Thread by @FatherColin1

Day 4 #OfGodandMe
My C of E Ordination was in Durham Cathedral, between the shrines of Ss Bede & Cuthbert. My first curacy was on S Tyneside in a mining parish with estates built to house overspill from Jarrow. My vicar worked hard & expected his curates to do likewise.
1/13

All but three years of my ministry have been in mining & former mining areas. I came to love mining folk & their sense of community. I am aware of the debt our country owes them for their contribution to our prosperity over the years. Sad that is often unrecognised.
2/13

I had fondly imagined that the sight of me in a dog collar and my carefully pondered apologetics would bring people to faith. It didn't happen! But I gained much from the hard work and daily prayer of the parish.
3/13

During this time I married Cyndy, one of two great & good choices of my life. Faithful friend, companion in prayer and walking, one who, like God, loves me even when I am at my worst. Our first son was born in the North East on a cold, snowy night. #DeoGratias
4/13

After 4 years in the North East our family moved to the South West where I became curate of a parish in Weymouth. Most of the posh houses near the sea had become B&Bs, and much of the parish was a mixture of council & private estates. Our second son was born in Weymouth.
5/13

Daily Office and Eucharist continued to sustain my spiritual life, and I did a lot of visiting: I visited every house in the parish at least twice during my 3 years in Weymouth. Great experience! I
6/13

With a young family it was good to be fairly near to my parents in Devon, and not far from Cyndy's parents in Oxfordshire. However, I missed the community spirit of the North, and was happy to be offered the chance to become vicar of Grimethorpe in S Yorkshire.
7/13

Grimethorpe had an Anglo-Catholic tradition which had been enriched by Charismatic Renewal. I had some positive experience of the latter in the North East. I still treasure my 7 years in Grimethorpe, 3 before the miners' strike of 84/5, 1 year during it, and 3 afterwards.
8/13

The strike took over the every aspect of life. Bills were unpaid, houses cold as the allowance of coal stopped. People from posh south coast parishes wrote to me with words of support. One man from the SE sent a monthly cheque which I used to buy logs for parishioners.
9/13

In Grimethorpe our sons started school. They were taught the cornet by members of the famous Colliery Band and joined the Junior Band. I was moved one day when one son asked me: "Dad, do you find that some tunes make you want to cry?" Yes!
10/13

The faithful were a prayerful lot. It's the only C of E parish I worked in where a high proportion of people went to confession. They expected spiritual input from me. I often felt inadequate in this area as I did at supporting them through the strike. I needed help!
11/13

Tomorrow:
#StIgnatiusofLoyola helps me to pray with #SacredScripture and reflect on my life with the Lord. I keep getting a sinking feeling with #StPeter and call on the Lord to rescue me from the storms.
12/13

Summary of today:
Lots of movement but
...where can I go from your spirit, *
or where can I flee from your face?

If I take the wings of the dawn *
and dwell at the sea's furthest end,
even there your hand would lead me, *
your right hand would hold me fast.
Ps 138 (139)

13/13