Vicar's newsletter Greetings in the Octave of St Peter

[Hugh Kempster]

Dear Parishioners and Friends of St Peter’s,

Last weekend we celebrated St Peter’s Day. It was very unlike any Patronal Festival of recent decades, even recent centuries I imagine. But it was certainly most memorable all the same. Our bishop, Genieve, presided at Mass and preached an uplifting sermon on the importance of being “present in the midst of crisis” (for the full sermon in YouTube see: bit.ly/2ZzEKG6 <http://bit.ly/2ZzEKG6>). We were only permitted a congregation of 20 people, but many others were able to join us on-line. Although dispersed, we certainly flew the St Peter’s flag as vigorously as we could.

Ahead of the weekend there were numerous planning meetings and conversations aimed at solving the dilemma of Patronal Festival hospitality. Usually we sit down for a meal or gather for a special lunch, neither of which are possible under the current pandemic regulations. There was a glimmer of hope, when it seemed that restrictions might have been eased, and a congregation of 50 permitted. But then the quarantine-hotel outbreak hit, easing was postponed in Victoria, and we had to go back to the drawing board. Our Chair of the Guild of St Benedict, Daniel Ferguson, and Secretary, Helena Williams, came up with the solution: give them cake! At the start of the lock-down we missed out on our Lenten Simnel Cake, so Helena baked a batch for St Peter’s Day, wrapping it beautifully with a red ribbon. As we left the church we were greeted by Helena’s warm smile and delicious cake. Appropriately spatially distanced, we gathered in the car park for a delightful taste of St Peter’s hospitality, and were even joined by a new parishioner who has recently moved to Melbourne. In these times the simplest things that we might usually take for granted become the most glorious. 

Another significant part of last weekend was very sad: on the day before our celebrations, a parishioner of some 50 years, former Vicar’s Warden and Chair of the Foundation, John Taaff, died after a long struggle with illness. Our hearts go out to his partner Norman, their family and close friends, and to all who will gather for John’s Requiem Mass tomorrow. May he rest in peace … and rise in glory.

Warmest regards on this cold evening,
Fr Hugh
_______________________
The Rev'd Dr Hugh Kempster
Vicar, St Peter's Eastern Hill
Melbourne 3002, Australia
  T:     +61 3 9662 2391
  M:    0488 960 022
  E:     hkempster at stpeters.org.au
           www.stpeters.org.au


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