St Saviour's Riga welcomes its new Priest-in-Charge


On 30th October the Acting Archdeacon of Germany and Northern Europe, the Venerable Peter Potter, licensed the Revd Jana Jeruma-Grinberga as priest-in-charge of St Saviour's, Riga, Latvia. The historic Church in downtown Riga was full for the service. Although a Church of England congregation, St Saviour's is a home to people from many nations. It has an impressive programme of outreach in the community.


The appointment of Jana is a first fruit of the signing of the Porvoo Agreement by the Evangelical Latvian Lutheran Church Abroad, which occurred last September. Jana was ordained a priest of that Church and as we are now in communion she was able to be appointed to a Church of England position, (after receiving the Archbishop of Canterbury's permission under the Overseas Clergy Measure in the usual way).


Although Jana is licensed as a priest in this diocese, many will be interested to know that her last position was actually as a bishop. She was the first woman bishop of the Lutheran Church in Great Britain, appointed to that office in 2009 and which she held until 2013.

Born in England of Latvian parents, Jana trained for the sacred ministry in an Anglican theological college. She brings a rich pastoral experience to this diocese, and extensive ecumenical experience. She is, of course, fluent in Latvian.

We welcome her most warmly to our family.


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, appo...
Read more

Bishop Austin Rios of California

Image
It was a joyful, colourful, multicultural three-hour liturgy. At Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, the Revd Austin Rios was consecrated the bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of California. I have known Austin from his time as the Rector of St Paul's Episcopal Church in Rome, where he was a great friend and collaborator with our own Church of England All Saints Chaplaincy in that city. The liturgy, appropriately, marked the multiculural make-up of the diocese, with prayers, readings, hymns and songs in English, Spanish, Tagalog, Tonga and Mandarin. The final procession was led by a Chinese dragon! I was told that there were about 300 in the procession and 2000 present in the beautiful gothic cathedral on Nob Hill San Francisco. My good friend and ecuenical colleague from Rome Fr Keith Peckers SJ was also in attenance, so the Church of Rome and the Church of England were both represented! Among the bishop friends present were Bishop Mark Edington of the Episcopal Convocation in Europe, a...
Read more