Remembering John and his love for the Holy Land

The 20th anniversary of the death of Rev Canon Dr John Aves will be marked at four of the Norfolk churches he served in.
 

Tragically John died suddenly in Bethlehem at the age of 52 whilst living and volunteering in a refugee camp near Bethlehem. John was committed to providing financial support to young people from Dheisheh to study at their local universities. John’s widow Anne founded a charity - the John Aves Education Project (JAEP) and continues the work alongside a small team of trustees, whose vision is to continue John’s passion of improving the lives of the people in the refugee camp by providing access to education.  

The JAEP team have organised four church services to remember John and everyone is welcome to attend:

28th January 5pm Evensong at St Peter Mancroft to be followed by Middle Eastern light refreshments and presentation from the JAEP team. Anne (Chair) will speak during the service and Liz (Secretary) lead the intercessions. The 28 January is the nearest Sunday to the 20th Anniversary of John’s death on 25/01/2004. John was a curate at Mancroft from 1979 -1982.
 
4th February 10.30 am Mass at St. Giles. Anne will speak during the service. John’s body was brought into St. Giles on 5/02/2004. He was their Priest in Charge from September 1999 until his death. 
 
6th February 5.30pm Evensong at Norwich Cathedral. The Dean, The Very Revd Dr. Andrew Braddock will preach and The Precentor, Canon Aidan Platten will lead the intercessions. Both of whom knew John well.  John’s funeral was here on 06/02/2004. The service will be followed by wine or soft drinks and nibbles. 
 
17th March 10am Eucharist at St. Mary’s Attleborough followed by All Saints Besthorpe at 11.30am. Anne will speak during the service. A Memorial Service was held in St. Mary’s on 27/03/2004. John was Rector from 1982 – 1999.

The charity's partners in Ibdaa Community Centre in Dheisheh plan to remember John on January 25. They say, "Amidst these difficult circumstances, we will not forget our friend John, who taught us the art of giving and loving people regardless of their colour, religion, or nationality. John taught us that absence is not the end, and that giving transcends physical presence. Through his giving and your commitment towards our youth, John remains present among us. Therefore, on January 25th, we will hold a special day dedicated to John under the title "John: Continuous Giving Despite Departure." This event will include a lecture with creative youth where we will speak about John's life, his philanthropy, and your role in educating the youth of Palestine, accompanied by a photo presentation."

The charity welcomes donations to help fund students for their undergraduate degrees. Anne Aves gives an update on the current situation, "Currently there are no tourists, no pilgrims, visiting the Holy Land which impacts on the employment of Palestinians. All work in Israel by Palestinians has been stopped, many local government employees haven't been paid for almost two months, all of which has resulted in no or very little income for many families." In response to this, JAEP has budgeted for increased levels of student debt in July 2024. Students can graduate but do not receive their certificates until all debt has been cleared which means they cannot seek employment. Anne said, "We remain hugely appreciative of the support we receive."

For more information about JAEP, including information about how to donate, visit https://www.jaep.org.uk/