How Hospitality is the Gateway: A letter from Australia
My husband Ray and I arrived in Orange, (about 250 kms west of Sydney) in 2018. We were looking forward to retiring outside of the fast pace of Sydney city life. We hoped Orange, with a population of about 48,000, would offer country hospitality and friendliness.
At first our hopes were fulfilled, even at the local gym everyone was friendly, welcoming, and had time for a cuppa [cup of coffee/tea] after class. However, when we first attended St. Mary’s Catholic Church it was not welcoming at all. Everyone seemed in a rush to get in and then get out of Mass. This was a shock.
So, we went to the Uniting Church in Orange to see if this was just the culture of the churches in town. It could not have been more different. At the Uniting Church, we were welcomed at the door, introduced to people, offered a cup of tea/coffee after service and even a dinner invitation from the minister. I was also asked personally if I would like to attend a weekly Bible study. The hospitality was wonderful and made us feel at home.
But, despite the wonderful hospitality at the Uniting Church, we missed attending Mass.
