News & Features

Welcome to the mini edition of the Benefice News as many of the contributors are away.

However we wanted to share our good news!  Following recent interviews we are very happy to say that The Revd Tori Venmore-Rowland has been appointed as Priest in Charge of the High Oak, Hingham and Scoulton and Woodrising, and Shellrock benefices, subject to a DBS check and safeguarding training.

Tori is currently Assistant Curate in the Mattishall and Tudd Valley benefice in our diocese.
 
Details of Tori’s institution by the Bishop of Thetford will follow in due course, but in the meantime please do keep Tori, her husband Luke and their family in your prayers.

An introduction from Revd Tori
I grew up in Norfolk, and even though I’ve left a few times, I’ve always managed to find my way back again. Following a time at Norwich School of Art and Design, I joined the Royal Air Force as a Weapons Technician, and then spent ten years in light blue. Eventually, God made it clear that there was a rather different purpose for me, and so I left the military to train for ordination. I was ordained Deacon in 2021 and Priest in 2022. My curacy started in Swaffham and Sporle, had a brief period in Dereham and then finished in Mattishall and Tudd Valley, where I have served for the past year and a half. Along with me and supporting me are my fantastic husband Luke, and our children: Cora, Lexi and John. We’re hoping to move to Hingham in the summer where I can start getting to know everyone and seeing what God has in store for the next chapter of my life!

Rev Leonard James was murdered
In 1608.
By the hands of Lowe
He did meet his fate.

A treacherous wife
Was burned at the stake
And Lowe was killed
For the lives he did take.

KYT Poetry - 2022

We were reminded of this poem, and the events that allowed it to be, as a relative of Rev. Leonard James has recently come forward to our Churchwarden, John Brown, to investigate their family history. Mr Brown has sent Ian Abel’s book to North Carolina for them to peruse. You will note that Rev. Leonard James lives on with us on our village sign with his church.

Rev. Leonard James’, to our knowledge, is buried somewhere in the graveyard but we know not where. If anyone is up for the challenge of finding it please contact the Churchwarden and you will be welcome to search the undergrowth.

The May Magnificat

May is Mary’s month, and I
Muse at that and wonder why:
Her feasts follow reason,
Dated due to season—

Candlemas, Lady Day;
But the Lady Month, May,
Why fasten that upon her,
With a feasting in her honour?

Is it only its being brighter
Than the most are must delight her?
Is it opportunest
And flowers finds soonest?
Ask of her, the mighty mother:
Her reply puts this other
Question: What is Spring?—
Growth in every thing—

Flesh and fleece, fur and feather,
Grass and greenworld all together;
Star-eyed strawberry-breasted
Throstle above her nested

Cluster of bugle* blue eggs thin
Forms and warms the life within;
And bird and blossom swell
In sod or sheath or shell.

All things rising, all things sizing
Mary sees, sympathising
With that world of good,
Nature’s motherhood.

Their magnifying of each its kind
With delight calls to mind
How she did in her stored
Magnify the Lord.
Well but there was more than this:
Spring’s universal bliss
Much, had much to say
To offering Mary May.

When drop-of-blood-and-foam-dapple
Bloom lights the orchard-apple
And thicket and thorp† are merry

With silver-surfèd cherry

And azuring-over greybell makes
Wood banks and brakes‡ wash wet like lakes
And magic cuckoocall
Caps, clears, and clinches all—

This ecstasy all through mothering earth
Tells Mary her mirth till Christ’s birth
To remember and exultation
In God who was her salvation.

G. M. Hopkins
This poem is linked to the Roman Catholic Church and their Marian prayers and worship.

Spring Clean
We had a spectacular spring clean in April and it has set us up on a good foot for the rest of the year. Thank you to everyone involved!

APCM
The Annual Parochial Church Meeting will take place on the 5th of May. All are welcome to join us and see what we have been up to!

New Carpet
The good news is, we have got a lovely new carpet for the centre aisle so that the tired, old one has been replaced. Sadly, we have not received any monetary donations as yet so, if you have a few pennies laying around any donations would be greatly appreciated.
KT

News and Views from St. Peter’s Church
Spring has sprung! As we write this, cowslips are emerging and the daffodils are in bloom. Sam Thomas’ lambs are prancing around us as we drive out of Gt. Ellingham and the traffic lights, although unwelcome by some, allow us to pause and take in the view for a little longer. We had a very busy March with Mothering Sunday, Palm Sunday and an Agape service. April is giving us time to prepare the church and we are having a spring clean to get us ready for the rest of the year.
Spring Clean
Sunday 7th April - 2pm. Our wonderful team need a little help on Sunday the 7th of April after the service at around 12pm. We have some ground tidying to do and spring cleaning to do within the church.
Cheese and Wine Joint Venture
We had a great time with our joint cheese and wine event and are happy to report it was a huge success. The Roskettes were wonderful and we got a beautiful snap of two ladies who keep the church spick and span: Joan Dove and Beryl Chilleystone. Two of the most loved and appreciated women! We hope they know it but if they don’t, they might after reading this!
New Carpet
We are in the process of gathering quotes for a new carpet down the centre of the church aisle as our current one has served its lifespan and needs replacing. We are happy to receive any donations towards this: please and thank you.

Call for Young People
Do you have ideas of what to do inside the church? Do you want a craft activity? A cake sale? A planting session on the grounds? Please share your ideas for our future planning. The future of our village churches grows ever uncertain and to keep these beautiful buildings in good condition; they need people who care about them and want to see them standing for years to come. Without a new generation wanting to take custodian of the buildings, we face losing them. While we would love more young Christians to join us, we also welcome anyone who has an interest in history and wishes to protect the church as a historic building even if they do not believe.
Contact Details
John Brown: johnbrown.propmaster@gmail.com
Follow us on FB: www.facebook.com/rstpeterschurch
KT

Spring into Summer
A reminder that British Summer Time begins this Sunday 31st March. This means the clocks will go forward by 1 hour.

Priest-in-charge Vacancy
We have been informed that due to illness the advert inviting applications to fill our vacancy has not yet been published.

Change to Deanery
We have been informed that, as from 26 March 2024, the Humbleyard Deanery will be dissolved with some of the parishes in that Deanery being incorporated into our Deanery, Thetford and Rocklands. Those now part of our Deanery are:

- Hethersett
- High Oak, Hingham and Scoulton with Woodrising
- Wymondham with Silfield and Spooner Row

The other parishes involved have been incorporated into other Deaneries.