Safe arrival

This is my ninth day in Australia; in moving parish I would expect a good two weeks before you could get any sense out of me. Such is the warm welcome at Campion College that John and Neil, who have been in Sydney for World Youth Day, spent a day here with me, the students and the staff. John gave his testimony and, such was the impact that we are all still speaking about him.

The air is crisp, the sun is strong and the trees are full of bird-song. It is winter here, but it feels like high summer to a newly arrived englishman. My life as Chaplain to Campion College has begun; the second term started on Monday and the very full but rounded schedule of the College is in full swing.

It feels to me as if some big event has recently taken place in this locality; I have even bumped into groups of young people from England who have been here in large numbers. It is as though Sydney has just been the focus for a huge number of people!

Indeed, it has been a very good time to arrive, and I hope to return to a more regular posting.