Sun May 2  Easter 5

Today was the Bishop’s visit. He preached at 8 am & celebrated High Mass & Confirmation at 10 am. Good attendances: 50 comms at 8am & 98 comms at 10 am. The Confirmation was wonderful – 3 adults, 2 of whom usually attend 8 am. Afterwards he had lunch with the Vestry & made nice comments about All SS having young people & growing.

Tues 4 & Wed 5 

Back into the routine today, & early nights!

Thurs 6 

Final confirmation class tonight. They are one the best groups I have had in 30 years!

Fri 7

Bible study resumed after 9.30am Mass. Today all parishioners received a letter, advising them that I am having special leave in June. 

Sat 8

Societies of Mary today. Always a good gathering & an excellent lunch 🙂

Sun 9  Easter 6

Back to normal today! Fr Krulak is away, so 10 am is Solemn Mass rather than High Mass. IE: no deacon & subdeacon – & I get to sing the gospel 🙂 

Tues 11

Back to normal today – have posted my sermon on this site. After 12 noon Mass I visited a parishioner. In the evening I blessed the home of one of our young families, & had an enjoyable dinner with them.

Wed 12

I have started on schedules, etc for my absence in June! HC visits this a/noon & 2 parishioners coming for dinner at 6.30 pm

Thurs 13  Ascension Day

Dentist 1st thing! To the office for a meeting re the organ, then a hospital visit. 6 pm Mass followed by dinner with parishioners.

Fri 14

Up early to watch the footy! Usual Friday – Mass, bible study, staff meeting & sermon prep. Last symphony concert at 8 pm – Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring & Alpine Symphony by R Strauss.

Sat 15

Altar Guild at Mass, followed by lovely breakfast. Lunch with new parishioners & HC visit later.

Sun 16  Easter 7

Today we had trumpets at High Mass – to mark the Ascension (“The Lord goes up with trumpet blasts”!). My sermon explored the mystery of the Ascension.

Tues 18

I am 63 today!!!!!!!!

Wed 19

Chocolate cake after Mass this morning. HC visits later. Birthday dinner with parishioners at 6 pm  🙂

Thurs 20

Fr Craig O’Brien, from St John’s, Savannah, was arriving at 1 pm to spend 5 days here. He phoned at 8.00 am, to say he is now arriving at 8.30 pm. This gave me the chance to visit Atria nursing home for my monthly HC Service, as well as some other visits. 6 pm Mass was a requiem for 2 people who died recently. I met Fr Craig at the airport & we had supper – Jennie’s wonderful sausage & potato casserole 🙂

Fri 21

Usual Fri – except I don’t have to prepare a sermon! So 2 visits this a/noon & in the evening I take Fr Craig to a restaurant in Little Italy that has a marvellous view of the harbour.

Sat 22

After Mass I had various things to do. Lunch with parishioners, then 2 HC visits. In the evening Fr Craig & I watched Aussie Rules football on ESPN2 – the 1st AFL telecast on TV this year!

Sun 23  Pentecost

Average attendances today, music at 10 am excellent. Fr Craig preached an excellent sermon at 10 am, & a 3 min version at 8 am! By an amazing coincidence, Fr Craig is 38 tomorrow & the 8 am acolyte Craig was 38 today. I had a HC visit after church & Fr Craig was entertained at the “mass & martini” party 🙂

Mon 24

Today I bought a marvellous travel book: Transit Maps of the World. Not just maps, but histories of subways/rail in over 100 major world cities. 1st one = Berlin….my favourite city for rail, with its S & U Bahns.

Tues 25

I take Fr Craig to the airport at 11 am. After Mass I have lunch with a parishioner. 7 pm Vestry.

Wed 26

Meetings after Mass & then a HC visit. Tonight I dine at St Paul’s Manor – we have 6 parishioners there now.

Thurs 27

A few hiccups about clergy supply during my leave arose this week & I finally dealt with them over night. Various schedules, memos, letters about my leave all done this morning. Fr Doran Stambaugh – the fine young assistant at Carlsbad – arrived at 11.40 am to have a run-thru of High Mass. He is deacon/preacher on July 11. I then took him to lunch. After Mass I had dinner with 2 parishioners 🙂 

Fri 28

Usual Friday! Am very pleased with my sermon – the last at All SS for 6 weeks. I managed to mention many of the things I love about the parish – catholic tradition, High Mass, the choir, acolytes – I even got in the Trinity 🙂

Sat 29

9 am Mass was offered with intention for the Walsingham National Pilgrimage on Monday. I was there 10 years ago…..about time I went again! A busy day – packing, 2 HC visits…& paying all my June bills before I go away 🙂

Sun 30  Trinity Sunday

The Sunday all Rectors like to have a guest preacher! I preached on the OT reading, “In the year that King Uzziah died”, which was the anthem at 10 am. And marvellous it was, too. My last Sunday before I go away, & many people expressed good wishes & safe travels. I hope to make comments on my Blog about my travels – but the whole idea is that I have a 5 week break from everything. So I won’t go hunting for internet cafes, but a June blog page will appear!