St Alban’s Copenhagen - a Spiritual Presence at the Climate Summit


St Alban's Copenhagen will be open every day during the UN Climate Summit, COP15, to provide a place of welcome, hospitality, prayer, stillness and engagement with the issues. The Revd Jonathan LLoyd has invited a team of Franciscan brothers, a Franciscan sister and Anglican clergy to be based at the Church during the summit, to meet and welcome visitors, and to be a spiritual and praying presence in the heart of the Danish capital during this important international gathering which runs from 7 - 18 December.

In addition to Fr Jonathan, the Chaplain of St Alban's, the core members of the team are:
Brother Clark Berge SSF (San Francisco, Minister General SSF, pictured above)
Brother Colin Wilfred SSF (Canterbury)
Sister Joyce CSF (London, Minister General CSF)
Brother Hugh SSF (Hilfield, Dorset)
The Revd Tony Rutherford (Kent)

Complementing the work of the team will be two experienced cousellors who will be available as confidential listeners, Leslie-Ann Calliste and Janet Rutherford. Members of St Alban's Church itself will assist with the work of the team during the summit.

During the summit the church will be open every day between 0815 and 1930. The hospitality on offer will include coffee, wireless broadband connection, toilets, stillness and prayer, maps, advice, conversation and a place to warm up and dry off!

The weekday programme will be:

0830 Morning Prayer
1200 Holy Eucharist
1700 Music
1730 Evening Prayer
1800 “A Time for Climate Justice” – an open seminar about an aspect of COP15, followed by discussion
1900 Coffee
2100 Compline at The Swedish Church (next to Osterport Station – only 10 minute walk from St Alban’s)

The Church will also be a meeting place for campaigners from the European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN), the World Council of Churches, Christian Aid, TearFund, Operation Noah, Arocha, CAFOD and other faith organisations and churches from across the world, providing a hub for networking, sharing stories, and making new friends.

Some special events organised by St Alban's include a quiet Evening Service/Vespers at Trinity Church on Saturday 12 December at 1800, at which the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, will give a reflection. Dr Williams will also preside and preach at the Parish Eucharist at St Alban’s Church on Sunday 13 December at 1000.

The St Alban’s COP15 Chaplaincy Team can be contacted on [+45] 29 79 40 36. The address of the Church is Churchill Parken 6, Langelinie, DK 1263 Copenhagen

St Alban's has a webpage focussing on their COP 15 programme here. I have prepared an official press release about the St Alban's programme for the diocesan website here.


Christian Aid's prayer for the climate change negotiations


Christ our Lord, when we remember the sacrifice you made for the world, remind us that we are called to care for the world and its people, and challenge us to see how our actions change the world. Be with us as we act to make a difference.

Christ, whom we remember in the bread, remind us of those who are hungry, and challenge to us to see how our actions change the world. Christ, whom we remember in the wine, remind us of those who are thirsty, and challenge us to see how our actions change the world.

Christ, as we remember your perfect sacrifice, inspire us to follow your example and to work with you to restore a broken world. Motivate us to take action, and grant wisdom and courage to the world's leaders that they can negotiate a fair deal for the world's poor in Copenhagen. Remind us that you are with us, and that when we live lives of service, we live them in your name. Amen.

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