European Anglicans www. europe.anglican.org Diocese in Europe | October 2020 Prayer, Care & Compassion Seven ordinations Safeguarding Creationtide and an installation pages 20-21 page 24 pages 8-10 Pictured: Holy Trinity, Nice Contents 04 Reflections on la rentrée in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic 07 Bishop Robert’s Advent Appeal 08 Michaelmas Ordination Services 10 Installation of the new Dean of Gibraltar Cathedral Damian Thwaites 12 Au revoir, Meurig! 14 St Michael’s, Beaulieu sur Mer Welcome to this issue of European Anglicans, your online diocesan magazine. 16 Anglicanism in Hungary As I write, the people of Nice and Vienna have suffered terrible atrocities, one of which was 18 The Friends’ Annual Service & perpetrated in a place of Christian worship, a powerful Celebration 2020 earthquake has struck the Aegean region, and many Picture: Installation of the new Dean of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Gibraltar parts of our diocese are once again going into 19 Church of England Weekly Online lockdown as the impact of the pandemic again worsens. Service European Anglicans (October 2020) Writing in early September, Bishop Robert discussed 20 Safeguarding: IICSA & Interview Editor: our church life in covid-19 times in his blog: Damian Thwaites, Director of Communications 23 Interview with the Director of [email protected] “St Paul on a number of occasions talks about how he is present with the churches he has founded in spirit Communications Pictures: though not in body. The Holy Spirit links us together in a spiritual sense, and through our prayers for one 24 Creationtide Images are reproduced courtesy of another, even when we can’t be present to each other chaplaincies across the Diocese and physically.” unsplash.com 25 Chaplaincy celebrations I hope the articles featured in this issue of EA will Design: Amber Jackson remind us of our shared Diocesan life over the past 26 Diocese in Europe Residency four months, and will support us in our prayer, care and compassion in the period ahead where, as St Paul also Support Project Contact us: relates, we may find ourselves “hard pressed on every [email protected] side.” 28 Going (more) digital! Good wishes, 29 Book Review: Easter – Virtual & Viral @ DioceseinEurope Damian At a personal level, the experience of lockdown has challenged and provoked me in some unexpected ways. Reflections on la rentrée in the behaviour that triggered the release Healing the world means each other physically. I believe that of the virus into the human addressing social injustice. tools such as Zoom and Teams population. It was willful negligence have given added meaning to Paul’s that frustrated initial attempts to At a personal level, the experience insights. midst of the control it. And it was globalised of lockdown has challenged and interaction and mass travel that provoked me in some unexpected We can now be present to each enabled the virus to spread rapidly ways. Firstly, I found myself other across a whole continent – to every continent. Earthquakes, enjoying the stability of having to both audibly and visibly –albeit that covid-19 pandemic tsunamis and volcanoes might fall stay in one place. I was able to we can’t reach out and touch each under the category of ‘natural develop a daily pattern of prayer and other. So during the spring and disasters’, but the pandemic is physical exercise that is so much summer the Diocese in Europe has mainly a disaster of our own more difficult if one is continually been able to stage Zoom-based making. on the move. Secondly, I found I worship that brought people was re-connecting with the natural together who had never previously So it is equally down to us humans environment in a deeper way. I seen each others’ faces. I have had In his 1 September blog, Bishop bubbles. Older children are required across the whole world. The church to control it. ‘Controlling the virus’ became deeply aware of the some of the deepest one-to-one Robert looked ahead to what the to wear masks. In the school at is a social institution that brings means observing the detailed birdsong in Spring, I noticed the pastoral conversations of my ‘new term’ for Church could look which my son teaches the primary together large numbers of people hygiene and physical distancing stars in the night sky, I loved the episcopal ministry because I have like. We feature this as our opening aged children have to wash their in confined spaces, many of whom rules that are starting to become deep peacefulness that descended been at home, properly centred and piece in this issue of EA: hands six times a day – that alone is are in a vulnerable demographic. So second nature for us. But as the on our neighbourhood and rejoiced focused, with all the relevant a major logistical exercise! The we are continually having to balance crisis continues it becomes clear in the improved air quality. And materials to hand, rather than trying All of us have memories of social, educational and mental our longing for corporate worship that more fundamental issues of without air travel my own carbon to follow a delicate situation on returning to school at the start of health of our children depends and close fellowship with our shared social justice are at play too. Serious footprint was vastly reduced. email from a hotel bedroom or via a a new academic year: wondering on them returning to school, yet responsibility for controlling the illness and death are more Thirdly, I discovered possibilities for poor quality phone signal on a train. what our new class will be like; covid-19 means this can only be covid-19 virus. prevalent in certain disadvantaged using technology for Like St. Paul, I have wondered: the mixture of excitement and done under strict conditions – for sectors of our societies: those living communication. Suddenly ‘How can I best be apprehension at seeing old friends the wellbeing of parents, Today marks the beginning of in cramped housing, BAME meetings that used to be planned and discovering new ones. Seeing grandparents and teachers – ‘creation-tide’ in our church communities, the poor and the weeks or months ahead could take present to our diocese small children walking to school this and even the children themselves – calendar. Theologically, I start from obese (and obesity is often linked place almost immediately on Zoom. spiritually, even though I morning in Brussels with packed although few of them are at serious the premise that it is we human with poverty). In our developed And linked to this, I’ve discovered a satchels is for me a real sign of risk from the virus. beings rather than God who are countries, it is those in blue-collar new and more nuanced approach to can’t be present in body?’ hope. And teachers will be wanting primarily responsible for employment who are suffering the ‘presence’. to give their pupils the best The church in practice aligns itself the pandemic. A recent Grove most from the economic And, rather to my surprise, I have welcome and the best start to a to the school year, so September Booklet by TearFund Director Ruth consequences of the disease. And St Paul on a number of ccasions discovered that a high level of new year. marks the ‘rentrée’ for us too. As Valerio and others makes this point people in poorer countries have talks about how he is present with presence – and sometimes to many adults, we know well that the well. Whether the virus jumped faced economic disaster under the the churches he has found in spirit people at once – is far more This year, though, returning to restrictions of the past 6 months across the species barrier from bats necessary conditions of lockdown. though not in body. The Holy possible than I had realised. school has a different feel. Children are by no means behind us. to humans at a live animal market in Far from being ‘the great leveller’, Spirit links us together in a spiritual are physically distanced from one covid-19 is a highly infectious and Wuhan, or whether it escaped from the virus has laid bare deep and sense, and through our prayers for Looking to the term ahead, staff in another and operate in social dangerous disease that has spread a Wuhan laboratory – it was human nefarious social inequalities one another, even when we can’t my office have already spent many 04 between people. be present to 05 hours on the bewildering issues Yet it is ‘la rentrée’. The children are Look out for previous that bedevil international travel in returning to school, people are Appeal the covid-19 era. Events that beginning new jobs in new updates in involve lots of people coming countries, and some are seeking November together in multiple destinations a place to worship. A sense of Bishop Robert's (notably for ordinations) with excitement is mixed with realism shifting quarantine rules are about the virus. And a key challenge particularly complex to organise. at this moment for all clergy and lay Advent Appeal 2020 My office is all too aware of the leaders is: ‘how do we provide upset that is caused when a good level of welcome to new episcopal plans change, and a visit people in these covid-19 covid-19 Support to the has to be cancelled. Under the ‘old circumstances?’ Without the normal’ this almost never post-service gathering for coffee, happened. But now, a change in it is vital that welcomers are Anglican Communion quarantine rules can mean identified and signposted who can expensive cancellations and make contact with newcomers.