Mojácar Anglican - Spain

Welcome

Our Staff

Services and Activities

NEWS & INTEREST

Find Us

Contact us

Mission Project

About Us

Links

News & Interest

     FRIDAY 09 MAY saw the Annual Spring Fair take place on the terrace of the Hotel Puntazo in Mojácar.
     The occasion was a great success, and raised a total of 3065 euros. The Organisers, Dorothy Smith and Tony Baugh, wish to thank all those who gave up their time to help.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Fr. HUGH'S 40th ANNIVERSARY celebrations will be in Gloucester Cathedral on Monday 29 September at 11am. This is the actual date of his ordination in 1968. There will be a buffet lunch to follow in the Chapter House of the Cathedral. If anyone would like to attend, please let Fr. Hugh know by end June. Invitations will be sent early July.  Fr. Hugh can advise about hotels etc. in the area.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On Sunday 27 April 2008
Danny and
Gaynor Clark
renewed their Marriage Vows at a short service in Church. They were accompanied by family members. The ceremony was conducted by The Rev'd Canon Alan Bennett.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“WHAT PRICE FRIENDSHIP?”
     Over the years, most of us build up a lot of contacts – work colleagues, neighbours, those with similar interests – and so on.  For a lot of people these contacts often develop into friendships, and we all know just how important these are.
     Sadly, as time passes, many of these friendships cease because we all move on in one way or another and time and distance separate us from those we once knew so well and enjoyed many times in their company.
     As you read these words I hope that such a person from the past comes into your mind with whom you have lost touch over the years.  May I take the liberty of suggesting that now might be the time to try to make contact again?
     Every Christmas we, along with  many others look at that long list of people we send cards to – and often we say, with some justification, that it is time to prune that list on the grounds that we are never likely to see that person again.  And, of course, living as we are some way from the United Kingdom where no doubt most of these people live, and friendships were forged, we may well be right.  But perhaps we should look back at the past and that yearly message can be a reminder of just how valuable that contact was in times past.
     This is very much the case for clergy.  I recall my student days in colleges at Durham and Lichfield – in both cases I had a circle of friends who were also studying for the priesthood, and we spent a great deal of time together.  Now as I look back over those years I realise to my sorrow that I have lost contact with almost all of them.
     Just occasionally we get an opportunity to renew such friendships through a conference or reunion, and this happened to me a couple of years ago. I was at a conference at St Chad´s College in Durham for four days.  Much to my surprise and delight I discovered that two of the priests there were fellow students all those years ago.  In spite of considerable loss of hair and gain of a few wrinkles, and I have to add a few inches, we were in no time putting the clock back over 40 years.  For example, one evening we decided to go out on the town .- a frequent exercise in those student days! We looked in vain for the old haunts where we had imbibed considerable quantities of Newcastle Brown, only to find that they had been taken over by clubs, and discos and posh eating places.  Eventually we found one that was much as it had been – the only difference was that our tipple was now quantities of Vino Tinto – but nothing like as good as that in Spain and about three times the price!
     But, as they say ¨What price friendship?¨ Such contacts as these are so precious and give us opportunities we thought we had long lost.
     I have been set off on this train of thought because as I write, I am preparing for a quick trip back to Gloucester to attend a memorial service for John Yates who was my Bishop there until he retired some years ago.  I had known John Yates for 46 years since he became Principal of Lichfield Theological College when I was a student there.
     I could write volumes about this good and holy man who made such an impact on me as principal, confidant and spiritual director, and latterly my father in God as Bishop. It was he who instituted me into my first parish in Gloucester, later he preached at my 25^th anniversary as a priest, and also baptised our twin daughters, Lucy and Hannah.  I am so grateful that we kept up our contacts and exchanged letters up until just a couple of  months before he died – a true friend in every sense of the word.
     So how do you score on the friendship stakes? I do hope that you share my enthusiasm to  maintain these links as the years go by.  Perhaps this article will encourage you to seek to re-kindle something of those friendships which years have tended to erode!
     There have been occasions in my priestly ministry when I have met people in a time of one crisis or another –indeed this is one of the important aspects of what being a priest is all about.  So often I have heard the phrase "At a time like this you find out just who your true friends are!" None of us can ever be sure just when we shall need those friends ourselves who will be there for us when  we need them!
     So important, therefore, that we keep and renew those friendships over the years and miles, because – “THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR!”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

At the Annual Church meeting on 15 April 08 the two  new Churchwardens, namely Alan Smith and John Salmons were the only nominations and were therefore sworn in for the next year.
The positions of three Archdeaconry Synod reps' Ann Marshall, Alan Smith and John Salmons and two Council members, Audrey Hathaway and Eric Dore were not contested, and they were also sworn in, but in this instance for the next three years.
     ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

BRITISH NATIONALS - GETTING MARRIED IN SPAIN

    We as an Anglican Church receive many enquiries from British People about getting married in Spain. Perhaps the following explanation may be of assistance:
     Weddings in Spain all require a civil ceremony first, at which the couple become husband and wife according to Spanish law. A civil marriage in Spain requires at least one of the couple to have Spanish residency. Where this is not the case, such a civil marriage will need to be conducted in the home country of the couple or in Gibraltar.
     The church can offer a service of blessing of the civil marriage, which is very much like a marriage ceremony in an English church but without the vows being exchanged as that has already happened. The church can offer a very happy ceremony with all the trappings commonly associated with a marriage back in England. Such ceremonies can take place by arrangement with the parish priest, locally or at a church in another locality. Exceptionally the ceremony can take place in a secular place but this needs careful researching to ensure it is appropriate for a religious ceremony.

      "These things I have spoken unto you that ye shall not stray".  John 16:1

May;
"The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you"
1 Corinthians 1



                         and remember:                     



                        "If you see someone without a
                   smile, give them one of yours"
                  

Office Address:

Apartado de Correos 617  

Mojácar  

Almería - Spain  

04638