What is in Kelvin's Head?

Press Release – Nigerian Air Crash

04/06/2012

PRESS RELEASE

Prayers will be said at St Mary’s Cathedral in Glasgow this week remembering those who have died in Sunday’s plane crash in Nigeria.

People in the Cathedral are directly affected, as Nigerian members of the congregation are discovering today that they know friends who have lost family members in the tragedy.

Speaking after the disaster, Nigerian priest, based at St Mary’s, the Rev Chukwuemeka Iwuagwu said, “Our hearts go out from Glasgow to Nigeria and our thoughts and our prayers are with those who have lost family and friends. We are saddened by this loss of life. Nigerians at St Mary’s Cathedral are remembering all those affected and offer support to all Nigerians in Scotland at this time.”

“We grieve with all who suffer and weep with those who are sad. We are fortunate to have friends from the Christian Community here in Scotland who can share our grief”.

The Provost of St Mary’s, the Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth added, “Nigerian Glaswegians offer so much vibrant life to our community here at St Mary’s. Just last week, many celebrated Pentecost day in colourful Nigerian national dress. As we celebrated together a week ago, so we mourn together in the face of sudden tragedy.”

St Mary’s Cathedral belongs to the Scottish Episcopal Church and has an international congregation drawn from all around the world, many of them from Nigeria.

Lagos air crash, Nigerian Glaswegians

20 responses to “Becoming a Welcoming Cathedral”

Meg Rosenfeld

08/11/2014

My husband and I became members of All Saints Parish, San Francisco not long after our first experience attending Sunday Mass in that charming little church in the notorious Haight-Ashbury district. At that time we’d been members for over 20 years of a parish in another diocese, but were beginning to stay in San Francisco on weekends. What inspired us to join All Saints as members was the receipt of a simple hand-written letter from the rector some two or three days later, saying it had been a pleasure to have us there and hoping we would come again. Neither of us had ever had such an experience in any church we’d attended. We were absolutely amazed (in a positive way!) and made up our minds then and there that we would, indeed, go back. Mind you, we were also welcomed by the official greeters, urged to come to coffee hour, and approached at coffee hour with friendly overtures from the regulars–which is not always the case in Episcopal churches, at least in California. I guess it was just the right balance between friendliness and respect for one’s privacy. In any event, we are still at All Saints, almost 20 years later, up to our ears in choir, committees, and activities. To me, it was the letter from the rector which did the trick. He (an introvert like myself) wasn’t too busy to acknowledge new people, and in a way which was totally unthreatening.

Reply
1. Kelvin
  
  08/11/2014
  
  Thanks Meg – that’s a great story.
  
  Reply
Andrew Connor

08/11/2014

I go to a church which gets the coffee just right. But I don’t feel welcome.
I go to a church which gets the welcome team just right. But I don’t feel welcome.
I go to a church which denies that I was born gay and have chosen to love my same see partner whom I am not allowed to celebrate with. You see? I don’t feel welcome.
The homilies never include such exclusion. Never did they mention my being part of the Us of the parish though.
We have regular celebrations of love but not mine.
Many speak of going home to love one another and others exhort us to reach out and love the stranger. But I am in the midst of you and m only loves if I deny my own self.
There is indeed much still to do.
Welcome in our Church? Discuss.

Reply
1. Kelvin
  
  08/11/2014
  
  I know Andrew. I know it all too well. And I know that the ease with which these loves can be spoken of here in St Mary’s in pulpit and pew is tragically remarkable in its rarity.
  
  Reply
Father Ron Smith

08/11/2014

Bravo, Kelvin. I always feel that we in the Church are standing in the place of Christ – who welcomes all. Agape, Fr. Ron, ACANZP

Reply
Dharma Nicodemus Cuthbert

09/11/2014

Strangely enough about 1 hour before you posted this, I had been in a meeting in which one of the subjects discussed was getting more people to come to the church. The comments were full of “what can we do” I know that unless someone is willing to do outreach work nothing changes. I feel that as the church, St James the great, in Dingwall, will be having an open day when the refurbishment is complete, an ideal opportunity to raise the profile of the church.
I have taken on board the difficulties of being welcoming and at the same time not being separate, as you put it us and them. I have had experience of being both, part of a group and the new face

Reply
Janet Koch

12/11/2014

conscientize?

Reply