Below is a genuine plea asking for urgent prayers for members of the society of Saint Vincent de Paul - (families helping Syrians in need) who have been kidnapped alongside other Christians in Syria. The threats towards these hostages and their children are horrendous. Please pray fervently for them tonight.
Blessings and love

URGENT NEWS…from John Freund CM
From our Curia in Rome…
From Sister Monique, via Filles de la Charite, PARIS
 

Late Sunday afternoon on 1 March 2015, I received a message from M. Francoise, a delegate of the International Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and I managed to reach her by telephone.

She was leaving for Paris, and collapsed at the news she had just received: members of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in Syria were kidnapped, along with their wives and children. The children were isolated and …put into cages. Adults who do not deny their faith will be decapitated, and their children burned alive in the cages. M. Francoise had been in regular contact with several of them before all this occurred. She asked me to transmit the news and make a fervent appeal for prayers for these people, and all who are held hostage.

Let us remain fervently united in prayer, and have as our intention the welfare of all brothers and sisters in our Christian faith who are being held hostage

http://vincentians.org.au

Last year one of our priests, Revd Dr Caroline WIlkins, took a leading role in a campaign to prevent the closure of a local dementia home, Cranleigh

Paddock. The campaign was successful and the home remained open. Revd Caroline was invited to become chaplain to Cranleigh Paddock and greatly enjoys visiting and ministering there.

Today was the annual Christmas Carol Concert and Revd Caroline joined the staff choir and gave a blessing at the end. It was a very enjoyable afternoon and brought much pleasure to the elderly residents, with many of them joining in the singing and even getting up to dance with the care staff.

These activities bring so much enrichment to the residents, engaging them and bringing life and activity to them. The level of love and caring at ths special dementia home creates a comforting and much richer life than is sometimes otherwise provided to dementia patients. Little miracles and breakthroughs sometimes happen and today was such a day. A lady who had thus far been very unengaged and introverted with her dementia starting singing, laughing and smiled for the first time - and then spoke directly to choir, all of which was a big breakthrough and a wonderful moment for all present.

Our warmest congratulations to our Revd Nigel and Mrs Pam Atkin on their Golden Wedding Anniversary!

This article by one of our priests, Revd Dr Caroline Wilkins, was published in the "Christian Comment" column of the Lymington Times on 10th August 2013.

Bereavement Rescue Book

by The Rev'd Dr Caroline Wilkins and Rt Rev Rod Walton (ECC+C Lyndhurst)

 

 
We are so excited to announce the publication of our book "Bereavement Rescue with Near Death Experience evidence"! Full of quotes about heaven and life after death from Near Death Experience survivors, the book encapsulates much of what we try and share with people in bereavement who come to us for help. We wanted to be able to give people just one book that says it all - so we put this book together to achieve that purpose.

The book is half illustration and half text and is laid out to make it an easy and pleasant read. From our experience with bereaved people and having been through bereavement ourselves, we knew that this is a time when people need information that is easy to digest, not a wall of text. Many of the pictures were chosen for their serene and natural beauty, to soothe the eye and raise the spirit whilst delivering fascinating and convincing evidence that we will all see our loved ones again.

The book is available in hardback, paperback and download. The print costs are unfortunately quite high because of the high picture content, but no more than any other coffee table book. Hopefully this will deliver more though!

Paperback and download is available here

Hardback is available here

Read more: A Visit to Holy Island and Lindisfarne

This year is the 90th anniversary of the New Forest Show.

The show attracts, on average, 95,000 visitors every year and brings together a celebration of traditional country pursuits, crafts, produce and entertainment. It's a major date in the New Forest calendar. Everyone from the forest goes, from businesses to local volunteer organisations and charities. It is also a major equestrian and livestock event. There is a bit of everything there!
 

Read more: New Forest Show 2011

The Right Reverend John Rhodes

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of our much loved Bishop John Rhodes.

Bishop John was loved and respected throughout our church and many other denominations. Formerly the Archbishop of the Anglican Independent Communion and, in recent years, Bishop of the North of England and Spiritual Advisor to the Ecumenical Community Church, Bishop John was respected and highly valued as a great leader in the independent churches of the United Kingdom.

Bishop John was the Founder of the Guild of Christian Healers and was an inspiring pioneer of Christian Healing and Prayer. He held nightly prayer vigils at his chapel, where he prayed for all the intentions that were sent to him. So many people have Bishop John to thank for his healing prayers on their behalf, with many miraculous healing results. A man of great faith, he led the way with Healing Prayer and taught and counselled others, nurturing and building the prayer ministry of the next generation.

A warm, gentle and compassionate man, he was always there to listen and help and was so generous with his time, prayers and resources. He was looked on by many in the church as a valued Elder Statesman, and was relied upon and sought out for his wise advise and spiritual guidance at all levels of the church.

Bishop John will be very sadly missed. We send our condolences to his wife, Elsie, and family and send our prayers with Bishop John on his journey.

Spiritual Adviser

Bishop John Rhodes was born in India to English missionary parents.

He came from a family of priests and missionaries who served in UK, India, Pakistan and Africa.

Bishop John was an engineer in his secular profession and spent several years as a Mechanical Engineering Manager in the Forestry Commission.

He trained as a Diocesan Reader in the Church of England before becoming ordained Priest into an independent ministry. He joined an Old-Anglican Communion, a break-away from the Church of England, where he was consecrated. He became it's Archbishop, before retiring from Church leadership in 2011.

Bishop John was a gentle and prayerful man who served those whom God sends, in a loving and dignified manner. He brought a wealth of experience and measure to the ECC+C as a committed and prayerful pastor. He built his own chapel in Northumberland and was the Founder and Past-President of the Guild of Christian Healers; a Ministry to which he had long held a deep interest. He returned to that Ministry to assist Bishop Rod Walton in prayerful support and take up again an active role in Divine Healing.
 

Our New Forest Third Order is able to accept more Tertiaries. You needn't be located near the New Forest but you must be able to travel there at least twice a year to their chapel.

Please click onto their page for contact options:

New Forest Franciscans