The congregation only realises quite how much the last one did (while, of course, only working one day a week) during the next interregnum.

I guess it comes with the territory, Ruth, but at least you seem to be philosophical about the whole Rev Murphy syndrome. I am sure nurses, doctors, teachers and other professionals could write their own set of murphy laws. Do you think it is all some kind of test?!
Love
xx

Lissa, or how little while working 7 days a week!

You're blog made me smile!
Having never been to church, I was always under the impression that priests were rather serious figures who had no time for fun or holidays.
Clearly I was wrong! Apologies for that!
My mother is a teacher and her class seem to think that she lives in the school and are awestruck when they see her doing any sort of normal activities like shopping.
I guess I was under the same sort of impression!
Hope you don;t mind my random post.
Chris.

Just adding on: the average age of your flock is 77, but you still have a family service every last Sunday of the month. The time that, despite it being the last Sunday of the month, you decide that it is pointless to introduce a childish game or make your sermon a bit more 'fun', the two little blithers who regularly come bring with them five cousins; the organist takes his five-year-old nephew; and the pastor introduces you to the new young family who has come 'specifically' for the children's service.

Rambling Chris, delighted to hear from you! Comment any time. And you obviously have not been to church if you think clergy are boring - not in our church!! Barking mad, most of them!

I agree with your comment about your mum. I was once in M&S buying black bras (for under clerical shirts!) and this woman just stood and stared at me as if I shouldn't possibly be buying underwear. I noticed that in Ireland there is a company who sell ecclesiastical garments to RC clergy and also include 'normal' clothes like underwear and pyjamas presumably so priest don't have to go into shops for such embarrassing items!!

Angievoluti, I know what you mean. That happened to me once! And the 'fun' service especially for kids and none turned up at all. Actually that time, the adults joined in and said they had much more fun!

Ruth, I have moved from a massive church (where I ran the Sunday school for 5-7 year-olds) to the minutest, oldest church in the area. But it is great fun, and uplifting, in my view. My children, who are only 5 and 3, get a lot of attention as they are the only really small ones, apart from the pastor's son. 'Bright Spark' ladies come to my pew and take them out to play in the nearby rooms. We are privileged.

Angievoluti, you are right. It is a real treat to have your children taken care of church so that you can just sit and 'be'.

I'm with you on that one, Lissa. I read a blog entry recently from a man who has recently 'gone over' to the RC church and hopes to be ordained. He was having a go at the noise some child had made when he was trying to say his prayers, and went on to say it was an affront to Our Lord in the Sacrament!!! It was a most offensive piece of writing and I was moved to comment saying things like 'Suffer the little children' and 'you could try the adult mass on Sat night' and 'walk a mile in their shoes' and 'Our Lord would be delighted to see them at Mass'. Guess what? He didn't allow my comment?