Two Deacons Ordained in Rome


"You cannot bear the weight of this calling in your own strength, but only by the grace and power of God". Following these words of the ordination liturgy, Mary Styles and Dana English, who were about to be ordained as deacons, prostrated themselves for silent prayer, followed by the ancient hymn Veni Creator Spiritus and the solemn litany sung by the deacon of the mass, the Revd Frances Hiller.

Laying on the marble floor of All Saints Church was probably the coolest place in the service. It was 39 degrees Celsius in Rome for the ordination on Sunday 1 July, a steamy day, even by Roman standards. But the heat was felt to be a sign of the Spirit which moved through the packed Church.

Deacons Mary Styles (left) and Dana English (right)
Members of the neighbouring (American) Episcopal Church of St Paul's attended, along with their priest, the Revd Austin Rios. Mother Teodora Tosatti and members of the Old Catholic Community were present along with visiting clergy from the Roman Catholic and Methodist Churches. 




The daughter congregation of St Mary at the Holy Cross, Macerata, a flourishing Nigerian community served from All Saints, Rome, were in attendance, with their lay minister Shedrak Iheanyiogu. They supplemented the music of the fine All Saints choir with some traditional Nigerian songs.


The Revd Mary Styles and the Revd Dana English, the two new deacons, will serve as assistant curates in All Saints Rome, under the supervision of the Venerable Jonathan Boardman, the Chaplain and  Archdeacon of Italy and Malta. Mary also has responsibility for a new Fresh Expression of Church, "Footsteps", which meets in the suburbs of Rome. All Saints is a multicultural congregation. Two of the youngest members of the servers' guild are twin boys from Pakistan, shown below with their parents.


The preacher for the service was the Very Revd David Richardson, the Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome and the Archbishop of Canterbury's representative to the Holy See. A festive lunch followed the service in the crypt of All Saints.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Farewell to the Diocese in Europe

Image
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)
Read more

Archbishop of Canterbury's Pentecost Letter: A European Consequence

Image
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, appointe
Read more

Advent in Helsinki: Mary, the Church's calling, and the One who brings us out of darkness to light

Image
Outside the Cathedral in Helsinki Yesterday, 8 December, was a very full Advent day, with activities redolent of the themes of the season. It was, of course, the Feast of the [Immaculate] Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary when we contemplate the mystery of the one who was prepared, through grace, to become the Mother of the Redeemer.  At the Vallila Help Centre (above, with Coordinator Eeva and Fr Tuomas) St Ambrose of Milan (whose feast we also celebrated this past week) was the first to refer to the Blessed Virgin as the Mother of the Church,  Mater Ecclesiae,  a title which helps us consider not only her role in giving birth to the Redeemer from whom the Church itself was born, but also how in her own life she responded to God's call in faith and love, as the Church today is also called to respond to the needs of the world.  It was with this in mind that I was so moved by a visit to the Ukraine Vallila Help Centre, a project supported by USPG and this diocese, which provides
Read more