The Solemnity of the Ascension of Jesus Christ, also called Ascension Day, commemorates the Christian belief of the bodily Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. Following the account of Acts 1:3 that the risen Jesus appeared for 40 days prior to his Ascension, Ascension Day is traditionally celebrated on a Thursday, the fortieth day of Easter.

Ascension Day will be celebrated in St. Andrew’s on Thursday 18th May 2023 at 12 noon

The Revd Anne Futcher will preside at the Holy Communion service where the preacher will be the Venerable Christopher Futcher, Archdeacon of Cyprus.

St. Andrew’s church was full to bursting (once more necessitating the use of the Hall for the overflow congregation!) as Easter Day was celebrated on Sunday 9th April 2023.

But it was also a very special day for one young person as Fr George Vidiakin baptised Chimturumugo Success Chiboy  

We welcome Chimturumugo to the family of the Church as we say, with believers throughout the world, Christ is risen – he is risen indeed! Alleluia!

A delicious Palm Sunday Parish Lunch was held in the Parish Hall on Sunday 2nd April where those who attended were served a delicious Irish Stew or Vegetable and Cheese Pasta, followed by Osman’s Special Sherry Trifle or Linda’s Very Own Bakewell Tart.

Donations were welcomed towards church funds.

Sincere thanks to Earl Moffitt for organising this event, those who provided the comestibles, and to those who helped set up and clear the Hall afterwards.

The St Andrew’s February Turkish and Syrian Earthquake Appeal reached just over TL 65,000, a terrific response. KKTC Kizilay received a small group lead by Jacqueline McIntyre, Warden and Shane Barnes, Treasurer accompanied by Jenny and John Worton-Griffiths on Friday 17th March. Kizilay President, Sezoi Sezen and his colleagues received the St Andrew’s donation with grateful thanks – it will be included in the KKTC Kizilay Pray for Turkey campaign. The Earthquake area of Sanliurfa is now suffering from severe flooding after days of torrential rain. Some tent encampments are now under water.

Home – North Cyprus Red Crescent Society (kktkizilayi.org)

Kibris is now hosting 10,000 people displaced by the Turkish earthquake. Baskan Sezoi explained that most are staying with friends and family but many are in need of assistance. Kizilay are busy preparing for Ramazan which begins on 23^rd March. Iftar meals will to be shared in many towns and villages across the island each evening for the 29 days of fasting.

We thank God that we are able to announce that the Rev Fr Alec Mitchell has accepted the position of Priest-in-Charge of St. Andrew’s, Kyrenia.

Fr Alec will be instituted to the Incumbency of the Parish by Archbishop Michael on 4th June 2023. He will be accompanied by his wife Linda as we begin this new, exciting time for them and for St. Andrew’s.

Deo gratias!

Below is a short biography sent to us by Fr Alec. We look forward very much to welcoming Linda and Fr Alec to Kyrenia.

I was born in Maldon, Essex, in November 1952, the youngest of three (an elder sister and brother) and was a ‘cradle Baptist’. I was baptized, by full immersion, aged 16. After a ‘gap year’ I went to Manchester University to read theology, while concurrently training at the Northern Baptist College to be a Baptist Minister. I also studied for a semester at the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches in Switzerland.

I was ordained as a Baptist Minister in 1977 and served for 22 years in Moss Side, Manchester, in a church that had no baptistry. We used the local swimming pool for our (full immersion) baptisms: a spectacular setting! The church congregation was a rich mix of many nationalities and occupations: there were Jamaicans and British, hospital cleaners, BBC personnel, jam factory workers and university lecturers. . .

I began ministry in the Church of England in 1999 after a brief period of re-training at the College of the Resurrection in Mirfield, West Yorkshire. I was ordained deacon and then priested within the space of a few months. (My journey was not quite as speedy as that of St Ambrose of Milan, who is said to have been baptised, then made a priest, and finally consecrated as bishop, all within the space of a week!). I served my title in Ashton- under-Lyne, and held incumbencies in the Diocese of Manchester in both Ashton and nearby Denton, combining the role of parish priest with that of Racial Justice Officer for the Diocese, from 2002 until retirement in 2018. I was appointed to the latter post by my then Area Bishop (of Middleton) – one Michael Lewis, now Archbishop here in Cyprus! I was also the first Borough Dean for Tameside (one of Greater Manchester’s ten metropolitan authorities) and a Chaplain to both the local sixth form college and the Tameside Sea Cadets – whose ‘seas’ were the nearby canals and reservoirs in the Peak District.

I met Linda, my wife of 39 years, due to a ‘guess the weight of the cake’ competition! She had baked the cake, and my guess was the best – although she maintains that I cheated, because I had lifted it up! Linda is also from Essex, although we met in Manchester. Her career was as a secondary school teacher and she retired as an assistant Head at a large comprehensive school in Cheadle, Stockport. We married on 4.8.84 – a date which I can remember because it is a palindrome. We have three grown-up children, Nadia, Leila, and Aidan (the first and third are palindromes of each other!) and our daughters are currently living in Manchester and Germany, and our son is travelling in South America on a gap year from the Civil Service. We certainly hope they will all come to visit us in Kyrenia.

I love reading, cooking, music of all kinds, (except jazz and pop), Scrabble, sailing, rugby union, and railways. I am a rather poor pianist, and, having been a very average ‘all-rounder’ at cricket, I now pride myself on having been a very ‘acceptable’ umpire for clergy cricket matches. (9 out of 10 appeals for LBW are ‘not out’!)

Linda and I are thrilled to be coming to St Andrew’s, and look forward to meeting you all, and getting to know our way around. We give thanks to God, who has led us here, out of what we thought was retirement….!