Falklands : New Role for Alex Saunders
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 29.07.2009 (Article Archived on 12.08.2009)
Alex Sanders was ordained deacon at a moving service in the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary in Chester on Sunday July 6th.
Photos: Donated by The Rev Kathy Biles
NEW ROLE FOR ALEX SAUNDERS
By the Rev Kathy Biles
Familiar faces – The Rev Paul Sweeting, Deacon Alex Saunders and the Rev Kathy Biles.
Alex Sanders was ordained deacon at a moving service in the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary in Chester on Sunday July 6th.
There was an atmosphere of excitement as the family members and friends who packed the church waited for the arrival of those to be ordained. Among those present to support Alex were her husband Nick (former Chief Magistrate of the Falkland Islands), daughters Emily and Lizzie and other family members, together with local friends and former and current Falklands residents: Richard and Sarah Baker, David and Helen Snape, John and Sylvia Cole, and Keith Biles.
First to enter was the Cathedral choir, who sang a traditional Fijian melody ‘Let all the islands rise and sing’. As the congregation rose to join in the hymn, ‘All creatures of our God and King’, a procession of supporting clergy and readers followed, among them former Rector of the Falkland Islands, Rev’d Paul Sweeting, and Assistant Minister of Christ Church Cathedral, Stanley, Rev’d Kathy Biles. Next came the ten female and eleven male ordinands and the Bishops of the diocese of Chester.
After a greeting and prayers of penitence, Alex and her fellow ordinands were presented by name. Then came the Bible readings: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 and Romans 12:1-5, followed, after the hymn ‘Let all the world in every corner sing’, by a reading from the Gospel of St John 13:1-17.
In his sermon, the Right Rev’d Frank Sergeant, former Bishop at Lambeth, recommended that the new deacons should ‘serve Him with mirth, his praise forthtell’ and approach their parishioners with a ‘lightness of touch’ which would ensure that their congregations would be ‘jolly glad to have them’.
Then came the ordination itself. The ordinands made declaration of their intent ‘by the help of God’ to be diligent in prayer and in reading Holy Scripture, to make known the love of Christ, to be an example to God’s people, to work with their fellow servants and to ‘stir up the gift of God that is in you, to grow in holiness and grace’. After further prayer, the Bishop laid hands on each ordinand in turn, praying ‘Send down your Holy Spirit on your servant for the office and work of a deacon in your church’, after which the ordinands were dressed for the first time in their white ordination stoles or black prayer scarves and each was presented with a Bible. Without exception, they looked radiant with joy.
During the exchange of the Peace which followed, the newly ordained deacons nearly disappeared under a sea of friends and family who wanted to wish them well. Well over a thousand people then shared Holy Communion before the service ended with the hymn, ‘God of grace and God of glory, on thy people pour thy power’.
After the service there was a reception for the newly ordained deacons and their guests in the garden of the Bishop’s palace next to the Cathedral.
Alex and her friends then returned home for a party arranged by Nick, Emily and Lizzie in the garden of their house. The final guests departed just before midnight on a day which will be long remembered and treasured.
Alex with her husband former Senior Magistrate Nick Saunders
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