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In recent years our congregations in Bowdon have earned a reputation for raising, equipping and sending out leaders to other churches. This reflects the overall mission of the Church of England to revitalise and reform the Anglican Church.

We are delighted to report that our very own Ambi Naylor has been recommended by a Bishop’s Advisory Panel to train to be a priest. Whilst going through the selection process for ordination she also completed a master’s degree at Nazarene Theological College, which she passed with distinction. She is now training at Cranmer Hall, Durham University, where she hopes to do a PhD.

Fret not! Ambi will remain a familiar face in our congregations as we are her base for practical experience as well as her sending church. Ambi tells us: “I have had a fantastic time being part of the leadership team in Bowdon. St Mary’s and St Luke’s are inspirational communities of faith that show just how relevant the church is to 21st century life. I’m delighted to be able to continue here in a new way, as an ordinand and future church leader.” We wish Ambi all the best.

Kirsten Wood, Parish Development

The Somme valley is a beautiful region but it has carved its place into modern history by the statistics of a slaughter that will forever be associated with it: over 1,000,000 casualties in the fighting between July and November 1916, with 57,470 British casualties on the first day of the battle alone.  19,240 of these men died.  The toll was relentless.

Many battalions were composed of men recruited from the same town or village.  The idea was that this bound them together; it made for good morale.  It also made for the devastation of local populations.  Of the 720 men of the ‘Accrington Pals’ who went into battle on the 1^st July 1916, 584 became casualties.  In this centenary year of the Battle of the Somme, death like this is inconceivable.  But it remains with us, as do the deaths from all those conflicts since.  And so we remember.

Death in war is sacrifice.  The huge wars of the last century and many conflicts since have been fought by people who have died or been damaged for the benefit of other people.  This includes people of other nations and races.  In sacrifice, lives are joined.  Whether out of a conflict that compels men and women to act as they must, or out of sympathy that urges them to act in unison for the benefit of others, sacrifice shows that we live and die together.

‘Who is my neighbour?’ Jesus was asked and his answer knew no limit.  We are not separate.  Geographical or political boundaries put no boundary on how connected we are to one another.  Whilst sacrifice of life remains the ultimate act by one person for another, living in sympathy and kindness with others is a remembrance that can mark the heartbreak of war with the possibility of peace.

Benjamin Myers

Katharine Perera, who has died at the age of 72, was, along with her husband Suria, an active and much loved member of our parish community. She created this prize-winning publication in the form we know it today and edited it for the last eight years. As a member of the PCC, a church warden and ultimately the person who held the reins of the parish during our recent interregnum, her unobtrusive, calm and thoughtful guidance has been enormously valued.

Born in 1943 in London, she survived the blitz and meningitis (an early beneficiary of penicillin), then spent her schooldays in the Wirral before returning to London to take a degree in English Language and Literature at Bedford College. A spell of VSO teaching in Malaysia followed where she met Suria.

During a distinguished academic career as a teacher, then lecturer in English and Linguistics, she wrote and lectured extensively on the development of children’s reading and writing and acted as advisor to the Department of Education and Science, the BBC and Thames TV. As Senior Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester when the amalgamation with UMIST took place, she successfully integrated the two academic communities. Katharine was uniquely equipped for this sensitive and difficult task, combining as she did great firmness of resolve with extraordinary sensitivity and humanity.

Her Women in Leadership programme fundamentally changed the role of women in the University, witness the 67 female professors from around the world who, on hearing of her illness, wrote to express their thanks for Katharine’s inspirational influence. They speak of her warmth, generosity, compassion and kindness, her ability to make others feel special and confident in themselves.

In 2013 she received the University of Manchester’s most prestigious award, the Medal of Honour, and in 2016 became only the sixth person ever to be awarded the Freedom of the Parish of Bowdon.

However, we shall remember her most for her warm smile and her unfailing interest in and care for each of us as individuals. Her faith was a great example to all of us and she was an invigorating person to be with even in the last days of her illness. And when we are in a tricky situation, no doubt her wise words will come back to us. Perhaps that will be her greatest legacy.

Standing Committee
On behalf of Bowdon Church of England

I have a confession to make: I have mixed feelings about Autumn. Yes, there is beauty in the natural world and I do love jumpers and mugs of tea, but this season brings with it many memories of sad events that seem to drift in with the chill in the air.

Autumn is indeed a time for remembering. In church we remember those whom we loved who have died, and we honour those who fell so that we might know freedom and peace. We also actively remember throughout the year. At the heart of every Communion service is an act of remembrance called an ‘anamnesis’. If ‘amnesia’ is forgetfulness, then ‘an-amnesis’ might be translated as ‘not-forgetting-ness’. This is where we recall the Passover and the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross in an active way. These actions remind us that through Jesus we have hope for the future, as well as for the present. Hope of transformation, new life and deep sustaining joy even throughout the darkest times.

One other thing that helps me is to imagine that my grandparents and others are now part of a Jedi-type council of advisors. It may be more useful to recall this line of text, written by Eric Crozier for Benjamin Britten’s Cantata about St Nicholas: “We keep his memory alive in legends that our children and their children’s children treasure still”. Once the rawness of grieving has faded, our memories of those who have passed away can still inspire, bring joy, and indeed hope.

Catherine Cleghorn, Ordinand

As part of the church’s service to the local community it supports Bowdon Festival, which offers an annual Youth Festival. This is enabled by fundraising events such as concerts held throughout the year.

Applications are now open for Bowdon Youth Festival 2017, which will be held from the 2-5 of February. This event allows young people to experience public performance in a supportive environment, with feedback from expert adjudicators. Classes are offered in music (instruments, voices, ensembles and choirs), speech and drama.

The Youth Festival has an exciting new website at www.bowdonfestival.co.uk , where the syllabus of classes available can be found. Online booking and payment facilities are available this year to make things easier for performers, parents and teachers.

We need a large number of volunteers to deliver the Youth Festival – it is very rewarding to be involved and the roles are very varied. If you are interested please contact me on susan@bowdonfestival.co.uk.

Susan Sinagola, Chair, Bowdon Festival

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The sermon on the 23rd October at Zone2 was delivered by Rev Canon Phil Potter, our Associate Missioner.

You can listen to the sermon by using the audio controls below, making sure that your computer has speakers.

Or you can download the audio file by clicking on the icon to the right.
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Click on the icon to download the MP3 audio file
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Professor Perera’s most public engagement with Nazarene Theological College was, appropriately, as a regular participant in our Graduation Ceremonies.  I say this was appropriate because Graduation marks the intersection of the University with the College, and blends an act of worship with a grand academic occasion. Nazarene Theological College is academically validated by the University of Manchester and our Graduation ceremonies take place in the soaring magnificence of the University’s Whitworth Hall. The hall is filled with voices lifted in worship, supported by the resonating power of the organ.

Katharine rejoiced in that blending of her identities and was always an enthusiastic participant. She was also, of course, involved with the College through her role as the Pro-Vice-Chancellor overseeing ‘academic quality.’  In this role, she acted as a ‘critical friend,’ wanting to make sure that the College met the high standards of the University – encouraging us to be the very best that we could be.

For her, academic validation was more than just an administrative function: it was built on a relationship of good faith, of mutual respect, of desiring the best for the students who were part of the University’s care. She saw no contradiction in the idea of a ‘confessional College’ being validated by a public university, understanding that true faith is always truth-seeking, and is not narrowly restrictive in its understanding of God’s presence in the world.

We celebrate her life of service, her generosity, her acuity, her wisdom; she’ll be much missed.

Peter Rae, Academic Dean, Nazarene Theological College

Katharine joined the governing body of Withington Girls’ School in 1995 and chaired it from 1998 – 2006. This piece of writing is from the Founders’ Day speech that I made as headmistress in 2006:

‘I cannot let this opportunity go of publicly stating my thanks to Professor Katharine Perera, first of all for appointing me in 2000 and for her constant support and encouragement thereafter.  If chairing skills were subject to assessment, Katharine would gain straight A*s.  She will be remembered for her intelligence and wisdom, her ability to keep sight of the woods through the trees and her persistence in making sure that everyone gathered around her table had the opportunity to contribute, while sticking to task.

Katharine also ensured that every decision taken was in the best interest of the school, especially of the pupils; she set the highest standards in all respects and actively supported school events in spite of numerous commitments elsewhere.  She was often accompanied by Suria and his palpable pleasure in pupils’ performances in plays and concerts was itself a joy to behold.’
I will also remember Katharine for her integrity, humour, style, warmth and selfless kindness.  She was an excellent role model for us all.

Janet Pickering, headmistress of Withington Girls’ School from 2000-2010

Katharine was a remarkable, very able lady who served her community in so many ways.  In November 1999 she joined the board of what was then Hope hospital as a Non-Executive Director, and she served on the board until June 2009, helping guide the hospital into gaining its Foundation status in 2005 and beyond.  She took on the role of Senior Independent Director for the new Foundation Trust and helped to write the Corporate Governance Framework manual which is at the heart of honest, fair, open and accountable ways of working applicable to all large organisations.

These same attributes reflected her approach to life in general. Coupled with her attention to detail, her thoughtfulness, generous spirit and of course her lovely smile, it made working with Katharine a real pleasure.  Many times I have seen complex papers presented at a meeting then witnessed Katharine quietly but firmly getting to the nub of the matter with just a few questions and of course that raised eyebrow!

She also went out into the community to talk with local groups and help explain what was happening to their hospital. This was always done graciously and in a way that made people she spoke to feel included and important. She was dedicated to ensuring that our patients received a high standard of care and her work in information governance and infection control helped to ensure those levels of excellence continued.

Katharine maintained her interest in how Salford Royal was progressing long after she had retired from the board. Even in the final weeks of her life she was questioning how things were and what was happening within the Trust.  Her humility, intelligence, perceptiveness and generous spirit are greatly missed but my privilege was to have worked with her and seen these gifts in action.

James Leggate

From their arrival one Sunday morning Katharine and Suria soon became active and valued members of the Church.  Katharine was elected to the PCC and made a lasting contribution over the years, in her quiet, thoughtful, devoted way.  Whatever other responsibilities she had she would never take on anything at St Mary’s without giving it her full commitment.  When we began work on planning for the Parish Centre Katharine could always ask the incisive question: she had both an eye for detail and a grasp of the bigger picture.  We all valued the experience she brought from the wider world of managing projects and fund-raising.

Katharine had a fine mind and could set out issues clearly and helpfully.  I am grateful personally to her for helping me clarify theological issues I have had to work through.

I know too that as she was freed from other major commitments she was able to take a greater role in the parish, and many, many people will give thanks for her calm yet firm hand on things through recent years, including two vacancies.

There is one thing, however, that, among all she did, will remain with me.  Katharine became a server at the altar, and it didn’t surprise anyone that she carried out these duties in a quiet, gracious and proper way, with that characteristic attention to detail and yet unobtrusiveness.  To have Katharine serve beside me was to understand the sacrament of the present moment.  But that was Katharine: to be with her in any situation was to feel her complete attention, her ‘being there’ for you, her care and love: it was to share in that sacrament of the present moment.

And now her being is with God.

“Well done, thou good and faithful servant: enter now into thy Master’s rest.”

Keith Hine, Vicar of Bowdon from 1994 – 2008