ChadNet – no 315 – Sunday 5th April 2026
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 5th April – Easter Day
- This week
- Sunday 12th April – Easter 2
- Appointment of Parish Administrator
- Century Club – result of the March draw
- The Well Foodbank
- Dementia Friendly Church – weekly prayer
- From the Memorial Book
- Giving to the Church
View from the Pews
Open our eyes, Lord!
One of my favourite paintings is The Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio which is in the National Gallery. He painted the famous scene, described in Luke 24, in 1601 and it has that quality of dramatic intensity which he brought to all his religious painting. Caravaggio was a bit of a rogue and probably murdered a man but maybe because he was a religious outsider he could bring more realism to his art. Gone are the angels and haloes of his predecessors; now we have the stark reality of real 17th century people.
Cleopas and his friend had walked with the mysterious stranger the 7 miles from Jerusalem without recognising who he was and they invite him to join them for a meal. Then comes this moment of revelation when Jesus takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it and gives it to them. Luke then writes this wonderful phrase “then their eyes were opened and they recognised him”.
The picture shows the moment, with the lighting increasing the intensity of the scene. The ordinary meal with a chicken and fruit, not first century fare I’m sure, and the disciples, ordinary working men with bearded faces and ragged clothes reacting with astonishment. One is about to leap out of his chair, the other throws out his arms in disbelief. The contrast is with the youthful Christ who seems to come from another world. Jesus was obviously a very different person after his resurrection, appearing and vanishing, and not subject to the normal laws of nature.
Why does this picture fascinate me, apart from it being a superb work of art?
It shows very ordinary men, not especially holy people, meeting and eventually recognising the risen Christ. The message of the resurrection is available for all of us to see whoever and wherever we are.
No one doubts that Jesus lived in Palestine and that he died on a Roman cross. The challenge and the life changing act of belief is to acknowledge that he rose again. The picture shows him as a real living, if uniquely different, person and reminds us that many others saw the risen Christ as well.
It highlights the importance of the meal and the breaking of the bread. The loaf is clearly seen, it is broken and Jesus has a hand over a piece of it. This was probably not a eucharistic event, these disciples had not been at the Last Supper anyway, but still it points us to the opportunity we have, to see in a spiritual sense, the risen Christ in the symbols of broken bread and poured out wine.
Of course, there are countless people who do not come to a service of worship, how are they to see the evidence that Jesus is alive today?
The two disciples after the revelation at Emmaus immediately headed back to Jerusalem to tell the others of their great experience. They would show by the change in their lives that they had indeed seen Jesus alive. So those who never come to a church service should see in the lives of those who do, evidence of the risen Christ in the way they conduct their lives.
As we rejoice in the celebration once again of the most significant event in the history of mankind, we can ask ourselves do others see in my daily life evidence of the risen Jesus.
As a young boy I learned a simple chorus (if you want the tune, it is on You Tube)
Open our eyes, Lord
we want to see Jesus,
to reach out and touch him,
and say that we love him.
Open our ears, Lord
and help us to listen.
Open our eyes, Lord
we want to see Jesus.
May the Holy Spirit help us this Easter to see more clearly the risen Jesus and, having seen, may we then show to others the difference this has made in each of our lives.
Happy Easter
Ken Scott
(For those who can see the image of the painting in this email it is low resolution. To see the details in the painting (and for those who cannot see it in the email) a higher resolution version is here and will also be on the website edition of this ChadNet.)
(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
Sunday 5th April – Easter Day
All are welcome to join us on Easter Day to celebrate the Resurrection.
At 10 am there will be an All Age Service with Communion, led by the Vicar, in church. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be available after the service.
At 6.30 pm there will be a more traditional Communion Service, led by the Vicar, in church.
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:
Easter Sunday.
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 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.
There is NO Pattingham Shower Singers this week. It will resume next week.
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.
Wednesday is the copy date for the May magazine. Send articles to the editor, Jess Robins, at
On Friday evening a visiting band of bellringers will be ringing the bells.
Sunday 12th April – Second Sunday of Easter
At 10 am there will be a service of Holy Communion, led by the Vicar, in church. Coffee, tea and biscuits will be available after the service.
At 2.00 pm the MEMORY WALK in aid of Alzheimer’s Society takes place. Meet at the church for a walk around Hamley Woods for about an hour, returning to the church for refreshments. Those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. If you are to take part, please email Tracey at , so that we can organise sufficient refreshments, to be available in church. For more information see the church website at <https://www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk/web/news-and-events/memory-walk/>
There is NO evening service.
In the Parish Prayer Diary we pray for those who live and work in:
Hall End Lane, Beech Close, Beech Croft.
In the Trysull Deanery Prayer Diary we pray for:
St Joseph’s, Merry Hill, Wolverhampton.
Appointment of Parish Administrator
During the period of interregnum the PCC approved the appointment of a Parish Administrator but decided to await the appointment of a Vicar so that they could have input into the proposed role.
Merry approves of such an appointment and we wish to achieve this without delay. If anyone knows of anyone who might have the skills for this role, or requires further details, would they please approach me and I will share details of the job description and application process.
Philip Sims
Vice Chairman
Tel: 07515 145339
Email:
Century Club
The winners of the March Century Club draw were:
- 1st Prize – £150
- John Roberts – ball 50
- 2nd Prize – £100
- Alison Hollands – ball 26
- 3rd Prize – £50
- Keith Eden – ball 95
Congratulations to all of them.
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 connect via their website, where you can sign up to the newsletter and link to their Social Media pages: <www.thewellwolverhampton.co.uk>
Dementia Friendly Church
Weekly Prayer
Father we bring to you now all living with
the bewilderment of dementia.
Give those who care, patience, love, stamina
and spaces in which to feel free from stress.
Give all the sure knowledge that they are held
In Your wisdom and guiding love.
Amen
(Prayer written for Dementia Action Week Prayers 2024 by Alison Derwent, especially remembering Heather, Nonny and husband carer Andy.)
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 29th March and 12th April.
Christine May Watton – 29th March 2007
Bert Hughes – 30th March 2009
Christopher John Harrison – 30th March 2015
Isaac John Fellows – 31st March 1990
Kathleen Mary Parkes – 31st March 1999
Joan Selvey Fellows – 31st March 2019
Elsie Jane Williams – 3rd April 2001
Mary Grace Russell – 3rd April 2002
Margaret Rogers – 6th April 2012
Stanley Medlicott – 7th April 1982
Dorothy Vera Perks – 7th April 2013
Margaret Lesley Slater – 7th April 2018
Ida Sarah Bentley – 9th April 2008
Joanna Freeman Morgan – 9th April 2018
Andrew Charles Day – 9th April 2024
Albert Edward Bentley – 11th April 1982
Douglas Edwin Shelton – 12th April 2003
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.
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“.
We have a JustGiving page to enable people to make one off donations. It’s at <https://www.justgiving.com/page/pattingham-church-jg>. 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.
ChadNet
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St Chad’s Church, Pattingham with Patshull Registered charity no 1151604