The Shepherd, June 2009
SiR UK NEWS
VISITORS
THREE GROUPS of visitors came on one day to see Saint Edward’s Church on Sunday 20th April / 3rd May. Two of these, led by Val Pretlove, comprised about 100 people altogether. The third group of about 60 people was led by John Clarke. Fr Niphon spoke to them about the Church & our Faith.
CHURCH CLEARANCE
OVER THE WEEK beginning Monday 28th April / 11th May, we had a week dedicated to stripping the furnishings from the church, ready for the roofers to begin. We would like to thank those of you who volunteered and came and helped with this work: James Harrin, Evphi Calcantera (who also supplied bubble wrap), Valentina Merritt, Natalia Giliova and her husband, Simon Teague, Nicholas Oliver and Glyn Lovell (who brought a good supply of stout cardboard boxes), Gabriel Rakshani, Margaret Woodrow and Anna Saga-Toua. We especially impressed that several of these came from far-distant regions to lend a hand, one from the industrial hinterland in Swindon, one from Southampton, and two from Essex, one of them even from the Belgian borderlands at Burnham-on-Crouch!
CROSSES FOR CHURCH ROOF
“CLASSIC FINISH,” of Bitterne, Southampton, made two crosses of copper for us, one for the east end of the church roof and one to top the spire. These arrived towards the end of the Divine Liturgy on St Athanasius’ day, 2nd / 15th May. Fr Thomas has prepared them and gold-leafed them, ready for their erection when the work on the church roof has progressed far enough for this. The crosses are of the same design as that atop the New Monastic House.
CHURCH ROOF PROJECT
ON THE NAMEDAY of our Architect, Irina Hoble-Aldersley, 5th / 18th May, the feast of the Great Martyr Eirine, the workmen moved into and started work on the re-roofing of Saint Edward Church. The contrators, Marshels Roofing Contractors Limited, of Runfold, have meticulously protected the floors and everything immoveable inside the church, and have erected scaffolding inside and outside. Also they have fenced off areas around the church, so that the trees near the site of operations will be protected from root and other damage. The spire has been stripped of its shingles, and part of the main roof has also be strpped down. It has cost us over £400 but we were required to have a second bat survey, so that the inspector could ascend the scaffolding and look at the situation in the old spire. Thank Goodness, it was found to be clear. No bats were found to be living there.
ROOFING FUND
THE ROOFING FUND now stands at £15,719.62, leaving us a shortfall, to be met by the end of August, of £31,780.38. The fund was given a welcome boost when on the day before the work began, Sunday 4th/17th May, the Romanian members of our congregation made a collection among themselves and gave us a total of £1,660. They stipulated that, as most of them are young men and stand on the right hand of the church, this generous donation should be spent only for the roof on that side of the church! May God bless them for their kindness and help, and we hope that those women who wish to remain dry during services will contribute something for the left side of the building. If you are a UK tax-payer, please gift-aid your donation, so that we can clam back the tax already paid on it. All you have to do is write a note, signed and addressed, saying that you wish the donation to be gift-aided. It adds another 25% to the total we receive.
BOOK OF THANKS
AS WE PROMISED when we began our fund raising for the building works at the Brotherhood, we are going to prepare a Book of Thanks, recording all those who have made donations. We have records of all the donations, but to help us, if you know exactly how much you have donated over the years that this fund has been running, could you please give us the figure? It will help us check our figures.and save us unnecessary errors in the record.
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