Drastic change

The choir party with Louise Sage and Fr Adrian 

Reading the Christmas letters up to 2003 there is nothing but progress with choirs flourishing at Our Lady's. Fr Gary was replaced as assistant by Fr Adrian. There is no sense of impending crisis which came on Good Friday 2004. I need to be careful what I write. Our new priest did have some good features. I liked having lectio divine on the gospel at the start of liturgy meetings. His changes of mood were very difficult to cope with especially just before Mass or immediately afterwards. Actually clergy should NEVER change things at the last moment. There is seldom a good reason for this. One example will suffice although I should have spotted the signs much earlier. Shrove Tuesday we entertained at home with brandy pancakes and all was sweetness and light. The very next evening  I was informed that the choir was not wanted at Ash Wednesday. We always sang at the evening Mass. That he lost it and reprimanded me in front of a full church on Good Friday was appalling. Somehow we got through the Vigil and Easter day. The following Wednesday he demanded that I resign which I refused to do. I was extremely upset. Liz was never consulted. Both choirs were finished. After 19 years of unremitting service I had lost my parish and a huge part of my life. A stormy AGM and appeals to the bishop made no difference. Sadly people I had encouraged to become Catholics never went back to Mass. Barry Williams gave me the best advice which was to remove all my music. Amazingly I kept going to Mass although Liz often left in tears. We toured local ch urches and the liturgy was dire no music or indifferent, poor preaching. Richard Moth was one priest who enquired about me. Do not forget I was very well-known in the deanery.
I have today 30/4/20 destroyed all the paperwork. It has taken a long time to come to doing this. I also wrote to the priest concerned about 4 years ago and pointed out that I was to be his host at a Catenian function and it was time to bury the hatchet. He replied immediately. At least we now greet each other and he is retired. I have returned to Mass at Addiscombe quite calmly.