St. Andrew Parishioner

Vol. 14 Nos. 1- 2, January - March 2005

In this Issue ...

St. Andrew Settlement

Services for Holy Week 2005

340th Anniversary

Blood Bank

Church Committee - 2005

Church Calendar - 2005

St. Andrew Settlement, Majesty Gardens

The St. Andrew Settlement continues to provide social services to the community of Majesty Gardens and surrounding areas. The presence of the Settlement in the community helps to alleviate the escalation of violence and unrest. According to police reports this was the most peaceful inner-city community in South St. Andrew. In spite of the many challenges and the low budget the Settlement was able to maintain services during the past year.

Health - Work at the clinic continues but there is still the need of a scale to weigh babies. Medications from the Government supplier were reduced drastically since April and supplies are almost depleted. Attempts are still being made to have the Dental Clinic operational. The Management is grateful to the medical team which continues to volunteer regular services.

Basic School - The Basic School re-opened on September 6th in the new building and was blessed in early 2005.

Mission House - With the Basic School relocated, the Mission House is being renovated for the sole purpose of worship. In addition to Church and Sunday School, weekly bible studies are conducted by Rev. Robert McLean.

Education - The education programme continues to receive sponsorship and assistance from Capital and Credit Merchant Bank and Grace Kennedy and Staff Foundation.

Finance - The Easter bun sale project made a profit of approximately $500,000 in 2004. The Settlement is still in need of funds to offset daily operational costs as sponsorship is becoming more difficult to find. The Settlement benefited immensely from the programme set up by the Church designating March as St. Andrew Settlement Month. The budget for 2005 is Five Million Dollars.

Senior Citizens Programme - The Senior Citizens programme continues and participants received certificates for Art and Craft and Culinary Submissions. The group numbers about sixty-three persons with approximately 25% being shut-ins. Rev. Robert McLean conducts weekly bible classes and sing along sessions with the group and this has enhanced the programme.

Majesty Gardens - During the year, the Community Based Organisation was able to access funding from the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica in the sum of four million dollars ($4,000,000), for sanitation and environmental projects. Green Fund and CIDA funded other community projects. The work and presence of the CBO, with support from the Settlement, is making a positive difference to the community.

Other news and notes

• The passage of Hurricane Ivan forced many residents to take shelter in the Community Centre, the Dental Clinic and the Mission House at the Settlement.

• Mr. Clifford Strudwick, JP continues to provide much needed and valuable service to the people of Majesty Gardens and signs documents on the recommendation of Mr. Jos Chambers - Executive Director of the Settlement. The community however, needs its own Justice of the Peace

• The Council for Voluntary Social Services conducted an evaluation of member organizations of which St. Andrew Settlement was one. CVSS provided a consultant who assisted the Board in putting together a strategic plan.

• The Deputy Director, Mr. Phillip Downer and his family migrated to Canada in 2004.

• St. Andrew Settlement continues to work with a number of organizations which provide support for the work of the project. The Church is grateful for the recognition and assistance of these organisations
  

Services for Holy Week 2005

Palm Sunday March 20	6:00 p.m.	Regular Services as scheduled Confirmation
Monday March 21	9:00 a.m. 5:30 p.m.	Holy Eucharist Stations of the Cross
Tuesday March 22	9:00 a.m. 5:30 p.m.	Holy Eucharist Stations of the Cross
Wednesday March 23	6:30 a.m. 1:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m.	Holy Eucharist Service for staff and students of Half Way Tree Primary School Stations of the Cross
Maundy Thursday March 24	7:00 p.m.	Maundy Thursday Liturgy
Good Friday March 25	8:00 a.m. 12:00 noon	Celebration of the Lord's Passion Three Hour Devotion
Easter Day March 27	5:00 a.m. 7:30 a.m. 9:45 a.m. 4:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m.	Lighting of the Pascal Candle Solemn Procession, Eucharist and Sermon Sung Eucharist and Sermon Family Eucharist and Sermon Children's Service Holy Eucharist and Sermon
March 29 - April 1, 2005. There will be no weekday Eucharist as the clergy will be at Synod.

340th Anniversary

Theme - Reclaiming our Mission: to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ

Floral and Choral Festival April 16-18, 2005

Choral Festival - this will take place on Sunday, April 17, 2005 at 4:30 p.m. in the Church. The Festival will bring together several Choirs including both Senior and Youth Choirs of the St. Andrew Parish Church. It will take the form of a celebration of the musical history of this Church and will make mention of those who have contributed to the development of our musical heritage over the years. This will include Samuel Felsted, Vincent James, Douglas Forrest, inter alia, and long serving members of our current choirs, organists and musicians. A contribution of $500 per person will be requested. You are invited to publicize and attend this event.

Floral Festival - Concurrent with the preparations for the Choral event are those for the flower festival. Several Churches as well as our own Altar Guild will be mounting displays throughout the Church which will reflect the overall theme for the 340th Commemoration and detail a selection of verses from Psalm 85. This special effort will be open for viewing from the afternoon of Saturday, April 16 through Monday, April 18. There will be an Official Opening on the afternoon of Saturday, April 16 at 4:00 p.m. and a contribution of $300 per person is requested. The extension into the working week is to ensure wide participation by those working in and around the Corporate area. Again, members are asked to publicize the event so as to have maximum attendance by visitors to enjoy the displays.

Banquet - The 340th Commemoration Banquet will take place on Friday, June 10, 2005 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in new Kingston. This is a major fundraising effort for this Church and tickets will be available at $5000 per person. The special guest will be the Rt. Rev Riah Abu el-Assal Bishop of Jerusalem.

Commemorative Services
The Commemorative year began with a Service on Sunday 5, 2004 with the Most Rev. Drexel Gomez as Celebrant and Preacher. This was a most inspiring Service and well attended by members and visitors. The closing Service for the Commemorative event will take place on Sunday December 4, 2005.

Past and present - Our musical heritage
Many of our members can recall attending Half Way Tree Elementary School formerly located at #4 Hope Road and there is an interesting story coming our of this as it relates to our musical heritage. Mr. Robert Sayle, who sings tenor and who has been singing on our Senior Choir for some seventy - yes, seventy! - years recalls that the boys of the school joined a choir which trained at this church. It was not a school choir and did not perform at the school. This choir was a soprano choir and sang at the church. The boys sat in the front row with the older choir members behind them. He has remained with the choir until this day. He further recalls Mrs. Avis Fuller singing on the choir for a comparable period of time and Mr. Victor Elliott, who also came through the boys choir, to sing and himself remain with this choir.

The records show that this church has had a series of committed organists and choirmasters over the years. The Senior Choir specializes in traditional music and utilizes the musical excellence of the old masters - Bach, Mozart and Handel among others, for liturgical expression. Traditional expression of canticles and hymns is their forte. The Youth Choir focuses on expression of contemporary music using popular and modern rhythms, instruments and music from local sources, from the wider Caribbean and wherever current forms of musical expression can be found. For example, use of Taize chants provide haunting melodies and simple but touching poetic lines. This Church is fortunate and blessed to have this range in musical styles, each with their own character to enhance worship and prayer.

Blood Bank

Donors are needed. If you are able and willing please call the Church Office. The list of current donors within this congregation is small and no one can give more than once in three months. The generosity and commitment of those of our members who have given for other members, especially in recent months, is deeply appreciated.

Church Committee - 2005

Ex-officio

• Mr. Alvaro Casserly - Member, Incorporated Lay Body
• Dr. Vincent Lawrence - Member, Incorporated Lay Body; Rector's Warden.
• Mr. Mike Fennell - Chairman, Diocesan Financial Board

Lay Representatives to Synod

• Mr. Frank James
• Mr. George Bullock

Other members

• Mr. George Briggs - Peoples' Warden
• Dr. Nigel Elliott
• Mr. Douglas Folkes - Rep. to Deanery Council; Alt. Synod Rep. to Mr. Frank James
• Mr. Brian Goldson
• Mr. Lloyd Gooden - Church Treasurer
• Mr. Stanley Gordon
• Miss Sonya Hamilton
• Dr. Lucien Jones
• Mrs. Jacqueline Mighty
• Mr. Tony Patel
• Mr. Owen Street
• Miss Yolande Whitely - Church Secretary; Alt. Synod Rep to Mr. George Bullock
• Mrs. Jennifer Goodison - Recording Sec.

Selection Committee

• Dr. Vincent Lawrence
• Mr. George Briggs
• Mr. Alvaro Casserly
• Mrs. Jacqueline Mighty
  

Church Calendar - 2005

----Published by the St. Andrew Parish Church, Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands----