Dear People & Friends of St. Clement’s,
I am now safely back from my one week visit to the UK. However, my return journey was not without a little excitement as my plane was hit by lightning about ten minutes before landing in Prague, very late on Monday night. There was an almighty bang, but fortunately no other damage. However, I have to say that it something I hope I will never experience again!
Thank you to everybody who ‘held the fort’ last Sunday, especially Jack Noonan. I’m very much looking forward to being back with you all at St. Clement’s on this coming Sunday.
Sunday 14th June at 11.00 – Sung Eucharist for the Second Sunday after Trinity
Our Old Testament reading is a short passage from the prophesy of Ezekiel – Ezekiel 17. 22-24. This ties in with the Gospel reading from Mark 4. 26-34, both of which speak of great things starting from small beginnings. In between we shall hear part of St. Paul’s most impassioned letter – 2 Corinthians 5. 6-17, the passage ending with this declaration; ‘So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new’. There will be parallel Children’s Ministry and following worship, Cool Drinks & Light Refreshments served at the back of the Church.
Tuesday 16th June – 18.30-20.00 in the small meeting room on the first floor of Klimentská 18.
I plan to lead a study, looking at Psalm 33, the study I prepared for last Tuesday when sadly, I only had one customer. May I remind all those who previously assured me that you wanted to keep meeting through June, to come! As usual, the last 15-20 minutes will be spent saying Evening Prayer together. If the outside door of Klimentská 18 is locked, please press the bell marked Kancelář & you’ll be buzzed in!
From Monday 15th – Friday 19th June, the annual International Bishops Conference (IBK) of the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht is taking place in Prague. Over a 24 hour period between 14.00 on Friday 19th – 14.00 on Saturday 20th, following on directly after the IBK, there is the annual meeting between the OC Bishops and the Anglican Bishops working in continental Europe. This means that both our Anglican Diocesan Bishop +Robert Innes, and our Suffragan Bishop +David Hamid, will be in Prague for just over 24 hours. I for my sins, have the wonderful job of being the minute taker for that meeting! But as part of that meeting, there will be a Eucharist, open to everybody.
Friday 19th June at 17.00 – Eucharist in the Old Catholic Cathedral of Sv Vavřince on Petřín Hill.
The celebrant will be Archbishop Joris Vercammen of Utrecht and the preacher will be Bishop Robert. As I know Bishop Robert doesn’t speak Czech ;-) , and I’m unsure how good he is in German, (the lingua franca of the IBK), I am sure he will preach in English & I suspect that part of the liturgy will also be in English. Do take full advantage of this opportunity to hear our Diocesan Bishop if you possibly can. I did ask +Robert if he could stay on & be with us on Sunday 21st June, but unfortunately, he is booked to travel by train to Berlin for a confirmation service there.
Saturday 20th June 12.00 – 18.00
A Mini-Pilgrimage through the lush Sazava valley to the Abbey of St. Prokop; the 11th century scholar, priest, hermit, Benedictine monk and founding abbot of Sazava, who with St. Vitus and St. Wenceslas is one of the patron Saints of Czech. We’ll travel together by train from Prague to the little riverside hamlet of Rataje nad Sazavou, have some lunch there, and a look at the Zamek, then take the 10km picturesque trail overlooking the river to Sazava and an intriguing led tour around the site of the monastery. Refreshments and a final natter in one of the charming Hospody; and off back to Prague on the train again. Full details will be available from Gordon gordontruefitt(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk or 606 190 604.
Looking further ahead……..
Sunday 21st June at 11.00 We will be joined for our Sung Eucharist by the Choir of All Saints Episcopal Church, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Sunday 28th June at 11.00 It being the nearest Sunday to the twenty-fifth anniversary of my ordination as priest, during our Sung Eucharist, I will publicly renew my ordination vows with Jack Noonan and Rev’d Dr Karen Moritz again asking me the questions which were originally put to me by Rt Rev’d John Taylor on 1st July 1990. Following worship, there will be a picnic in the park. More details in next week’s ‘Weekly Message’.
Sunday 5th July at 11.00 Our Sung Eucharist will celebrate St Cyril & St Methodius, Apostles to the Slavs, whose saint’s day it is, together with marking the 600th anniversary of the martyrdom of Jan Hus, which is the following day.
And finally……
I’ve had an enquiry as to whether I know of anybody who could usefully use some girl’s clothes for the age cca 2-5 years old. If you could, or know someone who could, please get in touch with me.
Best wishes
Ricky
