St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Carden Place, Aberdeen
Pro-Cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney
We had a lovely day on 18th August, celebrating our 160th birthday with Canon the Rev. Graham Taylor leading the service and many friends who had commitments elsewhere joining us for lunch afterwards. It was good too to see Kyle McCallum, our erstwhile organist, who was then able to come and play for us at a service in October. It all brought back many happy memories!
Bishop Dorsey was good enough to come and chair our AGM in February, and reports were received on all aspects of the life of St. Mary’s. Marin Matsuzaka and Allison Brown were elected to fill posts on the vestry, and Jenny Cruickshank stepped down as secretary, handing over to David Rose who has been acting as secretary for some months. Full copies of the papers can be found on the table by the lectern for anyone who missed the meeting.
Diocesan Synod was chaired by Bishop Dorsey on 2nd. March, at Elphinstone Hall at Aberdeen University. Aside from some confusion over the revised Canon 65 concerning safeguarding, business went smoothly. Canon 35, the one we all turn to when we want to change anything around the church, is being modified again to take into account the church’s net zero goals, though it was suggested that perhaps an entirely new canon is needed to deal with all the environmental and energy matters currently before us. Bishop Dorsey’s charge to Synod was based on the gospel account of Jesus throwing the moneylenders out of the temple, and addressed the anger currently felt in our diocese, and the signs of hope he felt of reconciliation. There was no Synod dinner this year, but we had time for good fellowship over lunch, time to catch up with old friends and make new ones.
The Easter eggs multiplied quickly by the Green Organ this year! This week we were able to deliver sixty-three eggs to Barnardo’s Zoë Galloway and Amy Duncan, who told us it was their only donation this Easter. Thanks once again to all who donated.
The World Day of Prayer service for our area was held once again this year at Rubislaw Church Centre, a lovely venue for all kinds of practical reasons! This year, by coincidence, the material had been put together by the Christian women of Palestine, which made it particularly poignant. The room was decorated with citrus fruit and flowers, and the service was well-attended on a day that promised spring!
