ILFORD HOSPITAL CHAPEL

The Hospital Chapel of St. Mary & St. Thomas of Canterbury
in the London Borough of Redbridge

48 Ilford Hill,
Ilford,
Essex
IG1 2AT

Office of the Friends of the Hospital Chapel:

Peel House,
8 Eastwood Road,
Ilford,
Essex
IG3 8XB
Telephone: 020 8590 2098
e-mail: barbhills@aol.com

STOP PRESS!

This is an important time at the Ilford Hospital Chapel, on Ilford Hill.   Our Chaplain, Canon John Barnes, has retired.   Fr. Barnes has been Chaplain here for the last ten years,
although his first attendance at the Chapel was when he was still a schoolboy and he continued to come over the years.

During his time as Chaplain, he has built up a regular congregation for the Thursday lunchtime Service and his work has extended well beyond that covered by the usual
chaplainship.   He has helped a great many people, visited hospitals and the sick at
home, given advice and helped to raise a lot of money for charities.   He will be a hard act to follow because he has devoted a great deal of his own personal time to the Chapel’s
needs.

Before taking on the Chapel, Fr.Barnes retired from St.Mary’s Parish Church after twenty eight years as Vicar so we suspect, like most retired Anglican vicars, he will go on helping other churches even after his second retirement!

Next week, we will be pleased to welcome Fr.Mervyn Jennings who is the new Chaplain.
Fr. Mervyn will conduct the Candlemas Service on Thursday, 2nd February at 12.35 pm.
All are welcome.

For more details of Fr. Mervyn, please read the following message from him.

I retired from full time ministry three years ago and now help out where needed but based as Hon. Assistant Curate at Rush Green. I am married to Ann and we have two married children and 4 grandchildren.

I was Curate at Holy Nativity and St. Martin's, Knowle, Vicar of Cressing and Rural Youth Development Officer for the Bishop of Colchester, and then Vicar of St. Francis, Barkingside for 15 years until retirement. I am a member of the Society of the Holy Cross (SSC) the Church Union, Forward in Faith and the Society of St. Wilfrid and St Hilda.

As a hobby I am interested in Magic and belong to the International Brotherhood of Magicians. I am Chair of the Governors of the New Rush Hall Group of Schools and have recently been re-elected for a further three years.

I am an Organist and an occasional composer and I had the wonderful privilege of playing the organ at the Royal Albert Hall, just after it had been restored, in a Lunch Time Recital at the anniversary Mass of the Society of the Holy Cross which is a brotherhood of priests (Societas Sanctae Crucis.)

In taking up the challenge of becoming Chaplain at Ilford Hospital I follow in the footsteps of Canon John Barnes who has given ten years of outstanding service in that role. I realise that his will be a difficult act to follow but never-the-less I will do my very best to fulfil the role of Chaplain. I look forward to working with you to continue the Ministry of the Chapel to the town centre of Ilford.

The Revd. Mervyn Jennings SSC

Next OPEN DAY Saturday 10th March