THE E UROP E AN A NGLICAN A FT E R TH E D E LUG E M OPPING UP IN M AD E IRA T E STING VOCATIONS C ONSID E RING G OD ’ S CALL TO S E RVIC E N E W HO me IN E INDHOV E N A CONGR E GATION ON TH E M OV E T H E LIGHT OF C HRIST I N TH E LAND OF M IDNIGHT SUN F RO M C HRIS M TO CROSS H OLY W ee K mem ORI E S FREE N o . 4 6 SUMM er 2 0 1 0 2 T H E S A M E – B U T D I F F E R E N T THE E UROP E AN A NGLICA N F LIGHTS GROUND E D 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: [email protected] The Suffragan Bishop in Europe The Rt Revd David Hamid Postal address: Diocesan Office Tel: +44 (0) 207 898 1160 Email: [email protected] The Diocesan Office Picture by Stephen Nicholls 14 Tufton Street, London, SW1P 3QZ Tel: +44 (0) 207 898 1155 Fax: +44 (0) 207 898 1166 BUT FAITH K ee PS ON TH E M OV E Email: diocesan.office@europe. c-of-e.org.uk In the Northamptonshire town where wrong place at the wrong time and hasty I grew up they had a strange saying changes were needed to be able to offer Diocesan Secretary normal services in some congregations. Mr Adrian Mumford that something was “the same, only different!” and I regularly puzzle on Other chaplaincies found themselves Assistant Diocesan Secretary exactly what was meant by it. advising and assisting travellers stranded Mrs Jeanne French News and reports of events reflect far from home and often without money Finance Officer times when life stops going on in the or a bed for the night. Mr Nick Wraight same way and there is a different The Diocese in Europe is the same Diocesan Website challenge for a time. Across the – but different. We are proud to be the www.europe.anglican.org diocese we have seen natural events 44th diocese of the Church of England bring challenges in recent weeks. and take our place alongside the historic Editor and Diocesan Extraordinary torrential rainfall over locations in England but conscious of Communications Officer our uniqueness and scope with different The Revd. Paul Needle the Atlantic caused mudslides and Postal address: Diocesan Office flooding in Madeira. Members of the challenges presented by world events or Email: [email protected] Anglican Church were quick to do what natural disasters. Tel: 0034 662 482 944 they could to alleviate distress and Also reported in this issue are a few of the Holy Week and Easter events. Friends of the Diocese offer some semblance of normality to people whose lives were disrupted. Their (Pictured is the Editor and his local Secretary: The Revd. Philip Warner memories of those days are reported in congregation in the Valencia region of Email: [email protected] this edition. Spain retracing the stations of the Cross) Design Then the volcanic cloud from Iceland, In many countries and a host of ways we Adept Design, Norwich originating not far from one of our celebrated Our Lord’s triumphant return to life in a bodily form which the Gospels Printer most northerly congregations, hung Norwich Colour Print menacingly over much of the continent remind us was the same as the disciples and air travel came to a halt for several recognised but different since he will Distribution days. A number of clergy and church never die again. That risen power keeps CoDEStorm plc members found themselves in the us on the move. Cover photo: Our bishops travel many thousands of Paul Needle miles each year and have the privilege Editor, The European Anglican of celebrating the great festivals in a variety of churches across our vast diocese. Bishop Geoffrey shared the joyful message of Easter and met members of the congregation in Moscow this year. C E L ebratin G A ne W H OM E 3 in E indh OV en A M AZING GRAC E – AND A LOT OF VISION , PRAY E R AND HARD WORK ! Ruth Steketee, a member of Trinity Church, Eindhoven, recalls an eventful twelve months. For Trinity Church Eindhoven the 2006 a flow of beautiful babies have Trinity has sorely needed over the year 2009 will go down in history as joined the congregation. years: ample space for crèche and the beginning of a new era after years In September 2009 the Brothers junior church, storage, parking and of consolidation and the formal who administered our venue easy access. In short it is a home approval of the Constitution. reluctantly told the Church Council where a dynamic international On 22 March Bishop Geoffrey that, because of the changing congregation can gain strength and Rowell was presented with an economic situation, the rental blessing to grow spiritually. official copy of the Constitution arrangement was no longer viable and After two hectic days dominated by of Trinity Church Eindhoven by the that we should find alternative the sight and sound of vacuum Churchwardens, duly signed and accommodation within three months. cleaners, buckets and power drills, the sealed, formalizing our full But miracles do happen. What in Church was transformed into a living, membership of the Diocese in our extensive search for a new venue vibrant church. Europe. had been a dream and aspiration A contract for five years was duly Celebrations of Holy Communion suddenly became real possibility signed with the Roman Catholic had been held in private homes in and through the hard work and dedication authorities, and after a short, informal around Eindhoven every month since of a small group. period of prayer the move was 1960. We were served by clergy from On Sunday 8 November the last complete. Trinity Church Eindhoven Rotterdam with lay supporters who celebration of the Eucharist was held held the first service in its new venue came to encourage the work. To this in the Chapel at the Eikenburg. on Sunday 15 November 2009. day one of the founding members still In his address to the Chaplain and For the first time it was possible to attends services at Trinity regularly. the Congregation, Brother van have a Christmas Season of services, Over the years the familiar pattern Heugten bade us farewell, presenting and we were happy to welcome a of establishing an international Trinity Church with the chalice and number of local residents at the congregation followed; the paten used in celebrations of the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols. congregation increased and the Eucharist throughout the last 20 years. On Saturday 23 January this year search for a permanent place of Following this profoundly moving we had an Open Day when worship began. ecumenical gesture, the car and cycle representatives of Protestant and For the past 20 years services have exodus of the entire congregation, Catholic churches in the Eindhoven been held in the chapel and other ranging from 91 years of age to a region shared with us the joy and facilities of the Broeders van Liefde of mere couple of months, set off for our inspiration of renewed life in this the Eikenburg in beautiful parkland new venue two kilometers down the beautiful modern church. surroundings on the outskirts of road. The Chaplain, Francis To have our own spiritual home Eindhoven. Lovely though this Noordanus, led the procession on has released long pent-up energy and setting was, it did not diminish our his bicycle. new horizons for growth. It is search for a home of our own. Built in the early 1980’s this former difficult to fully realise how much has The congregation gradually Roman Catholic Church in Aalst had happened in the last year. With increased, we shared the celebration been standing empty for the last two humble and thankful hearts we look of a stream of marriages and since years. The complex includes all that forward to the future. T he da Y the rains C A M E 4 T O an is L and P aradise M UDSLID E S IN M AD E IRA PR E S E NT A CHALL E NG E TO TH E CHURCH Rev Neil Dawson recalls a weekend that people in Funchal will not quickly forget and how the people of Holy Trinity church responded to a natural disaster We knew that Madeira was having its wettest winter since records began in the 1860s. Then, early in the morning of the 20th February heavy rain began to fall again. It continued until lunch time with an estimated 2-3 cms falling each hour. The already sodden hill sides and the elaborate system of Levadas, water courses cut into the mountain sides to channel water to the farms and homes in the southern part of the Island, could not contain the flow. Water poured down the three water courses through Funchal out into the harbour. The normally gentle streams turned into the raging torrents that made the headlines around the world. Underground car parks were inundated, shops waist dazed and shaken by the mess they for traffic through the rubble. At deep in brown muddy water. The saw. I thought on the Sunday, there various coastal villages, bridges and small rivers, in their deep wide storm would be very few people in church, promenades were washed away and drains burst their banks.