This Saturday The Mayor of Islington will open our much loved family fun day and festival at 2pm at St Mary’s, Upper Street, N1 2TX. As soon as the Mayor officially opens the St Mary's Festival, children from St Mary's and the surrounding area will sing two creation-themed songs: a number from Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo by Michael Flanders, and John Rutter's All Things Bright and Beautiful.We will have two bouncy castles (one for big kids and one for little kids); three talented face painters; a treasure hunt with a prize for each person who takes part in and around St Mary’s; a craft table hosted by The Little Angel Theatre; a craft table hosted by St Mary’s; as well as live music sessions with Monkey Music. Mary’s Youth Club will entertain older children with table tennis tournaments, giant jenga and mural painting.And if you are peckish at any point then you can tuck into a free afternoon tea at our forecourt cafe with plenty of squash and biscuits for children. Come along and join the fun!
Shane brings a wealth of experience and skills to St Mary’s, having worked for several years in a similar role at Isledon CIC. One of Shane’s key priorities will be to manage building portfolio at St Mary’s. Ensuring that they are well-maintained, secure and provide a welcoming and safe environment for all who come to us. He will also manage and improve the community sports and operational aspects of our church, as we seek to grow and develop in serving our community. Rev. James Hughesdon said: “It’s great to welcome Shane to the St Mary’s team. His role is important as we manage the transfer of services from Mary’s and as we look to grow St Mary’s church and better serve our community.“In his previous role, Shane demonstrated a strong commitment to working with community groups and local organizations, and we are confident that he will bring this same passion and dedication to our church.”If you would like to get in touch with Shane, you can email him on: shane.thompson@stmarysislington.org.
1. PrayA prayer from Embrace the Middle East: Gracious and loving God,We lift before you all of the people affected by the earthquake in Syria and Turkey. We pray for all of those trapped under the rubble – Lord, comfort them and calm their fear. Please bless the emergency efforts to rescue them.We pray for those who have lost loved ones in this latest tragedy – Lord, please bring comfort and peace in the midst of grief. We pray for those who have been left without homes – Lord, please provide them with shelter.We pray for those who were already living in poverty and struggling to make ends meet – Lord, please be their refuge and strength. We pray for our partners responding to immediate needs on the ground – Lord, give them wisdom and bless the work of their hands.In Jesus’ name, Amen.You can find more resources from Embrace the Middle East on this link.2. Give financially There are many organisations doing important work to support survivors and help rebuild communities. Click here to donate to the Disaster Emergency Committee.
Arté Conservation have now completed restoration work on the murals on the east and west walls of the church. On the east wall they have cleaned the mural and repaired damaged areas of gold. Unlike the mural on the east wall, the one on the west wall was covered with a yellowing gloss varnish. After cleaning, Arté Conservation removed the varnish in highlighted areas and elsewhere thinned it as far as they could without damaging the paintwork. They then applied a satin varnish which dulls the previous gloss, so the mural is now less reflective and thought to be closer to what the artist, Brian Thomas, had originally intended. This project represents the end of the long-running Heart of Islington programme of building works. There will always be more to be done but, for now, no more large projects are planned. Huge thanks to Anthea Nicholson for coordinating the work.
