Dear Friends and family,

Christmass Letter 2013

Retirement didn’t last long, it’s over and I’ve been Priest-in-Charge, for a year, of St Margaret’s Church here in Navalsig, a residential suburb of Bloemfontein not far from the city centre. The Diocese is so bankrupt that they couldn’t afford to employ a new Rector when our previous one was elected Bishop, so I was appointed as the next best thing. This situation seems likely to continue in 2014. Even though I surprised myself by enjoying retirement, I’m even happier to be back in the saddle. We have a splendid collection of lay people doing most of the work, as well as 3 retired or semi-retired priests. We even have a retired bishop as our organist. There is no reason why the priest should be Chairman of the Parish Council so, although I attend the meetings, the Wardens hold the Chair. This is a blessing which I can recommend to all other parishes.

Our St Margaret is “of Antioch” and not the better known “of Scotland”. The only thing I know about our St Margaret is that she was swallowed by a dragon which found her so distasteful that it vomited her up again alive and well. This doesn’t make preaching on Patronal Festivals any easier! (Sometime in July).

I’m equally mystified about the name of our suburb. Navalsig means naval view but the nearest navy is about 1,000 km away. Although Navalsig is the highest point around, you’d need a pretty powerful telescope to see the navy. However, we do have the new planetarium on top of the mountain, together with an enormous statue of Nelson Mandela, a nature reserve and all the TV & microwave towers and transmitters.

I’ve continued to minister to the Sisters of the Society of the Precious Blood in Lesotho but they have become bankrupt in terms of health & strength as well as financially. They will now disperse at the end of February 2014 and the Convent at Masite will close. A board of Trustees has been appointed to manage the remaining assets and to look after the Sisters wherever they may be. I am one of these Trustees. This is extremely sad for all concerned and traumatic for the Sisters. The Convent buildings go to the Diocese of Lesotho which has plans to turn them into a conference centre.

My birthday this year was a milestone: turned 70 and became an oxygen-stealer. My friend Michael has been a regular visitor, often for his Hospital visits (he’s now experiencing kidney failure and is on do-it-yourself home dialysis). He was here for a few days over my birthday, which was otherwise quiet and uneventful.

My diabetes and heart is still under control and give me no trouble at all. The tinnitus continues to be an extremely annoying noise in the head and medical science continues to be clueless about it. I grew a mysterious large lump on the right side of my face near the ear. At Universitas Hospital this was variously diagnosed as parotitis, cancer or a liphoma. To be on the safe side, they decided to remove it in November. This was an interesting experience, since I’ve never had a general anaesthetic before, though I’ve had 3 very minor and painful surgical procedures without anaesthetic (2 in Kimberley & 1 in Ficksburg). I can recommend the general anaesthetic even though it involves a stay in hospital. The eventual lab result was that the lump was a harmless liphoma.

Please ignore my website/blogspot which I’ve not been updating. Go instead to my Facebook page for all regular news & pictures. (www.facebook.com and then Vic Spencer).

I wish you all a very blessed Christmass season and a peaceful new year in 2014.

Love & Blessings to all.