Seniors Ministry: A reflection from Meg

  • 31 July 2025
  • South Head

This past fortnight has seen us as a parish farewell three of our valued and involved seniors. I’d like to reflect for a minute on what it has meant to me to have known and enjoyed these three wonderful people.

Michael Duffett was a resident of Beresford Hall Rose Bay for the final five years of his 93 year life. He moved in to be with his dear wife Anne who lived her final years with dementia. Michael was a calming and constant presence by her side. He found it very difficult to lose Anne during Covid, but was grateful to be with her to the end. Jeff and I established a wonderful friendship and faith bond with Michael, and we counted it as a privilege to journey with him on his faith rediscovery. Michael bonded equally with Tim, and Tim and I felt such a privilege to have had a long and deep chat with Michael only days before he suffered the stroke that eventually ended his life. His two children recognised the importance of faith and Michael’s connection to us, so we were among the first they contacted when Michael suffered his stroke. Matt, Tim and I all were able to visit and minister to Michael and his son whilst in St Vincents. Tim officiated at Michael’s funeral in St Peter’s recently.

Michael was a regular and enthusiastic attender at our Tuesday morning service at Beresford, and he was responsible for getting a small group together each Sunday to zoom into the St Michael’s service. Michael made it along to Community Lunch; in particular I remember the Scottish themed lunch, when Michael’s daughter Alex, who lives in New York, came and we had Michael up with crossed linked arms singing “Auld Lang Syne”. I’ve included a photo of Michael with Alex and his table group on this happy occasion.

Even at 93, Michael was living out his faith. He worked tirelessly for almost a year to establish a charity, called the Deodar Foundation, to support the families and communities of the many Nepalese carers on staff at Beresford. He knew each of them by name and wanted to give back to these families who had selflessly sent their young people all the way to Australia to care so lovingly for our aged care friends, including himself. Michael was in the busy throes of organising the launch event at Beresford Hall this September when he passed away. His children are helping to continue this legacy. You might be interested to read about Deodar at https://www.deodar.org.au/

I miss Michael very much. I thank God for his friendship. I’m the richer for it.

On the same day that Michael died, another dear friend, Ian Loveridge, also passed from this life to the next, safe in the arms of Jesus. Ian had a consequential ministry at St Peters and also at Moran. Along with his wife Ann, Ian established and ran the Alpha course at St Peters for many years. Without Ian, the St Peter’s hall would not have got off the ground, and look at what a blessing that facility has proven to be. Ian was honestly one of the nicest, friendliest, humble people I have known, and even throughout his cancer journey over the past years, he never failed to ask me how I was, how Tim was, and he always had a ready smile for everyone.

Ian and Ann have been regulars on the Zoom service every Sunday at 10am since they could not get to church at St Peters in person. They also came regularly to the Community Lunch, and in fact they organised the whole group of attendees each month from Moran. The photo above of Ian and Ann is my favourite one of them, at the Valentine’s Day lunch in February this year.  Ian and Ann are really the reason we have a thriving Seniors ministry at Moran now; they connect so well with everyone in Moran and have invited many to join us in our Tuesday afternoon service. Ian and Ann could be relied on to be the door welcomers every Tuesday, they gave out name tags and they knew everyone by name. I’ll miss Ian very much. What a gem.

The third friend who passed recently was Rosemary Hodge. Less than ten days before she died, Rosemary was at our monthly Community Lunch (see photo) enjoying the quizzes, the singalongs, the wonderful food and the friendship. A special friendship developed between Rosemary and Alison Keene back in Covid. Alison reached out to Rosemary, whom she had not previously known, as part of the SHAP Call and Card ministry in 2020 and 2021.

They developed a lovely friendship, mostly by telephone, and this continued up until Rosemary’s passing. Rosemary was a faithful, kind, friendly member of the 8am St Michael’s congregation and I know they feel her passing keenly.

I don’t say I’ve ‘lost’ three friends. They are not lost. I’m confident they are found in and with the Lord. Death is not the end. Michael, Ian and Rosemary all believed this from Romans 8 to be true: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Seniors’ ministry is a joy and privilege. Now you know why.