The Revd Dr Simon Oakes, Vicar of St Luke's Church, Holbrooks, writes about their recent Festival Weekend.
The annual Festival Weekend at St Luke’s, from 11-13 July, began on the Friday evening with a summer concert by the Coventry Festival Band. The programme commemorated a number of anniversaries that are being marked this year, most notably VE Day. During the interval the St Luke’s Scout Group served refreshments – greatly appreciated on what was a very hot evening – before a proms-style finale, complete with rousing singing and flag waving.
At the Saturday afternoon liturgy, the Revd Canon Paul Greenwell – Vicar of the Church of the Holy Angels, Hoar Cross – preached on the Lucan pericope in which Jesus says that his mother, brothers, and sisters ‘are those who hear the word of God and do it’ (8.19-21). Fr Greenwell concluded that ‘that was Mary’s job, and that is our job too.’ After the Eucharist, friends from around the deanery and diocese joined us for afternoon tea in the Parish Centre, where a hearty banquet of sandwiches, cakes and scones awaited us. The day concluded with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
On Sunday 13th July we celebrated the 86th anniversary of the dedication of St Luke’s with a Festival Parish Mass and Church Parade; a small group of players from the Coventry Festival Band provided lively accompaniment to the singing. In the afternoon, the Parish Barbecue and Family Festival was held in the church grounds and Parish Centre, with games, stalls, and refreshments, as well as dance performances by the Crew Girls, the Coventry-based dance group which is based at St Luke’s.
This was a wonderful weekend celebrating the presence and witness of the parish church in the heart of this community.