Eurobishop

It is with great sadness that I report that the Revd Canon Dr Roger Greenacre died in the early hours of this morning, Saturday 30 July.  Fr Roger retired from serving as parish priest of St Michael's Beaulieu-sur-Mer in France, from 2000 until 2010. He moved back to England to live in Charterhouse, but was moved from there to a hospice in London in his last few days. Fr Roger had an earlier distinguished career in this diocese as chaplain of St George's Paris from 1965 to 1975, from where he moved to Chichester to take up a residentiary canonry at the Cathedral, a post which he held for 25 years. Dr Greenacre was a scholar of liturgy but  perhaps   will be best remembered for his significant contribution to Anglican-Roman Catholic relations. He was honoured by the French Government in 1998 which appointed him  Officier de l’Ordre National du Mérite  for his contribution to ecumenism. He leaves behind many ecumenical friends in France and be...

St Olav's Norwegian Church in London was filled to overflowing for today's memorial service. Candles were lit in memory of those who lost their lives in the attacks last Friday. In attendance were Norwegian diplomats, national and local politicians, ecumenical friends and representatives of other faith communities. Canon Andrew Nunn of Southwark Cathedral read a message from Bishop Christopher Chessun, and Bishop Jana Jeruma-Grinberga of the Lutheran Church in Great Britain, led prayers. Along with the Norwegian  Chargé d'Affaires, Mr Arne Sammes  Bjørnstadm, The Rt Hon Simon Hughes MP, I was able to extend a message of tribute and solidarity. I post the text of my tribute below.

Bishop of Oslo, Ole Chr M Kvarme Today is St Olav's day. St Olav (or Olaf) was the king of Norway, killed in battle on this day in 1030. Today I will be attending, along with other ecumenical guests and representatives of the Norwegian and UK governments, a special service of prayer and reflection in the Norwegian Church in London, which is dedicated to this patron saint of Norway. The Revd Torbjorn Holt, the Rector and Senior Chaplain of the Norwegian Church, says "it is special to have this service on the feast day of the martyred Norwegian King". During the service there will also be a chance for members of the congregation and visitors to sign the book of condolence. The other day, I received a warm letter from the Bishop of Oslo, the Rt Revd Ole Chr M Kvarme, responding to the message I sent to him last Saturday, on behalf of our diocese. I share this below. Bishop Ole writes: Dear Bishop David From all over the world we have received condolences after the i...

There is a heroic chapter in the history of Christ Church Vienna which is about to be featured in a documentary by BBC Radio 4.  The chaplain of Christ Church at the time of the   Anschluss   or annexation of Austria by the Nazis in 1938, the Revd Hugh Grimes, began baptising Jews in attempt to protect them, believing that a baptismal certificate from the Embassy Chapel of the Established Church of England would buy some time for them to arrange papers to leave the persecution. When Fr Grimes was recalled to London, the baptisms were continued in Christ Church by retired priest (and former Chaplain of Cologne), the Revd Frederick Collard.  BBC Radio 4 will feature this story as part of the series "Document". Altogether over 1800 Jews were baptised in Christ Church in the summer of 1938.  Giles MacDonogh and   Christopher Wentworth-Stanley   have been researching this fascinating story for several years and the programme includes contributions ...

Archdeacon Sutch reads the Mandate for the installation of the new Canon Last Monday 25 July was the feast of St James the Apostle. St James, or Santiago , is one of the patrons of Spain, and his shrine in Compostela, has been the goal of pilgrims for over 1000 years. Fittingly, on that feast in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Gibraltar, the Chaplain of Madrid, the Revd Ian Hutchinson-Cervantes was installed in the stall of St James, his official place in our Cathedral Chapter. The Dean of Gibraltar, the Very Revd Dr John Paddock, led the service, assisted by the Archdeacon of Gibraltar, the Venerable David Sutch. Members of Canon Ian's family, his wife Raffaella, daughter Isabel, and one of his sons, Tómas were able to journey from Madrid to be present for the occasion. The Canons of the Diocese, members of the Cathedral Chapter, undertake to support the bishops by prayer and counsel, and to work to support the common life of the diocese. Dean Paddock seats th...

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has sent his prayers and sympathy to the people of Norway following the tragic events in Oslo and Utøya last Friday. His message is as follows: "Along with all the faithful of the Church of England, I want to express my deepest sympathy with the people of Norway in the wake of the appalling events of recent days. Norway has played so great a part over many years in international reconciliation as well as developing its own distinctive national ethos of openness and fairness, and it is a special tragedy that it should suffer this outbreak of senseless carnage. Our prayers are with all those who died and all those who mourn them; and we are grateful for the many signs of strength and spiritual maturity that the Norwegian people have shown in their response to evil and destructiveness."   (The Church of England and the Church of Norway are in communion, as a result of the Porvoo Agreement. Bishop Helga Haugland By...

On 1 August, the Reverend Stephen Murray, formerly Rector of the Church of the Resurrection, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada will become the Priest-in-Charge of the Anglican Church of St John the Evangelist, Ghent and Priest-in-Charge of the Anglican Church of St George, Knokke, Belgium. Fr Stephen comes to the diocese in Europe from the Diocese in Niagara, where I, myself, was ordained. (Fr Haynes Hubbard, of St Vincent's Algarve, is also from the Diocese of Niagara. I think we should form a Europe Association of Niagara alumni!) We welcome Fr Stephen and his wife Pleuntje to this diocese. Church of England services have been held in Ghent since 1743. St John's website is here .

This morning I spoke with Archdeacon Brian Russell who is looking after St Edmund's Oslo, during the holidays of our chaplain, the Revd Janet Heil. Archdeacon Russell confirms what we have seen on news reports from afar, that yesterday's bombing in Oslo and shootings on the island of Utoya represent a loss of innocent lives that is on a scale unseen in that country since World War II. Norway has a small national population, and the killing of over 90 people will mean that almost every person and family will be touched in some way by this enormous tragedy. This morning, on behalf of the diocese, I sent the message below to Bishop Helga Byfuglien, the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Norway, and Bishop Ole Kvarme, the Bishop of Oslo: Dear Bishop Helga, dear Bishop Ole On behalf of the clergy and people of the Church of England Diocese in Europe I want to send this message to express our sorrow and to convey our deepest condolences to our sisters and brothers in Norway, foll...

Bob Kelly holding his licence in Nossa Senhora da Luz Church The ministry team in St Vincent's Algarve continues to grow. On Sunday 3 July, Bob Kelly was licensed as a reader, joining the two priests and two other readers who serve the 4 congregations of the parish stretched across the Algarve. Normally the licensing of a reader is undertaken by an archdeacon or bishop, but the Senior Chaplain, Fr Haynes Hubbard was able to preside at this service with an episcopal commission for that purpose. The service was held in the beautiful church of Nossa Senhora da Luz, Praia da Luz.   We  welcome Bob to this new lay ministry in our diocese. There are about 100 licensed readers who serve our 300 congregations. 

Those preparing services and parish programmes for this autumn will be aware that the 10th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center in New York will fall on Sunday 11th September 2011. Christians have the opportunity to observe the anniversary as a milestone in our continuing search for peace and churches around the world are planning to mark the event by special services. Westminster Abbey will have a service of remembrance and reconciliation that day at 6.30 pm. A special educational programme has been launched by the Awareness Foundation under the banner: Awareness Sunday: A Path to Peace. The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams is patron of the Awareness Foundation. (He himself was in New York at the time of the attacks and wrote movingly of his experience of the horror). Archbishop Rowan said: "Awareness Sunday is acknowledging through education, the urgent need to dispel ignorance and the urgent need to help each one of us to buil...

The Reverend Dr D Paul Dalzell , formerly parish priest of the Anglican Parish of Alexandra, Australia is the new Priest-in-Charge of the Anglican Church of St John the Evangelist, Montreux, Switzerland. Fr Paul took up this new post on  1 July 2011.  Welcome to the Diocese in Europe! The website of the parish of St John's Montreux is here .

Many people are not aware that in the Church of England the administration of Holy Baptism is either by immersion or by pouring. It is the immersion part that surprises some! Both the Book of Common Prayer and Common Worship: Christian Initiation make clear that these are the (only) two options. Common Worship says that the president of the rite "dips each candidate in water, or pours water on them". I think that few, if any, of our churches in the Diocese have a font large enough to accommodate baptism by  immersion. However, some of our parishes are close to bodies of water! For instance, Christ Church Dusseldorf has taken advantage of its place on the Rhein to provide this option for candidates to be baptised there. The Revd Stephen Seamer, the chaplain of Christ Church, has noted that such baptisms have been a real encouragement to members of the congregation. Such a service is scheduled again for 31 July. Our clergy will be aware, of course, that when adults (...

Vernet-les-Bains, you say? If you have not heard of this particular parish in our diocese, it is because until a few years back, we forgot that we had a church there! Thanks to the work of Fr David Burton Evans, the then priest-in-charge of St Andrew's Pau, who was alerted to the existence of the building back in 1997, St George's has been recovered and an association formed so that Church life can resume. And so, on Saturday 9 July, I was able to license the Reverend David Phillips, formerly Associate Priest in the Benefice of Elloughton Brough with Brantingham (York) as Priest-in-Charge of the Anglican Church of St George, Vernet les Bains. We welcome Fr David and his wife Lesley to this diocese. The Revd David Phillips and Lesley Phillips The celebration on Saturday was a joyful event with a Church packed with parishioners, friends, ecumenical guests and clergy and readers from the neighbouring parishes of Pau and across the Pyrenees in Madremanya and Barcelona. M...

The Special Olympics were hosted in Athens from 26 June to 6 July. This global event is is modeled on the Olympic Games but dedicated to those who live with restricted learning abilities. 157 nations participated with Britain sending a team 150 strong along with the trainers and support members. Each participant and helper had to raise £2,000 to fund their part in the games. St Paul's Church in Athens was on hand to assist with the welcome and support for this event. Christine Saccali, Reader, signed up as a volunteer to assist with translation. In the photograph above Christine is seen with the Nigerian team much involved in making bread. Below, she is pictured with a medalist from El Salvador, a power lifter. On Sunday 26 June participants in the Special Olympics joined St Paul's congregation for worship. The following Monday the Senior Chaplain, the Revd Canon Malcolm Bradshaw, met with the British team at a reception given by H.M...

In what was a bit of an "ordination road-show", Archdeacon David Sutch, Area Dean Canon Hugh Broad, my chaplain Deacon Frances Hiller and I flew from Madrid following the ordination of Nigel Thomas, to Tenerife, for what I believe to be the first Anglican ordination in the Canary Islands: Jennifer Elliot de Riverol who was made deacon on Sunday 3 July in All Saints Church, Puerto de la Cruz , Tenerife. Deacon Jennifer is vested by the Revd Richard Morgan Deacon Jennifer has felt a calling to the sacred ministry for over 20 years. She will serve as Assistant Curate in All Saints, Tenerife, with special responsibility for the Congregation of St Martin de Porres , on the neighbouring island of La Palma, where she has already ministered for a number of years as a reader. Her supervising incumbent is the Chaplain of Tenerife North, the Revd Mike Smith. The Area Dean was the preacher for the service, and one of Jennifer's lecturers at the Eastern Regional Ministry Cou...

Nigel Thomas hears the assent of the congregation to his ordination as deacon.   A sultry Madrid morning (38C) did not stifle the congregation which filled St George's Church on Saturday, 2 July, which cried out   "It is!" to the question in the ordination service, "Is it now your will that Nigel should be ordained?". Thus the ordination of Nigel Thomas as a deacon in the Church of God proceeded with the enthusiastic support of the parish. The ordinand in prayer during the Veni Creator and solemn litany Deacon Nigel will serve as Assistant Curate in St George's, under the supervision of the Revd Canon Ian Hutchinson-Cervantes, the chaplain. The Area Dean of Gibraltar, the Revd Canon Hugh Broad was the preacher, with the Archdeacon of Gibraltar, the Venerable David Sutch, present for the legal formalities. Readings and hymns were in Spanish and English. A special setting of the  Veni Creator Spiritus  the ancient hymn invoking the Holy Spirit, ...

Elaine Wolfenden, the wife of the Revd Peter Wolfenden, was laid to rest today following a packed funeral in the 11th century church of St Wulfran in Ovingdean, Sussex. The congregation included former parishioners from Malta and Gozo and Malaga, where Fr Peter had ministered in this diocese, as well as members from St Wulfran's itself. Elaine's children and grandchildren were surrounded by many long-standing friends who gave thanks for her remarkable life. The former Dean of Gibraltar, the Very Revd Alan Woods and the former Chancellor of St Paul's Pro-Cathedral in Valetta, Malta, the Revd Canon Tom Mendel among the mourners present. May she rest in peace.