Prayer diary
This diary has been compiled to help us pray together for one another and our common concerns.
It is available on the diocesan website below, via PrayerMate and on the diocesan social media accounts @DioceseinEurope.
Each chaplaincy, with the communities it serves, is remembered in prayer once a quarter, following this weekly pattern:
• Eastern Archdeaconry: Monday, Saturday
• Archdeaconry of France: Tuesday, Saturday
• Archdeaconry of Gibraltar: Wednesday, Saturday
• Italy & Malta Archdeaconry: Friday
• Archdeaconry of North West Europe: Thursday
• Swiss Archdeaconry: Friday
• Archdeaconry of Germany and Northern Europe
• Nordic and Baltic Deanery: Monday
• Germany: Saturday
On Sundays, we pray for subjects which affect us all (e.g. reconciliation on Remembrance Sunday), or which have local applications for most of us (e.g. the local cathedral(s)). This will include Diocesan Staff, Churches in Communion and Ecumenical Partners. Sunday Intercessions should, by tradition, include prayer for Bishop Robert and the local Head of State by name. In addition, prayers may also include the heads of other states, His Majesty King Charles III and the leaders of other countries represented in the congregation.
March/April
March
Thursday 28
Amersfoort: Chaplain: Grant Crowe, Assistant Chaplain: David Phillips. Pray for God's direction as we develop our children and teenage work which takes place during the week; for the provision of volunteers to run and teach. We have moved into our new church home - a permanent church building. Prayer as we settle as a community into our new home. Help for us to connect with our local community. We thank God for his provision of this new place. And prayers for Ascension Church, Hilversum, a new church plant. For people to discover it and for growth in numbers and depth.
Utrecht: (Also serves Groningen, Zwolle) Chaplain: Ruan Crew Assistant Chaplain (Groningen): Sam Van Leer. As we walk through the final days of Holy Week, pray that many will enter our doors and hear the life-changing message of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
Friday 29
Zurich: (Also serves Turgi, Zug, St Gallen) Chaplain: Jacqueline Sellin. Pray for the reinvigoration of our work with children, youth and families, after the detrimental impact of Covid. Pray for the increasing ministry of our choir and music director. Pray for our worshipping community in seeking God's guidance during interregnum.
Swiss seasonal chaplaincies: Interlaken, Kandersteg, Mürren, St Moritz, Wengen, Zermatt. Pray for our seasonal chaplains
Saturday 30
Istanbul Christ Church: Chaplain: Ian Sherwood. Pray for Canon Ian Sherwood, the congregation, Church Council and Church Wardens. Pray for the Chaplaincy ministry to refugees and to the British Consulate.
Izmir: (Also serves Bornova, Didim, Mission to Seafarers Izmir) Chaplain: James Buxton. Pray for Fr James Buxton, Chaplain and Area Dean of Turkey, for the Church Wardens Alan and Jonell, for the Church Council and the congregation. We pray for our ministry to visitors who love the peace and simplicity of our church and often leave with a copy of the gospels. We ask God’s blessing as we re-start a weekly weekday service at St Mary Magdalene, Bornova, Izmir after a period of restoration works. We pray for the congregation of St Mary’s, Didim, 100 miles south of Izmir on the Aegean coast.
Sunday 31
Pray for Bishop Robert as he leads the diocese.
Pray for the Bishop's Office in Brussels, Alan Strange (Bishop's Chaplain), Gail Wilmet (Bishop’s PA), Barbara Omoro (Appointments Secretary) and Caroline Gaumy (Administrative Assistant).
April
Monday 1
Archdeaconry of Germany and Northern Europe: Archdeacon: Leslie Nathaniel.
Eastern Archdeaconry: Archdeacon: Leslie Nathaniel.
Christ Church Vienna: (Also serves Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Bratislava), Chaplain: Patrick Curran, Asst Chaplain, Robert Kinney. We ask for prayers for our upcoming Pilgrimage to Italy, In the footsteps of St Paul from Puetoli to Rome, April 13-20, for a number of Jazz services and concerts during May and June as a means of outreach and a way of enriching our worship, a series of talks on democracy and differing electoral systems and The Street Party, especially for the coordinator, the volunteers and the visitors on June 22
City Kirche Vienna: Chaplain: Christian Hofreiter. Pray for the Chaplaincy, our people and those who serve us. Grant ua a sense of hope; where there are challenges, give us a sense of vision and courage and bind us together in love
Tuesday 2
Aquitaine: (Includes Bertric Burée, Bordeaux, Condom, Doudrac, Dondas, Eymet, Limeuil, Monteton, Chancelade, Ste Nathalene, Negrondes) Chaplain: Tony Lomas, Readers Sheila Marshall, Anne Penfold, Nellie Salvi, Patrick Sturges, Roger Verrall. Pray for Tony in his role as Area Dean. Pray for the for the chaplaincy, the people and those who serve it. Grant them a sense of hope where there are challenges give a sense of vision and courage ,bind them together in love and let them know laughter and moments of joy.
Wednesday 3
Archdeaconry of Gibraltar: Archdeacon: David Waller.
Holy Trinity Cathedral, Gibraltar: (Also serves Gibraltar (Port)) Dean: Ian Tarrant. Port Chaplains: Chris Rushton, Hugh Ellis, Readers: Pam Baker & Sally Barton. Please pray for a parent and toddler group we hope to set up this term - pray that all who could benefit get to hear about it and come.
Thursday 4
Archdeaconry of North-West Europe: Archdeacon Sam Van Leer.
Antwerp: Assistant: June Mark Yañez, Reader: Egbert van Groesen. We pray for the congregation at St Boniface Antwerp during their interregnum. We give thanks for June Janez, assistant priest and MTS chaplain and the locum priests for ensuring Eucharistic worship continues at this time. Please pray too for the ongoing appointments process.
Antwerp Mission to Seafarers: Port Chaplain: June Mark Yanez. Pray for June Yañez and his ministry in the parish and with MtS in the port of Antwerpen
Friday 5
Archdeaconry of Italy and Malta: Archdeacon: David Waller.
Assisi: We want to thank God for our Churchwarden as together we seek the way ahead for the small but enthusiastic congregation at St Leonard’s and the important work it does in welcoming English-speaking pilgrims to Assisi. We pray for the discussions with Archdeacon David and our SSF brothers – for clarity and God’s guidance re the future; asking for a sense of His leading and a deepening in our life of prayer together.
Bordighera: We pray for a resolution to the tasks of maintenance and management of the cemetery there.
Saturday 6
Berlin: (also serves Dresden) Chaplain: Christopher Jage-Bowler, Assistants: Joachim Reich, Gottlieb George. Pray for us as we seek to put on pew cushion church heating, and move away from gas. Alsp pray for our peace and interfaith initiative, for our various fellowship, reflection and study groups and social outreach, and welcome to visitors especially at our evening services.
Dresden: Ricky Yates (PTO). Lord God, you sent your Son to save the world, and your Spirit to guide the church; we pray for this chaplaincy and their own sense of being sent into their world. We pray for their homes and streets, their places of work and leisure, and ask that each might shine as a light set upon a hill, for the glory of Jesus Christ.
Bonn with Cologne: Chaplain: Richard Gardiner, Reader: Jenny Knudsen. Speaking God, you have told us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. We thank you for those in our own chaplaincy who have shown this fruit in their lives, and we pray that all those marked in baptism may show forth the same fruit in their generation.
Sunday 7
Give thanks for our relationship with the Lutheran Churches of the Porvoo Agreement. Pray for the Porvoo Contact Group and the Lutheran Church in Great Britain. Pray for our partnership with USPG.
Monday 8
Prague: (Includes Brno) Chaplain: Nathanial Nathanial Pray for Lea Williams leading the work in Brno. Please pray that we will have a meaningful and productive time together at our annual church meeting, which is set for Sunday, April 28. We offer our gratitude to God for His unwavering faithfulness throughout the Prague Chaplaincy's existence. We kindly ask that you pray for God's direction, discernment, and future vision. Please pray for the safety and well-being of our holidaying congregation members in Prague and Brno. Also pray for Lea and his family so they can have some downtime during the summer months in Brno
Tuesday 9
Archdeaconry of France: Archdeacon: Peter Hooper. Pray for the work to have the Church of England officially recognised at a national level in France
Beaulieu-sur-Mer: Chaplain: Anthony Ingham. We ask for prayers for our chaplain and for all those who will support our congregation during this time.
Biarritz: Pray for the continuing reflections as to how the Chaplaincy can be best supported by a priestly presence
Wednesday 10
Casablanca: (includes Rabat) Chaplin: Titus Oluwalusi Please pray for our new Chaplain, his wife Patience, and their three children. Please continue to pray for Morocco as it recovers from the major earthquake that struck last September. Pray for the many bereaved and injured, as well as for the rebuilding operations. Pray for the churches in Morocco, of all denominations, as they also try to assist the most vulnerable.
Please continue to pray for the advancement of Rabat chaplaincy towards official status, with our very own chaplain, and for a faithful congregation to support his development. We also pray for someone to come forward to initiate a children's ministry.
Tangier: Please pray for St Andrew’s Tangier as we live through a vacancy and for all those working to appoint a new chaplain.
Thursday 11
Brugge, Knokke, Ostend: Chaplain: Augustine Nwaekwe. Please join us in praying for our new ministries commissioned at the beginning of 2024: Hospitality Ministry & Prayer Ministry. We pray for Ilia's upcoming baptism in Bruges, and we praise God for those baptised over this past quarter. We also pray for 7 of our congregants confirmed by the Bishop on 23 March in Brussels, especially as they make a public and mature declaration of faith. We also pray for the success of our online and social media presence in reaching out to our community. May God continue to let our churches welcome newcomers and all those seeking Christ in this area.
Friday 12
Florence: (Also serves Bologna) Chaplain: Chris Williams. In Florence we often have more visitors in our services than regulars and our challenge is to make sure we are meeting the needs of this demographic well, and how we can better do so. We are also opening our doors through the week so we pray for more helpers so we can be open longer. Also, we give thanks for the long-awaited arrival of our ‘new’ organ – actually, 125 years old! Give thanks for the Franciscans who give us free access to their church in Bologna. Our challenge is to see how we can grow and be more outward-looking.
Genova: Chaplain: Tony Dickinson. We pray for official approval for our new church constitution: the first revision since 1899, for swift progress towards the appointment of a resident chaplain in succession to Tony Dickinson, who retires at the end of April and for the locum chaplains who will be filling the gap meanwhile.
Saturday 13
Brittany: (Includes: Huelgoat, Ploërmel, Rostrenen) Readers: Alan Mason, Guy Barnard.
Pray the new Church Wardens and Church Council that they may always be seeking the Lord’s guidance and that all members of the four congregations may be united in their efforts to prayerfully and practically support the work of the church.
Cannes: Readers: David Sinclair, Christopher Walley. We are truly grateful for the locums who have served us so well during our vacancy.. Please pray that our plans to redecorate and improve the chaplain's accommodation will be guided and blessed by God. We pray for our new chaplain Andrew Brewerton and his wife Amanda and pray that visas are offered swiftly.
Sunday 14
Pray for the Lusitanian Church, Bishop Jorge Pina Cabral. Pray for the Church of Denmark and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Estonia.
Diocesan Office in London: Pray for the Operations and Finance departments: Diocesan Secretary (COO): Andrew Caspari; Office Manager: Bron Panter; Finance: Susan Stelfox, Nick Wraight; Board of Finance Chair: Mike Fegan. Pray for the financial needs of the Diocese (and give thanks for God’s provision).
Monday 15
Copehagen: (Also serves Aarhus) Readers: Graeme Lloyd-Roberts, Julian Simpson. Christ bursts into our lives breathing peace. We rejoice in the life burst of resurrection at a time when many fear change and would rather weep or run away. Please pray for the Ministry Team and Council as we strive for renewal and growth in faith and number and see the green blade rising in our midst. We pray for our new chaplain Tuomas Mäkipää who will be starting in June.
Tallinn: Chaplain: Gustav Piir. Lord Jesus, child of an earthly home, we pray for our chaplaincy our children and all who care for them. May they know you as their holy Lord, calling out fresh forms of service; and may they know you as a precious Saviour, sheltering in safety all who come to you.
Tuesday 16
Chantilly: Pray for our locum Jan Jensen ministering to us during the month of April and for our nominated new chaplain as he prepares to come to Chantilly, and that he has a strong finish to his existing ministry.
Dinard: Pray for the work to rationalise the current complicated legal structures and for healing across the community.
Wednesday 17
Barcelona: (Also serves Andorra) Chaplain: John Chapman, Assistant: Deborah Chapman. We praise God for the team we have for St George’s Barcelona and Andorra. We are blessed by Reija who is a Finnish Lutheran priest and is part of our team having Permision to Officiate in our Diocese. Pray for Reija as she serves in the midst of a busy family lifestyle.
Thursday 18
Brussels: Associate Chaplains: John Wilkinson, Jack McDonald; Asst Chaplains: Jean-Bosco Turahirwa, Annie Bolger; Readers: Ozichi Baron, Arttu Makipaa, David Mitchell, Heather Roy, Eric Sibomana, Grace West, Jacob Quick. We pray to You God to help us find a new Senior Chaplain. Help us to trust You to send the right person to us and we give our tomorrows to you.
Friday 19
Malta and Gozo: (Includes: Valletta, also serves: Gozo) Chancellor of the Pro-Cathedral: David Wright, Assistant: Francois Mifsud, Reader: Michael Collins.
Sliema: Chaplain: Clem Upton. Pray for the chaplaincy, the people and those who serve it. Grant them a sense of hope where there are challenges give a sense of vision and courage, bind them together in love and let them know laughter and moments of joy.
Saturday 20
Algarve: (Includes: Praia Da Luz, Boliqueime and St Luke's) Chaplains: Rob Kean, Reader: Chris Wells. Praythat the right applicant may be moved to respond to our advertisement for a chaplain to serve our central and east congregations and guide our decision-makers in the selection process. For the western Algarve congregation pray that our plans to start a children’s church come to fruition.
Lisbon: (Includes: St Paul Estoril, St George Lisbon) Chaplain: Beth Bendrey. Assistant Iain Bendrey. Please pray as we welcome our new curate arriving in late June - Daleen Bakker -and for growth in our work among children, families and young adults
Sunday 21
Pray for the Spanish Episcopal Reformed Church, Bishop Carlos López-Lozano. Pray for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
Diocesan Office in London: Pray for the Safeguarding team: Grace Fagan, Andy Munrow, Bridgett Fenton, Craig Norman and Nicholas Sherratt, pray for our care for children and vulnerable adults in all our chaplaincies.
Monday 22
Helsinki: (Also serves Tallinn, Tampere, Turku, Kuopio, White Nile) Chaplain: Tuomas Mäkipää, Assistant: Amos Manga, Mika Pajunen. Reader: Keith Battarbee. Please pray for our congregation and for all who walk through our doors, that they may know the limitless love of God. In particular we pray for those who come to us in need, that they will find support and strength in our community and prayers. We give thanks for our growing music ministry, the outreach of our All-Age Services, for the children and our Sunday School leaders, and for our church council. We continue to pray for peace in the Baltic region and for the thousands of refugees who have been adapting to a different life in Finland. Please pray for our work in support of the Vallila Help Center for Ukrainian Refugees and for all their employees and volunteers, many of whom are refugees themselves. We kindly ask you to pray for our continued mission, and co-operation with different churches, The Porvoo Communion and for our participation with the Ecumenical Council of Finland on tackling racism in Finland.
Tuesday 23
Fontainebleau: Chaplain: Donald MacFadyen. Please pray for St Luke’s and for our new chaplain. We pray too for our youth group and unity in our church to move forward together in harmony.
Grenoble: Chaplain: Nick Finlay. Pray for Funmi and her team who have relaunched Sunday School, which is already growing. We especially pray that parents who bring the children will be more consistent in their attendance, so that the children will not miss out on Sunday School teaching. Also pray for Ernest and his team as they launch our new Youth Fellowship. We also pray for wisdom and creativity as we begin seeking additional funding for this growing ‘missionary congregation’, to enable us to recruit a stipendiary chaplain in the coming year.
Wednesday 24
Costa Almeria and Costa Calida: (serves Mojácar, Llanos and Aljambra) Assistant: Alan Bennett, We are currently in an interregnum and would like prayers for a successful appointment for a priest in charge and that we will support and welcome them. We also pray for unity within our church community.
Costa Azahar: Although the chaplaincy has closed we pray for the ongoing Prayer Group
Thursday 25
Ghent: Also serves Ghent (Port)) Asst Chaplain: Oluwakayode Adeyemi Sopeju, Readers in Training: Lizzie Brawley and Colin de Pelsmaker, PTO Jo Jan. Please pray for the family of St John's as we work through a time of vacancy, and we ask for God’s guidance and wisdom in appointing our new chaplain.
Belgium and Luxembourg Deanery: Area Dean: Stephen Murray
Friday 26
Milan: (Also serves Cadenabbia (Lake Como)) Asst Curate: Robert Morley, Locum (Lake Como): Roger Williams,. Pray for our congregation during this time of vacancy, for Churchwardens': Daniella Engel and Lee Kirk Smith with their added responsibilities, for our locum chaplains in this period. We also pray for The Ascension, Lake Como and for Robert Morley in his role as seasonal chaplain, for churchwarden Simon Graemer and for the many couples coming to celebrate blessings of their marriage.
Saturday 27
Düsseldorf: (Also serves Essen) Chaplain: Stephen Walton. Please give thanks for the recent growth of the congregation, and pray that it will continue. Pray that new Christians will be grounded in God’s word and prayer. Pray for more people to take on leadership and responsibility in the congregation.
Freiburg-im-Breisgau: Chaplain: Vinod Victor. We are launching a new initiative " Being the Fragrance of Christ in Freiburg", to intentionally reach out to people in the peripheries and the migrant communities. Pray that we get ownership of the initiative from the congregation and that it would be a blessing to many.
Sunday 28
Pray for The Episcopal Church in Europe (TEC), Bishop Mark Edington.
Pray for our partnership with ICS, the Intercontinental Church Society.
Monday 29
Corfu: Chaplain: Jules Wilson, Reader: Jackie Dallos. Thankfully Cafe Logos space is now being used for a variety of activities and new people are coming .Pray for all those helping in the daily running to be strengthened and empowered by the Spirit .May we make the most of every opportunity to share Jesus in Truth and Love We pray for our event in June when Bishop Robert will be here to make the official Opening. Pray for our Fellowship outing to Maria in Albania and for a baptism in the sea here in Corfu .
Tuesday 30
La Manche: (Includes Gratot Hommëel, Virey) Chaplain: Retired priest Chris Probert Readers: Donna Derrick, Mary Jackson, Adrian Grange. Please pray for our Chaplaincy as we enter our ninth year in a vacancy. Especially we pray for our guiding Priest Chris Probert as he takes a three month sabbatical to recover his health and strength after a series of health problems. Pray for our Leadership team as they continue to work steadfastly to ensure our church continues to do the Lord’s work.
Le Gard: Please pray for the successful conclusion of our efforts, led by Archdeacon Peter and together with St Michael's in the Gard and St George's, Vernet-les-Bains, to recruit a chaplain to serve our three communities jointly after the retirement of Roger Smith. We also pray for the new chaplain and his work among us in the future.
Lille: (serves Arras) Chaplain: Debbie Flach, Reader: Suzanne Bray. Please keep our AGM and newly elected PCC council members in prayer. Grant them divine guidance and wisdom as they embark on this church council year. May their decisions be guided by truth, bringing glory to your name.