Dear Friends 

All Good Gifts 

The year marches on and we are coming towards the end of summer and Harvest will soon be upon us when give thanks for all the good things that we have.    

Many people go through difficult times when, quite understandably, giving thanks does not always feel that easy. However, I think that it does us good to remember all of the things that we do have to say, “Thank you” for.  Some of you might remember this old chorus: 

Count your blessings, name them one by one; 
Count your blessings, see what God hath done; 
Count your blessings, name them one by one, 
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. 

Some versions leave out the last line but I particularly like it because of the word ‘surprise’.  I think that we can often be quite amazed at the number of things that we can be grateful for.  Of course, there are people in the most unfortunate of situations who do not have a lot to be thankful for and it is then that we can try to be of help as we recognise what we have and try to share it with others. 

One of the blessings that we have had in our parish over the last year is Fr Michael Molano who has spent some of his time as curate with us.  Within the next few months at a date that has yet to be arranged Fr Michael will be leaving us to take up a new post as Vicar of Mere and West Knoyle in the county of Wiltshire and Diocese of Salisbury.  Fr Michael has brought a lot to our parish in the time that he has been with us and I am sure that his ministry will continue to be a blessing to his new parishoners.  We wish Fr Michael, his wife Caroline and their children well as they prepare for this new phase of ministry. 

There is also some other ‘ministry moves’ news.  Revd Canon Chris McQuillen-Wright has been appointed as priest-in-charge of Roche and St Dennis and assistant curate of Luxulyan.  This will occupy 70% of his time and the other 30% of it will be ministering as assistant curate in the parishes of which I am the priest-in-charge.  Canon Chris has a great deal of experience of ministry and I am very much looking forward to working with him. 

With grace, peace and every blessing 

Paul 

Revd Canon K Paul Arthur, Priest-in-Charge of Par, Charlestown and Treverbyn