St Thomas Blog
Farewell Message from Fr Charles
Sunday 12th April 2020
Rev Charles Keay
At this time of our lives when the normal is no longer normal, we are saying farewell this Easter Day to our much loved Vicar, as Fr Charles leaves St Thomas to continue his ministry and joins the Royal Navy. Before he goes, Fr Charles would like to say farewell to us, in this very tech way! We will all miss him very much and all our good wishes go with him. We'll look forward to inviting and welcoming him back for a proper farewell soon!
Click here to listen to his farewell message or you can read it here or below:
Farewell Message
Let me begin by saying 'Happy Easter!' Happy Easter to you and yours!
Easter is principally a day and time of celebration, the celebration of Christ's resurrection from the dead and a focus on new life and new beginnings, especially as we move away from the dark and cold of winter towards the brightness and warmth of Spring and Summer.
Yet we may be feeling a variety of different things today, living in these rather strange times. I certainly am, as Easter Sunday also signals the end of my ministry here in St Thomas and, in a few weeks, the beginning of a new ministry in the Royal Navy. I feel sad at leaving such a lovely community as this but yet also a sense of excitement too - and if I'm honest a slight degree of nerves - as I follow God's call into a new and very different way of being a priest.
Although we understandably and rightly live with our current restrictions to curb the spread of the Coronavirus certain things are unrestricted, amongst them, I feel, are memories and linked with those memories a sense of thankfulness too.
In my time here at St Thomas we went through thick and thin together and, as with life, there were great days, challenging days and everything in between; but I will remember you all and my time here with a smile and a feeling that we shared together and showed together something of God's love here in this place.
Who knows what the future looks like in these strange times but even if we don't get the chance to meet together before my departure I will hopefully return to see you at some point.
I n the meantime, I wish you all the very best both individually and as a community. Look after yourselves and each other and thank you, thank you for the love and support you have shown me and my family and for all the good times that we have shared together.
God bless you all and I'm sure I'll see you all again soon and once again a very 'Happy Easter' to you all.
Fr Charles