Confirmation 2019 on the Feast day of St Arnaud

What a joy to have a confirmation in St Arnaud. It is such a special time with our bishop as celebrant and people coming to confirm for themselves the baptism vows that were made for them by their parents and godparents. It is also a time when they are confirmed by the church in their ministry as part of the priesthood of all believers. Kyra, Erin, Emily and DustyRaiyn joined in discussions of their faith and understanding in the month leading up to their Confirmation; studying Luke, and sharing their love of listening to the stories of God and different ways of praying and worshiping.

For our four confirmees this ceremony happened on 11th August, our St Arnold Day Celebration, another highlight of our year.

St Arnold, or in the French form, St Arnaud, is not only the name of our town, but also happens to be the Patron Saint of brewers and hop pickers. St Arnaud spent most of his life in Belgium so this year we decorated the hall in black red and yellow, the colours of the Belgium Flag, and borrowed a couple of magnificent vases of crocheted ANZAC Poppies from last year’s Remembrance Day Centenary, for decoration. The Flanders’s Poppy is the floral emblem of Belgium. We dined on Stoemp; a Belgium dish of mashed vegetables, served with sausages, and bacon.

Our speaker Mal Jones from Farm-gate breweries spoke of his previous knowledge of St Arnaud the Patron Saint of Brewers, and how that was an added attraction to buying a property in St Arnaud. We were able to taste three of his beers, a Belgium light ale, a dark stout, and his most popular beer, (not technically a beer at all) ginger beer.

Bishop Matt spoke of his enjoyment of beer, as one of the many delights God provides in creation. Here his sentiment coincides with not only Saint Arnaud, but also Martin Luther, Hildegard of Bingen and many other saints. Once again donations raised at the meal went towards St Arnaud’s Tristate Games Team.