As you remember, the Archbishop was with us in SEP for Confirmation and we went without a priest until the first week of DEC. This week we have our first priest since then. I actually went to Nassau to get more consecrated hosts a few weeks ago. I must mention Fr. Glen Nixon, the Rector at the Cathedral in Nassau. He is absolutely the most accommodating when it comes to this (He is a great friend too). We have a standing invitation whenever we are low on consecrated hosts to come to the Cathedral and fill up a ciborium to help us through until we have priest visit. It is great to have such a resource at our disposal.
When a priest comes he consecrates a full ciborium here at St. John Chrysostom in Fresh Creek, and also at the AUTEC chapel. Both churches have a large tabernacle that can hold a large ciborium. We dip into those two to provide hosts for Christ the King in Cargill Creek and Our Lady of Hope in Mastic Point.
Our visiting priest is the retired Vicar from Jacksonville, FL. He was with us 2 Christmases ago for a month. This time he is here for 2 weeks and then will go to another island for another 2 weeks. It is a joy to have him here, he is very personable and our conversations are great. His presence gives our people an opportunity for Confession and an opportunity to participate in the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass, which we skip when, as a Deacon, I provide Eucharist Services.
Fr. V. is also technically savy - he has an IPhone that can do amazing things with the apps he has on it and, as someone into Apple Technology, he was able to get a MAC that was given to us up and running. He even transferred docs from my laptop onto the MAC. Maybe now we can use that as the parish PC rather than my personal laptop. After 6 years that would be good.
Advent and Christmas were great - we had the same issue with people leaving the island to visit friends and family on Nassau or the US so that Christmas attendance was low. It always has been that way. With so little to do on our island many of our parishioners go to Nassau or US for Christmas. Especially since Christmas and Boxing Day are huge events on Nassau. The Bahamas celebrates "Junkanoo" from Christmas thru New Years - think Carnival on steroids. It is a fabulous time with parades and competition between groups with dancers, music, elaborate costumes, - - - you get the idea. With all that, why stay on Andros? We watch it on TV, as well as the usual US parades on New Years.
This year Christmas and New Years were on a Thursday so we had services on the Wed night Vigil, then the 3 services on the Thursday feast day, then the Saturday weekend Vigil and the 3 Sunday liturgies - two weeks in a row - I think that's 16 liturgies over the holidays - with no priest. A bit crazy but we did it.
Fr. V's visit will overlap with friends from VA who will be visiting us Feb 10-17. Frank and Ellen have been great friends for years and it will be good to see them. It will be nice to have them meet Fr. V for the 4 days their visits overlap -- I know already they will be fast friends.
A benefit of Fr. V being here is not only do we have a Mass on the weekend, we have a Mass during the week. A few days ago a stranger dropped in during the reading of the Gospel. He was clearly uncomfortable and out of place so I went over to him. He had a pillowcase with all his belongings and said he came by because a friend had told him when you were down on your luck you could come to the church and get a sandwich. We left church and in a few minutes he had a peanut butter sandwich, a coke, and a few apples and he was on his way, thanking us profusely. When I returned to church Fr. V said, St. Vincent de Paul said 'when you are at prayer and the poor man comes to your door, leave your prayer and provide for the poor man' -- here we are living the Gospel - it happens more often than you can imagine.
As we enter our 7th year here we are beginning to notice the need to paint our churches is becoming obvious. In Calabash Bay we have an old church we converted into a class room/parish hall. I know a parishioner who does painting who can use the work so we struck a deal and he has started. Last weekend he called and said he was done. I had given him half the fee for supplies and the second half was now due since the work was done - until - he says, "Do you mind that I only did 3 walls? Its OK if I leave the back undone, nobody sees that anyway."
Ash Wednesday is fast approaching. Fr. V will be gone by then and if this is the same routine as last year we will have 4 parish services and 2 services in various public schools. In Fresh Creek we usually do an Ecumenical Ash Wednesday service with the Anglicans - this year it is their turn to host, but I will preach. It is a blessing to be able to share at least this one liturgy with them, the Priestess at the Anglican church is very welcoming. This Sunday and next Sunday we are collecting palms for burning to make the ashes. Last year I did the palm burning with our primary school students, I think this year I might do it with our secondary school students - it is a kick for them to see the actual making of the ashes we use on Ash Wed.
There is a man from our parish who has been in the Deacon Formation program for the last 4 years. He will be ordained, God willing, in June. The Director of the program as told me that what he really needs is time around the altar - he needs to get experience before ordination so that after ordination he will be more comfortable than he is now. He was consecrated as Lector a few weeks ago so we have begun using him at our Sunday services and once a month we have him prepare a homily for the upcoming Sunday and present it to us on Tues. This Tues Fr. V will be in attendance as well, we will see how that goes. There is no greater teacher than experience and we'd really like him to succeed.
In closing I must tell you a funny experience Fr. V and I had together. We had gone to the local clinic to pick up a prescription and were sitting in the waiting room. Two kids were acting up and Grandma had just about had it - "Go sit over there -- over there -- go sit -- will you just sit down!" you get the image.
Well, "over there" was the seat next to me and Fr. V. and I decided to see if I could give her a break. With my white beard and belly, as they sat I said, "You should be good over here because I am Santa". They looked doubtful so I said, "I am Santa, I come to the Bahamas after Christmas to get a rest - right now in the North Pole my reindeer are out in the field playing but Rudolph has a cold and has to stay in the barn". Well now their eyes widen and Grandma begins to giggle in the seat behind us. So for the next few minutes I tell story after story about flying my sleigh and how Mrs. Clause keeps the naughty and nice book and go on and on until the nurse comes from the pharmacy with my pills. By that time I have one kid on my knee, the other curled up on the seat next to me. Grandma is now laughing and Fr. V is shaking his head in disbelief. We say goodbye and they promise to be good and head out to the car. Fr. V says 'boy you had those kids eating out of your hand' and I said "Yes, and I'm hoping that now Grandma will come to church - I'm always fishing for new members" It was a fun experience and good for a laugh - we shall see if we meet them again Sunday.
Till next time
