Mar 1
Day off gave me much food for thought. Also did some parish work…naughty me!
Tues 2
Busy morning in the office. HC visit in the a/noon & dinner with a parishioner.
Wed 3
This morning I discovered that 6 am is the best time to go to my gym! After that a typical Wed: 9.30 am Mass, 11.30 am HC visit, 6.00 pm Mass followed by supper & study group. It was a gr8 study.
Thurs 4
Quiet morning in the office – starting on the Mar/Apr magazine. 2 pm HC Service for my Atria ladies. 6 pm Mass – a Requiem for June Tuttle’s Year’s MInd – followed by confirmation class. As usual, it was stimulating & enjoyable.
Fri 5
Gym at 6 am again! Numbers down at Mass & bible study. Beautiful organ music in the church, preparing for Sunday’s concert. Haircut at 1 pm, then home to do sermon. Back at church for Stations at 6 pm.
Sat 6
A busy day! 9 am Mass, 10 am HC class, 10.45 am Baptism interview, 2 pm HC visit, 5 pm Baptism interview, 6 pm Exposition, 7 pm Benediction 🙂
Sun 6 Lent 3
It has rained non-stop since Friday. Unusual for SD, but maybe in sympathy with Melbourne, Australia? As a result of the rain & a charity walk, attendance at 8 am was down – but 10 am continued the good attendances at High Mass since Ash Wednesday. We had 2 baptisms & 2 1st HC’s at 10 am – a lovely celebration. My sermon began with a ref to the young woman murdered in SD last week, & moved to the problem of innocent suffering, Christ’s Passion & Baptism. At 4 pm we had an organ recital by Robert MacLeod & Jonas Nordwall. It turns out that Jonas had been to Australia 40 years ago & played the theatre organ at my old school, Pulteney Grammar! It was a gr8 concert attended by 100 people, with the usual wonderful party afterwards.
Mon 8
My day off – but I will be in the office before 8 am to welcome my new secretary (administrative assistant actually) Melissa Lamar. So much to tell/show her!
Tues 9
Melissa has started off well. My sermon was emailed to me yesterday & is now done. Today she tackles the weekly bulletin. I have a few HC visits to catch up on this a/noon.
Wed 10
Busy morning in the office. Melissa has successfully produced Sunday’s bulletins. Michael is starting on the magazine mailing. HC visit this a/noon, then back for 6 pm Mass & study group.
Thurs 11
At 10 am I went to the site of the SD Chinese pre-school to bless the work that has commenced. This is a 35 year project by Sally Wong-Avery! With Sally & Dennis Avery were the architect, builders, lawyer & members of the Chinese community. The a/noon was a time for quiet reading/reflection. 6 pm Mass, followed by confirmation class.
Fri 12
At last we have sunny weather in SD! 9.30 Mass, followed by bible study. Magazine will be finished off today. 11.30 am 1st staff meeting with Melissa. Home to do sermon, then back for 6 pm Stations.
Sat 13
Societies of Mary today – we have to compete with the St Patrick’s Day fair! 11 am Rosary, 11.30 am Mass, followed by usual delicious lunch. HC visit afterwards, then back for Exposition.
Sun 14 Lent 4
Rose Sunday…..I’m sure we are one of the few churches that not only has rose vestments, but a rose frontal! Today was the time change to daylight saving, but this did not affect the recent increase in attendance: 41 comms at 8 am & 90 comms at 10 am. Tho 40 people seemed to arrive for 8 am Mass with a minute to spare!
This a/noon I go on my annual Lenten retreat. Originally I was going to the House of the Redeemer in NYC, as last year. But then I changed my plans, & am going to the mountains near Asheville, NC. I will be going to stay with Mike & Teaky Tollison. Mike & Teaky were parishioners here who moved to NC 18 months ago. I told them if I visited I would be on retreat & wanted to be alone during the day. Teaky is a gr8 cook, so the evening meal will be something to look forward to. A retreat to nature’s beauty is just what I need this Lent.
Mon 15
Arrived at Charlotte & Mike & Teaky were there to meet me. A 2 hour drive to Spruce Pine. Supper was at BamaQ – short for Alabama BBQ! I had a glorious sleep.
Tues 16
In the morning I walked into the town. Trinity Episcopal Church was open. In the a/noon we drive to Roan mountain, which was covered in snow. I walked on the Appalacian Trail!
Wed 17
A real retreat today, in the warmth of the basement.
Thurs 18
Today I flew to NYC, where it was a lovely sunny a/noon. I walked along a new park built on the old elevated railway that runs on the west side, near Chelsea Piers – a fascinating idea.
Fri 19 St Joseph
I flew back to SD in the a/noon. The sun was shining & it was a mild evening. Good to be back 🙂
Sat 20
9 at Mass – the good attendances for Lent continue. The church is full of purple veils, ready for tomorrow. Lots of mail, emails & messages to catch up on (of course). At 2 pm I had a HC visit, then back for Exposition at 6 pm.
Sun 21 Lent 5
After a beautiful sunny day yesterday I woke to fog over the canyon. Melissa (my new secretary) was at both Masses this morning & I introduced her to the congregation during the notices. She remarked how nice & friendly they all were. Good attendances. At 10 am the choir sang “Surely” from Handel’s Messiah, which was stirring, as also the Communion Hymn, “Were you there”. After Mass I had a HC visit – then back to church for a concert at 3 pm by our contralto, Martha Howe. 100 people filled the parosh hall for a lovely selection of songs on the themes of Lent & Mary.
Mon 22
My day-off….& it’s a beautiful day! I have the usual hoiuse-hold chores, but do want to continue my retreat attitude of reflection. Only 6 days to Holy week.
Tues 23
A very busy day in the office today. Melissa has to produce 8 special bulletins for Holy Week + 2 Passion reading books. There are none on file on the office computer, so we had to start from scratch. Kathryn has been a good help. I edited 6 of them this morning, so we are well on the way. The day concludes with Vestry at 7 pm.
Wed 24
Another busy day in the office. Melissa is well in control of the bulletins! A HC visit at lunch-time. 6 pm Mass followed by supper & the last of the Wed Lent bible studies.
Thurs 25 The Annunciation
One of the great feasts of the Church. Another busy morning in the office. 2 important HC visits this a/noon (well they are all important, of course). 16 attended the 6pm Mass – excellent! Confirmation class followed, then dinner & an early night.
Fri 26
9.30 am Mass was followed by bible study. At 11.30 am I had my staff meeting with Meilissa. Meanwhile in the hall several parishioners are making palm crosses. Home in the a/noon to do my sermon – the 1st of 5 for Holy Week/Easter. Back to church at 6 pm for Stations, then to the symphony.
Sat 27
A busy day: 9 am Mass, followed by acolytes rehearsals. Meanwhile the flower guild will be decorating the church with palms. HC visits in the a/noon, then back to church for 6 pm Exposition.
Sun 28 Palm Sunday
A beautiful morning. Alas, when I got to church some of the palms at the altar had fallen over! 8 am was packed, with the largest congregation since I have been here – 58 comms. 10 am was packed & the music spectacular. The offertory anthem was the stirring Feast of Palms by C Luke – the former organist at St Mark’s, Fitzroy. During HC the choir sang Mozart’s Ave Verum & this was followed by the emotional When I Survey. A wonderful start to Holy Week.
Mon 29
My day-off…but this is Holy Week & I am trying to shake off a cold! Usual house-hold chores in the morning. Then start on my Triduum sermons. 6 pm Mass, then an early night.
Tues 30
The cold is firmly entrenched, & I have my Greta Garbo voice! Took the car to be serviced, then Into the office. I shall rest up today, & miss the Chrism Mass at the cathedral. Home to do next sermon, then optician at 4 pm, followed by 6 pm Mass.
Wed 31 Wed
In bed by 9 pm last night & stayed there until 6.30 am. Cold still lingers. Wandered over to the office at 9.30 am, then back home to rest & do 3rd sermon. Dentist at 3.20 pm & Mass at 6pm.