TAVISTOCK Parish Church, Saint Eustachius and Saint Paul?s, Gulworthy, will have a new assistant curate from next week. Paula Rennie (pictured right) will be ordained deacon at a special service in Exeter Cathedral on Sunday ? her family and friends and a coach with people from the congregation will be with her to witness her big day. ?This is the fulfillment of a long felt calling,? she said: ?When I was 10 I was brought up with the church, and being in Portugal, in the Catholic faith. I was in church one day and felt a deep need to follow the calling of Jesus. It was not possible for a woman to follow the calling in Portugal instead as I grew older I followed the normal course of a person of that time. First in the capacity of personal secretary at Lloyds Register of Shipping and subsequently to fulfil another dream I joined TAP-Air Portugal cabin crew eventually becoming a chief purser.? Paula, 57, who enjoyed her 22 years on both long and short haul flights said: ?Being in the cabin crew gives you such a fantastic view of the world; you get to know so many people, their traditions and cultures and way of life, especially in the early days when flying was an adventure, I learnt a great deal about people.? While with TAP she married her husband Alex and in 1994 came to live in Gunnislake. When she visited Tavistock in that year she was mourning the loss of her beloved grandfather and wanted to find a church to pray for him. Paula found all the other churches in the town locked at the time but not St Eustachius. She entered and fell in love with the church. ?I felt such peace and tranquillity there, I loved it, there is such a spiritual presence. The people here have been very welcoming and over the years I have been given a lot of help and support.? She was particularly encouraged her to pursue her vocation by the church?s former vicar, the Rev John Rawlings, and former curate, the Rev Julie Nelson. Before deciding to take up her calling Paula undertook the organising of social activities, led Bible studies, read lessons and prayers. She has undertaken a three year, part time training course with the South West Ministry Training Course, and in parallel studied for a degree in theology from Exeter University. She is currently completing this with a dissertation. During the course she had three placements, at Buckland Monachorum, Bere Alston/Bere Ferrers and Whitchurch. Paula was born Portuguese but became a British Citizen when she married Alex at the time when you swore an oath of allegiance to the Queen. Alex is a retired principal surveyor for Lloyds? Register of Shipping, who she first met in 1968 when she worked for that company in Lisbon. Brought up by her grandparents in Portugal, and taught at a private school and at the British Council, an early spiritual experience became the foundation of her Christian faith. She has a very good working relationship with Reverend Michael Brierley, the current vicar of Tavistock and Gulworthy, who shares her ambition to take the church forward by welcoming people to join in as well as taking its message to outside its own congregations. ?The world is a more secular place,? she said, ?and this makes our message more difficult but we have to get across that being part of the church ?is not boring? ? it is fulfilling and exciting. The role of the church is to bring the message of Christ to the world and that is its true purpose.? On Sunday she will become The Rev Paula Rennie; her first year will be a training year as a deacon leading to her final ordination as a priest. Paula told the Times: ?This is such an exciting time for me. I feel so blessed and I am facing the task with humility, privilege and honour.? For the parishioners of Tavistock and Gulworthy the former cabin crew member is much looking forward to the long haul of her pastoral life. Picture by James Bird
