UK’s first state-funded Greek Orthodox secondary school opens; Interfaith art brings message of peace; Surprise wedding tops off christening celebrations
UK’s first state-funded Greek Orthodox secondary school opens
The end of the summer holidays marked a new start for the UK’s first state-funded Greek Orthodox secondary school. St Andrew the Apostle School was founded in Barnet under the Government’s free school initiative by a group of professionals from the local Greek community who wanted to promote the study of the Classics and modern and ancient languages.
The school is located on the North London Business Park and offers an education rooted in the Christian ethos and moral principles of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Headteacher Robert Ahearn addressed the founding Year 7 students at a special assembly today in which he encouraged them to never give up, citing the example of 64-year-old Diana Nyad, who just became the first person to swim from Cuba to the US on her fifth attempt.
He also thanked staff and parents for their enthusiastic support for the new school.
“It’s a big leap of faith to invest in a new school like this – but now the building project is nearing completion they can see the reality – and it’s very exciting,” he said.
The school, which will teach Greek and Latin, also welcomed a visit from Barnet Councillor Andreas Ioannides, who said: “I am very proud as a member of the London Greek Community to see how everyone has got involved with this school – and it is lovely to see how the local community is embracing the project.”
The Right Reverend Athanasios, Bishop of Tropaeo, said: “We are delighted the school is finally open and in operation and our dream is realised. We are trusting in God that the school will be an excellent success and will provide our children with a good education and give them a good start in life.”
Interfaith art brings message of peace
The arts may be one of the most effective mediums for building bridges, says the Revd Paul-Gordon Chandler, the Episcopal priest responsible for the journey of 25 life-size painted fiberglass donkeys from Cairo to St Paul’s Cathedral in London, where they will be on display in the south nave aisle until September 23.
Now in its fifth year, the Caravan arts exhibition brings together Western and Egyptian artists, both Christian and Muslim, to promote a message of peace.
Chandler, an Episcopal Church mission partner who has served as a priest in Cairo for the past 10 years, sees the exhibition as an opportunity to deepen understanding across cultures and religions.
“We’re passionate about interfaith friendships and we’ve found that the arts, in many ways, is a catalyst for that,” Chandler told ENS on August 30 during an interview at the launch of the exhibition, which is titled In Peace and With Compassion.
The donkey was chosen for the exhibition because in both Christian and Muslim faith traditions it represents peace, Chandler explained. “In a sense, these artists are saying that the way forward for us is in peace. The other thing the donkey represents is compassion. It’s a beast of burden and the poorest of the poor in Egypt use the donkey.”
This year’s exhibition comes at a time when Egypt faces ongoing political turmoil and a rise in sectarian violence. “Contrary often to what we see in the news about what is coming out of Egypt at this time, which is somewhat tragic, these artists are saying no, there is another alternative – the way forward as far as we see it is in peace and with compassion,” Chandler said.
It’s the first time the initiative has traveled outside of Egypt and the exhibition at St. Paul’s is sponsored by the Embassy of Switzerland in Egypt, and supported by the British Council. Chandler said that St Paul’s Cathedral was considered for the exhibition because it is a sacred space known globally for both its role in the arts and its commitment to interfaith relations.
“St Paul’s is right in the heart of a very cosmopolitan city where we are all trying to live together and to be loyal to our future that we’re sharing,” said the Revd Canon Mark Oakley, chancellor of St. Paul’s Cathedral, “and I think that is the strength of this exhibition – Muslim and Christian seeking to be loyal to the future of their country through working harmoniously and creatively, and I can’t think of any better model for our own city here.”
The donkeys were first exhibited in May at St John’s Church in Cairo, where Chandler has just stepped down as rector after 10 years. They were then placed in strategic public locations throughout Cairo before about a third of them made their way to St Paul’s.
Oakley said that he hopes people who visit the exhibition will find the donkeys “beautiful and I hope they will remember the people of Egypt at the moment and I hope it will help them reflect on how they in their own localised life … will think again about the human and about the things we share and about the future we share and how we need to … be almost recklessly generous in our friendships.”
Following the exhibition, the donkeys will be auctioned by Sotheby’s, with all profits going to Egyptian charities that serve the poor, regardless of their faith.
Chandler said that in addition to the high-level art, it’s important that the initiative influences the poor. In Egypt, “we’ve identified 25 charities that are grassroots in their orientation, that work both on the Christian and Muslim side, serving the poor regardless of their creed.”
Surprise wedding tops off christening celebrations
A south Cumbrian couple wowed a church congregation with a surprise wedding – just 15 minutes after their baby’s baptism. Reece Gooding and Nicola Roach, both aged 23, decided to tie the knot on Sunday 1 Sept, as part of a secret double-bill ceremony at St George’s, Barrow.
The Revd Gary Cregeen, Rural Dean of Barrow, first mooted the idea when he met the couple to talk about the christening of their baby son, Cody.
Reece explains, “When we were talking about the baptism, Gary said ‘Wouldn’t it be good if you could get married at the same time’.
“After he’d said that we just couldn’t get the thought out of our heads. It was such a great idea and we knew we really wanted to do it.
”The reaction on people’s faces when we told them what was happening at the end of the baptism service was amazing. ”It has been a wonderful day for all our family.”
Only four people, of more than a hundred who attended the baptism, knew about the wedding plans.
Nicola’s parents, Ann and Martin Roach, and her sister and brother-in-law, Claire and Lee Tooze, whose baby, Ethan, was also christened in a joint baptism, were in on the act.
Reece, who works at Tesco in Barrow, even had to ask his brother, Michael, to be best man in the quarter of an hour break between the christenings and the wedding. Nicola also used that time to ask her sister Joanne to be her bridesmaid.
The Revd Jo Northey, who officiated at both ceremonies, made the announcement of the surprise wedding as the congregation were about to be served tea and coffee at the end of the baptism service.
“It was a lovely day for the family and a really joyous occasion on two fronts,” she said.
“When I explained what was going to happen at the end of the baptism service there were some gasps. Everyone had such a wonderful time.
“It was fantastic to bear witness to Cody entering God’s family and just a few minutes later see his mum and dad making their wedding vows before the Lord.”