No. 23/2014

Dear Members of the Diocesan Family

Mail:

On the very odd occasion correspondence seems to go astray.  The Registry has a process whereby every item of correspondence is recorded.  If there is a letter for a member of staff and a cheque for finance, both items are recorded and then distributed to the relevant people.

Sometimes letters are hand delivered and people give the correspondence to the relevant person.  If this happens the mail is not recorded.  If you are hand delivering mail please hand the letter to our Receptionist Janet, so that the mail can be recorded. 

I am aware that people give me mail.  I do discourage this, as often I visit a number of parishes on my trips and the mail is not delivered until I return.  Sometimes people had hoped the mail would be delivered the next day. 

Christmas/New Year break:

The Registry will close at 4.00pm on Tuesday 23^rd December 2014 and re-open at 8.30am on Monday 5^th January, 2015.

His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs de Jersey:

The Governor and Mrs de Jersey will be visiting Townsville this weekend.  We welcome the Vice Regal couple to their new position and role.  I have written and congratulated them on their appointment and assured them of the prayers of the Anglicans of North Queensland.

The Governor will be visiting Cairns in September. 

Thank you:

A big thank you to the people of St. John’s Cairns for the preparation they put into the induction of their new Rector, The Reverend Rod Gooden. 

I also thank the locum and the people of Charters Towers for the preparation for the celebration of the life of The Reverend Frances McMillan. 

The Art Show in the Cathedral is a credit to all involved.  I thank those who have exhibited paintings as well as The Friends of the Cathedral who have put in hours of work with the preparations and during the exhibition.

Well done to the people of the Atherton Tablelands Parish for the great evening to celebrate The Reverend Des Pritchard’s fiftieth anniversary of his priesting.  Thank you to everyone. 

Cloncurry:

The contract for the sale of St. Andrew’s Garden Settlement has been signed.  When everything is finalized I will inform the Diocesan family.

BCA earlier week approved the funding for a position at Cloncurry.   More details later.

From the Chaplains at Lotus Glen Prison:

The Coming of the Light was celebrated in Lotus Glen on July 1.

We had the full re-enactment with the warriors in full dress on "Darnley Island, and the Missionaries and teachers coming in by boat, and being challenged before the Islanders accepted them with the sharing of gifts. We then had a good service, with inmates doing the readings and explaining the history of the Coming of the Light with the LMS missionaries. 

About 14 prisoners took part in the re-enactment, and over 40 other prisoners, and some staff attended.

We were also able to take in the new Creole Bible and show them, and there was great interest.

This is the third year we have done this at Lotus Glen, though numbers attending were limited this time because of shortage of staff.

The Islanders sang very rousing TSI hymns and others, however we had no dancing because they had no skins for the old drums in the jail, and they said it would be disrespectful to perform the Coming of the Light banging on an old drum.

If anyone could supply us with a drum for the jail services, I would be willing to pay for it if it can’t be gifted (this is the 2nd year we have not had one).

We praise God for being allowed to hold this very special time with the Torres Strait Islander prisoners.

Blessings, Chris Fairbrother (Prison Fellowship Chaplain).

Prayers:

Please pray for the Diocesan Executive as it meets tomorrow and the Diocesan Council as it meets next Wednesday evening.  One of the agenda items for the Diocesan Council is the Viability and Structures Report of General Synod. 

I ask for your prayers as we seek clergy and/or provide ministry for Mareeba, Innisfail/Tully and Charters Towers.

Date Claimer:

2^nd September                        Consecration and installation of The Rev David Robinson, Rockhampton

3^rd September                          Induction of the Reverend Kenneth Lay – St David’s Mossman

7^th September                          6pm Sea Sunday and Install two new Canons, St James’ Cathedral

11^th September                        Birthday Celebrations, Good Shepherd Lodge, Mackay

27/28 September                    Veterans Care Seminar, Townsville.  More info to come soon

3^rd October                              Opening Service for MU, Church of the Ascension, Heatley

26^th November                        Lillian Noah Ordination, St Mary & St Edward Pormpuraaw, God willing

29^th November                        Consecration and installation of The Rev Dr Greg Anderson, NT

Yours in Christ,

The Right Reverend William (Bill) Ray

Bishop of North Queensland