Reps Circular
From Sheenagh Burrell, ALMA Co-ordinator
almacoordinator@london.anglican.org T: Tuesdays: 020 7932 1231
Ola Paz!
ALMA Sunday 2014 has left us with an enduring image and challenge: we are all messages and messengers of peace. Looking back there is a tangible sense of joy surrounding Bishop Dinis and Lina’s visit to London for ALMA Sunday and the annual MANNA service and meeting. I would like to thank MANNA, with whom we collaborate over the Bishop’s visit, and the donor who enabled Lina to visit the UK for the first time. Deus e bom. Stories from the visit will follow below and you are already enjoying many of the visit photos on the ALMA London facebook page!
News of the death of Bishop Donald Arden aged 98, known to many of us as the grandfather of ALMA, reached us just as Bishop Dinis’ plane took off. We salute his life, acknowledge the inspiration he was to so many, and assure Jane and the family of our prayers. As we commit Donald to our heavenly Father, we also pray for the family and church of the recently ordained Niassa priest, Padre Mariano, working in Morrumbala, Rio Shire archdeaconry, who sadly died in hospital in early July. May they rest in peace and rise in glory.
Friday 8 August. Election of next Bishop of Lebombo
Tuesday 16 September. ‘Modelling the New Creation’ Climate Action meeting in the Wren Suite St Paul’s Cathedral 6-8 pm. An issue which impacts on Angola and Mozambique
Saturday 20 September. Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Bishop Donald Arden in Romsey Abbey, Hampshire at 2.30pm
Tuesday 18 November. ALMA Reps & Friends Meeting 6-7.45pm Main Hall at Diocesan House. Light refreshments from 5.30pm.
And a very advance date for 2015!
Sunday 12 July 2015. ALMA Sunday Service at St Paul’s Cathedral at 6pm when we hope Bishop Mark Van Koevering will be with us.
ALMA Sunday on 13 July was a special celebration of the 16 years of our Diocesan partnership with the Anglican churches in Angola and Mozambique. We were privileged to have Bishop Dinis Sengulane and his wife Lina with us at St Paul’s Cathedral.
During the service tribute was paid to the Bishop Dinis, the longest serving Bishop in the Anglican Communion, 38 years from 1976-2014, and to Bishop Michael Colclough, Chair of ALMA from 2000 -2014. They have been faithful servants and stewards of the ALMA link, their dedication enabling it to deepen and flourish. They were presented with ALMA stoles, made by Ann Flett of St Mary’s, Stoke Newington, as a mark of appreciation and affection. Additionally, the service echoed Bishop Dinis’ retirement services in Lebombo by the giving of 38 Lavender plants to Lebombo link parishes and schools, and to significant contributors to his wider peace and reconciliation ministry including Chatham House and the British Museum, and by ending with ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ sung in each of the Lebombo Archdeaconry retirement services, accompanied so memorably by Lina on percussion.
Many from around the Diocese contributed to the service: William Perkins School Gospel group sang the song composed last summer by Twyford and Maciene students ‘United by love’; St John’s, Greenhill and St Paul’s, Old Ford helped the Diocesan Choir sing ‘Jesus Christo em breve virá’, sung in memory of Fr Juliao Mutemba who taught it to Harrow in 2002; ALMA Reps Sandra Hall, Beryl Warren, Anusha Hesketh and Revd John Seymour led the intercessions, and on display were two sets of banners destined for partner churches - eight made by Blair Peach Primary School in Southall for Yohannah Abdallah church in Lichinga and three made by the Dorcas Group at St Augustine’s Whitton for Mecanhelas church.
Bishop Dinis preached at the service - available to watch if you couldn’t come via YouTube (I wonder if there might there be an ALMA Rep willing to transcribe this for us?) and enlisted us all to be both messages and messengers of peace: Ola Paz. At the end of the service Bishop Dinis and Bishop Michael prayed for Bishop Paul Williams, Bishop of Kensington, who was commissioned as London Diocese’s new Bishop for ALMA and for Rachel Treweek, Archdeacon of Hackney, as Chair of ALMA London.
If you would like to see photos of the Service, Facebook users can use this link to the album on our Facebook page.
ALMA Sunday began with an ALMA Reps and Friends afternoon tea (huge thanks to Helen Doery, Ann Clarridge, Margaret Davies and Chuli Scarfe for organising the hospitality, and to Revd Guy Treweek for opening the doors of St Andrew’s by the Wardrobe to us. We welcomed ALMA’s newest Link Priest to the tea – Revd Matthew Stone newly inducted at St John’s, Stanmore linked with St Simon & St Jude, Nzinge (Bairro Popular parish Lichinga). During the tea we gathered in the church to hear from Bishop Dinis, Bishop Paul and Archdeacon Rachel who thanked and prayed for the ALMA London team.
Commenting on the day Bishop Paul said:
“It was wonderful to share in such an inspiring occasion in which we gave particular thanks for the visionary and courageous ministry of Bishop Dinis and especially his personal encouragement in establishing the partnership with the Diocese of London. I am delighted to share with Archdeacon Rachel in continuing to develop the potential of ALMA to foster our unique relationship with the Church in Angola and Mozambique.”
During his visit to the UK Bishop Dinis:
He also had two more leisurely days showing Lina around London and Salisbury.
As we celebrated ALMA Sunday in London, John Tasker, ALMA Twinning Officer was celebrating it in Angola!
This comes just as the first thunder is breaking and our hot spell may be ending but with warm wishes to you all for a restful summer.
Sheenagh Burrell
ALMA Co-ordinator
Tel: 020 7932 1231 Tuesdays Diocese of London, London Diocesan House 36, Causton St, London SW1P 4AU.