The Very Reverend Walter Brownridge, Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, Nicosia, led a service in celebration of the 50thAnniversary of the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf on Sunday, that included moving performances by Laura Rodgers (piano), Angelos Charalambous (oboe) and Caleb Page (violin), as well as Irene Cotter (organ).
The occasion was also an opportunity to mark the retirement earlier this year of Bishop’s PA Canon Georgia Katsantonis after more than 40 years with the Diocese.
As Bishop Sean noted in his sermon, there have of course been Anglicans in the region of Cyprus and the Gulf for well over 50 years. Indeed, St Paul’s was consecrated on its current site in 1896. What is celebrated this Year of Jubilee is something different, and particularly special.
“Fifty years ago, on the Feast of the Epiphany, the Archbishop of Canterbury ceded his metropolitan authority over the Anglican churches in Cyprus, the Middle East, Egypt, North African and the Horn of Africa, and gave that authority to the newly created Provincial Synod of Jerusalem and the Middle East,” said Bishop Sean. “At that moment, all our churches ceased being Church of England churches, and became churches of dioceses in a new Middle Eastern Province of the Anglican Communion.”
Bishop Sean reflected on the Gospel reading’s recounting how the first disciples were called by Jesus to “Come, follow me” (Mathew 4:12-23).
“This is the core business of our diocese: to follow Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit to make Christ known through the ‘gospel of our lives’. We are a diocese of presence rather than proclamation. And the Lord continues to call people from our parishes to follow him into ordained ministry—we currently have around 15 people who are exploring a sense of call to ministry in our vocational programme.
“Today we celebrate our unique ministry and calling and the opportunity we have to be a powerful example—perhaps even a prophetic example—to the Anglican Communion and to the world. Our presence in the region confronts the many ignorant and toxic narratives about religious tolerance, diversity and co-existence in the world today. This is who we are, and this is what Christ continues to call us to do—at the crossroads of the world.”
A wonderful reception after the service included a speech by Felicity Christofides and by Canon Georgia, who was honoured with the gift of a lifetime membership to the UK Friends of the Diocese, presented by Bishop Sean on behalf of chair the Reverend Canon Chris Butt.
Photo credit: Steve Stavri
