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Ascension News
Church of the Ascension – The Anglican Church in Hilton, KZN Diocese of Natal, Anglican Church of Southern Africa
Number 8 in 2013 – December ______
In this edition:
Farewell & Thank you Frequently Asked Questions – Nic answers Welcome to the Mosdell Family Parish Milestones & Information
Services for Christmas / January 2014 – insert ______
Dear Parishioners, This is my farewell Parish Magazine note. In the week before Christmas I will also send my final email “Flash”.
It is not possible to thank you all personally, nor will I repeat here the things we said in our Parish Farewells, when Julia spoke on the Saturday evening and I spoke at the 3 services followed by farewell teas. It has been our privilege and pleasure to be your priests, to live in the Hilton rectory and to be part of Hilton parish.
We appreciated the many affirming things said on your behalf by the Church Wardens – wow, they even found new things to say at some of the different events!
We also appreciated what many have said in person, including those who said goodbye before leaving for holidays. It was strange in some ways; although we had already moved out of the Rectory and watched our container being driven off to the Port of Durban, we still had a full month in Hilton.
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A gift from you to us We were publicly told by the Wardens in the farewells that a gift from parishioners has been collected, to be given to us before we leave for Cyprus.
We were earlier asked to get something that we wanted as a memento from the parish. We decided to complement a Dlamini statue sculpted by Trayci Tomkins that Julia had won as a prize from The Witness last year, and so we purchased a couple more of them plus another of Trayci’s amazing sculptures. All but one was packed and is on the high seas in our container, and the one that we kept to show at the farewell will be carefully carried onto the plane.
In summary: Thank you for your love, support, prayers and affection over the years since our arrival in the first half of 2002, even putting up with us when we may have erred or simply didn’t meet some expectations, and for all the encouragement we have received from you. It has been a gift from God to us!
With our love, and assurance of ongoing prayers Nic, Julia, Hannah and Joshua
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Three Hilton Priests / One Date: Sunday 19 January 2014 3 clergy associated with Hilton parish begin new adventures:
Your previous Rector, Nic DD, will conduct the first of his services in Paphos Parish, Cyprus: Both a morning and an evening service in the 400-year-old city church, and a second morning service in a new church in a suburb close to the DD’s new home. On the previous Saturday, the Anglican Bishop of Cyprus and the Persian Gulf will licence Nic as “Chaplain of Paphos” and Julia will be licensed as a priest of the diocese.
Your new Rector, Paul Mosdell, will conduct his first service in Hilton parish. Your Bishop will license him as your Rector in a service to be held in February (info to follow in your leaflets in January).
Your previous Youth Pastor and Assistant Priest, Andy Kruger, will conduct the first service as Rector in his new parish of Scottburgh.
Prayers and support are always welcomed! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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WELCOMING THE MOSDELL FAMILY TO HILTON Notice from Margie Bournes-Harper on behalf of Parish Council
We are anticipating the arrival of the new parish rector and his family from Monday 6 January. In order to help them settle in we would like to provide some meals for the first week and some pantry items such as coffee, tea, sugar, dish washing liquid, etc. If you would like to assist by providing a meal please contact me: 083 251 6363 or e-mail [email protected]
Rae has an allergy to peanuts (tree nuts are fine). Pantry items can be dropped off at the church office before 24 December, or after 6 January when the office re-opens. Your help with this will be greatly appreciated. Margie.
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Nic’s Answers to 2 Frequently Asked Questions Is Cyprus in Greece? No, the Republic of Cyprus is a separate island nation and member state of the EU, populated mainly by Greek people - about 65% - the rest being Turkish, Armenian, Lebanese and a large English-speaking community. It was a colony of the UK until 1960, and has 2 large Military Bases that are sovereign British territory. Cyprus is 100km from southern Turkey, and 100km from the coast of Syria and Lebanon, and you can drive around the island in a morning on excellent highways – and on the left-hand-side as in South Africa!
Will you preach in Greek? Absolutely not! There are a few Greeks and Turks in some of the 10 Anglican parishes on the island, but they are all English-language churches. There is even a Korean priest in one Anglican parish who speaks fluent English, Greek and Turkish – it is a very cosmopolitan island and church!
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REX PENNINGTON – 90th BIRTHDAY Rex Pennington celebrated his 90th birthday on 6th November. His wife Sarah hosted a parish tea for him on Sunday 10th November. A former parishioner now living in the UK, Robin Stranack, notified us of a booklet about his amazing World War Two experiences published by the Natal Carbineers. Rob emailed: “There are still some copies available at the Carbineers office at the Drill Hall in Pietermaritzburg and for somebody interested in military history, it's a good read. Alternatively contact Col. Mottram. The respective email addresses are [email protected] or [email protected].” See further notes on the Church Notice Board.
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PARISH NEWS BAPTISED: 10 November: Pippa Blomfield
DEATHS: Brian Lloyd Beryl Ellis, mother of Ross Ellis Jeanne Comrie, Shirley Forsyth Joan Ray
GRANDCHILDREN Ava Lynne, grand-daughter for Des & Rupert Rencken
NEWCOMERS: Ann Roberson Jo Roberson Peter & Brenda Leyland-Smith
APPOINTMENT OF A NEW RECTOR On behalf of the Bishop of the Diocese, Rubin Phillip, and our Area Bishop, Tsietsi Seleoane, the Church Wardens were very pleased to announce on Sunday 27 October that they had appointed The Revd Paul Mosdell to be the new Rector of Hilton Parish. Several notes about them were published in the weekly leaflets and email “Ascension Flash”. We look forward to welcoming Paul and Rae, and their children Jenilee (16) and Casey (9), when they move into the Rectory on Monday 6 January; Paul’s first services will be on Sunday 19 January.
The Denny-Dimitriou family depart SA for Cyprus on Tuesday 31 December. Please note that Nic & Julia are available for ministry until services on Christmas Day, but not after that. Ron Nicolson will lead Sunday services, Tom Fawdry will lead Thursday services, and Ron will be available for emergencies only: 082 302 6173
OFFICE HOURS: Monday – Friday 9h00 – 13h00 The Church is open daily from 07h00 - 16h00
Telephone: 033 343 3012 or 343 1235 Fax: 033 343 1235 or 086 542 0145
Administrator: Julia Lloyd 033 343 4476 (h) Receptionist: Heather Anderson 033 343 3468 (h) Rector: Nic Denny-Dimitriou 082 458 8397 Assistant Priest: Julia Denny-Dimitriou 082 458 8392 Youth Pastor: Vacant
Email Addresses: Nic Denny-Dimitriou [email protected] Julia Denny-Dimitriou [email protected] (continuous) Julia Lloyd [email protected] Heather Anderson [email protected]
Web site: www.ascension.org.za Post: P O Box 282 Hilton, 3245