Events

We have a wonderful array of Deanery Events over the next few months.  Bishop Peter of Bath & Wells and Bishop Peter of Taunton will be visiting the Deanery for three days in May. 

Monday 12th May	Confirmation.	Blessed Virgin Mary  Thorncombe	7.00pm
Monday 12th May	Church wardens meet Diocesan Bishop	Donyatt	7.00pm for  7.30pm
Tuesday 13th May	‘Conversation with thew Bishops’.	St. Mary’s  Chard	6.30pm for  7.00pm
Sunday 18th May	Evensong	St. Andrew’s Dowlish Wake	6.30pm
Monday 19th May	Archdeacon’s Visitation.	St. Peter & St. Paul South Petherton	6.00pm for 7.00pm
Saturday 24th May	Open Afternoon Evening Prayer - 4:30pm	Community of St Francis, Compton Durville	2:00pm until 4:15pm
Tuesday 3rd June	Deanery Synod.	St. Martin’s North Perrott.	7.30pm
Friday 6th June	Deanery visit	Wells Cathedral.
Sunday 22nd June	Evensong.	St. Andrew’s West Hatch	6.30pm
Wednesday 2nd July	Diocesan Synod.
Sunday 20th July	Evensong.	Forde Abbey	3.00pm
Sunday 24th August	Evensong.	St. Nicholas  Corfe	6.30pm
Sunday 28th September	Confirmation.	St. Michael’s Shepton Beauchamp	10.30am
Monday 3rd November	Deanery Synod.	Minster Rooms Ilminster	7.30pm

  Robert Dunning, recently retired county archivist, is writing a book on the history of our Diocese.  He will speak at Deanery Synod on November 3rd.

 Evensongs for the Deanery

The four summer evenings designated as 'Evensongs for the Deanery' are

• 18^th May         Dowlish Wake            6.30

• 22^nd June       West Hatch                 6.30

• 20^th July         Forde Abbey               3.30

• 24th August    Corfe                           6.30

Deanery Visit to Wells Cathedral

 The Dean and Chapter have invited  Deaneries to visit the Cathedral to see the completed building work and learn about the vision behind it.  Crewkerne & Ilminster Deanery are going on the evening of Friday.6^th June.  The Cathedral can accommodate 75 people from the Deanery. 

Bishops' Visit

Individual elements are being arranged with those involved, but there are four 'group' events :

 Confirmation at Thorncombe by +PT Monday 12^th May at 7pm (rehearsal on Friday 9^th at 6.30). If you anticipate having candidates there, please let me and Barry Wood know ASAP.

 Churchwardens' Reception at Donyatt with +PBW Monday 12^th May at 7 for 7.30pm. I know these two events are at the same time, and some will want to support candidates at the Confirmation. I'm afraid there are not enough hours in the day for everything ! However, if your Wardens are not going to Thorncombe, then they will be more than welcome at Donyatt to meet and chat with the Bishop whose officers they are. The invitation is both for those recently retired and for those newly appointed. If there are any who are retiring after many years, please let me know and I shall brief the Bp accordingly. An invitation from me has been circulated via the clergy (Alan's and Sue's are in the post) and it will help catering enormously if these can be returned by the date shown. If you need some for new wardens either photocopy one of the forms you have or ask me and I have some spares (which I'll bring to Chapter in March and April). NB This is primarily for Wardens (the clergy and readers will be meeting the Bishops on the Wednesday (see below).

 Conversation and Deanery Service at Chard St Mary with both Bishops at 6.30 for 7 on Tuesday 13^th May. This is for all – Wardens, Officers, PCC members, and members of each of the congregations. The format will be similar to the meeting we had at Wellington in the autumn, with presentations by +PT and +PBW and time to reflect and discuss each. The conversation will be followed at 9.00 by Compline with hymns. Please do encourage as many of your folk as possible to attend as I am sure it will be an interesting and thought-provoking evening.

 Clergy & Readers - joint Chapter and lunch at Stocklinch. This will begin with Communion at 11.45, then bring your own lunch at 12.30 and Chapter at 1.00. I would hope to finish shortly after 2.00. Details of the location, etc will be circulated beforehand.

 Warminster

The Rural Dean has booked the retreat house at Warminster for 21/22 October.

 

Music by the Lake    Sunday 1st June

The committee of Speke Hall in Dowlish Wake invite you to a picnic on Sunday 1st June from 12:00pm until 4:00pm at The Wagon House, Oxenford.  Grounds will open at 10:30am.  Tickets should be purcvhased in advance from the committee members.  (Adults £15, under 10's £10 on the gate.  Much cheaper if purchased in advance)

 

Events in the Planning Stage - 2009

In 2009 the Diocese will celebrate its 1100 anniversary.  Pre- 909 the Diocese of Sherborne covered the whole of Dorset, Somerset and Cornwall.  In 909 the See of Wells was created.  Wells covered Somerset and the See of Crediton covered Devon and Cornwall.  The first Bishop of the new Wells Diocese was Athelm (later Archbishop of Canterbury).  In 1090 Bishop John de Villula moved the See to become the Diocese of Bath, using the Abbey Church of St. Peter and St. Paul as his cathedral.  Over the forthcoming years the Diocese was named -  Diocese of Wells, Bath, Glastonbury, Bath and Glastonbury, Bath and in 1245 it was renamed Bath and Wells as we know it today.

The following Diocesan 2009 events are in the early stages of planning.  They are subject to change

January 10th	Festival Launch Service	Wells Cathedral
July 4th	Huge festival event	Glastonbury Abbey
November 21st	Celebration & Conclusion	Wells Cathedral

During May and June 2009 our Diocesan Bishop will undertake a “progress” (pilgrimage walk) of the perimeter of the Diocese, a distance of some three hundred miles. The aim is for him to meet with people “where they are” and to engage with them in their local mission situation.  He will begin by leading a short act of worship on Glastonbury Tor on Monday 4^th May.  The pilgrimage will end with Bishop Peter leading a large celebration event in the grounds of Glastonbury Abbey on Saturday 4^th July.