SANTA MARGARITA CHURCH, MENORCA

NEWSLETTER – APRIL 2025

For more information:

Email Carole Brayford at info@anglicanchurchmenorca.com Or talk to the Revd Paul.

NEWS FROM MARCH 2025

Electoral Roll.  This year we were required to have a totally new Electoral Roll. Thanks to Margaret Guanaria, our Electoral Roll officer and also, Margaret, the Chaplaincy Secretary for all their work on this.  Our new Roll, a copy of which is displayed on the church notice board, has fewer members, than the old Roll, although now that the annual meeting has taken place, we can add members again.   

Annual Chaplaincy Meeting – Sunday 23 March.  This was held in church after the service and on Zoom. Two Churchwardens were appointed by acclamation: David Green and Kathy Rossetti (photo above – Kathy being presented with the keys to the church!). All the previous Council members were eligible to continue to serve the remainder of their terms. There were two further vacancies on the Council but no further nominations. The Council for this current year is - David Green and Kathy Rossetti, Church Wardens, and Liz Astley, Carole Brayford, Colin Guanaria, Suzanne Hodges (treasurer), Heike Pieper, and Margaret and Trevor (the two Archdeaconry Synod representatives). Do check the website to see the report from the Chairman (Paul).

Shrove Tuesday - Tuesday 4 March. Our annual Pancake lunch celebration at the church, with the Rev. Paul showing off his pancake tossing skills, was enjoyed by a good crowd! 

Lent 2025 began on Ash Wednesday, 5 March, when there was an Imposition of Ashes service in church. Lenten studies have been held every Wednesday, concluding on 2 April, in Church using the Diocesan Lenten series based upon the theme of the Trinity (to coincide with the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed this year) accompanied by a simple soup and cheese lunch to which all are welcome. On Thursdays at 17.00, concluding on 3 April, in the church and on Zoom, there has been a series of four sessions on Exploring Prayer.  

The March Chaplaincy Lunch was held on Thursday 13 March at Opera, Port Mahon. A really jolly and enjoyable occasion to which we also welcomed 3 friends/visitors. Such a good time was being had by all that no photos were taken ! Sorry. 

Mothering Sunday was celebrated on Sunday 30 March - with chocolates presented to the ladies. 

APRIL AND FUTURE EVENTS 2025

Palm Sunday 13 April 11am in church with the Rev. Richard Bubbers (11 am only) .

Holy Week

† Tuesday, 15 April 20:00, Via Crucis, procession around Es Castell. 

† Maundy Thursday 17 April 11 am in church - foot washing & Holy Communion. 

† Maundy Thursday 17 April 17:30 in church - Tenebrae, Holy Communion, and stripping of the altar. 

† Good Friday 18 April 12 noon in Church.  3 hour vigil based upon the stations of the cross.

† Saturday 19 April 20:30 in church - the Great Vigil of Easter, new paschal candle, and Holy Communion.

EASTER DAY

† Sunday 20 April 7am - Easter sunrise service of Holy Communion at Punta Prima beach.

† Sunday 20 April 11am Easter Holy Communion service, possibly with Easter eggs!

St George’s Day - Wednesday 23 April – A service of morning prayer at 12.30pm (still ‘morning’ for Menorca!) on the Isla del Rey. The boat will leave from Moll del Hospital shortly after 12:00.

St George’s Day Chaplaincy Lunch (slightly late !) – Friday 25 April 2pm.  Tentatively at 23 Can Avelino.

Gwent Touring Charity Band – Lana Tingay and the brass band will be back to Menorca for Easter and will return to Santa Margarita for a concert on Friday 25 April at 20.00. An occasion not to be missed !!

Afternoon worship in the Ciutadella area normally takes place at the outdoor chapel in Cala’n Bosc on the last Sunday of the month. Weather permitting the next service will be on Sunday 27 April 17.00

GENERAL

Giving Away.  In 2024, the Chaplaincy Council agreed that, in response to God’s continued goodness to us, we should seek to give away 5% of our annual income to mission causes each year, trusting that He would continue to support us in the ministry at Santa Margarita. Our giving away for 2024 amounted to 2700€ some of which was carried forward to 2025. Paul is in discussions with the Red Cross about additional food vouchers to be distributed this spring when resources start to become stretched before the tourist season arrives.  

Mission Giving for 2025. The Council has agreed that the main beneficiaries of our giving this year will be support for Peruvian students (we are actively seeking to identify suitable candidates), and also food vouchers to the needy on the island (via the Red Cross).

Coffee after Sunday services.  We are delighted that Kathy, after her short break, has rejoined Liz in serving our coffee and tea after each of the services.   We do ask for a small donation of 1.50€ per cup of coffee each week – these donations are used to support a number of different aspects of chaplaincy life from aiding the needy with food, to the floral decorations in the church. 

Chaplain’s Report to the Annual Meeting. The last paragraph of Paul’s report to the Annual Meeting is food for thought for all of us and should probably be compulsory reading in my view!

“An Afterthought

This occurred to me after I had prepared the main report. One of the things with which we need to come to grips as a chaplaincy - and this will be food for thought for the new council - is exactly who we are as a community. I detect a certain hesitation to recognise that the Anglican Church in Menorca, Santa Margarita, can no longer be defined as the people who sit in the pews regularly on a Sunday or Wednesday. The bulk of our worshippers, if we look across the whole year, are those who don’t live in Menorca. They may come regularly because they have a second home on the island, or they may be tourists. And beyond that, 151 people receive a weekly e-mail with details of worship plus other occasional news, and some of those forward it to others; plus the recorded worship service is viewed by between 40 and 70 people on a regular basis, which is rather more than the Sunday congregation for most of the time. They are people who enrich us and who are generous, in many ways. So we can no longer afford to think of a sort of us-and-them community, because the boundaries are diffuse and becoming more so. When we do things, whether it is worship, or social gathering, or communication, the extended part of our community is part of who we are, part of our inclusive community of faith. As those who have read the Synod reps’ report will have noticed, Synod was reminded that we are all members of God’s household: ‘all of us or none of us.’ There is already too much tribalism in our world; there is no ‘us’ and ‘them;’ there is only ‘us.’ And we should be thankful for that.”

If anyone is willing to host a future social event – coffee morning, afternoon tea, or simple tapas that would be much appreciated.  Please let Carole know.  

If you would like to support the ministry of Santa Margarita, the Anglican Church in Menorca, then you can do so by clicking the Donate button below.

Your donation will be very gratefully received.