Sisters and Brothers in Christ, as the holiday season begins to drift into the realms of memory and history we turn to look forward to what lies ahead.

And for the Benford family this involves a wedding and a baptism: Lorraine and I will be travelling to York in the UK for our eldest daughter’s wedding (Ashley is marrying Richard) and our grandson Jack will be baptised. We will be out of the Diocese for about three weeks, and in my absence the Vicar General – Rev’d Canon Gary Griffith-Smith – will be holding the reins, and he can be contacted via the Diocesan Office.

Having very much enjoyed being Acting Dean of the Cathedral for the last 18 months, I am delighted to be able to welcome the Very Rev’d Dr Tony Curtis SCP to Dunedin to take up the permanent position. Fr Tony – with his wife Rachel Slade, and children Gabriel and Ziva arrived in Dunedin last week, and are beginning to set up their new home. Fr Tony will be welcomed by the Cathedral community this Sunday – 26th January – and formally installed as Dean at a Diocesan Service on February 23rd at 4.00pm. (This has been arranged to be before Lent so that a suitable celebration can follow, and I would like as many from the Diocese to be there as can make it).

New Years come with new challenges and goals which can be both excite and generate fear. There are likely to be times of laughter as well as tears, times to build up and let go, opportunities to forgive and be forgiven… Let’s walk into this year with Jesus Christ, and together take delight in all God has made for us.

+S