THE E UROP E AN A NGLICAN T OUCH E D B Y G OD U ND E R T H E F IG T R ee D IV E RS E J U B ILA T ION J OY F UL D IAMOND J U B IL ee C E L eb RA T IONS S HARING , L E ARNING A ND G ROWING P RAIS E F OR R E AD E RS ’ C ON fe R E NC E W IND U P O R W IND D OWN C L E RGY F ACING R et IR E M E N T A fte R T H E E AR T HQUAK E H AI T I P AR T N E RSHIP P RO je C T europe.anglican.org No.55 AUTUMN 2012 2 ORDINATION JOYS AND MEMORIES THE E UROP E AN S UMM E R O RDINAT IONS A NGLICA N Two clergy were ordained Priest at the end of June and three new Deacons were welcomed into ministry 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 14 Tufton Street, London, SW1P 3QZ Tel: +44 (0) 207 898 1155 Fax: +44 (0) 207 898 1166 Email: [email protected] Diocesan Secretary Mr Adrian Mumford Assistant Diocesan Secretary Mrs Jeanne French Finance Officer Mr Nick Wraight Diocesan Website www.europe.anglican.org Editor and Diocesan Communications TWO D E ACONS O RDAIN E D IN R OM E Officer The Revd. Paul Needle Mary Styles and Dana English were given a warm welcome on their ordination in All Postal address: Diocesan Office Saints Church where the outside temperature was 39 degrees Celsius! Both will serve as Email: assistant curates in All Saints Rome. Mary also has responsibility for a new Fresh Expression [email protected] of Church, “Footsteps”, which meets in the suburbs of Rome. The Rev Dana English writes; Tel: +44 (0)7712 463806 Friends of the Diocese I grew up in the Southern Baptist Church in Texas and discerned my vocation studying theology Secretary: Rev Canon Arthur Siddall Email: at Yale Divinity School. In two Congregational Church parish placements I felt called to ordained [email protected] ministry and was ordained as a Presbyterian in Washington, D.C. in 1984. But I felt drawn more and more to the liturgy and worship of the Anglican tradition after my marriage in 1996 to Design Adept Design, Norwich Tom Whalen, a Roman Catholic by background. We worshipped together as a family at Episcopal Churches in New York City where, after a period at home with our growing children, I decided to Printer re-enter active ministry as an Episcopal priest. This process was interrupted by the family’s move to Barnwell Print Ltd, Aylsham Italy in August 2009 so I resumed training in the Anglican Church the following year, commuting to Distribution Salisbury for studies. CoDEStorm plc In the parish I have taught three confirmation classes and led the youth group of the church. Pastoral care and preaching have also been major areas of my work at All Saints’. Two new directions are now emerging: prison chaplaincy, out of a placement recommended by the Diocese, at Rebibbia prison on the outskirts of Rome. I have begun training there and will continue to visit twice a week, English and Italian-speaking men and women. I discovered both the need (there are two full-time Front cover picture: chaplains for 1800 inmates) and my vocation to chaplaincy in that setting only this past Spring. The The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was very other new direction will be to spend time strengthening ecumenical ties between the Anglican and much a family occasion, not least in St Roman Catholic churches in Rome. There are many opportunities, including the Week of Prayer for Paul’s in Greater Athens where the sun shone on the flags and festivities. Picture by Christian Unity. My husband Tom and I continue to be strong supporters of the Anglican Centre in Christopher Ambatzi-Crecy. Rome, where I led two half-days of reflection this past year, on literature and theology. IN LISBON, MADRID, 3 NORWICH AND ROME O T AY IN The service was punctuated by the left the church singing ‘Guide me o Thou A H D rustling of fans, that most Spanish of great redeemer’. M ADRID noises in the summer. The choir director, We emerged into the now quiet patio, Stephen Knight, had written some fully shaded from the late afternoon sun. Nigel Thomas recalls a hot day at his music for the occasion, the choir sang it Amidst numerous photos, embraces, smiles priesting. beautifully. The readings in Spanish and laughter those of us who were there and English reminded all of us that knew we had been touched by much more Madrid can be hot in June and the ordination Anglicanism is not limited by culture or than just the heat of the Spanish sun in service began at 4pm. The church had been language, and that in The Diocese in the shade of the ancient fig tree. pre-booked for a wedding and many people Europe we represent the ecumenical face of were coming and going for both events in Anglicanism. Fr. Stephen Ferns preached the patio where the ancient fig tree cast its a sermon on St. Peter noting Peter’s dappled shade. With Anglican precision, essential vulnerability and ‘flakiness’. He as the wedding party spilled out from said “Priests must always keep their eyes the door into the patio, the choir entered on the figure of Christ or, like Peter in the through the main door and the church was story of the walking on the water, they will prepared for the next service. As I was lose sight of their true objective and rapidly given my charge by the bishop my lasting sink”. After ordination vows had been memory will be that of a harp solo wafting said, the litany sung and the laying of up from the wedding reception beneath; a hands concluded, the bishop, congregation foretaste of things to come? and clergy shared in the Eucharist, and N E O F IGH T were part of the earlier service for many I have recently taken early retirement O E reasons. As we processed through the huge from my full time teaching work, which I Jennifer Elliott de Riverol was one west door I felt a sudden surge of emotion, hope will give me more time and energy to of eight people ordained Priest in which I later managed to control more the serve wherever I am led. the Cathedral in Norwich before second time round! returning to her curacy at All Saints, I found the laying on of hands by the Tenerife, with San Martin de Porres, bishops of Norwich, Lynn and Thetford La Palma. and the accompanying priests including my training incumbent Rev Mike My ordination to the priesthood by Bishop Smith, Canon Colin Fowler who I’d Graham was a most joyous occasion. first approached about my calling to the I knew four of the eight people being priesthood in 1999 and Rev Jack Burton ordained, some of whom I had trained with who officiated at my wedding, particularly at Eastern Region Ministry Course so it moving. Knowing that I was surrounded was very special. We had also been on a by family and friends from within the silent retreat together and had been joined U.K., Spain, Tenerife, the U.S.A. and by other peers who were ordained deacons La Palma made me feel very privileged to earlier the same day. I was glad that we be a part of the wider Body of Christ. Barry by FurnessPhoto OV E T O T H E NS my vocation further. In 2000 I became a in Scotland as a Social Worker and M A member of the Greater Lisbon Chaplaincy feel I have a great deal to offer in the Verna Veritie was ordained Deacon and was licensed as a Reader in 2006. pastoral work of the church as well as my in her “home church” of Lisbon but Shortly after becoming a Reader I started involvement in the Sunday liturgy. I also is moving to Athens for her early the discernment process towards Deacon look forward to close involvement with the ministry. Ministry but put it on hold to concentrate Greek Orthodox Church. further on my Reader Ministry. During I often described myself as a baby Anglican my time as secretary to the Archdeaconry as I was brought up in the Church of Synod I was asked whether I would be Scotland and later joined the Baptist prepared to reconsider my vocation. I felt Church. I felt that I was called to full time the time was right to explore further my Christian Ministry whilst a member of the vocation to the Distinctive Diaconate and Baptist Church and actively involved with was accepted for training at a Bishops the Scripture Union in Scotland but it was Advisory Panel in February 2011. only when I moved to Portugal and became I am very much looking forward to a member of the Anglican Church that my ministry as the Assistant Curate I believed the time was right to explore in Athens.