ChadNet – no 252

ChadNet – no 252 – Sunday 19th January 2025

ChadNet - the eBulletin of St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull

Welcome to this week’s edition of ChadNet – the eBulletin of St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull.

In this week’s ChadNet:

View from the Pews

Jane Horton

Have you ever wondered about the meanings behind some of our favourite nursery rhymes? Like this one, for example:

“ Goosey, Goosey gander,
   Where shall I wander?
   Upstairs and downstairs,
   And in my lady’s chamber..
   There I met an old man
   who wouldn’t say his prayers;
   I took him by the left leg
   And threw him down the stairs”.

It first appeared in print in 1784, but it goes back much further than that, possibly as far as the 16th century, which was very dangerous time for English Catholics. With Protestant Queen Elizabeth I on the throne, England was under constant threat from Catholic Europe, and practising Catholics were regarded as dangerous aliens, politically as well as religiously. The practise of their religion was outlawed. So, many Catholics, whilst appearing to conform, went to great lengths to hide their true faith. Priests travelled the country in disguise, at risk of the death penalty, and the families they visited risked heavy fines or imprisonment at the very least.

Elizabeth had a very efficient network of spies and informers who had a good idea of who the Catholic families were, so the authorities were able to keep an eye on the comings and goings at houses that fell under their suspicion. The families concerned developed ever more sophisticated strategies to avoid discovery when an unwelcome knock came to their door. Hiding places were built into their houses – behind fireplaces, under staircases, under floorboards. The authorities, in their turn, learned the most likely hiding places and their agents headed straight for them. A cat and mouse game was afoot, albeit a deadly serious one with lives at stake.

So, the rhyme describes a visit to a country house that was under suspicion of harbouring a Catholic priest. The geese in the yard no doubt give a warning by hissing at the stranger. Undeterred, he searches the house and, sure enough, he finds an old man in hiding. Catholics priests were no longer ordained after Elizabeth came to the throne, so most of them would have been elderly. Just a very few younger priests, willing to risk their lives, were ordained abroad and smuggled across the Channel.

He “wouldn’t say his prayers”. He would have been challenged to recite the prayers as prescribed in the Anglican Book of Prayer. As a Catholic, he would have been unable or unwilling to do that, and so his fate was sealed. The worship of the “Old Faith” was regarded as treason, and the punishment for it was a grisly and protracted death, no doubt with added torture to extract the names of contacts. Why the “left foot”? Catholics were then known as ‘left footers’, so he was taken by the left leg before being thrown unceremoniously down the stairs.

 And that bit of rough handling was the least of this old man’s troubles….

Jane Horton

Would you like to write a View from the Pews?

We welcome contributions for View from the Pews from anyone who would like to write one. It does not need to be on any particular subject. If you would like to write one please send it to or contact Henry Ibberson ( / 01902 701136).

.Contacts

We do not have a Vicar at the moment. For matters which would normally be dealt with by the Vicar the churchwardens are the first point of contact. The Vicarage phone (01902 700257) is redirected to the churchwardens. When they are not available a message can be left on the voicemail and they will return the call when they are available. Emails to will be received by the churchwardens.

Contact details for church officers can be found on the Contacts page of the church website. You can use if you are nore sure who to contact and the churchwardens will be able to forward it to the correct person.

Notices, which should be received by Friday afternoon for inclusion in that week’s ChadNet, and other communications in relation to ChadNet should be sent to

Articles for the magazine should be sent to (note – this is different to the address used before November 2020 which no longer works).

Sunday 19th January – Second Sunday of Epiphany – Second Day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

At 10 am there will be a service led by the Youth Group in church.This will be followed by a short service of Holy Communion by extension, led by Ken Scott, to which you are all most welcome. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be available after the service.

In the Parish Prayer Diary we pray for those who live and work in:
Hall Close, Dodds Field, Hall End Close.

In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for:
St Benedict Biscop. Wombourne.

This week

The church will be open every day. Look out for the “church open” sign outside the porch.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity continues until Saturday.

On Tuesday Prayers for Peace will be said in church at 6 pm. Please do join us and if you would like more information or are willing to lead a session, please contact Mary Hayward ().

On Tuesday evening there is a PCC meeting in church.

On Wednesday at 10.00 am there will be a service of Holy Communion according to the Book of Common Prayer, led by Revd Sue Watson, in church which will be followed by tea, coffee and cake.

After the service the church will be open from 10.30 am until at least 11.00 am as a Place of Welcome when anyone who wants to will be welcome to share in the coffee, cake and chat, whether they have been to the service or not. Those attending will receive a warm welcome.

On Wednesday at 12 noon Who’s for Lunch? is held in the Village Hall.

At 6 pm the Pattingham Shower Singers meet in church. All are welcome – just come and sing and have fun! If you need more information, contact Alix at .

At 7 pm on Wednesday Choir Practice takes place in church. Anyone interested in joining the choir should contact Martin Fox or any member of the choir.

At 2 pm on Friday there is a Memorial Service for Alan Taylor in church.

Sunday 26th January – Third Sunday of Epiphany

At 10 am there will be a service of Holy Communion, led by Revd Roberta Maxfield, in church. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be available after the service.

At 6.30 pm there will be a Service in the Iona style, led by Ken Scott, in church.

In the Parish Prayer Diary we pray for those who live and work in:
Letchmere Lane, St Chads Close, Yew Tree Road, Retreat Gardens.

In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for:
St Paul, Pendeford.

John Fellows – 90th Birthday Celebration

John would like to express his thanks for the beautiful cards, messages, warm thoughts and best wishes received from many friends to mark this special anniversary. Many thanks also to the church for its presentation, with such kind words spoken at the end of the recent morning service, truly appreciated.

The Well – the Wolverhampton Food Bank

The Well

The Well continues to need our donations and prayers. The box remains at the rear of the church for donations of food and toiletries and the wishing well for donations of cash.

Donations into the wishing well from the parish and shower singers totalled £860 for 2024. In addition, the currency appeal and Mission Giving of £160 and £350 respectively, give a grand total of £1370, all of which goes to helping the needy in our community.

Thank you for your generosity.

<www.thewellwolverhampton.co.uk>

Dementia Friendly Church

Weekly Prayer

Becoming Dementia Friendly Church 2024-25

Dear Father God,
Enfold me in your loving care.
My life, my memories, my soul are yours.  Your
Everlasting love protects and surrounds me,
Nurturing my soul as dementia reveals my innermost vulnerabilities.
Take all that I am, protect and guide me through this confusing journey.
Instil in me peace and trust in you to hold me safely in your loving arms as I grow closer to you.
Amen

(Lichfield  Diocese“Share a Prayer” Dementia 2023)

If you would like to suggest (or write) a prayer for inclusion in this series please let Tracey Williams, our Dementia Friendly Church Co-ordinator, know.

From the Memorial Book

Those whose anniversaries occur between 12th and 26th January.

Kathleen Charlotte Gardener – 12th January 1981
Catherine Eugenie Warner – 12th January 2004
Cyril George Wheeler – 12th January 2012
Tony Douglas Warrilow – 13th January 2004
Alice May Woodroffe – 13th January 2022
Cis Harris  – 14th January 1990
Mary Elizabeth Hughes – 15th January 1980
Horace Charles James – 15th January 1987
Kathleen Parker – 15th January 2005
Sheila Galbraith – 17th January 1987
Eileen Mary Rowley – 17th January 2005
Annie Guest – 18th January 1994
John Neville Hayward – 18th January 2009
Peter Victor Lingford – 19th January 2001
Raymond H Sampson – 20th January 1990
Mabel Pritchard – 20th January 2006
Jim Pritchard – 21st January 2004
Geoffrey Victor Giles – 21st January 2019
Ivy Rhodes – 25th January 2001

You can see all the pages of the Memorial Book on the Memorial Book Online page of the Church website.

Giving to the church

Details of the various ways in which you can give can be found on the Giving page of the website.

We have a JustGiving page to enable people to make one off donations. It’s at www.justgiving.com/pattingham-church. You will be asked if you want to make a contribution on top of your donation. If you do it will go to JustGiving and not to charity. If you do not want to make such a contribution select “other”. If you are a taxpayer please consider gift aiding your donation.

You can make a bank transfer to our bank account (Account name: Pattingham Parochial Church Council – Sort Code: 20-97-78 Account No: 50655023).

If you are paying by cheque please make the cheque payable to “Pattingham PCC” or “Pattingham Parochial Church Council“.

ChadNet

This bulletin is sent to those who have requested it. We now have 138 subscribers but there may still  be some people who are not aware of it and would wish to receive it. The weekly bulletin for each Sunday will normally be sent on the preceding Friday or Saturday. Additional bulletins may be sent if required. It is only being sent to those who have requested it.

If you know of anyone who might be interested please tell them about it and ask them to sign up using the form on the website (www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk/web/information/chadnet/sign-up-to-chadnet/) or by email to

St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull Registered charity no 1151604