An early start to the day, with a celebration of the eight o'clock at St Catherine's. There were ten of us present, including Clare. Then, after a second breakfast, the Sunday Mass at St Germans, with three dozen people, remembering Hamid's baptism on this day at St German's last year. He still hasn't been deported, and is living with his sister's family in Perry Bar, regularly attending St John's Parish church. They seem to have come to terms with his journey of faith, so different from theirs. Later on Facebook there were photos of Hamid in church at St John's this morning, being blessed by the Vicar during the Mass of the Baptism of Christ. That certainly brought a smile to my face.
At the end of the service, Area Dean, Canon Bob Capper arrived to deliver the announcement of a new incumbent for the Parish of St German & St Saviour. Fr Phelim O'Hare, our local Team Vicar here in Canton Benefice. It's a great appointment. He's a very experienced priest, and having worked in his earlier ministry in Belfast, he has experience of a similar kind of urban community environment. This will serve him well. When he starts his new ministry, I'll have worked myself out of a (locum) job for the third time in the past four years. I'm likely be helping out somewhat more in Canton Benefice when the vacancy starts, right on my doorstep. Even so, there are still three vacancies in Spain where I've done locum duty, still to be filled, so the opportunities to continue in this kind of ministry won't disappear any time soon.
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