VIRTUAL HOLIDAY: DAY 3 - SUDAY IN MADEIRA




OFF TO CHURCH

Today, being Sunday, after another excellent breakfast we set off for church. A taxi was ordered for us by the hotel and booked to return and collect us in a couple of hours later. 
The Church is a very English 19th century building. Foursquare externally it is set in exquisite gardens. Entering it, the interior is domed with a colonnaded circular interior and a sanctuary in an apse at the east end. The first English services were provided by passing chaplains on warships, until the 700 or so English residents contributed enough money to build the church and maintain a regular priest. It is part of the Diocese of Europe. Sadly, they too are under coronavirus lockdown, unable to meet at church, so my memories are of our previous visit when the church was full with a large congregation,(100+) many of whom, I discovered, were visitors like ourselves. I gathered, later, that the active church members are few in number, but there was a small choir and an excellent organist. The service was common worship – just as we are used to, with a good sermon provided by a locum priest who was there for four weeks: the church was in a vacancy, although an appointment has now been made.



After the service the congregation moved outside were refreshments were served: tea, coffee, cake, biscuits, a glass of Madeira and visitors were made to feel very welcome. We stayed for about an hour, enjoying good conversation and company, until our taxi returned to take us back to the hotel where we enjoyed a lunch ordered in the bar.

A REMINISCENCE

All this reminded me of the time I had at the start of 1992 when I felt the need for a sabattical, and took myself off to Lanzarote (Canary Islands) to look after the church there for about three months. The island has a large English community and a church but a small church council. They had no building of their own, but the Catholics were extremely hospitable and the morning service in the Catholic church started about 12.15 (as soon after the Catholic Mass as was possible). Generally, there were 70+ in the congregation because the church Council members were brilliant at going round all the hotels and apartment blocks putting up notices about the church to invite visitors to join us. Apparently, there were active Christians of another persuasion who went round taking them down!
After the service, there being no tea making facilities, a glass of wine was served at the back of the church – this spilled out into the street, just near the harbour, and it was all very convivial. I found it a useful place to make contact with folk and met a lot of holiday makers with problems who came on holiday to escape their problems but found the problems came with them….  I then drove down to Playa Blanca where, again we had an evening communion in the Catholic Church. Fewer numbers, but always a good service!

All that by way of reminiscence! If you cannot do that on a virtual holiday when can you?

Sunday afternoon is a very lazy time. A time to wander round the garden, read, have a swim before heading to the bar for a preprandial drink followed by dinner: another great meal! And so to bed for tomorrow we will do a far bit of walking after a cable car ride, so we need a good night's sleep to  be fresh and ready.



A Prayer for those affected by coronavirus.

Keep us, good Lord,
Under the shadow of your mercy.
Sustain and support the anxious,
Be with those who care for the sick,
And lift up all who are brought low;
That we may find comfort
Knowing that nothing can separate us from your love
In Christ Jesus our Lord.

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