On Sunday 13th May, (Mother’s Day) at St Mary’s Church, Maitland Diocesan President, Denise, was able to present 50 year badges to Betty Howard, and to the late Margo Craft’s family, husband, Lew and daughters Karen and Gai.
A lovely morning tea followed the service and a cake was shared to congratulate Betty and to remember our dear friend Margo.
President of St Mary’s Mothers Union, Judy Harris
Secretary, Margaret Jones
On the 13th May, Mother's Day, Fr Peter Tinney admitted 3 new members into Taree Mothers Union in the Sunday morning service. Suzanne and Josephine Cook, mother and daughter, and Bronwyn Forbes. The congregation congratulated them with welcoming applause.
Fr Peter then commission the officer bearers for 2018.
A celebratory cake was enjoyed by all at morning tea.
Last year I had the privilege of joining a tour run by Ridley Theological College, in Melbourne, to visit the places in Germany and Switzerland where significant events happened with regard to the Reformation. There I learnt more about Luther and other early reformers. It was a most interesting, enlightening and enjoyable fortnight. But for me it was also a time of serendipity, for I discovered that Martin Luther, monk and priest, had married, and the more I learnt about his wife Katharina, the more I liked her! I came to the conclusion that she was a lively, determined and courageous young lady – feisty, in fact!
As a teenage girl Katharina took vows to become a nun. In April 1523 she and several of her fellow nuns, dissatisfied with their life in the monastery and becoming interested in the growing reform movement, fled from their convent by hiding in a fish wagon which finally arrived in Wittenberg where Luther was once again living, although by this time he had abandoned the monk’s habit for good. He and his friends managed to find families that the runaway nuns could live with, or husbands for them
to marry – all except Katharina. While Luther did not seriously consider marriage for himself at this point, Katharina declared that he was the only man she would marry, and finally he agreed. And so a 42-year-old former monk and a 26-year-old former nun were married on June 13, 1525.
Luther took her into his home, the former monastery where he had been living alone as a professor, writer and pastor, all the other monks having left. Together Martin and his Kathe had six children, two of whom died before adulthood. Kathe ran the household, kept cows, pigs, goats and chickens, grew vegetables and brewed beer. To boost their income, she established her own student boarding-house business in the extra rooms of the former monastery, offering room and board to up to 30 paying guests at a time. I think Kathe had lots of spunk!
It was a happy and affectionate marriage. Martin loved her, admired her intellect, trusted her to deal with his publishers, and made her his sole heir. She loved him deeply, and when he died in 1546 she wrote “...my sorrow is so deep that no words can express my heartbreak...” While fleeing the plague in Wittenberg in 1552, Katharina died in Torgau after a terrible accident with her wagon and horses. She was 53 years old. She is buried in The City Church of St Mary’s, Torgau, far from her husband’s grave in the Castle Church in Wittenberg.
Katharina is often considered a seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation because her role in helping to define Protestant family life and setting the tone for clergy marriages was so important. It was inspiring for me to learn about her.
I look forward to meeting her one day!
Jeanette Johnstone
Congratulations to Lesley Ireland who at our last Mothers Union meeting was awarded her 50 year badge and scroll.
Lesley was awarded her badge and scroll by our Diocesan President, Denise Brown.
Lesley joined in Cessnock as an Associate Member. This was because she was a single lady at the time.
When Lesley married she joined with Cockle Bay Group and lost the title of Associate member, she has two children and twin grandsons. .
She has been recycled as President, Secretary and Treasurer over the years.
Lesley has also been very involved in keeping in touch with those Baptised and is our Links correspondent.
The day was celebrated with a presentation of a bouquet of flowers and a special cake and morning tea to mark the day.
Laurel Brook
Cockle Bay
Those prolific women from the Wangi Library Knitting Group have done it again, this time donating a mass of items for newborn babies and their mums at John Hunter Hospital.
Group founder Chris Langshaw said the women had knitted dozens of blankets, onesies, toys, booties and beanies which they donated through the Morisset branch of the Mothers Union, a mission agency of the Anglican Church.
Jenny Dacomb accepted the donation at the group's weekly get-together on Wednesday.
"Mothers Union is an international organisation and part of the Anglican community. There are four million of us working for mothers, babies and family life," Ms Dacomb said.
The knitted items would be compiled into 'baby bundles' - or starter packs for newborns - placed into bags and taken to John Hunter Hospital.
The knitting group supports a range of worthy causes.
Over the years the women have regular donations to Mums' Cottage, a local women's refuge, St Vincent de Paul, Neural Knitworks, Wrap with Love and Ronald McDonald House.
Blokes aren't forgotten, either, as the group also knits and donates hundreds of beanies for the Anglican Church's Mission to Seafarers organisation which supports International seafarers.
Ms Langshaw said the knitters were very appreciative of the community's ongoing and generous donations of yarn to the group. That's everything from acrylics to cotton and wool.
She said the women were prolific because they enjoyed making a difference.
"They're so happy and have such good hearts," she said.
To donate yarn or any knitting paraphernalia to the group, phone Ms Langshaw.
The knitters meet at Wangi Library every Wednesday from 10.00am to 1.00pm.