Jan 1 2011 New Year’s Day

A day of new beginnings……….In the beginning was the Word.

There were 10 at the 9 am Mass – a good start to the year.

Sun 2 Solemnity of the Epiphany

We celebated the Epiphany today, with procession of the Kings at the beginning of High Mass. Despite the cold morning, the attendances were good.

Mon 3

My new administrative assistant, Kim, started today.

Tues 4

A busy morning, beginning with a meeting with Kim, then a visit to the bishop’s office. After Mass Fr Edwards is taking me to lunch. Thus begins a month of meals with parishioners – almost every day 🙂

Wed 5

Sunny day & a busy morning. Dr’s appointment at 2.15pm, dinner with parishioners…..such is life for a Rector!

Thurs 6

The January parish magazine was posted today. It is my last as Rector, & the letter from me is a big “thank you”. It is reprinted on this website at the link “Announcement of retirement”.

Fri 7

Today is Melissa’s last day. She has been a marvellous administrator, & done so much to improve the parish office. Her replacement, Kim, has settled in well. She will be introduced to the congregation at both Masses on Sunday.

Sat 8

Societies of Mary today. A good attendance (17) despite a few away. A delicious lunch of comfort food for the cold weather. In the a/noon I had 2 HC visits, then spent the evening trying to keep sniffles at bay!

Sun 9 Baptism of the Lord

Good attendance at 8 am, but 10 am affected by people having colds, etc – 5 choir members absent. I had sniffles, & spent rest of the day keeping warm.

Mon 10

Staying indoors & keeping warm seems to have killed the cold! In response to a request to publish my All Saints’ sermons, I am looking thru all the sermons (over 300!) & noting which ones I think are good.

Tues 11

A busy morning, with more & more things to do before Mar 6th! 1st thing a meeting with Kim – she is capably in control of things. Annual reports to be done this week. HC visits this a/noon, then dinner with 2 of our younger parishioners.

Wed 12

Attendance at weekday Mass is improving – 14 today, 11 yesterday. The office was a hive of activity this morning! The annual reports are now ready to be printed, which is gr8. 2 HC visits this a/noon, then another dinner with parishioners 🙂

Thurs 13 St Hilary

In the mail came a Christmas card returned, “person deceased”. It was Elsa Marshall, my Sunday School teacher at Salisbury in 1950-55. We had resumed contact when I went to Elizabeth Downs in 1981. It was sad news, of course, but a point for reflection on my childhood in a small country town where everyone knew each other & life was simple.

Fri 14

The usual Friday! Sun is quite warm this morning – 1st day I have not worn a sweater since before Christmas. In the evening I entertained 2 parishioners for dinner….probably my last dinner party at home!

Sat 15

After Mass Andrew & Craig are moving some furniture from my condo back to the parishioner who loaned it to me 7 years ago. In the a/noon I have 2 HC visits. The 2nd is to Ab & Ruth Scarbough, & will finish with a dinner prepared by Clare in their home. There will be 8 of us 🙂

Sun 16 Epiphany 2

A lovely sunny day & good attendances (despite the ML King holiday). The annual reports were distributed today – & I noticed a mistake in the finances after they were printed! Being a holiday w/e, after church I am off for 2 days – to Houston. It has been my habit to go to a new American city when there is a holiday Monday. This is always exciting – I guess I have visited 40 cities during my time as Rector….probably seen more of the US than most of my parishioners!

Wed 19

A busy morning, followed by some visits, & dinner with a parishioner.

Thurs 20

Another busy morning in the office, then early lunch with one of our senior parishioners, followed by a HC visit. One of the hard things about retiring as Rector is leaving the older people I regularly visit with HC, knowing they anticipated me doing their funerals. 6 pm Mass then home for an early night.

Fri 21 St Agnes

Woke up early, said my Office & prayers, had breakfast & turned on the computer. Alas – cox.net was down! So after shower & dressing went to the church. The internet is not down here 🙂

Sat 22 St Vincent

For most of my childhood I lived at Semaphore, on St Vincent Gulf……..I wonder if it was discovered on Jan 21, or named after him? A busy Saty – HC visits in the a/noon, concluding with dinner at home of good anglocatholic friends.

Sun 23 Epiphany 3

Good news of a birth of a baby boy to Kevin & Natasha. They were my 1st wedding here at All Saints’. Unfortunately I have come down with a cold – hope that I can deliver my sermon with the usual passion!

Tues 25 Conversion of St Paul

I seem to have had the flu, & my throat is still sore. This morning the office phones & internet were down for hours! Today I give thanks for the years I spent as a layman at St Paul’s, Port Adelaide 🙂

After Mass I had some visiting & the day finished with a very good vestry meeting. At the end the vestry made a lovely gesture to me, which will be announced at Sunday’s annual meeting. It was sobering to realise that it was actually my last such meeting, after 30 years of chairing them!

Wed 26 Australia day

No big deal for me to celebrate Australia day, seeing as how it’s now over “down under”. But it makes me aware that it is countdown time for my return there. I will have my usual busy morning in the office & visiting in the a/noon, concluding with hamburgers at the home of our oldest parishioner, Hugh McArthur.

Thurs 27

The flu still lingers! I received news that my oldest American friend, Bob van Meter, has died. I met Bob on my 1st trip to the USA in 1987. He hosted me at his home in Watts – quite an experience for me! We visited each other most years until I moved here. Since then his health has gradually declined. Lots of things for Kim & I to attend to this morning. In the a/noon some HC visits & dinner with parishioners after 6 pm Mass.

Fri 28 St Thomas Aquinas

Thank you, Thomas for those wonderful hymns we sing at Benediction! Another beautiful day…& the flu still lingers. All is ready for the parish annual meeting on Sunday.

Sat 29

Quite a few things to do today, finishing with another enjoyable dinner with parishioners – only spoilt by my cold still lingering 🙁

Sun 30 Epiphany 4

The Annual Meeting followed the 10 am Mass. My voice held up, & after I presented my annual report I received a standing ovation. It was my last report as Rector, of course, & is filed under Announcement of my retirement on this website. Immediately after that the Vestry Secretary, Judy Borchert, announced that the Vestry had appointed me Rector Emeritus. This is a gr8 honor, for which I am very grateful.

Mon 31

At 4.30 am a phone call to say that Mel Watling had died. Such a wonderful servant of the Lord, whom I had visited with HC weekly. I drove over there straight away, & said the final prayers for the departed, with family present. 2 hours later I was on my way to the airport for a week’s vacation! Today I fly to Munich, one of my favourite cities. 2 days there, then on to Barcelona, which I have been wanting to visit. Returning home Tues Feb 8th.