Dear Friends,
The shortest day is very close and we can now begin to look for the gradual lengthening of the light in the weeks ahead. In two weeks school holidays will begin, but those two weeks are very eventful ones at S. Michael’s School. In particular, next Wednesday we shall be baptising eight young people at the 8:40 School Service. Please pray for them and their families, and if you wish, come and join in this celebration and help us welcome them into the Church. On the following Wednesday we shall welcome these young people and four others, already baptised, to receive Holy Communion.
On Friday I officiated at two funerals. One, of Paulene Brown who was the mother and grandmother of S. Michael’s School pupils (Daniel Bell at the moment), and who died in middle age and unexpectedly. The other, of Sister Leona of the Community of the Sacred Name, who had been a Sister for 56 years. She was on our parish roll and joined us often on Sunday mornings. She had appreciated Claire Anstice taking her Holy Communion on the afternoon before she died, and there was no sense that the end was near. But she has gone to God, and we give thanks for her very long and enthusiastic ministry among us. As well as in her commitment to religious life, her ministry was carried out in the parishes of Hornby and Lyttelton, and then most recently at the Cathedral. She was the first nun I actually met, when I was seven, and in those days (and ever since) she was warm and outgoing, and fun to be with. Our love and sympathy are with their loved ones.
We are glad to be in a position to announce at last that we have appointed Paul Ellis to be Organist and Director of Music at S. Michael’s, and Christopher Graham as Assistant Director of Music. We have all experienced their skills in providing musical support and enrichment to the Liturgy, and now we can look forward to our fine musical tradition going from strength to strength.
May God bless you all
Peter Williams
