Chrism Mass in St George's Madrid

St George's Madrid hosted one of the three Chrism Masses held in the diocese this Holy Week. Clergy and lay ministers from the parishes of Lisbon, Costa del Sol East, Costa Almeria and Costa Calida, Costa Ahazar, Gibraltar, Madrid, and Tenerife South gathered for this liturgy where vows of ministerial service are renewed and the three sacred oils (for the sick, catechumens and chrism) are blessed for distribution to the congregations of the diocese.

The Dean of Gibraltar, the Very Revd Dr John Paddock preached, applying some insights from the Spanish mystics, St Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross, to the disciplined life of bishops, priests, deacons and lay ministers. Both the Archdeacon of Gibraltar, the Venerable David Sutch, and the Area Dean of Gibraltar, the Revd Canon Hugh Broad were among the clergy taking part.

There was also a significant ecumenical presence including the Revd Dr Mariano Perron, the Ecumenical Officer of the (RC) Archdiocese of Madrid, the Revd Fr Sasoon Zumrookhdian, the Vicar General for the Armenian Apostolic Church in Spain and Portugal (and a number of his parishioners), the Sisters of Unity (Hermanas de la Unidad), Dr Mariano Blasques, the General Secretary of the Protestant Federation, Bishop Elmer Belmonte of the Charismatic Episcopal Church and representatives of the Spanish Evangelical (Presbyterian) Church.

Our thanks go to the Revd Ian Hutchinson Cervantes, the chaplain of St George's Madrid, and the members of the parish, who worked hard to host us and to provide a special lunch following the service.

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