The subsequent years for my wife and I were spent in developing our careers and bringing up our family of four and serving the church and schools in many ways.

After my retirement from full-time work in 1985 i became once more involved in serving at Mass. By this time Canon Tangney had invited me to become a member of the management committee of St Camillus Boys' School at Scarthingwell. He also invited me to become a governor of St Theresa's Primary School, this was on the death of Joe Lynch; I also stepped into Joe's shoes in serving the midweek midday masses especially the Requiem Masses.

About the same time Sr Catherine asked me if I would undertake to train children who had received their first holy communions as mass servers. Together with the help of the late Arthur Wilson we managed to train some 240 children between 1986 and 1997 as Mass servers

St Theresa's school moved to its present site on Barwick Road in 1990. As a governor and clerk to the governors I was able to be involved in the dual role until retiring in 1998.

Although I 'retired' from training servers and serving I have continued to be involved in serving the midweek midday masses and Monday evening devotions and serving the Requiem Masses also the weekly devotions to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.

The illnesses I have sustained in the present year indicate to me that one cannot go on forever, Anyone who has retired from work is invited to take part in serving at the midweek masses especially the midday masses and the Monday evening devotions. I am sure Fr Philip and Fr Peter will be pleased to hear from anyone interested.

May I take this opportunity to thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes also the many get well cards which were received during my illness; I am sure that without the very many prayers, recovery would have been much more difficult if not impossible. I know that I can rely on everyone to continue offering prayers during the next two phases of surgery.


May 2003


Bill Hopkins.