Sharon Grant now licensed as a Reader in Costa Brava
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Reader Sharon Grant
On Sunday 18 June, Sharon Grant was licensed as a Reader (Licensed Lay Minister) to serve the Anglican Church in the Costa Brava. The service took place in the ancient, (probably 13th century), Church of St Stephen, in Madremanya, At the festive eucharist, 5 persons were also confirmed, and one received into the communion of the Church of England.
A wonderful lunch rounded off the day at the parish house in Corçà. Somehow, the parishioners found out it was my birthday, too!
The Anglican Church of Costa Brava was formally constituted in 2012 and its first priest, the Revd Anne Jenkins appointed. Sharon now joins the ministry team as a licensed lay minister serving this active parish which meets in 4 different locations in the beautiful part of Catalunya.
The entrance to the parish house patio
The parish puts great emphasis on the welcome offered to everyone. This welcome is summed up in this statement on their website:
"We are a very mixed group of people trying to follow the way of Jesus and respond to his call to love God, ourselves and others by exploring the meaning of God’s love for all people – women and men, young and old, gay or straight. We are from a variety of backgrounds, we are all different ages, we have very varied lifestyles and we delight in our God given diversity. Whoever you are, whether you live here all the time, come from time to time or are here on holiday, you would be welcome to come and join us on a Sunday or for one of our events during the year".
An excellent video tells the history and vision of this chaplaincy with some moving testimonies of parishioners about why they have made this Church their home:
Deacon Frances and I packed up our office yesterday and turned over our official files, emails and equipment. Thus a close working together for 22 years comes to an end. So it is hard to believe that today, St David's day, a new chapter begins, after 44 years of stipendiary ministry, 22 years as deacon then priest and 22 as a bishop. Here are just a few memories from the last couple of months... But now it is time to begin a new chapter. O God, by whose command the order of time runs its course: forgive our impatience, perfect our faith and, while we await the fulfilment of your promise, grant us to have a good hope because of your Word, even Jesus Christ our Lord. (St Gregory Nazianzus, 330 - 390)
In his Pentecost letter, the Archbishop of Canterbury warned of certain consequences for provinces of the Anglican Communion which have failed to stand by the three moratoria . (No authorisation of blessings services for same-sex unions; no consecrations of bishops living in same-sex relationships; and no bishop authorising any ministry within the diocese of another bishop without explicit permission). One consequence would be that representatives from such provinces w ould not be able to participate in the formal international interchurch dialogues of the Communion. One of those dialogues is the Anglican-Old Catholic International Co-ordinating Council ( AOCICC ), the official instrument set up to deepen the relationship of communion established in 1931 between the Anglican Communion and the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht . As the member Churches of the Union of Utrecht are all European, the AOCICC is effectively a European body. (I am one of the members, appo...
The Revd Andrew Wagstaff (above), chaplain of St Boniface Church, Antwerp, was commissioned by Bishop Geoffrey as Area Dean of Belgium and Luxembourg on 9 October, at the Eucharist which concluded the sessions of the synod of the Archdeaconry of NW Europe. Fr Andrew succeeds the Revd Canon Ray Jones who retired earlier this year. The Area Dean will work under Archdeacon John de Wit (who is based in Utrecht, Netherlands) in providing pastoral support to the clergy of Belgium and Luxembourg. He will also work with the President of the Anglican Central Committee for Belgium, the Revd Canon Dr Robert Innes, Chancellor of Holy Trinity Pro-Cathedral, Brussels. (A unique and helpful feature of our Anglican life in the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is that our clergy in those countries receive a traitement or stipend support from the state. Canon Innes represents our Anglican Church in all dealings with the Belgian State, including the matter of traitements). ...
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