Bideford - St Francis

Marriage and Love

Last Updated on Saturday, 19 March 2011 09:22 Monday, 10 January 2011 14:28

A Wonderful Day

A congregation of friends and family gathered at St Francis, Bideford to witness and affirm the marriage between parishioners Bob and Leigh.

Read more: Marriage and Love

Pentecost – camellias and candles

Last Updated on Monday, 28 June 2010 16:47 Monday, 28 June 2010 16:38

As we have only one service per month those at St Francis can often miss major festivals. This month we transferred Pentecost a few weeks!

The day was very overcast and all agreed it was an added bonus to the service. Judith had cut beautiful camellia sasanqua flowers which matched perfectly the red, orange and hot pink candles on the altar.

The Paschal candle was processed for the last time, the light passed from it to the Pentecost candle.

As the Gifts of the Spirit were described a votive candle was lit from the large red Pentecost candle and placed into a red glass, until we had all seven gifts - knowledge, understanding, wisdom, reverence, awe, counsel and courage. The lack of light – it was so dark we had to lean toward a window to read our service sheets – made this fabulous little church glow with the warmth that only candles can produce. And if that wasn’t enough, we learned a whole lot of unaccompanied songs and chants – the Spirit surely moved in that place.