2121

What was today's Camino surprise? After a cool and drizzly start to the day of walking 20km we then rode horses up the steep section of the ascent to the beautiful town of O Cebreiro at 1400m. I'm not sure I so much rode the horse as just sat still while it, very tame and well trained followed it's well known path at walking speed. Still, a lovely alternative to being footsore at the end of the day. 

The town of O Cebreiro is lovely, with outstanding views over the valleys below. Our Camino family is growing with the addition of Max from Boston and Charlotte from Michigan. 

 At the end of dinner I announced that I was going to the evening Mass, and half of the group came to join me which was lovely as I have usually gone to Mass on my own. Josh and I tried to go to Mass a few nights ago in another town but turned up to an empty church so we just said our own prayers. 

I am so enjoying this little group, both for who they are and the fun we have, but also because it takes away the awkwardness of every conversation being an introduction which it was for the few days when I was alone last week. 

Lots to think about as I look back at 2121. 

At the end of 2020 Bishop Anthony asked if I'd move to Epping and Carlingford. He gave me a couple of days to consider (given that I had a 6 year appointment at Chatswood I could have refused). I drove out to both churches to sit in them and pray. I walked up to the altar and looked out over the fews, hoping that no one would see me and suspect anything. 

It felt so very right. I sat in the confessional/ cryroom at the back of OLHC and knew that this would be a place where I could do ministry. And I was coming out of St Gerard's at 3pm on a Friday just as school was coming out, and I observed the affection between parentrs and their children, and knew that this was the place I wanted to be. I messaged the bishop a 'yes', and then moved at the start of the new year. 

Fr Peter Dowd, my wonderful predecessor had a couple of weeks overlap with me and gave me a warm induction, a luxury which rarely happens. I already knew people in Epping from my pastoral placement back in 1995-6, and it was an easy start to the parish. 

Which is good, because the parish came with the added complexity of the OLHC redevelopment project. All the major decisions and planning had been done, my role would be to guide the parish through the physical changes (loss of carpark, hall etc) which would come. But the parish has been remarkably adaptable, coping with what is now the 3rd year of the physical work (soon to be complete we hope). 

Seminarian Hien Vu was appointed to Epping with me for his pastoral placement. I wanted him to have the same wonderful experience of immersion in a faith community which I had all those years ago. The parish embraced him and he did well, bringing his gentle pastoral presence to the community, and learning from them. 

Then, at the end of June, we went back into Covid lockdown, which as we all remember dragged on through the winter months all the way into October. But we didn't know this at the time. It was day by day, week by week extensions, all of us watching the 11am press conference eager. 

I wondered whether it would be worthwhile for Hien to continue the pastoral placement under these conditions, or whether it would be better for him to return to seminary. The bishop decided that he should say, but to do a couple of online theology subjects given the reduced pastoral opportunities. 

But Hien adapted admirably. We began doing 6pm Evening Prayer over Zoom with parishioners, which very soon Hien was organising and leading. Once we were allowed to walk with one other person he started doing rosary prayer walks with people. 

Each Sunday we would go into the church to celebrate Mass, and we would call out the names of all the parishioners whom we know would love to have been there, but couldn't be, and we prayed Mass for them. It was quite poignant.

We found ways to live creatively, praying morning prayer together, each of us going to a run in the afternoon, having one meal together and one meal apart. We watched the press conferences and Australian Ninja Warrior together. 

Hien's patience, resilience and capacity to deal with challenges bodes well for his future ministry as a priest (he was recently ordained). 

In many ways the re-opening of society and the church was more difficult than the lockdown. This was the period of QR codes for entry into venues and limited capacity in venues, requiring us to set up an online booking system for every Mass, and to have welcomers scanning everyone in to Mass. There was the uncertainty about changes in numbers, vaccination status and the potential for surges to shut things down again. But together we managed.

It is only this year though in 2024 that we have again reached the pre-pandemic levels of attendance at Mass.    

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