Dear Friends,June is the month when we have our two Patronal Festivals. On 24th we celebrate the Nativity or Birth of St. John the Baptist, which is exactly six months before Christmas so we reach the half-way point – a sobering thought! On 29th we celebrate St. Peter. Increasingly he is linked with St. Paul. This seems a pity to me. Saint Peter, being the chief of the Apostles should have his own day. And in any case St. Paul has another day – the Conversion of St. Paul on January 25th. I always make a point of keeping the 29th as St. Peter’s Day only which the Church of England permits.
What is a Patron Saint? Most Churches, especially if they are of the Anglican or Roman Catholic persuasion are named after a saint. Usually, in times past often, because some relic of that person was reputed to have been housed there. Sometimes they are named after a Festival such as Holy Trinity, Christ the King or Holy Cross, but if a church is named after a Saint it should at least gain some inspiration from that person and from his or her particular faith and strength of character.
In the Roman Catholic or High Church tradition, they no doubt believe that they can ask that Saint to intercede or pray for them. In the wider Anglican expression of Christian Faith that is not the kind of thing we tend to do, but at least we can try and be like that person.
Like John the Baptist we at Wolverley can try and emulate his passion for Social Justice together with a willingness to stand up for what we believe – whatever the consequences to us personally. At Cookley we who are named after Saint Peter can try to imitate his spontaneous, reckless even, devotion and loyalty.
Here in our sister parishes, we have been given two men of great stature to try to follow. It isn’t just a name to distinguish us from other churches. Let us take our Patron Saints more seriously.
Yours sincerely,
Geoffrey
From the Parish Registers
Christenings
Roxie Rose Jordan at Wolverley - 28th April
Lucy Julia Stiles at Wolverley - 13th May
Joseph George and Lily May Warrilow at Cookley - 20th May
Weddings
Joseph Hall and Rachel Insull at Wolverley - 28th April
Alexander Round and Natasha Gilbert at Wolverley - 25th May
Funerals
Edith Chapman at Wolverley - 4th May
Joan Charnock at Cookley -8th May
Reginald Cutler of Wolverley (Wyre Forest Crematorium) -17th May
Roland Torode at Wolverley - 22nd May
James Hill at Wolverley - 25th May
Graeme Smith at Cookley - 25th May
