Eurobishop

On Saturday 30 January, the Revd Sara MacVane was licensed by the Archdeacon of France as the new priest-in-charge of the Anglican congregations in Pas de Calais. There are four congregations in this extended parish, based in Arras, Calais, Boulogne and Hesdin. Services take place every Sunday at one or other of these places. As is to be expected in widely scattered communities, friendship and fellowship is a vital part of congregational life. Each of the four churches enjoys a programme of social events. The parish serves the large numbers of English-speaking residents in the region. Some have retired and live here permanently, many are second home owners, attracted by property prices in the area, who come for weekends or extended holidays. There are also quite a few British/French couples committed to a life in France. Sara knows the diocese well. She comes to Pas de Calais from All Saints, Rome, where she has been Assistant Curate. Sara also brings a commitmente and experience o

A panel of senior Church of England bishops has told the EU that its plans for the next decade fail to reflect the needs of both the most disadvantaged and those 'ordinary citizens' who indirectly contribute to its financial and political viability. The bishops, led by the Christopher Hill, the Bishop of Guildford and Chair of the House of Bishops’ Europe Panel, were responding to EU 2020, a strategy paper outlining how to make the EU a smarter, greener, social market. The bishops assert that: more effort must be made to improve the EU’s financial and accounting transparency, and to reduce bureacracy.  the welcome environmental focus of EU 2020 seems to be based purely on an economic argument for efficient growth rather on a commitment to the sustainable stewardship of global resources for future generations; an emphasis on investment in vocational subjects that provide skills for industry ignores the importance of other subjects that sustain common life, and betrays “a

Mrs Barbara Wood, the Diocesan President of the Mothers' Union (MU) has recently written to all the members of the MU in the diocese with news and an update on the development of the organisation here in Europe. Barbara is delighted with continued growth of the MU and hope for even greater things in the future. In her letter she writes: "When we decided to take the leap of faith and start our own diocesan Mothers’ Union in 2007 we did so with just 4 branches and a few diocesan members. We now have 9 branches and quite a number of diocesan members, which is most encouraging, but I would like to see our membership grow especially in those parts of the diocese where there is no presence at the moment. We need to try to make more people aware of the work that is done throughout the world, to encourage more people to support the Mothers’ Union and then to become members. In this diocese Sheila Lewis from Lanzarote is looking after Action & Outreach. We are also delighted t

Pope Benedict XVI has issued a call to all Christians to give a common witness starting immediately, even though full unity has not yet been achieved. He made this appeal during his homily at Vespers in the Roman Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls (above), on the feast of the Conversion of St Paul, 25th January, a service which traditionally concludes the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The Pope recalled that this year is the 100th anniversary of the Edinburgh Missionary Conference, which marked the beginning of the modern ecumenical movement. That historic gathering in 1910 stressed that Christians cannot proclaim the Gospel credibly if they are divided. The Pope urged Churches to take steps that lead to full communion; questions still separate us, but the Holy Father expressed the hope that these can be overcome by prayer and dialogue. He affirmed he importance of the "central content of Christ's message that we can all proclaim together". That message

It is with great sadness that I share the news of the untimely death of the Revd Deacon Lindy Jordan. Lindy died on Saturday morning as a result of complications from some routine surgery which she underwent last Monday. She was the assistant curate of St Andrew's Costa del Sol East, where she worked with the Venerable David Sutch, the Archdeacon of Gibraltar. I ordained Lindy to the diaconate last Petertide. Bishop Geoffrey wrote in a message to the parish of Costa del Sol East: "...[Lindy] rejoiced in the fulfilment of her calling to the ordained ministry, which has sadly been so short. We remember with thanksgiving her many gifts of mind and heart, and I recall personally her capacity to read the Scriptures, as she did at the Cologne Clergy Conference last September, in a way which drew out meaning and touched and challenged us". The Revd Ulla Monberg, the diocesan Director of Training, wrote to Lindy's colleagues in our Post Ordination Training Course: &qu

The Serbian Orthodox Church has elected Bishop Irenaeus (Gavrilovic), Bishop of Nis, (pictured above) as the new Patriarch of Serbia, succeeding Patriarch Pavle who died on 15 November. The 45 bishops which make up the electoral assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Church named three candidates on Friday morning 22nd of January: Metropolitan Amphilochius of Montenegro, Bishop Irenaeus of Backa and Bishop Irenaeus of Nis, and chose the new Patriarch by lot. Bishop Irenaeus is already quite senior in years, having been born in 1930. He has been bishop of Nis (a large town in southern Serbia and the birthplace of St Constantine the Great) for 35 years. He is a graduate of the Theological Faculty in Belgrade and did a doctorate in Athens, and known to be a "moderate" among the bishops. The inauguration of the new Patriarch in Belgrade will be this Saturday at 9 am. As the historic Patriarchal See is Pec, the solemn enthronement will be held there, in due course when conditions perm

An Appeal from Bishop Geoffrey and Bishop David for the People of Haiti The devastation suffered by the people of Haiti by the earthquake which struck on 12 January has caught the attention of us all. Already the poorest country in the Americas, with 80% of the people living on less than £1.50 per day, the struggle of the country’s poor in the face of this disaster is unimaginable. We invite the congregations and people of our diocese to support the needs of the Haitian people by donating generously to the Christian Aid Appeal for Haiti. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have endorsed this particular channel for relief aid. Christian Aid is working with partners on the ground and with the UN for the effective delivery of aid. Local partner organisations are focusing on areas that appear to be getting little help from other agencies, including some towns outside Port-au-Prince, but close to the epicentre of the earthquake. The provision of food, tents, hygiene kits, b

The Revd Philip Mounstephen of St Michael's Paris has forwarded me this report which comes directly from one of his parishioners, Robyn Gason. She is the only worker with the French Red Cross who was invited to go to Haiti with the International Committee of the Red Cross. Dear All, Have finally got a moment to write. Arrived in Port au Prince on Sunday, having attended a briefing in Geneva and then travelled over two days to Haiti via Madrid, Saint Juan and Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), arriving in late evening. Most of us are sleeping outside in the garden of the ICRC headquarters with mosquito nets. We had an after-shock today which measured 6.2. It felt like being in a water bed. It was quite scary, but thankfully it wasn't serious and there was no widespread damage. You cannot believe the suffering here. One of my colleagues who visited the morgue this morning, who has been doing forensic work for 25 years, said she has never seen anything like what she s

On 20 January during the eucharist at the Bishop's Senior Staff Meeting, the Revd Jonathan LLoyd was collated as Archdeacon of Germany and Northern Europe. Archdeacon LLoyd is also the chaplain of St Alban's Copenhagen. Among the 7 archdeaconries in the Diocese in Europe, Germany and Northern Europe is the second largest in area, after the Archdeaconry of the East. 23 licensed priests serve over 40 congregations in Germany, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Among the many interesting features in the Archdeaconry include a sort of "joint deanery" in Germany, where the parishes of the [US] Episcopal Church join with our own Church of England congregations in a common council, known as the Council of Anglican-Episcopal Churches in Germany, CAECG. In the northern part of the Archdeaconry the Porvoo Agreement brings us into communion with most of the national Lutheran Churches of the area, and joint work, ministry and cooperati

The Archbishop of York, the Most Revd John Sentamu, has issued a statement urging people to support the Christian Aid appeal for Haiti: "I think at times like this our reaction as Christians must always be one of passionate engagement. As John Donne said 'No one is an island entire of itself. Any man's death diminishes me because I am involved in humanity'. For the lives that are left, we need a response that asks not to understand but to do all we can to change the situation in whatever ways that are open to us. Why not give to Christian Aid today and make a difference? Please support the appeal by visiting this site . I have also received some more news about my friend, the Revd Canon Ogé Beauvoir, the Dean of the seminary in Port-au-Prince, and a former colleague in the Canadian Church. Canon Beauvoir and his wife Serette are safe and providing leadership in a camp set up by the Episcopal diocese for about 3,000 homeless, where they themselves have taken refuge.

Brian Morgan, the Diocesan Environmental Officer, has written this reflection for the clergy and laity of the diocese, following the disappointment of the UN Climate Change Conference, COP15, in Copenhagen last December. The eyes of the whole world were focused though out 2009 on the much heralded UN Climate Change Conference COP15 which was held in Copenhagen from the 7th to 18th December. I do not think I exaggerate if I call the final outcome a near disaster for God's creation and mankind. For the world leaders at the table it was not possible to reach a fair, ambitious or binding agreement to arrest the increase in global warming within + 2° C, remembering it is the world's poorest people who are prone to suffer the most. Lust for pride, possessions and power, man's most mournful sins, stood in the way of any chance of a multilateral contract. Through out the year millions of people all around the globe have been making their fears and anger about global warming

Warm congratulations and many blessings to the Revd Kenneth Dimmick of St Catherine's Stuttgart, who celebrates his 25th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood this weekend. Fr Ken came to Europe from the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, although he was ordained in Louisiana. Under Fr Ken's leadership in these past three years, St Catherine's has seen new growth and vitality. I have been using Fr Ken as a consultant for our new diocesan programme to assisting new congregations and revitalise the mission of older ones. There are a wide range of activities at St Catherine's including Sunday school for children, adult study groups, fellowship events, women's group and choir. People have responded warmly to Fr Ken's approach, which he describes as follows: While .... part of the Church of England, we gladly welcome people of any denomination. There is room in our church for all sorts and varieties of Christian Faith. We are proudly Anglican in our tradition, mu

"God, you are the one who gave me life. Why are we suffering?" - these are lines of a song being sung among the survivors of Haiti's earthquake camped overnight in Place St. Pierre, Port-au-Prince. (Source The Miami Herald ). The words sum up the hard questions that are sometimes asked of people of faith at times of disaster. People wonder how God can let such suffering and death happen. Where is God in all this? There are some very stupid answers to these questions. One U.S. television "evangelist", Pat Robertson, said on his programme, “They (Haitians) were under the heel of the French…and they got together and swore a pact to the devil". What utter nonsense. (If you don't believe a Christian preacher could say such disgraceful things,  click here and see the video clip. But if you do continue watching for the excellent response from a Haitian spokesman.) In the Gospel ( St John 9. 1-3) Jesus clearly refutes any direct connection between our m

Today, the Archbishop of Canterbury issued this message of support to the people of Haiti affected by the devastation caused by Tuesday's earthquake. "I am profoundly shocked and concerned to hear about the devastating earthquake in Haiti. As the news comes through, we are learning more about the tragic loss of life, injury suffered and terrible damage to the country. We stand alongside all the people in Haiti affected by this terrible disaster in prayer, thought and action as the situation unfolds. We pray for the rescue of those still trapped and look towards the rebuilding of lives and communities. I commend the swift action of the UK Government's Department for International Development and the relief agencies and churches in mobilising an emergency response. In this time of catastrophic loss and destruction, I urge the public to hold the people of Haiti in their prayers, and to give generously and urgently to funding appeals set up for relief work." For tho

News has come in from some sources in our diocese who have contacts in Haiti. Victoria Hobson, together with her husband the Revd George Hobson, at St Michael's Paris has a long association Haiti. Victoria received this news from an Episcopal Priest friend in Haiti, Fr Kesner Ajax: Dear Friends in Christ: We have devastating news to share with you from Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake yesterday. According to reports I have received here in Les Cayes, the damage in Port au Prince and areas around it is terrible. There is no Cathedral. The entire Holy Trinity complex is gone. The convent for the Sisters of St. Margaret is gone. The Bishop's house is gone. College St. Pierre is gone. The apartment for College St. Pierre is still standing. Bishop no longer has a house in which to live. In Trouin, four people were killed during a service. In Grand Colline, the church is gone. In St Martin of Tours, the kindergarten is gone. In St. Etienne Buteau the church, the recto

For 10 years I worked very closely with the Haitian Church when I was the Mission Co-ordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean for the Anglican Church of Canada, and visited many times. I have many friends in L’Église Épiscopale d’Haïti, which is the largest in population of all the dioceses of the Episcopal Church, serving about 150,000 people, in about 170 congregations. The work of our Church there has been impressive, with over 250 schools, a hospital, medical clinics, a symphony orchestra, the country’s only school for handicapped children, agricultural and micro-economic projects, a “Desmond Tutu” Centre for Reconciliation and Peace, and more. A close friend, the Very Revd Ogé Beauvoir (above), is the dean of the seminary in Port-au-Prince. I tried in vain to contact them him, but there are no telephone lines operating. The head offices of the Canadian Anglican Church (Père Ogé, born in Haïti, was ordained in the diocese of Montreal) and the Episcopal Church, USA had no ne

St George's Barcelona is updating its internet presence with a completely redesigned website, recently launched. The design work, photography and content editing was all done "in house" by St George's members while the programming work was contracted out. The chaplain, the Revd Andrew Tweedy (left), is delighted with the outcome. Why not take a look at the new site here. (The photo is our diocesan file one, and given the background, does not appear to have been taken in Barcelona!) For over a century and a half St George's has been serving an international community in Barcelona. There are now more than 25 nationalities in the congregations which gather for worship at one of the three regular Sunday services. There has also been a recent surge in vocations to lay ministry and 3 persons from St George's are now training to be Readers. By the way, St George is the patron saint of Catalonia as well as England (and a number of other places besides). The Re

On the 28 December, Brother Alois, the Prior of the Taizé Community sent me a copy of “ A Letter from China ”. He had just completed a three-week visit to China with two other brothers, one Chinese and another Korean. They were greatly influenced by the testimonies they saw and heard. A Letter from China contains a deeply spiritual message encouraging us to pay attention to what is already found in the depths of our own being, as a way of listening to God. It makes the point that being filled with a thirst for God should not detach us from the concerns of the world around us. “On the contrary, this thirst leads us to do all we can so that others may enjoy the benefits of creation and find joy in living”. In the letter there is also a very simple instruction about putting together an ecumenical prayer service in the style of Taizé. This is a useful resource for our congregations, some of which already have regularTaizé services (such as in the Parish of Nerja and Almuñécar). Othe

According to Acts (chapters 27 and 28) St Paul was shipwrecked on the island of Malta while en route to Rome. By tradition the shipwreck took place in AD 60. This year, then, marks the 1,950th anniversary of the event. The Apostle and his companions were treated well on Malta:  "The natives showed us unusual kindness" ( Acts 28.2). Present day travellers will also find they are treated well and in addition will be warmly welcomed to our Anglican churches! There are two Anglican congregations in Malta: St Paul's Pro-Cathedral in Valletta (pictured above) and Holy Trinity Church in Sliema (pictured below). There is a third congregation in the neighbouring island of Gozo, Our Lady and St George in Victoria. These are served by the Revd Canon Simon Godfrey SSC (Chancellor of St Paul's Pro-Cathedral), the Revd Jeff Williams SSC (Chaplain of Sliema) and a Reader, Mr David Felgate. The Pro-Cathedral of St Paul will celebrate the Feast of the Shipwreck on 7 February. T

The Revd John Porter, a priest with permission to officiate in our diocese, has written a very helpful booklet, entitled BEING THERE, Caring for the Bereaved The description on the cover of the publication states: Jesus, the man for others, was there for people in his earthly life and ministry and is present today in and through his Church. John Porter is a priest who has sought, in the course of nearly half a century of parish ministry, to follow the example of Jesus and simply to ‘be there’ for others. In this book, he writes from his experience and insights gained from being with people in bereavement. Learning both from his own ministry and from that of others, he gives examples of what to do, and what not to do, sometimes using gentle humour to make his point. Although this book is not intended to serve as a manual for the pastoral care of the bereaved, it does offer some practical advice and support for those who find themselves called to ‘be there’ for someone who is experie

Those of our diocesan clergy and readers who are looking for resources or training in matters of church growth, might wish to take a look at a four day course run in partnership with CMS (Church Mission Society) called “Leading your Church into Growth”. This is a programme, now in its eighteenth year, specifically designed for clergy and lay leaders from across different traditions (and denominations) who are looking for help and encouragement in various aspects of church growth. It is geared more towards revitalising the local existing congregation or congregations as opposed to "planting" new, fresh expressions of Church. Growth, for the organisers, includes growth in spirituality, commitment and worship as well as numbers! The course takes the form of an open seminar with interactive talks, practical exercises and time and space for personal reflection. The leadership team is drawn from the full range of churchmanship and theological traditions. Course Topics Include

The traditional icon of the Epiphany is that of the baptism of Jesus because one of the most ancient dimensions of this feast is the baptism of Our Lord, which now in the Western Church is celebrated on the Sunday following the Epiphany. In that event, in a mystical and unique way, the Holy Trinity itself is made manifest: the Father speaks a word "this is my Son, the beloved", the Spirit descends like a dove, and of course the presence of Christ the Son, identifying completely with humanity, as he, the sinless one accepts the baptism for repentance. Epiphany is a feast of light even though it is the day when in the West, the Christmas lights traditionally come down. One of the treasures of Western Christianity is the Ambrosian rite, still used in the Archdiocese of Milan. I find it much more poetic than the starker Roman rite which is the basis of Anglican liturgy. This introit from the eucharist of the day, and this prayer from evensong, help capture the motif of light f

Here is January's book selection. The reviews are written by Dr Martin Davie, the Theological Secretary to the Bishops of the Church of England. They will be of interest to all who wish to keep up with current theology, including the clergy and Readers (lay ministers) of the Diocese in Europe. 8 reviews are below. Just click on the read more link.

Many in the UK are surprised to discover that the Church of England has a diocese with significant, historic and expanding work on the continent of Europe together with Morocco, Turkey and "all the Russias".  And many who do know about this Diocese in Europe assume that we are simply "the Brits abroad”. But this is far from the case. Globalisation has brought to Europe peoples from every part of the world. Many of these are Christians whose mother tongue or international language is English. Some of our 270 congregations have a majority of their members from one particular nationality or ethnic background. They might be English or British, but also Tamil, Nigerian, Sudanese, Congolese, Turkish, Ghanaian and American. The largest parish in membership could easily be the “White Nile Congregations” of Finland, whose priest, the Revd Amos Manga, cares for several hundred Sudanese families. But most of our congregations are made up of members from a mixture of at least a