Holy Cross Church News
HOATH PARISH ROGATION WALK
WITH BEATING OF THE BOUNDS 2009
On Rogation Sunday, 17th May, after a short service at Holy Cross Church, an intrepid band of some 60 walkers and several dogs set off from Knaves Ash at 10am on our annual trek around part of the Parish Boundary. This was the fourth of these journeys since the tradition of ‘beating of the bounds’ was re-introduced in 2006 and, as the number of participants shows, it has become a popular event with the parishioners of Hoath. Our route took us through East Blean Wood, following the Hicks Forstal Road, then across the fields to Buckwell and Tile Lodge. From here we skirted Park Rough and Chislet Park before crossing Marley Lane and following the Parish Boundary as far as Hollow road. From here it is too difficult to keep strictly to the Bounds so we made for Old Tree Road and a quick downhill march to the Gate Inn. At strategic points along the route – especially where the farms adjoin – those of us carrying sticks beat the ground and short prayers were said, asking Our Lord to bless the farmers and their land and to grant success for the crops and good health for the animals in the coming year. Our final ‘beating’ took place outside The Gate Inn, which we are really fortunate to have within Hoath Parish where it abuts Chislet. Our heartfelt thanks go to Landlord Chris, and chef, Mike, who provided us with a superb, much needed lunch and shelter from the elements.
The return route along Old Tree Road, across to Stoney Lees and then back along Maypole Lane and through Hoath Village down to Knaves Ash does not follow the Parish Boundary but is a pleasant 2 ½ mile afternoon stroll after the nearly 6 miles covered in the morning.
Our thanks go to farmers Derek Lawrence, Peter Hedley and Mike Wilkinson for allowing us to cross land, which is not normally accessible to the public, to Carole and Frank Gormley for providing car parking at Knaves Ash and to the Patel family at Stoney Lees. Particular thanks go to Brian and Jean Hopkins, who not only led the walk, but who had also walked the whole route during the week before and had cleared the overhanging brambles from some of the public footpaths, which we followed.
Despite a few blisters, aching feet and groaning muscles experienced by those of us who are not as fit as we would like to be, the walk was great fun and gave an enormous feeling of community spirit. Although we have replaced the beating of the small boys and the dropping of them into the bramble bushes to remind them of where the Bounds lie with a rather tamer tradition of beating the ground with sticks, it is good to keep these old customs alive and hopefully this walk will continue in the years to come.
Jenny Hadlow
We welcome worshippers of all ages to each service.
Church history
The church we know as Holy Cross in Hoath was probably built in the reign of Henry 111 (1216-1272) to save the inhabitants the trouble of traveling to Reculver. However it was not allowed to bury its dead in the churchyard until 1303. One can imagine the hardship involved in transporting the deceased the four miles to Reculver, particularly during the winter with the ford at Ford in full flow! A century later in 1310 Hoath at last had its own resident priest. The tower contains three bells, one dated 1500 and the other two 1696 and the Parish Register dates back to 1554.
Around 1570 Robert Hunt was born in Hoath, in 1594 he became Vicar of Reculver and Hoath. He later exchanged parishes with one in Heathfield in Sussex. Subsequently he applied to join an expedition to America for the Virginia Company of London, and on his arrival in the James River in 1607 celebrated the first Anglican Communion in that land. From this beginning rose the Episcopalian church in the United States.
Church interior pre 1900 and now
Holy Cross is now part of the Benefice of St Mary’s Reculver and St Bartholomew Herne Bay.
There is an all age act of worship every Sunday at 10.15 am. Two services each month are Holy Communion. At each service there is a children’s session followed by activities to support their theme, which they complete together whilst the service continues. There are a variety of services to celebrate the major festivals of Christmas, Easter, Whitsun and Remembrance Sunday. Every service is followed with refreshments and a social time.
The church is frequently used for weddings and baptisms and some funerals. The churchyard is closed for burials but is open for the internment of ashes in the Garden of Remembrance. The southwest window of the church is designated as a memorial window and is available for flowers, plants and messages of loved ones and by it stands the Book of Remembrance.
The church takes its responsibility to the community and our world seriously and welcomes the opportunity to donate 10% of its annual income to charity. The Hospice in Canterbury, Demelza House (the children’s hospice in Sittingbourne), and Poverty and Hope (a Church of England charity), receive regular donations. In addition financial support is given to Maxine Raabe, a friend of the church to further her missionary work in Asia. In the last few years an appeal for the Mustard Seed Mission Charity ‘Love in a Box’, which is Christmas gifts for orphaned and disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe, has been well supported by the people of the village. For the past two years we have been helping to support the Kent Peoples Project Health Centre in the Gambia.
Hoath Church
The Youth Club is church based and supported financially by Holy Cross Church, meeting in the Village Hall on Mondays between 6.30 and 8.30 pm, except the 1st Monday in the month and during August. For young people between the ages of 8-14. Presently run by Richard Keyes, holder of a clean "Enhanced Criminal Record Certificate" dated 2007. Other helpers hold clean certificates
We owe a huge thank you to Barrie Beeching and Sharon Bateman for all their work with the youth club over the many years they have been involved with running the group.If anyone out there is interested in helping with the youth club, please contact Richard on 01227 850836.
Holy Cross is open daily and is available for the community. Each week prayers for the sick and people in need are included in the service and a prayer book inside the church is available for anyone to add their names. As a church we are committed to serving the community and will always try and respond to any need of which we are aware.
Each month there are three Bereavement Support Coffee Mornings on Saturdays throughout the Benefice. All those who have been bereaved are invited to attend one or more of these, once they feel ready. These are simply for support and friendship, and provide a welcoming venue where, should there be tears, there is no need for awkwardness, as everyone is in the same situation
For further information or assistance please contact the Reverend Jenny Hadlow on 711516 or the Reverend Ronald Hawkes on 360948,
email the United Benefice of St Mary the Virgin Reculver, St Bartholomew Herne Bay and Holy Cross Hoath
United Benefice Link Magazine
The United Benefice of our three local Parish Churches has a new website:
Visit the new website of the three churches here
LINK is our Benefice Magazine. It is published monthly, with double issues in December/January and August/September.
The magazine contains details of Church services and events, entries from the Parish Registers, local items of interest, articles written by its readers, covering such topics as travel, holidays, local history, and village life. There are often funny stories, jokes, cartoons, and quizzes, and always pages for younger readers.
If you live in the Reculver/Beltinge/Hoath area then we can arrange for your copy to be delivered free of charge. If you live outside our area then we are happy to post your copy to you, simply asking that you cover the P&P with an additional 30p per month.
Or you can collect a copy from Holy Cross Church Hoath.
LINK is a non-profit-making magazine, supported by generous donations from members of the congregations and readers, and by revenue from local advertisers. We are extremely grateful to local businesses which support our magazine by advertising in its pages; through that support we can keep the cover price low at 50p whilst production costs are actually in excess of 70p a copy.
Whilst each copy costs just 50p, with the current yearly subscription rate remaining at £3 for 10 issues until January 2007, you can still save by buying in advance!
If you would like to receive a copy please email us giving your details, or phone the Vicar on 01227 360948
GET LINK TODAY!
Hoath Parish Charity
Hoath Parish Charity seeks to support local residents who are experiencing financial difficulties. If you would welcome assistance, please write in confidence to:
The Trustees,
Hoath Parish Charity
C/O Holly House,
Hoath,
Canterbury,
kent,
CT3 4JT