Archdeacon Ian Naylor announces his retirement to the French Synod

Archdeacon Ian Naylor opens the French Synod
The French Archdeaconry Synod is one of the largest in the diocese. There are over 60 congregations of the Church of England in France, grouped in approximately 30 parishes or chaplaincies, served by about 30 clergy and about 30 licensed lay ministers (Readers).

Archdeacon Ian Naylor has been the Archdeacon of France (and Monaco) for the past 4 years. In the past two years he has been working full-time (but without a stipend!) in this position, after he retired from his parochial duties at St Andrew's Pau. Archdeacon Ian announced to the Synod on the last evening that he would be stepping down on 30 September. The members of the Synod were very saddened indeed by this news. Several times the assembled clergy and laity broke into applause for Fr Ian, expressing their thanks for the support and leadership he has given to the churches of the Archdeaconry, and their appreciation for his pastoral care. Area Deans Debbie Flach and Andrew Hawken voiced the feelings of all present when they paid tribute to Ian for his Archidiaconal ministry. It is clear that Fr Ian will be sorely missed, and his successor will have very large shoes to fill indeed.

Pastor Christian Krieger of the Union of Protestant Churches in Alsace and Lorraine with Pauline Dif from St Alban's Strasbourg
Ecumenical life shared by our churches in France continues to be rich and fruitful. The Synod heard from ecumenical partners such as Fr Emmanuel Gougard (Ecumenical Secretary of the French RC Bishops' Conference), Pastor Jane Strantz of the French Protestant Federation, and Pastor Christian Krieger from the Union of Protestant Churches in Alsace and Lorraine. Reports were heard from the French Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue and from the Reuilly Contact Group (which supports the ecumenical relations between the Anglican Churches in Britain and Ireland and the Protestant Churches in France and in Alsace-Lorraine). Our faithful in France and Monaco continue to be excellent ambassadors for our Anglican tradition and our ecumenical commitment.

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