THE E UROPEAN A NGLICAN E UROPEAN E ASTER P ICTURE REPORT R AISING THE ROOF IN S TUTTGART FAITH IN F RANCE F OCUS ON COUNTANCES C YCLING FOR THE G OSPEL FROM C ORFU TO ATHENS B ELGIAN BATTLEFIELDS WAR GRAVES PRESERVED FREE No.38 SUMMER 2008 2 BEACH WELCOME FOR THE RISEN LORD THE E UROPEAN A NGLICAN The Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe The Rt Revd Geoffrey Rowell Bishop’s Lodge, Church Road, Worth, Crawley RH10 7RT Tel: +44 (0) 1293 883051 Fax: +44 (0) 1293 884479 Email: bishop@dioceseineurope. org.uk The Suffragan Bishop The Rt Revd David Hamid Postal address: Diocesan Office Tel: +44 (0) 207 898 1160 Email: [email protected]. org.uk The Diocesan Office 14 Tufton Street, London, SW1P 3QZ Tel: +44 (0) 207 898 1155 Fax: +44 (0) 207 898 1166 Email: diocesan.office@europe. H AIL c-of-e.org.uk “THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS” Diocesan Secretary Mr Adrian Mumford Assistant Diocesan Secretary “There is nothing new under the sun” warns the Mrs Jeanne French Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes reminding us Finance Officer Mr Nick Wraight that the old, tried and true message of the gospel Diocesan Website www.europe.anglican.org we proclaim in our churches around Europe finds Editor and Diocesan new expressions in the Summer sunshine. Communications Officer The Revd. Paul Needle Postal address: Diocesan office Despite the early date of Easter a Lowering the roof on developments Email: sunrise start to the Festive Sunday at the church in Stuttgart reminds us [email protected] brought church members in Tenerife that although some churches in the Tel: 0034 662 482 944 South onto the beach, recalling diocese are totally owned and Design another waterside in Galilee where the maintained by Anglican congregations Adept Design, Norwich risen Lord revealed himself. This many more are shared with a variety edition features more pictures of of other Christian denominations who Printer Easter around Europe. generously make them available for Norwich Colour Print We recall that although many English worship services. churches expand their work to cater In a new venture for this publication, Distribution for the holiday crowds with special when we invited members of the CoDEStorm plc seasonal services older cities and church in Coutances in France to tell Cover photo: Every Christian more northerly parts of Europe us about themselves they produced a missionary needs a little support. continue their steady ministry as it has complete page which we offer as a Rev Clifford Owen, is sponsored by gone on for centuries. “Do it Yourself” report other two youngsters as he travels by boat On the Costa del Sol in early May congregations may wish to try. on the first stage of his cycle ride the BBC were busy recording an Whether you have story ideas, news from Corfu to Athens. Read his edition of Songs of Praise for reports, pictures or a finished page we own account on page 7. transmission later this year. The urge you to keep sending us items to outdoor location meant that however include in our publication linking ministry fervent the singing there was no in 45 countries, across 9 time zones danger of literally raising the roof. and with over 270 centres of worship. THE SAME STEEPLE – BUT WITH BELLS ON 3 The renovation project for St The Anglican community, who Catherine’s church Stuttgart featured have always been warmly and in The European Anglican in generously treated by the church’s Autumn 2006 has now moved a owners, the Old Catholic highly visible step forward with the congregation, are working closely replacement of the miniature belfry, together with them on the project. the “Dachreiter”, which had become Included in a number of fundraising dangerously unstable.A generous gift events was an evening of English from the Wüstenrot Foundation Music Hall, M.C.’d with Texan verve enabled the restoration committee to by our Chaplain, the Rev Kenneth complete Stage 2, the re-roofing of Dimmick. the entire church.This is the second Further information may be of a total of four stages in the found on the Old Catholics’ website, restoration: the first, the renovation of http://stuttgart.alt-katholisch.info. the interior, was completed early last For details of financial contributions year; the third, the draining of the still needed contact Christopher whole site and the stabilising of the Sloan, who is the Secretary of the foundations, should be done this year; Stuttgart Anglican Chaplaincy (e-mail and the fourth, the renovation of the [email protected], subject “Save outer stonework and of the windows, St Catherine’s”). will be started concurrently and completed when funds are available. Christopher Sloan N EW S TEEPLE Lifting the steeple framework into position and gently lowering the bells (pictures by Werner Glaser) FOR S TUTTGART 4 LET US KEEP THE FEAST In Ypres, church members commemorated The Last Supper on Maundy Thursday Evening with an Agapè meal in the Church Hall. Chaplain Raymond Jones presides over the event at the head of the same table where Holy Communion had been celebrated earlier. Rita Loriot is standing to receive thanks for preparing the spread. Enthusiastic volunteers at St Andrews Costa del Sol (East) made 400 palm crosses from the distinctive leaves in a short space of time. Mediterranean churches have the benefit of palm trees growing in many local gardens. Newcomers who had never learned the art of folding soon picked up the necessary skills and the finished crosses were used to supply the local Roman Catholic congregation as well. For the last seven years the Anglican Church in Palma (Mallorca) has been trying, with no success, to Church members find a donkey to lead their outdoor Palm Sunday on the Costa Del procession.As Chaplain, Robert Ellis, says,“I just Sol also worked to couldn’t believe how difficult it was to find one when provide the there are so many donkeys kept on the island. But at traditional Easter last we were loaned one from a kind owner near Garden in miniature Bunyola and Chula the donkey was an absolute star. It to welcome the wasn’t a gimmick,because it’s part of the drama of celebrations of the Holy Week. I think both adults and children found it a risen Christ. useful reminder of the original story.” HOLY WEEK AND EASTER 5 ACROSS EUROPE Children’s Easter artwork from Christ Church,Vienna. Good Friday in Teneriffe included the traditional portrayal of the “Passion of Christ” a spectacular re- enactment with a cast of hundreds – a wonderful way There can be few more beautiful settings for a to experience the emotions of those days. It was Palm Sunday procession than the seafront in followed by a complete contrast with The Stations of Alcossebre on the Costa Azahar in the Valencia the Cross in San Eugenio Church where chaplain region of Spain.Although it was not possible to Keith Gordon says “Everyone was moved to tears find a donkey for the procession there were more with the words and the music.” than twenty Harley Davidson motorcycles gathered nearby for a more secular and noisy celebration! Palm Blessing in Budapest with Rev Denis Moss and members of the congregation. COUTANCES CHURCH – IN 6 THEIR OWN WORDS C H R IST C H U R C H C O U TA N C E S N O R M A N D Y, FR A N C E Web site - www.christchurchcoutances.com ‘I had a dream’ said Pat They were placed smack in the middle of the Laws in 1999. Cathedral.To say this caused a stir is putting it mildly. The Holy Spirit was Our woman Priest was, we believe, the first lady to be telling her of the need for in the Cathedral in this capacity. an English speaking church Now the plot thickens. During Bishop David’s visit in Normandy. She spoke to the Churchwardens asked if it was possible for Peter to other ex-pat friends and be ordained a priest and to take over the role of Peter Hales - Pat Laws soon a ‘gang of eight’ was Chaplain to Christ Church Coutances.They pointed formed.This included Mike out that Peter has already completed the first two of the Brooke, who is now our licensed Lay Reader and his Southern Diocesan Training Scheme and had been wife Linda, who is one of our church wardens.They accepted by ACCM. Bishop David stated that it could began the search for the pathway which would lead be possible for this to happen. Later that evening he them through the complicated and often confusing spoke to Peter about pursuing his vocation as a priest. strict French Laws and obvious language complications, After a sleepless night of prayer Peter went to Bishop to finally be accepted as a growing organisation of David and said that he was still certain that “Our Lord” English speaking people, who desired to honour and was calling him and that he knew he had to answer that worship God through Jesus Christ in their own tongue. call. Subsequently Peter has been accepted by the In 2002 four services were held in small chapels and Diocesan Discernment team and now awaits the the homes of the eight. In 2003 an opportunity arose Bishops Advisory Panel which will take place in June. It for them to speak with Bishop Geoffrey Rowell when is hoped that Peter will be ordained a Deacon in he visited Dinard.The first annual General meeting was September or October this year.