Going back home

I saw on the St. Andrew’s web site that St. Simeon’s was having a visit from the Bishop of Montreal. It had been over a year that I had not gone to Lachute. The weather was good for driving that Sunday. I hopped into my little car that almost knows the way to Lachute by himself.

I went by the house on Princess Street. What have they done with the front porch and the old windows and what about that hose that is attached to the tap in the winter? As I was telling a friend later on - it is hard to go back and see the house that was part of our family life for 50 years. Now it is not ours but many memories from living there.

At the church I met up with a Billingham family member of the horsy place. I chatted with the clergy that I knew and I introduced myself to another one that is helping out and also the Bishop.

There were various folks that remembered me and my mom. I saw two of my mom’s close friends.

The place is so familiar and has always been part of my life. During the sermon the Bishop talked about baptism. He said he was going to ask us a rhetorical question. He never did. He talked about his own baptism - where and when and by whom. He also told us that he was a twin.

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So do I remember where and when I was baptized? St. Simeon’s Church Lachute June 10th?? 1951 by Cyrus Lang (who died fairly recently at a good old age.) It was only a few feet from where the bishop was preaching. It would have been a Sunday afternoon and not during the regular church time as baptisms happen now.