A service for Remembrance Sunday – 14th November 2021 – St Paul’s Athens and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery, Alimos

Welcome to our worship on this Remembrance Sunday. A particular welcome to His Excellency Matthew Lodge, British Ambassador, and Captain Alex Bush, Defence Attache. This Worship is led by The Revd. Canon Leonard Doolan, Senior Chaplain, who is also the preacher. There is a Noon ceremony at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery at Alimos.

Priest:      Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you

All:            and also with you.

Priest:      O Lord, open our lips

All:            and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Priest:      Give us the joy of your saving help

All:            and sustain us with your life-giving Spirit.

Hymn:    

1 God is our strength and refuge,
our present help in trouble,

and we therefore will not fear,
though the earth should change!
Though mountains shake and tremble,
though swirling floods are raging,

God the Lord of hosts is with us evermore!

2 There is a flowing river
within God’s holy city;
God is in the midst of her-
she shall not be moved!
God’s help is swiftly given,
thrones vanish at his presence-
God the Lord of hosts is with us evermore!

3 Come, see the works of our maker,
learn of his deeds all-powerful:
wars will cease across the world
when he shatters the spear!
Be still and know your creator,
uplift him in the nations-
God the Lord of hosts is with us evermore!                       After Psalm 46, Richard Bewes (born 1934)

© Richard Bewes/Jubilate Hymns
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The Great St Paul’s Christmas Bazaar is back!

After a Hiatus of two years St Paul’s famous Christmas Bazaar is back at a new venue.  On 5th December 2021 in the Amphitheatre foyer of the Athens War Museum from 11.00 hrs – 16.30 hrs with many of our usual stalls available to purchase your Christmas Gifts:  Christmas cakes,  Mince pies,  Christmas crackers, Handmade gifts, Books, Jewellery, Clothing, Preserves, DVD`s and lots lots more!

Maybe relax for awhile and enjoy a lovely Irish coffee, a glass of wine, a cup of tea or coffee and something to eat from our cake/sandwich stall.

Hoping to see you there for a wonderful day out after so long.

PLEASE NOTE COVID UPDATE:   Proof of Vaccination (Certificate) must be shown to gain entry to the museum.

Service for the Third Sunday before Advent – 7th November 2021

St Paul’s Athens

Fr. Leonard will preside and preach. The deacon is Deacon Christine.

Please ensure that you are 1.5metres distant unless you are from the same household. Masks and hand cleansing are mandatory in church and as you move around in the garden.

Opening Hymn: 463  (2^nd tune)  Thine for ever!

Priest:                In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All:                     Amen.

Priest:                The Lord be with you

All:                      and also with you

The presiding priest welcomes the congregation and invites the deacon to lead us into a short time of silence and stillness

Deacon:          Your raise the dead to life in the spirit.

Kyrie eleison             

     All:                 Kyrie eleison

     Deacon:          You bring pardon and peace to the broken in spirit.

                              Christe eleison         

     All:                 Christe eleison

Deacon:          You make one by your Spirit the torn and divided.

                              Kyrie eleison             

     All:                 Kyrie eleison

Priest:   Almighty God, who forgives all those who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,  and keep you in life eternal, through Jesus Christ our Lord .   Amen.

Gloria: (Sung) Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God, the glory of God the Father. Amen, Amen.

Collect:  Let us pray     (Collect of the Day) 

God, our refuge and strength, bring near the day when wars shall cease and poverty and pain shall end, that earth may know the peace of heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All:  Amen.

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HELP US FILL THE CHRISTMAS SKY WITH STARS!

The star of Bethlehem guided the Magi to a humble stable and now you can have your very own star to shine on the manger where baby Jesus lies. Every donation will add a star to our Nativity Scene, to symbolize the eternal light of Christmas and celebrate the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Watch the sky fill with stars on our Facebook Page  and on our website.

Your star will help support the church and those in need in these difficult times. Join us in love and thanksgiving as we prepare to welcome the Christ Child into the world.

ST. PAUL’S HARVEST FESTIVAL AT THE KOKOTOS VINEYARD IN STAMATA

On a sunny Sunday, the 24^th of October, the congregation and friends of St. Paul’s met at the beautiful vineyard of the Kokotos family located outside the village of Stamata north of Athens. Father Leonard, Father Bjorn and Deacon Christine led our worship in the marquee with views over the garden and the distant hills and Father Leonard’s sermon focused on the distortion of God’s creation by mankind and the gap between the everyday life of so many of us and His creation – we have become consumers who have lost touch with farmers, agricultural workers, shepherds and all those who work the land that provides us with our food. The task of ‘greening’ is a huge one but it is the aim of our Diocese, the Diocese in Europe, to become carbon neutral by 2030 and, if each one of us does just a couple of ‘small things’, this can be achieved.  For our intercession prayers, Lynn Doolan gave us each a paper fish on which to write a short prayer. These were then ‘caught’ in a net and displayed for everyone to read – a lovely idea. The service was followed by a wine-tasting outside the tiny chapel of Αγ. Γιωργη τον Μεθυστη or St. George the Intoxicated, a Saint unknown to most of us but well-known in Greece as the Saint of the wine harvest.

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Bishop’s Advent Appeal for European Climate Disaster Relief 2021

Climate change is probably the biggest single issue facing humanity at present and into the future. When I speak to Anglican colleagues from around the world, I hear of its impacts in everything from threatened islands in Polynesia to desertification in sub-Saharan Africa. But this last summer, we have been forcibly reminded that climate change is a global phenomenon that visits our own doorstep in Europe: fires have taken hold in Greece, Spain and Turkey; there has been severe and fatal flooding in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Our chaplain in Liège, Revd Guy Diakiese, was among those pushing water and mud out of the living-rooms of neighbours.

The root causes of climate change are now generally acknowledged to be the increase in greenhouse gases generated mainly by the human burning of carbon. There is pressure worldwide to reduce use of fossil views and stabilise temperature rises, and this is what COP26 in Glasgow is about. But as well as addressing the causes we also need to address the effects of rising temperature, as seen in more and more extreme weather events. Very high rates of rainfall and very high temperatures have a devastating impact on the wellbeing of people and property, as we have seen in our corner of the world. The image is of the town of Bad Neuenahr in the Rhineland.

So my Advent Appeal this year will be focused on assisting agencies that are working in these parts of Europe, as they bring support to those who are affected by man-made climate change.

Many of us will know the work of Caritas International, the Roman Catholic agency that sustains many varieties of Christian relief and support across the world; their national agencies in Spain and Italy will assist with disaster relief.

Click here to read the full text of Bishop Robert’s Appeal

Service for All Saints Sunday – 31st October 2021

St Paul’s Athens

Welcome to St. Paul’s. If you are visiting, or here for the first time.

Presiding Priest: The Revd. Canon Leonard Doolan  

Deacon & preacher: The Revd. Deacon Christine Saccali

Entrance Hymn    148  The God of Abraham praise
Priest:  In the name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

All:        Amen.                                                                                                            

 Priest:  The Lord be with you

All:         And also with you

Words by Jonny Baker, taken from the book: ‘The Hospitality of God’ by Michael Perham

Deacon:           All are invited, all are included

All are made welcome, none are excluded

This is the table of Christ

Come if you’re young, come if you’re old

Come if you’re broken, come if you’re whole

Come if you’re weary of the trials of life

This is the table of Christ.

Introduction The priest welcomes everyone and introduces the service

Confession

There will be a short moment of silence as we bring to mind our wrongdoings

Deacon:           Lord, you are gracious and compassionate:

Lord, have mercy.

All:                  Lord, have mercy.

Deacon:           You are loving to all and your mercy is over all your creation:

Christ, have mercy.

All:                  Christ, have mercy.

Deacon:           Your faithful servants bless your name and speak of your glory:

Lord, have mercy.

All:                   Lord, have mercy.

Absolution: Almighty God, who forgives all those who are truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness and keep you in life eternal; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Meeting of the 375th Meeting of St Paul’s Parish Council -11th September 2021

Click here for the minutes of the 375th Meeting of St Paul’s Parish Council

Notes on the 374th Council Meeting held on 3rd July, 2021

Continuing our intention to be an Open Church, please follow the link to the Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 3rd July 2021.

The delay is due to the fact that they have to be signed off by Fr Leonard at the following meeting before they can be published.  The minutes for the September meeting will be published shortly.

Please click here for fuller details of the council meeting on 3rd July 2021

Service for St Paul’s Harvest Festival at the Kokotos Winery – 24th October 2021

Opening hymn:

We plough the fields, and scatter
the good seed on the land,
but it is fed and watered
by God’s almighty hand:
he sends the snow in winter,
the warmth to swell the grain,
the breezes, and the sunshine,
and soft, refreshing rain.

Refrain:
All good gifts around us
are sent from heaven above;
then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord,
for all his love.

2 He only is the maker
of all things near and far;
he paints the wayside flower,
he lights the evening star;
the winds and waves obey him,
by him the birds are fed;
much more to us, his children,
he gives our daily bread. [Refrain]

3 We thank thee then, O Father,
for all things bright and good,
the seed-time and the harvest,
our life, our health, our food.
Accept the gifts we offer
for all thy love imparts,
and, what thou most desirest,
our humble, thankful hearts. [Refrain]

Priest: Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

All:  and also with you.

The priest welcomes everyone to the liturgy. The deacon then leads the Confession

Deacon: God’s whole creation groans.  We confess our sin in penitence and faith.

Deacon: Consider the birds of the air; they do not sow or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Lord have mercy.

All: Lord have mercy

Deacon: Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they do not toil or spin, yet even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Christ have mercy.

All: Christ have mercy

Deacon: How little faith we have. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Lord have mercy.

All: Christ have mercy.

The priest then pronounces the words of Absolution.

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