Giving to others: ACAS

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At its 27 September meeting, ACAS (Association Caritative Anglicane de Strasbourg) approved financial support to the following projects:

Lors de sa dernière réunion, l’ACAS a accordé son soutien financier aux projets suivants :

  •  – CASA and CIMADE, local groups which support asylum seekers / CASA et CIMADE, associations locales pour leur aide apportée aux demandeurs d’asile ;
  •   – Girls’ and boys’ education in Pakistan / Scolarité d’enfants en Pakistan; 
  •  – Reconstruction of Anglican church in Foulpointe, Madagascar, damaged by hurricanes /
  • Communauté anglicane à Foulpointe, Madagascar, pour la consolidation de leur église détruite par les cyclones.

   Thank-you for your continued support of ACAS !

Church under Corona conditions

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On Trinity Sunday the congregation of St. Alban’s was at long last able to assemble again in the Church of the Dominicans.  In close cooperation with the Dominican brothers, seating arrangements have been  changed and hygiene precautions scrupulously maintained.  During the service all members of the congregation wear masks, the doors are kept open, and afterwards seats and surfaces are wiped with disinfectant.  Hymn books have been replaced by hymn sheets which can be disposed of after the service. The service itself is shorter than usual, and now lasts about an hour. Parents of young children in particular appreciate that!

Communion is celebrated diffently too. Instead of forming a circle round the altar, those wishing to receive communion or a blessing go up to the chancel step one by one, and, after disinfecting their hands, receive a wafer from the priest who at this stage is wearing a mask.  The cup of wine is no longer shared.  Ushers make sure that social distancing is maintained, and all move in one direction.

We are able to sing, too, albeit quietly and wearing masks. Katherine Parsons and David Cowley accompany the congregation on the organ and guitar.

Members of the Ministry Team also organised a Zoom service of Evening Prayer on Sunday evenings for all those who preferred not to take part in services at the Dominicans. This Sunday evening service will now be replaced by an online Evening Prayer meeting on Tuesday evenings at 18.30h.

Being back in church together, albeit under rather strange circumstances, has been very much appreciated.  Elisabeth says:  “Ravie de retrouver les sourires et les petits gestes d’amitié des membres de notre église. C’est quand même mieux que les attitudes figées devant l’écran Zoom qui déforme les voix…!   And Victoria: “Through our faith, we can share the same values – that we want to share God’s grace, love with those in need.”  It is indeed good to see one another again face to face, even at a safe distance, and to be able to share in the Eucharist again.  Church is about coming together to worship and give thanks – and to celebrate a community which is open to all.  Even if at the moment we cannot meet for coffee after the service,only on the pavement outside the church instead, we hope to maintain the caring and sharing spirit of St. Alban’s  even in difficult times.

Season of Creation – Harvest / Moisson

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On Sunday 4th October St. Alban’s celebrated the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi with a Harvest Festival. This also marked the end of the Season of Creation which began on 1 September. Christians around the world have committed themselves to the work of protecting the Earth, through prayer and hands-on activities.

During the service, Madeleine and Louisa took it in turns to read out the Canticle of Creation by St. Francis.

Gifts of food were donated to the Salvation Army, which provides breakfast for many homeless people in Strasbourg.

 

He’s made it! – Frederick completes his walking challenge for ACAS

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Sunday 5 July: the supporters have assembled with masks and plenty of social distance, the barbecue is fired up, Nigel and Bill’s cameras and microphones are at the ready and the hero of the hour, Frederick William-Smith, embarks on his 89th lap around his house with his walker.

The last-but-one lap

For the last, the 90th lap, however, he discards the walker and relies instead entirely on his two sticks. 35 days after he embarked upon this venture, he completes the last lap and achieves the goal he set himself, to walk a total of 9 km. around the perimeter of his house. Neither heat nor cold, sunshine or rain have deterred him.

90 laps completed

 

 

 

Aged 90 – hence 90 laps – and only three months after having had a toe amputated, Frederick has proved equal to the challenge of raising  as much money as possible from donations to support the charitable giving of St. Alban’s. All those who have sponsored Frederick’s 90 laps are helping Christian school children in Pakistan to complete their education, are enabling the storm-ravaged church of the Anglican church in Foulpointe, in Madagascar,to be rebuilt and are supporting refugees in Strasbourg.

Thanks and congratulations to Frederick and his wife Maryline, and to all those who have supported this venture. Frederick has proved that even under the most arduous of Corona restrictions a man with a sense of purpose can achieve great things!

Congratulations Frederick William-Smith

Plenty of encouragement

Frederick’s Walk for ACAS

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On 2nd June, the day after Pentecost, Frederick started on his 90-lap walk around the perimeter of his house in order to raise money for St. Alban’s charitable wing, ACAS.  In a short ceremony he was sent on his way by St. Alban’s priest Mark Barwick and other enthusiastic supporters.

Now, three weeks later, he has completed well over 70 laps, that is more than 7kms / 4 miles, and he is still going strong.  His goal of 90 laps is now well in sight. No mean feat considering his age – he turned 90 this year, hence 90 laps – and his reduced mobility after a recent foot operation.

The response so far has been all that he has hoped for: €2900 have already been pledged and more has been promised.  That means that ACAS (Association caritative anglicane de Strasbourg) will be able to continue supporting its long-term projects: caring for refugees in Strasbourg, educating Christian school children in Pakistan, and supporting an Anglican church in eastern Madagascar which has repeatedly been harried by hurricanes.

All are asked to continue supporting Frederick with both encouragement and donations as he completes his 90 laps and tots up the grand total of 9 km.

Through the garden, round the side of the house and along the pavement outside = 1 lap

Frederick walking in mid-June with the support of physio Stéphane and cheered on by Chantal.

Back in church again: Trinity Sunday at St. Alban’s

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Half an hour earlier than usual, seated far apart in long rows in the middle of the church, hands disinfected, masks on faces: Trinity Sunday at the Dominicans was very different from usual.  The main thing though was that for the first time since 15 March St. Alban’s was able to congregate again to celebrate the Holy Eucharist. 43 people, adults and children, attended the service which was shorter than usual, and accompanied by George Temeso on the  drums. Instead of forming a circle around the altar to receive Holy Communion, we filed up one side aisle to receive a wafer from Mark at the altar steps, and returned to our seats down the other aisle.  In his sermon Mark referred to the memorial to Sir Robert Shirley in the church of the Holy Trinity in Stanton Harold, Leicestershire, which he founded in the aftermath of the English Civil War.  He had “done the best things in the worst times, and hoped them in the most calamitous.” That could be our guideline, Mark said.

Back together again at the Dominicans.

At 5 pm on Zoom there was a service of Evensong for all those who  were unable or unwilling to come to church for the morning service, led by John Murray.  In future other members of the ministry team will also lead this service every Sunday.

Tuesday Prayers continue on Zoom on Tuesdays (!) from 18.30h to 19.30h.

ACAS Walking Challenge / Défi de Marche pour ACAS

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Frederick and Maryline William-Smith have been inspired by the UK’s 99-year-old Captain Tom, who walked around his
garden with his walker to raise funds for the UK National Health Service. Frederick, by comparison a mere chicken at 90, had to have a toe amputated in March and since then has slowly but surely been recovering his mobility. He now feels up to the challenge of walking 90 steps through the front and back gardens around his house and trying to do four circuits a day. That would amount to 400 metres a day, and in 22 days, starting on 1 June, he hopes to complete 90 circuits, walking a total of nine kilometres. You are invited to sponsor Frederick’s walk to raise much-needed funds for ACAS, St. Alban’s organisation for charitable work. At present ACAS is supporting agencies in Strasbourg looking after refugees, an Anglican community in Madagascar much battered by hurricanes and students at a Christian school in Pakistan.

For further details about how to sponsor Frederick’s walk follow this link.  All contributions are welcome!

       

Frederick et Maryline William-Smith ont été inspirés par l’aventure du capitaine Tom au Royaume-Uni qui a parcouru son jardin avec son déambulateur jusqu’à son 100e anniversaire pour collecter des fonds pour le Service National de Santé du Royaume-Uni. Ils ont pensé que cela constituerait, pour Frederick, un excellent challenge pour améliorer sa santé.  Le 12 mars, deux semaines avant son 90e anniversaire, il a subi l’amputation d’un orteil. Depuis, il se remet lentement mais sûrement. Voilà le défi d’aujourd’hui : il doit faire environ 90 pas pour faire le tour de la maison par le jardin et les portails. Ils essaient de faire 4 tours par jour, ce qui les amène à environ 400 mètres. Ils estiment que 90 tours de la maison lui prendront environ 22 jours, commençant le 1er juin. En même temps, c’est un bon moyen de réunir des fonds extrêmement nécessaires pour financer les différentes activités de l’ACAS (dons aux organismes locaux d’aide aux réfugiés, soutien à divers projets à Madagascar et scolarisation de jeunes chrétiens au Pakistan). Ils vous lancent un appel :

Accepteriez-vous de le parrainer ?  Pour en savoir plus, suivez le lien. Tous les dons seront bienvenus.

Getting off to a good start with plenty of support.

Staying/Getting in touch in times of corona // Rester ensemble aux temps de Covid-19

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It’s been seven weeks now since St. Alban’s last service at the church of the Dominicans in Strasbourg, but thanks to the internet and the web-based system called Zoom, Fr. Mark is able to make direct contact with listeners and viewers on computers, mobile devices and telephone. On Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and all the Sundays since we have been able to join in worship with each other, to see and speak to each other and catch up on news.

As well as regular Sunday worship at 10.30h, Tuesday Prayers are taking place again as Zoom sessions.  These are from 18.30h to 19.15h on Tuesdays and use as a framework the Evensong service.

On Wednesdays at 11.00h Andra Muiznieks  is offering to lead us in a series of half-hour sessions of Contemplative Prayer as a way of  managing stress, cherishing silence and deepening our inner life.

And on Thursdays at 10.00h you can drop in via Zoom for Coffee with Mark; a visit and gentle conversation with your favourite morning beverage for as little or as long as you’d like. For children aged 8 to 12 the regular Children’s Class is resuming on Sundays at 18.00h, again via Zoom.

Times of Zoom sessions and log-in details can be found in “News and Views from St. Alban’s”, Fr. Mark’s regular newsletter sent out via email.  If you would like to take part in services or other activities, contact Fr. Mark on +33 3 69 57 40 03 or write an email to:
anglican.chaplaincy.strasbourg @gmail.com

Fr. Mark writes/Mark écrit:

“This is the Easter Season. For Christians, it is a time for hope and the renewal of life’s possibilities. This is one thing that resurrection teaches us: we mustn’t give in to death and despair. The words of a gospel song of my youth still ring true: “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone, because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living just because He lives.”   And until that future comes, whatever that may be, let’s take care of ourselves in the here and now. And let’s be attentive to the lessons that we have to learn in this time.  And of course, there is Sunday worship online at our regular time. There are many opportunities for us to stay connected, be nourished spiritually and challenged intellectually. And it’s all just a few clicks away!”

“Ceci est la saison de Pâques. Pour les chrétiens, c’est un temps d’espérance et de renouvellement des possibilités de la vie. Nous ne devons pas céder à la mort et au désespoir. Les paroles d’une chanson gospel de ma jeunesse sonnent toujours vrai : « Parce qu’il vit, je peux affronter demain. Parce qu’Il vit, toute peur a disparu, parce que je sais qu’il détient l’avenir, et la vie vaut la peine d’être vécue simplement parce qu’il vit. »

Et jusqu’à ce que cet avenir arrive, quel qu’il soit, prenons soin de nous ici et maintenant. Soyons attentifs aux leçons que nous apprenons en ce moment.   Et bien sûr, il y a le service du dimanche en ligne à notre heure habituelle. Il existe de nombreuses opportunités pour nous de rester connectés, d’être nourris spirituellement et stimulés intellectuellement. Et tout cela en quelques clics !”

2 Psalms as Litanies / 2 Psaumes comme litanies.

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Here are two litanies which you might find helpful for your prayer in these days. What is a litany?  It is a series of petitions with a refrain which is repeated in such a way as to allow us to focus and enter more deeply into the words of the prayer. The first is inspired by Psalm 1 and the second brings together the words of  Psalm 23 and the mystic Julian of Norwich.

Voici deux litanies qui pourraient vous être utiles pour votre prière de ces jours. Qu’est-ce qu’une litanie? C’est une série de pétitions avec un refrain qui se répète de manière à nous permettre de nous concentrer et d’entrer plus profondément dans les paroles de la prière.
La première est basée sur Psaume 1 et la seconde rassemble les paroles du Psaume 23 et celles de Julien de Norwich.

Psalms as Litanies