Dear Friends,
It was a privilege last Friday to share in the funeral service for the Reverend Ken Davy—led by Bishop Richard Ellena and the Reverend Steven Dunne. On Saturday, Acting Dean Bosco Peters and I were present for an Order of St John investiture service in the Transitional Cathedral, led by the Priory Dean, Archbishop Sir David Moxon. On Sunday morning I preached and presided at St. John’s (old church) Hororata—please pray for this parish as we work on arrangements for liturgical and pastoral ministry. Then Sunday evening was capped off by the Founders Day service for The Cathedral Grammar School in the Transitional Cathedral, with Bosco preaching and making a very apt link between the foundations becoming visible for Te Kaha behind the Cathedral and the importance of Jesus-shaped foundations for the School and for each of our lives.
Please pray for three ordinands preparing to be ordained deacon at 10.30 am, Saturday 29 July 2023, in the Transitional Cathedral: Andrew Butcher (currently serving as Senior Associate Lay Minister in the Parish of Fendalton), Gabriele Anderson (currently serving as lay minister in the Parish of Lincoln, with special focus on Rolleston) and Simon Green (currently completing B. Theol. studies with the University of Otago and assisting as a lay minister in the Parish of St Michael’s and All Angels). Prayer is also requested for the Reverend Steven Dunne, deacon in the Parish of Woodend-Pegasus, who will be ordained priest soon after 29 July at a time and venue yet to be confirmed.
I am delighted that the Reverend Andrew Hoggan, who has served in both the Nelson and Christchurch Dioceses, will be assisting with ministry in the Parish of Northwest Christchurch for some six weeks or so while its vicar, the Reverend Jo Latham completes her treatment for cancer. Please continue to pray for Jo and for the success of this treatment.
Recently I announced that the Reverend John de Senna would be our new Chaplain for the Retired Clergy, Widows and Widowers. Since then, I have welcomed the fact that the Reverend Christine de Senna will work with John in this ministry—and, in fact, take the lead role in it. Thank you, Christine and John!
Some of us have had the opportunity to see the new St. Anne’s Chapel in St. Mark’s Church, Parish of Opawa-St. Martins. Very recently the architects for this new addition, Chaplin Crooks, received an award for this gem. You can read more here.
Work on the Youth Hub facility, being built on land on Salisbury Street, Christchurch, provided by Anglican Care, continues to make progress. I am very pleased to read that the Rata Foundation has granted $500,000 towards this project. Reports are in the New Zealand Herald and the Christchurch Press (hoping that at least one of these links is not behind a paywall).
The Cathedral Reinstatement Project is also making good progress and I am delighted to learn that the first of the base isolators for the new foundation for the Cathedral have arrived in Christchurch.
This Sunday 28 May 2023, Pentecost, we are invited to re-read Acts 2:1-21, the report of the spectacular coming of the Holy Spirit on the first believers. That same “spectacular” Spirit of God—Spirit of Jesus—is the Spirit in the church today, indwelling each of us who are baptised believers and followers of Jesus. When we read on through Acts (as we have been doing in the Sundays in the Season of Easter) we see the Spirit enables the mission of Jesus to continue. That mission today needs the Holy Spirit no less. Are we praying, Come Holy Spirit?
Arohanui,
