Members of the St Mark Famagusta Student Chaplaincy joined the congregation of St Andrew Kyrenia (Girne) in a service of welcome and celebration for Bishop Sean on Sunday (23 June), following his enthronement the previous day in St Paul’s Cathedral in Nicosia.
The service was led by parish priest the Reverend Alec Mitchell, and included gospel songs Imela (You’ve done well) and Wahamba nathi (You walked with us) performed by members of St Mark’s.
Bishop Sean’s sermon incorporated his Charge to the Diocese—an outline of the principles and priorities of his episcopal ministry first delivered at his enthronement in St Paul’s. Describing a “unique” Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf, stretching “like a tent” across the geopolitical crossroads of the world, Bishop Sean spoke of the “crucial values of spiritual discernment, Christlike behaviour and good neighbourliness” for Anglican Christians in the region who, he said, are often “migrants welcoming other migrants into their churches”.
The Litany of Intercession particularly touched Bishop Sean, with the Cantor calling out in IsiZulu Thuma mina, thuma mina, thuma mina, Somandla (Send me, Jesus; send me, Jesus; send me, Jesus; send me Lord)—words from his native South Africa ringing out from the Church of St Andrew, Kyrenia.
The congregation was particularly pleased to welcome Muftu Mustafa Usta, Girne Muftu (Mufti of Kyrenia), as well as representatives from the Royal British Legion and the British Residents’ Society, and the francophone congregation that worships in St Andrew’s.
Photo credit: Leo Igwe