In the last 12 months, the Mhinisteir has had at least 3 requests for exhumation. I will not insult your intelligence by explaining what an exhumation is. I was intrigued by these requests. I used to think that you only exhume a body in extreme circumstances like when a crime has been committed.
The Mhinisteir explained that requests such as these are rarely approved. As the Church yard is a sacred place, there should be very little disturbance. This is why we say rest in peace. Furthermore, when a person is buried, It should be their final resting place.
By the way, I have since learnt that at least one of the person requesting an exhumation is the wife of the deceased. The reason given was that the husband’s grave was vandalised but the real reason is because she is moving away!
At the weekend, my biggest nightmare became true when a dear family member passed away after contracting Covid19. As a mark of respect, I will not be posting anything for the next few days but I hope to return soon.
The seaside town of Whitby, England has long been associated with Dracula and local shops are filled with Dracula memorabilia.
This is causing a big headache to the clergy and staff of the local parish church as each summer, tourists in their droves descend at the church yard looking for Dracula’s grave. Sadly, they are never able to find it!!!!
No wonder. Dracula is a fictional character!!!!!! Ha ha!!!
The Church of England was rebuked at a recent inquest held into the death of a former priest. It mishandled inquiry into false child abuse allegations. The priest took his own life as he could not cope with the investigation. How is one supposed to cope when they are not even told of the nature of the investigation! How cruel! He is not the first priest to have died because of the CofE’s negligence and sadly he won’t be the last!
I think I have said enough on this matter in my previous posts so I won’t say anymore.
However, I would urge all CofE clergy to join the Church of England Clergy Advocates (CECA) who are members of the Faith Workers Branch of Unite the Union. There is a monthly membership fee but I am reliably informed that it will be money worth spent.
The Mhinisteir is a member. If you are a clergy or know of a clergy, please encourage them to join. They will provide clergy with all the necessary support including legal support should (God forbid!) the clergy require it.
By joining, you will also in a small way (through the membership fee) be able to support falsely accused clergy like the Chancellor of Lincoln.
I was involved in a rescue mission at the weekend. The Mhinisteir told me that he had heard a loud thud on his study window when he was on a zoom meeting. We both immediately went outside to look for the bird. It wasn’t difficult to find it. It was a female black bird. She was lying on her back and I could tell from afar that she was breathing. I went to take a closer look but she started flapping her wings without much success. The Mhinisteir told me to back off as he thought I was frightening her!!!
Anyway, I went back inside the house and did a quick google search on bird rescue! I put on a pair of gardening gloves and went back out again, this time without the Mhinisteir as I didn’t want him to hamper my rescue mission. As I went closer to the bird, it started chirping loudly, very loudly. I gently nudged her to her side and within seconds she was off or so I thought!!! She certainly did fly away.
When we came back from Church on Sunday, I decided to water the plants. Something which I don’t tend to do on the Sabbath but it was a really hot day and the plants were withering. Just as I was watering the plants, I heard some noise. Upon closer inspection, it was the female black bird and again she was on her back. It was obvious she was badly injured and she didn’t want me near her. There was absolutely nothing I could do apart from ensuring she was in a dark place and away from the village cats!!!! I also gently sprayed some water on the bush that she was hiding under so that some water might seep through to her beak.
Sadly, she was dead the next day. It was sad but I think it is for the best because there was no point in her suffering.
“Are you the Vicar?” barked the woman who was standing at the door. Seconds earlier, I saw through the kitchen window a very angry woman, wearing bright yellow wellies marching towards the Vicarage door. We have a door bell but she opted to bang on the door.
I wasn’t eavesdropping. I just happened to be preparing breakfast in the kitchen when this happened.
She went on a rant demanding the Mhinisteir do something about her unhappiness there and then.
She is unhappy that the churchyard is getting in the way of her garden. Seriously???? Did she not consider that when she bought the house all that yonks ago????
What a start to our Monday morning!
This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. A few years back, a newcomer to the village complained about the church bells. The matter even went to court after this individual displayed threatening behaviour. Why buy a house right next to the parish church if you want peace and quiet????
Before I go any further, I hasten to add that in the Vicarage we don’t own a television. Actually, we do have an old television (a hand me down) but it is locked in a cupboard somewhere so obviously not plugged in. In case, you are wondering no, we don’t pay TV Licence fee.
Whatever I am going to write is based on a newspaper article so may not be fact.
I read in the Sunday Times that the female BBC newsreader when announcing the death of the Duke of Edinburgh was wearing a brown top and a necklace but within minutes of her announcing the sad news, she had added a jacket to her wardrobe and had REMOVED her necklace! I had to reread the article a few times to understand what was being written. Why did she feel the need to do both? In my humble opinion, she should have been wearing her jacket in the first place sad news or not. Maybe the viewers of the BBC news channel are not worthy of “that level” of respect. I really can’t get my head round as to why on earth she would have felt the need to remove her necklace???!!!
I did wear black to Church on Sunday. I am not a Royalist but it was out of a mark of respect just like the way the Union Jack is flying half mast. By the way, I was the only one in black!
Today would have been old Mrs Bear’s birthday. Sadly, Old Mrs Bear passed away last year.
I have just finished writing a letter to her husband, old Mr Bear. Old Mr Bear has been poorly and he is quite deaf so telephone conversations are difficult. However, I want him to know that he is not forgotten and that he will always be our favourite bear!
Now that I have finished writing the letter, I feel so sad as I will probably never get to see him in person ever again!!!
Contrary to the lies that the media is feeding us in order to brainwash us, Christmas is NOT cancelled!
Christmas will be different in fact very different. How can we expect a normal Christmas when we are in the midst of a GLOBAL pandemic? As we plan and celebrate an abnormal Christmas, maybe we can think about those people who have lost loved ones to this dreadful disease who will forever have empty chairs around their dinner tables at Christmas.
As Christians, we believe that God sent His son to save the world from sin so it is absurd to suggest that (Christ)mas is cancelled.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life – John 3:16
