St Clement and St Nicholas, The Pilot, 1973

St Clement and St Nicholas
The Pilot, 1973

My dear People,

It is with sadness that I have to say good-bye to two persons who have helped our church and me, personally. It is sometimes only when one is parting company with people that one appreciates how fortunate one has been. By the time you read this letter, Sylvia will have left Jersey to take up residence in England, Somerset to be more precise, where her husband has already gone on in advance to set up a business.

I have known Sylvia since the first week I came here. nearly twelve years ago. when she was a schoolgirl of 16. Years before that, she had been a member of our Sunday School and was then also a member of the junior choir. A few months later, when she had learnt to type, she started to do some parish secretarial work for me. Later, when I became Editor of The Pilot, she began to be of immense help in the typing and preparation of the editions. Later still, she had her own column, and inaugurated The Pilot Birthday Club. During all these years she has also been a faithful Sunday School Teacher and a Choir Member. Except for holidays, I do not recall her ever missing a Sunday in either capacity. 

Over the years she has become a personal friend of my wife and myself, and we have had many happy times together. My only fear as she grew up was that she might meet and marry the wrong man. These fears were dissolved, however, when in the Summer of last year I had the pleasure and privilege of marrying her to a pleasant honest Englishman of the highest integrity. I know that you will join with me in praying for God’s Blessing upon the new life which they are starting in England.

REV W. N. HALL. I congratulate William Hall on his appointment to the Benefice of St Mark’s. On his induction there on October 4, his duties in this parish will naturally cease. He will then have been my official assistant here for two and three-quarter years. He, too, has been a most loyal, efficient and reliable colleague and I shall miss him very much. Apart from assisting at Services at St Clement and St Nicholas, he has also been a great help with the Sunday School, and with taking the occasional sick communions for me when I have been hard pressed. He is a man of great ability and possesses high academic qualifications. I am sure that the parish of St Mark will be enriched in every way under his incumbency.

Since good people are difficult to replace, it is therefore with pleasure that I am able to say that the Rev C. K. Thacker, sometime Rector of St Peter’s, and lately Chaplain of Victoria College has agreed to take Mr Hall’s place, and assist me here. I have just received the official approval of the Bishop of Winchester and the Dean of Jersey in this appointment. Mr Thacker will be no stranger to the congregations of St Clement and St Nicholas for, when I was very ill some years ago, he took all the services for me at both churches for several weeks. I am very much looking forward to his assistance from October onwards.

Paul Harrison