Fr Patrick writes…
On Sunday 1st December 2019 Michele Twelftree started as the new verger/sexton at St Mary’s Lapworth. A few days earlier she and her husband Michael moved from Garretts Green to the Clerks House, by St Mary’s Church. The Lapworth Charity kindly make the Clerks House available as accommodation for the verger.
Michele was baptised at St Lawrence, Rowington and grew up in Rowington. She went to school in Malvern and was confirmed at the Priory Church there. She has a lot of experience of working in pubs, hotels and catering. In more recent years she has been working at Asda, but she resigned to take up the verger’s role.
Until recently Michele and Michael worshiped at St Thomas, Garretts Green. Michele was involved in Children’s Church and play schemes there. She did the Diocesan course on “Offering Pastoral Care in the Community” and became part of a licensed lay pastoral team working with baptism families.
Michele’s husband Michael grew up in Lapworth. He even went to Lapworth School when it was situated near the church in the Old School building. There are lots of Twelftrees in the churchyard at St Mary’s. Michele and Michael have three grown up children; Rolland, Henry and Georgina. Michele says she is pleased to be back in Lapworth and enjoying the local walks with dog Lilly, a Collie-Alsatian cross.
As verger/sexton Michele has lots of responsibilities in the church and churchyard. She keeps things clean and tidy, sets the church up for worship and clears away afterwards. She keeps us stocked up on church supplies such as candles, wine and wafers. She helps with the church registers, the heating and locking and unlocking the church. On Tuesdays she works at St John’s Sparkhill, cooking for a lunch club.
It is a great delight to have Michele and Michael with us in the church community. I would also like to thank the people who helped cover the verger duties from June to November 2019 while we had no verger.