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Pictures from Easter 2010

Golden Jubilee Concert with Joni Talks and friends

A new recruit to our music group

10 year old Mai-An is the latest recuit to our music group. She has been having weekly violin lessons at St. Joseph's Primary School in Redhill for 3 years and now also belongs to the Junior Section of the Reigate String Orchestra, rehearsing once a week for a termly concert.

Photo Mai-An with music group leader Pat O'Byrne

Pentecost 2009 - Bishop Kieran celebrates the inauguration of our New Parish

Easter 2009

Fr. Kevin Dring was celebrant for Passion Sunday and The Pascal Triduum this year (Fr. Charles Howell doing the same at Reigate). The Saturday evening palm procession was through our lovely garden and on Sunday morning we went out into the road. We carry greenery as well as palms.

Outside on either side of the main doors we have arrangments of pampas grass, pussy willow and greenery which get transformed during the week.

On Good Friday we added a rustic figureless Cross to one. For Easter flowers from garden and hedgerow are added, and this year one display was turned into an impression of the Easter Garden, the cross being draped with gold and white material originally bought just off the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem.

An innovation was a Good Friday Evening Taize Style meditation. We eavesdropped on the disciples recalling some of the things Jesus said and did whilst their hope in a miracle grew. Then we thought about the liberation of Adam and Eve from Hell, after which we went home to join in the Great Silence of the Church awaiting the Resurrection. Those present came from the communities of Reigate and Redhill as well as Merstham.

Reigate, Merstham, Redhill joint parishes report - April 2009

A new name, a vision and a pastoral plan were unveiled to a joint meeting of almost 300 people from the communities of Merstham, Reigate and Redhill at the end of March. We are now combined with the overarching title of The Parish of the Nativity of The Lord although each church will continue to bear its original dedication. The final decision was made by Bishop Kieran after a consultation process; in his letter which was read out, he said "It embraces the distinctive nature of all three parishes in a way that brings them together at the heart of our faith". The three priests of the Parish, Fr Laurence Quin-Morris, Fr Charles Howell and Fr Kevin Dring will be working together in a "team ministry", with Fr Laurence as Moderator.

Our Kingdom based Vision includes valuing and caring for one another, welcoming the stranger and commitment to the option for the poor. We will recognise that God has blessed everyone with great and different gifts which we will share. Importantly we take responsibility for our part in building the Kingdom of God in the wider community and the world as a whole.

The Pastoral Plan is for each church to have an equal size core group, nominated by its worshipping community, together with a designated priest. There is to be a parish pastoral council composed of two members of each core group plus the priests and Deacon Tim Murrill. This will report back twice a year to a parish open meeting. It was emphasised that this is not set in tablets of stone and will be reviewed on the basis of experience.

Mothering Sunday 2009

Mass on Mothering Sunday is a special occasion for all the ladies, whether they are mothers or not. The children bring in large baskets of blooms, as part of the offertory procession, to lay before the altar.

Our tradition is that at the end the children distribute bunches of flowers first to their mothers and then to the other ladies. It was the first time Fr. Lawrence had celebrated at St. Teresa's on Laetare Sunday and seemed hopeful he might get a bunch too!

We were delighted to share in the Luu Family's happy celebration of the 25th Anniversary of their coming to the U.K. from Vietnam. The father of our parishioner Cecilia escaped by boat in 1980 and was rescued by a British Ship. His family were able to join him four years later.

Genevieve's Baptism November 2008

Songs of the Shows Concert September 2008

A standing ovation plus a profit of £530.00 - the result of a memorable evening of Songs from The Shows. Joni Talks and Paul McGowan entertained us with pieces from older classic musicals and contemporary ones to enchant us with solos and duets, romantic, wistful, dynamic and amusing. Members of the audience were so enthusiastic they could barely wait for the last notes of each song to die away before starting the applause. We hope they are coming back next year.

In addition we all enjoyed the wine and tempting selection of finger food. The profit, appropriate for a musical evening, will be spent on some new hymn books.

New Servers

Fr. Dominic with new servers, Zac & Ripley and Senior Server Claire	Fr. Charles with Zac

Merstham in Bloom 2008

A joint venture by the parish of St Teresa’s and St Katharine’s C of E Church. The parishes of St Teresa’s and St Katharine’s joined together and organised an Open Garden scheme based around the gardens of 10 parishioners from both churches. The event started in the spring when we saw a wonderful garden full of bulbs and has continued through the summer where we have seen some very different but beautiful herbaceous boarders, flower decked patios and decks and flower filled post-wedding gardens.

Despite the unreliable weather the parishioners from both church communities have enjoyed tea and cakes on Saturdays and Sundays and drinks and nibbles on a couple of Friday evenings. It can be good fun seeing how many people you can get in a gazebo and still be able to sip your fruit punch whilst the rain comes down!

The event has enabled people from both churches to meet in a social atmosphere and help to strengthen the already good ecumenical ties that exist in Merstham. With the sale of season tickets and refreshments as well as donations given on the day we have raised over £1000.00 that will be shared between both churches.

Building on this years success plans are already being made for 2009 when, with luck, we hope we will have even more gardens open.

In addition St Theresa’s Church won second prize in the official Merstham in Bloom competition. Congratulations to the garden gang, especially Audrey Langley and Ann Moon who have put in so much hard work.

Bernard Hodge