The Anglican Church of Strasbourg
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St. Pierre-le-Jeune, Archi-Wiki 2010.
The Association Caritative Anglicane de Strasbourg (ACAS) exists in order that members of St. Alban’s may contribute to organisations that help people in need. This is so as to comply with French law which does not permit “associations cultuelles” (i.e. churches) to give any of their income away. All those who attend services at St. Alban’s are invited to come to the Annual General Meeting of ACAS this coming Saturday, 26 March, 15.00h at Café Rivier, 40, rue de l’Université, Strasbourg, and put forward any suggestions for causes which ACAS could support. ACAS usually contributes to CASAS and CIMADE, two organisations in Strasbourg which for many years have provided aid and advice for asylum-seekers and refugees. Through our Malgache members strong links have also been established with the Anglican church in Foulpointe which has repeatedly been ravaged by cyclones. All ideas are welcome ! Also welcome are ideas for fund-raising during the coming year, so that ACAS can continue to respond to calls for help.
De nombreux événements sont organisés dans le cadre du Forum des Religions pour découvrir des traditions spirituelles différentes qui existent à Strasbourg. https://www.forumreligions.fr Within the framework of the “Forum des Religions” in Strasbourg a number of events take place every year to explore the many different spiritual traditions which exist within the city. One of these events is the Night of Religions (Nuits des Religions) which took place on 26th February. The Anglican Chaplaincy joined the Dominican community in their church, our place of worship for the past 50 years, for the service of Evensong. A small group of singers from St. Alban’s contributed Anglican hymns and a setting of the Magnificat by Thomas Morley in Anglican chant to the service, while the Dominican brothers sang their traditional settings of psalms and prayers. There is a distinct musical bond between both traditions, and it was a welcome opportunity to share the rich heritage of Anglican music with visitors from all over the city. For St. Alban’s it was also another opportunity to explain the “middle way” that Anglicanism holds between the two major Christian denominations.
The singers.
Fr. Mark & Frère Jean-Francois welcome the visitors.
“In these days of uncertainty and fear, we pray that each of us might again turn to the Lord and receive God’s gift of peace, work for God’s justice, know God’s reconciliation and love, and choose paths not of hatred or destruction, of violence or retribution, but God’s way of justice, mercy and peace.”
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have written a pastoral letter to the clergy and people of the Church of England, calling on them to pray for peace in Ukraine. Read the letter below:
Ukraine Pastoral Letter from the Archbishops
Last Sunday 23 January St Alban’s joined with the neighbouring congregations of St Matthew’s Protestant and Christ Ressuscité/ Très Sainte Trinité for the annual commemoration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The Anglican, Catholic and Protestant churches came together at St Matthew’s around the theme : “We saw his star in the East and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2.2) The theme for 2022 was proposed by the Middle East Council of Churches, where Christians face many hardships.
The church of St. Matthieu was packed! There was a special programme for children of all ages, and for the bilingual order of service translations were provided. There was a tangible feeling of celebration within the congregation and a real sense of mutual esteem amongst the clergy.
The pastor of St. Matthieu bids everyone welcome
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was first established in 1908 by an Anglican religious order as an eight-day period of prayer (octave) between 18 January (Confession of St Peter) and 25 January (Conversion of St Paul). The octave has since been observed by Christians of all sorts from around the world.
St Alban’s Mark Barwick gives the final blessing.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was first established in 1908 by an Anglican religious order as an eight-day period of prayer (octave) between 18 January (Confession of St Peter) and 25 January (Conversion of St Paul). The octave has since been observed by Christians of all sorts from around the world.
This coming Sunday, 23 January, will feel very different for all those used to coming to the Église des Dominicans for St. Alban’s Sunday worship. Instead of the usual service of Holy Eucharist at 10.30h the congregation of St. Alban’s will be joining its French Protestant and Roman Catholic neighbours for an ecumenical service to mark this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This will be held at 10.30h – same time! – at the Eglise protestante de Saint-Matthieu, 97 blvd d’Anvers, near the F tram stop Place d’Islande. Here we shall also be joining forces with the Catholic congregations of Christ Ressuscité/ Très Sainte Trinité; there will be a special programme for children.
The theme of this year’s service was chosen and prepared by the Council of Churches of the Middle East: ‘We observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage.’ Matthew 2.2
Our priest the Revd. Mark Barwick writes:
| Christian Unity is not just about getting Christians together under one roof. Nor is it about coming to agre-ment over what we believe. The unity of Christians is part of a much larger project. It is about living consciously the oneness that we already share with all people and with the creation itself. Christians are not an elite class of humanity. We are made of the same flesh and blood as everyone else. We are subject to the same sins and failures as everyone else. This awareness should drive us to greater love and solidarity in these fractious times. Christian Unity is essentially a peace project. It is living the kingdom that Jesus envisioned – and which is urgently needed today .L’unité des chrétiens ne consiste pas seulement à rassembler les chrétiens sous un même toit. Il ne s’agit pas non plus de parvenir à un accord sur ce que nous croyons. L’unité des chrétiens fait partie d’un projet beaucoup plus vaste. Il s’agit de vivre consciemment l’unité que nous partageons déjà avec toute l’humanité et avec toute la création. Le thème pour 2022 a été choisi et préparé par le Conseil des Églises du Moyen-Orient : « Nous avons vu son astre à l’Orient et nous sommes venus lui rendre hommage » |
Please don’t hesitate to come and join us at St. Matthieu, it will be a new experience for everyone and, we hope, the start of good things to come!
Sunday 23 January, 10.30h: Ecumenical Worship at the Eglise protestante de Saint-Matthieu, 97 blvd d’Anvers, Strasbourg.
No Anglican service at the Église des Dominicains that day !
Église protestante St. Matthieu, Photo W. Helmlinger, Archi-Wiki.
The Eucharist service on 12 December, the third Sunday in Advent, had a special flavour. At the beginning of the service the third candle of the Advent wreath was lit by children from Sunday School, who also said a prayer.
During the service Br. François from the Franciscan community in Strasbourg introduced a new musical dimension to our worship. He is from Togo, a student of theology and an accomplished musician who plays the kora, a stringed instrument made from a gourd and a traditional instrument in western Africa. He accompanied us musically during intercessions and at other moments in the service.
Many many thanks for all the hands that came together to make last Sunday’s Concert and mini Christmas market a rousing success. All proceeds will go to famine relief efforts in south Madagascar.
Ni le froid, ni l’épidémie grandissante ne vous ont tous freiné pour assister joyeusement au magnifique concert de l’Avent dimanche dernier.
Au nom du peuple du Sud en dénuement total et qui a faim, nous Malagasy de St Alban’s vous remercions chaleureusement de la générosité que vous avez manifestée. Que ce soit en amont, les préparatifs, que ce soit les prises de paroles, que ce soit dans la confection des gâteaux et spécialités culinaires salés qui étaient bien appréciés, la gestion des recettes, le rangement d’après et surtout votre présence, vous étiez formidables! Merci infiniment pour tous les dons recueillis!
Que notre Seigneur vous rende au centuple et vous garde dans son amour. Bravo! Voahangy Ramananjatovo.
The Orchestre des jeunes Guitarristes et Mandolinistes de Schiltigheim played to an enthusiastic audience on Advent Sunday at St. Mathieu in Strasbourg.
For the second time ACAS, the Association caritative anglicane de Strasbourg, is organising an Advent concert together with the Madagascan community in the area. A number of Malgaches are gifted musicians and play together in the Orchestre des Jeunes Guitaristes et Mandolinistes de Schiltigheim under their conductor Marine Mairet. What may sound like an ensemble with rather limited appeal is in fact quite the opposite: two years ago the orchestra gave their first Advent concert to a packed hall and swept the audience of its feet with their enthusiasm, skill and sheer musicianship.
This year’s concert will take place on Advent Sunday, 28 November, at 15.30h in the church of St. Matthieu, 97 boulevard d’Anvers, Strasbourg. Entrance is free but donations are requested to help combat the terrible famine ravaging southern Madagascar at the present. The Anglican Bishop Gilbert Rateloson Rakotondravelo of the Diocese of Fianarantsoa in the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean warns that at least one million people may be at risk.
“The situation south of the country is not good. Out of our 22 regions, it has been hit the hardest. Some crops have also been destroyed by bandits,” he says, noting that while people want to farm their lands, there is no rain. Within his own diocese, which was founded in 2003, Rakotondravelo says reports continue streaming in of high malnutrition. “The situation has worsened since March 2021, especially for our women and children. We need short-, medium-, and long-term interventions,” he says.
All are welcome to this concert; in the interval mulled wine and Bredele will be available and there will also be a miniature Marché de Noel to celebrate the start of the Advent season.
Let us give with generous hearts – Donnons de coeurs généreux!