Author: Jo Dawes

Church to reopen on 5 July

Posted on by Jo Dawes

St Thomas à Becket church will reopen on Sunday 5 July for a short service of Morning Prayer at 10.30 a.m.

As a result of the ongoing crisis, churches are required to offer shorter services for a greatly reduced number of people so that hygiene and safety regulations can be strictly observed. Full Holy Communion services are not yet possible.

Until our locum arrives, Morning Prayer will be led by members of the congregation. If there are too many people for the 10.30 service, it may be possible to offer a second service at 11.15 a.m.

Please read this message from the wardens and council for full details of hygiene and safety regulations.

Church reopening: when and how?

Posted on by Jo Dawes

The Chaplaincy Council met on 6 May (via Zoom) and discussed the reopening in the context of the guidance received from our Bishops and what is permitted in Hamburg. Although churches may open, there are very strict conditions set. The Council therefore decided that the church will stay closed until the beginning of June to allow for proper preparation.

Fr Pete Wright is still our locum until the end of May, however, and will continue until then to film services together with members of the congregation and post them here: see church online.

There is a small group of people working on what we need to do to reopen the church. We will let you know as soon as we can when that will be and how we are going to do it.

Flowers for Holy Week

Posted on by Jo Dawes

Every day during Holy Week, starting on Monday, BBC Radio 4 is broadcasting a 15-minute programme on wild plants and flowers associated in history and folklore with the key moments of Christ’s Passion. Broadcast daily at 10:45 (9:45 in the UK), ‘The Passion in Plants’ can be found on BBC iPlayer Radio.

Our locum returns to LA

Posted on by Jo Dawes

Our locum chaplain, Fr Pete Wright, and his wife Penny have unfortunately had to return to Los Angeles, since the US State Department ordered the return of all citizens who normally reside in the USA. We hope still to be able to provide some opportunities for the congregation to participate in shared online services with Fr Pete. Please also see the information on this website, particularly the Covid-19 update section.

Making a Spiritual Communion

Posted on by Jo Dawes

Our church services are currently suspended because of the coronavirus. However, we can still make a Spiritual Communion at home.

The term ‘Spiritual Communion’ is used to describe the means of grace by which a person, prevented for some serious reason from sharing in a celebration of the Eucharist, nonetheless shares in the communion of Jesus Christ. The Book of Common Prayer instructs us that if we offer ourselves in penitence and faith, giving thanks for the redemption won by Christ crucified, we may truly ‘eat and drink the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ’, although we cannot receive the sacrament physically in ourselves. A form of words for making a Spiritual Communion can be found on the Church of England website.

Want to be on our mailing list?

Posted on by Jo Dawes

We have a small mailing list that we use to keep congregation and friends in touch with what’s going on in the church community. We are using it more frequently now that services and events are suspended because of the Covid-19 coronavirus. If you would like to be put on the list, please send an email with your first and last name and asking to be added to the mailing list to webmaster (at) anglican-church-hamburg.de

Don’t miss our wonderful concert!

Posted on by Jo Dawes

Tickets are still available for our fundraising concert ‘Magic and Myths’ in the church on Wednesday, 18 September at 19:00.

The concert features the Austrian-born soprano Christina Gansch and bass baritone Martin Hässler, both accompanied by Sholto Kynoch, pianist and director of the now world-renowned Oxford Lieder Festival which he established.

‘Magic and Myths’ celebrates the ‘glittering ballads and expressive songs’ of Carl Loewe, as 2019 marks the 150th anniversary of Loewe’s death. Though perhaps not a household name today, Carl Loewe was in his day a prolific and brilliant song composer with an astonishing gift for storytelling and for composing profound and beautiful lyric songs. He deserves to be better known. The artists will also be performing songs by Robert and Clara Schumann and Franz Schubert.

Tickets for the concert cost €50, which includes post-performance refreshments, and can be ordered by email to konzert@anglican-church-hamburg.de.