News & Events - Parish News

November's Pastoral Letter from the Vicar

Posted on Saturday 1 November 2025 at 7:00am

Fr Nicholas

Dear friends,

As the Christian year draws to its close, November invites us into a deep season of remembrance, reflection, and renewal. The light fades early, the air sharpens, and creation itself seems to slow and pause – inviting us to look both backward with thanksgiving and forward in hope.

We begin the month with the Feast of All Saints (Sunday 2nd), giving thanks for the great company of men and women in every generation who have borne faithful witness to Christ. Their lives remind us that holiness is not a rare achievement but a calling for us all – the quiet, steady work of love, prayer, and service often in ordinary places. In them we glimpse the glory of God’s kingdom already breaking into our world.

The following day brings All Souls’ Day, the ‘Commemoration of the Faithful Departed’, Monday 3rd, 7.30pm), when we remember before God those we have loved but see no longer. This year, as in past years, we shall hold our Requiem Mass to pray for the departed, for the repose of their souls, and especially to uphold the recently bereaved, whom we have invited personally to join us. These moments of remembrance, of memories treasured, hold together both sorrow and thanksgiving, as we commend our loved ones to the mercy and peace of the risen Christ.

Midway through the month we gather for Remembrance Sunday, when our parish keeps silence and solemn thanksgiving for all who have given their lives in the service of others. During the Act of Commemoration, the names of Kingsley’s 168 Fallen, listed in our Memorial Chapel, will again be read aloud before the Silence. Each name represents a unique story of courage and loss, woven into the fabric of our community. In remembering them, we pray also for peace – and renew our resolve to relearn past lessons, and be makers of peace in our own time.

November’s liturgical rhythm also carries a thread of kingship throughout – not the worldly kind that seeks power or privilege, but the reign of Christ, whose throne is the Cross and whose crown is love. This theme reaches its fulfilment on the Feast of Christ the King, the final Sunday of the Church’s year. On that day we proclaim that all things find their meaning and completion in him – that Christ is Lord not only of the Church, but of all creation, all history, all hope.

And then, as one liturgical year closes, another begins. On Sunday 30 November, the First Sunday of Advent, we begin again the journey of waiting and watching for the coming of our Lord – both in the manger throne of Bethlehem and in the fullness of his kingdom yet to come. Advent’s quiet expectancy calls us to renew our faith, deepen our prayer, and open our lives afresh to God’s transforming and freely offered life.

As we move through this month of remembrance and kingdom hope, may we hold before God the whole communion of saints – those who have gone before us, known and unknown, those with whom we walk now, and those yet to come. And may the love of Christ, who reigns over all things, guide us as we continue the mission entrusted to us here at St Matthew’s: to be a community of faith, welcome, and witness in the heart of Kingsley and beyond.

Your sincere friend and parish priest,
Fr Nicholas

2025 Ride+Stride

by Dorrie Parker

Posted on Monday 27 October 2025 at 2:27pm

2025 Ride+Stride

The sponsorship money for Ride+Stride has now been sent off to the Trust; £285 was the grand total (half of which, £142.50, will come back to St Matthew’s). Those who gift aided their contribution added another £35 for the Trust too. Thank you so much for your generosity.

The annual ‘Ride+Stride for Churches’ is organised by the county Historic Churches Trust – voluntary organisations that raise money for the restoration and maintenance of historic churches and chapels, supported by the national Churches Trust. The NHCT Annual Report can be found in the bookstall area, highlighting various churches/chapels and why they have received their grants over the past year, and at the back details reports from various churches from last year’s event, and includes one from our own Nick Bailey. Do have a look and maybe be inspired to give it a go next year?

This year’s report of our efforts can be read on our News & Events - Historic Churches Trust Ride & Stride page

Christmas Cards…

by Dorrie Parker

Posted on Monday 27 October 2025 at 2:23pm

Yes, it’s time for this year’s Parish Christmas Card Scheme!

For those who haven’t joined in before, the idea of it is that you’re virtually giving a card to ‘the St Matthew’s congregation’ and what’s more, you get a personalised card from ‘the congregation’ to take home and display with cards from your other friends and family. It started off as fundraising for our church, but more than that it’s the fellowship that’s important – we’re a Christian family and it’s good to send Christmas greetings to each other.

So how does it work? Cards with a quality religious image are given an insert which is personal to each recipient and includes the names of all parishioners in the Scheme. Parishioners sign up by means of a form which I will hand out in person as you leave after Mass on Sunday 26 October, Anita will have in the Office (please check opening hours!) from Monday 27 October, and it will be mailed out to those who have the magazine by post. I will also have forms on me on Sundays after Mass throughout November. So don’t panic that you’ll be missed out!

All contributions from you to the Scheme go in full to St Matthew’s. The signing-up form says: “It’s a fundraising opportunity, whilst bringing together the congregation’s circulation of Christmas greetings among one another into a fellowship scheme. Consider how much you might have spent on individual cards for people in the congregation, then make this your donation to the Scheme (though of course you are welcome to give more!). Each person/family group who joins the Scheme then gets a personalised Christmas card to take home, containing greetings from all the other people who join.”

It’s such an easy and lovely (and painless) way to contribute to much- needed fundraising for our church, and you get a quality personalised Christmas card from St Matthew’s too.

The Scheme runs this year from Sunday 26 October, closing on Advent Sunday, 30 November. That is the deadline (you’ll have had five weeks to sign up…) and I start work producing the insert early the following day so that you will get your card in time. You do not have to wait till deadline day to return your form and donation! The signing-up form gives full details of the Scheme and what you need to do. Maybe you’ll join us for the first time this year? I can show you examples of previous years’ cards to explain it further.

October's Pastoral Letter from the Vicar

Posted on Wednesday 1 October 2025 at 7:00am

Fr Nicholas

Dear friends,

October comes with the beauty and richness of autumn. The days shorten, the air cools, and we see once more the changing and rhythm of the seasons. These patterns remind us of God’s ordering of creation, a cycle of growth, fruitfulness, rest, and renewal. At Harvest, we pause to acknowledge this rhythm, to give thanks for the bounty of the earth, and to reflect on our dependence upon God’s sustaining hand in every season of our lives.

On Sunday 5 October, we shall celebrate our Harvest Thanksgiving with an All Age Mass at 10.15am, and later with a joyful Songs of Praise at 4.00pm, followed by a Harvest meal in church. These gatherings allow us to offer our thanks to God for his generosity in creation: the sun and the rain, the seed and the soil, the hands that sow, and the labour that reaps. Harvest reminds us that we live from God’s abundance, not our own making. Each loaf of bread, each piece of fruit, each meal we share is a sign of his boundless love.

This year, our Harvest also coincides with the Church of England’s Generosity Week, which reminds us that gratitude leads naturally to generosity. As we rejoice in God’s gifts, we are called to mirror that generosity in our own lives. We think not only of how we care for the environment and steward creation wisely, but also of how we support the life of our parish. Like many others, we face an uncertain financial future. Our giving – whether of time, talent, or money – sustains our worship, our buildings, and our mission in this community. To give is not merely to keep the lights on; it is to join in God’s work of light and life in this place.

At the same time, Harvest thanksgiving cannot be complete without remembering those who go hungry, whether in our own town or across the world. As climate change and global warming disrupt weather patterns, the poorest and most vulnerable often suffer first and most. We are challenged to live responsibly and compassionately, ensuring that the fruits of creation are shared justly, and that our own habits of living do not deprive others of life’s necessities.

The following Sunday, 12 October, will be another day of joy as we admit new members into the Society of Our Lady of Walsingham and our Parish Cell. This is a sign of growth in our parish’s spiritual life, and we give thanks for those committing themselves afresh to prayer and devotion. We also recall with gladness our recent pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, where we drew close to Christ in the prayers of Mary’s holy house. Pilgrimage teaches us, too, about the rhythm of life: a time to journey away, to rest in God’s presence, and to return home renewed for service.

So let October be for us a month of rhythm, gratitude, and generosity: the rhythm of creation and worship, the gratitude for God’s gifts, and the generosity that flows from knowing his love. May our thanksgiving this month not only lift our hearts in praise, but also shape our lives in Christlike service, generosity, and joy.

Your sincere friend and parish priest,
Fr Nicholas

Cathedral in Crisis

Posted on Monday 27 January 2025 at 10:37am

The Very Revd Chris Dalliston
(Dean of Peterborough)

Dear Friends,

Safeguarding concerns have presented a big challenge for the Church of England nationally, but, nearer to home, the now well- publicised financial issues facing our Cathedral have helped to bring home the challenge we are all facing, whether as individuals or as parishes, to make ends meet or to fund properly the ministry and mission of our church. Jesus said, “the poor you have with you always” – and it can sometimes seem as if we are always poor! From a Cathedral perspective it’s disappointing to be facing yet another financial pinch point when we’ve done so much to improve our financial management, and been so creative in the delivery of a fantastic array of exhibitions, events and activities. But like every other business, we’ve all of us been facing the same issues; Covid, the cost of living crisis, the rising costs of fuel and employment – they’ve all continued to pile pressure on our balance sheets.

We have launched an emergency appeal here, and we pray that that may be fruitful. But “we are afflicted but not crushed, perplexed, but not driven to despair” writes St Paul in 2 Corinthians, and Jesus again and again called us not to be afraid or anxious because “your heavenly Father knows you need all these things”. The real challenge for us all is not one of systems, or process, or finance or funding – but faith.

Whatever we face as individuals or as communities – and we need to be responsible in our stewardship and disciplined in our actions – but above all we need to renew our trust in the living God: “strive first for the kingdom of God... and all these things shall be given to you as well”. (Matthew 6.33)

The Very Revd Chris Dalliston
Dean of Peterborough

Live-streaming, GDPR and Your Consent

Posted on Monday 16 September 2024 at 11:30am

Online live-streaming of services

Some of St Matthew's services (most Sunday mornings and some special services) are live-streamed or recorded for those who cannot attend church in person. Under GDPR, the church must gain the consent of anyone whose image may be captured, as this constitutes collection of "personal data". This includes clergy, readers/intercessors, musicians and congregation.

Whilst every attempt is made not to capture the faces of members of the congregation, this may occasionally happen if people turn around or move around the church during the service. The exception is communion, when the congregation is not filmed. The side aisles and back of the nave are so far as possible film-free areas not covered by the camera. Anyone whose personal data is collected must give their consent. Consent forms are available in church and online . The full policy can be read on our parish website or on the noticeboards in church.

Please read Our Privacy Policy - Filming & Photography and if you are happy to, give your consent by downloading, printing, signing, and handing in the form to a church representative or the Parish Office on your next visit. The consent form can be found at the bottom of the page.

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