Children's Liturgy Sunday, April 11th 2010

The SECOND SUNDAY of EASTER
Today our liturgy was held in honour of Father David Everitt, who died on Easter Sunday. He was a dear friend of our Liturgy and all our children. He had been out to Zimbabwe to Mother of Peace Community, who care for children orphaned by AIDS and had visited us several times, telling us about the children there, helping us to pray and to care about them. He also told us about the people with leprosy who live nearby, people he counted as his friends, whom he invited to lunch as well as being their priest.

We are sad he has died, although we are happy he is with God in Heaven. We share their grief, having some understanding of their loss. We also send our love to Father David's family here in Leicester, who pray alongside us every week. Father David was ordained at St. Joseph's, at the altar where he knelt before our children, asking for a blessing before he started his cancer treatment. It was the altar where he received blessings and good wishes from our Zimbabwean community and our children, before he set off for Zimbabwe. He so longed to return there.

We talked about how God always answers prayers, but maybe answers in ways we do not always understand. We were told Father David died very peacfully and was able to talk clearly to his family before he died- so we hope our prayers helped.

(Please click on the heading at the side of this page for more of the Mother of Peace story.)
When we made our crib from recycled materials for Christmas 2008, Father David wanted to come to the manger as an African animal. He chose the lion and joked that he would be the lion of Judah. He wanted to remind everyone of Africa, especially the children he had left behind at Mother of Peace Community.

When Father David shared Christmas with us in that way, he was witnessing Jesus' coming to earth as a baby.
On Easter Sunday, the very day that Jesus went back to God, Father David went to be with God in Heaven. So we placed his Lion in our Easter garden.
We are so glad that Father David shared with us his love of God and his mission to care for God's people, especially the people of Africa and especially the children at Mother of Peace in Zimbabwe. We are happy we now count them as our friends- our brothers and sisters, as Father David used to say.

As we returned into church, we carried Father David's picture; also our memorial lantern, containing a St. Francis candle. St. Francis was Father David's favourite saint- he, too, cared for people with leprosy; he, too, loved animals; he, too, called God's creation his "brothers and sisters". (Father David once had two labradors he called "The Spice Girls"!)
We made cards to say goodbye and to send our love to Father David's family here in England and his second family in Zimbabwe- but we know he will be with us and helping us whenever we are trying to help our brothers and sisters.
Thank you, dear God, for lending us Father David. We know he is happy with you in Heaven. Please take care of him. Rest in peace, Father David, and thank you for everything. Amen.
Father David taught us the same prayer he taught to the children in Zimbabwe.
(You have to point to the fingers of each hand in turn.)
"God loves me very MUCH!"
"I love God very MUCH!"
In Father David's honour, we asked everyone to join us in that prayer. Will you join us now?
Here are the children's messages to Father David on their cards:

To Father David,
Thank you for helping the poorly children. I will miss you.


Dear Father David, we love you so much and it was nice when you were joining us. You are our hero. We will always love you very much.


Dear Father David, have a lovely time in heaven. We love you lots.


To Farfar Daid- thank you.


To St. David thank you. I miss you.


Dear Father David, thank you for everything.

To Father David,
Thank you for the time you shared with us. We will continue to raise money for Mother of Peace. May you enjoy your time with God and help more people as you always did when you wre here.


Dear Father David, I am very happy that I had the chance to know you but I am also very sad that you are not here any more.


To Father David I liked how you cared for people in Africa- Mother of Peace Community. I will miss you.


Dear Father David, hope you see Jesus and God in heaven


To Father David, thank you for everything. We will miss you.


To David, have a nice day in heaven.

To Father David,I am happy I seen you. I am really sad you died with cancer.


Father David, we will miss you and we are glad that you are with God in HEAVEN.


To Dear Father David, thank you for sharing your love. We will miss you.


Father David,
Roses are red violets are blue we say goodbye and God loves you.
Goodbye Father.


To Father David,
Thank you, thank you.
Some younger children just wrote their names or made patterns.
 
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