I woke at 4am and immediately started work on rechecking the Big Book and other things I needed for the funeral today. After about two hours I was ready for some quiet time because everything was finished and I was able to pray for the first time in several days. As I finished my time of quiet there was a real peace in my heart that has been with me all day. There were time when I was emotional but I also felt a very real strength as well.
Much of the day was, however, a blur. I have the memory of hundreds of people at the funeral but will need to be able to look at the Condolence Register to be able to know exactly who was there. That, together with the names I have collected and the cards I have received, will form the basis of the list we will use for the sending out of Remembrance Cards sometime in the next month.
When Mick Wheeler and I got home tonight we thought about something to eat but went upstairs to watch the evening news and some of the cricket and both of us kept dozing off so tea went by the wayside and I decided that I'd do this page and then hit the sack - so that's what I am now going to do.
Mick slept late as well so after he'd had a bite to eat we collected his things and headed off to see Mum - I took with me a draft of what a memorial Card might look like but will need to work on that over the next few days.
After seeing Mum and getting her to lunch we headed down to +Adrian's for lunch where we joined a dozen or so of the priests for the meal. It was pleasant and gave me a chance to say thanks to them for their support over these past few days.
From there we headed to Rokeby, stopping off at Mornington to see the damage that was done by the bikie doing 'do-nuts' after the funeral there on Wednesday afternoon. It wasn't too bad but then again, I'm not sure when a 'do-nut' is good.
Our last stop before the airport was to his neice Andrea's where we stopped and chatted for a time. Andrea has recently damaged a muscle in her leg and was hopping round but it doesn't seemed to have stopped her in any way. After spending an hour or so there we headed down to the airport and Mick went back to Melbourne - he truly is a great friend and he is always there whenever something happens and his support over the past few days has been greatly appreciated.
I've just come home from a family gathering at Sean & Rowena's. It will probably be the last time we are all together for quite some time. Steve and Maree, Emma, Claire and Lizzie head back to Sydney tomorrow and they will be gone before I can get to Michele's during the afternoon so we had some family photos taken and we spent time reminiscing and generally spending time together.
Now it is time for bed - I've finished stapling the calendar inside the BEACON so everything is ready for tomorrow.
This afternoon I went into the Hospital to try and see Jay Stevens but I arrived during the rest period (2pm-4pm, the rest of the hospital is 1pm-3pm) so I got caught out. I continued onto Derwent park where I stopped off for a short time to wish my nephew Callum Happy Birthday before coming back to New Norfolk to see if I could make some of the arrangements for the funerals on Tuesday and Wednesday. Unfortunately neither family was available but I do have the faxed pages from Melbourne for the funeral of the late John Bellesini so that is a start.
Tonight I've had a quiet night and now I'm ready for bed so I'm going to make the most of it and hopefully get a good night's sleep.
I worked on some other things including some Memorial Cards for my Dad and took a disk down to school to see if I could get a version that would print off on the school printer which is a brilliant machine. Unfortunately the formatting was all over the place - their machines are MAC and I wasn't sure how to correct everything but it should be able to be made to work somewhere. The visit to school also gave me a chance to say hello to the staff on their first day and to meet the two new people which was good.
This afternoon I met with the Bellesini girls and did some work with them on the funeral - my notes and things for the Big Book (which will need to be printed tomorrow). I also tried to contact the family of the late Helen Jones re the funeral for Wednesday but am having trouble at the moment so I'll try again in the morning.
I've just arrived home after having a meal with Sandy Cowling and Peter McBain, the new principal. It was a pleasant night and he really is very accommodating. I couldn't find my glasses so he went back down to school to see if they were still in the work room where I was fiddling this afternoon. They weren't there and when I got home tonight I found them under some papers but he still tried to help.
It is still early so I'm heading for bed. In the background I'm burning the Marianella CD - I think I've done about 10 so far and it is working out OK.
The funeral of the late John Bellesini went well with a good gathering of New Norfolk people who attended. Members of the family had flown in from Melbourne but people from local shops and the Parish were there as John had made an impression on the community in his, less than, three years here.
Early this afternoon I met with the family of the late Helen Jones to prepare her funeral liturgy for tomorrow morning and will print off the material in the morning.
The rest of today has been spent burning the Marianella CD - more than half have been done and posted and the remainder will probably be completed tomorrow so that will be a job well done and out of the way.
Now bed - I'm really tired but restless so I'm not sure how I'll go with sleep tonight.
The funeral of the late Helen Jones had a few little dramas before it began but they were not too great and it all went off well and any difficulties would never have been noticed by the family or friends who had gathered at the Church.
The last of the Marianella CD's have been posted so that is one job out of the system - it is a little bit sad in one sense because it also means that another link with the time in Ireland has been severed but I'm certain that the contacts I've made will continue to be made and developed along the way.
I visited the mother and family of the late Barry Kavanagh this afternoon and his funeral will be celebrated next Tuesday (Monday being a public holiday here in Southern Tasmania). Barry's brother John is a priest of the Archdiocese and was a former PP here at New Norfolk so the funeral will be from here.
I've just got home from being in town to get the booklets for the Lenten Program to take with me to Oatlands tomorrow (I will need to get the CD's early next week as they are waiting for further supplies). I went to Michele and John's for a lovely meal; it was Brendan and Lisa's last night in Hobart before they return home to wet NSW tomorrow and it will probably be some time before we see them again. Marti and Shayanne called in on their way home and just as tea was ending Sean and Rowena and the girls arrived so it was good for all of us to be together again one last time.
Now bed.
I woke reasonably early and went looking for the Bank Statements but it seems that John (our Parish Book Keeper) had taken them home so I was not able to check through the pages to ensure that everything had been entered into the system so there is some work to be done there. I said at the meeting, tonight, that I hope that I will have all that finished within the next fortnight - a huge task that is going to take some extra time to get finished.
Just before Mass this morning Judith and Margaret Bellesini arrived to tell me that (Fr) Gordon Gebbie, a priest of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, had died early this morning so our Mass was offered for the repose of his soul. After Mass there was a meeting of the Local Christian Leaders Association which was pleasant enough but we have to make a decision about the EasterFest which has been running here for the past few years - there will be a meeting in a fortnight to see whether there is enough interest in the event from the local community to continue running it.
Then a bite to eat and some work on material for the Team Meeting and Lorraine arrived and so we headed off to Oatlands and chatted through some issues on the way. The Team meeting went well and we addressed some issues including the Holy Week Timetable although we need to check out the details re supply priests for those times before we can go to print.
Tea was at the local hotel in honour of (Sr) Marjorie who this weekend celebrates her Golden Jubilee - sadly Lorraine and I can't get there because it will be in Launceston and she has a Congregation Meeting on Saturday and I have a wedding so we celebrated it tonight at the meal and the Mass before the Parish Council Meeting started.
It is almost midnight and my bed is looking inviting so that's where I'm going.
There were two masses this morning - one here at St Peter's and the other at Corumbene, it should have been celebrated there last Friday for the First Friday of the month but with Dad's funeral it was the furthest thing on my mind at the time. I also visited and took Holy Communion to several parishioners along the way.
Being tired makes for mistakes and I've just finished printing the newsletters and realised that I've left the morning Mass for Tuesday at 9am when there is the funeral of the late Barry Kavanagh at 10am so that will be an extra announcement.
This afternoon I spent 90 minutes on the phone with Foundation 2010 for a National Committee meeting working through some of the stories that have been part of the ITIM Foundations work to bring new answers to old questions and looking at new questions for the future. It was, and always is, an interesting meeting and will be followed up in a fortnight with a National Board Meeting in Melbourne.
I've just arrived home from a wedding rehearsal at the Cathedral and I'm ready for bed - no TV - just bed.
There were a few visits this morning and phone calls so the one or two extra jobs I needed to do got missed but I can catch them later. Lunch was at Moonah so it was easy to get there from Rosary Gardens but the afternoon got a little busier than I had expected.
At lunch both John Williams and Brian Nichols said that they were having trouble with their computers so I said that I would call in and see what I could do. I managed to get John's email better set up although there is a problem with the computer as it doesn't want to recognise the CD for loading problems but even as I type there maybe an answer to that problem so I will phone tomorrow and check it out.
By the time I got to the Cathedral Brian's problem had been solved although I suspect that he will still get emails so will need to make sure he doesn't open any attachments otherwise he might be taken over again.
The wedding this afternoon went well - thankfully the weather held off for the time of the ceremony and immediately afterwards which made life a little easier.
I'm now heading for bed - an early night so that is good.
I woke really early, again, and have struggled to stay awake. The trip back from Maydena was very slow as I was afraid of dozing off - this time I stopped a few times on the way and had a walk to wake up but it only lasted a few minutes.
I had a bite to eat and then had a coffee before heading into town to Macquarie No 1 Wharf to visit the two RAN Ships in port - HMAS Melbourne & Darwin, both FFG's and sister ships to HMAS Sydney, the RAN Ship I was stationed on in 2000. One of the Sydney crew, Leut Narelle Hogan, is the SCO on board Melbourne so it was good to catch up with her. It was good to hear that she was also in touch with Jody Ware, a young officer who resigned just after the 2000 trip, and to hear how she was getting on.
From there I headed back to New Norfolk to do some work on the Ash Wednesday service for St Brigid's School with Sandy Cowling before heading off to Bothwell for the evening Mass. I was still tired so the trip up had a stop or two but I was ok on the way home. All the Masses, except Bothwell, were a little light on today - possibly because it is a long weekend and the last weekend before schools go back on Tuesday.
Anyway, I'm heading for bed and, hopefully, a good night's sleep.
I called to see some friends who had suggested that we might go for a drive up the East Coast and have a leisurely lunch at one of the East Coast Resort Centres. It sounded like a great suggestion but it didn't quite work out the way we planned.
We headed off to the Tahune AirWalk - a recent development in the Southern Forests south of Geeveston and running alongside the Huon River just below the junction with the Picton River. It was a pleasant drive through the forests to get to the walk which involves a climb up to a starting platform (via paths) and then a walk out along a structure that takes you through the tree tops with information about the various trees as you walk along. The views were spectacular and the walk a brilliant concept and the real highlight was to walk out to the very end point above the river - simply breathtaking.
Along the way we ran into a couple of priests, my cousin and her husband and family from Cygnet, some school friends, and several other acquaintances so it was a busy type of day. Lunch at the Kermandie Pub wasn't that brilliant and I'd like to write and comment but doubt whether I'll actually do it.
We then headed off to Bellerive Beach for a walk along the beach and watched some of the aerobatics of the RAAF Roulettes as they performed at the Royal Hobart Regatta - the reason for the public holiday. Everywhere was crowded because it was a reasonable, although not really warm, day and since it was also the last day before school recommences people were out and about.
All the fresh air has tired me out quite well so now I'm heading for bed and hopefully, a good night's sleep.
I then worked on some parish financial things before heading out to try and catch some people on the town but the people I wanted to catch weren't home so I wandered back here and worked on the list of names for the family so that we can check addresses and send out thank you notes to people as soon as possible.
The rest of the day has simply been work and now I'm heading for bed and hopefully it will mean that I have an early night and a good rest.
The rest of the day has been spent adding names to the list of mourners so that I can take it to mum tomorrow or Friday so that the list can then be sent off to Steve for him to ad any extra names etc. to the list.
Not that busy a day in one sense but still a million things that needed to be done have been done but now it is time for bed.
The CD is gradually getting round the world and I've had a few queries about how to run it but people seem to be coping. Getting a great response from them as they work out how to use it.
Today was a busy day. I worked on the booklet for the funeral of the late Elizabeth Purtell for much of the morning trying to get the Photo right for the cover but decided that going to Photolith was the only solution so I turned my attention to the condolence lists and have finished the first draft of that.
Immediately after lunch I headed for town to get the bromide done and then visited Mum and we worked through the names and have found addresses for the majority of the people on the list so that is good. I have a far degree of work to do on it still, however, as many of the addresses are simply areas at the moment and they need to be filled in. I might see if one of the others can help me for a while to get those filled in.
Then it was off to the TCC for an Executive Working Group Meeting, after collecting the bromide of course. The meeting went for well over the hour so it was a bit of a dash to get back to New Norfolk, dropping Bob Humphries off at Claremont on the way, to get ready for the Commissioning of the Ministry Support Team for St Matthew's Anglican Church and the Ordination of Deacon and Priest for the Team. It was an interesting night with a very different underlying theology to what I am used to - it might lead to some discussion at lunch on Saturday at Kingston.
I've just had a bite to eat as the booklet for the funeral tomorrow is being printed off so now I'm heading for bed - very tired but with most things done.
After the 9am Mass this morning I headed off to take Communion to the House bound before heading into town for the funeral of the late Elizabeth Purtell. It was really hot today so the time spent outdoors at the grave side was particularly difficult - and I got sunburnt.
This afternoon I came home and worked on the newsletter - there is still stuff that needs to be finished as well as the service for the Naval Association Memorial Service tomorrow but that is nearly completed.
I've just arrived home from having a meal with some friends at a Mexican Restaurant so I'm ready for bed and I made the mistake of leaving the curtains open during the day so it is really hot and I don't think that I'm going to have a particularly comfortable night.
The Prayer Breakfast went over time which meant that I was late getting to the Prison Farm so when I arrived the guys already had their visitors so I'll need to make arrangements with the Superintendent to see them before 9am on the fortnight by arrangement with the authorities.
I came home and worked on the brochure for the Parish that we can take to the Local Shows and while I was talking to Maria Goretti for info from the Oatlands area the front door bell was ringing and the family for the Baptism, which I had forgotten, were standing there wondering if I was coming over to the Church. Luckily, I was able to tell them that I'd been on the phone and would be there in a minute so everything worked out alright.
I finished loading the pages to the web, printed off the newsletter and the brochure and headed for Kingston to join the others for lunch before returning to the Navy Club for their Annual Rememberance Service. It was another good day with a better attendance than last year so it is gradually becoming part of the story of the Association which is good.
This evening I stopped off and had tea with some friends and listened to a little bit of music from the Symphony under the Stars and have been working at the computer for a little while preparing this page and the Newsletter for the Web.
I've just had a long chat with Peter Slater, a class mate from the seminary, who rang to see how I was getting on and to bring me up to date on the funeral for Gordon Gebbie so that was good.
Now bed
I woke very early thinking that today was the last Sunday of February and I hadn't put out the new series of Thanksgiving Envelopes for the Parish so I went into a bit of a panic and raced around to get it all done. It was only after everything was completed that I realised there was another week but at least with the material out today there are two weeks for people to collect their envelopes.
After New Norfolk I headed for Hamilton where there was a slightly smaller crowd than usual because a few of the people had headed over to the Kempton Festival where Lorraine and I had intended heading after Mass and a couple of quick stops.
Unfortunately things didn't work out that way. While we were at Mrs Bailey's my Mobile rang to say that a young Ellendale girl had been killed in a two car accident just near the Ellendale Parish House so Lorraine went back to see the families and I headed for Gretna to see another family. Still intending to get to Kempton I only got as far as New Norfolk and got a message that the mother of a friend was declining rapidly in the Gibson Ward at St John's Hospital and the family had rung to ask if I might be able to call and see her so I headed for town. By the time I'd finished the Festival would have been packing up so I called to see Michele and John and had a coffee before continuing onto Kempton where I worked in the Church on the laptop for a while before Mass.
Then I came home, spoke to Lorraine to see how she was getting on, responded to another couple of calls and now I'm heading for bed - it is still warm so I suspect that I will not have a good night's sleep but I'll give it a try.
After Mass this morning I worked on the finances for the morning and am still struggling to get it all right - the figures as per the January Statements don't equate with the details that people have supplied all year so I have no idea what is happening and am not sure how I can fix it all. I'll need to talk to the various people in their little communities to work it out but it is going to take time and I'm not sure exactly how much time I have to do it.
This afternoon I headed to town to pay a bill and forgot to take some important papers with me so I'll have to make that happen tomorrow sometime. Later in the afternoon I attended my first meeting of the TASDEC board - a not-for-profit organisation that believes in a positive future and works towards political, economic and social change to create a just, peaceful and sustainable world. The World Justice and Development Commission of the Tasmanian Council of Churches has had a member involved with TASDEC for many years and so I thought that it would help with my understanding of the issues in Tasmania for CWS as well as the TCC to be involved. I think it is a positive move for me.
In between going to town to pay the bill and checking to see where the TASDEC offices where I went to visit the family of the late Shirley Reardon. I had called to see her yesterday in the Gibson Ward at St John's Hospital and she had died early this morning. The funeral will be celebrated on Wednesday afternoon so that is another activity on what is now going to be a very busy Wednesday.
I'm ready for bed so I'll finish and hopefully get a good night's sleep.
I've managed to do a photo of the late Shirley Reardon and made it look like a bromide and it has photocopied wonderfully. Instead of importing it into a Publisher document I simply printed it from Photoshop and pasted it onto the original page - whilst it is back to the old 'cut and paste' it has worked much better and might be the way ahead, at least for me at the present.
The rest of today has been working on the finances and they are getting done but not finished so it will be work that I will need to take into next week. I've also been working on the BEACON and that is nearly finished so that is good - hopefully I will get anything else I need early tomorrow to get that out of the way as Thursday will be too late, unless I email it.
I'm having an early night tonight as I'm up bright and early tomorrow for the Business Morning Teas - I have a fear that because I haven't rung people to remind them that it is on there might not be many that will need to be done - I think we might be almost at the end of the run of Morning Teas which will be sad.
I woke late this morning after a phone call from +Geoffrey Jarrett, Bishop of Lismore, and formerly PP of New Town. Geoff and I were at the Cathedral together in the early 80's and at one stage were joined by Richard Masin, an American who had been a US Marine. Richard was eventually ordained for one of the Diocese of Texas but was working in Russia. Geoff had received the news that Richard had died towards the end of January and was passing on the news to me and had a chat as well.
The Morning Tea's went well although there were a great number fewer than usual - I wonder if the bubble has burst and it will be no more - we will have to wait until the next one in two months time to gauge the future of the Morning Teas.
As we were about to commence packing the food one of the ladies arrived to tell me that the Church had been vandalised overnight with the main door sprayed with graffiti and drawings and words sprayed onto the sandstone near the door and around other parts of the Church. Luckily I was able to contact a cleaner who was able to remove the graffiti during the morning so that was good - it will mean that the Church door has to be repainted but at least the offensive material has been removed.
After Mass I worked on the BEACON and the weekly Newsletter and managed to get both of them finished and I've started printing them off so that I can post them this morning and they should be in the right places by tomorrow which will be good.
The funeral of the late Shirley Reardon went off OK although at one stage it looked as if the elements were conspiring to drown us out. Immediately after the funeral I went to the meeting of the TCC Executive which ended just before 7.45pm which is why I was on the road at 8:02 pm but now it is time for bed after an interesting but satisfactory day.
After the 9am Mass I headed up to the Post Office to send off the BEACON to Campbell Town and Oatlands so that they have them for this weekend.
Then it was back to the house for a meeting with people of the Town to see if we run an EasterFest. There were some concerns about how things have gone in the last few years so we have decided that we will work towards a Spring Festival so we will need to work with the Derwent Valley Council and the Derwent Valley Concert Band to see if we can organise something bigger than we have normally attempted.
Then it was off to the airport to fly to Melbourne and the meeting of the ITIM Board. It was a simple effort to get into the city and then a tram to Kew where I am now ensconced in a motel for the night and looking forward to a good night's sleep.
I headed down to breakfast at about 7.45am and found John Ryan and Roger Bawden, the past Chairman and the new Chairman, having breakfast. We chatted for awhile and then caught a taxi to Sackville St for the meeting. The only Board Member missing was Billie Slater and it was interesting not having her quick wit and questions thrown at us.
The main work today has been the assessment of three IT proposals for the provision of a new package to manage our Financials as well as the Customer Relational Management. There was one proposal which is very new and very exciting, using Java as the base technology but which would need lots of time and work on the part of ITIM's senior management to write profiles and processes to be included in the program that the feeling was that a proven product already used by others in the workplace would be easier to integrate into our procedures should be chosen. I understand the decision but still personally think that it is the shortsighted choice.
The rest of the meeting looked at other issues facing the Mission and there is a strong suggestions that the future is looking very good - partly because of the quality of the management team that is now in place - so it is a great step forward and one which provides a great deal of hope.
We've jut finished a meal downstairs in the motel restaurant - very enjoyable and I managed to have just my glasses of water as the others drank wine (except for Roger) so I've survived the first week of Lent without too much trouble.
Now it is time for bed as we have another long day tomorrow and I really need some sleep.
Breakfast was with John Ryan, Roger Bawden, Bishop Ron Williams and Jim Keary - 4 other members of the ITIM Board and good people from various parts of Australia.
The Board meeting today went well covering several areas of concern from the past which have been worked through with the Principals who have done a good job bringing us into the next stage of the Mission's work.It was a sad day however as we fare welled John Ryan who has been a Board Member for many years and who is now at the stage of pulling back from his work commitments but who is staying involved on the Foundation 2010 Board in WA for the time being.
The meeting ended early enough for us to head to the airport to try for an earlier flight but that wasn't possible so I waited until time then headed off to catch the plane and came home and now, after assembling the BEACON I am ready for bed and I won't be too far away from it.
The front door of the Church had been written on again - this time (thankfully) only with marking pen which was easily removed. Another parishioner arrived to say that her mother, whom I had anointed at the Ouse Hospital two weeks ago, was also very low so we remembered her as well.
The Country Mass was at Ellendale and there were some visitors who came but who didn't stay for the BBQ. ON the way to the Church I saw the mother of the young lass killed in the car accident last Sunday in her garden so I stopped and said hello and promised her our continued prayer support.
After Mass (and a bite to eat) I headed off to Ouse to see the lady there before coming back to New Norfolk to visit the family of the late Alma Blackhall to prepare her funeral for Tuesday. Then it was off to the Royal to see Fiona Smith, the daughter of the late Joanna Smith whose funeral I celebrated the day after Dad died. She is improving so I will call and see her again over the next week or so. Then it was off to see Iris Bailey and Marie Healey and I learnt that the husband of another parishioner had been taken to hospital so will need to follow that up later.
I then headed off to see Mum and spent some time with her before heading off to Bothwell for the evening Mass. On the way home I stopped off for a meal and met us with some friends at Pontville - for a simple but pleasant meal - it is good to know that there is a meal on Sunday night as I head home from up that part of the world.
Now it is time to hit the sack - I haven't been able to relax since I came in the door so I'll try reading for awhile to see if I can get to sleep.
I worked with the family re the funeral for tomorrow and printed off the leaflet - I was happy with the photo and think that I now have a way of making it work - most times. I also called into school but still haven't managed to get into all the classrooms - that will have to wait until next week.
This afternoon I also did some work on the Condolence register but there is still a long way to go so that will be ongoing and tonight I have finished off the GST info that I'll email off in the morning to the Office.
Now bed - not as much done as I would have hoped but most of it is fixed.
Mass was at 9am and then I headed for the Cathedral Presbytery to join a meeting organised by Mark Freeman as a planning meeting for the Priest Plenary which is to be held on the East Coast at the end of April. It was a good meeting - some of the ideas will be raised at the Council of Priests Meeting next Tuesday.
Then it was back to New Norfolk for the funeral of the late Alma Blackhall - there was a good crowd of people here including a number from Maydena and the upper Derwent Valley. The burial was at Cornelian Bay so it was back to Hobart - luckily the refreshments were also in Hobart so I was able to join the family for a short time before heading back to New Norfolk for another meeting.
This time it was with Jeff Hall from the Catholic Education Office looking at regional meetings with people introducing the Benincasa Option to families in the hope that they might consider Senior Secondary Education at one of the Catholic Colleges. The first of the meetings is to be held at Hamilton on 18th March and later in April at Oatlands. We have organised the Supper Room at the Hall and info will go out to various people over the next few days.
A friend called in for coffee towards late afternoon so we chatted about work and various ideas for the future before I got to work on the newsletter for this coming weekend as I had checked the diary and it was beginning to look a little bit busy.
Just had a bite to eat and now it is time for bed as I have an early rise in the morning for Prayer with members of the local community - they are arriving at 6.30am so it will be an early start - not so much for the getting up but rather the getting ready for people.
Mass today was at midday so I worked on the material for the Parish Finances and have almost completed the letter and details that I'll be posting out tomorrow to all the book keepers to check their transaction records for the year because what has been recorded here in the Parish Package at New Norfolk does not really equate with the balance as shown on the monthly statements.
After Mass I headed off to Hamilton to talk to the family of the late Iris Bailey to prepare the liturgy for her funeral to be celebrated tomorrow morning at Hamilton. Then it was back here to New Norfolk to wait for the family of the late Mona Browning to prepare for her funeral on Friday afternoon at Ellendale. I managed in the waiting time to do ther work that needed doing on the first leaflet and that is now finished and printed and I'm really happy about the photo and the photo copy. I've also managed to get the photo of Mona Browning to work well as well.
I've just finished working with a young couple preparing for their marriage later in the year so it has been a good day and now I'm heading for bed.
After the 9am Mass this morning I headed off to Hamilton to celebrate the funeral of the late Iris Bailey - and managed to speak about her neice Alice at one stage as the deceased. Obviously I was embarrassed but managed to laugh it off and keep going - thankfully the congregation enjoyed my mistake and embarrassment.
From there I headed home to work on the booklet for tomorrow's funeral of the late Mona Browning which got finished easily before I headed towards Glenorchy to see two lots of people - one basically for a coffee but also a chat and the others to work through some marriage issues and possible strategies for coping with some issues that are bugging them at the moment.
Then it was back to St Brigid's for a School Board Meeting and then back to the house for a Parish Council Meeting - the poor little car doesn't know whether it is arthur or martha at the moment it seems to be running round in all directions.
During the day I got a call from the Property Manager of the Diocese who said that because I was one of two priests with high mileage they were looking at moving us (he's already been moved) out of our cars after 40K and handing them on to someone else because they Diocese couldn't service the loan in the time that we take to reach the 75K mark - even with the 3 months off last year I have already exceeded 40K in just under 14 months. He is now looking for someone who drives a manual car and who needs to change so I'll have to wait and see what happens.
Now bed.
