Celebrating Nicaea – 1700 years anniversary
Seeing afresh the faith that holds us together
Revoir la foi qui nous unit
Every Sunday, we say the words of the Nicene Creed in our service. These words unite us in our Anglican faith – across our diocese from Norway to Morocco and across the world, hundreds of thousands of people in church say the same words together as a proclamation of our shared faith. Bishop Robert writes:
“In 325, hundreds of bishops – some from rich and influential cities, others from poor and obscure regions – gathered in Nicaea on the frontier of the Empire’s Greek-speaking East and Latin-speaking West. They were the first fully ecumenical council. Their gathering marked the transition of Christianity into a properly international religion with public impact. It was this gathering which produced the Nicene Creed. This succinct statement articulates the radical, biblical insight that Jesus is both truly God living among us and truly human, living and dying in human history. In 2025, we celebrate that momentous Council and ponder afresh the world-changing beliefs which it articulated.”
(See also https://www.europe.anglican.org/celebrating-nicaea)
We shall consider the relevance of this declaration of faith for our everyday lives in the weeks before and after Easter, both in sermons and discussions at the home of David Cowley, 5 rue de Londres, Strasbourg. Under the heading “Everyday Christianity” we shall continue to explore our faith at a Parish Retreat at the Abbaye de Notre Dame de Baumgarten at the end of May.
Session One : Sunday 6th April 10h30, Eglise des dominicains.
Session Two: Thursday 10 April 19h00, home of David Cowley, 5, rue de Londres, Strasbourg
Session Three: Tuesday 22 April 19h00, home of David Cowley, 5 rue de Londres.
Session Four: Sunday 11 May 10h30, Eglise des dominicains.
Parish Retreat: ‘Everyday Christianity’ Friday 30 May – Sunday 1st June, Abbaye de Notre Dame de Baumgarten, Bernardvillé.
War in Ukraine – Prayer Vigil
Andrew Caspari, the Chief Operating Officer (Diocesan Secretary) of our Diocese in Europe writes:
“Dear Friends,
When the war in Ukraine started we held a series of vigils online across the Diocese. These were hugely supported.
As the third anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine approaches, we will be coming together once again online to pray for peace and to remember all our sisters and brothers affected by the war.
The service will be led by Bishop Robert, and we will hear reflections from Christina Stafiychuk-Laschenko Churchwarden in Kyiv. Revd Kasta Dip, chaplain in Warsaw, who is now also working in Kyiv, will be the preacher.
The service will be on Zoom on Wednesday 19 February at 18.00 CET/17.00 GMT (19.00 Ukrainian time) and the Zoom link is:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84853917927?pwd=qfn9t8STh6LclVKjVy52cagG4svbQ0.1 . Please be online (on mute) a few minutes before the service.
We hope you can all attend, and please share this with everyone in your chaplaincies and beyond.”
Next Archbishop of Canterbury
The process to nominate the next Archbishop of Canterbury is underway, and all of us are invited to participate and share our thoughts on what qualities, values and vision the future Archbishop should embody.
You can either submit an online consultation form or via postal submission :
https://www.churchofengland.org/about/governance/archbishops/canterbury-crown-nominations-commission/consultation-nomination-106th-archbishop-canterbury?sfnsn=w
Careful: The consultation closes on 28 March.
Le processus de nomination du prochain archevêque de Canterbury est en cours ! et nous sommes tous invités à participer.
Vous pouvez soumettre un formulaire de consultation en ligne ou par courrier postal. (au-dessus)
Attention : la consultation se ferme le 28 mars.
Baptisms and Confirmation 16 February
On 16th of February we welcome the Rt Revd Michael Langrish to our 10.30 service. Bishop Michael is the former Bishop of Exeter and an Honorary Assistant Bishop in this diocese. He will be travelling with Archdeacon Peter Hooper. Some of our youth have been preparing themselves for Confirmation. Those who wish to present themselves for Baptism or Confirmation at this time should speak with fr Mark quite soon!
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Rt Rev Michael Langrish
Le 16 février, nous accueillons à St Alban Michael Langrish, l’ancien évêque d’Exeter et un évêque assistant honoraire dans ce diocèse. Certains de nos jeunes se préparent à la Confirmation. Toute autre personne qui souhaite se présenter pour le Baptême ou la Confirmation est invitée à parler au père Mark très bientôt !
Candlemas La Chandaleur and Crêpes
We celebrate The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, also known as Candlemas, on Sunday 2 February. Traditionally this was the occasion for candles to be blessed, and it also marks the half-way point between the winter solstice (21. December) and the spring equinox (21 March). Certainly by this time there are definitely more hours of daylight in the mornings and evening and we can look forward to spring and the renewal of life.
All are welcomed after the service to a Feast of Crêpes in the Rivier apartment near the church.
Le 2 février nous célébrons la fête de la Chandeleur. Des crêpes seront proposées après la messe à l’appartement Rivier auprès de l’église
Shared Ministry between Anglicans and Lutherans in Strasbourg.
The evening service on Saturday 12th October at the Lutheran church of St. Pierre-le-Jeune was a memorable occasion for Anglicans and Lutherans in Strasbourg. St. Alban’s Anglican priest Rev Mark Barwick (centre front) was formally installed there as a pastor, at the side of its pastor Philippe Eber (back 3rd von right), while retaining his responsibility for the Anglicans of St. Alban’s. The ceremony was conducted by the “inspecteur ecclesiastique” of Strasbourg, pastor Jehan-Claude Hutchen (centre left), in the presence of the Anglican archdeacon of France, the Ven. Peter Hooper (centre back). In honour of the occasion the choir of St. Pierre-le-Jeune sang compositions by the English composers Thomas Tallis and David Willcocks, and a large number of parishioners of both churches and several other faith communities were present to witness this important event.
Since the Reuilly Declaration and Common Statement was adopted in 2001, only one other such shared ministry agreement had been established (in Lyon) by Anglicans and Protestants in France. Particular to the Alsacian context is the payment of a state stipend to ministers of religions which have designated under the 1801 concordat of Alsace-Lorraine. This applies to the Lutherans in the Union of Protestant Churches of Alsace and Lorraine (UEPAL), so that Rev Barwick is able to function as a Lutheran pastor and receive state support for his ministry.
Meetings between the Councils of both churches have shown that we have a lot in common. St. Pierre-le-Jeune, like St. Alban’s, is a bilingual church (there French-German, here English-French) with all that implies in the way of diversity and adaptablility. Shared activities have already begun – confirmation/ catechism classes for young people, a young adults Bible study and visit to Taizé. Singers from both churches have also joined forces to enrich the music of both.
Fr Mark has also become very present at St. Pierre-le-Jeune, assisting Philippe Eber in a range of pastoral ministries, participating in a weekly Bible study in a retirement home, leading discussions and prayer offices at the church, preaching and joining in joint celebrations. And all profit by the widened presence of Anglicans in Strasbourg, and a greater familiarity and understanding between people of both denominations.
Blessing of School Bags
On 8th September, school children and students brought their school bags to church to be blessed, and to pray for a successful year at school and university.
Season of Creation
A Time to Hope and to Act
Fr. Mark writes:
Each year from the 1st of September to October 4th, Christians around the world unite in prayer and action to protect our common home. We celebrate God as Creator – not as a one-off act but as the unfolding of God’s creative love and care for all that is. And we are collaborators and co-creators with God in safe-guarding the integrity of the Earth. In fact, it is becoming more and more apparent that our own well-being -even survival – is interwoven with that of all the Earth. This year’s theme for the Season of Creation is ‘To hope and act with Creation.’
For many, this is a time of eco-anxiety and for good reason! And yet Christians, born of the hope of Resurrection, are called to embody that hope through our prayers and acts of solidarity. Let’s all be thinking of ways that we can collaborate with our Creator in the healing of the Earth. How will you think, pray and act, full of hope and purpose, in thIs Season of Creation?
Espérer et agir avec la Création
Chaque année, du 1er septembre au 4 octobre, les chrétiens du monde entier s’unissent dans la prière et l’action pour protéger notre maison commune. Nous célébrons Dieu qui est Créateur – non pas comme un acte ponctuel, mais comme le déroulement d’une histoire d’amour créateur et de l’attention de Dieu accorde à tout ce qui est. Nous sommes des collaborateurs et des co-créateurs avec lui pour sauve-garder l’intégrité de la Terre. En fait, il devient de plus en plus évident que notre propre bien-être – voire notre survie – est étroitement lié à celui de toute la Terre. Le thème de cette année pour le Temps pour Création est
« Espérer et agir avec la Création ».
Pour beaucoup, c’est une période d’éco-anxiété et pour de bonnes raisons ! Et pourtant, les chrétiens, nés de l’espérance de la Résurrection, sont appelés à incarner cette espérance par nos prières et nos actes de solidarité. Et toi, comment vas-tu prier et agir en cette saison de la création ?
1st June: Building a peaceful and democratic Europe
June 1st, 15h00- 19h00, Workshops at St Matthieu on building a peaceful and democratic Europe, 97 blvd d’Anvers, followed at
17h00 by a cross-border Walk for democracy and peace in Europe.
Organised by Ensemble pour l’Europe, an inter-church effort to promote a democratic future for Europe.