Portpatrick is a busy place in the Summer.
St Ninian’s held a Summer Pet Blessing service as part of their Summer Mission Church activities in the holiday village. Effie-Mary, a lovely red hen, tunefully joined in the singing of each chorus of ‘All things bright and beautiful’, while the visiting dogs were calm, if a little bewildered, at all the activity. After all, they already know that they are a blessing to their owners, and Rev Dr Elizabeth was delighted to bless them as part of God’s very good creation and to give thanks for the joy they bring to us.
To mark the start of Portpatrick Lifeboat week, the new Shannon class lifeboat, the ‘Stella and Humfrey Berkley’ was welcomed and blessed. Rev Dr Elizabeth sprinkled not Holy Water but the water of life, whiskey, on the deck of the new boat before taking a sip herself and sharing the quaich around the enthusiastic crew.
The people who worship in St Ninian’s live their faith through their connections and support of other local groups.
A series of talks was held in Autumn 2023 interviewing a wide variety of interesting people. Following the talk with Iain Gordon, an Emergence Response Volunteer who has driven several donated vehicles from Galloway to Ukraine, all filled with humanitarian aid, the community was inspired to help Ukraine and Iain.
Initially, the church became a collection point for warm clothing and many knitted hats. In December, St Ninian’s responded to Iain’s call for toys to be taken to a Ukrainian orphanage. The church was a collection hub for several community groups to drop off new toys. The Silver Swans dance group was particularly generous, thank you!
This Summer, in conjunction with the Portpatrick Hub, we held a bric-a-brac sale which was well supported and there is an ongoing plant sale table in the grounds of the church itself. We also have an active gardening group that meets fortnightly to maintain the garden and support fundraising events. More details can be obtained from the Secretary.
