St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Carden Place, Aberdeen

Pro-Cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney

From the Rectory

From the Rectory

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As I begin to write this, the sun is shining outside and it is warm. Someone mentioned to me that he hoped that it would stay like this until October. There’s nothing like being an optimist about the weather, especially in Aberdeen!

Well, that was General Synod done for another year. Due to personal reasons, I did not attend Edinburgh, however, I was able to participate online via zoom. We discussed many things within our table-top exercises, one of which concentrated on how we coped during the height of the Covid pandemic. We all agreed that it is important to be as adaptable to change as possible when faced with circumstances that challenged us all. There was also a feeling of so many lessons being learned together with an acceptance that there are just some things that cannot be overcome.

Sam and I had a lovely holiday in Aruba, where the weather was equally as good. We have only been back a couple of weeks, but it feels like we have never been away at all. We were extremely grateful to all at St Mary’s who contributed towards the very generous gift prior to our departure. It was a very humbling experience and the generosity of people never ceases to amaze me.

I understand that Fr Roger did a sterling job whilst I was away and this was a great comfort to me, although I had no doubts whatsoever that this would be the case. Fr Roger and I have slightly different styles when it comes to worship and this is such a blessing, as it provides great variation and attention to detail. Fr Roger has also been very busy in other areas of our outreach. There was a very successful talk , organised by Fr Roger, given by Dr Brian Brock on the subject of how we as Christians view the conflict in Ukraine. A further talk is being planned where another guest speaker will be coming to St Mary’s.

Matthew McVey, our Director of Music, has been extremely busy during the last quarter. Not only has he completed his third year of Studies at Aberdeen University, but it appears he is in big demand from other places of worship and musical events. With this in mind, it was a great joy to be at Haddo House Chapel, where, at the invite of Lady Aberdeen, an Evensong service was held. Bishop Anne officiated and musical arrangement was done by Matthew. The service was to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Anniversary. It was a wonderful occasion and this was appreciated by all who attended.

You will no doubt notice that the external scaffolding is slowly moving around the church. It is good that this important maintenance is being carried out, but at the same time, it is also a great relief to see the work nearing its completion. I am grateful to our Building Committee of Mr David Rose and Mrs Freddie Stephens, both of whom have worked very closely with our architect Mr Dave Chouman, to ensure that the work is being carried out to a high standard. We still wait authorisation via the Canon 35 application before work can commence with our West-End Peace Garden project, hopefully that will be forthcoming soon. Speaking of change, it was nice to see the Memorial Chapel area being put back into use after the internal scaffolding removal. My thanks to all who helped with this and the subsequent tidy-up.

St Mary’s will host a ‘Lambeth Evensong’ on Sunday the 24th of July, where we will see attendance from five American Bishops as well as the Roman Catholic Bishop of Aberdeen, The Primus and Bishop Anne.  This will be a significant occasion in the Diocese and a lot of hard work has gone into ensuring we can provide everything that is good about St Mary’s.

St Mary’s Vestry continue to work hard in ensuring the business end of our church is maintained. Whilst we are running two Ordinary Vestry members short, those currently in situ are extremely supportive and pro-active in all that we do, and this makes my role as Rector all the easier. I do, however, continue to appeal to those who may want to consider a role as a Vestry member.

After a year as a Panel Member with Children’s Hearing Scotland, I have decided that I will need to step down from the role. Normally after a year, Panel Members are asked to be trained as Chairing Panel Members, which, as the title outlines, requires more responsibility and time, as well as being a pivotal member of the decision-making process. The decision was not easy, as I have enjoyed the role during the past twelve months or so, however, as I emphasised when I commenced training, should I feel that it could possibly encroach on my Ministry here at St Mary’s, then I would seriously need to consider whether I could continue. My priorities are first and foremost, being your Rector and Pastoral resource, and that in itself requires my full attention. In retrospect, should any of you feel that being a Panel Member for the Children’s Hearings Scotland organisation, I would urge you to research and speak to one of the many people involved. It is a very rewarding responsibility and one that I am glad I had the opportunity to embark upon. https://www.chscotland.gov.uk

Fr Roger and I have had a discussion about amending / changing the current Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer booklets we currently have in use. It is important that our worship is varied and also thought-provoking. We will not dispense with the materials we have at the moment but will hope to alternate them with some newer resources.

Finally, I would like to express my thanks to everyone connected with St Mary’s. Without the unstinting support from everyone in our congregation, much of the work we do would prove to be extremely difficult to complete. We are continuing to see growth and the return of some of you who have found it difficult to return to regular services after the pandemic, and Fr Roger and I continue to offer support to all concerned.

Blessings Always,

Canon Terry


From the Rectory

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As I begin to write this, I am reflecting upon our Sung Eucharist which took place this morning which indicated the beginning of Passiontide. The liturgical year moves so quickly, and it can be bewildering to some but commonplace to others. Each season of our liturgical calendar brings with it new hope, new expectations, new growth, and new challenges.

We are currently in the throes of a fairly substantial maintenance project which has seen scaffolding surround a large section of the church building. The finances invested in this ongoing work are essential so that any structural issues are addressed at an early stage thereby allowing intervention to avoid a more costly repair. The Vestry and I believe that this is a right and proper method of taking care of our beloved church and that we will experience the benefits on a long-term rather than a ‘sticking plaster’ approach.

Unfortunately, we have experienced damage to one of our rose windows which was blown out during a storm. I was thankful that the church was empty when this occurred as the stained glass that fell was smashed and scattered everywhere.  I am grateful to the Buildings Committee, Mr David Rose and Mrs Freddie Stephens, who worked hard with our architect, Mr Dave Chouman, to address the damage and to ensure it was made safe when the weather permitted. I am also indebted to those who helped clean up the mess on the day. At the time of writing, we also have scaffolding inside the church to enable the full removal and eventual replacement of the damaged window.

As part of our repair and refurbishment project, we now have new lighting in the choir vestry and we await authorisation of our Canon 35 Application to replace the carpet with engineered wood. We will also see new linoleum in the kitchen area.

We were successful in an application to the Provincial Recovery and Renewal fund in securing a grant to assist with our West End Garden project, which will totally change the outlook of this part of our church grounds. Again, this will require Canon 35 approval.

All of this work is expensive, and we should be grateful for several streams of funding from Viridor Credits, The Anderson Trust and the Provincial and Diocesan Building Funds. I am also indebted to you, the congregation of St Mary’s for your patience and generosity during all of this upheaval.

Our Assistant Priest, Fr Roger Dyer and I have developed an excellent working relationship and I am delighted that Fr Roger, after a long time away from Church Ministry, has become part of the important pastoral fabric at St Mary’s.  Those of you who participated in the Lent Course ‘Encountering Jesus’, should know that this was all Fr Roger’s idea, and we were both delighted with the numbers that attended and the enthusiastic response to the task over the five weeks of Lent.

We should, of course, not forget Fr Jason, who has been providing assistance to St Clement’s for some time now. We are grateful that the congregation are receiving Fr Jason’s most excellent ministry and he is always in our prayers.

The last two months have seen some change in Vestry personnel, with Mr David Rose stepping back from his long time role as the Rector’s Warden and Dr Elizabeth Smyth also stepping back as Vestry Secretary. Mrs Freddie Stephens has also decided to end her vestry membership, although both she and David remain members of our buildings committee. I am eternally grateful to David, Elizabeth and Freddie, all of whom were, and continue to be, a great source of wise counsel to me in my role as Rector.

We have welcomed Mr Iain Stewart on to the Vestry and also as our new People’s Warden, and I am grateful for his enthusiasm in this role and other duties he takes on.

Sadly, the conflict in Ukraine continues to dominate our thoughts and prayers as we witness the devastation, death and destruction in that troubled part of the world. I have encouraged everyone to consider contributing in any way they can, to one of the many charitable organisations available, who are operating on a national basis to address the need of so many people.

We had our Diocesan Synod recently where I was supported in my nomination to become Diocesan Synod Clerk. This is an important role in the Diocese which will see me taking on more responsibility and working in tandem with the Diocesan Office/Bishop Anne on many issues that affect how our diocese operates within the SEC.

As usual, our Easter Egg Appeal has been a great success, and this year we will divide the donated eggs between the Aberdeen Cyrenians and HomeStart, two deserving charities based in Aberdeen who I know will be able to ensure they will be distributed to those who would, in some small way, benefit accordingly. I am very grateful to all who contributed this year.

There are still many of our congregation who are not yet ready to return to church worship on a Sunday. I fully understand this and rest assured, you are always in our prayers as everyone tries to move forward now that most of the Covid restrictions concerning places of worship have been lifted. It is of course a personal choice and it is only right that no-one should feel under any pressure to return if they are not in the right frame of mind to do so. So, please know that we are thinking about you, and when the time comes, it will be a joy to have you back.

Future events, particularly those of a fundraising nature, can be found on our website at https://stmaryscardenplace.org.uk/social-fundraising-calendar/ It is the Vestry’s intention that the current diary is dynamic and that other gatherings at the church will be added throughout the year.  I am thankful to Mr David Rose, our Webmaster, who ensures that our website is quality controlled. I am also grateful to David for his guidance and advice regarding content and update.

The beginning of a new liturgical year can sometimes feel at odds as we approach the end of our calendar year, and that is why we need to immerse ourselves during Advent. It is important that we know how to separate both the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one, particularly in our religious lives. Being a Christian can be confusing, can’t it? No sooner are we celebrating the birth of Christ, when, a few months later, we enter Lent and then Holy Week and Easter, all of which are filled with beginnings and ends and beginnings again. Keep your eyes on the ball, it moves quickly and deliberately and it is meant to make us focus. You will hear Preachers (myself included), who will wax lyrical about us being Christmas, Lent or Easter people. We are, of course, all of these things and more, but most of all we are God’s people, and in the end, what else would we want to be?

The following services, which involve Fr Roger, our Organist Matthew, and me, are planned in the coming months: Sunday 5th June – Evensong for the Queen’s Jubilee at Haddo House. Sunday 24th July – Lambeth Evensong. Saturday 24 September – Ordination. These are significant services which reflect St Mary’s continuing status as Pro-Cathedral, and more details of times, etc., will be forthcoming in the weeks to follow.

I will conclude with a wee bit of self-indulgence. Several weeks ago I preached a sermon that was completely off the cuff. I referred to it as my ‘One Man’ sermon and it was never my intention to preach in that particular method, or the subject matter on that day. However, what I now know is that the Holy Spirit was in total control and the result was that it produced a sermon, based on the current conflict in Ukraine. In retrospect, I wish I had been able to record it, but when things are taken out of your control then we have to ‘ride the wave’ so to speak. I was stunned to receive such positive feedback and some members of our congregation still refer to it as the ‘One Man’ sermon. I suppose the point I am trying to make is that every now and again, we are all capable of the unexpected and when this happens, we surprise ourselves.

May God bless each and every one of you this Easter and may you be able to spend time with loved ones as we celebrate this momentous time in our Christian Calendar.

Blessings Always

Canon Terry


From the Rectory

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Well, when I first sat down to write this, it was just after 4.30 am and it was dark, cold and wet outside. I tend to get plenty of stuff done in the early hours as there are no distractions to divert my attention. Of course, it’s not always like that. Normally, with the greatest intentions do I set my laptop up with a plan to complete a particular piece of work. What usually happens is that half-way through a document, I think of something else I need to do and so I jump from what I was doing to another task, and so on … you get the picture. In the end I have about 5 or 6 things on the go all at the same, time which eventually leads to mistakes and confusion!

Our life can be like that, confusing and disorganised, which can cause us to overlook things and be prone to error. Those errors manifest themselves in so many ways. Short temper, forgetfulness, inappropriate language/behaviour, all of these reactions and more, must have some sort of original source which makes them happen. These are to me signals that I need to stop, re-boot and listen to my body telling me to slow down.

It has been a very busy year since our last Christmas Magazine. Whilst Covid had everyone in its stranglehold and attendance at Church was somewhat restricted, we all had to learn to adapt and improvise. Speaking for myself, this entailed the continuance of online broadcasts of recorded Said Eucharists. Many a Zoom meeting has been attended and we have all become experts in two-dimensional conversations. But that did not condense in any way the importance of the tasks at hand – if anything it intensified them. The need to get things done in good manageable time slots was really pivotal, and I know that this applied to everyone else who was attempting to juggle very busy lifestyles.

During the past year I have kept busy with numerous things, some of which have tenuous connections only with my work as a Priest. I continue my studies as a part-time student of History at Aberdeen University, I also continue in my position as a Panel Member of Children’s Hearings Scotland. Both of these roles, I believe, keep me appraised of not only local and national topics, past and present; but they also allow me to achieve some sort of ministerial outreach to a wider community. My Chaplaincy work at Aberdeen Hospitals, particularly the ARI, has been a real challenge this year due to the strict Covid regulations imposed. Because I am not an actual employee of the NHS Chaplaincy Team, it can sometimes be awkward trying to convince hospital staff of the importance of the work I am required to perform with the sick and dying who desire the presence of an Anglican Priest at their bedside.

My membership of the Aberdeen Churches Together (ACT) group has also been fairly active throughout the year, and this allows me to keep in touch with ecumenical issues throughout the City Centre Churches and across the whole religious spectrum. I was recently part of the ecumenical team that took part in the opening of the Nativity Scene at the Kirk of St Nicholas.

I recently became a member of the Global Partnership Committee (GPC), which is a Provincial role within the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC). The GPC is responsible for supporting church projects and people all over the world. It enables the SEC to reach out in prayer and commit to the needs of the wider church community. Each member of the committee has a particular portfolio responsibility: mine is Asia. The GPC is part of the Mission Board of the SEC.

A few days have passed since I began writing this and we are in full Advent swing at St Mary’s. I am grateful for all of the help received to make our church look so festive. It is true that the past twelve months have been challenging in so many different ways, but as always, everyone has stepped up to the plate to get on with the job.

At the beginning of Advent we have seen St Andrew’s Church on King Street partially re-open after a lengthy hiatus. This has seen most of the St Andrew’s Congregation who had been attending St Mary’s, return to their ‘spiritual alma mater’. I wish them well as they re-engage with Fr Isaac and future services, and as we move towards Christmas, I hope that they will all be able to celebrate the coming and arrival of, the Christ-Child in our midst. You will remain forever in our prayers.

There has of course been some very deep sadness in our Diocese recently. Bishop Anne and her husband, Fr Roger, lost their daughter Millie at the young age of 30 years. The funeral service took place at St Mary’s and I was humbled to be asked to officiate for this very sombre occasion, which was attended by most of the College of Bishops and many others who had travelled from far afield. Those people who helped out on the day to make sure the service and refreshments afterwards went without a hitch have my eternal gratitude.

The very nature of Ordained Ministry means that no two days are the same, and indeed, there is a regular amount of priority juggling to be done at very short notice sometimes. I am not the best at time management but I am a quick learner. However, like many my position, it can sometimes be very difficult to say no. Everyone’s need is important to me, and I always try to attend to that if physically able, even if it means just a telephone call once in a while. This brings me to St Mary’s Vestry, who are always concerned that I am not taking the requisite time away from my work environment to re-charge. It’s true that in the past 2 years, I have totally failed to take anywhere near my allotted time off. This is due to a number of reasons. The obvious one of course is the Covid Pandemic which has affected everyone. There are other more personal reasons that have prevented me taking a proper break and those who know are aware of that. Sam and I will celebrate our Silver Wedding Anniversary next May and I am ever hopeful that we can have a holiday abroad to celebrate it. Everything of course, relies upon how the current travel restrictions pan out. I am planning to take a break early in the new year for a few days, which will hopefully include a visit to family in Glasgow and England.

The beginning of a new liturgical year can sometimes feel at odds as we approach the end of our calendar year, and that is why we need to immerse ourselves during Advent. It is important that we know how to separate both the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one, particularly in our religious lives. Being a Christian can be confusing, can’t it? No sooner are we celebrating the birth of Christ, when, a few months later, we enter Lent and then Holy Week and Easter, all of which are filled with beginnings and ends and beginnings again. Keep your eyes on the ball, it moves quickly and deliberately and it is meant to make us focus. You will hear Preachers (myself included), who will wax lyrical about us being Christmas, Lent or Easter people. We are, of course, all of these things and more, but most of all we are God’s people, and in the end, what else would we want to be?

I sincerely hope and pray that all of you are able to celebrate Christmas in some way, be that with lots of friends and family or on your own. Just know that however you choose to do it, you do it with sincerity and genuine love of God.

So, from Sam and me, we wish all of you a peaceful and Holy Christmas and we hope that as we approach the manger, we are as amazed as those kings and Shepherds were on that night in Bethlehem.

Blessings Always

Canon Terry


From the Rectory

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As I write this, I can see that it is raining outside and that the Rectory garden is in dire need of some TLC. The trouble is, time is an issue for all of us these days. On my one day off per week, I would much rather devote myself to reading and little else, however that is never the case. Having to catch up with all of the little jobs around the house takes up the whole day and there is always something that ‘falls off the edge’ and almost always never ends up getting done. In my case it is the garden. Don’t get me wrong, it just needs a good cut and a lot of weeding, and I will, no doubt, get it done over the next week or so when and if we get a break in the weather.

Anyway, enough about my tribulations. I have been very busy since our last quarterly magazine. As most of you will know, we (St Mary’s Vestry Committee) have been extremely busy in making various grant funding applications to help with the ongoing maintenance work at the Church. One of these applications, with ‘Viridor Credits’, has been successful, and thanks to Mrs Freddie Stephens, we have managed to secure just about enough to help with the completion of said works. Freddie worked very hard on this and I am deeply grateful for her astute attention to detail in submitting the application, together with the follow-up questions that came afterwards.

We are also now waiting on approval from from ‘outside interested parties’ before we submit a Canon 35 application to the Diocese to further our intention to replace the old carpet in the Choir Vestry with engineered wood flooring. For those of you who do not know what a ‘Canon 35’ approval is, in order for any significant changes to be made to the structure/appearance of a Church, and particularly a listed building as St Mary’s is, there are many hoops to be negotiated before work can commence. Once interested parties, and this includes our congregation, have made any submissions, the complete package, which is comprehensive, is submitted to the Diocesan Building Committee who will then approve/disapprove/advise before anything can be done. We are hopeful that we will obtain the necessary permissions and that this work will go ahead as planned later this year.

We are also awaiting news on an application to the Provincial ‘Recovery and Renewal Fund’ before we begin the same process above for a ‘Peace/Theraputic’ garden at the front of the Church. So as you can imagine, this takes up quite a bit of admin time, not to mention the odd meeting or two.

Speaking of meetings, I had my first meeting as a member of the Global Partnerships Committee (GPC) for the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC). I now have the portfolio for Asia and I will be responsible for overseeing applications for small funding grants to support church projects from this region. The GPC is part of the Mission Board of the SEC.

The first semester at Aberdeen University has commenced and in continuance of my History studies, my first course until mid November, is ‘Stewart Scotland 1406-1603’. The reading list is, shall we say, challenging!

It would be naive of me to ignore what has been taking place within our Diocese during the past year, and I am eager to share my views. Bishop Anne has been the subject of some very uncomfortable media attention of late, most, if not all of which, has, in my opinion been totally unjustified. The ‘Torrance Report’ which was supposed to be confidential until an official release was made, was leaked to the press. This resulted in a barrage of media responses both in newspapers and radio.  Who leaked the report we may never know, but the damage caused by this action has not only caused great stress to Bishop Anne and her family, it gave rise to our diocese becoming the centre of some very unwanted attention from outside agencies. When the report was released, as was always promised, central figures named within were hounded via the press and social media. Of course, many of those who made the biggest noise remain anonymous and are able to shield themselves from the intrusion that others have been suffering. You will also be aware that the Very Reverend Dr Dennis Berk, has recently tendered his resignation as Dean of this diocese due to the stress and pressure that this matter has brought to his doorstep. This was indeed sad news to hear, but in writing to Dennis, I expressed my full support for the basis of his decision and that his general health should come first. I know you will join me in keeping Fr Dennis in your prayers.

St Mary’s had its first Baptism in a while when young Kevin Abugwu was recently officially welcomed into the Church. It was a joyous occasion for all who attended and Kevin was just absolutely perfect.

During the past few weeks, we have resumed fellowship after our Sunday 10 am services. This has been a welcome return to some state of normality, and it is good to have a sit down and a chat over a cuppa after our services again. Fellowship is also a feature after our 10 am service on Wednesday mornings too.

Dare I say it, but Christmas is fast approaching and we sincerely hope that it will be different from last year, in that everyone will feel more safer and be prepared to relax a little bit more after the necessary restrictions that the Covid pandemic brought to our doorsteps during the past 12-18 months.

My wife Sam and I were having a discussion the other day and realised that in the 3 years we have been in Aberdeen, we have become grandparents to two beautiful girls, Hannah and Harriet in Kettering, and a truly handsome boy, Daniel. In that small space of time our lives have changed considerably. Ok, we haven’t seen much of them for a while, and we have yet to see Daniel at all as he lives in Hamburg, but we are making all the necessary plans to put this right.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate my gratitude to all at St Mary’s, and that includes our brothers and sisters from St Andrew’s, who work so hard and participate in the life of our Church. The late and great Celtic Football Manager Jock Stein was quoted as saying “football without fans is nothing”. How true and apt is that statement when we look back on what our society has had to endure during Covid. We had church doors being closed and locked for several months, which was unheard of in modern times. We then went through a period of limited numbers allowed to attend, together with stringent measures regarding social distancing. We disinfect our hands and greet each other from behind a face mask still, yet, even during these more relaxed times, we are acutely aware of the heartache and loss many have suffered, and this makes us even more determined to see this through. For those whom we have lost and for those who continue to mourn, I pray for you as I have done from the beginning.

I look forward to seeing many of you returning to our services at St Mary’s and until then, please stay safe, say your prayers, and know that you are loved.

Blessings Always

Canon Terry

St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral


From the Rectory

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As I write this, we have rain and an overcast sky. We must not grumble though, after all, we did have a few days of really nice sunny and hot weather not very long ago.

Since our last Magazine, I have been very busy. The status of our Covid awareness regulations seems to change on a 24 hour basis. The Province, in conjunction with the Scottish Parliament, has worked extremely hard to keep all of us updated with regards to our shared worship. Of course, it always gives me great pleasure to pre-record a service each week to provide access to our worship for those who do not yet feel 100% confident to join us again in a more physically communal sense. As we move forward with the ever-fluid situation, we watch with great hope and much caution, for the next changes to be announced.

We have recently started singing again in church and this is such a welcome and joyous return to near-normal status. During the preceding months, our very own Louisa Donaldson has stepped up to the plate as our Cantor for numerous services and I am sure I speak for us all when I say that she has done, and continues to do, a magnificent job, adding great depth and feeling to our worship. I think it is incredibly brave for one person to be relied upon so much, and in Louisa we have experienced such humble appliance to her task. I would also like to thank Matthew McVey our Organist, who has been extremely diligent, providing music for our live and pre-recorded services, plus directing a very recent choral accompaniment at one of our Sunday services. We have all, it seems, learned to adapt and improvise. Hopefully, it will not be too long before we have all of the remaining pews back inside the main ‘body of the kirk’, thereby allowing us to tidy up and begin to use the choir vestry once more.

St Mary’s Vestry Committee has also been extremely busy of late. We have been successful in an application to the Provincial Buildings Committee for funding to assist with the ongoing maintenance of our Church buildings and I am deeply grateful to all those who worked hard to make it happen. We are also working through other funding streams to assist with work and with other ventures, one of which is the Recovery and Renewal Fund, set up by the Province to assist in our mission to the community, and to enable us as a church to reach out in more diverse and adaptable ways. As you will know, we are hoping to re-develop some of the parking space at the west end of the church with a therapeutic/peace garden, and it is hoped that should we be successful with our application to the Recovery and Renewal Fund, this would go some way to offsetting the cost of the work carried out.

Many of you will remember the late Canon Jim Alexander, who passed away recently after a long battle with dementia. Canon Jim was a stalwart of St Mary’s for just under 20 years and a great servant to the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney for many more. It was the desire of Canon Jim’s family that his funeral service be carried out at St Mary’s, and I was deeply honoured to be able to officiate.  We also lost another Priest of great renown, the late Canon Ken Gordon. Canon Ken passed away peacefully at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after a brave battle with cancer. Again, Ken was another long-time servant of this diocese, having been Rector at St Devenick’s for 30 years combined with service in other churches well past his retirement. I was very humbled to be able to provide the final sacrament to Canon Ken two days before he passed away. May they both rest in God’s peace.

General Synod was again, an online affair, taking place over 2 days in early June. I have to say that it was, in my opinion, a very successful gathering from across the Province, and much was discussed during that time. None more so than the St Andrew’s Declaration, which outlines much closer collaboration in the ‘Common Calling’ with our brothers and sisters from the Church of Scotland. The declaration was approved by a majority vote which indicated that there was work to do.

There was also much discussion about environmental issues by which we as a Church should continue to address and lead by example. I am acutely aware of the need to reduce our carbon footprint as much as we possibly can, and I look to everyone to be of the same mind. You will have noted recently that I no longer print orders of service. This is not a new concept for me, but rather a return to a previous practice. Of course, I accept that there will be special occasions when a printed order of service is required, however, when that is not the case, we will use the resources already to hand in the way of pre-printed service books etc. By doing this we are making an effort to contribute to the Scottish Episcopal Church’s aim that we can be as environmentally aware as possible in all that we do. I am of course always open to suggestion about other areas we can improve upon.

I very recently completed my training to become a member of the Children’s Hearings Scotland (CHS) panel system. This will not affect my ministry, but enhance it, as it gives me an opportunity to work closely with a team of other dedicated volunteers who have great concern for children and young people in this country. It goes without saying that my priorities will always be as Rector to St Mary’s, however, this enables me to provide outreach in a unique fashion to our community.

I am also now a member of the ‘Global Partnerships Committee’, which is a committee responsible for supporting church projects and people across the world. It enables the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC), to reach out in prayer and commit to the needs of the wider church community. The Global Partnership Committee is part of the Mission board of the SEC and will meet several times a year to discuss and action if necessary, applications received.

I was delighted that our Photograph Competition was such a resounding success. As many of you will know, I have recently just launched the next challenge, which is a ‘Short Poem’ competition. I sincerely hope that this also meets with the same enthusiasm as the previous one.

It continues to be a joy to minister to both St Mary’s and St Andrew’s congregations, and now that restrictions are easing somewhat, I am hopeful of making home visits once more. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t just turn up on your doorstep without prior warning or approval. I have really missed this essential part of my pastoral ministry, and it is really important to me to get back into the groove as far as this is concerned. By the time this is published I hope to have begun visiting again, and where necessary, providing the Holy Sacrament of Communion when requested.

Sunday the 15th of August will be our Patronal Festival and I am hoping to ensure it is one to remember. The easing of restrictions should allow us to accommodate a larger choir, more musical choices and increased involvement from all attending.  We are also using the occasion as a ‘Gift Day’ to St Mary’s as part of our continued fund-raising requirements. Please give this some thought, whether you are able to attend or not.

I would like to conclude by thanking everyone who has volunteered their help over the past several months since our last publication. No matter what type of ministry is undertaken to ensure we are an open, friendly and welcoming church, each is as important as the other which is why I am so grateful for your support in my own ministry as your Rector. To my Vestry Officers, Sacristan, Flower arrangers, church cleaning team, Organist, Rota providers, Readers, Intercessors; to each and everyone who steps through our doors, no matter how often, thank you and may God’s blessing be with you always.

Reverend Canon Terry Taggart

Rector

St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral