Buckland Parish
St Mary's Restoration Continues!
The restoration process of St Mary's Triabunna which started with the painting of the roof and guttering in December 2007 continues to move forward.
In November 2008 the magnificent sandstone altar was moved off the wall to allow the Eucharist to be conducted from behind the altar instead of using an old table in the sanctuary area. The wood panelling that surrounded the altar was removed and the paint stripped from the sanctuary walls, taking them back to the original sandstone.
A new floor had to be put into the upper area of the sanctuary to support the altar as the original 1880 floor boards had finally reached their use by date.
In February 2009 the sandstone font was relocated to the front of the nave so that the entrance area could be remodelled with glass doors replacing the dark padded doors.
This development also included a disabled ramp and the rehanging of the main doors so that they opened out instead of inwards; this allowed an extra glass door to be added to the side of the entrance area. Both the font and the altar were whitewashed to bring them back to their original condition.
Over the last couple of weeks the walls and ceiling of the nave area of St Mary's has been painted. The majority of this work has been done by volunteers from both the parish and the wider community, all wanting to see this beautiful old sandstone church brought back to some of its original glory after 130 years as a centre of worship.
Final Service at St Chad's
Sunday 14 November saw the final service at St Chad's, Levendale. First used in 1907, St Chad's was finally closed after many years of extremely low attendance. MSO Helen Phillips read the Bishop's sentence of closure to the twenty-eight worshippers who attended. The service was followed by afternoon tea.
Most of the consecrated/dedicated items will find their place within St Matthias, Woodsdale or St John the Baptist, Buckland, while some will be placed in a special area in the Woodsdale Museum to help remember the significance of St Chad's in the life of the Woodsdale/Levendale communities.
Progressive Dinner
On Friday night 15 October the Buckland Parish ran a Progressive Dinner where two groups of twenty-two had soup at two different residences (one in Orford and one in Triabunna) before joining together for the main course at Louisville and then proceeding to a secret destination for the sweets, coffee and liqueurs.
The final destination was St Mary's church at Triabunna which had the pews removed and replaced by tables and chairs, with candle light and soft music. For some it was their first time ever in St Mary's.
What a great time of getting together to enjoy good food, good wine/liqueur, good coffee/tea and good company. It also proved to be a very worthwhile money-raiser for the ongoing mission of the Parish.
Outward-opening glass doors replaced the dark padded doors allowing light and creating a sense of welcome to the restored church building.
Progressive Dinner coffee and desserts were served in St Mary's church at Triabunna. The pews were replaced by tables and chairs, with candle light and soft music. Photos: Ross Ellwood