L – R: Revd. Canon Leonard Doolan, Metropolitan Gabriel, HE The British Ambassador, Bishop Robert, Revd. Duncan Dormer, Deacon Chris Saccali

A celebration at Apostoli

On Saturday 2nd February around 25 people met at Apostoli, the Social Mission Arm of the Orthodox Church.

Members of USPG, The Anglican Church and the Orthodox Church as well as various charities who have been helping with the outreach of its mission, met together to celebrate the bonds of solidarity and friendship that had been forged since 2015 when Greece found itself at the centre of the refugee crisis.

Bishop Robert spoke of how, during his tenure, Europe had suffered from two crises – the Financial and the Refugee, and Greece, one of the poorest members of the European Union, had found itself at the forefront of both; a situation manifestly unfair to the Greek People. But the Anglican Church in Athens and the Orthodox Church stood together and forged a partnership, together with USPG,  to help alleviate the suffering of those caught up in the crisis;  USPG have been vital in this work helping to channel over €400,000 through St Paul’s to people in Greece suffering from these crises.

“Church in the Street” distributes food twice a day to over 900 homeless and impoverished Greek families as well as refugees.  Two hostels have been set up for Women and unaccompanied minors who are most at risk in the camps, and organisations such as Medin, Lighthouse and Hestia have been given funds to help them to expand and continue their important work.

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“Ad Clerum” – Bishop Robert writes to the Congregations of the Diocese in Europe

Trinity Season 2018

AD CLERUM

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As a choirboy in the 1960s, I used to amuse myself during what felt like interminable sermons by flicking through the pages of the Book of Common Prayer. I quickly formed the view that, after the exciting events of Christmas, Epiphany, Easter and Whitsun the author’s imagination had run out when it came to the Trinity season. So we had a succession of Sundays ‘after Trinity’ from the first, the second, the third…right up to the twenty-fifth until things restart in Advent. All very dull and boring.

These days, I see it differently. The celebration of Trinity Sunday draws together the divine activity in creation and redemption made known through the threefold action of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Human beings are incorporated into this life through faith and baptism in the name of the Trinity. Our lives are to be patterned individually and corporately upon a God who makes himself known as a diverse unity. And so all human life is lived as a series of events ‘after Trinity’ until the last great day when God in his Advent makes all things new.

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