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Saint Peter's Church, Devizes

Welcome to the website for the St. Peter's Church in Devizes, Wiltshire.
We are a Forward in Faith Church in the Anglican Diocese of Salisbury.  Episcopal oversight is given by the Bishop of Ebbsfleet. We are active members of the Devizes Partnership of Churches.

Firmly established in the Catholic tradition of the Church of England,
St Peter's Church has witnessed to the Christian faith and served the people of the Devizes area since 1866. The church is in the town's western outskirts on the Bath Road, near the famous Caen Hill Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal.

The Church is proud of its associated School - St Peter's Primary.  To see the School's own web pages click here.

Use the navigation panel on the left to :

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Latest News

"Loud organs His glory forth tell in deep tone" … We now need a regular organist to keep telling His glory at St Peter’s  - see notice below

 

Services and Events This Week

 

When

Where

  Service / Event
Sunday,                   5 February    
 + 3 Before Lent/Septuagesima
    8:00 am St Peter's  Low Mass
    9:15 am St Peter's  Morning Prayer
   10:00 am St Peter's  Sung Mass, Sunday School & Sermon
* Note that this month's Benediction is postponed to 12 February
Thursday                 9 February
     7:00 pm St Peter's Low Mass with Holy Unction
     7:30 pm Crown
Centre		 Women's Guild:
Talk by John Girvan, Devizes writer and historian
Friday                    10 February
     3:30 pm Northgate
 Gardens 		Low Mass
Saturday                11 February
     6:00 pm St Peter's Evening Prayer & Preparation for Communion
Sunday,                  12 February    
 + 2 Before Lent/Sexagesima
    8:00 am St Peter's  Low Mass
    9:15 am St Peter's  Morning Prayer
   10:00 am St Peter's  Sung Mass, Sunday School & Sermon
    5:00 pm St Peter's * Devotions & Benediction

Morning Prayer will be said daily at 8.00am & Evening Prayer at 6.00pm most days this week.
 Confessions after Evening Prayer on Saturday, or by appointment.
 To make arrangements for Baptisms or Marriages, please contact the Parish Priest on (01380) 724785

[To download full Diary and Saints for this week, also the Collect, Readings & Gospel for The Septuagesima & Sexagesima - see the Diary page] 

 

Jesus - The Way, The Truth and The Life

The  sermon preached by Fr Derek on Epiphany 4 was based on the Gospel for that day - in Mark 1:21-28, the story of how Jesus drove out an impure spirit in the synagogue at Capernaum.

Fr Derek began by giving us some background information about Capernaum - how it was a thriving town where Roman soldiers were stationed and had a bad reputation as a pagan place of  "loose morals and corruption".  When Jesus entered the synagogue  he was recognised as a great teacher.  A man who was possessed by an impure spirit recognised him as "The Holy One of God', and Jesus was able to command this spirit to come out of him. 

From this Fr Derek shows how Jesus has the power to overcome evil, and what "The Way, The Truth and The Life" that he shows us involves.  There is is also a warning not to dabble in the occult, spiritualism or the paranormal.

To read the full text of this Gospel and Fr Derek's exposition of it click here.  

 

Fr Peter's January Message

The secular Xmas largely finished on Boxing Day, but in the Church calendar Christmas is a liturgical season of great joy that lasts 40 days from 25th December to Candlemas on 2nd February.

The Church Christmas spans January 1st but the secular New Year has no significance within the Church calendar.  Perhaps the most spectacular New Year Celebration in 2012 took place in Sydney, Australia with a 12-minute firework display under the theme ‘A Time To Dream’, a display that took 15 months of planning and cost millions.

Fr Peter’s January message is now available on our Letter page.  New Year is a time of reflection on the events of the previous 12 month and of looking ahead to the next.  Fr Peter’s January message does actually review our current situation and asks what we have to rejoice about in the Christmas season.  However, those looking for optimistic dreams are advised NOT to read the Letter: it is a very sombre reflection on a time when:
“Things seem to be falling apart around us, with little but signs of break up wherever you look.”
In this situation -
“We may have to accept limitations on our freedom to please ourselves (‘live our dreams’)”

... But might there be something to gain from all this?
 

21st December - Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle & Martyr
.... and a Special Day for Fr Derek

21st December, as well as being the shortest day of the year, is celebrated in the Book of Common Prayer as the Feast Day of the apostle St Thomas. St Thomas’s Day in 2011 had a special significance for our Assistant Priest, Fr Derek Frost, for it was on this day 40 years ago that he was ordained Deacon. Since then he has served as Vicar in a number of parishes close to St Peter’s, including the adjoining parish of Seend with Bulkington and Poulshot.

At 10 am at St Peter’s a congregation assembled for a special Mass at which Fr Derek was the Celebrant and Preacher. Fr Derek told us that he had always had a special affection for St Thomas: there had in the 40 years of his priesthood been moments of doubt and difficulty, rather like those of ‘Doubting Thomas’ as recorded in the Gospel for the day in the BCP:

THOMAS, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord, and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. [ John 20:24-end]

Thomas was kept within the company of the Apostles in spite of his doubts. Jesus met him and said, ‘Peace be unto you’. Having seen and touched Jesus, Thomas said, ‘My Lord, and my God’. It is believed that he subsequently travelled far in the service of his Lord and his God, and suffered a similar martyrdom. Fr Derek has pursued the theme of the ‘Living Hope’ that is shown in the story and its meaning for today in a longer sermon he preached on May 1st this year; the text of this sermon may be read by clicking here.


After the sermon Margaret Parkinson and Jan Gaylard had laid on a buffet with drinks and cakes that was enjoyed by all. Fr Peter made a short speech, expressing our appreciation for the work that Fr Derek, assisted by his wife Ann,  continues to do for us at St Peter's.
 

 

Job Vacancy - Church Organist

Wanted for St. Peter's Devizes - an organist for the 10.00am Sung Mass and for evening Masses on major saints' days.

Honorarium to be negotiated. Traditional catholic worship. All Resolutions passed.

A temporary position for one year in the first instance.

Please contact the parish priest Fr. Peter Moss SSC on (01380) 724785.

 

               Dates for Your Diary

      

 
 

2012
                                                

Thursday        February             9th  7:30  Women's Guild: Talk by John Girvan, Devizes writer and historian - Topic to be confirmed.

Wednesday    February           22nd  Ash Wednesday - First Day of Lent
                                                              7:30  Services of Imposition of the Ashes

Thursday        February           23rd  7:30  Women's Guild: 'History of Pewsey Carnival'  by Richard Giles

Friday             February           24th   Estelle Holloway RIP
                                    11:00 am  Requiem Mass
                                                                 2:30 pm  Memorial Service

Thursday        March                 1st  7:30  Women's Guild:  Skittles Evening

Friday              March               2nd        Women's World Day of Prayer

Saturday         March             17th   10:am to 4:00 pm St Peter’s Parish Quiet Day at St. Denys Retreat Centre, Warminster
An opportunity to leave behind the hustle & bustle of life and spend time listening to that Still Small Voice with addresses, Devotions and food!
Full use of House facilities, Chapel, meeting rooms and beautiful garden.
Cost £20 per person including coffee and biscuits, 2 course lunch , tea and cake at the end of the day.

Thursday        March               23rd  7:30  Women's Guild:  'Murder Most Foul or Was it!  by Phil Brown

Thursday        April                 12th   7:30  Women's Guild:  'Nursing at Roundway Hospital'  by  Rev Liz Bailey

Thursday        April                 26th   7:30  Women's Guild:  'Royal Protection' by Peter Russ

Thursday        May                  10th   7:30  Women's Guild:   Fish and Chip Supper + Bring and Buy

Thursday        May                  17th   7:30  Women's Guild:   Corporate Communion

Thursday        May                  24th   7:30  Women's Guild:   'Wiltshire Radio' by Matthew Smith

Thursday        June                 14th   7:30  Women's Guild:    Summer Meal

Saturday        June                 16th   Glastonbury Pilgrimage
12 Noon Solemn concelebrated mass. Principal Celebrant will be the Bishop of Beverley.  
Day will conclude with  Procession of Witness and Benediction.
Preachers on the day will be the Bishop of Ebbsfleet and the Bishop of Plymouth
[See Gallery page for pictures of the 2009 Pilgrimage at which Fr Peter and the St Peter's Serving Team played a prominent role]

Thursday        June                 28th   7:30  Women's Guild:    AGM

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Recent updates

(5-February-2012) New 'This Week's Diary'& February Parish Paper
 24-January-2012) New 'This Week's Diary'
(16-January-2012) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (11-January-2012) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (3-January-2012) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (31-December-2011) New January Fr Peter's Letter
(29-December-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (28-November-2011) New January Parish Paper
 (20-December-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (12-December-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (7-December-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (1-December-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (27-November-2011) New December Parish Paper & Fr Peter's Letter
(22-November-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (14-November-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (11-November-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (8-November-2011) New November Parish Paper
 (4-November-2011) Slideshow of Bishop Jonathon's Visit added to Gallery
 (1-November-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (30-October-2011) New Fr Peter's October Letter
 (25-October-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (18-October-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (11-October-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (5-October-2011) New 'This Week's Diary' and Trinity 15 Sermon uploaded
 (2-October-2011) New October Parish Paper
 (27-September-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (26-September-2011) New Fr Peter's October Letter
(21-September-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (16-September-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (6-September-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (5-September-2011) New September Parish Paper
(28-August-2011) New September Fr Peter's Letter
 (23-August-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
(17-August-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
(14-August-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (9-August-2011) Trinity 7 Sermon Uploaded
 (7-August-2011) New August Parish Paper & Fr Peter's Letter
 (2-August-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (26-July-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
(18-July-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (11-July-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
(5-July-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (3-July-2011) New July Parish Paper & Fr Peter's Letter
 (29-June-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (26-June-2011) Corpus Christi slide show added to Gallery
 (21-June-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
(15-June-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
(11-June-2011) Amended 'This Week's Diary'
(8-June-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (3-June-2011) New June Parish Paper
 (1-June-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (29-May-2011) New  June Letter
 (25-May-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (18-May-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (10-May-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (8-May-2011) New May Parish Paper
 (5-May-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (29-April-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (12-April-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (10-April-2011) New April Parish Paper & Fr Peter's Letter
 (5-April-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
(29-March-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (22-March-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (15-March-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (9-March-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
(3-March-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (27-February-2011) New March Parish Paper & Fr Peter's Letter
 (22-February-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (16-February-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (13-February-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (3-February-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (30-Janurayr-2011) New February  Parish Paper
 (27-January-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (20-January-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (14-January-2011) 'This Week's Diary' amended
 (10-January-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (7-Janurayr-2011) New January  Parish Paper
 (4-January-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'
 (3-January-2011) About page updated.
(2-January-2011) New 'This Week's Diary'