St. Andrew’s December 2008 — February 2009 Magazine of the English speaking church in Gothenburg 1 2 Letter from the Chaplain Student 08 (and 63) of coffee somewhere, and admission to a football Forty-five years ago this October, I arrived at St game of my choice. The one compulsory proc- Anne’s College, Oxford, to read Mathematics. ess was registering as a member of the Philoso- As a new student, I was called a Fresher, and in- phy Students’ Union and paying my union fee, vited to Freshers’ Fair, where it seemed as if hun- which I got back by claiming the special student dreds of societies were competing to lure me into rate for a seminar pass at the Bokmässa. parting with a few shillings for a term’s member- So how does being a student in Göteborg in ship. The college, which had two or three hun- 2008 compare with Oxford in 1963? One differ- dred students, told me when to arrive, and ence is the much wider range in age and back- provided me with a tutor, a ground of the students. Of reading-list and a timeta- some 30 students in the ble. Later on, there was a class, three others are about formal ceremony when the my age, and there are at Freshers dressed up in least two other non-Swed- black caps and gowns and ish students – one from became members of the Germany, one from Spain. university. I don’t remem- Many of the others have ber much about it, but it jobs, as well as studying, or was probably in Latin. have work experience, This year, I had a rather which makes for some in- different experience of be- teresting discussions. We ing a new student – a even talk about God some- Nollan in Chalmers’ lan- times. guage, Student ’08 in the publicity of Göteborg I was a bit nervous about ”group work”, hav- & Co. I decided that my work as a university ing heard a great deal about it. So far, we have chaplain would be enhanced if I had some idea only once had to prepare anything as a group, of what it was like to study at a Swedish univer- and that was for the very first seminar. It was sity, so I applied for a part-time course in Cogni- probably the most difficult thing we have had to tive Science. Registration and lectures took do – presenting and defending an article which place in the IT University at Lindholmen, so the other two groups in the class had not read, right from the start I seemed to belong to without being at all sure I agreed with it. Chalmers as well as Göteborgs Universitet, and There is rather too much emphasis on argu- was given an Email account with each. ing for or against the question, rather than fol- I did not, in fact, take part in any of the special lowing my natural inclination of having a more events for Nollans. I only found out about the general exploration around the issue and asking programme at Lindholmen from a notice on the counter-questions (”It depends what you mean door of a toilet, the week after it had all hap- by …”). But, on the whole, it’s good to be a stu- pened. GU sent me an invitation to a special dent again. event for new students and a set of vouchers, in- Best wishes cluding a free visit to Stadsmuseet, a cheap cup Barbara 3 Who’s Who at St. Andrew’s Chaplain Barbara Moss Norra Liden 15, 411 18 Göteborg Tel: 031-711 19 15 e-mail address: [email protected] Internet website: www.svenskakyrkan.se/goteborg/st.andrews CHURCH COMMITTEE Wardens Synod representatives Ann Gustafsson 031 - 16 17 43 Nancy Fjällbrant 031 - 28 49 33 Sheila Andersson 031 - 711 55 71 Tore Fjällbrant 031 - 28 49 33 Secretary British Factory Representative Cecilia Klevedal 031 - 12 75 08 Ann McKinnon 031-7956289 Treasurer Other Elected Members David Perrin 031 - 51 01 32 Kristina Ayoade 031 - 49 28 44 Gisela Bamard 031 - 14 71 01 Ladies’ Guild Gillian Thylander 031 - 27 92 70 Marie Lygonis 03l - 92 22 96 SST, Contact for Nordiska kristna rådet, Sveriges kristna råd Tore Fjällbrant 031 - 28 49 33 OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES Webmistress Child Protection Officer Nancy Fjällbrant 031 - 28 49 33 Emma Jones 0702-756217 Sacristan and Magazine Editor Environmental Officer Alan Taylor 031 - 42 38 64 Ron Jones 031 - 26 94 25 Gardening Group Ladies’ Evening Group Cecilia Klevedal 031 - 12 75 08 Ann Gustafsson 031 - 16 17 43 Gisela Bamard 031 - 14 71 01 Choirmistress Gillian Thylander 031 - 27 92 70 NB/OBS! Have you renewed your subscription Annual donation of 50:- for the church magazine would be appreciated to pay for printing and postage. If you collect your copy in church you will save us money. Payments can be made into our postgiro account 42 15 63 - 8 or directly to one of the Churchwardens. 4 Services:Services: September December – – November February Sung Eucharist at 11.00 am each Sunday except where stated below. For latest information about our church services, see GP every Saturday, or consult the web site www.svenskakyrkan.se/goteborg/st.andrews Lay Assistants and Intercessors who are not able to attend, please arrange an exchange or replacement and notify Barbara or Alan Taylor. DECEMBER 14, Advent 3 January 18-25,Week of Prayer for Christian LA: Göran Molin, Alan Taylor Unity - Details of special services in lokal I: Ann Gustafsson churches will be announced later. Wednesday DECEMBER 17 Friday JANUARY 23 18.00 Nine Lessons and Carols 12.15 Lunchtime Consert Friday DECEMBER 19 JANUARY 25, The Conversion of Paul 16.00 Carols around the crib LA: Göran Molin, Alan Taylor I: Gisela Barnard DECEMBER 21, Advent 4 LA: Gisela Barnard, Ann Gustafsson FEBRUARY 1, Candlemas I: Alan Taylor 10.00 Holy Communion 18.00 Nine Lessons and Carols 11.00 Family Service DECEMBER 25, Christmas Day FEBRUARY 8, Third Sunday before Lent LA: Ann Gustafsson, Alan Taylor LA: Göran Molin , Ann Gustafsson I: Dianna Walters I: Diana Walters 11.00 Family Communion FEBRUARY 15, Second Sunday before Lent - followed by mince pies at the chaplain’s flat LA: Ann Gustafsson, Gisela Barnard DECEMBER 28, First of Christmas I: Alan Taylor Preacher, Alan Taylor FEBRUARY 22, Sunday next before Lent 11.00 Christmas praise: A Service of the Word LA: Gisela Barnard,, Alan Taylor January 1 I: Ann Gustafsson 17.00 Ecumenical service in Domkyrkan February 25, Ash Wednesday (no service) JANUARY 4, Epiphany 11.00 Family Communion MARCH 1, Lent 1 LA: Ann Gustafsson, Gisela Barnard 11.00 Family Communion with Ashes I: Cecilia Klevedal LA: Ann Gustafsson, Gisela Barnard I: Gillian Thylander JANUARY 11, Baptism of Christ LA: Alan Taylor, Göran Molin Friday MARCH 6, Women’s World Day of I: Gillian Thylander Prayer - details later JANUARY 18, Second of Epiphany MARCH 8, Lent 2 LA: Ann Gustafsson, Alan Taylor LA: Alan Taylor, Göran Molin I: Barbara Moss I: Cecilia Klevedal 5 Services:Chaplaincy September Notes – November The first St Andrew’s Day Lunch Last year, 2007, we celebrated the 150th anniver- sky as unclouded as the day on which the Foun- sary of St Andrew’s in some style and in the com- dation Stone had been laid, nearly two and a half pany of distinguished guests at Oddfellows House. years before… The official report states that:- This year on November 23 we reverted to our tra- ‘ a large and respectable and devout congre- ditional St Andrew’s Day family lunch at the gation assembled at the church, including His Haga Church rooms. So readers might wonder Execllency, the Governor of Gothenburg, the how did it all begin? What happened on the first St Clergy and the Chief Magistrates. The im- Andrew’s Day in our church? pressive beauty of the church ritual was greatly Here is an account drawn from History of the aided by the symphonious melody of a choir, English Congregation and its Association with consisting of amateur and professional singers The British Factory Gothenburg by Townshend of both sexes and both British and Swedish and Adams published in 1946. nationalities, which led the chants, psalms and The first Anglican Chaplain arrived in anthems with spirit and precision’” Gothenburg in 1747, but for a hundred years The Chaplain, Revd C.E.Wilshire, “re- the congregation’s place of worship was a minded his hearers that although their labours rented room. By 1846: were ended as regards the building of a mate- “Many members of the English Congrega- rial church their work was not finally accom- tion had, by their industry and business acu- plished and never could be because the men, raised themselves to positions of spiritual church would always require forming considerable importance. They were leaders in and building and maintaining… He stated that trade and prominent citizens. They would cer- the doors would be opened to all worshippers tainly feel that their place of worship was of whatever creed and whatever nation, and he somewhat out of keeping with their general exhorted, invited and pleaded with his hearers status and that it did not reflect the proper po- to come always and hear the Truth. sition which church worship occupied in their “With his characteristic hospitality and in ac- thoughts. When therefore the question of pro- cordance with his usual custom on St Andrew’s viding a suitable and more commodious day, Robert Dickson, Sr., who is described as the church was brought up in 1846 the suggestion Father of the Factory, entertained, in accordance was well received…” with his usual custom on St.