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There’s a whiff of change in the air

It’s been said that the only thing constant in this world is change. The truth of that adage certainly isn’t obvious in the Anglican Church.

In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Consider that our hymnal was published over 70 years ago, and the edition of the Book of Common Prayer that forms the heart of our liturgy is rapidly approaching the ripe old age of 90, with its roots going back much, much further than that.

The beautiful language of the King James Bible and the marvelously constructed prayers and collects of the prayer book are treasures of the Anglican tradition that we carefully protect and preserve.

But we can’t escape change completely. After thirteen years of dedicated service to this parish as Director of Pastoral Care, Anne Hawkins has announced her retirement. And there’s no doubt she will be sorely missed.

That’s not to say she’s leaving us entirely. She’ll still be an active member of the St Stephen’s family, and we look forward to her sunny countenance at many of our parish activities – not to mention her Welsh cakes and sausage rolls.

Stepping into Anne’s shoes (a daunting challenge) will be Happy Riley. Ironically enough, Happy’s given name is also Anne, and she, like Anne Hawkins, was trained as a nurse.

Happy’s pastoral side has been nurtured during the past couple of years in her work with the Friends Circle at Broadmead, where she provided care and companionship to several of their residents on a weekly basis. And in recent years Happy has traveled to Peru with teams of medical workers to administer medical care to Peruvian children.

But there’s more.

Wiley Hawks has been appointed a subdeacon and will be assisting the clergy with hospital and nursing home visits. In the Anglican Church a subdeacon may serve communion even though it is not an order to which one is ordained.

Finally, speaking of ordination, postulants John Novicki and Michael Belt will become ordered deacons prior to the next synod meeting. The order of deacons is the first of the ordained ministries of Anglicanism, and a necessary step on the path to becoming an Anglican priest. DPR

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