Bishop John undertook a Mission Weekend to the Rutland Water benefice in October during which he planted a tree as part of the Queen's Green Canopy Project.
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Bishop John plants an Olive Tree |
The idea of planting trees came with the launch of the Queens Green canopy project as part of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. The Churchyard of St Michael and All Angels Whitwell offered an opportunity to do this and it was decided to locate two trees where two horse chestnut trees had previously stood either side of the entrance gates. These, which had to be felled due to disease some years ago, had been planted early in the twentieth century by Mr and Mrs Pinder who lived at Old Hall Farm perhaps in memory of their son who was accidentally shot in Fiji in 1908, as recorded on brass plaque in the church to the memory of the family. The trees were fondly known by villagers as Mr and Mrs Pinder.
Olives were chosen for the new trees as an age-old symbol of peace, in this case between humankind and the planet to encourage a sustainable future for all. That an olive tree can be sustained in central England is also a visual reminder that climate change is with us and demands our transition to a harmonious existence with nature.
The first tree was planted on 01 November 2021 by the then Lord Lieutenant of Rutland, Dr Sarah Furness. Significantly the planting date coincided with the first day of the COP26 Summit in Glasgow, with Bishop John planting the matching one of the pair during his Mission Weekend.
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Bishop John sprinkles the congregation with water as a reminder of their own baptisms. |
Bishop John undertakes Mission Weekends every year with the aim to encourage people to take their next steps on their faith journey, whether that be their first steps or deepening their faith. The weekends include visiting schools and churches in the benefice sharing prayer, worship and hospitality with the community.
During his visit to the Rutland Water Benefice, Bishop John visited eight of the ten parishes, attending baptism, walking between Manton and Wing and presenting a Bronze Eco Church Award to St Mary Magdalene & St Andrew's Church in Ridlington. A highlight of the weekend was a "Beer with the Bishop" question and answer session where Bishop John was well and truly grilled with some tough questions!
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Bishop John joins a walk between Wing and Manton. |
The current church of St Michael and All Angels dates back to the thirteenth century though a church in this location is recorded in the Doomsday book. The church remains open for worship sustained by village fundraising events. There is an on-going programme of repairs to the fabric assisted where appropriate by grants from the Rutland Historic Churches Preservation Trust. Most recently the South Aisle Roof has been re-covered with stainless steel following lead theft and the nave roof repaired and gutters repainted.
The Queen's Green Canopy was due to conclude in December this year however following the wishes of His Majesty The King, The initiative will be extended to include the full tree planting season, beginning in October 2022 and concluding in March 2023 to give people the opportunity to plant trees in memoriam to honour Her Majesty.