Benefice farewell

No duties this Sunday, so Clare and I attended the Parish Eucharist at St Catherine's. Clare walked to the Riverside farmers' market and I went home to fetch the car to pick her up. I mis-timed it, since neither of us carrying our mobile phone, so we missed each other. She was quicker than I expected and was nearly home by the time I left the house. After lunch, she went to her monthly study group in Bristol. Owain came over for coffee cake and a chat about his most recent job hunting expedition. We watched a remarkable TEDx talk video of Tariq Ramadhan speaking with inspiring clarity about spirituality and ethics. He's a Swiss academic and writer, also a Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies in the Faculty of Oriental Studies at Oxford University. It's well worth watching. There's a link to the video here.

Then, for the first time in more than a year, I went to Choral Evensong at St Catherine's. It was Team Vicar Fr Martin Colton and his wife Chris' farewell service before they move to a new parish ministry in Reigate. A hundred people plus associated clergy were present from all three churches in Canton Benefice. Team Rector Fr Mark Preece paid a warm tribute to his colleague, reminding his listeners that not only the Benefice but also the Diocese was losing one of its most accomplished musicians from its clergy strength. Certainly the effort of the Choir at Evensong was a credit the the priest who has encouraged them for the past seven years. 

Fr Phelim O'Hare moves from his Cathedral School chaplaincy and NSM Curate role in the Parish to being a full time team Vicar in September, so mercifully the interregnum in our busy Benefice will be short. I return to locum duty in Fuengirola end of August, since recruitment of a new Chaplain failed to produce a candidate to interview. Until then, I'll be on the locum duty roster in my home parish for a change.