1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

We have seen his star in the east
and are come to worship Him
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
Dec 2014/Jan 2015
The Chaplaincy of Aquitaine is part of the Church of England Diocese in Europe,
working in partnership with The Intercontinental Church Society, in ministry to people who speak English.
It covers Gironde, Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne.
CHURCH SERVICES, DECEMBER 2014
(see Around the Chaplaincy for location details)
SUNDAY 07 DECEMBER
10:30 Service of the Word – Bertric Burée
10:30 Family Communion – Bordeaux
10:30 Prayer and Praise – Limeuil
11:00 Holy Communion – Doudrac
11:00 Christmas service with Carols - Nérac
11:00 Holy Communion – Ste Nathalène (chez Wilton)
17:00 Carol Service - Limeuil
18:00 Advent Carols – Bertric Burée
WEDNESDAY 10 DECEMBER
11:00 BCP Holy Communion – Bertric Burée
18:30 Carol Service - Dondas
WEDNESDAY 14 JANUARY
11:00 Holy Communion – Bertric Burée
Nérac
THURSDAY 11 DECEMBER
18:00 Carol Service – Montcaret, Dordogne
FRIDAY 12 DECEMBER
18:00 Carol Service – Riberac
18:30 Carol Service – St Médard, Lot et Garonne
FRIDAY 19 DECEMBER
16:00 Carol Service - Négrondes
17:00 Carol Service – Sainte Nathalène
SUNDAY 14 DECEMBER
10:30 Holy Communion – Bertric Burée
10:30 Christingle All Age Service - Eymet
10:30 Holy Communion – Limeuil
10:30 Family Service - Négrondes
16:00 Carol Service – Chancelade
17:00 Carol Service - Bordeaux
18:00 Carol Service - Monteton
SUNDAY 21 DECEMBER
10:30 Family Service – Bertric Burée
10:30 Family Communion – Bordeaux
10:30 Holy Communion - Dondas
10:30 Christmas Praise - Limeuil
10:30 Prayer & Praise – Monteton
10:30 Holy Communion - Négrondes
TUESDAY 16 DECEMBER
18:30 Carol Service – Allez
WEDNESDAY 24 DECEMBER
18:30 Christmas Eve Holy Communion – Doudrac
22:30 Christmas Eve Holy Communion - Limeuil
THURSDAY 25 DECEMBER
10:30 Christmas Holy Communion – Bertric Burée
10:30 Christmas Holy Communion – Bordeaux
10:30 Christmas Day Service - Eymet
10:30 Christmas Celebration – Limeuil
10:30 Christmas Holy Communion - Monteton
SUNDAY 28 DECEMBER
10:30 Prayer & Praise – Bertric Burée
10:30 Morning Prayer - Bordeaux
10:30 Holy Communion – Limeuil
Bordeaux
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
2
SUNDAY 04 JANUARY
10:30 Service of the Word – Bertric Burée
10:30 Morning Worship – Bordeaux
10:30 Prayer and Praise – Limeuil
16:00 Evensong – Bertric Burée
SUNDAY 11 JANUARY
10:30 Holy Communion – Bertric Burée
10:30 Family Communion - Bordeaux
10:30 Holy Communion – Limeuil
10:30 Morning Prayer - Monteton
10:30 Family Service - Négrondes
10:30 Ecumenical Service - Eymet Temple
THURSDAY 18 DECEMBER
10:30 BCP Holy Communion – Limeuil
11:00 Holy Communion – Condom
18:30 Carol Service – Doudrac
WEDNESDAY 17 DECEMBER
18:00 Carol Service - Eymet
SERVICES JANUARY 2015
Dec 2014/Jan 2015
SATURDAY 17 JANUARY
15:00 Ecumenical Service – Riberac
Hospital Chapel
SUNDAY 18 JANUARY
10:30 Family Service – Bertric Burée
10:30 Family Communion – Bordeaux
10:30 Holy Communion – Chancelade
10:30 Morning Worship - Limeuil
10:30 Prayer & Praise – Monteton
11:00 Ecumenical Service – Sainte Foy la
Grande, Temple
11:00 Service of the Word – Ste Nathalène
TUESDAY 20 JANUARY
20.30 Catholic Church Ste Livrade sur
Lot
WEDNESDAY 21 JANUARY
18:00 Ecumenical Service – Pontours,
Dordogne
THURSDAY 22 JANUARY
10:30 BCP Holy Communion – Limeuil
18:30 Ecumenical Service – Protestant
Temple, Périgueux (rue Antoine Gadaud)
C
Clerical
Corner
Wordsor maybe
not....
‘The average person, in an average
lifetime, speaks 370,110,001.3 words
on average, averagely speaking.’
(source Google search)
I was enjoying a long walk in the
Pyrenees when I realised that Jennifer
(who was walking with me) and I had
not spoken for several hours. It was
not that we were ‘not talking’ but that
there was nothing to say. The beauty
of the day, the clarity of the air and
the exertion of the walk were enough
in themselves. I realised as I stood
looking out over the valley below
that if we took all the words we say in
our lifetime that an awful lot of them
would be unnecessary, destructive,
petty, jealous or demeaning. How
many of our words are positive,
encouraging, beautiful and inspired
by love? You could perhaps say that
our lives are reflected in the sum of
our words.
At this time of year we hear at
Christmas Carol Services and again
on Christmas Day that ‘The Word
became flesh’. (John 1 :14) The sum of
all the words that Jesus spoke reflects
the fact that he was truly God and
truly Man. Each of the words that
Jesus spoke gives us a glimpse of
God.
In French translations of the Bible,
‘The Word’ is translated as ‘Le Verbe’.
When I was teaching English we used
to describe a ‘Verb’ as a ‘doing word’.
So perhaps the message for Christmas
is ‘Choose your words carefully but
give of yourself unstintingly ...or put
another way...say less and do more!’
With our love for a joyful Christmas,
Bramwell and Jennifer
CHAPLAINCY OF
AQUITAINE
PASTORAL CARE TEAM DAY
Eglise Evangelique Libre, Bergerac
10.30 - 15.30
Thursday 5 March 2015.
Details & Bookings –
Rev. Gill/Ian Strachan
From your Editor...
The last magazine
of the year already!
Where
does
the
time go? I hope your
preparations
for
Christmas are going well and whether
you are staying in France to enjoy the
many services and events you can
read about within these pages, or
travelling elsewhere, I hope you have
a wonderful time.
If you receive a printed copy of the
magazine each month, please don’t
forget your subscription renewal is
now due. Details are on the back
page. Mr. Black has already sent his
without a reminder - many thanks,
Ted, you’re a star!
SUNDAY 25 JANUARY
10:30 Holy Communion – Bertric Burée
10:30 Morning Worship - Bordeaux
10:30 Holy Communion – Limeuil
10:30 Holy Communion - Monteton
10:30 Holy Communion – Négrondes
A Happy and blessed Christmas and
New Year to you all.
THURSDAY 29 JANUARY
11:00 Holy Communion - Condom
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
So God does not just create the world
around us and then leave it to its own
devices, he sends a ‘Doing Word’ to
show us that our words in themselves
are not enough and that we need to
be doing God’s work here on earth.
Love Gill
3
Dec 2014/Jan 2015
CHRISTMAS
MESSAGE
2014
T
he nine lessons and carols service
from King’s College Cambridge
is listened to by millions of people all
over the world. It is one of England’s
most distinctive and successful
religious exports! For me, the service
has especial resonance, because this
was the college where I studied as an
undergraduate and so the distinctive
sound of the treble voices and
fulsome reed organ stops brings back
happy memories of student life.
Eric Milner-White introduced the
nine lessons and carol service in
1918. He had been appointed as
Dean of King’s at the age of 34. He
developed the carol service because
his experience as an army chaplain
during the war had convinced him
that the Church of England needed to
introduce more imaginative worship.
The nine lessons and carols format
quickly became popular (indeed –
how quickly do innovations become
‘traditions’!) and is today widely
copied and imitated. In our European
chaplaincies ‘the carol service’ is now
one of the best loved services in the
whole year and delighted in by people
of many different nationalities.
The beauty of our Christmas music
has the ability to touch and soften
the hearts of those who would not
respond to a more prosaic declaration
of Christian truth. But offering a
delightful aesthetic experience is not
enough. We long that people would
encounter God! And if MilnerWhite were alive today, I am sure he
would again be urging us always to
be vigilant to the need imaginatively
to portray the extraordinary story of
the birth of the Saviour in a way that
would impress upon its sceptical 21st
century hearers the incomparable
meekness and majesty, suffering and
glory of the first Christmas.
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
We need again to feel the shocking
reality of God becoming incarnate in
conditions of extreme vulnerability
and deprivation. For, as the
evangelists tell us, God’s Son was born
in a feeding trough far from home
as the first child of an unmarried,
and presumably very scared young
mother. From his birth he was
hunted down by a mad and bad
tyrant. Whilst still small, he and his
parents were forced to migrate into
neighbouring Egypt where I suppose
they lived as refugees. I always find it
striking that in Matthew’s account of
Christmas, the first half of chapter 2
which relates the adoration of newborn King by the magi, is counterbalanced by the second half which
graphically relates the attempts by
the hostile powers of his day to end
this would be King’s young life before
it has scarcely begun.
2014 has been marked for many of us
by commemorations of the outbreak
of World War 1. It may be significant
that Milner-White composed his
carol service after war-time service
both in Italy and on the Western
Front. He certainly knew how to
reclaim beauty from brokenness.
In our own time, we are massively
aware of the tragedy of war. It is
reckoned that about 14 million people
have been displaced by the conflicts
in Syria and Iraq. In Lebanon, one
in four of the population is now
a refugee. We Christians, whose
Saviour began life as a refugee,
have particular responsibilities to
do what we can to help and to urge
our governments to act together to
provide aid. And we pray earnestly
for those many men, women and
children who face a winter without
adequate food or shelter.
It is in this sobering international
context that this Christmas we
celebrate in word and in song the
great and wonderful mystery of the
incarnation, the enfleshment, of
God’s Son.
I am very aware that the Christmas
season puts particular opportunities
4
and pressures in the way of our
chaplaincies. We are typically
receiving lots of visitors who don’t
normally darken the doors of our
churches. At the same time, many
regular church members are away
at Christmas itself, visiting family
or friends. So those that remain
have to work especially hard to keep
everything running and to provide
a cheerful welcome. Whether we
have the resources of a great church
or cathedral or something far more
modest, it is the authenticity of what
we do and the warmth of our welcome
that makes the biggest impact. So
to all those who sustain and enable
our worship over Christmas I give
my warm and sincere thanks: to
our clergy, lay readers and leaders,
musicians, welcomers, wardens,
caterers and cleaners.
And may the God whose message
of peace was sung by the angels to
herald the birth of his Son, bring
his peace to our hearts, our homes,
our families and our world over this
Christmas time.
+Robert Gibraltar in Europe
The Facts of Life
This is a story about four people:
Everybody; Nobody; Somebody; and
Anybody.
There was an important job to be
done.
Everybody was sure Somebody
would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but
Nobody did it
Somebody got angry because it was
Everybody’s job.
Everybody thought Anybody could
do it,
Nobody realised that Everybody
wouldn’t do it
It ended up that Everybody blamed
Somebody, when Nobody did what
Anybody could have done.
Dec 2014/Jan 2015
A Day in the Life of a
Macmillan Trekker
A
s many of you know, I took part
in a Macmillan Cancer Support
fund-raising venture in the High
Atlas mountains of Morocco in the
middle of September this year.
I wasn’t able to write a day-by-day
diary during this week long trek –
at the end of a 14 or 15 hour day, I
was too tired to write, just wanting
a shower (if available!), supper
(always available – our trek cooks
deserved their reputation as the best
in Morocco), get my kit ready for the
next day and get snuggled down into
my sleeping bag.
Here goes – a day in the life of a
Macmillan Trekker….
The day begins about 3.15-3.30 with
my mobile phone bleeping Roy (my
tent buddy) and I into life. Maybe
we’d got up once or twice in the night
‘recycling’ the litres of water or mint
tea (“Moroccan whisky”!) consumed
partly for thirst and partly to avert
altitude sickness. If so, the difficulty
was remembering which of the dozen
or so tents was the right one to come
back to. It was amazing how easy it ws
to become ‘geographically confused’
when gazing at a sky filled with stars.
Many of them were familiar – we
were just north of the Sahara so were
able to see some constellations from
the southern hemisphere, normally
not visible in France.
Roy and I were both experienced
mountaineers so we quickly settled
into a mutually acceptable waking
regime, sharing each other’s torch
light. A wash with baby wipes – the
31 of us Macmillan venturers quickly
agreed that whether we ‘whiffed’
or not, it was all the same, so no
problem. Roy had a little battery
shaver so he would always look smart
on the mountain. I meanwhile was
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
‘twisting and stuffing’ – the standard
way of inserting a sleeping bag into
its carry sack – while trying to expel
as much air as possible from the mat
I slept on. My ‘bits and pieces’ were
in my hat ready to go back in my
pockets. Other parts of the morning’s
‘toilette’ would be attended to further
up the mountain – but… too much
information??!!
At 3.30 in the
morning with the moon still high
over the mountains around us, the
mules and horses tethered nearby,
similarly waking up, waiting for the
camp to be struck and their loads
assembled.
Breakfast at 4am in the mess tent –
for me 2 bowls of porridge and then
as much bread and jam or honey or
spready cheese as I could cram into
my mouth or my pockets – should
have brought some sandwich bags
– nappy sacks didn’t seem quite the
thing! Must remember what Doctor
Dave said about drinking lots of
water – fill my two bottles up – and
keeping my bowels open. Life very
quickly settles into some very simple
(basic!) priorities!
It’s now 4.30, still someway before
dawn. Load the bottles in the
rucksack, sweets, camera and other
essentials into my pockets. Tighten
straps; check boots are snugly laced,
walking poles set right. Ok – we’re off
by the light of head torches following
a pair of heels and the summit is 9
hours away. “One more step along the
world we go….” – just keep putting
one foot in front of the other and I’ll
get there.
at 4.30 in a star-filled High Atlas
mountain morning and much
appreciated.
31 of us raised something like
£152,000 during this venture –
enough to pay a Macmillan nurse’s
salary and other overheads for 3
years. Judie and I had pledged to
raise £2800 which breaks down as
follows:
£350 Registration fee (not included
in target figure and paid by us)
£1000 trek costs – paid by us;
Sponsorship £1402;
Vide grenier & other sales £398
Total: £2800
Thanks again – not only for financial
support, but prayers and thoughts
sent our way too, it meant so much
to us both.
If you would like to see some of
the photos I took enroute and to
hear more about the trek, there is
the possibility of an illustrated talk
as a fundraiser for the church. If
interested, email or phone:
Steve & Judie Burman 0553 50 31 21
[email protected]
The good Lord didn’t create
anything without a purpose,
but mosquitoes come close.
Thanks for your support folks - it
was very important to me especially
5
Unknown
Dec 2014/Jan 2015
Cooking in December and January
An Advent/Christmas meditation on I Corinthians 13.
Christmas Love
CHAPLAINCY VACANCIES 2015
If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid
bows,
Strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,
But do not show love, I’m just another decorator.
COULD YOU
If I slave away in the kitchen,
Baking dozens of Christmas puddings,
preparing gourmet meals
and arranging a beautifully adorned table at
mealtime,
but do not show love, I’m just another cook.
DO THIS?
EVERYONE HAS A PART TO PLAY
We ask you to give great thought to the contribution you
could make to the running of the Chaplaincy.
Two key posts will be vacant from the AGM in April
If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing
home,
And give all that I have to charity,
But do not show love, it profits me nothing.
Chaplaincy Warden and Chaplaincy Secretary
Jennifer Lord is returning to the UK and David Tervet is standing down.
Both of these posts are annual appointments.
Are you ready to play your part!
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels,
and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing the
choir’s cantata,
but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the
point.
For further information contact Jennifer Lord or Paul Mazzotti
Anne Isobel Warne 1923 – 2014
Love stops the cooking to hug a child.
Love sets aside decorating to kiss the husband
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has
coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn’t tell the children to get out of the
way, but is thankful that they are there to be in
the way.
Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to
give in return but rejoices in giving to those who
can’t
Love bears all things, believes all things
Hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
Computer games will break
Cashmere jumpers will wear out, golf clubs will
get lost.
But giving the gift of love will endure.
Anne was born in Singapore, educated in
England and then trained as a nurse in
wartime London.
Looking through my books on the
hunt for something suitable to begin
my Christmas cookery article, I came
across my forgotten copy of ‘Coping
with Christmas’ by
Fanny and Johnnie
Cradock.
Some of
you will remember a
very chirpy Fanny,
in a low cut evening
dress, sporting sparkly
necklace and earrings,
Johnny lounging in
the background with a large glass
of wine. With great vigour they
produced what seemed to us then,
interesting whacky food. The pair
were the height of sophistication
in the rather bedraggled, poor 60’s.
Fanny was really the first of the TV
cooks, and I must say, annoying as
they were, they had guts and good
humour, and knew all the tricks of
the entertainment trade.
After the war she met the brother of one of
her nursing colleagues, Denis Townsend ,
who had been a prisoner of war in Germany,
and then read law at Cambridge. They were married in 1950.
Daughter Alison was born the following year, but tragically,
Denis died suddenly of a heart attack when Alison was
eighteen months old.
Anne lived as a single parent for some fifteen years. Whilst
working for the Society of Industrial Artists and Designers,
she met Stuart Warne of H.E Warne Ltd. Printers, of Cornwall.
They subsequently married and retired to France in 1973,
putting down roots in Molieres for many years. Stuart died
in 1999.
So many people have sent messages of sorrow on learning
of Anne’s death on 15th November. She was always great
company, kind, gracious, generous of spirit. She was also a
cracking bridge player and unfailingly patient with those to
whom she taught the game. More recently, she could give us a
run for our money over the Scrabble board!
Brian Jelliman
She was the dearest of friends, and we shall miss her very
much indeed.
Gill and Ian Strachan
21st November 2014
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
with Frances Pengelly
6
Dec 2014/Jan 2015
Their book makes me go into extreme
panic. They started their Christmas
build up in early January, making
all the puddings and cakes eleven
months ahead. Most of us, having
just got over Christmas, would be
thankful to shove all the decorations
in the bin, sigh with relief that the
whole shooting match was over,
and look forward to a long Spring
rest! February to July was a frenetic
period of gathering fruit, vegetables
and herbs, freezing and drying
important items, making jam and
chutney for the big day. They also
trawled the garden for seed heads
for Christmas decorations; irises,
honesty and globe artichokes were
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
all picked and hung upside down to
dry. According to them, August is
the time to check the address book,
also your card list. ‘Only send cards
to those who remembered you the
previous year’.
September, make
your own cards, and don’t forget to
dig up chive roots to grow on the
kitchen windowsill. Do an overhaul
of accumulated Christmas presents
and buy the missing ones. In October
start curing your own hams, make
more chutney, gather the last of the
corn heads to make decorations, not
forgetting the ornamental gourds,
which must be varnished.
By this time I need artificial
respiration, and am in a state of acute
stress even thinking about it. Early
November you must get cracking
in the evening on all the glittery
decorations for the house which can
be made in advance, and don’t forget
to cover your cake boards, make
Worcestershire Sauce, and remember
the ham and cake frills. By this time
I’m hyperventilating!
December,
you must go through everything
and remember to make that final hair
appointment. Double check your
food lists, basic butter cream, garlic
butter, mayonnaise, salted almonds,
peppermint creams, French dressing,
fondants, almond paste, shortbread,
brandy butter, stuffed dates, lemon
and orange creams and coconut ice,
(all homemade). Funnily enough,
she does not say when she ices her
Christmas cake, but I imagine that’s
done in early December, never at
the last minute. Of course all table
settings are rehearsed for the big
day. Greenery gathered for kissing
boughs, mistletoe balls, swags and
candleholders, holly for the table,
and so it goes on. Goodness, I’ve
forgotten the crackers! Oh to be so
organised!
We need the glittering peak of
Christmas to help us through the
short grey days and long dark
7
nights of winter. It was pertinent
of Christendom (when fixing its
calendar) to place the birthday
celebrations for the Baby who was the
‘light of the world’ at the time of the
winter solstice, where it coincided
with the festivals of the Norse Yuletide
and Roman Satanalia. In the early
days, Christianity was a dangerous
creed to follow, and those adhering to
this teaching were less conspicuous
making merry at the same season
as those of different persuasions. In
our commemoration of Christmas,
Christian and Pagan rites all are
jumbled together. The ivy, laurel,
box, rosemary and mistletoe we
gather to decorate our houses, were
also used by our forefathers. To them
all evergreens symbolised everlasting
life and were part of the junketings
that marked the return of the sun.
Christianity adapted and added to
the plants and legends connected to
the winter solstice, and made them fit
the Bethlehem story.
I wish you a happy, peaceful, stress
free Christmas.
“Before I tell you what happened,
Mum, remember......The Lord will
never give you more than you can
handle.”
Dec 2014/Jan 2015
very valuable. You put it in the box for safe-keeping didn’t you? So it’s still there’.
THE WISE MENS’ PRESENTS
F
‘That’s a good idea’, said Melchior. ‘I really wanted him to have the pigeons but I suppose gold will do. Kings wear gold,
don’t they? He is going to reign over all of us. Yes, I shall give him gold. He will know when he is older that old Melchior
knew he was going to be a king’.
ar away from Bethlehem and the Holy Land, much further east, lived three wise
men. They were called astrologers and they used to study the stars. They said they
could foretell the future just from seeing what position the stars were in the sky. They
also believed that one day God would come to earth as a real person. They had read
about this in their holy books.
Well, that’s your problem settled’, said Caspar.
One day they were studying the sky when they became very excited. There was a special
star shining in the sky. It meant to them that the baby who was God had been born. They knew that they were to follow the
star until it stopped over the place where the baby was living.
Everyone who visits a new baby likes to take a present to welcome it into the world. The three wise men wanted to choose
something that the baby would value, or that could be useful.
It was no good taking toys. They had no idea what a baby might like. They were very wise but had spent most of their time
looking at stars, not children. They couldn’t take food because it would certainly spoil during the long journey. Clothes
might be possible, but how big was the baby? They had no idea. It really was a problem.
The first wise man, called Melchior, consulted the other two sages, Caspar and Balthazar. ‘What are we going to do? ’ he
asked them. ‘What do babies like? I don’t know what gift to take to this very special child.’
Caspar looked thoughtful. ‘Babies need oil’, he said. ‘I think their mothers have to look after their skin, or something. I
think I might go down to the olive grove and speak to my head gardener. I will ask him to put ready a very large jar of the
purest, best olive oil. I will take that for him’.
Balthazar was glum. He hadn’t run out of ideas because he hadn’t had any ideas at all. He groaned and looked down at the
carpet, trying to think of something sensible but nice to take to the baby. The carpet, with large red and gold scrolls all
over it, stared back at him. A smile began to spread over his face. ‘I know!’ he said, suddenly cheerful. ‘I shall take a very
expensive, large Eastern carpet from one of my palaces. It will be warm and safe and an excellent thing for the baby to play
on when he begins to crawl’.
Melchior was looking smug. ‘Well, I’ve had a really good idea’, he said. As no-one else spoke he said, ‘Don’t you want to
hear it?’ ‘Oh, go on then’, said Caspar wearily. (He had heard so many of Melchior’s good ideas recently, and was rather
tired of them).
‘Well’, said Melchior, ‘What about a large cage of pigeons?’
‘What!’ said Caspar. ‘What on earth for?’
‘So the baby can send messages to his friends when he’s a bit older. And’, he added hastily, as he could see the others about
to laugh at him again, ‘he can watch them flying about, and he can tame them, and they can have baby birds so that will be
interesting, and…’He stopped for breath.
‘But what about you?’ Balthazar asked Caspar. ‘What can you give him now that the oil has all gone?’
Caspar continued to think. ‘Well…’ he said slowly. ‘I think I should give him something to show that I know he’s from
Heaven. When we pray in our church we light incense and the smoke takes our prayers up to heaven. I have frankincense
in my box. It will be a sign that he is really God and will show that I know that. I shall take it to him as it has the best and
most lasting perfume. But what can you take, Balthazar?’
Balthazar was a bit put out. His friends had already thought of the best presents and he was a bit stuck.
‘Well,’ he said a bit sharply, ‘You might think frankincense is the best perfume, but actually I prefer myrrh, myself – and
it lasts longer. Actually I have a whole jar in my box that I haven’t opened yet. I’ll give him that. It will last him a lifetime.’
And so the problem was solved. The camels were rounded up, the luggage (what was left of it), was put on their backs, and
off they went westwards, towards Bethlehem, still following the star. When they arrived at the Star Inn, they were directed
by Gideon the innkeeper to the stable at the end of the garden, where the baby and his family were living. There had been
no room in the inn on the night that he was born, and Mary and Joseph his parents had to make do with the stable instead
of a warm room inside the house.
The wise men were troubled and surprised that this baby, who was God, should be treated like this, but they had no doubt
that they had found the right place. The dazzling star stayed quite still right over the roof of the stable, almost pointing
down into the room below the roof.
They were greeted by Mary and they explained where they had come from, and who they were. After they had seen the baby
Jesus, and prayed for him, they began to look uncomfortable.
‘Look’, said Caspar. ‘I mean, well, that is to say…’
Balthazar took over. ‘We’re rather sorry you know but…’
‘Melchior added, ‘It’s like this – our presents were destroyed on the journey. I was bringing some pigeons in a lovely big
cage. I was sure that the baby would love them. And Caspar thought you would like a jar of olive oil to keep the baby’s skin
soft’.
‘And I had a very expensive carpet with me from one of my palaces,’ added Balthazar, boastfully. ‘Jesus would have loved
playing on it’.
The others were a bit bored by now. ‘Right’, said Balthazar, ‘so we’ve decided. Now all we must do is get ready to go’.
‘But they were spoilt by our frisky camels’, they all moaned.
They rounded up their camels and piled all their luggage onto the backs of the animals. The cage of pigeons was particularly
difficult to balance on, but eventually they managed to tie it into position. Then they set out following the bright star in the
sky that kept moving on towards Bethlehem.
‘So, said Melchior, ‘we’ve had to improvise with what we had left that didn’t get ruined by those stupid camels.’
When they got tired, they got off their camels and made up some beds on the ground. They took the camels to the oasis
where they could get a drink of water, and they lit a camp fire to keep away wild animals.
They had to unload the camels so that the poor tired beasts could get some rest. Then they all went to sleep. In the morning
they had breakfast and went to fetch the camels. But what a shock they received!
And he took out a small gold box and opened it. Inside there were two pieces of real gold, each the size of a chocolate bar.
‘These are for the baby’, he said. ‘One day he will be called ‘king’ by all the world’. Mary thanked him and quietly smiled to
herself.
Then Caspar stepped forward with a jar in which he had placed a lot of frankincense. As soon as he opened it, the beautiful
strong perfume filled the stable. ‘I am going to give him this, as I think that as well as being a king he will also be called a
high priest,’ he said. Mary thanked him courteously but again quietly smiled to herself.
They were all very quiet and very upset. How could they continue their journey to see the most important baby in the
world, without any presents?
Balthazar was last. His small decorated jar contained myrrh. ‘I think this will be very useful
for him all his life’, he said. ‘A little goes a long way, you know, and it should last almost for
ever.’ Again the strong perfume filled the room, and again Mary thanked him. But this time
she didn’t smile. Instead, she gave a sad sigh. For she knew why God had allowed those camels
to destroy the olive oil, the carpet and the pigeons. He had wanted to send her a sign. By
causing the wise men to bring gold, and frankincense and myrrh, they had told her through
their gifts of God’s plan for her son. And she accepted the inevitable message with resignation
and love.
Well’, said Caspar. ‘You, Melchior, you own a lot of gold. Why not give him some? It will help to keep his family safe. It’s
© Jennifer Gray 2014
The camels had got loose and had gone on the rampage. They had knocked over all the luggage. They had broken things,
dirtied things, torn things, eaten things! In fact, there was very little left except an empty bird cage (the birds had long since
flown away), a carpet covered in olive oil where the jar had been smashed, and a box containing a few of their possessions.
The wise men were furious. ‘Look!, said Caspar. ‘All our gifts for the baby have been spoilt. The birds have all gone, my
olive oil is all spilled, and your carpet, Balthazar, is ruined. What can we do?’
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
8
Dec 2014/Jan 2015
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
9
Dec 2014/Jan 2015
Now for a little Christmas
fun!
As many of you know, Ian and Rev
Gill Strachan recently took a trip
to Jordan. In the next issue of this
magazine there will be a full report
but in the meantime here is a little
taster! Ian sent me 2 photos he
thought would be fun for a Caption
Competition!
The first photo shows Rev Gill ready
for the Blue Mosque and the second
photo shows Ian and Gill floating in
the Dead Sea.
Please just send me your suggestions
([email protected]) and a small prize
will be awarded for the best caption
for each picture.
Picture 1:
INTERCONTINENTAL CHURCH SOCIETY
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
LONDON 20 September 2014
St. Michael’s Church, Chester Square near Victoria was the venue chosen for
this year’s AGM and Annual Public Meeting. Terry and I were there along with a
goodly number of members, councillors, supporters and some past and present
chaplains.
The meeting was chaired by Rt. Revd. Julian Henderson, our Chairman of
Council, on the theme of NEW FRONTIERS. It was exciting to hear from
Chris Maclay in Versailles, and Nick Clarke in Chantilly how their ministries are
growing in their areas of France. We also had a report from Richard Bromley, our
Mission Director, on the latest developments in our richly varied international
mission.
The keynote speaker was Bishop Sandy Millar, now retired, but so dynamic and
positive - the Alpha Course man as he is known - who inspired and encouraged
us all. We then had a welcome and valuable time of prayer in small groups
for the work of ICS. We formally
received the accounts - we are still
struggling with too high a deficit - and
so hampered from what we want to be
doing in church planting and support.
Then four members were presented
with the honour of a certificate of Life
Membership: Hazel Perrin and Maggie
Gerber who are wardens at our Swiss
mountain churches, Mary Sims, who
runs a prayer group, and myself.
Though spread around UK and the world, ICS is a family and we rejoiced at
renewing that in the buzz of tea and fellowship with people we rarely see after
the meeting.
The talks given that day are available on the new ICS website:- www.ics-uk.org.
Madge OLBY 09/10/2014.
Picture 2:
A
Chaplaincy finances,
November 2014.
s we approach the end of the
financial year, I would like to
express my thanks for your financial
generosity in supporting the
Chaplaincy work. We are a rapidly
growing Chaplaincy and have to
finance annual costs in excess of
140,000€. This we do through your
generosity and from income earned
from Weddings, Funerals and
Baptisms.
At the beginning of the year we
experience a large cash outflow as
we pay our dues to the Diocese, the
Archdeaconry, Insurance premiums
and Quarterly pension fund
contributions. Usually, we move into
a positive cash flow by August or
September each year.
This year, by the end of September,
we were in a positive cash flow
position and are now forecasting
to show a small surplus by the end
of December. This compares with a
budgeted deficit of some 12,000€,
projected in January this year.
Every year we show a small growth in
the numbers of regular donors, who
give regularly through direct debits,
but we are still some way from being
able to cover regular expenses with
planned giving, which is our longer
term target. If you are not already a
planned donor, but would like to help
in this way, it is possible to donate
directly to the Chaplaincy through
your French bank or indirectly
through the ICS UK Gift Aid scheme
if you are a British tax resident.
Planned giving facilitates planned
action.
As we approach the end of the tax
year, I would like to remind French
and UK tax payers, that if you donate
through direct debits or cheques
by the 31st December each year,
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
10
Dec 2014/Jan 2015
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
you qualify for a tax rebate on your
donations in the following year. For
more information please speak to
your local treasurer or warden.
Finally, a considerable amount
of work goes into Chaplaincy
accounting, both centrally and at
local level. As we grow this work
load increases. If you have a skill in
bookkeeping or accounting, please
think about giving some of your time
to assist in this task. We are always
looking for experienced help, not only
in keeping the books up-to-date, but
also in the design and management
of our accounting systems.
In conclusion, may I wish you a
happy and holy Christmas and health
in the New Year.
John Ralph
Chaplaincy Treasurer
Neil Wright from Condom is visitng
family in Australia at the moment and
sent the following report:
After a less-than indifferent flight to
Singapore, a days stop-over and a
better flight, we arrived in Sydney, to
be met by our second daughter who
is married to an Australian sheep and
cattle farmer. We spent the week-end
in an hotel in Sydney, overlooking
the harbour. One cannot help but
be impressed by one’s surroundings,
especially as the sun continues to
shine! My son-in-law and I went to
a C of E communion service, in a
church that resembled Nerac church
from the inside so closely that I
thought that my “jet lag” was playing
tricks. A little girl was Christened
during the service making me think
that I had “time-lag” on top of
everything else. The vicar took her
on a tour of the communicants and
she smiled beatifically to us all. A real
bonus making us feel that we really
were part of God’s family.
Our twin Grandsons are at school
on the outskirts of Sydney and we
spent a pleasant afternoon watching
one of them playing cricket. They are
11
non-identical twins in more ways
than one. The school gives students
the opportunity to be confirmed but
only one twin took the choice and if
I had been told to decide which of
them this would be, I would have
got it wrong! We have very good
relationships with them and I was
able to ask the non-confirmed one
why he chose that path. Interestingly
he said that it wasn’t his final choice
but that he’d felt that several of his
friends were confirmed because it
was “the thing to do”, and he wanted
to take his time.
Australia is a very old country and
sat still on its tectonic plate whilst all
the others zoom’ed about, splitting
up and making the rest of the world
(as Iceland does to-day for example).
Because of the beauty of the birds
and the rolling hills in this part of
New South Wales, I had the fanciful
thought that this just might have been
the original “Garden of Eden”. This
was added to when we saw a black
snake, just over a yard long, slithering
across one of their lawns. However as
it was proceeding in the direction of
some 10 day old Labrador puppies
which our daughter had raised, and
didn’t appear to be touting apples, it
was quickly dispatched. So ended my
theory !
As a footnote to these thoughts I read
that there are 200 plus different tribes
of Aborigines spread over Australia,
each one having a different dialect,
not understood by the others. Babel
perhaps ?
On Sunday we shall attend the service
at the C of E church in the nearest
little town, Wallabadah. (trans.
Wallaby on the rock).
Yours, Neil
Wallabadah church
Dec 2014/Jan 2015
AC
round the
haplaincy
Ste. Nathalène
Though we are many, we are one body
CW
(24) East of Sarlat, Parish
Church, on D27
ML
PC
Sheila Campbell
Alexandra Billing
Alexandra Billing
Victoria Jones
05 53 59 68 78
05 53 62 86 11
05 53 62 86 11
05 55 91 14 19
December & January Services
Sunday 7th December 11.00 Holy Communion Revd. Dr Paul Vrolijk
NB: Will be held chez Wilton, Lou Cayrou, Arlie 24370 Carlux
Friday 19th December 17.00 Bilingual carol service, followed by mulled wine and stollen.
There will be no service on 21st December nor 4th January.
18th January 11.00 Prayer and Praise in the Salle opposite the church.
All our services are followed by coffee and a bring and share lunch.
A
fter a delayed start, autumn arrived with it’s full array of colour, glorifying it’s creator. Gen 1: 1, 11 - 14. In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing
plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land
produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their
kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning - the third day. It is indeed good!
God provided food before he created the living creatures that needed it. Likewise, God provided for our salvation
before we knew we needed it. Rms 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us. We look forward, with awe and wonder, to remembering God’s greatest gift to us and receive Jesus
into our hearts by faith.
The Anglican Church in Condom and Nerac
Sing carols
and get into the spirit of
Christmas
We would like to thank the person who wrote the remembrance of Kevin in the November magazine. It was very enlightening and
touching, a loving tribute to our beloved Kevin.
Join us 7th December
Place Saint-Marc, Nerac
at 11am
We have been enjoying Worship On Wednesdays every fortnight. We meet to praise God with words of adoration, thanksgiving
and with songs. We pray for the needs of others and receive encouragement from the Lord. There will be no WOW in January.
enjoy a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie
after the service with us
In November, we were greatly blessed by visits from Revd. Bob Payne who led a prayer day on 7th and a service on the 9th. Those
that attended were uplifted by the teaching and fellowship.
Eglise Notre-Dame
Join us at the stable to celebrate
Christmas
At the time of going to print, the Bananagram afternoon on the 24th November has not taken place but it is sure to be an afternoon
of fun, tea and cake. Proceeds are going to the Chaplaincy trip to Soul Survivor 2015.
December 18th, 11am
Chapel Notre-Dame de Piétat
54, Avenue Aquitaine. Condom
www.chaplaincyinaquitaine.org
Advertising rates per edition
Full page
Half page
Quarter page
7cm x 5cm
60€
40€
20€
15€
Long-term booking discounts available
Camera-ready artwork should be sent to
the Editor together with the appropriate
amount made payable to ‘The Chaplaincy of Aquitaine’.
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
The Anglican Church in Condom and Nerac
part of the
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
Congratulations to Steve Burman who completed the Macmillan Cancer Support trek in the High Atlas mountains of Morocco. It
was a gruelling schedule but he raised nearly £2,000 (excludes trek costs) in sponsorship. The total raised by the 31 participants of
all ages and backgrounds was £152,000. Well done! Steve will be doing a talk and showing photos of the trip after Easter next year.
www.churchinaquitaine.org
Do you know who your
Ancestors were?
For just 50€, all of which goes to
Chaplaincy Funds, Gill will research
your ancestors and then provide you
with a report and a family tree.
Or why not make it a special gift for
a relative?
For more information speak to
Gill Sweetman on 05 53 73 13 59
[email protected]
12
Do you have a story to tell?
Why did you move to Aquitaine?
How did you become a Christian?
Do you have a favourite church?
Have you a famous person in your family?
Are you famous?
Please put some thought to which hymn/song you would like to contribute to our next Prayer and Praise service on the 18th January.
The service we had on 16th November was very well received. There were 7 songs accompanied by touching testimonies. The songs
were interspersed with related Bible readings and prayers. There was a poem of remembrance. Thank you to all who took part and
made it so special. We are especially blessed by our music group.
We pray that you and your families will be greatly blessed as you welcome the Christ Jesus. Lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice. Son of
Abraham, heir to Israel. Son of David, heir to the Kingdom. Son of man, heir to the earth. Son of God, heir to all that is the Father’s.
We all come from such varied backgrounds,
let’s share some of our experiences.
Please send your stories to the Editor
Dec 2014/Jan 2015
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
13
Dec 2014/Jan 2015
Monteton
WE
CW
ML
PC
(47) east of Duras, (notre Dame Parish Church)
Paddy Atkinson 05 53 94 76 37
Norma Eckett 05 53 93 53 86
Vanda Walton 05 53 89 63 03
Helen Raphael 05 53 47 78 93
O
A complete contrast, but similarly uplifting, was the solemn Choral Eucharist for All Saints and All Souls on Sunday 2
November, with Revd Liz Morris as our celebrant, Roger Verrall as thurifer in charge of the ‘bells and smells’, and Leslie
Eckett as crucifer. In her sermon, Liz reminded us of what a ‘Saint’ really is, not some grandiose being far removed from
the world but someone who we would think of as a truly good person, who carries out his or her faith as a part of ordinary
daily life. Many of us will have come across such a person and have been inspired by him or her, and it has been the
case throughout history. The choir, led by Terry Cordery in the absence of Marjorie, led us in the singing of the service,
with Richard Errington at the organ, giving us a beautiful rendering of Schubert’s anthem, Zum Sanctus. Many of the
congregation commented on how much they had appreciated this foray into High Anglican aspects of Church of England
worship, remembering the words of Christ himself, “In my Father’s house are many mansions”, (John 14:2). Our thanks to
Liz, Roger, Terry, Richard and Leslie for offering us this very moving experience.
Please note that our traditional Service of Lessons and Carols will take place on Sunday 14 December at 18.00, followed
by mulled wine and mince pies, and that the Prayer and Praise Christmas Service will take place on the following Sunday,
21 December at 10.30, followed by a Bring and Share lunch. In addition, there will be a Christmas Day Service of Holy
Communion at Monteton at 10.30 on Thursday 25 December.
The Saturday Coffee Mornings, held at the home of Leslie and Norma Eckett in
Auriac, continued with another most successful one on November 8. A further
morning is planned for Saturday 6 December, from 10.00 – 12.00, this time with
Christmas goodies! Entry will be 5 euros, for coffee, tea and cakes with proceeds to
go to Church fund-raising charities.
Monteton Church Needs You! There will be two vacancies on our local church
committee next year. Please give this some thought and have some input with the
smooth running of our Anglican base in the beautiful Church of Notre Dame at Monteton, This includes help with services
and with social and fund-raising activities as part of a very friendly team. New faces are always welcome. If you would
like more information, please contact Norma on 05 53 93 53 86, or [email protected] , or talk with any current
committee member.
14
05 62 08 17 78
05 62 29 12 28
05 62 06 59 75
O
TBA
TBA
TBA
ur service of Holy Communion for Bible Sunday, on 26 October, was led by our Chaplain Paul. It was very much
the occasion to use, for our Readings, the beautiful Callan family Bible, donated to us at Monteton by Edith Finlay
(nee Callan) in June 2010. This bible is an edition of the 18th century “John Brown Self-Interpreting Bible, illustrating the
Old and New Testament”, and we feel very privileged to be the present custodians of this copy of the famous work which
the Revd. John Brown began soon after his appointment to the living at Haddington, East Lothian, in 1751. Paul, in his
sermon, drew our attention to Lectio Divina or Sacred Reading, the spiritual exercise in four parts: ‘Reading’, Reflecting,
Expressing, Resting’, opening ourselves up to God by the slow reading of a chosen biblical text, allowing God to speak from
his Word into our situation. As a further and ‘fun’ emphasis on his theme, all the children led us in the singing of the Action
Song, ‘B-I-B-L-E’!
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
Michael Torne
Neil Wright
Liz Evans
Christmas in Condom and Nerac
January Services
10.30 Morning Prayer
10.30 Prayer and Praise
10.30 Holy Communion
CW
ML
PC
11:00 Christmas service with Carols Nérac
11:00 Holy Communion Condom
11:00 Holy Communion
Condom
Thursday 29 January
Sunday 14 December
18.00 Service of Lessons and Carols
Revd Liz Morris
Sunday 21 December
10.30 Prayer and Praise Christmas Service David Tervet
Thursday 25 December 10.30 Holy Communion for Christmas Day Revd Liz Morris
(32) Chapel Notre Dame de Piétat,
54 Av. Aquitaine, Condom
(47), Place Saint-Marc, 47600 Nerac
Services
Sunday 7 December Thursday 18 December December Services
Sunday 11 January
Sunday 18 January
Sunday 25 January
Condom/Nerac
Dec 2014/Jan 2015
ur service in Nerac on the 7th December at 11am will have an Advent to Christmas flavour with lots of well known
carols to sing and of course a mince pie and a drop of mulled wine afterwards.
The service is not a traditional lessons and carols service although it will have readings, meditations and poems. Don’t
worry, it will still only be 60 minutes long! Our theme is - God for us, God with us, God in us - and we will see His
forgiveness, mercy and love for us reflected in the service.
It will be a first showing of our knitted crèche, the ladies have been busy again showing off their skill. In October we saw
their skill in making our wonderful creation banner and now we will see it with a ‘woolly’ Mary and Joseph.
If you don’t make that service then come along and join our Christmas Eucharist in Condom on the 18th December at
11am. Maybe you are going away for Christmas. Then these services give you an opportunity to celebrate with your friends
here before you go. It will be the same warm welcome for whichever of the services you come to.
Happy Christmas!
Condom Study Group
“Listen my people, to my teaching, and pay attention to what I say….Things that our ancestors told us. We will not keep
them from our children; we will teach the next generation…..”
This extract from Psalm 78 reflects on the duty of generations to pass down the laws of God to the following generations.
Meeting once a week, for the 6 weeks up to 20 November, we met at different member’s homes
in and around Condom, to study the so called ‘minor prophets’ found towards the end of the Old
Testament. (We studied Amos, Hosea, Joel, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.) Our friend Albert
Yorke agreed to prepare and lead these study sessions.
Opening each meeting with a piece of music, a reading and a
prayer, Albert then led us off with an in-depth historical review of
the times and events surrounding each prophet and the context of
their teachings. His probing questions asked us to consider what
they have to say to us today both as a group and as individuals.
Albert’s own love of the history of the Old Testament was clear. As the prophets spoke to
the returning Israelites, coming home to reconstruct their land and to rebuild the Temple,
warning them, cajoling them,, encouraging them, we were reminded that he also speaks
to us in like manner. We learned that the words of these prophets, spoken two thousand five hundred years ago, apply to us
even now; and we were reminded that, as Psalm 78 speaks to us, and, as Joel, Haggai and others speak to us still, we must
be sure that we continue to “tell the next generation.”
Jeffery Chesters
My wife Helen and I have lived in the Gers for 10 years. We came here to have a change of life and to run our own little
guesthouse near Condom. We have in the past been part of a French speaking Methodist church not far from our home but
have been searching for an English speaking Christian community for some while.We had attended the monthly Thursday
morning services in Condom several times in recent years and then a few weeks ago Helen made contact with Michael and
was told of the bible study group which meets once a week in various locations in the area.Two weeks ago we made the one
hour journey from our home to Michael and Susan’s house in order to meet everyone and to join in with the study time.
The welcome we received was amazing and we soon felt at home among our Christian friends. Our get-together started
with coffee and then we began a time of meditation, music and prayer. Albert led the Bible study with gentleness and great
insight and everyone was invited to make a contribution. A light lunch followed, which meant we could get to know the
other members of the group a little better.For us it was a joy to discover the group, it is enriched by the fact that we are all
from different Christian backgrounds. We look forward to continuing to attend and to learning more about the Bible and
to grow in our own individual walk with God.
Gareth Davies
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
15
Dec 2014/Jan 2015
Lot et Garonne:
Allez West of Villeneuve-sur-Lot.
Dondas just off the D215, north east of Agen.
on D50 between Castillonès and Villeréal.
Doudrac
St Médard (on D245 north-east of Agen)
Envals
CW ML
PC
Richard Morris
05 53 58 71 90
Eve Warner-Howard 05 53 41 36 49
Helen Raphael
05 53 47 78 93
Wednesday 10 December
Friday 12 December
Tuesday 16 December
Thursday 18 December
Sunday 21 December
Wednesday 24 December
11.00
18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30 10:30 18:30 Holy Communion
Doudrac Carol Service Dondas
Carol Service St Médard
Carol Service Allez
Carol Service Doudrac
Holy Communion Dondas
Christmas Eve Holy Communion Doudrac
A reminder that on Wednesday, 10th December at 6.30pm Chant’Allez will again lead the singing at our annual bi-lingual
Carol Service, ending as usual with a procession from the church to the Salle des Fêtes for mulled wine and mince pies.
This will be followed on Sunday, 21st December by Holy Communion at 10.30 am celebrated by Revd Liz Morris.
St Medard
to the north of Montflanquin.
The Service of Readings and Carols for Christmas, in the Church of St Medard, at St Medard, will be on Friday,
December 12th at 18.30. Mince Pies, mulled wine and friendship.
December Services
Sunday 7th December
Dondas
Rev Gill Strachan
Margaret Opie-Smith
Roger Verrall
Roger Verrall
Rev Liz Morris
Rev Liz Morris
Rev Liz Morris
Allez
The Prayer Ministry Training Day on 8th November, in the home of Sue and Dave Blomley was well attended. It gave us
all much to consider both spiritually and practically. As one participant pointed out ‘It would be a way for us to be more
active in our faith and hopefully comforting and inspiring to others instead of just being passive churchgoers …’
A New House Group
John and Bronwen Hartwell are starting a House Group at their home near Doudrac from January 2015.There will be a
meeting at their home on Wednesday 10th December at 11.00am, to discuss format and practicalities. The meeting will be
followed by a light lunch.If you have never been to a House Group before and have wondered what it is like, please come
along to our first meeting.We will need to know numbers for the meeting so that we can make sure the catering is in place
– please phone on 05 53 01 30 35 and we will give you directions on where to find us.
W
e held a Holy Communion service on 18th November, celebrating (a few days in advance) Christ the King and
taking the opportunity to collect donations for Restos du Coeur, since this year we did not hold a Harvest Festival
in September.
Our little church has had some major works done and it now has a very impressive new driveway and car parking. The area
all round the church has been cleared and a pathway going all round the church and graveyard. The commune has also
upgraded the main car park on the opposite side of the road, making the whole area much more accessible. The inside of
the church is looking much more loved and though there still isn’t any heating, it is a great improvement.
The Lot Valley Ecumenical group had it’s inaugural annual meeting to fix dates and events, the first of which will be a
celebration of Advent at the Protestant Temple in Villeneuve sur Lot at 20.30 on the 12th December, and will consist of
readings, meditation and prayer. The meetings for the rest of 2015 are:
•
•
•
•
•
Week of prayer for Christian Unity: Tuesday, 20th January at the Catholic Church of Ste Livrade sur Lot, at 20.30
World Day of Prayer: Friday 6th March at Maison Calas, Castelmoron sur Lot at 20.00.
Good Friday: Ecumenical celebration at the church at Bias, commencing at 12.15.
Reflection & Religious Studay: Friday 29th May at the Catholic Presbytery Villeneuver sur Lot, at 20.30
End of Year Picnic: Friday 12th June at Maison Calas, Castelmoron sur Lot, commencing 19.30
Doudrac
Our Holy Communion service on 2nd November was led by the Rev’d Paul Vrolijk. It was very much a time of All Age
Worship as the Chaplain’s children led us with singing, accompanied with actions. Following the service we had coffee in
the Salle des Fête.
Our next service will be on Sunday, 7th December at 11.00 led by Rev’d Gill Strachan.
Liz Rolfe will be collecting gift-wrapped new or used toys for Restos du Coeur. Following the Carol Service there will be
mince pies and mulled wine to enjoy in the Salle des Fête – a most festive way to end the evening together.
On Thursday 18th December we shall have our Service of Lessons and Carols led by Rev’d Liz Morris. It will also be
another opportunity for those who wish to donate a gift for a child to be sent to Restos du Coeur.
This will be followed on Wednesday, 24th December by Christmas Eve Holy Communion at 6.30 pm, led by Rev’d Liz
Morris.
Envals
On 12th November, in the home of David and Liz Rolfe, Holy Communion was celebrated by Rev’d Liz Morris. After a
joyful service, twenty four of us sat down to a delicious curry lunch and good conversation. Our thanks, once again, to
David and Liz for all they do for us.
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Every Blessing John and Bronwen
Dronne Valley Church,
Bertric Burée (24): Parish Church, (D708 between
Ribérac and Verteillac)
December Services
Sunday 7 December
Wednesday 10 December
Friday 12 December Sunday 14 December
Sunday 21 December
Thursday 25 December
Sunday 28 December
January Services
Sunday 4 January
Sunday 4 January Sunday 11 January Wednesday 14 January Sunday 18 January Sunday 25 January CW
ML
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Mike Duncan 05 53 91 30 64
Keith Gunn
Sheila Marshall
05 53 90 85 92
05 53 90 95 69
10:30
18:00
11:00
18:00
10:30
10:30
10:30
10:30
Service of the Word
Janis Adams
Advent Carol Service Sheila Marshall (please note time)
Book of Common Prayer Holy Communion Revd Brian Davies
Ribérac Carol Service Revd Dr Paul Vrolijk and Revd Brian Davies
Holy Communion
Revd Brian Davies Children’s Sunday School
Family Crib Service
Madeleine Holmes and Cathy Wheatcroft
Holy Communion
Revd Dr Paul Vrolijk
Prayer and Praise
Steve Long
10.30
16.00
10.30
11.00
10.30
10.30
Service of the Word
Evensong
Holy Communion Children’s Sunday School
Book of Common Prayer Holy Communion
Family Service
Holy Communion Children’s Sunday School
Please join us for tea and coffee after each of the Sunday services
There will be no Bring and Share lunch in December, as it’s a busy month for the people who host them
The people in our church come from a wide range of church backgrounds
and our worship reflects this diversity
We warmly welcome you, wherever you are on your journey of faith
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Bordeaux
Brian and Shirley Cook would like to welcome you
to a “bring and share” Christmas Tea-with-Carols,
at their home at Bellon, near Chalais,
December the 16th from 3.00pm to 5.30pm.
It’s always a very enjoyable afternoon, so for more
about what to bring and how to navigate to their house, don’t
hesitate to email or phone Brian and Shirley on 05 45 98 43 00
CW
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(33) Chapelle de l’Assomption,
370 bd Président Wilson, (opposite
the British Consulate).
Yasmin Berrou Ian Couper
Stephen Razafindratsima
Lindsay Megraud
Rhian Foreau
09 82 32 64 62 05 33 05 52 35
05 56 84 21 93
05 56 96 44 17
05 56 36 99 63
December Services
On Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st December we will be holding a Christmas Tree Festival in our
church at Bertric Burée each day from 10am to 4pm. I do believe this will be a ‘first’ in this part of France
for something which has become quite popular in the UK over the last 10 years.
Sunday December 7th 10.30 Family Communion Revd Bramwell Bearcroft
Sunday December 14th 17.00Christmas Carol Service Please note: no morning service
Sunday December 21st 10.30 Family Communion Revd Paul Vrolijk
Thursday December 25th 10.30 Christmas Day Holy Communion Revd Robin Nash
Sunday December 28th 10.30 Morning Prayer Madeleine Holmes
January Services
Sunday January 4th 10.30 Bring Your Own Bible Service*, Christine Rychlewski
Sunday January 11th 10.30Family Communion, Revd Dr Paul Vrolijk
Sunday January 18th 10.30 Family Communion, Revd Brian Davies
Sunday January 25th 10.30 Morning Worship – Week of Prayer for Christian Unity**, Christine Rychlewski
We have invited both French and English organizations and groups to participate and their tree can be
a natural one or made from whatever they wish. It may reflect the interests of the group and display
publicity materials whilst others may be more traditionally decorated.
Our aim is for it to appeal to the whole community and to be enjoyed by adults and children alike. Over
the weekend refreshments, a quiz, a Christmas hamper raffle, a chance to vote for your favourite tree and
a children’s activity will be offered in the Upper Room.
There will be a Crib Service at 10.30 on Sunday morning - when we are inviting the children to come along dressed as
angels, shepherds or wise men.
Entry will be free, with any donations going to the Bishop in Europe’s Advent Appeal for an Italian charity, called The
Sant’Egidio Programme*. So if you are in France over that weekend bring your friends and come and enjoy it.
Sue Gamon
Prayer Meetings
Please join us at the church Prayer Meetings
1st and 3rd Wednesday each month for just one hour in Bertric Burée church.
This month – 3rd and 17th December at 5pm
Sunday School and Youth Group
There will be something for all of our young people each Sunday.
Sunday December 7th 10.30 Sunday School and Youth Group – Rehearsal of the Nativity
Play followed by the Christmas outing (see below)
Sunday December 14th 17.00 Participation in the Christmas Carol Service
Sunday December 21st 10.30 Sunday School and Youth Group
Sunday School and Youth Group For more information, feel free to contact Rhian Foreau (05
56 96 63 69), Anne Sharp (05 57 88 46 24), Kit Seguin (05 57 64 82 41) or Jennifer Bearcroft (05
56 40 05 12).
Randonée
There will be a ‘frostbite*’ sortie into the Lusignac area on Thursday 22nd January followed by a warming lunch nearby.
Details in the weekly church bulletin nearer the time or direct from me, Jaki, by email
We look forward to a great walk and don’t forget non-walkers are always welcome to join us for lunch (but tell me in
advance in case booking is needed).
Jaki Moorhouse
LOVE~~the most powerful force in the world.
A wise person once said ...There comes a time in life, when you walk away from all
the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make
you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good. So love the people who treat
you right, pray for the ones who don’t. Life is too short to be anything but happy.
Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living.
In addition to checking out the Chaplaincy website www.churchinaquitaine.org/bordeaux
please visit and “like” our facebook pages: EnglishAnglicanChurchBordeaux
Wine and Words – Bordeaux
Join our Anglican Church Choir – Bordeaux facebook group
twitter: @anglicanbdx
Advent Carol Service & Baptisms on Sunday, November 30th at 5 p.m. There will be no
Sunday morning service on the 30th, as we will be celebrating the start of the Advent Season with lighting of
candles, carols and 5 baptisms in the evening. Your favourite traditional Advent hymns will be sung and the choir is
preparing something special. We hope to see you there!
Christmas Carol Service: Sunday, December 14th at 5 p.m. One of the highlights of
our Church year is the beautiful Carols and Readings Service mid-December. Richard Hunt and
a grand choir have been preparing for weeks!. The children, as usual, have been busy preparing
something special! Don’t forget to arrive early as “the house” fills up quickly! Mulled wine and
nibbles afterwards to share in the warmth of Christian fellowship. Why not bring a friend?
Christmas Day Prayer and Praise Service: Thursday, December 25th at 10.30
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a.m. Come celebrate the birth of the Christ child and sing “Joy to the World”! Please pass the word to your Englishspeaking friends.
Prayer triplets. One thing all of us can do as Christians is to encourage each other in prayer. “Therefore encourage one
another and build each other up, as in fact you are already doing.” Thessalonians 5:11
January services:
Many people in our Chaplaincy pray separately, but
distributed by email. Our Bordeaux correspondent,
informed, as well as receiving our prayer concerns
together, sharing concerns via the Prayer Chain,
Rhian Foreau, does an excellent job of keeping us all
and sharing them with the wider Chaplaincy.
At a recent Wine & Words, we discussed our feeling
thought that joining in a “Prayer triplet” could
is to group together in threes and communicate
or even getting together, focusing on the local and
feel more comfortable sharing in a triplet than in
that praying “alone” was sometimes difficult and
make our prayer lives livelier and richer. The idea
throughout the week about prayer, by phone, email,
Chaplaincy prayer chain, as well as concerns we
“public”.
* Jan. 4th BYOB – On pilgrimage with the 3 kings? We shall celebrate Epiphany a little early, following in the
steps of some people who travelled a long way to see Jesus and thinking about our own journeys.
** Jan. 25th Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Using material prepared by Christians in Brazil, we shall
embrace our varied languages and customs in this ecumenical and bilingual service, focusing on Jesus’ request in John 4:7,
“Give me a drink”.
Activities & Opportunities
Sunday School, Youth Group & Christmas Outing – so many things coming up!
November has been a busy month for the Sunday School with record attendances .....we are all very excited that four
children in the Sunday School (and one Mum!) are going to be baptized during the Advent service so we hope that as many
as possible will be there to support them on 30th November at 17.00. The children will be making Christingles the week
before (23rd Nov) so that they can add them to the light of Christ during the Advent celebration.
On December 7th, in Sunday School, there will be a rehearsal for the Nativity play to take place during the Carol service on
14th December. All children are welcome to take part (even if they cannot make the rehearsal) ... just come dressed ready
to be a shepherd, king or angel and all will become apparent!
After the service on 7th December all children, young people, students, young at heart, etc. are welcome to come and join
our youth Christmas outing to the ice rink outside the Cathedral in Bordeaux. We will have some lunch together and then
head for the ice rink to join with the BBC (British Bordeaux Club) association families. We suggest that young children are
accompanied by parents or adults and those not wishing to skate can watch from the side with a hot chocolate. Please let
Jennifer Bearcroft or Ian Couper know if you plan to come so that we can coordinate transport, etc.
We look forward to continued activity in the new year in the Sunday School/Youth section with Epiphany to celebrate in
early January and the prospect of a Youth Alpha Course for Youth Group to follow.
The Bordeaux Church Christmas Bazaar will be taking place on Saturday, December
6th from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Assomption. Come one, come all to the Bordeaux Church’s biggest funfilled fundraiser. You will find jams & chutneys, cakes and scones, handicrafts, English books, videos &
CDs in good condition and interesting white elephant items. Shhhhhhhhh … a Silent Auction will be
going on too! Tea and conversation in English will thrill your French neighbours and friends so bring
them along. Anyone willing to lend a hand should contact Pamela Prior.
Christmas Carols will be sung by the Bordeaux Church Choir at the Eglise Notre Dame de Bordeaux:
Sunday, December 21st at 5 p.m. We are thrilled to have received an invitation to sing some anthems and
traditional English carols in the centre of Bordeaux. Join us and sing out in the congregation! Bordeaux’s inhabitants and
tourists will be able to experience the beauty of an English Carol Service in the busyness of Christmas week.
Wine and Words Group meets for discussions on life, faith, and the world around us after work in a bar/cafe/pub in.
Join us on Friday, December 12th at 7 p.m. and then in the New Year on Friday, January 9th. All are warmly welcome.
For venue info, please contact Jenny ([email protected]).
Picnic Play Reading Group. The Picnic Play-Reading Group meets once a month after the service for a picnic and to
read a play. Due to a busy month of December, our next gathering will be on Sunday, January 18th following the service.
All those interested should contact Pamela Prior ([email protected], Tel: 05 56 59 67 34 or 06 75 80 03 86).
Home Study Groups. If you would like to learn more about the Bible, develop your Christian faith, and get to know
people from the church in an informal setting, why not join a study group with people who live in a similar area and wish
to meet at the same time - either during the day or in the evening?
One suggestion is to start by reading and discussing a book by Bishop Steven Croft: “Jesus’ People - what the church should
do next. It is a short but inspiring book with discussion questions at the end of each chapter. More books can be ordered
from Church House Bookshop or via Amazon, if needed.
If you are interested, please contact Christine Rychlewski: [email protected]. We will then send out a Doodle Poll to
find out what times suit as many people as possible.
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We hope to set up a private Internet forum, so that the Triplets can communicate with each other, especially about answers
to prayer. If you would like to join a triplet, please contact Christine Rychlewski: [email protected], indicating if you
already have partners.
The Foyer Fraternel Gouffrand, a Bordeaux Church charity outreach, is in greater need than ever of anything
that can bring some relief to those in difficulty: clothes in good condition, non-perishable food or financial donations.
Chocolates and sweets for the Christmas parcels as well as small toys for children would be very welcome. Please bring
your gifts to church on any Sunday morning. For more information, please contact Jennifer Bearcroft (05 56 40 05 12) or
Freda Perris (05 56 36 07 27).
Chap-Aid, our Charity association, working in aid of others. A Chap-Aid Fund Collection Bottle for small (or big!)
change is filling up quickly and we’d like it to be full for the Christmas Bazaar. Remember to add a few coins – a little goes
a long way. Nellie Salvi will be happy to provide people with further information on this important part of our city ministry
(Tel. 06 11 37 46 78). Thank you for your continued support.
From the Chaplaincy Soul Survivor Team: Soul Survivor 2015
Calling all youth aged 13-18! Join us at the Soul Survivor Festival (near Bath, England) on 21-25th
August 2015 for 5 days of camping, music, sports, worship, inspiring talks and a chance to explore
faith. Interested? Got questions? Check out our Facebook group (Chapaq Youth SS15), or email us at
[email protected]. For more details on the festival itself, go to www.soulsurvivor.co.uk.
Ecumenical Corner - Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The main gathering in 2015 will be held at St André Cathedral on Friday January 23rd at 18.30. The theme is; “Jesus said
to her, “Will you give me a drink?”. To start the evening, all the care and service associations affiliated with the various
churches are invited to present their activities and needs for volunteers. This will be followed by a time of worship, ending
with - a drink, of course!
Dear God.....
“Dear God, it must be super hard to love all the people in the world, especially my brother. I don’t know how You do it.”
“Dear God, I love Christmas and Easter. Could you please put another Holiday in the middle, there’s
nothing good in there now.”
“Dear God, are you actually invisible or is that just a trick?”
“Dear God, my Grandpa says you were around when he was a little boy. How far back do you go?”
“Dear God, I didn’t think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday night. That
was really cool.”
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Chancelade
and Négrondes
(24) Chapelle de Saint Jean, opp. The
Abbey NE of Périgueux
Négrondes Church
CW
ML
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Elizabeth Brook
Chris Billing Liz Oaten
Lin Tarrant
05 53 52 50 91
05 53 62 86 11
05 53 05 42 76
05 53 91 26 38
CW
ML
PC
(24) near le Bugue, Eglise de
Sainte Catherine in Limeuil Haut
David Albrecht
Christine Scott
Barry Borsberry
Jeff Bottger
05 53 36 55 97
05 53 29 39 40
05 53 74 95 67
05 53 31 84 08
December Services
December Services
Sunday 14th 10.30 Family Service 16.00 Carol Service Friday 19th 18.00 Carol Service Sunday 21st 10.30 Holy Communion Négrondes
Chancelade
Négrondes
Négrondes
January Services
Sunday 11th
10.30 Family Service Sunday 18th
10.30 Holy Communion Sunday 25th
10.30 Holy Communion Patrick Sturges
Revd. Dr. Paul Vrolijk
Sheila Marshall & Patrick Sturges
Rev’d Robin Nash
Négrondes
Chancelade
Négrondes
Carol Services Refreshments will be served after both the Carol Services. After the Négrondes Carol Service there will be dinner in a
local restaurant for those who book with Elizabeth Brook [email protected] or 05 53 52 50 91
Concert de Noël DENISA au Lux le 6 Décembre à 15h00 This is a Christian Christmas Family Concert run by the Ecumenical Committee
in Périgueux. It will be in French, but the English are welcome.
On Thursday 22nd January at 6.30pm there will be an ecumenical shared service with the Christian religions of Périgueux in the
Protestant Temple in rue Antoine Gadaud in Périgueux. This is to celebrate the week of Christian Unity. Refreshments will be served after
the Service, then there will be a “Conference” (lecture) in French.
Library. A library of Christian books and Christian study books is being set up in Négrondes church for the congregation of our Centre
to borrow.
Past Events
The Quiz and Curry evening was on Wednesday, 22nd October, in the village hall in Saint Vincent sur l’Isle. This was in aid of Cancer
Support France and Christian Aid for refugees in Iraq. We raised 340€. It was good fun although the questions asked by Anne Ingham
were quite tricky!
On the 30th October Paul came to talk to us about the “Rule of Life” at the Brook’s home. We had an
interesting and enjoyable day broken up by a bring and share lunch. It’s always a good surprise that
there is a good selection of food even when no one knows what everyone else is giving! But the most
important food was the “food for thought” that Paul left us.
Paul Vrolijk led our Remembrance Sunday Service, which was well attended. We were able to celebrate the Eucharist instead of our
normal Family Service and Alexandra Billing led the Sunday School. This was also followed by a varied bring and share lunch chez the
Brooks.
Although it was not a specific Chaplaincy event, the French Sorges
Remembrance ceremony is worthy of a place here. The Maire
of Sorges invited the local English people to join the French for
their ceremony around the village war memorial and our Worship
Leader and Reader in Training, Patrick Sturges, had a large part in
it. All the speeches in French were read out in English by Patrick
and the English were thanked for their part in the liberation of
France. Many of the English present were in our congregation. The
village children let off 63 red, white and blue balloons, the number
of young men from Sorges who lost their lives in the Great War.
22
Sunday 7th December Sunday 14th December Thursday 18th December Sunday 21st December Wednesday 24th December Thursday 25th December
Sunday 28th December 10.30
17.00
10.30
10.30
10.30
22.30
10.30
10.30
January Services
Future Events
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine
Limeuil
Sunday 4th January
Sunday 11th January
Thursday 15th January
Sunday 18th January
Sunday 25th January
10.30
10.30
10.30
10.30
10.30
Prayer and Praise
Roger Cheale
Carol Service
The Revd. Gill Strachan
Holy Communion
The Revd. Dr. Paul Vrolijk
Holy communion
The Revd Gill Strachan
Christmas Praise
Chris Scott & Anne Penfold
Midnight Mass
The Revd. Gill Strachan
Holy Communion
The Revd Gill Strachan
Holy Communion
The Revd Gill Strachan
Prayer and Praise
Holy Communion
Holy Communion
Morning Worship
Holy Communion
00000000000000
O
ur annual Remembrance Day service, held on an unusually bright and warm November morning, was led
by The Rev. Liz Morris and attracted a congregation befitting the occasion. Music was provided by Nasrine
Talog-Davies on piano and Clare Monceret on flute. Following the silence and The Last Post played by Clare,
the choir under Nasrine’s direction gave a beautiful and poignant rendition of Malcolm Archer’s ‘For the Fallen’.
Everyone felt it was a beautiful service for a memorable occasion.
The “Puzzles and Pasta” evening on the 19th of November was again a great fun evening with nine teams comprising of
between four and six players per team taking part. Thanks go to our Treasurer Gill for compiling and printing up the
brain teasers, to husband Bob for compering the evening (and almost managing to maintain order throughout) to Anne
Penfold for cooking up a delicious Lasagne meal, and to everyone else involved in the event which raised €700 for Mercy
Ships
On November 20th, a large congregation said a sad farewell to Anne Warne. It was a beautiful funeral service led by Paul
and with a wonderful address by Gill and the choir singing Rutter’s ‘The Lord bless you and keep you’. We shall all miss
Anne very much.
Forthcoming events
Following on from last year’s successful launch, Amy Owensmith has again arranged for a group of carol
singers to visit local Maisons de Retraite to entertain the residents to a programme of carols – both English
and French. Last year’s musicians Belinda and Harry will be joining us again this year and any new musicians
will be most welcome.
A rehearsal for everyone wishing to participate is scheduled for Wednesday the 10th of December at 2.00pm at Sainte
Catherine’s in the hope that children will be able to attend. Previous choral experience is not a pre-requisite as the carols
will be sung in unison so all can join in. Adults and children, English or French. So why not come along with friends and
neighbours and help to bring the spirit of Christmas to some of the elderly residents in the local area.
The programme of events at the various Maisons de Retraites is as follows;
Belves
Friday 12th December 15.00hrs
Lalinde
Monday 15th December 14.30hrs
St. Cyprien/Castels Wednesday 17th December 15.00hrs
Le Bugue
Thursday 18th December 15.00hrs
Please contact Amy at [email protected] for further information.
Dec 2014/Jan 2015
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Useful Numbers
Chaplain of Aquitaine: Revd. Dr Paul Vrolijk 05 53 23 40 73
8 Chemin de Garonna, 24240 Sigoules. [email protected]
Priests-in-Charge:
Revd. Gillian Strachan responsible for the Limeuil and Ste Nathalene sectors
05 53 58 12 58 La Gravette, 24150 Bayac [email protected]
responsible for the Monteton and Lot et Garonne sectors
Revd. Elizabeth Morris 05 53 58 71 90 Maison Neuve, Plaisance, 24560 Issigeac [email protected]
Revd. Bramwell Bearcroft responsible for Bordeaux
05 56 40 05 12 1 Lotissement de la Caussade, 33270 Floirac [email protected]
Revd. Brian Davies responsible for Bertric Buree 05 53 91 19 90 La Petite Maison, Le
Bourg Fontaines, 24320 Champagne et Fontaines [email protected]
Revd. Dr Paul Vrolijk responsible for Negrondes/Chancelade 05 53 23 40 73
8 Chemin de Garonna, 24240 Sigoules. [email protected]
Clergy with permission to officiate:
Revd. David Jones 05 53 94 71 81
Le Bourg, 47120 Loubès-Bernac [email protected]
Revd. Ann & Revd. Michael Wooderson 05 53 06 39 76
15 rue des Ecoles, 24750 Trélissac [email protected]
Revd. Canon Tim Thompson
UK: 01526 320 171
FR: 05 53 91 47 21 [email protected]
Revd. Stephen [email protected]
Revd. John Morgan 05 53 54 18 90
[email protected]
Chaplaincy Wardens:
Jennifer Lord 05 53 31 18 04
Paul Mazzotti 05 53 88 77 74
[email protected]
[email protected]
Chaplaincy Administration: Amy Owensmith
06 07 04 07 77 [email protected]
Prayer Chain Co-ordinator Madeleine Holmes 05 53 04 85 44 [email protected]
Chaplaincy Magazine Editor: Gill Sweetman 05 53 73 13 59 [email protected]
Neighbouring Chaplaincies:
Poitou-Charentes: Revd. Hazel Door [email protected]
Midi-Pyrenées & Aude: Revd Canon Andrew Hawken 05 63 81
Chaplaincy of Aquitaine:
Chaplaincy website: Chap-Aid Website: 87 44 [email protected]
[email protected]
www.churchinaquitaine.org
www.chap-aid.com
Contributions to this magazine are always very welcome and should be received no later than the 20th of the month.
Please send to:
Gill Sweetman, Champ de Riviere, 24480, Bouillac. e-mail: [email protected]
If you wish to subscribe to Spreading the Word, you may do it in two ways:
Either: send your name and address, with a cheque for 28 Euros made payable to:
‘The Chaplaincy of Aquitaine’ to the above address,
OR: send me your e-mail address and you can receive it without charge though donations to
the Chaplaincy would be most welcome.
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