Eurobishop

The new hybrid bishopmobile is helping to shrink my footprint. 550 mile round trip from London to Spa via Antwerp, on less than one tank of petrol. Averaging 57 mpg. Now that's green.

Like so many of the churches of the diocese, St Mary's is a multicultural and international community. At the Sunday 1030 Eucharist about one third of the congregation come from various countries in South and East Asia. Another third come from (mostly West) Africa. The rest are a mixture of Europeans. Parish lunch is an interesting buffet of dishes from around the world. St Mary's is active in supporting a centre for internationally displaced persons, Serbians from Kosovo. The priest-in-charge, Fr Robin Fox, also looks after the diocese's cong regations in Skopje and Sarajevo and is also the Archbishop of Canterbury's Apokrisiarios to the Patriarch of Serbia, and keeps active the official relations between the Church of England and the Serbian Orthodox Church. Click here for St Mary's website.

St Aidan was the focus of some reflection during a recent period of study in Durham, with senior colleagues from the Church of England. We learnt much from the history of his evangelisation efforts in the North of England, and were inspired by the simplicity of his strategy and his self-discipline in keeping focussed on his mission. We walked in his footsteps to Holy Island. Time to re-read the Venerable Bede's account in A History of the English Church and People. Everlasting God, you sent the gentle bishop Aidan to proclaim the gospel in this land: grant us to live as he taught in simplicity, humility and love for the poor; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

This year's Petertide ordinations in the Diocese in Europe are now completed. Here are some scenes.

Traded in the former bishop-mobile for a green model today. Apart from a quiet, smooth, carbon-light ride, I also avoid the £8 daily congestion charge in central London.