News for 22nd May

News for 22nd May

Evangelising  England.

On Tuesdays we pray for the evangelisation of England. We pray that everyone in this country will come to know the deep love of Jesus Christ and come to faith in His Father.

We’re not the first to make that prayer. 

In the early part of the sixth century the wife of King Æthelberht (St. Bertha) prayed that her then pagan husband would become Christian (as she was). 

She wrote to the Pope and asked him to send a mission to England and in 595 that’s exactly what he did. 

He asked Augustine (then a prior of a monastery in Rome) to lead this mission and in 597 he arrived in England, landing in Thanet. 

(I’ve visited the church in Rome from which St. Gregory sent St. Augustine to England and even sat in his papal throne!)

After he landed, Augustine made his way to Canterbury and converted the King to Christianity and from there the English church as we now know it was born. 

Over the coming years St. Augustine converted thousands of pagans to Christianity. At one famous mass on Christmas Day 597 several thousand people converted and were baptised at the same time. 

At St. Anselm’s (named after a successor of St. Augustine) we share in the gift of the mission to convert England. To bring people to Jesus. 

I’m not sure we’ll convert thousands at one mass – but let’s do our very best! 

Fr. Matthew

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Other news

Our APCM will be on Sunday 22nd May immediately after Mass. If you would like to stand for the PCC please speak to Fr. Matthew or one of the Church Wardens. 

We are lucky enough that five people have volunteered to be leaders for our summer holiday club. We’re now looking for people who can commit to a few hours to help with things like making tea & coffee, tidying up at the end of each day and other assisting tasks. Please speak to Fr. Matthew or Julie Estep (Sunday School Leader). 

I’m still looking for volunteers for the 12th July to meet with  Priests applying for our new Mission Priest job (interviews with +Jonathan on the 13th July). If you’d like to meet the applicants or help with showing them around the parish please be in touch.