Dear St Mary’s, 

On 24th May – Pentecost Sunday – we’ll celebrate the birth of the Church and the coming of the Holy Spirit with two services of Holy Communion at 9am and 10.30am. Revd Jacintha Danaswamy will lead and preside and Revd Vanessa Conant will preach. There will be three baptisms at 10.30am, but no children’s groups, as all ages will be together. 

As the Church of England writes, ‘Pentecost marks fifty days since Easter Day and brings the Easter season to an end. It is a major feast of the Church’s year when Christians recall how God’s Holy Spirit was given to the disciples after Jesus’ ascension, empowering them to begin the work of making disciples…Pentecost is one of the most popular days for baptisms and confirmations in the Church’s year.’ 

At Pentecost, we are reminded that the Jesus movement was, from its earliest days, international, as ‘Jews from every nation’ (Acts 2:5) heard their own language being spoken by the disciples. The disciples were enabled to speak in other languages by the Holy Spirit who appeared like ‘tongues of fire’ which ‘came to rest on each of them’ (Acts 2:3). 

At 6pm, the St Luke’s Community will meet for evening prayer and all are welcome. 

Vestry Sessions Returns on Friday 22nd May
Our music partners, Vestry Sessions, return to St Mary’s this Friday 22nd May with a performance inspired by Russian composer Mussorgsky’s ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ – a 19th Century piano suite inspired by an exhibition put on at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St Petersburg. As one of the most famous examples of visual art inspiring music, Mussorgsky’s seminal piece serves as the backbone for an evening of classical, jazz, pop, and folk. Performed by a mix of familiar friends and new faces, expect a musical tasting menu including works by Kate Bush, Don McLean and Debussy. The evening also features an exhibition by local Walthamstow artists. Doors are at 7.30pm for an 8pm start. Tickets are £12.50 and available here or by visiting wegottickets.com and searching ‘Vestry Sessions’. 

St Gabriel’s Quiz Night on Saturday 23rd May 
St Gabriel’s Church (Havant Road and Wood Street) will raise funds with a Quiz Night this Saturday 23rd May at 6pm with £5 tickets at the door and half-price tickets available for Under 18s. Tea and coffee will be free and participants are invited to bring other snacks and drinks with them on the night. Teams can be as large as eight people or as small as two. 

No Morning Prayer on Monday 25th May, St Mary’s Ruttle & Rowe Cafe Closed 
Please note there will be no Morning Prayer on Monday 25th May due to the bank holiday. Morning Prayer – which we usually say Monday to Thursday at 8.30am in St Mary’s side chapel and also livestream to Facebook – will continue as normal from Tuesday 26th May. Our Ruttle & Rowe cafe will also be closed on Monday 25th May, as will our Play Area. 

‘Rooted in Community’ Gardening Day on Saturday 30th May 
Join us for the 2026 ‘Rooted in Community’ gardening event on Saturday 30th May, 11am to 2pm, held in and around St Mary’s Churchyard, with our Ruttle & Rowe cafe open as well. The day will include plant stalls, churchyard tours, a history tour, art workshops and more. Head gardener Tim Hewitt will lead two free tours of the churchyard, bookable on the day, at 11.15am and 12.30pm. For more details, including how to book either of the paid nature-inspired art workshops, visit stmaryswalthamstow.org/rootedincommunity. 

Blood Donation at St Mary’s on Friday 5th June: Cafe Open, Play Area Closed 
We will welcome the NHS back to St Mary’s Church for blood donations on Friday 5th June. The Play Area will be closed that day but our Ruttle & Rowe cafe will remain open, with indoor seating moved to the Exhibition Space and cafe service through the outdoor hatch. 

First Youth Worship Band Rehearsal on 5th June, 6pm 
We’re looking for young musicians who want to start serving in the worship team, with the team open to all musicians in Year 7-Sixth Form (and the last term of year 6). Our first rehearsal will be on Friday 5th June in St Mary’s Church, 6-7pm. For more information, or to register interest, email our Schools’ Worker Matt Begg at .  

St Mary’s to Host Walthamstow Art Trail Artists in June 
The Walthamstow Art Trail will run from 5th-14th June, during which time St Mary’s will host the work of two artists, Nancy Willis and Jane Ralston. From 6th June, Nancy’s work will be displayed in the Exhibition Space (our church extension) whilst Jane will exhibit work (which has been inspired by Psalm 23) in the nave of the church. For more information on Nancy’s work, visit nancywillis.co.uk. For more information on Jane’s work, visit janeralston.com.  

Youth Group Returns on Sunday 7th June 
With the upcoming half term, our youth group (Year 6 through secondary school) will take a short break and will next meet on Sunday 7th June at 5pm in the Welcome Centre. If you haven’t yet registered your child for our youth group, you can do so here or by visiting stmaryswalthamstow.org/childrenandyouth. For details about our youth group, which meets fortnightly, please email Revd Jacintha Danaswamy at . 

New Online Learning Community Course to Start on 9th June: Faith & Parenting  
Our next Learning Community course is aimed at parents or carers – a space to think through the opportunities and challenges of parenting for faith. The course is designed to be accessible for all who might not normally be able to attend an in-person meeting in the evening, which is why we’re meeting online from 8.30-9pm (cameras can be off if you are still wrangling children at bedtime) with an option to stay and chat from 9-9.15pm. Register interest here or email Revd Jacintha Danaswamy at . 

Special Joint-Church Evensong at St Barnabas on 14th June at 6.30pm 
In 1939, the Walthamstow and Chingford Choirs’ Association planned a special joint-churches’ Evensong service for 28th October at St Mary’s, however it was cancelled due to the outbreak of the Second World War. Although the service never took place, St Barnabas Church recently discovered the original music and has now adapted the programme for a new performance scheduled for 14th June at 6.30pm at St Barnabas Church in Walthamstow. All are welcome to attend or to participate in the Evensong choir. Email for details of the rehearsal schedule. 

Communion Preparation on 21st June After 10.30am Service
Communion preparation for children over the age of 8 who are already baptised will be on Sunday 21st June after the 10.30am service, with lunch provided. Admission to Communion will take place on 5th July. To reserve a place for the Communion preparation session, or for more details, contact Revd Vanessa Conant at . If your child is keen to receive Holy Communion but hasn’t been baptised, do also contact Vanessa.

New Class in the Welcome Centre: BollySoul Dance on Wednesdays at 7pm
BollySoul Dance & Movement – which from 27th May will meet on Wednesday evenings in the Welcome Centre from 7-8pm – is a fun, uplifting women’s movement class combining Desi-inspired music, feel-good movement, stretching and breathwork to help you stay active and de-stress. No dance experience is needed — just come as you are and move at your own pace. To book, click here, or email . 

Climate Films at St Mary’s in June 
In late June, join us at St Mary’s for a thought-provoking weekend of climate films. We’ll start with the People’s Emergency Briefing on Thursday 25th June at 7pm – a film featuring contributions from Chris Packham, Deborah Meaden and leading scientific, energy and national security experts. Tickets are available by making a donation of your choice. And then on Saturday 27th June at 7pm, join us for Power Station by Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn, with tickets available for £6 each. This documentary follows the attempts by Hilary and Dan to turn their Walthamstow street into an energy-generating collection of solar-powered Power Stations. The film will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers. To book tickets to either film, visit stmaryswalthamstow.org/climatefilms. 

EcoTip: Sign the Petition for a UK-Wide Briefing on Climate and Nature Risks 
The UK faces growing risks from climate and nature breakdown – from extreme weather to economic disruption and national security threats. Yet the public has never been given a clear national briefing on the scale of these risks. A new petition to Parliament from Chris Packham is calling on the UK government to give a national briefing and offer clear, trusted guidance on what these risks mean in practice, and what we can do to prepare and respond. Sign the petition here, or Google ‘Chris Packham petition’ to find the petition and sign it. 

Giving Monthly to St Mary’s 
Your financial support is crucial as we work to keep St Mary’s ancient building open to the whole community throughout the week, to support Walthamstow and to share the love of Christ with all. Your donations make this possible as we receive no direct, ongoing support for the day-to-day running of St Mary’s from the Church of England or from the government. Monthly giving is particularly transformative as it allows us to plan, budget, and even expand our work in the community. If you would like to become a monthly giver, we would encourage you to sign up via the Parish Giving Scheme which you can find here or by going to stmaryswalthamstow.org/donate and clicking on the Parish Giving Scheme link. 

Safeguarding 
St Mary’s takes safeguarding seriously and works hard to ensure that our church is a safe place for everyone. If you see anything that concerns you at St Mary’s, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Safeguarding Officer Emma Clements at . You can also contact the Diocese of Chelmsford at or Waltham Forest Council at 020 8496 2310. 

Please pray this week for:

• For all political parties in the UK to take the climate and nature crisis with the seriousness it requires, and to call for a fair and fast transition away from fossil fuels 
• The entire Henry Maynard community which is in the midst of teachers’ strike 
• Revd Sarah Matthews who is being licensed at St Andrew’s Walthamstow 27th May 
• Attempts to treat and contain the deadly ebola virus now spreading in the DRC 
• Ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Russia, Gaza, Israel, Iran and Sudan – for a just peace 
• The political situation in the UK – for a focus on solutions and the Common Good 
• Attempts to bring communities together across difference, to find ways to make life better for all and to counter hatred in the wake of the recent far-right march in London 
• All who serve in political leadership in the UK – for wisdom and moral courage 
• For our leaders at St Mary’s, including Vanessa, Jacintha, Tim, our churchwardens Natalie and Ollie, our PCC, and for all who serve or lead in any capacity
• All who engage with St Mary’s in any way, including parents and children who use our soft play, those who visit St Mary’s Ruttle & Rowe cafe, those who access help from our Walthamstow Welcomes paperwork cafe and all exploring faith at St Mary’s 
• For those who are unwell in any way, including those receiving treatment, undergoing tests, or preparing for surgery: for peace, protection and healing 
• That the Holy Spirit would move powerfully among us this Pentecost and beyond 

Reflection: ‘Mother Tongue’ 
Revd Vanessa Conant, Rector of St Mary’s and the Parish of Walthamstow, writes: 

After the Ascension Day service last week, a conversation about punctuality and tardiness sparked a memory of listening to a radio programme about language and lateness. 

In a documentary exploring why some people are late and others aren’t, a professor of cognitive science at the University of California described how language often shapes and reflects understandings of time. She said that in most cultures, life is entirely unpredictable and so it is simply not reasonable to expect that someone will be on time. In these places, the shape of language reflects that reality. So, for example, in Indonesian, little attention is paid to the tense of a verb – you might say, ‘I kick ball’, and that could refer to the past, the present or the future because the timing of when you did it is not important. 

Similarly, in Navajo, the timing of when you have a drink is irrelevant – but the language shifts according to whether you are drinking from a glass or a bottle. This information matters more. Language has the capacity to reflect what is important or precious in a culture. 

In her book, A Field Guide to Getting Lost, Rebecca Solnit writes about the Wintu people of North Central California. She says that in this culture, the self only exists in reference to the rest of the world. The Wintu do not use the terms left or right to describe their own bodies. When the Wintu goes up the river, the hills are to the west, the river to the east and a mosquito bites a person on his ‘west arm’. When they change direction, the language shifts to reflect that; returning home, the Wintu scratches the mosquito bite on his ‘east arm’. 

The Wintu are never lost in the way that we can be lost in the natural world. Instead, the natural world is entirely stable: we are contingent. Humans are nothing apart from our surroundings and the Wintu language captures that reverence and connection to the land.  

I have an Irish friend who sometimes, when she agrees with you, will take a series of rapid inward breaths. I always thought this was a habit that was peculiar to her until I learned that this is deeply linguistic. There is something called the pulmonic ingressive, or the ‘inward yes’ – and it is common among people who speak Irish. Because there is no word for ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in Irish, the pulmonic ingressive is a way of signalling agreement. It’s also found in Australian aboriginal languages, in Scandinavia and in Japan. Anne Furlong, a Professor at the University of Prince Edward Island (where the pulmonic ingressive is also found) says that it’s not only a way of saying that you agree but also of establishing closeness – a sense of connection and belonging. 

Throughout the world, language does so much beyond the basic functions of human life. It both communicates and shapes worldviews, affirms what matters in a culture or a society, finds ways to express the inexpressible, reaching beyond its own boundaries to make real the ineffable and mystical.

This Sunday, the church marks Pentecost, the moment when the Holy Spirit comes to all the apostles gathered in Jerusalem and the mission and ministry of the Early Church is ignited into action. The Book of Acts tells us that this moment was marked by what seemed to be tongues of fire resting on each of the apostles and by the praying in different tongues: 

‘Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?”’ (Acts 2:5-8) 

I often think about how moving it must have been to hear ‘the wonders of God declared in our own tongues’. It is one thing to understand the vocabulary of another language, and another much more intimate, powerful and embodied thing to hear something in our mother tongue. In our native language, we hear nuance and beauty and connection – we understand what’s happening at a profound, visceral level, and we are bound together with others in these moments of mutual comprehension. 

God gives the Holy Spirit to us in order that we might understand the love, mercy, grace and peace of the Kingdom of Heaven in our mother tongue. So that the deepest truths of the triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – can speak to our hearts and minds, draw us more deeply into His love, and equip us to serve God in the world. 

Just as with Indonesian, the language of the Holy Spirit shows us what truly matters, what is precious. Just as with the Wintu people, the language of the Holy Spirit reorientates us; we are never lost because we are connected to the landscape of the Kingdom. Just as with Irish, the language of the Holy Spirit draws people together, establishing togetherness and belonging. 

I pray that you will join us this Sunday, and that you will each hear God speaking, through his Holy Spirit, in the beauty and power of your mother tongue. 

With love, 

Vanessa