Trinity 12 News

Priest-in-Charge Fr John Ainslie (revjohnainslie@gmail.com; 01628 629827)

A very warm welcome to any new readers, and to visitors and newcomers to St Michael’s. Do please join us for Tea, Coffee, and Cake after the service !!

Services this week: Thursday, Said Mass 10.30am; next Sunday Sung Mass 10.30am. All services followed by Tea, Coffee and Cake. Do join us !!

HERITAGE OPEN DAY is next Saturday, 13th September. As usual for HOD we will be opening the church from 10am – 4pm, with displays about the history, art and architecture of St Michaels. Our ringers will be ringing a Quarter Peel in the morning, Malcom will provide organ music from 2pm, and Oxford Organ Scholar Levente Vas will be giving an organ recital at 3pm. Tea, coffee and cake throughout !! Do plan to come, tell others, and bring your friends and neighbours, for this opportunity to appreciate our wonderful building, understand more of its history and significance, and enjoy the sound of our bells and beautiful organ music.

There will be Church Cleaning on the day before, Friday 12th – if you can help, please speak to our Churchwarden Zoe.

RIDE AND STRIDE coincides with Heritage Open Day and is an opportunity to sponsor (or be sponsored) to walk or ride (bike or horse) visiting as many churches as you can on your journey. Catherine Garland of our congregation will once again be participating and is looking for sponsorship – do please support her – sponsor forms at Back of Church. All money raised will be split between St Michaels Church and the Friends of Kent Churches, which provides grants towards the maintenance of churches across the county.

Also this month: Our PATRONAL FESTIVAL, the Feast of St Michael and All Angels, will be celebrated on Sunday 28th of September – A Sung Festival Mass at 10.30am followed by a Bring-and-Share Parish Lunch in our Hall. Please note the date and hope to come!! The week before, Sunday 21st September, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Last Saturday some from St Michael’s joined with others in a Pilgrimage Day at Aylesford Priory arranged by The Society in Rochester diocese. It was wonderful celebrating our faith together, reconnecting with old friends and making new friends from Catholic parishes here and in Rochester Diocese. Do take advantage of these hugely enjoyable events as and when they come round!

FOR OUR PRAYERS: For our Heritage Open Day and all who will come into the Church that day, that they may glimpse the love and glory of God in this sacred space; for our Bellringers as week by week they announce the presence of our Church to the parish which we serve; and for our organist, visiting organists and our choir as they enhance our worship and give glory to God through their music. We give thanks to God for all those who offer their time and talents in ministry in our church community.

We pray for those in need, and especially Glynis Reynolds, Yvonne Young, Jessica O’Sullivan, Lindsay Wheeler, Martyn Nash, Fran, Ellie Tomlinson, David Green, Norman Farrington and Chris Jenkins.

We pray for the recently departed. We remember those who have faithfully served God in this Church in previous generations, and we pray for those whose year’s mind occurs this week: John Roden, Horace Copperwheat.

FROM THE BELLTOWER: Sunday, 3 August 2025, 1280 Rutland Surprise Major 1 Rupert Cheeseman 2 Jane L Kostelnyk 3 Jacqueline Barlow 4 Charlotte Elvers 5 Stephen Coaker (C) 6 Mark Elvers 7 Philip Jarvis 8 Neil Jones Remembering Paul Jones, 1/8/25, R.I.P. A faithful member of this church.

SUPPORT ST MICHAELS: to make a donation towards the work and worship of St Michael’s Church go to: www.parishgiving.org.uk/donors/find-your-parish/maidstone-st-michael-and-aa-maidstone/