Eurobishop

Pan African Sunday, 30 September, at St George's Madrid included a service of confirmation, a Nigerian choir and an African feast after the mass. It was a day of exuberant joy. It felt like St George's was truly an place of international encounter for the many Christians in Madrid who speak English or who are from an Anglican background. However, there was sad news for the chaplaincy that day. I had to announce that their beloved Chaplain, the Revd Canon Paul Ormrod, would be leaving. Fr Paul has been appointed to St John's Montreux and he and his wife Jill will be saying farewell to St George's at the end of December. Book Sale at St George's It has been such a fruitful time for the Ormrods in Madrid. He will leave behind a thriving multicultural community as was in evidence that Sunday. There is a vibrant Sunday School and three services each Sunday. The Church Council includes a good cross section of the parish, including some young adults. (I th...

Canon Elaine Labourel introduces the weekend workshop Readers (Licensed Lay Ministers) and those in training for that ministry recently came together in Woking, England, for a workshop on the ministry of preaching. Organised by the Director of Reader Ministry, Canon Elaine Labourel, this workshop included some theological reflection on the doctrine of revelation, how God communicates divine truth to the human community, some principles of Anglican preaching, as well as practical guidance and skill enhancement in homiletics. The Revd Dale Hanson of St Mark's Versailles was a key resource person for the event. As Warden of Readers, I was also able to spend some hours with the participants. Reader Angela Mirani (left) was the first Reader I admitted to this office back in 2003 These training events are very well supported by the Readers, and are generally oversubscribed! One participant thanked Canon Labourel for her encouraging leadership, "because of her, the read...

Pops Francis listens to the formal petition to canonise the seven new saints Before a crowd of over 70,000 people, including Spain's former Queen Sophia, the Presidents of El Salvador, Panama, Chile and Italy, Pope Francis yesterday, 14 October, canonised 7 saints. Two will be well known to Anglicans: Archbishop Oscar Romero and Pope Paul VI. I was privileged to be present as part of the delegation of Anglicans attending the canonisation, headed by Archbishop Rowan Williams. After the mass in St Peter's Square the Pope expressed warm words of gratitude for our presence.   Archbishop Rowam is greeted by Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity Bishop Brian Farrell In his homily, Pope Francis spoke of Jesus inviting us to return to him, the source of joy, a courageous choice to risk everything to follow him. He reminded us of how St Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of San Salvador, left the security of the world, even his own safety, in order to ...

Work has now begun on the Development Project of St John the Evangelist Parish in Casablanca. Phase one, the contruction of a new facility for community development work especially educational space for children and adults is now under way. The contract with the builder was signed in September and digging and initial work has begun. Canon Medhat Sabry, Chaplain of St John's, signing the contract The contractor has generously donated a tent to serve as a temporary facility for activities that once had to happen in an old tent and an old shipping container, particularly children's Sunday school! The temporary tent The St John's Development project is supported by the Diocesan Board of Finance, by donations from a diocesan Advent appeal, from some trust funds dedicated to work in St John's and from the donations of parishioners and others. Even the children of the parish are busy raising funds through the sale of baked goods and craft items! Do...

Community Dinner at St Alberto of Trapani, Randazzo "Table Talks" was the title given to a programme involving 2 of our congregations in Sicily, St Alberto of Trapani in Randazzo and St George's Taormina. The purpose was to engage the members of the congregations in dialogue about being Anglican in Sicily, especially the challenge associated with being Italian-speaking or bilingual Italian-English Anglicans. In the Diocese in Europe most of our liturgical and pastoral work is in English, with some exceptions where Anglicans from other parts of the world have brought their own language, such as French, Arabic, Tamil or Malgache. In many places occasioanl offices or pastoral rites such as baptism, confirmation or marriage might be celebrated in English as well as the national language (for example Spanish, German or Dutch) where there is a clear need. But regular liturgical and pastoral work in the national language has not been a routine part of our life, with o...

Fr Hugh (rt) with Deacon Frances and Fr David Sutch A former Area Dean in the diocese, the Revd Canon Hugh Broad, has just celebrated his golden jubilee of priesthood. Friends and colleagues, including former Archdeacon of Gibraltar, the Ven. David Sutch and my Chaplain Deacon Frances Hiller, gathered last Saturday with Fr Hugh for a special anniversary mass in Gloucester Cathedral. Of his 50 years as a priest, 10 were spent serving in this diocese, as Chaplain of Costa Almería and Costa Cálida, as Area Dean of Gibraltar (and convenor of the Archdeaconry Synod), as an Assistant Director of Ordinands. All in all a very fruitful and joyful ministry. Fr Hugh reflected that he feels quite homesick for the diocese, "My decade in the Diocese in Europe meant a great deal to me and which I shall never forget." It will always be your home, Fr Hugh! Warm wishes on this significant anniversary.

Dr Clare Amos The Director of Lay Discipleship in the Diocese in Europe, Dr Clare Amos, in an article written for  Anglican Communion News , reflects on the nature of the continent of Europe and the implications of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. This is what she has written: ______________________________________________________________ “The Diocese in Europe is like the Anglican Communion in miniature”. That was a perceptive remark made a few years ago by the chaplain to the Suffragan Bishop in Europe. It has a great deal of truth. I have now been a member of a church in the Church of England Diocese in Europe for seven years, since I moved to a small town in France near Geneva in 2011 to work for the World Council of Churches. One of the things that I have noticed and appreciated is how much more diverse our congregation in Geneva has become over these years, both in terms of ethnicity and the geographical origins of people. And that is also true, I bel...