NEWS
For all our latest news please see our Facebook and Twitter feeds. A full calendar of events can be found at A Church Near You. For information about our recitals on social media see #fleetstreetmusic.
A Church Near You: St Dunstan-in-the-West
*
BELLS
We are delighted that our new set of 10 bells is now very much in use. The bells have rung out for Her Majesty the Queen as she passed the church on her way to St Paul’s Cathedral for her Diamond Jubilee service; for Team GB and ParalympicsGB as the Olympic & Paralympic Victory Parade passed along Fleet Street; for the procession of the funeral cortege of Baroness Margaret Thatcher; and for the licensing of our new Guild Vicar, the Rt Revd Jonathan Baker. The bells are also rung prior to our lunchtime services. Campanologists from all over the country are keen to come and ring the new bells; if you are interested in ringing at St Dunstan’s, please contact Dickon Love at dickon@lovesguide.com. We are deeply pleased to have the continued expertise of Dickon Love, and are most grateful to him, the Trustees of the St Dunstan-in-the-West Bells Fund, the Bishop of London (Patron of the Bells Fund), fundraisers and donors for the fruition of this project.
A splendid service for the “Solemn Consecration of the New Ring of Ten Bells” took place on 14 March this year. If you were unable to attend the service but are interested in obtaining a copy of the order of service, which includes the names and details of the bells, please advise us of your name and address and a copy will be mailed to you.
Please see the website http://london.lovesguide.com/dunstan-in-the-west.htm for the history of the bells and details of inscriptions.
Please check the website http://london.lovesguide.com/dunstanringingtimes.xls for the ringing list.
*
HIRING THE CHURCH/VESTRY
The church can hold up to 150 people, and can be used for concerts and plays. We also hire out the Vestry – a meeting room that can seat up to 15 people. There are reduced rates for charitable organizations There is a small kitchen, electric organ and grand piano for use during events.
If you would like to hold an event at St Dunstan’s or be added to the email circulation list for forthcoming events, please contact Rebecca Haslam: administrator@stdunstaninthewest.org
*
THE CHURCH FOR EUROPE
St Dunstan-in-the-West is the Diocese of London’s Church for Europe and it has developed its special role of promoting good relations with Churches outside the Anglican Communion. St Dunstan’s is the spiritual home of the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Romanian community in London, and the side chapels in the church reflect a multitude of traditions: there is an altar dedicated to the Roman Catholic Church of the Old Hierarchy of Utrecht and the Old Catholic Church in Communion with the See of Utrecht; a shrine of the Assyrian Church of the East; the Altar of the Oriental Churches (Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Syrian, Syro-Indian); and a shrine of the Lutheran and Reformed Churches.
St Dunstan’s is a centre of prayer for Christian Unity, and the annual service of Evensong for Christian Unity takes place during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity each year (18-25 January). See our social media feeds for details.
What is The Church for Europe?
The Church for Europe is a new initiative. Its goal is to ensure that public discourse about the future of Europe includes a spiritual dimension. The times in which we are living are pivotal ones for Europe as a whole. Discussion continue about Britain’s membership of the European Union and monetary union, its potential benefits and dangers, and about Europe’s responsibilities within the wider world. These are crucial matters, yet all too often they are addressed solely in terms of political and economic concerns. Spiritual considerations, which remain so central to many people’s lives, only rarely feature in public debate. By bringing the extra dimension of faith to these discussions, the Church for Europe seeks to improve the debate while monitoring and inputting into developments and policy changes.
The Church for Europe …
• is non-political and non-partisan • does not take a corporate view on policy issues – rather, we seek to make sure that discussion on such issues takes account not only of material concerns, but of spiritual ones as well • accepts that while faith sometimes reinforces cultural and national divisions, it also has a vital role to play in bridging and healing divisions • realises that Europe means far more than simply the European Union, and in particular welcomes involvement with the Eastern Orthodox traditions • seeks to promote genuine, lively debate informed by mutual respect and a search for common ground • will work to develop the role of faith in helping to identify the goals that we share for the future of Europe We would be keen to hear from you if you have an interest in these issues.