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Ride+Stride

Posted on Monday 28 July 2025 at 2:02pm

In fact, Saturday 13 September! Time to get out those lycra cycling shorts or brush up your walking shoes – the day when churches and chapels around the county are throwing their doors open to visitors. It’s also an opportunity to raise a bit of cash, for St Matthew’s but more importantly for the places of worship that desperately need maintenance, more than their congregations can cover. But if you’re not up to walking or cycling, you can still take part by sponsoring those in our congregation who hopefully will, or those who sit and record the visitors who come to us! Yes, it’s Ride+Stride again.

The county Historic Churches Trust is a body of voluntary organisations that raise money for the restoration and maintenance of historic churches and chapels, supported by the national Churches Trust. In 2012 St Matthew’s received a grant of £10,000 for our own major repair works.

Ride+Stride is an annual fun event run by the Trust, and it’s been taking place on the second Saturday in September across most of the country since it began in Suffolk in 1981, and not even the plague in 2020 managed to stop it! Last year, with your help, we at St Matthew’s raised £380, half of which came back to St Matthew’s – funds raised are divided equally between the Trust and the individually sponsored church.

So there are three ways you can join in:

• You can walk on a route of Northampton churches taking part – team up with your friends and enjoy a fun and sociable stroll and see interesting places of worship that may not normally be open except for services.

• You can man St Matthew’s (we’ll be open between 10.00am and 2.00pm) to welcome and record others visiting our church – it’s a nice easy sit-down job for an hour or so (always with someone else). 

• You can sponsor us with money – please do! Note that we donate ‘en masse’ for the riders/striders/recorders – all help equally. 

Like to help?

Register your interest in walking, manning or donating with me, either in person after Sunday Mass, or via the Parish Office letterbox in an envelope with a note giving your clearly readable name, address and phone number/email address, and addressed to Dorrie Parker, Ride+Stride (and if donating, please include it as cash or a cheque payable to NHCT, as it will save me chasing you later – it makes life SO much easier…!).

Thank you in anticipation!
Dorrie Parker

July's Pastoral Letter from the Vicar

The Sacred Rhythm of Rest

Posted on Tuesday 1 July 2025 at 7:00am

Fr Nicholas

As the days lengthen and the sun casts its golden warmth over fields and city streets alike, we find ourselves in the heart of summer – a season often dubbed the “silly season” in the media. Parliament recesses, school playgrounds fall silent, and inboxes fill with out-of-office replies. For many, this time of year signals holidays, travel, and a welcome pause from the relentless rhythm of routine. But beneath the surface of beach days and BBQs lies something deeply human – and deeply spiritual.

From the very beginning, rest has been part of God’s design. In Genesis, we read that on the seventh day, God rested from all his work. This divine pause wasn’t because God was weary, but to establish a holy rhythm for creation: work and rest in balance. Summer holidays offer us a contemporary echo of this sacred pattern. They are an invitation to step away from the pressures of daily life and enter into a time of physical rest, mental unburdening, and spiritual reflection. In a world that often glorifies busyness, choosing to rest can feel counter-cultural. Yet scripture reminds us again and again of the importance of stillness. “Be still, and know that I am God,” writes the psalmist (Psalm 46:10). In rest, we recover not only our strength but our sense of who we are – and whose we are.

For those able to travel during the summer, whether across the world or just beyond the next village, there is something uniquely enriching about encountering new places and people. Travel expands our horizons, challenges our assumptions, and opens our eyes to the beauty and diversity of God’s creation. Even a short change of scenery can bring unexpected insights – a fresh appreciation for home, a renewed sense of gratitude, or a new idea sparked by conversation or observation. Jesus himself often withdrew from the crowds, retreating to the hills or the lakeside to pray and rest. His example reminds us that time away isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity for spiritual clarity and renewal.

In recent years, society has become more aware of the vital link between rest and mental health. Burnout, anxiety, and stress are common challenges in our communities, including among those in ministry and church life. Rest is not just good practice; it is an act of stewardship – caring for the body, mind, and soul God has given us. Moments of rest give space for joy, laughter, sleep, creativity, and the simple pleasure of being rather than doing. They allow healing and give us the strength to return to our responsibilities with clearer vision and deeper peace.

As summer fades and the familiar routines of September beckon, we may find ourselves returning not just to work or school, but to our callings with new energy and perspective. Holidays don’t just interrupt our routines – they enrich them. They prepare us to re-engage with our lives, our communities, and our ministries with deeper compassion and sharper purpose.

So whether your summer holds foreign adventures or quiet afternoons in the garden, may you embrace this season as a gift. May your rest be restorative, your travels inspiring, and your return full of hope and clarity. For in all of life’s seasons, even the so-called “silly” one, God is at work – renewing, restoring, and reminding us of his ever-present love and grace.

Your sincere friend and parish priest,
Fr Nicholas

June's Pastoral Letter from the Vicar

‘They say when you marry in June …’

Posted on Tuesday 3 June 2025 at 10:52am

Fr Nicholas

It’s from a song from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, in case you were wondering.

As we step into the beautiful month of June, the world around us seems to come alive with colour and light. The long, sunlit days and blossoming gardens remind us of the Creator’s handiwork and his promise of renewal. Just as nature flourishes in this season, so too are we invited to grow deeper in our faith and our walk with God.

In the liturgical calendar, June often falls within so-called Ordinary Time, a period that may sound mundane but is rich with spiritual meaning. We know that no time is ever truly ordinary when lived in communion with Christ. It’s a season where we are encouraged to focus on the day-to-day journey of discipleship. Green vestments return to the altar, symbolising growth, vitality, and hope. It is during this time that the Church invites us to be formed not by festivals alone but by the steady rhythm of prayer, sacrament, and the cultivation of virtue. There are few major feasts or fasts, but that doesn’t mean it is without purpose. Think of it as the ‘growing season’ for your soul.

There is, of course, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on 27th. In Anglo- Catholic devotion, this month is set aside as a time of deep reflection on the love of Our Lord, poured out for us in the Holy Eucharist and in the mystery of his Passion. The Sacred Heart is not a mere pious image, with questionable art to accompany it, but a profound symbol of Christ’s divine love made manifest in human form – a heart that beats in perfect charity, pierced for our transgressions, and constantly interceding for us before the throne of the Father.

“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6.9) St Paul reminds us that even when results are not immediate, the seeds we sow in faith and love, with heart, will bear fruit in time. Whether it’s your service with the life of the Church, your acts of kindness, or your time spent with God in quiet devotion – none of it is wasted. This is a good season to recommit to the Daily Mass, where we are nourished by the very Body and Blood of Christ. If you have fallen out of the habit of weekday Mass or morning/evening prayer attendance, June is a beautiful time to return.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you: remain in my love.” (John 15.9) In the Sacred Heart, we are invited to dwell in that love, not merely as recipients, but as living vessels through which Christ’s mercy can reach the world. Let this month be a time where we don’t just enjoy the beauty of God’s creation but actively participate in his work to grow the Kingdom. Let June be not merely a summer interlude, but a time of renewal in prayer, reverence, and holy affection for the Sacred Heart. May our parish continue to be a place where the beauty of holiness draws souls ever closer to Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Indeed, may we be wedded to Christ.

Your sincere friend and parish priest,
Fr Nicholas

Cathedral in Crisis

Posted on Monday 27 January 2025 at 10:37am

The Very Revd Chris Dalliston
(Dean of Peterborough)

Dear Friends,

Safeguarding concerns have presented a big challenge for the Church of England nationally, but, nearer to home, the now well- publicised financial issues facing our Cathedral have helped to bring home the challenge we are all facing, whether as individuals or as parishes, to make ends meet or to fund properly the ministry and mission of our church. Jesus said, “the poor you have with you always” – and it can sometimes seem as if we are always poor! From a Cathedral perspective it’s disappointing to be facing yet another financial pinch point when we’ve done so much to improve our financial management, and been so creative in the delivery of a fantastic array of exhibitions, events and activities. But like every other business, we’ve all of us been facing the same issues; Covid, the cost of living crisis, the rising costs of fuel and employment – they’ve all continued to pile pressure on our balance sheets.

We have launched an emergency appeal here, and we pray that that may be fruitful. But “we are afflicted but not crushed, perplexed, but not driven to despair” writes St Paul in 2 Corinthians, and Jesus again and again called us not to be afraid or anxious because “your heavenly Father knows you need all these things”. The real challenge for us all is not one of systems, or process, or finance or funding – but faith.

Whatever we face as individuals or as communities – and we need to be responsible in our stewardship and disciplined in our actions – but above all we need to renew our trust in the living God: “strive first for the kingdom of God... and all these things shall be given to you as well”. (Matthew 6.33)

The Very Revd Chris Dalliston
Dean of Peterborough

Live-streaming, GDPR and Your Consent

Updated on Saturday 28 June 2025 at 5:25pm

Online live-streaming of services

Some of St Matthew's services (most Sunday mornings and some special services) are live-streamed or recorded for those who cannot attend church in person. Under GDPR, the church must gain the consent of anyone whose image may be captured, as this constitutes collection of "personal data". This includes clergy, readers/intercessors, musicians and congregation.

Whilst every attempt is made not to capture the faces of members of the congregation, this may occasionally happen if people turn around or move around the church during the service. The exception is communion, when the congregation is not filmed. The side aisles and back of the nave are so far as possible film-free areas not covered by the camera. Anyone whose personal data is collected must give their consent. Consent forms are available in church and online . The full policy can be read on our parish website or on the noticeboards in church.

Please read Our Privacy Policy - Filming & Photography and if you are happy to, give your consent by downloading, printing, signing, and handing in the form to a church representative or the Parish Office on your next visit. The consent form can be found at the bottom of the page.

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