St. Mary's Church
The Rector of the Saxon Shore Benefice
The Revd Susan Bowden-Pickstock is the Rector of the Saxon Shore Benefice consisting of a group of six Churches
on the north Norfolk Coast.
She is an ordained Pioneer Minister in the Anglican Church. This is a relatively new type of training which combines traditional theological training with an emphasis on
relating to our current culture and helping church and community to meet. Susan grew up in rural villages in East Anglia, and has been a person of strong faith since a small
child:
‘I remember a conversation under cherry blossom when I was about 5 when it all made
sense in my head that God was there, and I was loved, and that was that.’
Her previous working life includes ten years as a Registered General Nurse: journeying from Guys Hospital in London, to Papworth, Newmarket, Addenbrookes, and finishing
as a GP Practice Nurse in Cambridge. She then worked for fifteen years within the BBC in local radio as a ‘Faith and Ethics Producer.’
Susan is married to Philip and they have four children at various stages of secondary, university education and employment: careers are currently being formed as a chef, in
psychology, in medicine, and in any and all water sports and computer games…. Family life has been the greatest joy, in all its wonder, muddle and chaos.
She has always taken Iranaeus seriously when he said ‘The glory of God is a human being fully alive.’ and cannot resist
the challenge to explore a new dimension of living. She therefore also has RHS qualifications in general horticulture, as well as an honours degree in Literature and Religious
Studies. Her childhood dream to be an author was fulfilled in writing a book on horticulture and spirituality called ‘Quiet Gardens: the Roots of Faith?’ and hopes one day to
write more.
She has taken a few random opportunities in life including exercising racehorses at Newmarket,
sailing on a tall ship out of Stockholm, spending time with monks in Rome, travelling with the family to Australia, Canada, Scandinavia and Italy and gaining (with a team of
others) a Chelsea silver-gilt medal.
Susan enjoys almost anything but particularly, cooking and eating, gardening, hill climbing, horse-riding, cycling, swimming, reading, cinema, theatre, and photography.
She would like to own a giraffe (but only on a plot of land big enough, of course!).
The Rev. James Monro is the Curate in the Benefice.
Rectors and Vicars
(Past and Present)
of St. Mary the Virgin
Holme-next-the-Sea.
The Church stands at latitude 52.96097 and longitude 0.54030 approximately 200m north of the A149 main road
The Ordnance Survey reference is TF707434.
The postal address is:
The Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Kirkgate
Holme-next-the-Sea
Norfolk
PE36 6LJ
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