The Village Stitchers of Florence are back to quilting! These days there is no bending together over patchwork, but they came up with a clever workaround. Myrna, who is spearheading this project, cuts the squares and gets them to stitchers who sew them together in sections. She puts those sections together, then does the finishing. The result, just this week, was six full-sized beautiful quilts, all of which went to the Westover Treatment Centre in Thamesville. 

A bench appeared at St Matthew's parish hall in Florence last week. 
It's perfect, sheltered outside beside the entry, inviting pandemic walkers or churchyard visitors to sit for a bit. 
It's beautiful, and it has a beautiful story!
Laura's best friend gave Laura's husband, Mike, two benches to refurbish as a surprise for Laura's birthday. Mike put long hours and fine craftsmanship into the project, and we hear it made Laura cry. 
Of course it did!
She keeps one in memory of her sister, Shelley, and has installed the other at the hall in memory of two special people to her, and to the community: her father- and mother-in-law, Don and Joan.
Here is the bench, donated by Mike and Laura Rickman in memory of Don and Joan Rickman.

Members of the parish were once again glued to their screens on November 30 as the Reverend Enrique Martinez was ordained at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. He has been appointed deacon-in-charge of the Parish of Long Point Bay (Port Ryerse Memorial Church, Port Ryerse; St. John's, Woodhouse; St. John's, Port Rowan; St. Andrew's-by-the-Lake, Turkey Point; and Christ Church Chapel of Ease, Vittoria).

Brittany Comber sent us these wonderful pictures of the ordination most of us livestreamed on Thursday night! Almost like being there...

When St Matthew's, Florence, set up its Little Free Pantry (see page 9 of the Huron Church News) in April, it hoped it would fill a need. 
Did it ever!
It was accessed every day over the summer, and kept constantly stocked by an outpouring of community support.
September arrived, and the property on which it sat was sold. It would need to be moved. 
One phone call, and a spot was found, only a block away, and still on the main street!
The pantry builders, Jack and Irene, moved it and weather-proofed it on Saturday.
A local artist, Mike, painted the new sign.
Do you see the lock on the left? That's only to keep the flour-loving squirrel from making herself at home...

​Find "Pandemic ponders" in the most recent Huron Church News, written by our very own in-parish congregational coach, Shirley Sewell. It's here on page 9!

​Read contributions to the Huron Church News by some of our own by clicking here. --->
Love in the Time of Pandemic by a parishioner is on page 3, and the Ordination Reflection of our Deacon-in-Charge is on page 4.
​

London Fire Department, Station 12, C Squad have to save their N95s for medical calls, giving any extra to London Health Sciences, so they asked the St Matthew's, Florence, stitchers for facemasks. They said they didn't mind if they were pretty. So they got pretty ones!

From our Deacon-in-Charge:
​Over the next few weeks you will likely hear quite a lot about "prayer" here. 
It is something that you can do now. Whenever you pray, whatever you say, be assured that God is listening. 
At the same time, it is something that is also enriched by our coming together: something that we wait for. 
Shirley Sewell, our warden and frequent intercessor at St. Matthew's Church in Florence, has passed on this prayer. You will hear a version of it prayed this Sunday. You are free to offer up these words to God, right now. Read them, pray them, and hope for the day when we can join our prayers together in body and in Spirit. 
Justin

http://worldinprayer.org/2020/world-news-in-prayer-thursday-march-25-2020/