Last night I had an email from a church member in Taormina Sicily, where I'm going this Wednesday, advising me of an ecumenical Advent Vigil service in Messina next Saturday. Would I be willing to go? With pleasure indeed. The last Italian ecumenical service I took part in was 1984 in Macugnaga, where we were on a family holiday with Rachel's godmother Angela, whose Sicilian family had owned an alpine second home since World War Two, bought I believe, to be a place of refuge in the event of conflict. Angela, always a keen ecumenist, arranged for me to speak and pray briefly at the service in a local convent. She helped me with translation. She'll be delighted when I tell her about this - taking place near where she was born in Catania.
Another early start with bi-lingual morning prayer in College followed by breakfast, and checking email addresses for officiant rota recipients, delivering a hard copy to the one officiant not on email, who lives nearby. Then I went out to meet Kath and Clare at Kimi's in Pontcanna for coffee. When she went off to her film set job, it was time for me to tackle the Christmas card and newsletter envelope stuffing to get everything ready for posting.
Then, a trip to the office for the last time this year to share the fruit of my effort with Ashley and make final newsletter corrections. Production and distribution isn't in my hands. I'm pleased and also relieved I got everything done as intended. I was able to return to College for a jolly family Eucharist, before spending a more reflectively paced evening, catching up on myself at home.
Another early start with bi-lingual morning prayer in College followed by breakfast, and checking email addresses for officiant rota recipients, delivering a hard copy to the one officiant not on email, who lives nearby. Then I went out to meet Kath and Clare at Kimi's in Pontcanna for coffee. When she went off to her film set job, it was time for me to tackle the Christmas card and newsletter envelope stuffing to get everything ready for posting.
Then, a trip to the office for the last time this year to share the fruit of my effort with Ashley and make final newsletter corrections. Production and distribution isn't in my hands. I'm pleased and also relieved I got everything done as intended. I was able to return to College for a jolly family Eucharist, before spending a more reflectively paced evening, catching up on myself at home.
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