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Volume 8, Issue 4 1111 1 11
April 2017
What’s HAPPENING
@ happening
d
From the Garden of Remembrance, Christ Church Constantia.
EASTER EDITION
Christ has died...
Christ is risen...
Christ will come again
When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died; my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride. (Continued on page 2)
2 | P a g e W H A T ’ S H A P P E N I N G
EASTER AND HOLY WEEK
Monday 10 April 7pm
Stations of the Cross
Tuesday 11 April 7pm
Stabat Mater
presented by Christopher Ainslie
(tickets at R120 on sale at the door)
Wednesday 12 April 7pm
Easter cantata by the
Christ Church Choir
– from the Manger to the Cross
Thursday 13 April 7pm
Maundy Thursday service
Good Friday 14 April 10am
Family service
Good Friday 14 April Noon
Three-hour devotion
Easter Sunday 16 April
Services at 5.30am, 7.30am, 9.15am,
11am (Family service), 6.30pm
(Continued from Page 1)
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
save in the death of Christ, my God;
all the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.
See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown.
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.
(Text: Isaac Watts)
From the wardens Incredible response to IY blaze
It is not often that the wardens’ report
commences with an appeal. However, in the
circumstances, we are sure you will agree
that it is fully justified. Following the
devastating fire at Imizamo Yethu which left
many homeless, the Christ Church
Constantia family, with many others, rallied
together collecting clothing, non-perishable
food and household items.
The overwhelming response in coming to
the aid of fellow human beings has been
incredible. Laden vehicles made countless
trips to St Peter’s in Hout Bay where the
goods were distributed to those affected.
If, for whatever reason, you have missed the
various announcements and feel you can
make a difference, it is not too late to
3 | P a g e W H A T ’ S H A P P E N I N G
contribute. At this stage non-perishable food
items are urgently required and these may be
dropped off at the church office.
To those who have contributed donations or
loaded and delivered goods to Hout Bay, our
heart-felt thanks; it will go a long way to
assist the destitute.
See ‘God’s work so evident’ – page 10
Our annual vestry meeting is now something
of the past and we bid farewell to Donald
Todd, Jill Buchanan, Verlen “Ginger” Seipp
and Tebogo Naledi.
Don, after many years on the parish council
and serving as a warden, has decided to hand
over to Grant McWilliams and, while Don
will continue duty as a lay minister and serve
on the fellowship committee, his role as a
warden will be missed.
Don, you can look back with pride at some
of the projects undertaken during your
tenure as warden.
Jill will continue with her involvement in
Outreach as well as keeping the stewards on
their toes with the stewards roster and
endeavouring to standardise procedures.
A grandchild in the UK and another on the
way pull at the Buchanans’ heart strings with
an urge to visit as often as possible.
To the Buchanan family, we pray all goes
well with the birth of your second UK
grandchild.
Verlen and Ruth intend stepping up their
travels and we trust that while the two of
you are active in one way or another you
won’t disappear for too long.
Tebogo, while extremely involved in the
youth, has, as a result of his new job, to
commute to Johannesburg regularly.
This in itself is stressful; our best wishes in
your “newish” position.
Thank you to all of you for your
contribution over the past year, thereby
ensuring that the affairs of Christ Church
continue to run smoothly and professionally.
We welcome Tracey Appollis and Ruby
Klazen as council members and pray that
you will find the next 12 months fruitful.
Saskia’s dual role
With Saskia taking on the position as
alternate warden she will, for the remainder
of the year, have a dual role as she continues
as treasurer. However, we would like to find
a suitable replacement as treasurer and,
should you feel that you are able and willing
to take over this important part of our
ministry, please contact Saskia or Terry.
From a warden’s perspective the old saying
of “all quiet on the western front” has
applied recently.
Over the past two years we have been
involved in alterations to the administrative
block and cottages. But there is never a dull
moment at Christ Church and with ageing
buildings, prompt maintenance remains a
priority, thereby eliminating unnecessary
costs in the longer term.
We are fortunate that John James and our
verger James Grootboom keep a beady eye
out for matters requiring attention.
Mike and Grant
4 | P a g e W H A T ’ S H A P P E N I N G
Personality of the Month
Cheers! Paddy on her balcony in typical
sundowner pose.
Paddy walks on the
bright side of life..............
Think red wine and green fingers and
colourful Paddy McPherson may well come
to mind. The popular, jovial, long-serving
supporter of Christ Church has sometimes
had it rough but her vibrant personality and
positive attitude have pulled her through.
She has been a PA, a paralegal, a fashion
sales co-ordinator, a bit of a globe-trotter,
and – here’s a surprise – she is a published
author!
But Paddy is perhaps best known for being
the enthusiastic leader of wine appreciation
groups for many years. It started with wine
introduction lessons when Paddy was PA to
Sam Berk who owned the Drop Inn Group.
This was sold and she worked for Berk
Enterprises until she was 75.
“I don’t know how they put up with me,”
she says but every year she still gets two
bottles of wine for Christmas.
After retirement she led the wine-tasting
visits for U3A (the University of the Third
Age), and these days does the same for
Christ Church. She has loved every minute it
of it. “It has taught me so much. I have met
so many lovely, interesting people ... oh,
golly!”
Paddy is also a survivor. As she sits in a
comfortable armchair in her Riverside Place
apartment, her “SPCA special” Annie at her
feet, she recounts her close call with death as
a child.
During WW2 she and her sister often
sheltered under a heavy old oak table as
German bombs whistled down on their
English village.
Her parents wanted them out of danger,
booking the two girls on an evacuation ship
bound for Canada. Thankfully they had a
last-minute change of mind and cancelled
their tickets. A U-boat torpedo sank the
vessel in mid-Atlantic and all the children
perished.
Paddy’s father, an RAF officer, served in
Singapore but when the Japanese conquered
the island he escaped to Java where he was
captured and spent three-and-a-half years in
terrible conditions.
In the camp he befriended a man they all
called “Max”. “Max” was actually the Sultan
of Pontianak in Borneo, but 17 of his
forebears had been beheaded by the
5 | P a g e W H A T ’ S H A P P E N I N G
Japanese, so he was incognito. They
remained friends and after the war met up in
London and Paddy’s father and mother also
visited him in The Hague and were shown
all over the royal palace as he was aide-de-
camp to Queen Juliana.
Her father visited him in Pontianak on a
mission to buy their hard woods but the
Korean War put a stop to that.
Her father also helped Tretchikoff to get
out of Java after his internment and the
artist stayed at their home in England for a
few months.
The family came to South Africa in 1947 and
lived in Redhouse near Port Elizabeth. In
those days there were few options for
working girls so Paddy went to commercial
college. She worked for a leather indent firm
for eight years. She married and had a
family.
“I started work again when my youngest was
10 out of necessity and became a fashion
sales co-ordinator at Valley Textiles before I
returned to England.
“Before starting work in London, I took my
two sons to Canada to spend Christmas with
my sister.
“In London I .discovered a new ‘with-it’
agency owned by a Canadian woman who
stabled her horse in the Buckingham Palace
mews!
“She found me interesting temping jobs and
one was at Alcoa, the American Aluminum
Co., and I started up their Knightsbridge
office. .They then took me on permanently,
and after a year became the PA to the MD
Great Britain.
“When the dollar rate fell the Yanks
returned to the States and the English
unions took over the office. I did not want
to work for them.”
Paddy saw an advertisement in the “Lady”
magazine for a job “working with hotels” in
Bermuda. She applied as she had done a lot
of work with hotels for Alcoa, but they
replied ‘sorry, you don’t have the right hotel
experience’.”
Shortly afterwards she applied for a job with
the Deputy Speaker of the House of
Commons and went for the interview to a
beautiful 17th century home and farm. The
job also offered a cottage on the property.
She got on well with the high-flying
politician but then the wife joined them and
when Paddy asked if she could have a dog if
successful, the wife replied “only if it’s a
whippet”. Paddy did not
get the job.
Paddy continued with her
dream of Bermuda and
when a letter arrived at
Alcoa requesting a job
from an unknown
Bermudian,she quickly wrote and did the
same to his boss. Eventually she arrived in
Bermuda and worked as a temp but just
before she left she received a letter from the
Deputy Speaker in which he advised “Mrs.
Thatcher’s secretary has let me down. Would
you come and work for me?” Too late.
She did some temp work for Michael
Murphy, international tax lawyer for
American International Group (AIG) and
one evening he approached her on the
homeward ferry and offered her a
6 | P a g e W H A T ’ S H A P P E N I N G
permanent job “at an exceptional salary”.
However, next evening on the same ferry he
apologised to her. “I gave you the wrong
figure.” However, she took the job.
“He was a tax genius, a lovely tall, mad
American Irishman. Oh, the stories I could
tell about Murphy, as we called him. He and
his assistant, Norma, taught me to become a
paralegal. Between the two of us we handled
over 100 companies, all the minutes, board
meetings, etc. It was a great job.”
When the grandchildren started arriving
Paddy gave up her lovely island home to
return to Cape Town.
Globetrotter? “In Bermuda you get back
your UIF payments when you turn 65,” says
Paddy. “So I got mine back and in l997 and
I bought a round-the-world air ticket to visit
my old friends.
“I traced
the two
New
Zealand
airmen who
treated our home as theirs during WW2, and
I stayed with them. Then on to San
Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver island,
Bermuda and London before finishing up
with my sister who had moved to Portugal.”
Author? When she visited her school friend
on Vancouver Island, her friend handed
back all the letters Paddy had written of her
early life in South Africa and had kept them
for 35 years.
Paddy included them all in a book entitled
“Dear Jen, letters from a young Rooinek”
and got it published in London.
How well did it sell? Paddy admits she is no
Wilbur Smith and unfortunately the
publisher went bankrupt shortly after
publication.
Paddy first attended Christ Church
Constantia in 1988. She says that she and
Maureen Kilcullen have sat in the same pew
for all these years. Robin Rattle used to sit
in the pew in front and Paddy recalls that the
then rector, Keith Griffiths “picked terrible
hymns” and she and Robin would habitually
grimace at each other.
Paddy is a long-serving steward (of the
7.30am variety) and loves the Anglican
Prayer Book service. Over the years she has
organised Art-in-the-Church, open gardens
and the “Simply Delicious” cookbook to
raise church funds.
With Moses Jaftha she is co-convener of the
plant stall at the annual Spring Market in the
church grounds. She already has plants in
pots on her small balcony, and plans to plant
more.
Paddy settled in Harfield before moving to
Lakeside in 1991. She has two sons, five
grandchildren and a great-grandson. One
son is a lawyer and lives in Llandudno, and
the other has a franchise business “Mr
Oven” and lives in Simon’s Town.
She moved to Riverside Place, a CPOA
complex in Diep River only in July last year
but clearly she has already made an impact.
When What’s Happening arrived at the
security boom and asked to see “Mrs.
McPherson”, the guard’s face lit up. “Ah,
you’re coming to see Paddy,” he said. But
then Paddy’s charisma brings out the bright
side in all of us.... David Hill
7 | P a g e W H A T ’ S H A P P E N I N G
Sharing the sacrament at the monthly Healing
Service in the chapel are (from left): Pam
O’Brien, Jennifer Stewart, Mkhuseli Lujabe,
Eileen Cruise, Jesse Lund and Grant
McWilliams.
A little-known service
to treasure..................................
An Anglican Prayer Book states in a preface
entitled “Healing in Christ”:
“Our Lord Jesus Christ proclaimed the
coming of the kingdom of God not only by
preaching but also by healing the sick. He
brought healing in all its fullness: physical
cures, the healing brought by forgiveness of
sin, restoration of broken relationships,
assurance of salvation, acceptance of the
sinner by God. His miracles are evidence of
God’s desire that his people should be
completely whole: healthy in body, mind and
spirit, holy in life.”
The Healing Service held on the first
Monday of each month at 7pm in the chapel
is one of the little-known treasures of Christ
Church Constantia.
The service sees a group of parishioners, led
by a member of the clergy, gather to support
and pray for those in need of healing.
It opens with warm greetings, then a report
by Pam Sanger, the lay minister whose
particular responsibility is the visiting of the
sick. This is followed by requests for prayer
by anyone who has attended for this
purpose.
The Eucharist specifically includes the
names of those listed on the weekly pew
leaflet which are read out and anyone
present needing special prayer may receive
anointing with oil (James 5:14).
Invariably the Gospel reading of the day
highlights Christ’s healing ministry and
reinforces our faith in his continued
powerful presence in our lives.
We would encourage attendance whether as
a petitioner or a supporter of those in need.
Donald Stewart and Jessie Lund
Taking The Word to old-age homes in the
southern suburbs are (from left): Ernest Deane,
Marvel Billett, the Rev. Mkhuseli Lujabe, the
Ven. Terry Lester and Pam Sanger. (The Rev
Donald Stewart was not available for the photo.)
Bringing comfort to our
extended family..................
If they can’t come to church, we take the
church to them! Every week Christ Church
Constantia reaches out to those who often
can’t make it to one of our church services.
8 | P a g e W H A T ’ S H A P P E N I N G
The clergy, lay ministers and helpers visit six
old-age homes in the southern suburbs
bringing the comfort of a monthly eucharist
to elderly and frail residents. The places
served by the church are: Anchusa, Cle du
Cap, Constantia Place, Princess Christian
Home, Rathfelder and Trianon.
The clergy – Terry Lester, Mkhuseli Lujabe
and Donald Stewart - take turns in leading
the services and giving sermons. Lay
ministers Pam Sanger (Constantia Place, Cle
du Cap), Ernest Deane (Rathfelder) and
Marvel Billett (Anchusa, Princess Christian
Home) assist.
Marvel has had a special book printed which
simplifies the eucharist service, making it
easier for those who struggle to follow the
readings and prayers. Staff at the various
homes often join the services.
Copies of What’s Happening are also to be
distributed at the homes to keep residents
abreast of activities, events and personalities
at Christ Church.
This compassionate work offers an
important connection with those who feel
remote from the church and brings great
comfort to the elderly, infirm, and often
lonely parishioners who are our extended
family.
Our task must be to free ourselves... by
widening our circle of compassion to
embrace all living creatures and the
whole of nature and its beauty – Albert
Einstein.
What’s Happening
postbox
I wish you all
many blessings..........................
From Jo Burke:
Dear Terry, Mkhuseli, Phyllis, Colleen, Jean,
Pam, Marvel, Donald, Annastacia, Louis,
Gail, Penny, James, Bishop Christopher,
David and everyone, including all those
whose names I have missed but who have
been so welcoming, to me.
Jo Burke...”you
made me gasp
with envy”.
Greetings
from cold,
wet and
blustery
England! My
time with you
was far too
short: just shy of two weeks. I came on
a“placement”, a necessary part of my
training for ordination. I hope to be
ordained deacon on 2 July. God willing.
I justified my visit to sunny South Africa by
telling myself – and the principal of my
training course - that it would help me in
ministry to have experienced the discomfort
of being an outsider in a church abroad. But
you all foiled this plan.
I felt comfortable and welcome the second
I met Terry, and felt increasingly at home as
he introduced me to Donald and Bishop
Christopher, as Gail came and introduced
9 | P a g e W H A T ’ S H A P P E N I N G
herself and as I found your 9.15 service so
familiar.
The friendly company of other Christians,
and our near identical liturgy and music, all
helped me settle quickly. (I did love “Amen
Siyakudumisa”, which I had never met as
liturgy before.)
I broke the tenth commandment no more
than once a minute: my home church is a
12th century building with a roof much eaten
by death watch beetle, in a small rural village.
Your well-kept gardens, buildings, facilities
and even running water left me gasping with
envy.
Terry and Mkhuseli educated me too, which
was the real benefit of my visit. I was an
impossibly naive student, but they patiently
took me visiting both in Constantia and in
townships and then back again.
The emotional effect was like that of being
plunged repeatedly from a cold to a hot
bath. They bore with my questions and
musings, and have sent me home much less
ignorant, but with many more questions and
a strong love of South Africa and its warm
and varied people.
My deepest, grateful thanks to you all. I wish
you many blessings - and I wish you the rain
for which you long.
With much love....
Bishop for the birds……………………... From Hugh Fichardt:
What do you think of Bishop Christopher changing his initials to … G G (guineafowl Gregorowski )?
Puzzled by the bell ringing........
From Arthur Clarke:
I think you do a great job with What's
Happening.
I’m just a little bit
puzzled by the bell
ringing at the Eucharist -
usually two rings. I spent
about 11 years at St
Michael and All Angels
which was high church. There we used to
have three rings at the consecration (if I
remember correctly) and another single ring
somewhat earlier on the words in the Book
of Common Prayer “...until His coming
again”.
I have to say I rather miss the genuflections
and sacred rubrics etc ... but to keep matters
simple: why ring bells at all during the
service? What’s the derivation?
Editor’s comment: Many thanks, Arthur. I
think we are all a little confused about the
bell-ringing. I’m a steward and I believe the
instruction is to ring it three times at the
consecration which I try to do (to coincide
with hand-bell ringing in the sanctuary).
Unfortunately, either because we are
unskilled or it’s a difficult contraption to
manage, we tend to fudge it.
The exception is James the verger who has
the knack. Mind you, he sometimes “cheats”
by popping out through the doors and
pulling on the rope on the outside of the bell
tower.
Anything ring a bell for you? Send your letters to the
What’s Happening postbox at [email protected]
10 | P a g e W H A T ’ S H A P P E N I N G
Making ‘water justice’ waves.....
From Mariette Daubenton:
To the Christ Church Constantia
Green Team
Dear Friends, Look what you started!
Do you know how we have always spoken
about small actions that we do are like
ripples in a pond and we never know where
or what is going to stop them?
The information session in Philippi on
February 18 was just one such action – take
a look at how far the waters have rippled.
In his address “Water Justice – What can
churches do?” in an international broadcast,
the Archbishop of the Anglican
Communion of Southern Africa, the Most
Reverend Thabo Makgoba, acknowledged
your contribution to the fight to protect the
Philippi Horticutural Area and underlying
aquifer. This to inspire worshipping
communities in the States, Canada, Panama,
Australia to follow your lead.
Thank you!
God’s work so evident................
From Jill Buchanan:
The Outreach team at Christ Church would
like to thank all for the amazing response to
the appeal after the fire in Hout Bay.
The parish office was inundated with bags
and boxes of clothes, household goods and
urgently needed non-perishables. These were
transported to St Peter’s church in Hout
Bay, who were able to offer support to their
devastated congregants.
On one of my many trips to Hout Bay,
God’s work was so evident as I handed over
a bag of baby nappies. A young mother had
just been telling the minister there that she
was wanting nappies – and they arrived.
Thanks to our electronic noticeboard we
were able to appeal not only to our
churchgoers but passing motorists who also
dropped off donations. Food and toiletries
can still be dropped off at church but,
thanks to your generosity, St Peter’s no
longer requires clothing.
Our shop now on Facebook......
From Rosemary Summers:
I have started a Facebook page for our
church shop, advertising some of its
delightful treasures and things. It would be
great if some of our members could like and
share
this
page.
I have
invited
family
and
friends
to like
the
Bob Summers in the shop. It is open on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
page and my son Craig and his wife Sheila
are sharing it among their friends to help
support us. It is titled “Charity Shop
Community Outreach”.
11 | P a g e W H A T ’ S H A P P E N I N G
Remember those in the cold......
Blanket & Jersey Sunday is May 7 this year.
Please get busy knitting and buying - and get
ready to help with this major contribution to
keeping the needy warm in winter.
Your Outreach Team will collect jerseys and
cash for blankets and these will be
distributed to hundreds of people. You can
collect plastic bags for jerseys from servers
and place them in the baskets or deliver in
office hours. Note that food donations can
continue to be placed in the baskets.
Collections will take place on Sundays April
23, 30 and May 7; sorting and distribution
on Monday May 8, starting at 9am in the
hall. (Clothes sorting team please note this
date is also for the May sorting).
Please make your donations to this fund
through cash/envelopes (donation boxes) or
through bank transfer to: Standard Bank,
Constantia branch (025309); account :name:
Christ Church Constantia; account no.
071699120; reference: “blankets”.
Any questions, contact the parish office
(021-794 5051). Thank you for your support.
- The Outreach Team.
DIARY (other than Easter services)
Sunday 9 April
Admission of parish councillors
No healing service on Monday May 1
Wednesday 3 May Seniors’ Tea
Sunday 7 May 3pm Concert
Cellist Peter Martens plays at Christ Church on Sunday May 7.
Top cellist plays Bach................
Eminent South African cellist Peter Martens
performs at the next monthly concert at
Christ Church Constantia on Sunday May 7.
He will play two of Bach’s Suites for
unaccompanied cello (numbers 1 and 6), and
after interval, two of Beethoven’s popular
sonatas with piano, Op 17 and 69, with
Portuguese master pianist, Luis Magalhães.
The two artists won the 2011 Classical
Music South African Music Award for their
recording of the complete Beethoven
sonatas. Joanne Talbot of the Strad wrote:
“Martens delivers brilliantly incisive and
spirited accounts of all these works”.
Martens was a principal in the New Arts
Philharmonic and Cape Philharmonic before
moving to the University of Stellenbosch
where he is director of the Stellenbosch
International Chamber Music Festival and
artistic administrator, Department of Music.
Luis Magalhaes has been described as
“possessing a wonderfully full sound”
(American Record Guide) and a “polished,
12 | P a g e W H A T ’ S H A P P E N I N G
refined technique” (Allmusic.com). He is an
artist of global standing, having performed
all over Europe, in Brazil, China and Japan.
The concert starts at 3pm. Tickets at R100
can be booked by contacting Anne
Burrough on 021 701 0861 or 082 218 0100
or by writing to [email protected] and
paid for (cash or snapscan) at the door (no
later than 2.45pm please). Seating restricted
to 375, so may sell out before the day.
Dedicated Giving letters error... From Sheila Thompson:
Unfortunately, due to a clerical error, the
annual Dedicated Giving letters have
detailed your contribution for 2015 instead
of 2016. If you would like clarification of
your 2016 contribution please phone me on
021 762 3805, or email
[email protected] and I will
supply you with the correct details.
Uncollected letters have been withdrawn and
those who failed to collect their letters can
also contact me if they wish.
Sincere apologies for this error and any
inconvenience caused.
Sarah Fenton with cuddly toys bound for the
little ones of Imizamo Yethu.
Appeal for soft toys for toddlers
of Imizamo Yethu......................
An appeal has gone out for teddies and soft
toys to give comfort to the infants of
Imizamo Yethu whose families lost
everything in the devastating shack fire.
Sarah Fenton, who sings in the choir, is
collecting the toys for delivery to the Centre
for Life in Imizamo Yethu.
Her son Jack (11), a server at Christ Church,
has given up his teddy for the cause. “The
teddy meant a lot to him so it was a tough
decision,” said Sarah, “but Jack really wanted
to help.”
You can contact Sarah on 076 781 6201 if
you have cuddly soft toys to donate, or take
them to the church office.
Christ Church Constantia Telephone 021 794 5051 [email protected]
www.christchurchconstantia.co.za