We're open.... with constraints.
St. Patrick’s reopened for Sunday services of Morning Prayer at 10.30am on 19 July and at present at least we are still open. All our services have to comply with government guidance, so there cannot be (e.g.) any hymn singing and social distancing rules must be observed. If you are going to attend Sunday service, please go to the north transept door, as that will be the entrance. Please do not arrive at the church before 10.20am. Inside, there is a notice reminding you of hygiene and other requirements, including wearing a face covering (guidance on how this is best done and what not to do is available), with a hand sanitiser station. If you have to queue, please maintain social distance. Recording your attendance is voluntary, but the guidance requires us to ask you to do so, by writing your name and telephone number on the slip provided and placing into the basket, or using the QR code on the poster. You can then pick up your service books and wait for one of the stewards to conduct you to your seat. Members of the same household or “bubble” may sit together, but others must keep their distance, so please stay where the steward places you. The toilet will be closed. There will be no children’s corner and parents are responsible for ensuring their children comply with guidance. The Officiant will give you other necessary information at the start of the service.
If you already receive Grapevine electronically or on paper copy, please bring the readings with you if you prefer to follow them rather than listen to the reader – but to comply with guidance, please take them away with you afterwards.
We can only offer restricted opening at present for visitors to comply with required government criteria - see below!.
Our Rector, Revd. Alisdair Laird, was Instituted and Inducted into the benefice on 1 September. A recording of the service (our thanks to Katie Ogilvie) is available via the link:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoJNXP0N8II
The Collect for Bible Sunday - 25 October
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: help us so to hear them, to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word, we may embrace and for ever hold fast the hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
This collect was written by Thomas Cranmer for the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and reflects the concern of the English Reformers that the Scriptures assumed their proper authority and place, not only for doctrine and in worship, but also in daily living. Bible translation remains today one of the great drivers of literacy and education worldwide. It is the best-selling book of all time, with 100 million copies currently sold annually.
Hearing is how most people would access the Bible at that time. Most were not literate, and though the reformers had made sure a Bible in English was set in every church, most people had to hear it read aloud by someone else. The progression to reading helps us to go back over passages to consider their meaning and the translation of the Bible into English was the single greatest spur to the growth of literacy in the English-speaking world. Marking means allowing the scriptures to make their mark upon our lives - some passages will always have special meaning for each of us as individuals. Learning does not mean being able to recite from memory, but understanding what we being told and applying it in our lives. Inwardly digesting is consciously to admit God’s and Christ’s teaching into our lives to nourish our spiritual growth –and to pervade the way we relate to God and our neighbour.
Jesus' summary of what the Bible requires of us is:-
The first commandment is this: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: love your neighbour as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Happy Bible reading!
Loving our neighbours.
As we move into the darker months of autumn and winter, particularly with the increasing restrictions on social contact, to the lonely or despairing warm hearts are as important as warm homes and warm food. In the frustration, uncertainty and isolation that many feel, don't be afraid to pick up the telephone or knock on the door (keeping social distance!) if you are concerned about someone or feeling down yourself - and don't assume that just because someone has a family around them they will not want other social contact they would have had pre-Covid19.
As disciples, we are here to minister to the spritual and social needs of those around us, as well as their temporal needs.
After Covid19...
The Church of England, with a number of other bodies is conducting a survey into the impacts of the pandemic on churches as centres of worship and hubs of support, care, community activities and wellbeing.
The survey is brief, and is designed for church members, users of church halls and leaders and members of community groups.
This is an opportunity to contribute to national planning, so please help in this project if you can – the link to the survey is:-
www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MZCDTF8
Covid19...
Our church buildings are now open - with conditions imposed. We still cannot share our personal love and fellowship in the accustomed and traditional way; and nor can we welcome you into St. Patrick's as visitors to wonder at the beauty and artistry of our lovely building. Whether you feel the government have over-reacted or are only taking sensible precautions is not a matter for debate here: what we do assure you of is that St. Patrick's people are still praying, still loving and still here - we just cannot show it as usual.
Our very best wishes to all who visit our website. May you and yours be safe from Covid19 (or if contracted quickly recover) or any other illness or anxiety affecting you bodily, mentally or spiritually. We pray that we will be able to resume our usual Christian activities before very much longer.
... and money.
Like other charities, St. Patrick's is badly affected by lockdown. We cannot hold events or receive visitors and are reliant upon donations from church members and the local community. I estimate this will mean we will lose around £10,000 (35%) of our usual income in 2020. We can survive this as we do have some reserves, but those reserves are earmarked to go part of the way to financing the £400,000 of repairs we need to carry out over the next couple of years.
May I ask all our congregation and supporters to set aside donations they would normally have made, but ONLY if this can be done without adverse impact on yourself and your family. If you can increase your support, this would be very helpful in current circumstances. Should you find it more convenient to donate direct to the church's Barclays Bank account, the sort code is 20-43-47, account name is PCC of Patrington, and account number 30707988. Please, though, provide a transaction description so I know who is making the donation.
Michael Price, PCC Treasurer.
Some interim good news...
The church is now open Wednesday afternoons from around 1pm to dusk, supervised by church officers. Visitors are reminded of social distancing, face covering and hand sanitation requirements. We ask you to record your name, telephone number and date of your visit on the slips provided, or use the QR code for the NHS App, but this is entirely voluntary.
Access for ambulatory visitors from the car park on High Street is up the steps between the handrails and direct to the north porch. Wheelchair users' access is through the gap in the east wall of the car park, through the lychgate and again to the north porch. There is a ramp for wheelchairs just inside the porch to help negotiate the entry step.
Entry to the church from Church Lane, to the south of the church, is via the kissing gates and the paths leading to the north of the church. These routes are not accessible to wheelchair users. There are some areas of the churchyard cordoned off for safety reasons pending attention from the Patrington Parish Council, who are responsible for churchyard maintenance.
If you are interested in exploring our beautiful church but do not wish to participate in a church service, we respectfully suggest you avoid service times (shown in the calendar).
If you would like to organise a group visit, please contact the PCC Secretary in advance, so that clashes with other visits or activities are avoided. We advise that a group visit covering the whole of the church will take a minimum of two hours, three hours if a tower tour is included.
We do have a toilet, but unfortunately space and access constraints mean it is not suitable for people with disabilities. It is available for church services, all church events, organised parties and whenever the church is stewarded. It is NOT available for use by casual visitors other than by prior arrangement with one of the Church officers.
Safeguarding vulnerable people.
St. Patrick's Church takes very seriously our duty to safeguard vulnerable people. More information is available from the PCC's Safeguarding Officer (see the "Contact us" page) or from the Diocese of York at https://dioceseofyork.org.uk/safeguarding.
Our Conservation Management Plan.
We began preparing our Conservation Management Plan (essential for all Major Parish Churches) in March 2019 and began community consultations at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting on 30 April 2019. Results from a local questionnaire indicated responders would like to see more major events in church. An inital draft of the Plan was adopted formally by the Parochial Church Council in September 2019.
The PCC has agreed to progress the priorities defined by Purcell Architecture Ltd. and is discussing where we go from here with other national and regional stakeholders and partners - essential when looking at the future of a Grade 1 Listed Building nationally recognised for its quality and heritage value.
We'll provide more information to (and want views and help from!) our local community, supporters and friends as events unfold and our plans for the future of our lovely Church crystallise. This may seem to be taking a long time, but dealing with reordering and enhancing such an important heritage building (plus the major repairs which are necessary over the next few years) isn't straightforward. Inevitably much of what we want to progress is on hold because of the national situation.
If you would like to read the CMP, it is available by email from the Project Manager, Michael Price (michaelgprice@btinternet.com). As it runs to 104 pages and has many colour photographs and illustrations, we cannot provide paper copies.
Facebook.
We now have a Facebook page - St Patricks Church Patrington - authentic page - to keep everyone in touch. The title is a bit longwinded as there were already other pages about the church which aren't ours. If you like what you see, whether on Facebook or on this website, please tell your friends. Better still, come and visit our lovely church - visitors always welcome, but if you want to see it all, it will take a couple of hours.