It is a strange, somehow significant, fact
that Frank Varney St Augustine's most celebrated
layman and Father Douglas, arguably St
Augustine's most celebrated Priest, both share
the same Years' Mind. Frank Varney died on
September 10th 1953 and Father Douglas followed
him on September 10th 1960.
Frank Varney was made a Lay Reader in the
last century and continued his ministry (and it
was truly a ministry) into the latter half of
this one.
There are no dramatic exciting stories about
the sixty years he worshipped and worked at St
Augustine's. They are all stories of quiet
dedicated service ....... such as how he quite
often walked from North Town to Seale and back
(!) to say Evensong for a priestless Parish. My
own memories of him are of a very small, gentle,
grey haired man so short that only his silver
grey hair showed above our Lectern. I strongly
suspect that our Lectern's elevated platform was
purpose built for Frank Varney it is certainly
not part of the original Lectern design.
Week after week he read the Lesson from it
for over six decades. Not in ringing, carefully
enunciated tones but with a soft unpolished
Southern accent that was pure North Town. To
Frank Varney the Queen's English took second
place to the Word of God.
There is a small bronze plaque to his memory
on the pillar that flanks the Lectern he loved.
It is as self effacing as he was but I like to
think that Saint Augustine himself, stepped
forward to greet him the day Frank Varney walked
humbly into Heaven
THE IGNATIUS PRAYER
Teach us, good Lord, to serve Thee as Thou
deservest:
To give and not to count the cost;
To fight and not to heed the wounds;
To toil and not to seek for rest;
To labour and not to ask for any reward
Save that of knowing that we do Thy will
St. Ignatius Loyola, 1491 1556.
(This prayer was much used by Father Douglas
and much loved by Frank Varney)
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