Farewell, good and faithful servant

On Holy Cross Day 'Auntie' Beryl died, aged 89. She married late and was widowed early and although without children of her own, she cherished and nurtured the children of her kith and kin, and also the children of St Agnes Parish Church in the St Paul's area of Bristol throughout adult life. She was there for me as PCC secretary in my time as Team Rector. 

During the time of my successor Fr Peter Barnett, she took early retirement, to work voluntarily as Parish Administrator and his P.A. during a challenging period of parochial redevelopment, and fund raising to adapt St Agnes to be a centre for both worship and community activities. Her long and formidable lay ministry in the place she was baptized embraced five different incumbents and heaven knows how many curates and team vicars.

Her niece Theresa, who is a priest in Bristol diocese got in touch while I was away to let us know, and I was glad to be back in time to attend her funeral at St Agnes today. The present incumbent Fr Barrie Green graciously allowed Fr Peter to preside at a concelebrated funeral Mass, flanked by his predecessor (me) and successor (Fr David Self), along with my first curate and old friend Fr Richard Hunt. 

There was a good attendance, about fifty people, more congregation than family, more black people than white, for that is the nature of this wonderful community. I saw people I haven't seen in twenty five years. Some of them didn't seem to have aged at all, just grown in confidence. Each priest arriving was greeted by people remembering them with much warmth and affection.

It's the first time I've been to worship at St Agnes since the work on the building was completed, it must be twenty years ago. Half of the original church is now a worship space with some congregational seating in the raised chancel along with two bays of the nave with backs to the east wall. The third bay of the nave is taken by the sanctuary and the entrance on its north side. Those ministering at the altar are facing eastwards, looking up at the beautiful Victorian stained glass window, and 1920's reredos - interesting because of the implied social comment it contains.

The Eucharist was a good Catholic mainstream affair, with the value added presence of a man who signed the service from start to finish. Quite a feat, as three people spoke unrehearsed. The clergy all wore the red vestments which Beryl had donated in  memory of her husband Bernard, who had been the St Agnes sacristan, a role she inherited from him. 

It wasn't an inappropriate liturgical colour, as she'd been a woman full of the Spirit, with an intense but never ostentatious devotion to the Eucharist and our Lady, as well as managing dull detailed church affairs purposefully, and looking out for the church's children. I cherish the memory of her at Mass escorting our kids from Communion rail to votive stand at the foot of our Lady's statue to light a candle with them, even if it has faded from their childhood recollections.

After the service over lunch in the hall next door, there was plenty of time for meeting and greeting, plus reminiscing together. The interment had been sensibly booked for mid afternoon to allow for this, so we made our final farewells right outside the door of the church she'd loved so much and worked so hard for. Then I drove up to Southmead to see Amanda and James on my way home, and tell her about the funeral, as she was confirmed in St Agnes (on the night of the 1980 St Paul's riots), and remembered Beryl well as a familiar figure in church and among the comings and goings at the Vicarage.

On my way home, I crossed the Severn Bridge under a high canopy of cloud floating in a blue sky, tinted orange and brown by the setting sun. It was very beautiful but impossible to photograph while driving, so it had simply to be enjoyed. 

James' Sony laptop got dropped and has a smashed screen, with about 15% of the display area still visible. I took it home to see if I could retrieve any data from it, and make enquiries about costing a replacement screen. After lots of trial and error, I was able to extract all the documents it contained, and burn them on to a CD. Will it be cost effective to repair I wonder?