November 1898

November

THE Annual Tea at Downham, was celebrated on Tuesday, Nov. 8th, as close to St. Leonard's Day as we could put it. The tea was beautifully arranged, and the attendance very large indeed; so large that we ought to have provided more trays. Fortunately all the ladies had made ample provision, and although fifteen or sixteen sat down at a table intended for twelve, there was a plentiful supply of all kinds of good things. Our thanks are due to the following ladies who gave trays :-Miss Norman, Mrs. Hopkin, Mrs. Stockdale, Mrs. Neve and Mrs. Allen Hull, Mrs. Cole brook Mrs. Woodward and Mrs. Palmer, Mrs. J. Smith, Mrs. Thornton, and MIS. Flanders. The Concert was a great success, and everyone went home feeling a very happy evening had been spent. The proceeds after paying expenses, amounted to £3 3s. 9d. This is devoted to the Sunday Schools.

A Start has now been made with the improvements in the Cemetery, The drainage which is the most important work, is now being carried out under the superintendence of Mr. Mason Cooke. That must necessarily take some time, and considerable expense must be incurred. Still if the present cemetery can be made satisfactory at an expense of about £100, that will be better than involving the parish in an expense of probably £600 to provide a new cemetery. The present committee has formed itself into a voluntary Burial Board, and consists of the Rector, two Churchwardens, Messrs. J. Golding, J. :Stevens, A. Sennitt, M. Cook, W. Barnes and C. Brown. The following subscriptions have been received or promised :

......................................£ .... s....d. ~£8.d.

The Rector ... ... 5 0 0 Mr. Wilkin. ... ... 1 0 0

Mr. M. Cooke... ... 4 0 0 " W. Pearson... .., 1 0 0

" A. Cooke.. ... 1 0 0 " Darby ... ... '1 0 0

" Stockdale .. . . .. 3 0 0 " J. Thompson... ... 10 0

" J. E. Moxon... ... 2 0 0 " Crane ... ... 2 6

" J. E. Palmer... ... 1 10 0 " Jas. Fuller... ... 5 0

" J. Norman... ... 1 0 0 Mrs. Sharp .. ... 7 0 0

" C. Brown ... ... 2 0 0 Great Eastern Railway ... 25 0 0

This list to b. confrimed in next Magazine. Those who have not yet subscribed are earnestly requested to make some contribution towards this most important work. Any of the Committee will be glad to receive subscriptions.

THE price of the coal to the members of the Club this year will be 16s. 3d., and the distribution will take place on Monday, Dec. 19th, from nine to one o'clock.I

THE Committee of School Managers for Technical Instruction have arranged a ten day's course of lessons on Basket Making, with practical teaching and illustrations by Miss Bridson, of the Technical School, Liverpool. Classes will commence at the school en Monday, Dec. 5th, from six to eight o'clock, No charge. Everyone is welcome.

ON Sunday, Dec. 4th, sermons will be preached at Downham in behalf of the Additional Curates' Society. Collections will be made for the same Society. Rev. F. E. Freese, vicar of St. Andrew'a, Whittlesea, will preach in the evening.

THE children of S. Owen's Day School, will entertain their friends at a Concert on Tuesday, Dec. 20th, at 7 p.m. Miss Davey is very kindly superintending the whole. Admission will be 6d. for adults and 3d. for children not in the school. The proceeds will be given to the piano fund.

THE Church will be heated daily for the next three months. As there are three services daily,and the church is also used every day for private devotion, this will be much appreciated.

SPECIAL Advent Services.-Downham every Friday evening at 8 p.m., & Litany will be sung and the Rector will give an address to those who desire furthur instruction in the Christian Faith. Every Tuesday evening Mr. Colebrook will give an address at Pymoor, at 7 p.m.,and on each Friday evening at 7 p.m., Mr. Addleshaw will conduct a special service at S. Owen's.

ON Sunday, Dec. 18th, the Bishop has after due examination consented to ordain Mr. Reginald H. Whitford to the Deaconate to work in this parish. Mr. Whitford was educated at Sherborne School, and at Pembrooke College, Cambridge, and has been preparing for Holy Orders for the last year at the Leeds Clergy School. All the faithful in this parish will remember him in their prayers, and especially as his ordination draws nearer.

THE Service for receiving the Missionary Boxes will be held on Christmas at 3 o'clock in the church. All box-holders are requested to present their boxes at this Service.

THE Services on Christmas Day will be the following :-DOWNHAM.-Holy Communion, 7,8,

and 10 a.m. (choral); II a.m., Matins and Sermon; 3 p.m., Children's Festival Service and Missionary Boxes; 6-30 p.m., Evening Service and i:)ermon. PYEMOOR.-Holy Communion at 7-30 a.m. ; Matins and Sermon 11 a.m.; Evensong and Sermon 6-30 p.m. Collections for Additional Curates' Society. S. OWEN'S.-Holy Communion at 7-30 a.m.; Matins and Sermon 11 a.m.; Evensong and Sermon 6-30 p.m. Collections for Additional Curates’ Society.

ALL Church people are expected to communicate on Christmas Day. When our Lord came among men, John the Baptist pointed them to Him,saying"Rehold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." Now Holy Scripture points men to the Crucified Saviour in the Holy Communion

saying" As often as ye eat this bread and drink tbis cup ye do "shew the Lord's death till He come." These words of S. Paul are a command to all church people, who, if they are true, will only be too anxious to carry out what every Christian did in Apostolic times. Moreover, if we want to live in a state of salvation, we must obey the New Testament, because the Church under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost gave us the New Testament as a light and lamp on the pathway to Heaven.

A VERY happy Christmas to all our parishioners. If anyone is unhappy and miserable this Christmas and will come to the Rector, he will do all in his power to remove the sadness, and help in the trouble.