Adjournamento

The party's over!

All the meetings have come to an end, and the delegates to the 2008 National Assembly of the NFPC are on the way back to their respective dioceses, cities, towns, villages and parishes, but not before at least a few of us take time to enjoy some of the local sights and sounds of Victoria.

One of the sights worth seeing is the home of the late Robert Dunsmuir and his family. Mr. Dunsmuir amassed his fortune by building one of the most formidable coal empires in Western Canada. With business interests which spread from Victoria to Nanaimo and from California to New York, he was what we might call a 'success' - at least in terms of those who call earthy wealth a hallmark to be heeded.

Mr. Dunsmuir built his home on an estate which originally covered 28 acres of land. Known as Craigdarroch Castle, it has served as a private home for the Dunsmuir family; as the site of the Craigdarroch Military Hospital; as Victoria College; provided offices for the Victoria School Board; as the Victoria Conservatory of Music; and finally as Craigdarroch Castle Historic House Museum.

If one wants to, it's possible to spend quite a bit of time in this historic mansion, viewing and appreciating all the nooks and crannies. No expense was spared when it was built, and there's a movement afoot now to restore it to its original granduer - not an easy task, and one which will surely take quite some time to complete.

While some of our brethren are taking advantage of the next few days to tour some of the riches and resources of Victoria Island, it seems that only hours after the meetings concluded, most of us were aboard various modes of transportation and headed for home. For some, that's a short hop on a ferry bound for Vancouver, and for others ... well ... trudging through airports comes to mind, but all is done with joy and thanksgiving for many blessings received this week, and for having met God along the way.

In the coming days, these blog entries will find their way onto the website of the National Federation of Presbyteral Councils, and other useful information and resources we uncovered this week will also be listed there. Stay tuned ...