The Anglican Church of

St. Thomas, Kefalas.

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We are the only Anglican church on Crete. However, all Christian denominations are welcome at our services. We are situated within the Apokoronas area of Crete, east of Chania, in the picturesque rural village of Kefalas.

 

We hope that this website will guide you around the Parish - our worship, events and organisations and contact points for any further information.

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"Are you my Mother?" 

​​Good Saturday morning!

Tomorrow is the Fourth Sunday of Lent, which is also Mothering Sunday.

 

Back when hundreds of thousands in Britain were "in service" in upper and middle-class homes, this would have been the time when their employers gave them the weekend off, and many of the servants would take advantage of this and visit their parents, and perhaps attend church in the village or town where they were baptised and grew up.

 

Thus, they visited with their biological or adoptive mothers, and also their "mother church". While most of us have never functioned as servants in fine homes (except maybe for some privileged cats and dogs), we continue the traditions of Mothering Sunday at home and in church.

 

As a child growing up in Canada I learned to read partly by using the Dr Suess Beginner Books, and one of my favourites was "Are You My Mother?" by P. D. Eastman. It tells the story of a newly-hatched bird who falls out of its nest and successively asks a hen, a cow, a dog, and other creatures, "Are you my mother?".

 

The last of these is a steam shovel, who makes such a loud noise that the hatchling exclaims, "You're not my mother, you're a snort!", a phrase which Frances and I find occasion to use on more occasions than you might imagine. Anyways, the steam shovel lifts the bird and gently deposits it in its nest, where it is reunited with its mother.

 

The story affirms our need for connection, especially when young, and the joy that can come from that. Of course, as any parent can tell, parenthood can be a fraught thing, butt we still have that ideal.

 

Tomorrow we will consider this as it is manifested in our human and divine relations.

 

Below are the readings for Sunday. You can get the full text by clicking on the links, and if you click on "The Psalm and the Hymns" you can download a PDF of the lyrics and psalm texts for that day.

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​30 March
Daylight Saving Time begins

Fourth Sunday of Lent:
Mothering Sunday

The Psalm and the  Hymns
Exodus 2:1-10
Psalm 34:11-20
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
 

Please join us at 11:00 am EET, either in-person or via Zoom. To get into the Zoom room click here, or, if you prefer, you can type or copy https://zoom.us/j/91269383194 into your browser, or, sign in to your Zoom account and use the Meeting ID: 912 6938 3194; there is no passcode, just a waiting room as a security feature.

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Sunday in the middle of the night is is the day when the clocks change. For many of us this happens automatically on our phones and computers, but your old fashioned mechanical clock or automobile clock probably doesn't. so do not forget to change them! 


As well, being the end of the month, this is what the Chaplaincy Council is calling "Extra-Giving Sunday", so if you have an extra tenner to give to the church, we would appreciate it; we thank you for your sacrificial giving for the work of the church.

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As always, I pray that you and your loved ones have a blessèd week

 

​​​​​Bruce+

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Announcements

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​THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF ST. THOMAS, KEFALAS IS HOLDING A

SPRING COFFEE MORNING

AT ST. THOMAS CHURCH, KEFALAS

ON

SATURDAY 05 APRIL 2025

11AM – 1PM

ADMISSION 5 EUROS INC

COFFEE/TEA & CAKE

 

GIFT & BOTTLE TOMBOLA  ++   HOMEMADE CAKE STALL         

SALE OF QUALITY SECOND-HAND HOUSEHOLD WARES

INDIVIDUAL CONTEMPORARY HAND-MADE JEWELLERY

HOMEMADE SAVOURIES  TABLE

PLANT STALL ++++  WOODCRAFTS

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Annual Meeting of Parishioners
 

The annual meeting of the Chaplaincy of the Anglican Church of St Thomas, Kefalas, Crete, will be held after divine worship on

Sunday April 6, 2025, next Sunday.

 

Twelve copies of the Convening Package with the agenda, minutes from 2024, and various reports will be available in print tomorrow.

 

You can also download a PDF of the package by clicking here.

 

Nominations for church positions are now open.

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Celebrating Nicaea Lent Course
in our online Wednesday Night Small Group

This year is the 1700th anniversary of the the Council of Nicaea (in what is now Iznik in Tukey). Our online Small Group will continue our Lenten study of the Nicene Creed using materials prepared in the Diocese in Europe. We meet for discussion and prayer at  https://zoom.us/j/95398454424 (Zoom Meeting ID: 953 9845 4424); no passcode is needed, we just use a waiting room as a security feature.
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Charities Distribution

We have decided on how we will do our Charity Distribution. Each year we take 5-10% of our general income and give it to three charities. In the Spring we choose the three charities to support, and at the end of the year the treasurer calculates what the distribution should be. It is then given out early in the new year.

At the Annual Meeting each person in attendance will be given three ballots, and the person will write the name of one of the charities of each slip. As this is not a matter regulated by canon or measure, persons not in attendance or who are not on the electoral roll are welcome to participate as well, perhaps by submitting the names of the charities in advance to Bruce.

It was noted that at a time when some nations are cutting back on International Aid it is important for us to expand our charitable support beyond our usual recipients. Below is a list of some of the charities we will be considering:

• AGIA SOFIA & BONTHEIA STO SPITI  - Help in the home for elderly and disabled people

• ELEPAP  - The Hellenic Society for Disabled Children

• GREEK ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION DAY CARE CENTRE , CHANIA – only centre in Crete ( and Greece)

• HORIZON (ORIZONTAS) – Help for children and young people with Cancer but will consider people of all ages

• KIFAAMEA  Day Care Centre for Children from 3yrs and Adults up to 34yrs with Special Needs

• MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERS (Doctors without Borders) - humanitarian organisation that provides medical care in conflict zones and in countries affected by endemic diseases.

• SPLANTZIAS FOOD KITCHEN – Volunteers provide daily cooked meals for up to 500+ people of all races and creeds. Based in Chania.

• TEARFUND - an international Christian relief and development fund based in the UK.

• TOUCHING THE TONGA – A medical and missionary centre providing care for the Tonga tribe in Zimbabwe

• VAMOS HEALTH CENTRE - Provides 24hour medical cover.

• WATERAID - International Non-Governmental Organisation focused on clean water and sanitation. 

For your information, we supported these charities in the past few years:
2021  -  Touching the Tonga, Splantzias, Anamnisi
2022  -  Greek Alzheimer’s Society, Kifaamea and Touching the Tonga.
2023  -  ELEPAP, Splantzias, Touching the Tonga

2024 -  ELEPAP, Splantzias, Touching the Tonga

We have also supported the Hellenic Red Cross for disaster relief in the fires in Evia and the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. We are not restricted to just the organisations listed above, and you may well know of some not listed that are worthy candidates.

 

Please contact Bruce at bbryantscott@gmail.com to let him know if you know of any others.

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2025 Bishop’s Lent Appeal:
Diocese in Europe & USPG collaborative work with refugees across Europe

Bishop Robert Innes invites us to support our work with refugees across Europe.

 

During the rest of Lent we will have a basket at the back of the church for this, and there are other ways to make donations (if interested in these other ways, please speak to Mary Hurley, our treasurer). More information about how the funds raised will be used can be found at https://www.europe.anglican.org/news/latest-news/bishops-lent-appeal-2025.

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Holy Week Services 2025

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• 13 April 11:00 am - Palm Sunday - we celebrate the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem with a Palm Sunday procession, followed by the reading of the Passion according to Luke.

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• 17 April 6:00 PM - Maundy Thursday Supper - A simple meal in the Tabernacle in which we recall Jesus's actions at the Last Supper: the giving of a new commandment (mandatum novum), his washing of the feet of the disciples, and his institution of the Lord's Supper.

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• 18 April 11:00 am - Good Friday Liturgy - The Reading of the Passion According to John, followed by Solemn Intercessions and the Veneration of the Cross.

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• 20 April 6:40 am - Sunrise Easter Service on the road by the Ag. Elias Cemetery

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• 20 April 11:00 am - Easter: The Resurrection of Jesus - Our main celebration with Holy Communion and the Cross ofFlowers

 

 

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  ​​Safeguarding

in

the Anglican Church of St Thomas, Kefalas, Crete

If you see something that you think may be a safeguarding issue, you should speak to the
Chaplaincy Safeguarding Officer here on Crete or the Diocesan Safeguarding Team:

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Chaplaincy Safeguarding Officer:
Jan Lovell +30 69791 64716 jand.lovell@yahoo.com

and/or

Diocesan Safeguarding Team:

 For urgent enquiries during operational hours (9 am to 5 pm UK time, Monday to
Friday), please call: +44 (0)207 898 1159
For non-urgent enquiries contact: +44 (0) 7464 544715
For urgent enquiries outside operational hours call our
partners  Thirtyone:eight  on +44 (0) 303 003 1111. 
Email: europe.safeguarding@churchofengland.org
https://www.europe.anglican.org/resources/safeguarding-diocese-europe

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