NEWSCongratulations to John Randall on his 90th birthday! There were drinks and refreshments after morning service on 1st September to celebrate, and there was further famous Barsham hospitality on 8th September to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Colin and Margaret’s engagement. As part of the lengthy and ongoing process of finding a new Rector, members of the PCC will be attending a meeting with Archdeacons Rich Henderson and Sally Gaze on 18th September, and a further meeting with Bishop Martin on 1st October. The Autumn Equinox is on Sunday 22nd September and, weather permitting, the illumination of the rood will be visible on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd September from about 5.50pm. As was the case for the Spring event, there will be no formal introductory talk and no refreshments provided, but people are warmly welcome to come and experience the event. Thank you to those who intend to fill Love Boxes this year. Please would you return the filled boxes by Friday 25th October at the latest to give Cheryl time to check and arrange them for the blessing, which is to be on Sunday 27th October. The monthly table sales table organised by Cherry raised a splendid total of £110.00. Following the final sale of the last remaining legacy bears, an anonymous and generous benefactress so moved by Sarah Jane’s efforts and perseverance has very kindly donated £509.00, elevating the final total to a magnificent £4,000.00. Many thanks to Sarah Jane and the kind donor; this sum will boost the fabric fund and will greatly aid future repairs to our Church.For her part, Sarah Jane would like to thank Ringsfield, Redisham, Shadingfield, Sotterley and other ‘outlets’ for permitting the teddy stall to share their open days. Sarah Jane would like to extend special thanks to Doreen Springall and Amy, without whose help she could not have transformed Mike Learner’s legacy into funds for Barsham Church.The congregation donated 166 items to the Food Bank in August.FORWARD PLANNINGHarvest Festival Evensong will be held at 5.30pm on Sunday 13th October withArchdeacon Sally Gaze leading the service and preaching. Harvest supper will follow in the village hall at 7pm. Tickets for the supper cost £10.00 and are available from Bridget. SNIPPETS – ‘For they are thine, O Lord, thou lover of souls’This is the text, now all but lost to 131 years of weathering, carved into the lintel on the south face of the Barsham lychgate. The text, from The Wisdom of Solomon 11:26, is part of a passage of reassuring words, beautifully rendered in the King James Version: But thou hast mercy upon all; for thou canst do all things, and winkest at the sins of men, because they should amend. For thou lovest all the things that are, and abhorrest nothing which thou hast made: for never wouldest thou have made any thing, if thou hadst hated it. And how could any thing have endured, if it had not been thy will? or been preserved, if not called by thee? But thou sparest all: for they are thine, O Lord, thou lover of souls.The Barsham lychgate was built in 1893. It was commissioned by the patron, Rev’d RAJ Suckling, and designed by Frederick Eden, the notable Anglo-Catholic church architect and designer of church interiors, who carried out commissions for Suckling at Barsham over some 30 years from about 1890. It was constructed by Walter Calver, master carpenter and builder, of Great Common, Ilketshall St Andrew, and paid for by public subscription and from Suckling’s own resources.The figure perched above the inscription on the lychgate today is not the original. Surviving photographs show that the original was a St Christopher carrying the Christ Child. This must have weathered quickly for it had already been replaced by 1931, when a photograph shows the figure of Jesus the Good Shepherd carrying a sheep, and this is the same figure that we have today. As far as is known, this lychgate is the first to exist at Barsham. Certainly, there wasn’t one ten years earlier at the time of the 1883/4 Ordnance Survey map. That’s not to say that older lychgates did not exist elsewhere: they began to appear at the entrances to churchyards from the later medieval period. The word lych comes from the Old English lic, meaning corpse and the purpose of the lychgate was to give shelter to coffins and pallbearers as they waited for the priest to meet them at the entrance to the churchyard before conducting the coffin into the church for a funeral. The seats were for the pallbearers and the stone tracks on the floor were for the easy passage of the wheels of the bier. It may be interesting to note that the holly hedge on either side of the lychgate was planted in 1892, the year before the lychgate was erected, at the expense of the Rector, Rev’d Allan Coates. Perhaps his choice of holly came down to its effectiveness as an all-season thick screen, but holly was commonly used in churchyard hedges and it is rich in popular Christian symbolism. The red berries, for instance, symbolise the blood of Christ, shed on the cross. Legend has it that holly berries were originally white or yellow, but the blood Christ shed for the sins of humankind stained the berries forever red. Another ancient legend claims that the cross on which Jesus was crucified was constructed of holly wood. Some see the holly’s pointed leaves as symbolic of the crown of thorns placed on Jesus’ head before the crucifixion. In Germany holly is known as ‘christdorn’ or ‘Christ thorn’. For others, the evergreen nature of the tree is a metaphor for eternal life. Holly is, of course, associated with Christmas and the words of the traditional English carol The Holly and the Ivy reflect its multi-faceted symbolism.Beyond the symbolism, and thinking environmentally, holly has much value in nature. The thick habitat provides vital nesting cover for birds, and in winter, the dry holly leaves on the ground are used by hibernating hedgehogs and the berries are a vital food source for birds and small mammals. In summer, the tiny white holly flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees and attract the holly blue butterfly and various moths.OCTOBER DIARYSunday 6th October – Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Jonathan Olanczuk.Sunday 13th October – Twentieth Sunday after Trinity. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Canon John Fellows.Sunday 13th October – Harvest Evensong. 5.30pm Choral Evensong. Archdeacon Sally Gaze.Sunday 20th October – Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Desmond Banister.Sunday 27th October – Last Sunday after Trinity. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Jonathan Olanczuk.Church correspondent: Robert Bacon 07867 306016, robert.bacon@yahoo.co.uk
NEWSHeartfelt thanks were extended to Revd Josh and a presentation was made to him at his final Sunday service at Barsham on 4th August. We are immensely grateful to Josh for the enthusiasm with which he has adopted Barsham’s form of service and the love he has extended to our congregation and those connected with it. Meetings to discuss a successor to Revd Josh are timetabled for September. Congratulations to Robyn Howard and Tom Escobar, whose wedding took place at Holy Trinity Barsham on Saturday 10th August. The singing was led by the choir and Diana and Margaret helped with the flowers. Churchyard Haymaking was undertaken over four days in the week commencing 29thJuly by our own volunteers assisted by hard-working Community Payback teams. It was a highly successful operation. Many thanks to everyone who helped in the extreme heat, and special thanks to the Bardsleys: Chris for so kindly providing ploughman’s lunches, and Malcolm for arranging the help of the Community Payback teams. Dominique’s belfry swift project has reached its seasonal conclusion, with the sound system that broadcasts swift calls switched off until next May. The project has been a success, with eight or more swifts regularly circling the belfry in the early mornings by way of reconnaissance, and now every prospect that some will use the nesting boxes next year or the year after when they return from their migration.A hassock (kneeler) made by Katherine Suckling, former patron of Holy Trinity Barsham, has recently returned from St Edmundsbury Cathedral and is displayed in the side chapel (front cover photo and see Snippets below). The Jewellery Bonanza sales table organised by Chris Bardsley, offering a spectacular display of jewellery, raised the splendid sum of £90.00, whilst the routine monthly table staffed by Bridget produced a very healthy £77.00.Sarah Jane’s determination to find homes for all the legacy bears has finally achieved its goal following sales at Redisham and Shadingfield, yielding a further £141.00 and £40.00 respectively and bringing the cumulative total to a magnificent and almost unbelievable £3,491.00. Well done and many thanks to Sarah Jane for her extraordinary perseverance!139 items were sent to the Food Bank in July. FORWARD PLANNINGSaturday 14th September, 9am-5pm – the annual Suffolk Historic Churches Trust Ride, Stride & Drive. The SHCT charity raises funds for the repair and restoration of churches and chapels in Suffolk. Of any sponsorship money you might raise, half comes to Holy Trinity Barsham and the remainder is placed in a central fund from which grants are made. Dick Carter (the Barsham organiser) and Cheryl Coutts (the Beccles area coordinator) would be grateful for participants and helpers on the day, so please keep the date free in your diary!Harvest Festival Evensong will be held at 5.30pm on Sunday 13th October withArchdeacon Sally Gaze leading the service and preaching. Harvest supper will follow in the village hall at 7pm. SNIPPETS – The Barsham Hassock and its ContextAlthough the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich was created in 1914, it wasn’t until 1959 that work started on transforming what had been the former parish church into a building of cathedral proportions. Over the following 11 years the Victorian chancel was replaced by a new quire, and additions included transepts, a Lady chapel, a side chapel and a cloister. Over the same period, each parish in the Diocese was invited to make two hassocks, creating almost a thousand in celebration of the new cathedral building, and these were dedicated at a special festival service on 25th July 1970. There was a uniform design for the new hassocks, with the early Christian ‘Y’ cross worked in red and gold against a blue background – blue being the traditional colour of medieval Suffolk cloth. Each parish could then add a unique symbol of its own and stitch the parish name at the bottom. It is not entirely clear what the symbol on the Barsham hassock represents – perhaps a stylised chalice and wafer – the latter a darker yellow disc where the stem of the chalice meets the cup. What do you think?When, in March this year, the Victorian pews at St Edmundsbury were replaced with chairs to provide a more flexible space for services and events, it was decided to withdraw the kneelers from use and to display one from each parish as a visible sign of the connection between the parishes of the Diocese and the Cathedral. The remainder were repatriated to their own parishes, hence the recent return of ours.In his article Made with Love (Country Life magazine, Dec 2023), Revd Colin Heber-Percy explains that the term ‘hassock’ stems from the original type of church kneeler, made from dried tussocks of matted vegetation harvested from bogs. By the late 17th century these were often replaced by turkey-work kneelers in which yarns were knotted as in carpets to create a comfortable pile and it wasn’t until Victorian times that needlework kneelers became the fashion. Our own rich array of kneelers is more recent, the beautiful work of embroiderers amongst the congregation. Some are an expression of time, celebrating particular events such as the Millenium, the 100th birthday of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in August 2000, or the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar five years later. One celebrates a marriage. Others are dedicated to the memory of treasured relatives or friends, and there’s one remembering Janet’s faithful dog Sasha. Most common are representations of Biblical motifs – a dove, a cross in various formats, a lamb, a star, and there’s a stitched quotation from St John’s gospel. Then there are Christian symbols such as the crossed keys of St Peter, the white lily representing the purity of Christ and His resurrection, and a pomegranate, which can have various interpretations but is commonly seen as a symbol of the Church and the unity of all the believers in Christ. Beyond those is a colourful array of patterns, floral designs, birds (including St Francis feeding the birds) and even landscapes picked out in the needlework. Most of us don’t kneel any longer, but Barsham’s hassocks have meaning in themselves, and they beautify the church. You can learn more about the history of kneelers from Elizabeth Bingham’s book, Kneelers: The Unsung Folk Art of England and Wales (Chatto & Windus, 2023).SEPTEMBER DIARYSunday 1st September – Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Jonathan Olanczuk.Sunday 8th September – Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Canon John Fellows.Sunday 15th September – Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity. 11 or 11.15am TBC. Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Desmond Banister.Sunday 22nd September – Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Jonathan Olanczuk.Sunday 29th September – Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Jonathan Olanczuk.Church correspondent: Robert Bacon 07867 306016, robert.bacon@yahoo.co.uk
NEWSThere will be an opportunity to thank Revd Josh and to say farewell over drinks and buffet after his final Sunday service at Barsham on 4th August. At its July meeting the PCC learned that there are no immediate plans for the appointment of Revd Josh’s successor, though discussions are taking place. Sunday services will continue under Revds Jonathan, John and Desmond, and Revd Jonathan has kindly offered to provide pastoral support to any who seek it. At the kind invitation of Nick and Jenny Caddick the Summer Lunch took place at St Bartholomew’s, Shipmeadow on 17th July (cover photo). Excellent company and a very fine spread of food made for a most enjoyable afternoon for the 50 or so who attended. Huge thanks to those who helped in the planning, the provision and preparation of food and drink, the running of the raffle, and setting up and clearing away. The event raised £801.00, including £277.00 from the raffle. There was a short ceremony in the rain on Sunday 30th June for the interment of the ashes of the late Philip Wills, former organist and choirmaster at Barsham. Colin Harris knew him of old and writes an appreciation below. Congratulations to Bridget and Cheryl on being elected to represent the Deanery in the House of Laiety at the Diocesan Synod for the next triennium, commencing in August. The Revd Dominic Doble has succeeded Revd Josh in the role of Rural Dean and was licensed by the Archdeacon of Suffolk at St Peter’s Spexhall on 14th July. Haymaking in the churchyard, Monday 29th & Tuesday 30th July will be undertaken by a workforce under the supervision of the Probation Service with help from volunteers from our own church community. Once again, Chris Bardsley has kindly offered to provide a ploughman’s lunch. Do come for as much time as you can spare and please bring your own rake. Chris Bardsley would love to have any unwanted costume jewellery, beads and cufflinks – but no earrings and nothing valuable – for her Jewellery Bonanza at the July sales table.Congratulations to Doreen Springall who has recently ‘retired’ from writing her monthly piece in The Sheaf, having given faithful service as correspondent for Barsham with Shipmeadow since the magazine’s inception. The sales table organised by Margaret produced a healthy £90.00 and Sarah Jane raised a splendid £120.00 for the Fabric Fund by running a market stall in Beccles.We sent 125 items donated to the Food Bank in June. FORWARD PLANNINGSaturday 14th September, 9am-5pm – the annual Suffolk Historic Churches Trust Ride, Stride and Drive. The SHCT charity raises funds for the repair and restoration of churches and chapels in Suffolk. Of the money you might raise by sponsorship, half comes direct to Holy Trinity Barsham and the remainder is placed in a central fund from which grants are made. Dick Carter is the Barsham organiser, and Cheryl Coutts is the Beccles area coordinator. They would be grateful for participants and helpers on the day, so please keep the date free in your diary!Philip Wills, Barsham organist & choirmaster – an appreciation by Colin HarrisIt was my privilege to bear the ashes of Philip Wills to a final resting place in the peaceful graveyard of the Church of the Most Holy Trinity Barsham on Sunday 30th June. I had hoped to render a few words appropriate to the occasion but decided not to do so as the rain became heavier and few of the mourners were attired for the precipitation.My mind was cast back to childhood days, for Philip was the headteacher of the primary school I attended in Worlingham, a pretty, early Victorian thatched building funded and built by the Earl of Gosford who had married Mary Sparrow of Worlingham Hall. In 1956 the much loved and highly regarded Miss Janet Hadenham retired having completed 46 years of headship and Philip had the difficult task of establishing his own style of education. He was of course a young man, then only in his mid thirties, and introduced many innovations. Organised school holidays was one, and at a time when most children rarely ventured outside their county, a trip to Kent for us was of unparalleled excitement. I can still recall the splendour of Canterbury Cathedral, the magnificence of Dover Castle, the thrill of the Hythe to Dymchurch railway and above all the wonder of the Ashford railway works.Another dimension Philip brought and imparted upon his pupils was his love of music. Very soon choirs and wind bands were formed and regularly competed at the annual music festival in Beccles. I can still recall our introduction to recorded music, an inspirational rendition of the Peer Gynt suite which for me lit the flame of a love of classical music. His musical talent soon led him to becoming organist and choirmaster at All Saints Church Worlingham which he undertook with great skill for a number of years before finally moving on to a similar role at Barsham. It is a remarkable achievement that by the time Philip retired in 1983, both he and his predecessor Janet Hadenham had served as headteacher for an unbroken spell of 73 years, a feat unlikely ever to be surpassed. Time passed, I progressed through schooling and college years, employment, marriage and family and eventually retirement. From the depths of rural Norfolk Margaret and I moved back to Beccles and by an extraordinary coincidence found that Philip and his wife Jean were our neighbours. He of course did not recognise me, but was soon convinced as to my provenance when I produced the inscribed prize book I had received from him on leaving primary school. Although by then he was in his nineties, Philip remained fiercely independent, regularly holidaying with Jean in South Africa. I committed the cardinal sin of once offering him a lift to Evensong at Barsham; I could not have insulted him more than to imply at 98 years of age his driving capability was any less than mine. He continued to drive until shortly before his 100th birthday, when both he and Jean moved to Dell House. It was a strange, inverted symmetry, Philip had guided me in my early formative years, and I hope I was a good friend and neighbour in return during his final years. AUGUST DIARYSunday 4th August – Tenth Sunday after Trinity. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). RevdJosh Bailey.Sunday 11th August – Eleventh Sunday after Trinity. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Canon John Fellows.Sunday 18th August – Twelfth Sunday after Trinity. 11.15am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Desmond Banister.Sunday 25th August – Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Jonathan Olanczuk.Church correspondent: Robert Bacon 07867 306016, robert.bacon@yahoo.co.uk
NEWSIt was with considerable sadness that we heard from Revd Josh that he is to resign as a minister in the Church of England and will lead his last Sunday service at Barsham on Sunday 4th August. Prior to addressing his congregations in person, Revd Josh wrote to the PCCs at Barsham and Bungay/Mettingham to explain his decision, and he has asked that this same message be printed in the July Newsletter. It appears below.The last Wednesday Matins for the time being will be on 3rd July, after which there will be a pause during the interregnum. The Prime Minister’s Office has announced that the King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Mike Harrison, Suffragan Bishop of Dunwich, for election as Bishop of Exeter. Bishop Mike leaves Suffolk at the end of September. On Trinity Sunday we celebrated our Patronal Festival with Choral Evensong. The choir enriched the service with a Schubert anthem and there was fizz and good company afterwards. Grateful thanks to Revd Jonathan for standing in at very short notice.Archdeacon Sally Gaze, Archdeacon for Rural Mission in this diocese, will be preaching at Sunday service on 23rd June. The Deanery Synod is to be held at Barsham Church on Monday 24th June at 7.30pm. Everyone is welcome. After morning service on Sunday 30th June, Revd Josh will conduct a short ceremony for the interment in the churchyard of the ashes of the late Philip Wills, who was for many years the highly respected organist and choirmaster at Holy Trinity Barsham.Revd Josh will lead the Benefice Evensong service on Sunday 30th June at 6.30pm at All Saints Mettingham. With the sound system now installed in the belfry and emitting swift calls, swifts have been seen circling the tower, we hope reconnoitring with a view to nesting next summer. The May sales table organised by Jenny raised an excellent £130.00.Thank you for the 152 items donated to the Food Bank in May. FORWARD PLANNINGThe annual Summer Lunch at St Bartholomew’s Shipmeadow will take place on Wednesday 17th July at the kind invitation of Nick and Jenny Caddick. Tickets will be on sale from Bridget from Sunday 23rd June and there will be a sign-up sheet at the back of the church for people to indicate what food they can offer to bring.Harvest Festival Evensong & Supper will be on Sunday 13th October. A Message from the Revd Josh BaileyIt is with sadness that I write of my decision to resign as a minister in the Church of England.I’ve handed in my notice to +Martin, and my last working day will be Saturday 10th August, when I will marry Tom & Robyn. We have found a house in Ditchingham and are hoping to complete on the sale in the next few weeks.I know this will come as something of a shock; unfortunately, I haven’t found a way of it being anything other than this. I’m sorry if this news is coming only through this means; it would always be my preference to say in person.The major reason for this change is a strong sense of call for Pippy, me and the children into the Orthodox Church as we have met and got to know two families in Suffolk through homeschooling connections. To quote +Martin in one of his questions to me, I’m not planning to lead an exodus out of the Anglican Church, but would be very happy to discuss the Orthodox Church with anyone who would be interested.Another contributing factor has been the general direction in which the Church of England is heading. The role of priest / rector is changing from when I was ordained into something that I don’t think I am well equipped to do in good conscience. I think there are ministers who are, and my stepping down is in the hope that this will make way for them to lead you and the Benefice forward.The decisions and future trajectory regarding the doctrine of marriage have also influenced my decision. There are strong and growing voices in the Church of England hierarchy that are saying ministers holding to the traditional teaching of the Church down the ages will not be welcome in the Church of England going forward. The wonderful arrangement of mutual respect we’ve been able to get to as a Benefice doesn’t seem to be acceptable to some with power and influence on the national scene sadly.Please do contact me also if you would like to talk further about any of this. Please could you also contact me directly if you would like me to continue to pray for you by name as an Orthodox Christian. The mode of intercession in this Church is primarily naming people regularly in the context of divine services. I would like to do this, but will leave it with you to request it as I appreciate this Church tradition is alien to many people.Archdeacons Rich & Sally have asked me to assure all churches of their zeal in making this transition as smooth as possible for everyone. They have also said they are available if any of you would like to contact them: Rich Henderson: Archdeacon.Rich@cofesuffolk.org Sally Gaze: archdeacon.sally@cofesuffolk.orgI have loved serving alongside you all, and firmly believe that this decision is itself borne from love for Jesus and for you, His people. Love in Him,JoshJULY DIARYSunday 7th July – Sixth Sunday after Trinity. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). RevdJonathan Olanczuk.Sunday 14th July – Seventh Sunday after Trinity. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Canon John Fellows.Sunday 21st July – Eighth Sunday after Trinity. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). RevdJonathan Olanczuk.Sunday 28th July – Ninth Sunday after Trinity. 11am Sung Eucharist (BCP). Revd Desmond Banister.Wednesday 3rd July at 8.45am – Matins. Revd Josh Bailey. Church correspondent: Robert Bacon 07867 306016, robert.bacon@yahoo.co.uk
