News Archive - Items featured in November 2007
Stairway To Heaven Memorial Trust
For those of you who don’t know about the Trust, on 3rd March 1943 the worst civilian disaster of the Second World War occurred in Bethnal Green at what is now Bethnal Green Underground Station (then uncompleted and used as an Air Raid Shelter). In an accident on the stairs 173 men, women and children met their deaths in a matter of minutes. The Trust is fundraising for a fitting memorial to remember those people.
On Friday 7th December, 7pm for 7.30pm at the Museum of Childhood , Cambridge Heath Road , the Stairway to Heaven Memorial Trust will be holding a Fun Quiz with a difference! Team’s scores will be placed on a snakes and ladders board, so that teams have two chances to win – either as the top-scoring team, or as the winner of the board game.
Tickets will be £10 per person (to include a buffet at half time) and teams have a maximum of eight people. Bookings can be made by calling 07722 162 168. Please book by 25th November, so that we have numbers for catering.
Christmas Events
We are beginning to list all the church services taking place across the Deanery for the Christmas period and would be grateful if you could please forward details of what is happening in your church.
Click here to view the listings so far...
Community Organisations Forum (COF)
COF is the Tower Hamlets version of the Council for Voluntary Service, which means they are an independent voluntary organisation, run by Tower Hamlets groups themselves, to support, promote and develop voluntary and community action. The Deanery is now an associate member of COF thanks to our Development Officer, Sarah Finn. The Forum has advice on volunteers, funding, etc and some useful toolkits. Check out their website at http://www.towerhamlets.org.uk/
Our membership name is "Tower Hamlets Deanery" with the address based at St Paul's Institute, 302 The Highway, E1W 3DH.
Crist Church Spitalfields
A programme of lunchtime recitals is taking place at Christ Church starting Thursday 6th December. The recitals are free and take place on the first Thursday of every month, from 13.10 - 1400. The next one is will be given by a brass quintet - 'A Littlemore Brass' - from the Guildhall School of Music, and their programme will include some Christmas music. Watch this space for future events.
Community Christmas Cards
The Geoff Ashcroft Community have produced a card from one giant painting by the Community Craft Group this year. The cards will be A5 size and will cost £3.50 for ten.
Proceeds will go towards supporting the project which helps people in Tower Hamlets suffering from mental health issues.
Call 020 7265 1727 or email thegeoffashcroft@aol.com for more details.
Historic East End Parish Prepares for Huge 150th Anniversary Celebrations
All roads lead to the church of St Mary and St Michael in Commercial Road, East London on 9th December 2007 when the parish, one of the most famous Roman Catholic parishes in the country, marks the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the building of its church the magnificent ‘Cathedral of the East End’ designed by William Wilkinson Wardell who went on to design St Patrick’s Cathedral Melbourne and St Mary’s Cathedral Sydney.
On the day a book on the history of the parish will be launched. The book has been researched by local historian Jean Maynard and has been edited by current St Mary & St Michael’s parish priest, Fr Jim Mulligan. The publication of the book is being financed by an Essex-based businessman, Con Donovan, who grew up in the parish.
The parish has a rich, varied and often turbulent history. Very often this is a story of struggles against overwhelming odds and winning through. Many of the priests who have guided the parish were men of remarkable vision, zeal and tenacity—as were the nuns of the Sisters of Mercy who have worked in the parish since the mid-nineteenth century. Two former parish priests went on to become archbishops – Archbishop of Southwark, Peter Amigo and Archbishop of Liverpool, Derek Worlock. Many of the priests here were outstanding in their missionary zeal towards the deprived and underprivileged of East End London. One former parish priest, Canon Timothy Ring, who led the parish from 1904 until 1941, became a legend in the East End. A true champion of the underdog he fought both communism and fascism in the 1930s. His funeral in August 1941 brought the East End to a standstill and was attended by Clement Attlee.
In the saga of London’s East End, the Church and the parish are ever present— through the poverty, the immigration, the cholera outbreaks, the dock strikes, the wartime evacuation, the Blitz, the rebuilding after World
War II.
Perhaps the spirit of the parish and the resilience of the East End are best exemplified by an incident at the end of World War II. On Saturday, 17th March 1945 the wedding of a couple from the parish was scheduled at the church for one o’clock in the afternoon. Just as the wedding guests were arriving one of the last V2 rockets to strike London fell. Several people were killed, the church very badly damaged with the roof destroyed, the presbytery ruined and the parish primary school demolished. However, the priest due to officiate, the bride and groom and their guests dusted themselves off and the wedding went ahead amid the rubble of the church with only the slightest of delays.
The anniversary Mass will be at 11.00am on December 9th. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor will be the chief celebrant and many priests formerly associated with the parish will return along with many of the Sisters of Mercy nuns. Also expected are representatives from all the East End churches and from the Jewish, Moslem Hindu, Buddhist and other faiths. The Mayor of Tower Hamlets plus Local MPs George Galloway and Jim Fitzpatrick are also expected to attend plus of course many from the long hemorrhaging East End Diaspora out to Essex and Kent.
Latest News from the Community Development Foundation (CDF)
The CDF has published a new Equalities Guide - 'Equalities and Communities: Challenge, Choice and Change' by Alison Gilchrist
This is a must-read guide for all those working on equalities issues in the community.
To see an online version of their latest newsletter please click on the link below:
http://cdf.msgfocus.com/q/16INqFN4mjl/wv
Understanding Islam
A Study Day is to be held on Saturday 17th November conducted by Dr Chris Hewer, a Fellow in Christian-Muslim relations. He is well known as an expert on Christian-Muslim matters and has a background in Christian Theology, Education and Islamic Studies. He has worked in this field since 1986.
The event will take place from 9.45am until 4.00pm at St Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch High Street (nearest tubes: Old Street 7 mins; Liverpool Street 10 mins).
Topics will include:
- A Muslim world view
- Standing before God: belief, prayer, fasting pilgrimage
- Building a just society: family, economics, land,
politics
- Open house: topics decided by participants during the day
Cost: £5.00 (to include coffee/tea and lunch!)
Please register with Maxine Leonard, Stepney Area Office, 5 St Andrew Street, EC4A 3A.
Click here for booking form.
Please make cheques payable to ‘The London Diocesan Fund’ and please remember to enclose your cheque (made payable to: London Diocesan Fund) with your booking form.
Tower Hamlets Interfaith Consultation
Please click here to find attached a letter from Fr Alan Green (wearing his hat as Chair of the Tower Hamlets Interfaith Forum) regarding a Consultation Event on 19th November between Tower Hamlets Council and the local faith communities. This is an opportunity to tell Tower Hamlets about the kind of contributions we are already making within our various parishes to the local communities, and also to tell them how we’d like to contribute in the future (and what sort of future we want).
There is a questionnaire with the letter; it has two sections, one for the role your church plays in the community and one for the way our faith teaches us to live in the community. We’d be very happy if individual Synod, Chapter and church members wanted to complete the questionnaire themselves as well as having a whole parish/church version – the questionnaire was designed so that you can do that. It can be emailed back to hannah.bailey@towerhamlets.gov.uk before 16th November. If you want to print it out for church members without email, Hannah’s postal address is on the last page.
Also, if you know anyone in some of the smaller faith groups – possibly groups who use your church or hall to hold services, for example – could you pass on a copy of the letter and questionnaire to them? We’d like to distribute this as widely as possible.
The Council has offered to hold small, informal meetings before the full consultation event. Depending on interest, these could be at Deanery, Cluster or even parish level. To arrange these, we need to know the level of interest. Please contact the Deanery if you’d like to attend or host one of these meetings.
Service of Remembrance at St Paul's
On Sunday 18 November at 6pm a Service of Remembrance is being held at St Paul's Cathedral for all who have lost someone close. For further information please contact Revd Peter Cowell on 020 7601 8066. The service will include readings from other faiths. Click here to view details
Choral Vespers at St Katharine's
The men's voice choir from Magdalen College, Oxford will be singing Choral Vespers for St Katharine's Day at the Royal Foundation of St Katharine on Monday 26th November at 7.30pm. All are welcome - the service will be followed by drinks and nibbles.
Concert at Christ Church, Isle of Dogs
Continuing the 150th Anniversary Concert Series celebrating the building and consecration of Christ Church another excellent event will be taking place on
Friday 30th November.
SAHARA are a saxophone and string trio that will be performing original compositions and arrangements by saxophonist, Sarah Louise Ings, including the eclectic tangos of Piazolla. This melting pot of musical genres creates an exciting new sound.
Programme includes tangos by Piazzolla and original compositions
Bracingly energetic ... an exhilarating night --The Guardian
Concert begins at 7.30pm
Free entry
Refreshments available at interval
Christ Church, Manchester Road (Island Gardens Docklands Light Railway)
CRUNCH Events
Just to remind you about a couple of things:
- Youth Event on Sunday 9th December 6.30-8.30pm at St Paul ’s Shadwell. We would like young people to bring their friends! Publicity will follow shortly!
- Crunch Meeting on Monday 12th November at Bethnal Green Mission Church . 9.15am for breakfast. Finish at 11am. Hope to see you there!
For more details please contact Mark Hutchings at youth@bgmchurch.plus.com
