Eurobishop

One of the few country travel corridors still open to a London resident like me, where quarantine is not needed upon entry or return, is Germany. So on 12 September, a confirmation service, delayed from last May was finally able to be celebrated in All Saints Cologne.  With 16 candidates it was one of the largest confirmations held in the parish since the mid 1960s. It was necessary, by German regulations, to restrict the numbers in church for the mass, which meant that besides the candidates, only close family members could attend, which was a disappointment for so many in the chaplaincy of Bonn and Cologne who would have wanted to be present.  Nevertheless, it was a wonderful celebration. But a few modifications were required to keep everyone as safe as possible: The congregation and ministers were masked, except for presidential prayers and preaching, when there was ample physical distancing. Cotton wool, changed for each candidate, was used for the anointing with Holy Chri...

Candidates remind themselves of their baptism In the rite of confirmation there is a moment when testimonies can be shared by the candidates, as to why they have decided to receive this sacrament. It is always a moving time. At a recent confirmation in the Church of St Thomas à Becket in Hamburg, one testimony from a young candidate was particularly inspiring. I share her words here: "When I decided to get confirmed, I was thinking of confirmation as a way of continuing in faith. But it’s so much more than that. During our confirmation lessons we learned about what it all really means; it means dedicating ourselves to the Christian belief and to the Lord. It means not only acknowledging the faith within ourselves, but with all of the Church. It means love, grace and forgiveness. It means peace, it means promise, and true and meaningful trust in the Lord our God". The parish has existed since 1612. It describes itself as "a welcoming, active and inclusive church, ...

A particularly special confirmation celebration was held in March in the Anglican Church in Freiburg. Many members of the congregation received the sacrament of confirmation, including one of the children of the priest, the Revd Canon Christopher Parsons. The Anglican Church in Freiburg is clear about its mission: "We are engaged in a lifelong task which is to build a community, made up of a wonderful mixture of ages and races, whose most abiding quality is ‘grace’," is an inviting statement from their website. It is evident that they are doing quite well in building such a community of grace, given the joy that I perceived at the celebration.

The Council of Anglican/Episcopal Churches in Germany, CAECG, is a unique body in the Anglican Communion. Here the congregations of the Church of England meet with congregations of the Episcopal Church (USA) in a joint consultative body, a synod-like structure, to support each other in a common life and witness in Germany. The Area Dean of Germany, the Revd Canon John Newsome, who takes on the role of Interim Archdeacon of Germany and Northern Europe on 1 April, (following the retirement of Archdeacon Colin Williams), was present for the sessions held in Treis-Karden on 8 - 9 March. During these meetings the CAECG explored a very current topic of debate in the Anglican Communion - human sexuality. Far right: The Revd Canon John Newsome, Interim Archdeacon of Germany and N Europe I was invited to present an overview of the factors which enter into the debates across the Communion. The members of CAECG also heard the views of two of the Church of England clergy, the Revd Canon...

For over 400 years, since 1611, the English Church in Hamburg has been serving the English speaking community in the city. At first the congregation was made up of English residents who were largely engaged in shipping and trade. Today the Church is a multinational community; typically at the Sunday mass the congregation, which is regularly more than 100, represents over 15 nationalities. T he Church is dedicated to  St Thomas à Becket. On 9 January a window depicting the saint was blessed, having been restored, mounted and illuminated in one of the upper galleries of the building. The glass, dating from the late 19th century, was donated by Graham Dry and his wife Beate Dry-von Zerschwitz who discovered it among other stained glass in a specialist shop in London. The members of the congregation are proud to have this saint as their patron, particularly in these days when the relationship between the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe is uncertain. They know that ...

Rosemary Selle with Candidate Danny The English Church in Heidelberg is currently without a resident priest (we are actively recruiting) but that has not stopped the growth in faith among members of the congregation. Reader Rosemary Selle recently prepared a candidate for confirmation and presented him to me at a recent parish visit. Testimonies are frequently given by the candidates for the sacrament of Confirmation, but in Heidelberg something different happened, which moved us all. A prayer was prayed for Danny, which had been composed by his big sister Divya. I post it below. It is beautiful. Danny’s confirmation prayer written by his sister Divya : Dear God, Thank you for letting us all come and gather here today, under your watchful eye. Thank you for guiding my brother all through his life and for staying with him through all these years both as a mentor and as a friend to turn to in times of need. We are unendingly grateful to you, Oh Lord, for bringing my brother to ...

Canon Nathaniel with his colleague planners of Meissen Unplugged The Revd Canon Dr Leslie Nathaniel of St Thomas Becket Anglican Church in Hamburg recently participated in the planning of a major ecumenical consultation called Meissen Unplugged . (The Meissen Agreement between the German Protestant Churches (EKD) and the Church of England permits eucharistic hospitality between the two traditions, but not interchangeability of ministers).  The Meissen Unplugged consultation enabled English and German Church partners to look to new initiatives and opportunities for shared mission in the context of the social and political changes in Europe. It was a fruitful engagement and the results of the exploration will be fed into the formal Meissen Commission. Some key challenges that the consultation addressed included: the looming fact of becoming a minority church in both Germany and England how to respond to populist movements of division and separation; what is the prophet...

Anglican congregations in Germany can be traced back over 400 years. Originally comprised of migrants from England, the congregations now include people of many nations, languages, and even Christian backgrounds. Today some of the Anglican Churches in Germany are part of the Church of England's Diocese in Europe, while others belong to the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe (part of the Episcopal Church, USA). The Council of Anglican and Episcopal Churches in Germany (CAECG) is a body bringing together the congregations of the two jurisdictions, for prayer, worship, to take counsel together and to plan joint activities. CAECG is thus a unique body in the Anglican Communion and a provides a creative forum for our churches from distinct Anglican Provinces to celebrate their shared heritage and forge a common life and mission in Germany. Canon Christopher Jage Bowler and Area Dean Canon John Newsome Two meetings are held each year, one more "business" orien...

Edoardo guides the pilgrims through the Vatican Museums 17 people from the parish of St Thomas a Becket in Hamburg recently made a pilgrimage to Rome. From 23 to 28 October, led by their priest, the Revd Canon Dr Leslie Nathaniel, the pilgrims who aged from 17 to 70 visited many of the Christian sites as well as the ancient monuments of the Eternal City. I was pleased to be able to accompany the pilgrims for a couple of days, as I was in Rome for other meetings at that time. One of our postulants for Holy Orders, Edoardo Fanfani, from All Saints Rome, who is a student at the Pontifical Gregorian University studying art history was able to be the guide for the group. Edoardo knows just about everything there is to know about Rome, her buildings, her art, her monuments, and links all this to the Christian presence and life in this his native city. Fr Leslie Nathaniel at the Papal General Audience Among the highlights of the pilgrimage was a visit to the Anglican Centre in ...

There has been Anglican worship in Bonn, Germany, for 175 years. On Saturday 24 June, this milestone was celebrated by St Boniface Anglican parish in the grand setting of the  Schlosskirche in the heart of the city. Ecumenical guests were present from the Roman Catholic Church as well as a representative from our sister Old Catholic Church in Germany. The Deputy Mayor of the City was also present underlying civic recognition for these years of English church presence. An excellent choir, the Bonn English Singers, led the music. The anniversary service began with a procession of thanksgiving around the Church with stations at the Baptismal Font, the Lectern and the Altar, the places where Christ's presence in his Church in the sacred liturgy is particularly symbolised. The Archdeacon of Germany and Northern Europe, the Venerable Colin Williams, the locum priest Fr Richard Costin, the Assistant Curate Fr Richard Gardiner, and Area Dean-designate Canon John Newsome, were a...

Plans continue for new congregations to be planted in Northwest Germany. The project has been spearheaded by the Area Dean of Germany, the Revd Canon Ken Dimmick. Fr Dimmick reports on a recent meeting to further this development, held at the home of Archdeacon of Germany and Northern Europe, the Venerable Colin Williams: "Our big dream is for the development of quite a number of smaller worship communities, similar to house churches, ....perhaps focused on lay-led Bible Study.  From time to time we see these house groups gathering with other house groups for a more liturgical worship service, and when  priest is available, for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist." Fr Ken intends that local worship leaders be trained to lead services of the word, between priestly visits. He appeals to the 10 or so Anglican priests in Germany to assist, perhaps coming once or twice a year to spend a couple of days, visiting and celebrating the Eucharist. An "executive committe...

The Church of England parish in Hamburg has existed since 1612. However, St Thomas Becket Church is far from being an "old" community nor even a particularly ethnic English one today. It is, as its website proclaims, "a welcoming, active, inclusive Church". The electoral roll includes folk from many national backgrounds. Indeed the international make-up is at the heart of its leadership. The Chaplain, the Revd Canon Dr Leslie Nathaniel, is originally from India. His wife (who assists at St Thomas's when she is not at St Catherine's Stuttgart), the Revd Dr Julie Lippe-Nathaniel, is German. Many on the servers guild are from Ghana. The excellent choir and other musicians come from around the world and make the liturgy at St Thomas's rich with music. Discussing details of the liturgy before the service One of the exciting and growing dimensions of ministry in St Thomas's is the inclusion of children and young people. Already an integral part of church l...