ST BARTHOLOMEW’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, ST BARTH, F.W.I.
The Anchor MARCH 2015 Welcome to the March 2015 edition of The Anchor, which we hope will help keep you firmly anchored to St Bartholomew’s Anglican Church . This edition contains details of Holy Week and Easter, as well as some wise words for Lent. In addition, we have an article about our Patron Saint - Saint Bartholomew, as not everybody will be familiar with his story. Please let us know if there is anything you would like to see in our monthly bulletin. We always like to hear feedback from our readers and friends.
Letter from the Vicar
Dear Friends, As I write this letter, we are in the season of Lent. I always find that this is a wonderful time for reflection and getting in touch with where we are in our spiritual journey. If we can find time to do that during this period, then Holy Week can be an extraordinarily powerful time. You will find details of all our services for Holy Week, which of course starts on Palm Sunday, followed by short meditative services each evening, our normal “one hour in front of the cross” on Good Friday, and then the great celebrations of Easter Sunday and I can promise everyone a wonderful celebration! Our 1855 Appeal is progressing Sundays at 9am well. Thank you so much to all of A contemporary service, you who have already made a filled with music and prayer donation or a pledge. We are more than half way there (including our matched donations) but please, if you’ve not already done Tuesdays at 7pm so, consider helping us to reach Meditative chants in a our goal. It is such an important candlelit & peaceful setting objective – making it possible to restore the Church and the Vicarage to their former glories. It is wonderful to have the Revd Dr Wednesdays at 10am A lively discussion group - John & Mackie Rice on the island again. As usual, we will much newcomers welcome enjoy having them with us. With love and blessings Charlie
Thursdays at 7pm A bilingual group that has silent reflection at its core
Fridays at 8.30am A prayerful service to start the morning
PARISH OFFICE: Our Parish Office is open 9am to 12 noon on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. If you would like to receive The Anchor when you are not onisland, please send us an email. Editor: Philip Trangmar info.stbartholomews@gmail.com Tel: 0690 54 17 99
Sunday 29 March at 9am Our service marks Christ's arrival into Jerusalem Monday 30 March at 6.30pm A peaceful time for reflection and meditation during Holy Week
Tuesday 31 March at 7pm A candlelit setting for Holy Week, with chants and prayers Wednesday 1 April at 6.30pm Further time for reflection and meditation for Holy Week
Thursday 2 April at 6.30pm An informal ‘Last Supper’ Eucharist, held in the Church Centre Friday 3 April at 11am Our Holy Friday service in front of the Cross
Sunday 5 April at 9am Our Service of Easter Celebration followed by drinks and canapés, with an ‘Egg Hunt’ in the Garden
Contents: Our Patron Saint - page 2 Clergy Corner - page 3 Keeping Updated - page 3 The 1855 Appeal - page 3 Do It Anyway! - page 4 Parish Notices - page 4
Saint Bartholomew - our Patron Saint
Saint Bartholomew (or Saint Barthélemy in French) is the patron saint of our Church, as well as that of the island. The island was given its name by Christopher Columbus in 1493 but not, as was commonly the case, based on the saints day when the island was first sighted, but instead he named the island after his brother Bartolomeo, albeit adding ‘Saint’ as a prefix. Saint Bartholomew was one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus and his feast day, as well as that of the Island, is celebrated on 24 August. The name Bartholomew comes from the Aramaic language bar Tôlmay meaning son of the furrows (or son of a ploughman). Saint Bartholomew was born at Cana in Galilee and is listed among the twelve apostles in three of the Gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke. Bartholomew appears as one of the witnesses of the Ascension; and each time he is named he is in the company of the Apostle Philip. Bartholomew is not mentioned by name in the Gospel of John, but he is thought to be the same person as Nathanael, as Nathanael is introduced in this Gospel also as a friend of Philip. (The use of two names for the same person in different Gospels is not uncommon e.g. Simon, known as Peter, and Thaddeus, known as Jude; and the two names may come from the fact that the ‘son of’ title could have been part of his family name, which was used as a sign of respect, especially for older individuals, while Nathaniel might have been his first name). Bartholomew is described as initially being sceptical about the Messiah coming from the town of Nazareth, saying: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (a saying we may have used ourselves Page 2
sometimes!), but nonetheless accepts Philip's invitation to listen to Jesus’ teachings – and is asked to follow Jesus. On meeting him, Jesus immediately sums him up with the words: "Here is a man in whom there is no deception." (If only we could say the same about ourselves!). He is written about at the end of John's Gospel as one of the Disciples to whom Jesus appeared at the Sea of Galilee after the Resurrection. After the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, Bartholomew and Philip where chosen by lot to preach the Gospel in Syria and Asia Minor. In their travels they wandered through various middle eastern countries . They spent their time preaching the word of God and baptizing, but equally they suffered; often having stones thrown at them and placed in prison when they first arrived in new towns. In Hierapolis in ancient Turkey, thinking that their power was hidden in the clothes of the Apostles, the Prefect gave orders to strip them and they were sentenced to death. The two Apostles were crucified upside down, when suddenly there was an earthquake, and part of the city disappeared into a hole in the ground. The people rushed to save the two Apostles, but while
Bartholomew was taken down alive, Philip had died. This event encouraged more conversions, and a blind man, whom they had cured, became the head of the Christian Church in Hierapolis. Saint Bartholomew then went further east, and translated copies of the Gospel of Matthew into local languages. He visited Armenia where he preached, baptised and healed, including the healing of the daughter of King Polymios from the demons afflicting her. In gratitude, the King sent gifts to the apostle, who refused to accept them, saying that he sought only the salvation of the souls of mankind. However, he also made enemies, including the King’s brother Astiagus, who gave orders to have Bartholomew crucified - but even from the cross he did not cease to proclaim the Gospel. Therefore, as his death on the cross was not quick enough for his torturers, on orders from Astiagus, they flayed his skin while he was still alive.
Bartholomew is a patron saint of the Armenian Church and a monastery, founded in the 4th century, was named after him on the supposed site of his tomb. Sadly, it was partially destroyed during the last century. Saint Bartholomew’s grisly martyrdom has been depicted by artists over the centuries, including in Michelangelo's Last Judgement, on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel, where he is pictured below and to the right of Christ and Mary, holding his own skin (see above). It is considered by some that the face on the skin may be a self portrait by Michelangelo. Saint Bartholomew is also depicted in a statute outside the Cathedral in Milan (see left). By honouring the Apostle Bartholomew, we continue to give thanks to the early church martyrs who faced challenges and hardships that we can only imagine.
Clergy Corner - The Revd Dr John Rice Father John Rice has been part of the visiting clergy rota at our Church for 15 years. So, while he is known to many, we hope this article may have one or two new facts for readers, including Father John’s penchant for large cigars!
Revd John was born in Philadelphia, but grew up and graduated from high school in Miami, Florida. He graduated from Southwestern at Memphis in 1963 with a Degree in International Studies, so he must have known early on that he would be travelling a lot in later life! Father John attended Presbyterian seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and completed his Master of Divinity degree at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Illinois in 1968. After he became a Priest in 1969, he continued his studying and earned his Doctorate at McCormack Seminary, Chicago in 1980. Father John married Mackie in 1964 – hence they have just celebrated their golden wedding anniversary! They have two sons and their younger son, John Henry, is also a frequent visitor to St Barth, along with their lovely granddaughter Elsa. Revd John began his ministry at the Church of the Ascension, Knoxville in 1968. He was then Vicar of the Church of the Holy Apostles, Memphis in 1971. From 1978 to 1987 he accepted a calling to be Rector of St. David’s Church, Nashville – so perhaps this is where he found his flair for dramatic sermons … inspired by those country and western songs! Father John then served as Rector of Trinity Church, Huntington, West Virginia; Chaplain to Marshall University; Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of Massachusetts in Boston; and then Rector of Trinity Church, Arlington from 1995 to 2000. After retiring Revd John and Mackie moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where they settled into an old farm house and they are now heavily involved in their community, especially with their local library.
However, Father John’s ‘retirement’ was never going to be that retiring! He not only spends time with us on St Barth, but each October he also goes to New York where he serves as Chaplain at the House of the Redeemer for a month. He has also led pilgrimages across Greece, as well as around holy sites and churches in Great Britain including many visits to North Wales, staying at the Gladstone Library (formerly St Deiniol's Library): a residential library dedicated to dialogue, debate and learning and Britain’s only library dedicated to one of its Prime Ministers. It was founded by the Victorian statesman himself and, following his death in 1898, became the national memorial to his life and work. Father John is so well known there he even has his own tankard behind the bar at the local pub - just like the regulars.
Father John still enjoys painting and fixing things; and while in the past we were used to seeing him on the tennis court, now (more sedate but no less competitive) he enjoys spending time on the boules court!
Keeping Updated! To make it easier to hear any sermons that you may miss (or those you wish to hear again), you can now find them on Apple’s iTunes .
You can ‘subscribe’ so that the latest sermon is downloaded automatically each week, or you can just choose the one you want to listen to. For those less technically minded, you can still listen to all the sermons by visiting our Website and following the link to ‘Sermon Podcasts'. And don’t forget we are on Facebook and we try to post one item a week to keep our Friends up-to-date with what is going on at our Church. If you are on Facebook - please do FOLLOW US!
The 1855 Appeal The amount being raised for the Church refurbishment and the Vicarage improvements is a total of €430,000 (or $500,000.) The Vestry has received pledges of up to $250,000 (i.e. 50%) to match ‘$ for $’ all money donated during the two-year Appeal period. So far we have raised or received pledges of $95,000 which, when matched, makes a total of $190,000 - which is a good way to our total, but we are not there yet!
We therefore would like to ask all members & friends to consider making a donation to The 1855 Appeal so we can reach our target and allow us to start the work on schedule. This can be made as a one-off donation or as a monthly, quarterly or annual sum over the two-year period of the Appeal. If you are based in the US, your donations are tax deductible, and you can donate by: ● sending a cheque to the Friends (details on page 4); ● gifting traded securities (with no tax payable on the capital gain); ● making a donation online via the Church website. If you are based on the island or elsewhere you can make a donation by: ● giving it directly to the Church via Father Charlie or contacting our Parish Administrator; or ● making a donation online via the Church website. We will acknowledge the names of the donors (if they wish) on a plaque to be placed on the wall inside the newly refurbished Church. Page 3
Do it Anyway! - Wise words for Lent A number of people asked to hear again the closing words/prayer delivered by the Very Revd Dr Alan Jones on his recent visit. At the end of our Eucharistic service he declared: People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered - Love them anyway If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives - Do good anyway If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies - Succeed anyway Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable - Be honest and frank anyway People really need help, but may attack you if you do help them - Help people anyway Give the world the best you have and you may be kicked in the teeth - Give the world your best anyway These words are to be found on a sign on the wall of the orphanage of Mother Teresa in Calcutta, and are originally based on a work by Kent M. Keith called The Paradoxical Commandments published in 1968. Dean Alan also read out the following words by Miller Williams at the beginning of his sermon*, which are well worth hearing again: Have compassion for everyone you meet, even if they don't want it. What seems conceit, bad manners, or cynicism is always a sign of things no ears have heard, no eyes have seen. You do not know what wars are going on down there where the spirit meets the bone. We thank Dean Alan for passing on these wise words to contemplate during Lent, and hope that he will come back and visit us some time soon. *Delivered on 22nd February 2015 - which you can listen to again by visiting our Website or searching in Podcasts on iTunes for ‘St Bartholomew's Anglican Church’.
Donations: We are an entirely selffunded church and dependent on your generosity and regular giving. Do please talk to Father Charlie or one of the Church’s leadership about how to most effectively support the Church. If you are a US citizen, giving through our US charitable foundation, The Friends of St Bartholomew’s Anglican Church, is tax deductible. You can now donate online by visiting our Website, which also contains more information about the Church and our US Non-profit 501(c)(3) Foundation. Photos: Thanks to Rick, Philip Trangmar and unknown (Clergy Corner) for the use of their photographs. All are copyrighted. Published by: L’Association d’Eglise Anglicane, Gustavia, ST Barth 97133
Parish Notices Church Association Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Sunday 22 March after the service, to discuss and approve the 2014 Accounts and the 2015 Budget, as well as appoint members of the Vestry. Only St Barth residents may vote, but all are welcome to attend. Bestseller Book Club The Group meets on Mondays at 6pm every two weeks during high season in the Church Centre to discuss a popular work of fiction. Forthcoming meetings: 9 March - The 100 Foot Journey 23 March - The Goldfinch SBH Prayer Chain St Bartholomew’s has a prayer chain to offer the support of prayer for those in need. If you think this may be helpful for you or someone you know, or you would like to join the chain, please send an email to this address: prayer.stbartholomews@gmail.com
AA Group Meetings Open Meetings in English are held every Tuesday and Friday at 6pm in the Romney Hughes Church Centre, to the left of the Anglican Church in Gustavia. Meetings are held in French every Wednesday at 12 noon, also in the Church Centre. For more information, you can call or text either 0690 54 17 99 or 0690 65 61 22
Bishop: The Rt Revd Errol Brooks, Bishop, NE Caribbean & Aruba Vicar: The Revd Charlie Vere Nicoll – 0590 27 13 06 Parish Administrator: Philip Trangmar – 0690 54 17 99 Church Wardens: Marjorie Romney, Trinette Wellesley-Wesley and Rachel Barrett-Trangmar Vestry: The Wardens, Clarion Romney, Dawn Drouant, Lloyd Younger, Nancy Swann, Dr Richard Lester and Philip Trangmar Treasurer: Alex Harbord Director of Music: Ombeline Collin Church Pianist: Michael Parisot Website: www.stbartholomewsanglicanchurch.com Email: info.stbartholomews@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/stbartschurch.stbarts The Friends of St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church US Non-profit 501(c)(3) Foundation Chairman: Bill Barrett Contact: c/o Ms Ann Green, P.O. Box 6199, Fair Haven, New Jersey 07704, United States. Tel: (from the US) 1-732-741-1500 Email: anncwgreen@aol.com Page 4