I wonder how many more re-makes of “Do They Know it’s Christmas?” it will take to solve the world’s wrongs. I’m not knocking the idea, which I think is excellent, but there has to be a limit to the number of times it can be retreaded, and the question then is, do we know it’s Christmas, and do we know what that commits us to in terms of giving to the disadvantaged? ….
To read the rest, see Christmas Pastoral Letter 2014
This year we shall be holding two services to celebrate Harvest Festival. As always we shall be having a Harvest Eucharist at 9.30 on October 5th, and that is the service where we shall be hoping to receive offerings of food that will be distributed to our local old people’s and children’s homes. The new service will be at 4.30 on the same day and will take the form of a Songs of Praise….
To read the rest, see Harvest Pastoral Letter 2014
Bishop Michael visited St Helena’s on Sunday, 29th June to celebrate the Eucharist.
He also licensed Geoff Graham as a Lay Reader, admitted two new Eucharistic Assistants, Jim West and Lauren Taylor, and commissioned Rob Taylor to be part of the Pastoral Care Team.
It was a very moving service but, as the photos show, also very joyous.
It comes as a surprise to those who arrive in Cyprus from the UK, that Easter should have such a high profile here. All the celebrations we associate, in the UK, with Christmas – the midnight services, the special family rituals – are here instead to be found at Easter. In a sense, that is more correct theologically. Christianity began at Easter.
To read the full letter, see Easter pastoral letter 2014
The Charity Shop celebrated its first birthday on Friday, 1st March 2014, and we had our sponsored walk around Oroklini on Saturday 2nd March
We rewarded our efforts by having brunch at the Corfu Tavern afterwards.
Religious festivals are an important and very public way of describing who we are. That is true of all religions. When children in multi-faith contexts are taught about the world’s great religions, it is usual to start by describing to them the festivals that different communities hold. And of course if those festivals can be seen and experienced, so much the better. At times of festival there are symbols to play with and a story to tell.
To read the full letter, see Christmas pastoral letter 2013
On December 1st 2013, four candidates were confirmed by the Bishop as full members of St Helena’s Church.
Harvest is about food. And generally the way food is viewed in our culture is increasingly as a commodity. That is not how it is seen through the eyes of faith. We see food as God’s sustaining and life-giving gift; something to add savour to life, something to enjoy, something to create and extend fellowship, something that, by its use in a service like this, helps us to appreciate the divine, the sacred in life. In other words, it is something that helps us to see the burning bush, and invites us to take off our shoes.
To read the full letter, see harvest pastoral letter 2013
St David’s day, March 1st, was the auspicious opening date for the new Church Charity Shop in Larnaca. Adjacent to St Helena’s Church, the shop will stock a range of second hand goods and be open three mornings each week.
The opening ceremony was performed by Chaplain John Holdsworth who stressed that this was not just another fund raising activity. ‘We hope this shop will play its part in the urban regeneration here, that it will provide high quality low cost goods for those on strict budgets, and draw attention to the need for recycling unwanted goods,’ he said.
He also stressed the opportunity that the shop would give for presenting the church to the wider community, and the opportunities for service that it would open up for church members. 10% of all money raised will be given to charities outside the church. ‘We have an ideal site, right opposite the bus stands, and very close to the church,’ said John. ‘Many of our diocesan churches in the Gulf have shops like this. Now we’re joining them.’
The picture shows Chaplaincy associate priest Sean Semple examining goods with Project Coordinator Elizabeth Taylor.
Fr Sean Semple and his family joined the congregation of St. Helena’s in January 2013, and Sean was licensed by the Bishop as an Associate Priest. Sean is a practising counsellor and brings many skills with him. Cathy, his wife, is a keen horsewoman specialising in teaching dressage and they are accompanied by Kyle and Lex.