Diocese in Europe and Diocese of Visby: Partnership in the Gospel

Some clergy of the Diocese of Visby outside St Mary's Cathedral; Deacon Ulf Kundler (centre) is known to many in the Diocese in Europe
"Spiritual Hearths and Movable Altars" was the theme for the priests and deacons meeting of the Diocese of Visby, Sweden. Visby is twinned with our own Diocese in Europe within the Porvoo Communion of Churches.

It is a diocese divided into two parts: the historic parishes on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, plus the communities of the Church of Sweden Abroad (SKUT). It is because of SKUT that Visby makes a logical partner for our own Diocese in Europe, even though SKUT covers the whole world beyond Sweden, not just continental Europe and Morocco.

Statue of Our Lady in Visby Cathedral
Gotland itself has 93 parish churches which were built between 1100 and 1350, most of which have many well preserved medieval features, wall paintings, reredoses, fonts and roods. The cathedral is dedicated to St Mary and was dedicated in 1225.

About 160 priests and deacons gathered for the meeting in Visby from Sunday 9 to Wednesday 12 of August. About 65 of them came from SKUT; some journeyed from as far away as Melbourne and Los Angeles, others from nearer parishes such as Oslo and London.


Bishop Sven-Bernhard Fast (above) invited me to be part of the gathering. It was a joy and a privilege. I was able to meet many old friends who are priests and deacons serving in several parishes close to ours as well as make some significant new contacts. There are many places in the area covered by our diocese where Swedish clergy are also serving their own communities. As Churches in Communion, I would encourage us to find ways to build on and strengthen these links in Europe.


The theme explored subjects close to our own heart - such as being pilgrims in a strange land, and how to manifest the fullness of the life of our Church outside its native context. Besides the time of worship, presentations and small groups, there was very generous hospitality in Swedish style, including a splendid medieval closing banquet.


Bishop Sven-Bernhard dismissed the gathering in a candlelit ceremony when candles were exchanged with a partner, as a sign of continuing to pray for one another.





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