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The Martyrdom of Thomas Becket 16 Issue 76/November 2020 The Anglican Church of St Thomas à Becket Zeughausmarkt 22, 20459 Hamburg www.anglican-church-hamburg.de Becket News In this issue Locums and the lockdown – looking for a 3 new Chaplain Pete and the pandemic – or one of the good things 6 Helping the homeless in California – 7 by Fr Pete Wright Footsteps in the sand – by Revd Dr Nick Fisher 10 An urban pilgrimage – by Revd Canon Mark Dimond 11 Christmas cards available to order 15 The martyrdom of Thomas Becket 16 What's happening about the Bazaar? 18 Peregrinations of a pudding or two 19 Church Wanderers reloaded 20 Money matters 22 Who’s Who at our church Cover: Photo by Jo Dawes Our church receives no income from Kirchensteuer (church tax) and is entirely dependent on donations. Church Bank Account: Englisch-bischöfl. Gemeinde – Hamburger Sparkasse, BLZ 200 505 50, Konto-Nr. 1280146422 SEPA – BIC: HASPDEHHXXX, IBAN: DE46 2005 0550 1280 1464 22 Becket News 2 Issue 76/November 2020 Locums and the lockdown – looking for a new Chaplain When a Parish / Church / Chap- Thomas Choir School in New York laincy or Congregation is without from 2004–2019. Before that, he a permanent priest for any reason had served at St George’s Chapel, (vacancy, sickness, holiday, or it Windsor Castle and is now Priest- is a seasonal chaplaincy), a locum in-Charge at Bethesda Episcopal priest is appointed simply to ensure Church, Saratoga Springs, USA. We enjoyed his six weeks with us and his the continuity of worship, the learned sermons. availability of the Sacraments and On Ash Wednesday and the first the pastoral care of all who need it. Sunday in Lent, Revd Canon Mark (Church of England Diocesan Dimond, who is one of the priests Information) at St George’s Anglican Church in Berlin, came over to conduct the hen our last Chaplain, Revd services (more about Mark later). By WCanon Dr Leslie Nathaniel, then, the coronavirus was becoming left our church to become Archdea- a problem all over the world and was con of the East, Germany and North- quickly turning into a pandemic. ern Europe in November, 2019, we Nevertheless, our next locum, started a long vacancy period dur- Fr Pete Wright, and his wife Penny ing which we have welcomed and flew over from Los Angeles to take continue to welcome to our parish up locum duties. However, as you all locum priests who perform all the know, their stay was cut very short as duties of a Chaplain: the Sunday they had to return to the US shortly services, baptisms, pastoral care, etc. after arrival (see separate article). In the last Becket News, I reported on The lockdown that was in place all our first locum, Revd Ian Eglin and over Europe (and most of the world) his wife Caroline, who were with us also meant that the priest scheduled in December and January and very to come to Hamburg in June from quickly became part of the church Scotland could neither leave home family. nor enter Germany – which is why The Eglins were followed by Revd Fr Pete continued to prepare his Charles Wallace, originally from online services for us, much longer Canada, who was Headmaster of St than his planned locum period. Becket News 3 Issue 76/November 2020 By July, restrictions had been poet the Earl of Rochester (John lifted a little and churches reopened. Wilmot), but also as a locum. Nick’s Thanks to Dorothee for organis- first locum post was in sunny Ten- ing and leading Morning Prayer erife, but Hamburg also turned on a before our next locum, Revd Dr hot, dry summer for him – Spanish Nick Fisher was able to come over weather at its best, which gave him from the UK – driving all the way the opportunity to explore Ham- from his home in the Cotswolds burg thoroughly on foot. Although to Hamburg in one day! Fr Nick’s we can’t have refreshments after wife, Pam, a former children’s nurse, church, and stand around and chat joined him a little later. Nick and inside, we’re making the most of our Pam have three grown-up children. porch and Nick always went straight Nick’s first career was with the Bir- out there after the service to talk to mingham Police Force, but he was and get to know the congregation. always involved with church work We thank him and Pam for two as a reader and decided to study interesting and rewarding months. for the ministry after he retired. He In September/October we were was ordained in 2009 and became very pleased to welcome back Fr vicar in Northleach, Gloucester- Mark, who was with us for four shire. At the same time, he was a Sundays and celebrated the first visiting research fellow at the Insti- baptism we have been able to have tute of English Studies, University for many months. Mark comes from of London, specialising in litera- Wales and had a career in marketing ture and politics during the reign of and academia before his ordination. Charles II. Nick retired from active Mark is the son of a diplomat, was ministry in 2019, but keeps busy, born in Japan and has lived in many not only with his research, particu- different countries such as Russia, larly into the life and works of the Sweden, France and Hungary. He Living with corona Ahead of this edition of Becket News, readers were asked about how they have experienced the coronavirus pandemic. Their answers to the following questions can be found throughout this edition. What have been the good things for you during the pandemic? What did you miss? What would you do differently in future? Becket News 4 Issue 76/November 2020 taught history at several universi- 2005 but resigned from the position ties in Wales – Cardiff, Swansea in Botswana in 2012. He moved to and Glamorgan. He is married to the UK and became team rector in Samantha, who is Head of Germany, Barking and assistant bishop in the Welsh Government, based at the Diocese of Chelmsford. Both Bishop British Embassy in Berlin, and they Trevor and his wife are strong advo- have three children, two at college cates of equal rights for women and and one still at school. Mark was we are very much looking forward ordained in 2011 and became Chap- to meeting them. Bishop Trevor lain to the Archbishop of Wales/ will also be coming to Hamburg to Llandaff in 2014. From 2017–2019 conduct the Christmas services at St Mark was Residentiary Canon at Thomas à Becket. Newport Cathedral. I’m happy to And while all these interest- say that Mark will be coming again ing locums have been helping us for three weeks in January. through the vacancy period and the Our next visiting ‘locum’ is actu- pandemic lockdown and continu- ally a familiar face and a local – ing restrictions, we have been bea- Finnish priest Dr Maija Priess, who vering away, getting all the papers has conducted several services in ready so that we could advertise for our church over the past few years. a new Chaplain – lots of forms and Maija’s weekday job is as lecturer in a new and thorough Chaplaincy the African Studies Department of profile to encourage applications. the University of Hamburg, where Our advertisement appeared in the she teaches Ge’ez and Amharic. Church Times on two successive Amharic is the liturgical language of Fridays at the end of September the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo and we now have eight candidates. Church. Maija will take services Many thanks to Archdeacon David until mid-November when we will Waller for his help and advice dur- welcome Bishop Musanda Trevor ing this quite complicated process. Selwyn Mwamba of Botswana. Interviews took place in mid-Octo- Bishop Trevor is retired and now lives ber and we hope that, God willing, in Berlin as his wife, Mmasekgoa we will be able to welcome our new, Masire-Mwamba, is the Botswanan full-time Chaplain to Hamburg in Ambassador to Germany. They have February, 2021. three grown-up children. Bishop Madeleine Resühr Trevor was consecrated bishop in Churchwarden Becket News 5 Issue 76/November 2020 Pete and the pandemic: a very good thing uring the vacancy period, we Mothering Sunday with Penny. These Dhave welcomed a number of services and the many that followed locum priests to Hamburg and were were posted to our Facebook page happy to greet Fr Pete Wright and his and the church website. wife, Penny, when they arrived here Pete assured us that he would be on 6 March from the USA, planning willing and able to prepare the Sun- to stay until the end of May. By then, day services from his home in Red- the corona virus was spreading rap- lands, near Los Angeles, for as long idly and Fr Pete was only able to hold as we remained without a locum and one service before lockdown when all under lockdown, and that is exactly churches were closed. Shortly after what he did, Sunday after Sunday that, all Americans who were overseas including the busy Easter week, but normally reside in the US were until the end of June, well beyond ordered home – meaning that Pete his planned locum period and, very and Penny had to return to Los Ange- generously, at no cost to the church. les before the month was up. These online services were a real What we didn’t know is that Pete treat – lively, imaginative, always is a Californian IT whizz-kid and introduced by a humorous story, quickly had virtual services up and illustrated with wonderful pictures running.
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