Holy Cross Church News
Hoath Rogation Walk
With the Beating of the Bounds
Sunday May 29th 2011
What a beautiful part of the world we live in! Despite the lack of rain this spring our countryside is delightful, and we were able to enjoy it once again as we walked the parish boundary. It is a privilege to continue the tradition which has been ongoing for centuries.
Following a service in Holy Cross forty people and 5 dogs met at Knaves Ash and set off through Hicks Forstal woods. As we passed through the fields we beat the bounds and prayed for each farm in turn, asking God to bless crops, livestock and families. Rogation was not only an occasion to bless the crops but also the community, to preserve the parish boundaries and to encourage fellowship between neighbours., Chatting helps the miles pass unnoticed and I enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with friends and talk to people who I generally just wave to as we pass in cars.
The weather was kind to us, sunshine and not too hot, nevertheless it was really good to reach the end and enjoy a lunch in the village hall.
My thanks to Brian and Jean Hopkins who planned and checked the route and led us, to Vi Kemsley, who organised lunch, Carol and Frank Gormley, who provided the car park, the first aiders, and of course the land owners, who allowed us to walk the land, sometimes off the footpaths.
I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.
Jenny Hadlow
Friends of Kent Churches
The north aisle at Holy Cross church was added to the original building sometime in the nineteenth century. It is probable that since it was built it had not been renovated in any way – as we soon realised when water dripped through whenever there was a heavy shower of rain. With thanks to a grant of £3000 from the charity Friends of Kent Churches the building is now watertight once again. The north aisle roof has been stripped and all batons and slates replaced.
The Friends of Kent Churches was founded to promote enthusiasm in churches of historic interest or architectural importance in the county and to give financial aid to their preservation.
By cycling, walking or running around Kent churches you can raise money which is divided equally between The Friends of Kent Churches and the church or chapel of your own choice. We have three unique churches in this area: St Mary The Virgin Chislet, Marshside Methodist Chapel and Holy Cross Hoath, which would benefit from sponsor money as well as the opportunity to apply for grants from the charity.
It is fun! There are over 800 churches and chapels which participate. All of them are open and most provide refreshments as you “clock” in. In a group or a family plan a route – how many churches is it possible to visit within a limited time? And then enjoy the ride.
If you would like to know more information can be found on the table in Holy Cross Church.
Jenny Hadlow
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.
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