Plant Sale - Cake and Coffee Saturday St Mary's Funtington

St Mary’s Church Room – plants, pots, cakes and jams, coffee and more. Donations very welcome to Deb Hughes

80th Anniversary VE Day Celebrations 10th May

Very successful celebrations last Saturday with over 300 people joining us on a lovely sunny day on the beautiful West Ashling Cricket Ground. Many thanks to everyone involved, including Jane Mottershead for leading the organisation.

The Octagon Pilgrimage 31st May

The Octagon Pilgrimage is starting at St Mary’s Stoughton at 10:15 am to say Morning Prayer before leaving at 11:00 am. We aim to be at West Stoke for 12:30 (lunch) and St Nicholas Lavant for 3:30pm before arriving in Chichester in time for Evensong at 5:30pm Everyone is welcome to join at any point in the pilgrimage.

PASTORAL REORGANISATION - Consultation Deadline 2nd June

A Diocese Notice giving the objects of proposed pastoral reorganisation affecting this parish has been displayed near the main doors of all our churches and on the Church of England website. It includes plans for the sale of the vicarage. The Notice includes the last date (2nd June) by which representations regarding the proposed reorganisation may be made to the Church Commissioners. It is also available on this website here.

Appointment of the Rev.Jo King as our new Priest in Charge

Further details here.

Important Anniversaries in 2025

2025 marks the 1,700th Anniversary of the Nicene Creed and the 950th Anniversary of Chichester Diocese and Cathedral. Please see this short video featuring our three Bishops and the Dean HERE.

Click HERE to access the special website "Celebrating Faith" where you can find lots of information about activities in the Diocese during the year.

Sharing the Chalice during Communion

We have been reminded by our visiting priests that Bishop Martin instructed the Diocese last year that we should all be sharing the Chalice during the Act of Communion and not to intinct (dip our wafers in the wine). This is because drinking from the silver Chalice is less of an infection risk than dipping the wafer. We have been told that if we do not wish to drink from the Chalice we can take communion by sharing the bread only.

Parish Magazine Support

The Commissioning Editors of our much loved and widely respected Parish Magazine have received encouraging messages of support to enlarge the production and delivery team. Volunteers are still needed but we are making progress. We had lots of visitors to the Parish Magazine stand at the VE Day Celebrations on 10th May. The Pimm's was particularly popular!

Please see the News and Events section for all other updates

Back numbers of the Parish Magazine are now available online from March 2025 back to April 2021 - see the menu above

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