An Ecumenical Epiphany


The Epiphany of Our Lord was celebrated by the Church of the Resurrection, Istanbul with baptisms, confirmations and a reception into the Church of England in a packed service in the historic chapel of St Helena. St Helena's Church is one of the three Anglican Church buildings in Istanbul.

Pastor Ulla August reads the Epiphany Gospel in German
It was a joyous event for this Turkish-speaking congregation of the diocese in Europe. The ecumenical participation in the service was significant. Fr Claudio Monge OP, a Dominican priest in Istanbul assisted me as chaplain for the service. The Revd Ulla August, the pastor of the EKD (Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland) brought members of her congregation to St Helena's, read the Gospel in German and assisted with the chalice. Many participants in the Taizé pilgrimage to Istanbul also attended the service. I was able to greet young people from Sweden, Latvia, Germany, Netherlands and France. 
Fr Claudio Monge OP (left) and Fr Engin Yildirim (right) assisting in the service

Comments

  1. Pmounstephen12 January 2013 at 09:20

    Wonderful service - and wonderful to see it took place in St. Helena's.

    ReplyDelete

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