Dear Residents of the Parish of High Ongar,
Happy New Year to you all from the Parish Churches of High Ongar!
We continue to live in strange and difficult times. Our area has had high rates of Covid-19 infection. Some members of our community have been ill, and unfortunately a few have passed away. These are sad pieces of news, but all too familiar up and down the country.
Thank you for all you are doing to keep safe, and look after your families, friends and neighbours. Much of this cannot be done face to face, and I know we have missed many activities and events over the last year.
In the churches we managed to have a Carol Service at All Saints’, Norton Mandeville, but then Tier 4 restrictions came in and we decided that the best way to keep everyone safe was to cancel all our Christmas events.
A few residents of High Ongar village did sing carols on their own doorsteps on Christmas Eve. Hopefully on Christmas Eve 2021 many of us can gather under the lights of the church trees to sing carols to one another.
We have decided to keep the lights on for one hour a night during the National Lockdown (for the moment between 5-6pm) just to give us all some “light in the darkness”.
Although church services are not happening at the moment, you may be interested to know that we have services and other activities on “Zoom” every week. Do email parishoffice@parishofhighongar for details. Any confidential requests for prayer can be made to that address
If you know of anyone who is in particular need at this time you, or they, can always get in touch with me at the above email address. Also local churches and Rotary are supporting a “3Food4U” shop at Zinc Arts in Ongar every Thursday between 1pm and 2pm starting 28th January. This “shop” has free food and provisions that anyone can take no questions asked. I will be volunteering there. If you know anyone who could need this service locally do pass the word around.
Best wishes and God Bless,
Rev Stewart
Vicar of High Ongar
All Saints’, Norton Mandeville
St Mary’s, High Ongar
St James’, Marden Ash
