Bowland Benefice
Pews News
4 August 2024

Welcome to St Leonard’s Church

this morning
A prayer for St Leonard
Almighty God, by whose grace
Leonard, kindled with the fire of your love,
became a burning, shining light in the Church:
inflame us with the same spirit of discipline and love,
that we may ever walk before you as children of light
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord
who is alive and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Collect for today Trinity 10
Let your merciful ears, O Lord,
be open to the prayers of your humble servants;
and that they may obtain their petitions
make them to ask such things as shall please you;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
This Week in the Benefice
Saturday
3 August

6.30pm Summer
Supper at Jim
Crow Corner,
Peopleton

Sunday
4 August

10.30am Benefice Holy
Communion in
Broughton
Hackett

Saturday
10 August

10.30am Coffee
Morning in The
Parish Room,
White Ladies
Aston

Sunday
11 August

11.00am Benefice Holy
Communion in
Peopleton
This Sunday we start our August pilgrimage around
our Bowland Churches to enjoy the friendship and
fellowship of taking Communion together.
It is a wonderful opportunity to visit our churches and
experience their very different characters and styles.
Revd Claire and each church’s regular congregation
look forward to welcoming you.

Please do encourage others to travel around with you.
We hold in our thoughts and prayers the tragedy in
Southport earlier this week, the deaths of innocent
little girls having fun. We pray for our broken world
 Rescue us. Heal us. Be near to us this day. We pray
this in Jesus' name, …..a man of sorrows. Amen.

Next Tuesday 6 August is
The Feast of the Transfiguration
when Christians commemorate the time when Jesus
took disciples Peter, James and John up Mount Tabor
and Moses and Elijah appeared to them. Jesus was
‘transfigured; and his face and clothes became

dazzlingly bright.’

It affirms Jesus as the fulfilment of the law and the
prophets. For a moment the glass, through which only
half-truth could be seen, was removed, and the
ultimate truth of Jesus as the long awaited Messiah

was revealed.

(Mark 9:2–13; Matthew 17:1–13; Luke 9:28–36).
Father in heaven, whose Son Jesus Christ
was wonderfully transfigured
before chosen witnesses upon the holy mountain,
and spoke of the exodus he would accomplish

at Jerusalem:

give us strength so to hear his voice
and bear our cross

that in the world to come we may see him as he is;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
We are in Broughton Hackett this morning and in the
church dedicated to St Leonard but…….
Who was St Leonard?

He was born towards the end of the 5 th century near
Orleans in France to a nobleman who was a high
ranking officer in the army of King Clovis 1.
At the age of 14 Leonard went to the monastery of
Micy in Orleans, entered Holy Orders and became
known for his compassion and holiness.
He saved the life of the pregnant queen Wisigarde,
wife of King Theodebert, helping her give birth to a

healthy son.

In his gratitude, the King gave Leonard the estate of
Pauvin which became a flourishing monastery, its
name being changed to Noblat.
Leonard continued healing the sick, performing
miracles and converting prisoners to Christianity until

his death in 559AD.

After his death his fame, news of his life and miracles
performed in his name, spread. Richard the Lionheart
made a pilgrimage to Leonard’s shrine and churches,
monasteries, hospitals and hermitages dedicated to
him could be found in France, Italy, England, Scotland

and Bavaria.

The church in the French town of Saint Leonard de
Noblat, became a centre of pilgrimage especially for
pregnant women and prisoners of war.