January 2025 – From the Vicarage

From the January 2025 Parish Magazine Dear friends, Happy New Year or as the Japanese would say, akemashite (the New Year has dawned!) omedetou (Congratulations!) gozaimasu! I'm offering you the Japanese version of Happy New Year because of their acknowledgement that the New Year has begun. We often seem reluctant, I think, to pause in …

Advent Weekend Celebrations

From the January 2025 Parish Magazine From November 29th to 1st December St Mary’s had a busy weekend with the Christmas Tree Festival, Rushden Town Brass Band concert and finishing off with the Advent Carol service in church. Even though a little cold with no heating, the warmth of the start of the Christmas season …

A Bumper Harvest

From the November 2024 Parish Magazine This year’s Harvest services produced a bumper crop, not only of produce but also for attendance in church. Including the Sunday morning communion service, the joint Harvest Supper and Songs of Praise with the Wesleyan Chapel and the schools’ Harvest service. There were over 769 people who were welcomed …

Fifty Years of Ministry

Looking Back on Fifty Years of Ministry Reverend Stanley Howarth (From the September 2024 Parish Magazine) Looking back over fifty years of ministry as a priest. When I was ordained priest in 1974 my bishop, archdeacon, rural dean and incumbent were all men and modern language services were just being introduced in the form of  …