Sunday 1 February 2009

Nelson cathedral





YIC has attended several services at Nelson cathedral. Known as Christ Church, the cathedral is also the local parish church. The parishioners are welcoming and have even started to recognise YIC as a "regular". This task is made slightly easier for them as YIC always wears the same T-shirt and pair of trousers (as the rest of his gear is reserved for tramping). The dean (Charles Tyrrel) hails from Liverpool, and as is often the case down under, many of the congregation are either ex-pats or can trace their roots back to the UK. This morning was the festival of Candlemas (the presentation of Christ in the temple) where the aged Simeon and Anna feature prominently: Simeon utters the prayer we know as the Nunc Dimittis. The dean used this to emphasise how valued the older members of the congregation were.