SWAFFHAM PRIOR with REACH

The two villages have 1 school, 1 play-group, 1 mother-and-toddler group, 1 gardening club, 1 parochial charity, and though we have 2 churches, 1 parochial church council for the ecclesiastical parish of Swaffham Prior with Reach. Thus, re-stating the legality, St Mary's Swaffham Prior is the parish church; St Etheldreda, & The Holy Trinity is the chapel-of-ease (= makes it easier far people in Reach to go to church). For this reason, people from Reach may be baptised, married or buried at/from St Mary's, as of right.

The Annual Vestry & Parochial Church Meeting for the parish is therefore for both villages, and this year is being held on Monday 10th April in the School Hall, Swaffham Prior @ 7.30 pm. The Vestry Meeting, as usual, will elect 2 churchwardens, (and a deputy warden), and all those an the cavil Electoral registers are eligible to vote. The Parochial Church Meeting then hears officers reports, and reports from the working groups, before electing a new parochial church council for the ensuing year. An annual meeting pack, containing written reports and the 1999 accounts, will be available from both churches from Mothering Sunday 2nd April; do please take a copy to peruse ahead of 10th April.

Under `Vicar's Report', I would like to take the opportunity to hear "views from the floor" about our monthly worship pattern. I am particularly concerned to meet peoples needs in this area, commensurate with what is possible, bearing in mind my other Sunday services at Swaffham Bulbeck. In particular the 2nd (Swaffham Prior) & 3rd (Reach) Sunday 11.00 am Family Services, though well-advertised, planned, and dare I say executed, are indifferently attended away from the major festivals. If you are unable to come to the meeting, and have something helpful to say on this subject, I would be glad of a note from you please.

You will soon be receiving through your letter-box a St Mary's Swaffham Prior's Centenary Restoration Appeal leaflet. This invites your financial support for improvements of a community nature to the parish church viz. hand-rails (already installed), provision of a toilet, and refurbished kitchen and vestry, installation of a sound re-enforcement system and loop for the hard-of-hearing, and improved lighting and electrics. The target is £30,000; please help us achieve this after you have seen the details in the leaflet.

As Easter falls very late this year, April contains the last 2 weeks of Lent plus Holy Week; thus, this month, I offer the Church's Sacrament of Reconciliation, privately, to anyone seeking forgiveness of sins, in this particular season of self-examination and spiritual growth.