The Diocese of Saldanha Bay Bishopshaven 43 Dr Euvrard Street 7300 MALMESBURY Telephone (022) 487 3885 Bishopshaven P O Box 420 7299 MALMESBURY Facsimile (022) 487 3187 The Bishop’s Diocesan Lenten 800km Pilgrimage PILGRIM’S NEWS 3 4th April 2014 BISHOP RAPHAEL ARRIVES IN SPRINGBOK – DAY 31 ALMOST UNBELIEVABLY THE LENTEN PILGRIMAGE ARRIVED IN SPRINGBOK TODAY…. Today was a red letter day for the Pilgrimage, with Bishop Raphael and companions arriving in Springbok – the 31st day of the Pilgrimage where the Bishop and his party were welcomed to the town by the Executive Mayor of the Springbok District Municipality, Mr Bentley Vass and Mayor of the Nama Khoi Municipality, Mr Boeboe van Wyk. They were accompanied by the Speaker of the Nama Khoi Municipality, Mr Lorenzo Faber. The group then processed with traffic officials escorting them into the centre of town and to the ‘Klipkerk’, All Saints Church, where a special ceremony took place. IN BISHOP RAPHAEL’S WORDS REFLECTING ON THIS VERY SPECIAL DAY….. “We walked from Mesklip to Springbok.....another wonderful...silent..solitude..reflective..walk through"gated" farmlands, through which the old N7 gravel road traverses in parts. We see evidence of the old milestones along the way.” “We gathered at the Klipkerk....taken from the Anglican Church during the Apartheid years. And now given back to the Diocese. We took formal reception of the Church today. Together with the Completion Certificate of the new border fence around the Church...looking really very beautiful.” Bishop Raphael and Mr Boeboe van Wyk (on his left) and the Speaker of the Naam Khoi Municipality, Mr Lorenzo Faber (on his right) Archdeacon David Isaacs speaking at the beginning of the ceremony at the ‘Klipkerk’ – Mr Bentley Vass, Executive Mayor of the Springbok District Municipality, is on his right Bishop Raphael and Mr Bentley Vass cut the ribbon, marking the hand-over of the completed perimeter wall at the Klipkerk in Springbok which was funded by a generous donation from the Springbok District Municipality – Mr Vass is holding the Completion Certificate which was handed to Bishop Raphael at the conclusion of the ceremony 2 CONGRATULATIONS TO ARCHDEACON DAVID ISAACS, FR GEORGE ABRAHAMS AND THE PPC TEAMS… Hearty congratulations are in order to the Ven David Isaacs, Rector of St Augustine’s, O’Kiep and Archdeacon of Namaqualand North, Fr George Abrahams, Rector of All Saints, Springbok and all the members of the PPC Teams and community, who worked so hard to support the Pilgrimage and make this historic occasion such a success. We are indeed privileged to be part of a Diocese in which such amazing people come to the fore and make such events occasions of which to be justifiably proud. A CLOSING REFLECTION FROM BISHOP RAPHAEL……. The Vision Statement stanza with which we deal today is both searching and challenging, as summed up by our Bishop, ”Our Vision Statement today calls us to: ‘Strive to be like Mary's Child. Your deepest heart is His heart.’ Our Vision says it like this: "Our hearts ache and echo the radical inclusivity of Mary's Child." ‘Inclusivity’...is the litmus test for me of the genuine religious product...’who is in?’ and ....’who is out.?’ To desire to be like Jesus. Means we are to be radical in our inclusivity...Jesus broke through the toughest and most rigid barriers of exclusion of his day... .....he accepted and affirmed.. ......outcasts ......lepers ......prostitutes ......sinners ......tax collectors ......women ......children ......political extremists ......religious conservitists ......etc..etc..etc... The List is comprehensive showing us so clearly that no one should be excluded from the fellowship.... Why.?....then do we have so many structural and administrative qualifications for membership before we include someone for membership..? Jesus ‘qualifies’ everyone for inclusion....let us be equally radical.” FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 2014 Diocesan Lenten Pilgrimage – Facebook pages: Raphael Hess, Diocese of Saldanha Bay; website: www.dioceseofsaldanhabay.org.za; Twitter: @raphwalks800 and [email protected]. Canon David Mills: Media Liaison for the Diocesan Lenten Pilgrimage Committee (DLP) 3