Ascension : St Mary's Church News
Submitted by The Islander (Clive & Jenny Duncan) 23.02.2006 (Article Archived on 09.03.2006)

I have been back from the UK just over a week and enjoying the sunshine after experiencing the English cold weather.

Dear Friends,

I have been back from the UK just over a week and enjoying the sunshine after experiencing the English cold weather.  The sad news is that just after Jenny and I left at the end of November our cat which we brought with us from St. Helena went missing from the Vicarage.  She answers to the name of "Sheba", mainly light grey in colour.  Please let me know if you have seen her around.

Firstly, I must thank Cheryl for conducting the services during my absence and for any other duties she was called upon to perform.  If all goes well for Jenny she should be back here sometime in March.

Father Brian Birchmore and Daphne send their love and greetings to the congregation of St. Mary's.

It was a great joy to have a few of the naval personnel joining us in church last Sunday morning in addition to a few other visitors who travelled back from the UK with me.  I have no doubt they enjoyed their short stay on Ascension and who knows will see them again sometime in the future.

It was welcome news for me when Cheryl contacted me to say that the meeting she had called to form a Committee for the Ascension Day Fair 2006 was a great success.  It really surprised me when I chaired the meeting last Monday evening to be told what progress had been made to date and the interest that has been shown.  The Committee will be meeting regularly leading up to the Fair.

Very often  we hear someone or even ourselves saying "Please forgive me".  Taken seriously, forgiveness is a wonderful thing.  It must have been music to the ears of the paralytic when Jesus told him his sins were forgiven.  In saying this Jesus shocked a number of people especially the religious leaders, here was a man claiming to have power to forgive sins.  For our part we know that we no longer have to carry around a load of guilt on our conscience, we can be released from this burden by praying to God and ask for his forgiveness.  Once we have been forgiven we can move on shouldering our own responsibilities and walk more freely in God's way.

Have a pleasant and enjoyable week.

Canon Clive.