacious bungalows. After 17 years of country life on the edge of Axminster, we now have the joy of living in the grounds of Hilary House with a small stone garden building which may be the only standing part of the original house. From our bungalow we can walk in the footsteps of the Knight family to St Mary’s church.   I can sit in my garden imagining how it would have changed over the last 250 years and give thanks for the energy and resourcefulness of the Knight family who brought the Catholic faith to our doorsteps.

If you love someone very much then you feel their pain and their joy don’t you? When somebody hurts your children, then they hurt you. And when something good happens to your children, well, you share that as well. It’s as though whatever is done to them is also done to you.

Now, in the parable which we’ve just heard, Jesus said to some people who thought they didn’t know him; “Welcome, come in; whatever you did for my followers, for those whom I love, you’ve done for me”

But he also said to some people who thought that they did know him; “Off you go, I don’t know you. You neglected my friends, and that’s exactly the same as ill-treating me.”

What Jesus is saying is easier for us to understand when we think of how we are affected by the joy and the pain of someone whom we love. Jesus is so closely identified with his followers that their lives are one with his. And this remains the case today.

Now, some Christians try to tie Jesus down. They put him into a little box marked “Church. Only to be opened on Sundays”.

And some want to go even further than this. They want to claim that although Jesus is present in Church, he’s more fully present in a particular kind of church.

I know some Catholics who think they have a direct line to God in a way which the rest of us don’t. But I also know some Protestants who view the Roman Catholic Church as a place to avoid if you love the Lord. 

And of course, both groups of people have got it wrong, because God is much bigger than anything we could possibly imagine.

Do you really think we can ensure that God only reveals himself to a particular type of person? You know, to people who live fairly decent lives. Who as a rule don’t cheat and steal. People who follow the rules pretty much. People like us?

Or, do you really think that God will make himself known in only one particular way? So that unless your experience of Jesus conforms to a particular pattern, then, sorry, but you’re on the outside.

Well, I don’t believe that; because we can’t control the Holy Spirit.

And so, you see, we mustn’t try to lock Jesus up, or make him conform to our expectations. Christ will be present today in ways which are plain to see, but also in ways which are hidden.

Because He’s a God of love then we’ll be able to see Him very clearly in those who are sick, or poor. But, we’re all made in the image of God, and so we shouldn’t be surprised at his presence in people whom we might think are the most unlikely candidates.

And so we’ll find Him at work in those people whom we might normally choose to avoid. You see, today’s parable teaches that Jesus is made present through every good and loving action.   

There’ll be surprises when we leave this world. Think back to the parable. Many who said “Lord, Lord” were told they didn’t know Jesus. And many who said they didn’t know Jesus were actually quite surprised to be told that they did. They knew Him through their loving actions.

Now, you’re free to take today’s Gospel reading about the Last Judgement as literally as you like. But I think what Jesus is telling us here is that the most important thing, as far as God is concerned, is that we shall know him as we respond to each other in love.

I believe our judgement is actually taking place now, through every minute of our lives, and I think that a good way of looking at this judgement is to see it as a kind of “shaping” process.  What we finally become will be determined by the way in which we live our lives now, as they’re unfolding. Every loving action takes us closer to Jesus and every act of neglect separates us from Him.

Today is the last Sunday of the Christian year, and we quite rightly celebrate it as the feast of Christ the King.  We joyfully acknowledge Christ as King.  We believe he’s enthroned as the King of heaven.  As King and God we pay him homage and worship him, but at the heart of the Kingdom is his mocking on the cross.

 Jesus stood the meaning of Kingship and the meaning of the Kingdom itself, on its head.  He celebrated with the wrong people, offered peace and hope to the wrong people, and warned the wrong people of God’s coming judgment. And it cost him his life.

Jesus was crucified because he was and is, the King of love.  This was his royal task.  This is what he came to do.  The mocking and the humiliation form the centre of what it all meant, and it’s the reason why the cross gives faith and hope to all Christians.  This is what it looks like when God’s love is acted out to the full.  This is how the Kingdom comes at last.  And his true royalty shines out in his prayer and his promise.  Traditionally, martyrs died cursing their executioners; Jesus prayed for their forgiveness.  Like a King on the way to his enthronement Jesus promised a place of honour to the thief who asked for it.

As Christians we have the enormous privilege of knowing that all of our puny efforts are united to the victory of God in Christ, and that this makes them acceptable to God in  a way which we can barely understand.

I think this is the basis for the Church’s teaching of a kind of healing for us, which will take place after we die. A time, if we can call it that, when we shall understand that we still have a little growing up to do before we can endure full exposure to the burning brightness of the Holy God.

 St. Paul says:

“Now we see a poor reflection as in a mirror, but then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know fully, even as I am known. And now these three remain; faith, hope and love But the greatest of these is love.” That’ll do for me. How about you?   Amen. 

An important lesson we can draw from the parable of the talents that we‘ve just heard is that if we don’t use an ability which we’ve been given, then it won’t be very long before that gift is taken away.  If we don’t use it then we’ll lose it.

The parable compares life in the service of God to business life.  It compares the use of everything that we have and do, in God’s service with the use of a financial loan in order to make a profit for the investor.

The reason the master is furious with the third slave, is that, for a businessman, the whole point of money is its use to make more money. As far as an Investment banker is concerned, money which is just hoarded or buried, might as well be thrown away.

In the same way, said Jesus, God’s gifts to us are to be spent and put into circulation. Our abilities are to be given away in God’s service, in order to become the source of further blessings for others and for ourselves. God is like the master in this story.  He expects returns from the gifts he’s made.  If we just try to preserve them, we shall lose them.

In order even to keep his talent the servant had to risk it.  He didn’t risk it and he lost it.  Likewise, all that God gives us is to be risked in his service.  Every new step in God’s service is a risk, but if we stand still, paralysed by the fear of failure, then in fact, we shall lose even what we have.   

Jesus summed this up when he said “Those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

And so, it’s a part of our Christian journey to think about the way God would expect us to use the talents we’ve been given. But where do we begin?

Well, let’s concentrate on those gifts which we call “gifts of the Spirit”; an area which causes so much confusion.  We all tend to think that spiritual gifts are rather special  things which God gives to holy people in order that we might look up to them and, learn to be a bit more spiritual ourselves. But this is about as far from the truth as we can get.

In a letter to the Christians at Corinth St. Paul gave a lengthy list of gifts, because it seemed to him as though the Corinthian Christians were placing great emphasis on spectacular gifts like speaking in tongues, healing powers and miracles.  Somethings don’t change very much do they?

St. Paul felt it necessary to point out that nobody received a gift as a personal reward.  He taught that a gift was given in order to be used in building up the Church.  And as soon as we understand this we begin to see that it doesn’t really matter who is in receipt of which particular gift. Because everything is to be shared.

So, where do we start?  Well, we shouldn’t just wait around expecting that suddenly, for the good of the Church, God will provide us with the spiritual gift of his choice.

You know, whenever we place anything we have, in God’s hands and ask that it might be used according to his will to further the Kingdom, then what we have to give is immediately transformed by God into a spiritual gift.

There’s food for thought here, because it means that pretty much anything can be included.  Paul’s list isn’t meant to be closed.

Maybe you’re aware of some particular ability which you possess, and so perhaps it would be good to begin by offering this to God, and having it transformed into a spiritual gift. You won’t know until you’ve tried.

And then, ask God to show you what gifts he wants to give you in order that you can give them away. You might be surprised at the answer you get.

But perhaps you feel you’ve nothing to offer.  Well, if this is the case then you’re mistaken, and it’s time you spoke with your Christian brothers and sisters in order to give them the gift of discerning in you where you might begin.

You see, eventually, in his letter to Corinth, St Paul wrote words which have been quoted time after time. You may have heard them read at a wedding service. Here they are:

St Paul said:

“And now I will show you the most excellent way”.

And as we all know, that most excellent way is the way of love.

Yes, we can show love by being patient, gentle and kind, but we can also show it by affirming the working of God’s Holy Spirit in a fellow Christian.

So, when was the last time you followed this most excellent way by doing just that?

When did you last tell another Christian that they’d been blessed with a particular gift, and asked them what they were going to do with it? Because, you see, that’s a gift which we all have, and if we really want the Kingdom to grow, we should be looking for every opportunity to use it.

CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF ENGLAND AND WALES

Statement from the President and the Vice-President of

the Conference on the Prime Minister’s Statement

Saturday 31st October 2020

This evening, the Prime Minister announced further widespread restrictions in England beginning on Thursday 5th November. The Government have published their New National Restrictions Guidance on their website here. Whilst there was no formal announcement on Places of Worship by the Prime Minister, there is clear guidance on this website that places of worship will be required to end all acts of collective worship, except for funeral ceremonies. In response the following statement is issued by the President and Vice-President of the Bishops’ Conference.

The announcement of a new ‘national lockdown’ in England will, we know, bring hardship, distress and suffering to many. We must hope and pray that this is an effective strategy against a growing pandemic which has tragically taken so many lives already and threatens so many more.

Faith communities have played a vital role in sustaining personal, spiritual and mental health and encouraging vital charitable activities, which support hundreds of thousands of people in all sections of the community, especially the most vulnerable. That critical service towards the common good of all is created and sustained by communal worship and prayer. Part of this selfless giving has been a strong ethic of responsibility in the way in which we have reopened our churches so that essential worship has been enabled. Our communities have done a great deal to make our churches safe places in which all have been able to gather in supervised and disciplined ways.

It is thus a source of deep anguish now that the Government is requiring, once again, the cessation of public communal worship. Whilst we understand the many difficult decisions facing the Government, we have not yet seen any evidence whatsoever that would make the banning of communal worship, with all its human costs, a productive part of combatting the virus. We ask the Government to produce this evidence that justifies the cessation of acts of public worship.

To counter the virus we will, as a society, need to make sustained sacrifices for months to come. In requiring this sacrifice, the Government has a profound responsibility to show why it has taken particular decisions. Not doing so risks eroding the unity we need as we enter a most difficult period for our country.

The Prime Minister has stated that the draft legislation will be placed before Parliament on Monday 2nd November. Members of Parliament will have the opportunity to discuss the issues and vote on the proposed national restrictions. In this short timeframe, questions can be raised with our elected Members of Parliament regarding the cessation of public common worship. They are in a position to require the Government to publish the data that drives the decision to cease public worship under these restrictions.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP President Vice-President

By Nat Bruzon                                     

When I was told by the Government to ‘self isolate’ no mention was made of my wife. I rang the Covid Help Line to ask how I should get rid of Patricia in order to comply with Government regulations, only to be told that on no account should I get rid of her! I was told that until further notice, I should get into a bubble with her, there to remain until the covid virus was defeated.

I started to think carefully about this and a number of rather obvious problems sprang to mind. Where could I get such a bubble from? How big should it be ? Would there be enough space in it for me to get a bit of peace and quiet now and again? Was it safe to eat hot food in the bubble? Were there exceptions made regarding the use of the toilet? What about bedtime? The list grew longer and longer by the minute.

Having made further enquiries, I discovered that the ‘bubble’ was metaphorical.! I wasn’t sure what that meant but apparently you can move around the house freely ‘sans’ Patricia as long as you don’t let anyone else near either of you.

So life has continued and we are still in this metaphorical bubble. Then things began to get worse.

Due to lack of space in churches for too many bubbles, instructions were issued by our religious leaders that we had to book in advance to be allowed entry into the church for the Christmas Masses.

I immediately phoned Ticket Master but they told me that they were not involved in this initiative,

and that I should book directly with the appropriate Church Authorities. They warned me that I should try to avoid ticket touts who would be trying to sell tickets at vastly inflated prices outside the venue.  Thankfully, I booked direct with our Church and have acquired two front row seats for the Christmas Day Mass in Axminster.  By the time I had done all this, I was exhausted, and could not get up off my settee to go to bed. Patricia, my bubble mate, said she was going to bed, and that it would not do me any good to fall asleep on the settee. I said I would be up in a second………..

I heard the ‘ping’ of an e.mail arriving, and decided to check it before going to bed. It was from the Vatican. It read :- “ Due to Social Distancing, we are advised that advance booking is required before entry into Heaven. Applications should be sent to the Office of Heavenly Admittances here at the Vatican to arrive at least 48 hours before the applicant’s demise. No advance booking is required for Hell as we understand there is plenty of capacity there……… “ Nat, are you coming up,” shouted Patricia. “Coming darling” I replied. “Just had a most extraordinary dream. Must have nodded off.”

And here we are now, Christmas not far away, but a ray of hope is with us. The vaccine is available!

Hopefully due to my age I should be invited to receive mine next month.  Bad news is that Patricia has informed me that she will not be able to have the vaccine currently in use, as people with allergic reactions could suffer from it. Patricia you see, as she constantly reminds me, is allergic to wasps.

You know what, she is her own worst enemy. I keep telling her, “ If you are allergic to wasps, don’t eat the wretched things !”  Will she listen to me ? That’ll be the day.

Ah well that’s life!

Article taken from PALS Magazine No. 23 written by Patricia Bruzon

Christmas with a twist

Christmas has always been the busiest time of the year for me. It has been normal to have a full house which meant preparing extra beds, filling the fridge, buying and wrapping presents and writing a vast number of cards to write and, horror of horrors tidying up. Just to add to the fun when I was baking at full speed at the Country Market, the amount of food I prepared was really crazy, but it just happened and we got swept along with it.

Times change; last year I gave up market baking. We had stopped sending Christmas cards some years ago, thinking that the funds spent on postage and cards would be better directed to a good cause, and greetings are sent by email instead, so although friends are not forgotten, we believe it is a win-win situation. In our village we have a communal card and we each contribute £5 towards the chosen charity. For this fee we each write a message in one card which is then printed and distributed via the village magazine, so again no one gets forgotten, but the charity wins.

This year our boys said they did not want any more” stuff” so we agreed no presents all round  with the exception of the three grandchildren. What a relief, no traipsing round shops. A quick order on Amazon for the items suggested by the parents and we were sorted.

Our son was in charge of hospitality so we only had to take the turkey (and a pudding left over from last year), and they would do the rest. They had thought of everything including eco friendly crackers and recycled wrapping paper where possible. No bed making, no rushing around trying to tidy up in time for visitors. It was so relaxed.

Thanks to the internet we were able to find out Mass times in the nearest church and directions seemed straightforward. The plan was that we would go to the Mass at nine pm in Corsham not far from where we were staying. We had been offered a lift by the “other granny” who lives near the family. There was just one problem. We set our satnav and followed directions, but every time we reached the destination we found no church. We went up the road and down the road; we stopped dog walkers and asked where there might be a church. We followed vague finger pointing directions but no church to be found. Fortunately we had allowed a lot of time for our supposedly short journey. Eventually we backtracked for a third time and found the church tucked away in darkness behind a large modern building which had eclipsed it completely from the road. Much relief all round.  There are compensations for changing our ways and not just listening to our offspring, but letting them get on with it.  Christmas Day was a revelation.  Everything was done with more simplicity but was just wonderful none the less. I was not allowed to lift a finger, just had to be waited on hand and foot, with time to enjoy the grandchildren. So no cooking, no cards, no presents, just relaxing family, it was truly wonderful. (Though we did cheat and treat ourselves to a weekend away in January, after all we had to relax after the exertions of such a busy Christmas).

A Recipe

The Riverford cookbook is really interesting I would like to share a couple of vegetable recipes which are simple but different.

Prepare any quantity of carrots, by peeling and cutting into chunks at an angle. Place these on a sheet of baking paper large enough to wrap around the ingredients. Add a dash of olive oil (or butter)  , some star anise, a cinnamon stick and sliced orange. Wrap up the ingredients, make sure the packet is well sealed along the edges, and place the parcel in a roasting tin into the oven where they will steam in the bag. (About twenty five minutes).  They are a delicious accompaniment to any meal.  Ring the changes by using garlic and rosemary instead of the above flavours.

How about carrot salad? Cook carrots and whilst still warm pour a dressing made by mixing 3 tablespoons each olive oil and lemon juice, juice ½ orange one tsp each paprika and cumin and crushed garlic ( ¼ to ½ tsp ie one small clove.) Allow to macerate for an hour, top with freshly chopped parsley just before serving. Here is a tip, a recipe which resulted from my experiments in the kitchen. If you make meringues try something completely different add raspberry essence or dried raspberry powder and rose water to the mixture just before you spoon it on to the baking parchment. It will be like eating a giant marshmallow.  I dare you to stop at one.

The article below is taken from PALS Magazine 22 written by Jo Enright before her death earlier in 2020. Jo set up the Lym Zim Link charity with her sister Kate because of their brother, Fr. Brian Enright who is a Jesuit priest in Zimbabwe.

A Pictorial Look

As Lym Zim gets closer to closing at the end of this financial year (April 2020) a pictorial look back at what YOU have achieved over the years since we launched in April 2003 at the request of several parishioners who sought a charity where they could be sure the funds were spent wisely and reached the intended recipients would serve as reminder of some of YOUR achievements!

From 2003 to 2010 we supported a Cheshire Home in Harare caring for severally disabled children by equipping their bare physiotherapy room and later building a residential and disability resource centre for disabled young people throughout Zimbabwe.

With Cheshire now able to function well we moved on to support Emerald Hill School for the Deaf and a group of deaf children at Pedro Arrupe centre based at the very rural Jesuit Mission Station at Musami. We installed electricity and water and reroofed the houses and generally improved the living conditions.

Until March 2020 we will continue to support the girls at Emerald Hill and other school projects. Fund raising is low key due to my poor health and I will be unable to make and sell the usual 1000 Christmas cards. The draw continues until 31/3/20 and the account remains open for donations until that date. As always, it is to thank you from so many in Zimbabwe and give you assurance that you are in their prayers every day.

By Sean Day Lewis

It was early September this year, the 23rd Sunday in ordinary time, otherwise Education Sunday.   For those of us fortunate to attend Mass at St Mary’s, Axminster, it was also a very special morning.   The attached junior school of St Mary’s has had its ups and downs since 1862 but just now there is no doubt that it is the best primary in our parish and beyond, thanks in large part to its present quietly spoken head, Mrs Elaine Mannix, who addressed us at the end of Mass. 

Some of us who could do with better ears may have missed some of her words but we heard enough to confirm that she is a jewel; a teacher who acts with her Catholic faith to serve every child with a complete and rounded introduction to 21st century life.  Apart from anything else, she respects the importance of the arts at a time when so many of those in charge of English schools are feeling bound to save money by cutting down on such provision.   St Mary’s is now as strong as it has ever been with music under Rachel Burrough,

There could hardly have been stronger proof of this than that provided by our organist for the day, a former pupil at St Mary’s now embarking on her schooling at the Woodroffe in Lyme Regis.  An apprentice of master organist Richard Godfrey, along with a fellow ex St Mary’s learner, 12-year-old Oriel made sure we could all hear her every well placed note.  The Gloria was perfect, there were neat and for me too short before and after voluntaries and each hymn was brought to a splendidly full throated final verse.    I am no singer but I was inspired to bawl louder than usual, before going home to enjoy a couple of recent Bach CDs.  One called Bach to the Future was recorded with 19th century sound at the huge organ of Notre-Dame in Paris before it was silenced by the fire.  Then came a set of “Stay, ye Angels” cantatas with obligatto contributions from the beautiful baroque organ at Naumberg which impressed Johann Sebastian himself in 1724.

Our regular organist and choir mistress Pippa Brough had to be away that Education Sunday attending a family wedding but she would certainly have relished Oriel’s contribution and have been thoroughly delighted to go back to her choir and lend her alto voice.   Clearly what is most essential at Mass is the voice and authority of Father Anthony, or if he is away, the celebrations of his retired deputies, the Bishop from Lyme Regis and the Canon from Seaton.  But next most essential is Pippa, who deserves the retirement she would like aged 86, but continues in post with something I regard as heroism.  If there is anybody around inclined to take her for granted they should think again.  Her choir, reasonably well balanced these days, is grateful from soprano to bass and they, like us in the congregation just hope she is able to continue until some Oriel is willing and able to take over.

Born in Birmingham as Pippa Glanville, she was schooled in that city and did two years of social studies at the University and a vocational period at the Teacher Training College.   She liked hockey and lacrosse and learned piano.  She extended her musical education at concerts given by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in the days when they still played at the Town Hall.  Good enough, especially with the Saint-Saens “Organ Symphony”, but some time before the Simon Rattle glory period and the wonder new concert hall.  She began teaching at local primary schools where music was not necessarily given top priority but her musical side was found to be more than useful.  Her mother was a Catholic, and a pianist, and Pippa grew into the faith.  Then in 2002 she married solicitor Peter Brough before his work brought her to the south-west, Ilminster and then Axminster.  He became a partner with Scott Rowe.  A happy marriage brought along a daughter and two sons but  Ill health sadly ended with Mr Brough’s early death.  Pippa has long had to reconcile herself to widowhood and a cherished role as mother and grandmother. Pippa naturally wasted no time in her Devon life before joining St Mary’s.  As happens she found herself as a “temporary” organist at Mass for around six years before she was obliged to regard herself as a fixture.  She had to give up her first love, which was singing to make it possible for others to use their voices.   She has played since for quite a succession of priests, some more musical than others.  Over the years the choir and accompaniment have moved from front to back of the church, moves which follow what various Fathers thought most effective.  Only in recent times has Pippa and the church been gifted a suitable organ, as recommended by the then ailing Father Coppell and Richard Godfrey, given away by a happy-clappy C of E church in Sherborne.  Pippa, like every other serious organist, knows that Bach is the greatest of organ composers and never mind that he worked for the Lutheran church.  As shown by her, as well as Richard in recital, the present instrument is food enough for JSB.  Let us hope that at some future Mass we can hear Oriel let loose with a prelude and fugue or more.