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Friday, October 5, 2012
Fresh face for Anglican faithful Thanksgiving arrival of new rector gives congregation cause for gratitude
Sharon Tiffin/News staff
Reverend Anne Privett, the new rector of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, sits in the chapel of the church on Elgin Road.
ing a strong and sustained increase in the number of parishioners attending its services. That improved attendance has been maintained, and today the attitude at the church is buoyant. Catherine Young, the Rector’s warden at St. Mary, feels that despite the conTim Collins gregation’s sadness at losing MacquarNews staff rie, they are looking to the future with a grateful and hopeful attitude. “Every last “It’s a good time to begin.” person (in the congregation) is excited That’s how Reverend Anne Privett and pleased,” said Young. “We have so characterizes her Thanksgiving Day ser- much to be grateful for.” mon to the congregation of St. Mary the It’s a gratitude that’s shared by PrivVirgin Anglican Church. It will be her first ett. “I’m very pleased and very grateful sermon to the parishioners and it will to be called to St. Mary,” she said. come only a few days after her arrival at “Newness often brings perspective,” the 101-year-old Oak Bay institution. Privett wrote in her Thanksgiving letter Privett is taking over to parishioners. “It heightfrom Reverend John Mac“I’m very pleased ens how we see things, quarrie, who recently how we interact with what retired from his duties at and very grateful we observe and, as I have St. Mary. learned in these last few to be called to St. “Reverend Macquardays, it can indeed bring rie did a wonderful job at Mary.” forth gratitude.” revitalizing the church,” - Reverend Anne Privett That newness, and new said Rosemary Cameron, perspective, will certainly a longtime parishioner. “We have a chil- face the congregation of St. Mary when dren’s choir now and the Canadian Col- Privett begins her Thanksgiving service. lege of Performing Arts is using our par- She is 28-years-old, female and as the ish hall. We even have a preschool shar- new spiritual leader for a congregation ing our space, so a lot is happening.” that is still predominately made up of That wasn’t always the case. In 2011, older adults, she knows that there may when St. Mary was celebrating its cen- be a period of adjustment for some. tenary, Macquarrie acknowledged that a “That’s yet to be seen,” she said. “I’m few years earlier the attendance at Sun- not concerned.” day services had been sparse. In fact, Borrowing from the Book of ComSt. Mary had survived what Macquarrie mon Prayer, Privett writes that this is an called a near death experience. opportunity for everyone to give thanks, The Anglican diocese of B.C. had con- “not only with our lips, but in our lives.” templated merging the congregations of She writes that giving thanks is not simSt. Philip Church and St. Mary, amal- ply a matter of cultivating an attitude of gamating them under a different name. gratitude but (involves) seeing things That consideration was ultimately dis- again.” carded and by the time of the centenary, PLEASE SEE: the drop in attendance at St. Mary had Attitude linked to faith, Page A9 been reversed, with the church show-
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