Dear friends,
(Fr Richard remains on annual leave until Tuesday, 21 January: please contact Fr Mike in case of pastoral emergency. There will be NO public Morning Prayer or morning Mass on Saturday 18 – but all other liturgies will take place as usual.)
This Sunday’s readings introduce us to the third and final element of the mystery of the Lord’s Epiphany, namely his self-revelation at the Marriage in Cana of Galilee, as he transformed water into wine. Christ connects the water of Baptism with the wine of his Passion, highlighting the link between our own vocation as God’s adopted children, and the life of service and self-sacrifice which this then involves. As this Sunday’s second reading, from St Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, makes clear, God’s gifts are given us to be of use to others, and to God’s greater glory.
Your Parochial Church Council has recently agreed the list of charities which we will support over the coming year, each time pledging a base sum from parish funds – to which congregational donations may be added. The list is as follows:
February London’s Community Kitchen (the Mayor of Harrow’s chosen charity) – serving nutritious meals, using surplus ingredients, to those of our neighbours who might otherwise go hungry;
March and April the Additional Curates Society – paying and praying for priests in poor and populous parishes, including underwriting Ryan’s pastoral assistancy placement with us;
May Mary’s Meals – serving nutritious meals to more than 2.4 million children every school day, in some of the world’s poorest countries, equipping these young people to learn;
June Tariro UK (Hope for Youth in Zimbabwe) – funding meaningful projects for young people in Zimbabwe, especially those who have lost a parent to HIV-AIDS. The charity’s founder, Fr Nicolas Stebbing CR, will join us as our guest preacher on the Feast of Pentecost, Sunday 8 June;
July the Motor Neurone Disease Association (at the suggestion of our late friend and brother, Peter Coe, in memory of his own late wife, Patricia) – focussed on improving access to care, research and campaigning for people affected by motor neurone disease;
August Mind – the mental health charity, working to ensure that no one has to face a mental health problem alone;
September Caritas Bakhita House (a repeat charity from 2024) – for over a decade, Caritas Bakhita House has provided safety, healing and hope to women escaping Modern Slavery. To learn more about their work, sign up here to attend a webinar on Wednesday, 29 January at 6.30pm;
October a sickle cell anaemia charity (tbc);
November Bereavement Care (at the suggestion of our interim honorary Treasurer, David Griffiths, who is also the Executive Officer at this charity) – supporting the residents of Harrow and Hillingdon through grief and loss;
December St Luke’s Hospice (a repeat charity from 2024, and where Fr Richard is also volunteer chaplain) – the specialist end of life and palliative care provider for Harrow and Brent.
The PCC has also agreed to reserve a sum to provide immediate help to those who ask at the church for a hot drink and warm meal, as also to designate one month’s base sum for emergency application to an international disaster relief effort.
Already, additional suggestions for 2026 charities have been received: please do share these with me if there is a cause about which you are particularly passionate.
Re-attached to this message is the flier for next week’s Service of Prayer for Christian Unity, on Friday, 24 January at 7pm, at St Anselm’s Church in Belmont. Please do support and attend this service, at which we will worship alongside our brother and sister Christians from other churches and congregations in our local community. Please see me if you can contribute to the refreshments afterwards, ideally a (savoury or sweet, vegetarian, finger-food) dish reflecting the rich cultural diversity of our area. Please also speak to me if you are a young person who would like to read during this service.
O sing a new song to the Lord; sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Fr Richard