ChadNet – no 294 – Sunday 9th November 2025
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 – Ken Scott
- Sunday 9th November – Remembrance Sunday
- This week
- Sunday 16th November – Second Sunday before Advent
- Ukraine Refugee Centre – donations
- The Well Foodbank
- Dementia Friendly Church – Forget-me-not Teas and weekly prayer
- From the Memorial Book
- Giving to the Church
View from the Pews
Some years ago, Anne and I visited France in order to see the grave where her uncle James was buried. It was in a Commonwealth Cemetery in Northern France in the Champagne region. We found the Cemetery in a small hamlet near Epernay, sited on a gentle slope. Not a large cemetery by First World War standards but still with several hundred graves. So, there it was, Gunner J H Strachan of the Royal Field Artillery who died on June 6th, 1918, aged 22. No member of his family had ever visited it in nearly 100 years.
However, on the other side of the slope there was a similar sized German cemetery. Here the graves were marked by metal crosses but amongst these were stones with the Star of David on them marking Jews who had died for Germany in the War. In the light of what subsequently happened it seemed infinitely sad.
We consoled ourselves with the thought that at least our sons, or our grandsons, would not have to endure the horrors of another war.
We never envisaged that in 2022 war would again return to Europe in a major way, when Russia invaded Ukraine. Once again young men and women are called upon to die for their country.
As far as is known Ukraine has lost 500,000 soldiers killed or injured and 14,000 civilians, while Russia has lost nearly 1 million fighting men to death or injury.
Rather like the First World War, they fight in trenches and ruined buildings creating a wasteland in between the armies. The weapons may be drones and not bullets, but the effects are the same.
Where, you might ask, is a loving God in all this misery and death?
Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly”, and He willingly gave His life to make that possible. God does not want people to fight and die even if the cause is “just” as in Ukraine’s case. But the power of evil can drive men to ignore God and the sacrifice of His Son and pursue their own perverted ends.
As you remember this Sunday, whether it be an individual or the countless numbers who have died in seemingly endless wars, something else is also worth remembering. The words of the hymn “let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me”.
Ken Scott
(As always this View is the personal view of the author.)
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
The Vicar’s post is half time so Merry will not be working every day. Her usual working days are Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday but this is subject to change. Her phone number is 07486 066065 and her email address is When she is not working she will not normally answer the phone, listen to messages or respond to emails.
Calls to the old phone number (01902 700257) are forwarded to Merry’s phone.
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 9th November – Remembrance Sunday
At 10.30 am (note the time) there will be a Remembrance Sunday Service in church, led by the Vicar. There will be no Communion Service. Coffee (and tea and biscuits) will be available after the service.
There is no evening service.
In the Parish Prayer Diary we pray for those who live and work in:
Moor Lane, Elms Paddock, Little Moor.
In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for:
St Philip, Penn Fields.
This week
The church will be open every day. Look out for the “church open” sign outside the porch.
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 Wednesday at 10.00 am there will be a service of Holy Communion according to the Book of Common Prayer, led by the Vicar, 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.
At 6 pm on Wednesday 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.
On Friday from 2 pm to 4 pm ChadART takes place in church. For more information contact Jo Bramall on 07977 007537.
On Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm the Interfaith Wolverhampton Annual Conference takes place at The Royal School Penn Road, Wolverhampton. See last week’s ChadNet for information.
On Saturday at 7 pm A Night with the Silent Stars takes place at Christ Church, Tettenhall Wood. Book your tickets (£14 adults – £7 accompanied under 16s) at <www.christchurchgoodshepherd.org>. For further enquiries call 01902 238988
Sunday 16th November – Second Sunday before Advent
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, led by the Vicar, 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:
High Street, Meadow View, Broadwell Lane, Old Smithy Close.
In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for:
The Venerable Bede, Wombourne.
Ukraine Refugee Centre
Mary Hayward sent this message after she took donations to the Ukraine Refugee Centre on Friday:
I am just back from taking your kind donations to Wolverhampton Ukraine Centre.
My car yet again was full! It took 4 volunteers to help me take all the bags into the shop. Everyone was overwhelmed as they began unpacking the bags.
Due to the Centre closing early for Christmas events my next visit will be on Friday 5th December.
They are still short of Children’s clothes age 5-12 years.
I asked about Christmas gifts for the children. If anyone wants to donate a selection box they will be very grateful. Other than that the usual list of
- Toiletries
- Raffle prizes
- Household items
- Ladies winter clothing
will all be gratefully received.
Thank you so much for your continued support, it means so much to them.
God Bless
Mary Hayward
The Well – the Wolverhampton Food Bank
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.
Thank you for your generosity. If you wish to know more about the work of The Well, or would like to know how you can support it in other ways, do look at their website <www.thewellwolverhampton.co.uk>
Dementia Friendly Church
Forget-me-not Teas
The next Forget-me-not Teas at St Andrew’s Church, Shifnal are on Thursday
20th November and Thursday 4th December both starting at 2pm. Everyone assured of a warm welcome. For more information speak to Tracey Williams.
Weekly Prayer
Lord, Abba Father,
pour out your healing balm on all those hurting today,
bring a sense of being loved
to all those who feel desperate and unsupported.
Let them be still and know that you are God.
Amen
(From the diocese’s Book of Prayers – Submitted by Bernice Firmin from the Forget-me-not group at St Peter’s Church Monkmoor, Shrewsbury)
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 2nd and 16th November.
Eileen Curtis – 3rd November 2020
Timothy John Cooper – 4th November 1999
Adam Witold Kwiatkowski – 4th November 2002
Hilda Mary Smedley – 7th November 2013
Elizabeth Scarth – 7th November 2014
Rupert Neville Hayward – 9th November 1964
David Challinor – 9th November 2022
Stanley Charles Weaver – 12th November 1999
Alan Hill Stubbs – 13th November 2023
May Weaver – 15th November 1938
Elizabeth Wood – 16th November 1934
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
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St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull Registered charity no 1151604