EASTER DAY
8th April 2007
Graphics and cartoons appear only in the printed version
BLESSED OBLIVION
The leader of the opposition droned on and on, despite warnings from the speaker, who eventually was banging his gavel repeatedly. Finally the speaker lost his temper and hurled his gavel at the politician. He missed and hit someone in the front bench. As he slumped to the ground, the injured man said, “Hit me again. I can still hear the swine.”
TRAVELLERS’ TALES (3)
Andrew Neaum
In the year 2000 Margaret, Elizabeth, Rachel and I went to Scotland on a parish swap, staying in South Africa briefly on the way back. On our return I published in the Wodonga Parish Pew Sheet a series of articles derived from my journal while away. These are being repeated in the Shepparton pewsheets.
The first exploratory days in a new location are perhaps the very best of all. Everything is new and strange and there is a compulsion to be up and about in order to establish where you fit in to the geography of the place.
The silvery Tay
Invergowrie is on the banks of the River Tay estuary. The Tay is tidal for about twenty miles inland, almost to the city of Perth, from where it becomes one of the loveliest of great rivers that I have ever seen, renowned for its salmon fishing. At Dundee and Invergowrie the estuary is about two miles wide. It is crossed by an impressive curved rail bridge that replaces one blown down in a gale while a passenger train was crossing it in the late nineteenth century. This disaster was immortalised in a truly awful poem by William McGonagall, supposedly the worst poet in the English language and a resident of Dundee. No wonder I felt at home there, though I do not think that I have ever managed a piece of verse quite so amusingly bad as his:
Ode to a Cow
The Hen it is a noble beast
The Cow is more forlorner
Standing in the rain
With a leg at every corner.
There is nowadays a great road bridge across the estuary as well as the rail bridge. This links Dundee on the north to the county of Fife, where not many miles away is the beautiful and famous city of St Andrew’s.
On our first morning in Invergowrie and after a good night’s sleep, Elizabeth and I took a walk down Station Street. We crossed a little bridge over the railway line and found ourselves alongside the McGonagall immortalised “silvery Tay”. The tide was out and so the estuary was made up largely of brown mudflats. Upon some of the sandier of these flats we were later to see reposing seals. We walked alongside the Tay for a while and then followed our noses down a little track or two, rejoicing in the moist and mouldy fecundity of the British countryside in late spring: ivy, nettles, thick grass and lush sycamore trees, with blackbirds and great wood pigeons everywhere. The Crop Research Institute borders the west side of the village, so there are large fields on the other side of Errol Road, on which the Rectory is situated, and good walks through them.
University chaplain
In the afternoon the parish secretary, a youngish, amiable, bachelor and non-practising barrister, Dave Kerr, took us for a drive round Dundee. We had a look over the Chaplaincy Centre of the University where I was to do a Sunday evening Eucharist as well as one on Tuesdays at midday. However, with the term ending in mid June, this part of my job would soon come to an end. In the Centre there was an office for me with a good little theological library of Ashley’s to dip in to, as well as a welcome supply of chocolate biscuits. Ashley is accustomed to spending a fair bit of time in this office, presumably as much to escape the chaos of a child-filled house as anything else, though the University side of his job is supposed to take up fifty percent of his time and so it is appropriate for him to be there each weekday morning.
The full time University Chaplain is a lovely, young, female Church of Scotland minister called Fiona. For my whole time there she was a delight to work with, most capable and welcoming. The Chaplaincy Centre itself is impressive and would shame any Australian University. It has a lovely and very versatile chapel, meeting rooms, offices and its own cafeteria which sells the best coffee in the University and very cheap meals, at a discount to chaplains like myself. However, I did eat there for lunch one day one of the most evil looking and claggy meat pies I have eaten anywhere in the world.
The city of Dundee
After our visit to the university we walked about central Dundee. It is the fourth largest city in Scotland and is not highly praised in tourist literature. This is to its inestimable benefit, because from every aspect except the economic, tourism is a terrible blight to Scotland.
Dundee was thoroughly ransacked and ruined by Cromwell’s General Monk in the seventeenth century. In the nineteenth it was a centre for the whaling industry and became also the world’s leading processor and manufacturer of jute. With the decline of both of these industries it has struggled over the years. We found it nowhere near as ordinary or ugly as we had been led to believe. We had read that many of its old buildings have been ruthlessly pulled down and replaced by inferior ones, but this didn’t really strike us at all. Compared to Australia the old still seemed to predominate, with many stone, monumental looking buildings about, though few of them really ancient. The city’s greatest blessing is that always, not far away, there is the lovely view out across the Tay. We later took a trip round the outskirts of the city and saw it’s less beautiful, industrial and heavily housed parts.
Shopping and vinous priests
Once back home we had a cup of tea with Dave Kerr, and then Elizabeth and I went off to visit the shopping Mecca for all locals, a large Tesco’s supermarket on the west side of the city. Elizabeth wouldn’t let me indulge in any extravagances at all, and so after a careful penny counting shop, we left with about thirteen pounds worth of goods. To my satisfaction my credit proved worthy and my card was accepted and worked.
Another satisfaction was to discover that the portion of my brain that resides on my computer, and which I burnt on to a disk at home to take with me, worked like a charm on Ashley’s computer, once I had successfully and easily installed my word processor. When we got back from shopping we found Margaret entertaining a priest called Ed Marquis-Faulkes. He is a relatively low church and very good looking vicar of a deprived Dundee parish. Durham and Cambridge educated, with a classics degree he is the son of an Ancient Icelandic scholar who had been taught by Tolkien. He had three young sons with him and stayed and stayed, we cracked a bottle of wine after a long hunt for a bottle opener. He told us quite a lot about the diocese and church and so on, and invited us to tea on our first Sunday, before my University evening Eucharist. Another priest called in later and left us a bottle of wine as a welcome too. Thank God for vinous priests!
THE PRUNE
Some base their claims
On tang alone,
But I admire a fruit
That does a job. Robert Shure
CONGRATULATIONS
Birthdays
Mervyn Cowland. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8th April
Bert Oxenbury. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9th April
Gladys Petschack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13th April
Daphne Clark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13th April
Wedding Anniversary
John & Joan Morrow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9th April
Bob & Beryl Long. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12th April
NEXT SUNDAY’S PREACHER
The preacher next Sunday at both the 8.30am and 10.30am Eucharists will be David Neaum, over for a quick week’s visit. He is to be deaconed in July and attached to Little St Mary’s in Cambridge.
SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS
Bob and Beryl Long celebrate sixty years of marriage on the 12th of April. A long, long time together for the Longs, and a happy and good time together too. Well done and congrat-ulations indeed from us all.
THANK YOU
Thank you to flower arrangers and providers, to the loaners and carriers of pot plants, to servers, Eucharistic assistants, choir members, organists, sacristan, and to all worshippers over the past week. Thank you too to the too small band of church cleaners who terrorised generations of spiders, de-webbed the church and breathed in much venerable dust last Tuesday when the Rector was away in Melbourne for the day instead of joining in as he would have liked to. You all have contributed to a memorable and holy Holy Week and Easter.
SATURDAY NIGHT EUCHARIST
The Saturday Night Vigil Eucharist, will from next Saturday onwards be at 6.00pm, not 6.30pm. Please note well!
FOUND
Found at the toilets in the hall: a gold chain with crucifix. Enquire at the office.
CLEARING SALE
On April 14th at 10.30am there is a Clearing Sale at 115 The Boulevard. We at St Augustine’s have been very much involved in bringing this to fruition, a team of our good folk, under the guidance of Norm Weaver having helped clear up and clean up a property for someone in need of support. There are all sorts of interesting items on offer including tradesman tools, camping equipment, antiques and much more.
VESTRY MEETING
There is a Vestry Meeting now at 3pm on Wednesday in the Library.
“SHOW STOPPERS”
Advance Notice of another great Turaton concert: “Show Stoppers” in our Hall on May 1st. BOOK THE DATE and urge friends along. A good proportion of the profits go to the Church and this is always a great show.
CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Things are gradually coming together. We have a special request for any craftspeople who work with wood to contact the parish office as there are some special projects that we need to plan and implement. Other essential items for the Atrium are:- wooden trays with handles, small wooden boxes/containers and floor rugs/mats.
EVENING GUILD’S GARAGE SALE
Friday 13th & Saturday 14th July
Goods are welcome any time now - they can be picked up if necessary, and stored safely until the sale, or dropped in at the church. Contact Merle 58 35601 or Elaine 58 219404
CHILDREN AND GRIEF
On Tuesday the 10th April at 7.30pm in the Narthex there is another meeting of the Grief Support Group. The Guest Speaker is Andrea Fisher and her topic: “How Children Cope with Grief”. Please invite relatives and friends to come and reflect on this import issue which affects most children at some time in their lives
DATES FOR THE DIARY
Apr 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding
Apr 16th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hospital & Aged Care meeting 1pm
Apr 17th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Community Kitchens Planning meeting 1.30pm
Apr 20th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arise 255/ Youth Group
Apr 22nd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sunday Wedding 2.00pm
Apr 28th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding 4.30
May 18th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Turaton Concert
May 19th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Scott Cowdell Seminar
May 20th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .St Augustine’s Day Celebrations & Lunch
May 24th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Parish Fair meeting 4.30pm
May 25th - 26th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Synod
May 26th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wedding
May 27th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hospice Service 2.30pm
June 2nd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Men’s Breakfast
June 18 -21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clergy Retreat
July 13th & 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Garage Sale/ Evening Guild
Oct 6th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Men’s Breakfast
Oct 13th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding
Oct 15 -18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clergy Conference
Nov 10th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Parish Fair
Dec 1st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Men’s Breakfast
Dec 8th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wedding 4pm
REQUESTS FOR PRAYER
Liam Bognar, David Burrow, Frank Harder, Jean Hastie, Judith James, Els Minchen, Margaret Neaum, Marg Noble, Margaret Osborough, Jan Riches, Edith Robins, Terry Rogers, Carole Shields, Shirley Stacey, Peter & Eva Swindells, Heather Vines, Beryl, Buffy, Cynthia, Darren, David & Judith, Florence, Glenda, Heather, Imogen, Joan, John, Joy, Karen, Maureen, Peggy, Sherena, Shirley, Trevor, Toby.
Anniversary of death
Kylie Oakes 8th, Ethel Robertson, Maisie Lear, Nancy Tacey 11th, Thomas Cochran, Alf Taig, Alan Batey 14th.
Duties for 8th April 2007
Vigil Eucharist at 11.00pm Sat 7th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andrew Neaum
Celebrant 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andrew Neaum
Celebrant 10.30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gail Bryce
Celebrant 8.45 Dookie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gail Bryce
Celebrant 10.45 Katandra. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andrew Neaum
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Norman Weaver, Heather Carlyon
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Evans, Jenny Pleming
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elizabeth Neaum, Michelle, Beth
Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carole, Joe, Zeb
Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Heather Fitzgerald, Children
Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bev Condon, John Griffin
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carole Henderson, Ian Bryce
Welcoming 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Erma Wilson, Shirley Dean
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Roz Dunlop, Frank Steen
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joe Pearson, Bob Galt
Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Pleming, Charlotte Brewer
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bev Reither
Mowing 7th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Norm Mitchelmore, Lawrie Tinning
Welcome Table 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Val Rose
Welcome Table10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Pearson
Duties for April 15th 2007
Celebrant 6.00pm Sat Mar 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Neaum
Celebrant 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gail Bryce
Celebrant 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andrew Neaum
Celebrant 8.45 Dookie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Neaum
Celebrant 10.45 Katandra. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gail Brice
Readers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeanette Smith, Ian Bryce
Readers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nancy Noonan, Joan McCann
Servers 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michelle, Ben, Daniel
Servers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jenny, Erin, Sally
Intercessors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Heather Carlyon, Maureen Cormican
Euc. Assts 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Griffin, Heather Fitzgerald
Euc. Assts 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jenny Pleming, Margaret Neaum
Welcoming 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Val Bambrook, Beryl Goodfellow
Welcomers 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nola Brewer, Sandra Simonis
Sidespeople 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joy Campbell, Trevor Batey
Sidespeople 10.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nola Brewer, Alan Akers
Tea 8.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Heather Pearson
Mowing ( 14th ). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adrian, Lionel, Rick Coates
THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Monday 9th April
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
Tuesday 10th April
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
12.15pm Simply Soul Soothing - Lady Chapel
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
7.30pm Moving On/Grief Support Group
Wednesday 11th April
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
10.00am Eucharist- St Augustine’s
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
3.00pm Vestry meeting
5.30pm Musician Practice for 10.30 Eucharist
5.30pm Hospice
Thursday 12th April
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
11.00am Eucharist- Harmony Village
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
5.30pm Choir Practice
7.30pm Inter Church Council at St. David’s
Friday 13th April
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist - Lady Chapel
3.30pm Evening Prayer - Lady Chapel
6.00pm Wedding rehearsal
Saturday 14th April
Associate Priest’s Day Off
7.45am Mattins & Eucharist
2.30pm Wedding
6.00pm Vigil Eucharist
Sunday 15th April
8.30am Eucharist - St Augustine’s
10.30am Eucharist - St Augustine’s
8.45am Eucharist - St Luke’s Dookie
10.45am Eucharist - St Mary’s Katandra West
5.30 Evening Prayer