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Many saints have fed the poor, but not many were interested in actual food production.  Nathalan (died c.678) was, so perhaps he might be the patron saint of anyone who produces food – and gives most of it away to those in need. Scotland in the 7th century must have been a hungry place, especially...

Courage, vision and leadership are found in the most unlikely of places. Mary Slessor was born in December 1848 into a wretchedly poor family. Her father was an alcoholic who lost his job as a shoemaker. Mary was the second of seven children, and in 1859 they moved from Aberdeen into the fetid slums of...

Churches should improve the way their buildings are used by their community. And the survival of many local churches may actually depend on it. So says a new report recently published the Cambridge Judge Business School, part of the University of Cambridge.  Reimagining Churches as Community Assets for the Common Good (REACH Ely) found that...

If you have nothing much going for you, Antony Pucci (1819-92) should be your patron saint. He came from nowhere – a peasant family in Tuscany. He went nowhere – he spent his life as a parish priest in the Tuscan city of Viareggio. He was unattractive to look at.  He wasn’t good with words...

All in the month of JANUARY The great North Sea Flood Remembering Lewis Carroll, creator of Alice in Wonderland The man who made the first-ever vaccine 27th January – Holocaust Memorial Day Are you a cold-water swimmer?  Then beware. The key to a good head start in life?  Stocking up because of the war **...

Happy New Year King Charles’s favourite dog breed surges in popularity with public Why we’ll be driving more older cars New Year?  Get First Aid training 25th January – time for haggis and bagpipes! Love your pets wisely, but not too well Think happy thoughts to help your immune system Alcohol does not help you...

Leprosy was a problem in biblical times, and sadly, even today, between 200 and 300 thousand people worldwide are diagnosed with it each year. Two to three million people are living disabled lives because of it. Leprosy is caused by a bacillus, Mycobacterium leprae (a relative of TB), and is mildly infectious. It is most...

When Queen Elizabeth II died last summer, there was a surge in the number of people wanting to buy Corgis. Now, as the Coronation of Charles III approaches, it seems there is a trend to buy Jack Russell terriers. King Charles III has long been a fan of Jack Russell terriers. He and the Queen...

It was: 250 years ago, on 17th January 1773 that Captain James Cook’s ship, the HMS Resolution,  became the first ship to cross the Antarctic Circle, during his second voyage. 200 years ago, on 26th January 1823 that Edward Jenner, the British physician and immunologist who created the first vaccine, died. The vaccine was for...

Wise Men Seek Him From the Vicar Spiritual Practices Reflecting faith – to the Glory of God, part 2</strong The Grace of Giving The story behind the hymn: ** Editor: Canon Paul Hardingham considers our own search for God… Wise Men Seek Him ‘A cold coming we had of it. Just the worst time of...

Heroes are not always men or women of action. Sometimes the fight for right over wrong can be even more powerful when done through words and argument. Hilary was such a champion of the Christian faith. Born into a wealthy pagan family in Poitiers in 315, he first became an orator of Neo-Platonism. Here he...

What do you do when you find a large spider web in your house? If you ever feel some sympathy for the spider who went to all that trouble, then Felix is a good patron saint for you. He was saved by such a spider, spinning such a web. Felix had been born to a...