THE PARISH CHURCH OF STOKE                
DAMEREL (ST. ANDREW & ST. LUKE)

For the 10.00am Parish Eucharist  for today click here

Email:   info@stokedamerel.church                                          
www.Stokedamerel.church
www.facebook.com/StokeDamerelChurch

Sunday 22 December        4th Sunday of Advent

THIS WEEK'S READINGS Merciful God,
we entrust to your tender care
those who are ill or in pain,
knowing that whenever danger threatens
your everlasting arms
are there to hold them safe.
Comfort and heal them,
and restore them to health and strength;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

PLEASE PRAY FOR:-
The sick:-
Maureen, John and Shirley, Margaret,
Sandra, Graham.
The long term sick and infirm:-
George, Peter, Diana, Liz, Keith, Rob, Clive.
The Ministry Team:-
Wendy, Ruth, Fiona, Marilyn and Rhona.

BLESSED SACRAMENT CANDLE

If you would like to have the candle lit for a week
for a particular prayer / thanksgiving /
commemoration, etc., please send a £5 donation to
Debbie Smith, clearly marking your donation as
being for the candle. Details of your intention can
be emailed to:- sarah.lundstrom@virginmedia.com
so that a mention of the commemoration, etc., can
appear in the Sunday Sheet.

SERVICES THIS WEEK
Stoke Damerel Parish Church is a hybrid church
open for public worship and private prayer and all
services will be live streamed.
By attending a live streamed service, you give
implied permission to have your image captured
on CCTV and to be broadcast as participant in the
liturgy.

In order to watch the livestreamed services please
‘click’ on this link to
make your way to YouTube site:
https://www.youtube.com/c/StokeDamerelChurch

Sunday 22 December             4th Sunday of Advent
0800 Morning Prayer
Led by Ruth Sayers
1000 Sung Parish Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev Sue Nicholas

Tuesday 24 December            Christmas Eve
1800 Crib Service
Led by Fiona
2300 Midnight Mass
Celebrant: Rev Sue Nicholas

Wednesday 25 December        Christmas Day
Please note there is NO 8am service today
1000 Sung Holy Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev Brian Wood

Sunday 29 December                 1st Sunday of Christmas
0800 Holy Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev Brian Wood
1000 Sung Parish Eucharist
Celebrant: Rev Mike Wagstaff

WELCOME BACK
To the Rev’d Sue Nicholas at 10am today. Next
Sunday Rev’d Brian Wood will preside at 8am and
Rev’d Mike Wagstaff at 10am.

FROM KELLY COLLINS
After doing the intercession prayer on Sunday
I had requests for a copy of the poem I recited.
Here it is reproduced below:

Mothers Evening Prayer
O gentle presence, peace and joy and power;
O Life divine that owns each waiting hour,
Thou Love that guards the nestlings faltering
flight.
Keep thou my child on upward wing tonight
Love is our refuge; only with mine eye
Can I behold the snare, the pit, the fall:
His habitation high is here and nigh,
His arm encircles me and mine and all.
O make me glad for every scalding tear,
For hope deferred, ingratitude, disdain.
Wait and love more for every hate and fear.
No I’ll since God is good and loss is gain,
Beneath the shadow of His mighty wing;
In that sweet secret of the narrow way.
Seeking and finding with the angels sing:
Lo, I am with you always. Watch and pray.
No snare, no fowler, pestilence or pain;
No night drops down upon the troubled breast,
When heaven’s aftersmile earth’s teardrops gain,
And mother finds her home and heavenly rest.
By Mary Baker Eddy

FIONA’S FOOTNOTES
What a joy to lead last Sunday’s 9 Carols and
Lessons service. And a delight to be able to sing
some of my favourite carols. Thank you to
everyone who made it such a lovely evening:
the choir, Robin our organist, our readers, and
everyone who helped to open the church and
enable us to enjoy one (or three) mince pies!
This weeks’ Gospel reading is the visit of Mary to
Elizabeth, and includes the beautiful Song of Mary
(Magnificat). I spent rather a lot of time earlier this
year studying this chapter of Luke, and through
that study came to love the Magnificat more than I
already did. I learnt that the voices of women were
rarely heard in ancient Israel, so this song, whether
truly the words of Mary or not, is important
because it is written in the voice of Mary. In this
chapter we witness Mary visiting Elizabeth to see
for herself that God has kept His promise to
Elizabeth. Usually in these stories from ancient
Israel whoever was promised a miracle would ask
for a sign of that miracle. I suppose most of us
would do the same, if we were told that we were to
be the recipient of some miraculous act. But Mary
doesn’t need to ask as her sign is given to her in
the form of Elizabeth’s conception in her old age.
This song reminds me that God always keeps His
promises, even when you think that you’ve been
forgotten. When I read the Magnificat I am
reminded that although our society tends to forget
those on its edges, the poor and vulnerable, those
are the people who God most especially
emphasises. I think that’s particularly good to
remember at this time of year when so many
people might feel forgotten about and so find
comfort in church. Let’s pray that this Christmas
anyone who’s been contemplating walking across
our threshold to join us to praise God, feels
encouraged to do so.
With love and prayers
Fiona

MARILYN'S MEMOS
BUSY WEEK
We have been exceptionally busy this week with
three school events:

Tuesday:
Stoke Damerel Comprehensive Academy
This was a really super event with very talented
students singing and playing, led by Head of
School Mr Oates, music teacher Lydia and Rev’d
Michelle who imparted a really lively message on
not getting distracted by all the paraphernalia of
Christmas but to focus, at least a little, on the true
meaning of this time of year: the birth of a baby
boy who would change the world.

Wednesday :
Stoke Damerel Pre-School final Nativity

This was a truly emotional few hours for Kerrie,
Claire and all the staff and parents. The “little
ones” were beautifully attired in their shepherds,
Kings, Angels and animal outfits and performed
a very seasonal tableaux with Kerrie reading the
Christmas Story interspersed with lots of songs.
She spoke of their sadness at the closure of the
pre-school and one of the parents replied with a
very complimentary response. There was a social
event to finish off.

Thursday:
DHS for BOYS carols and seasonal music
(this evening as I write)​

This event will be a “knock out” as Emma, the
music teacher, is very inspirational and there are a
great many talented musicians amongst the pupils.
Lighting and sound is provided by Chris and Lee
and is quite amazing. The plan is for a 6 pm start
with full lighting, then at 7pm the lights will be
dimmed for the next performance. Already a large
number of parents will be in attendance, with
seasonal refreshments on offer. The photo above is
of the DHS violin group practising.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY
NEW YEAR TO ALL
Rhona and I join to offer you our warmest seasons
greetings!

THANK YOU
There are very many people who help in many
“quiet ways” and this does not go unnoticed.
A warm appreciation to all those who make life
easier.
Marilyn

ROYAL PORTRAIT

The official portrait of King Charles is now
in place over the vestry door.
Thank to Ian and his trusty hammer.
Wendy

WEDNESDAY MORNING PRAYERS
 The next date will be Wednesday 8th January 2025.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN DECEMBER
David Bailey, Russell Baynes, Judith
Mitchelmore, Gerry Turner, Alison Burgess,
Mary Jago, Graham Dear.

THE CAWTHRA FAMILY OF CANADA
Joseph Cawthra was born in 1759 and hailed from
Yeadon Hall in the parish of Guisley in the West
Riding of Yorkshire. Around 1803, he moved to
the settlement of Little York in Canada (now better
known as Toronto) and initially set up a profitable
business manufacturing peppermint oil. Trading
goods between Toronto and New York added to his
wealth. In 1812 the Crown granted him two
hundred acres of land in Toronto, and he purchased
another two hundred acres. Joseph then opened a
successful Drug Store which he subsequently
expanded into a General Store. He also developed
the land, constructing some of the first buildings in
Toronto. He became wealthy and famous. He had
three daughters and six sons. On his death in 1842,
one son, William, used his inheritance to become a
property developer and undertook many charitable
works. William built his own home, Cawthra
House, in 1853, a sumptuous house in the Greek
Revival style, designed by a prominent Toronto
architect, Joseph Sheard. One story reports that the
external doors all had solid gold doorknobs, which
were removed by the butler each day, before
darkness, to prevent them from being stolen.

The Cawthra family crest
When William died, in 1880, he was thought to be
the richest man in Canada. He and his wife had no
children and, not having written a will, when he
died, his estate was shared between his wife, niece,
and nephews. Of Joseph’s six sons, only one,
William’s brother John, survived to father his own
children, four sons and a daughter. Unfortunately,
he died five years before William, so he did not
benefit from William’s will. However, John made
his own fortune as a draper and had been wealthy
enough to retire in 1857 at the age of 33, still a
bachelor. Some years later John met a young
Englishwoman, Elizabeth Jane Elwell. He was 40
and she was 19 when they married in 1864 at St.
Paul’s church in Canonbury, London. Following
the wedding they went on a 135-day honeymoon
through Europe. She is reported to have been a
very energetic young woman and the pace of their
tour almost killed John. The couple had four
children, two sons and two daughters, before John
passed away in 1875, eleven years after he had
married Elizabeth Jane.
Some of you will be asking what connection all of
this has to Stoke Damerel parish church. In the
south wall of the chancel is the smallest of our
stained-glass windows, only visible when standing
in the chancel, dedicated to the memory of Thomas
and Mary Elwell, who were Elizabeth Jane’s
parents. There is a tomb still in its original
position, close to the north wall of the churchyard,
where they are both buried. Also within that grave
are Elizabeth Jane, two of her brothers and one of
her daughters.
Adjacent to the stained-glass window, in the    
east wall of the chancel, is the largest stained-
glass window in Stoke church. The inscription along
the base of this window states that it is dedicated
to the memory of Elizabeth Jane herself. It was
created by the well-respected firm of Clayton and Bell.

Photographs exist of Elizabeth Jane and her
husband John, and it is possible that their images
were used for the features of the Virgin Mary and
St. Andrew in the window reproduced above.

Tony Barnard