CROSSWAYSN

o. 19

✽ N

ovem

ber

2007

,News and views from Christ Church Vienna

the Anglican/Episcopal Church in Austria

Greater love hath no man than

this, that a man lay down his

life for his friends.

John 15.13

2

Jaurèsgasse 17/19, 1030 Vienna

0650 4050892

Christ Church Vienna

Postal address: Jaurèsgasse 12, 1030 ViennaChurch office: Salesianergasse 24, 1030 Vienna ❁ Tel. and Fax: 714 8900

www.christchurchvienna.org ❁ office@christchurchvienna.orgalso serves Bratislava, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Ljubljana and Zagreb

The Revd. Paul Kennedy, Kirschentalg. 12/49, 6020 Innsbruck, tel. 0512/293321 islicensed by our Bishop and Bishop Heitz of the Old Catholic Church in Austria toofficiate in the Chaplaincy of Christ Church, Vienna.

064 672 0107

714 8900

714 6006

942 7664

328 5460

713 3786

718 5902VestryChaplain of Christ Churchand Archdeacon ofthe Eastern Archdeaconry

Curate

Priest with permissionto officiate

Chaplaincy Secretary

Verger

The Venerable Patrick CurranReisnerstraße 42/71030 Vienna

The Revd. Aileen HacklHardtmuthgasse 28/3/201100 Vienna

The Revd. Clair Filbert-Ullmann

Ms. Miranda KopetzkyWed. 13.30-17.30Thur. 09.30-16.00

Dr. Alan Patzak, FRGS

Ms. Ann Wanzenböck

Mr. Christoph Wutscher

Mr. Emanuel Schmelzer-Ziringer

718 5922

For information on services in Klagenfurt, Ljubljana and Zagreb, please contact:

Klagenfurt: Ms. Helen TaupeLjubljana: Ms. Barbara RyderZagreb: Mr. Todd Becker (Licensed Reader)

04223 302800 386 4572 301500 385 1309 6620

The opinions expressed in this publication are thoseof the individual authors and should not neces-sarily be considered as carrying the endorsementof Christ Church, its officers or the Editor.

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In honour of Remembrance Day, this month’scover shows war graves in Luxembourg, wheresome 10,000 American and German soldiers,united in death, are buried in nearby cemeteries.

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In this issueEditorial

The Chaplain’s Messagepage 4

Face-to-FaceInterview with Dr. Michael Bünker of

the Evangelical/Lutheran churchpage 6

Sing-along MessiahA popular initiative revived

page 9

Sermon from LambethExtract of a sermon by Archbishop

Rowan Williams on visible memorialspage 10

Christ Church BazaarIntroducing the new Coordinator

page 12

Who’s Who in Christ Churchpage 14

Austria’s LeadersThe final article in a series by Nigel

Reynard: Wolfgang Schüsselpage 20

Confirmation at Christ ChurchIntroducing Bishop Pierre Whalon

page 23

PrayerRobert Beck describes his approach

page 24

An evening of crimeA talk by Dr. Eleonore Biber on

women in crime fictionpage 25

World Church FocusSpotlight on Myanmar

page 26

JC

The deadline for submissions forthe December CROSSWAYS is 15November. Please send material to:office@christchurchvienna.org,copy to: crossways@aon.at. For anyquestions, please contact the Editorat (01) 285 1802.

November is not the most cheerfulmonth of the year, in the northernhemisphere at least. I have just returnedfrom South Africa where the springflowers are in all their glory and thepromise of summer is in the air. But in

Austria, as elsewhere in Europe, November is often ableak, barren month, lacking the radiant blue skies andcrisp snow-covered landscape of December, or thebrilliant colours of nature in October. November is alsoa time of sombre thoughts, as we mark All Saints Dayon 1 November, All Souls Day on 2 November and ninedays later, Remembrance Day, this year appropriatelyfalling on a Sunday. Our thoughts turn to the death ofthose whom we loved and are no longer with us. Deathis not easy to accept, even for those of strong faith,particularly when it comes too early, too violently ortoo painfully.

Sometimes the dying are better equipped to accept theinevitable that those they leave behind. I recall clearlyfriends of ours whose beautiful, bright, loving 23-yearold daughter was losing a two-year battle againstleukemia in a hospital in the west of England, whereshe had come from New York to compete in a charityrun to help raise awareness and funds for other leukemiasufferers. The doctors could do nothing more to helpher. She waited until her parents flew in to join her ather bedside, then told them clearly and firmly that hertime had come and that they must let her go. Naturally,they clung to her, as any distraught parents when facedwith losing a beloved child. It was her strength, heracceptance, her dignity that enabled them to saygoodbye to their only daughter. They were notChristians, but were comforted by the hospital chaplainwho organized a church service in Bath, attended bythe nurses and doctors who had cared for their daughterduring her short stay in hospital. The chaplain includedHindu readings in the service, bridging the gap betweenthe two faiths. Every year in April, my friends return toBath to mark the anniversary of her death in the sameway that at the beginning of November, people in Austriaand around the world visit the cemeteries where theirloved ones are buried.

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From

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inThe Venerable Patrick Curran

The race that is set before us

The British and especially the English are known for their love ofsports. When I was a teenager I developed a passion for sports.I remember watching the Boston Bruins play in the Stanley Cupplayoffs in 1968/69. Some of the other sports that I have followedover the years depended on where I was living at any given time

and whether they were covered in the national media of the country. Thereis a surprising number of sports that I have followed over the years: chess,football, skiing, tennis, American football, field hockey, athletics, baseball,cricket, rugby, Formula One grand prix and golf (which I have alwaysmaintained is not a spectator sport). Even today I will often first go to thesports section of a newspaper, will seek to watch a tennis playoff matchand Champion League games. On Saturday evenings I like to catch up withthe results of the German football league.

These days I must confess to being less enthusiastic than I was. Thenumerous scandals that have come to bedevil the various kinds of sportsare beginning to take their toll. There is sometimes an excessive use offorce, there are numerous doping scandals (too many to mention) and nowthere is cheating on a grand scale in the Formula One—a sport much lovedby Austrians. I need only mention the highly respected Niki Lauda and lateJochen Rindt. The former chairman of FC Graz led the football club to thebrink of ruin. As a Canadian I well remember Ben Johnson winning thegold medal in the 100 metres sprint at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games,only to be disqualified for doping. I also remember a time when scandalsin the world of sports sparked a hefty reaction saying that this sort ofbehaviour was unacceptable. Such athletes as footballers and ice hockeyplayers were regarded as role models. This role model function was part ofa sports person’s responsibility as a public figure. Fortunately in TigerWoods and Roger Federer we have two figures that do shine out as rolemodels in the world of sports today. It is always a delight to follow thecareers of the best.

The nature of sports is that they are public. They are to contribute to ourwell-being as a society. By watching others ‘at work’ we relax. It is desirablethat the ‘ambassadors’ representing particular sports play the gameaccording to the highest standards. It should not be dependent on cheatingin the forms of doping, bribing or spying. To cheat is to seek to gain anunfair advantage over your opponent by illicit means. Modern day sportsreflect something back to us of the state of the world in which we live.

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Standards seemingly continue to slip and we accommodate ourselves tothem.

Men and women have always cheated. There is no golden age of innocence.What struck me over the last few years is that the role model element is nolonger referred to or much reflected on. In cycling, doping is going to beallowed (to what extent is still unclear). How one is going to tell whichdrugs are in and which are not tests the imagination. It is important tohave a level playing field so that standards can be maintained. For mepersonally, bribes, spying and doping have no place within sports. In theworld men and women may cheat, but God knows the secrets of our heartand that which is hidden will be revealed.

Paul uses a wonderful image from the world of athletics to describe thejourney of faith by comparing it with a race. He writes to the church inCorinth, ‘Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but onlyone receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it’ (1 Corinthians9.24). In the race of faith we should outdo one another, because to outdoone another in good works is to show forth to the world the generosity ofGod. Through our generous acts we become a living witness to the God ofour Lord Jesus Christ.

Nigerian Fest

Once again, the Nigeriancommunity of Christ Churchtreated members of thecongregation to anenjoyable evening ofNigerian culture, food andentertainment. The fund-raising event, on 29September, raised animpressive sum for ourchurch. The photo showsValentine Ogunya handingover the funds to the Ven.Patrick Curran.

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Face-to-Face

Dr. Michael Bünker

Dr. Bünker, on 1 June thisyear you were elected asBishop of the EvangelicalChurch (AB) in Austria, andyou will be taking up officeon 1 January 2008. What dothe initials “AB” stand for?“A.B.” stands for AugsburgConfession and is part of theLutheran tradition. TheAugsburg Confession, based onthe writings of Luther, waslargely the work of theologianPhilip Melanchthon [1497-1560]. When Emperor Joseph

II signed the Deed of Tolerance in1781, two Evangelical churches wererecognized, the Augsburg Confession(A.B.) and the Helvetic Confession(H.B.), the latter based on thewritings of Calvin. In addition to thesetwo branches, the Methodist Churchis also part of the Evangelical family.In Austria, all three churches workclosely together. My inaugurationwill take place on 27 January 2008;bishops are not “ordained” in theLutheran Church. The Bishop’s roleis one of Pastor Pastorum, providingspiritual guidance and direction.

At what stage in your life did youdecide on a career in the church?I come from a dynasty of ministers.My great-grandfather was a minister,as was my father and his father. Ourfamily hailed from Switzerlandoriginally. I did consider otherdirections, and it was certainly notout of a respect for tradition that Idecided to become a minister, rather

my own will. I certainly never dreamtof becoming a bishop and myelection on 1 June was a happysurprise. Actually, I very muchenjoyed working as a minister bothin Döbling [19th district] andFloridsdorf [21st district]. I beganteaching in 1991 as head of theEvangelical Religious TrainingAcademy and found it to be bothstimulating and refreshing. I tried toshow trainees that teaching childrenthrough Bible stories can also be alearning experience for adults. In1999, I became Secretary-General ofthe Executive Committee of theLutheran Church in Austria,responsible for the teaching ofscripture.

How will your appointment affectyour family life?My wife and son and daughter werenaturally very happy about myappointment, but know that they’llsee even less of me from now on. Mywife teaches scripture in differentschools in the 21st district. We met in1977 when we were both involved inorganizing summer activities foryoung people in Ramsau. We have a24-year old son who is studying inDresden where he lives with his wifeand our first grandchild, and ourdaughter is 21 and lives in Vienna.

How strong is the Evangelical/Lutheran church both in Austriaand worldwide?The Lutheran Church is representedthroughout the world, with 140

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member churches in 78 countries,and a membership of nearly 70million. In contrast to the situationin Europe, it is steadily growing incountries like Ethiopia, Indonesiaand the United Republic of Tanzania.The umbrella body is the LutheranWorld Federation, founded in Swedenin 1947. In Austria, we number 200parishes, 27 of which are in Vienna.Many are found in Kärnten,Burgenland and Oberösterreich. Thetown of Ramsau am Dachstein is 95per cent Evangelical.

Are your numbers growing?Naturally, we would like to be seenas a growing church, although thisis something that the Bishop cannotdo alone. While we certainly do notgo from door to door trying to recruitpeople into our church, we make aneffort to seek out those who used tobelong but who, for one reason oranother, turned away, as well asthose who are seeking to belong to achurch. We need to make somefundamental changes: church shouldbe welcoming, child-friendly andunderstandable. A church growsthrough personal contacts andrelationships, not through posters.

We conduct a large number ofbaptisms, confirmations andfunerals, but fewer marriages.Marriage is not a sacrament in theEvangelical Church, but a formalblessing of the mandatory civil unionthat has to take place in the RegistryOffice beforehand. Divorced people

can marry in our church, at thediscretion of the minister. Womancan become ministers and bishopsin the Lutheran Church. I would liketo mention two prominent womenbishops in Germany, Bishop MariaJepsen (Hamburg) and BishopMargot Käßmann (Hannover). We donot have a problem recruitingministers, and between 5-10 newministers are ordained each year.

How is the Evangelical/Lutheranchurch financed?Although we do not have a churchtax, we have a system of compulsorycontributions based on 1.5 per centof taxable annual income.

What is the relationship of theLutheran church with theRepublic of Austria and theRoman Catholic Church?After a long history of repression,followed by a period of tolerance, theLutheran Church finally gainedequality in 1961, when the freedomof religious affiliation was anchoredin Austrian law. Our relationshipwith the Roman Catholic Church inAustria, the predominant confessionin Austria, for a long time reflectedthis difficult history, but whenCardinal König was appointed ashead of the Roman Catholic Churchin Austria, our relationship greatlyimproved. We have undertaken anumber of very successful initiativestogether, including the Telefonseel-sorge [equivalent of the Samaritans]and work together on the Week of

�

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Prayer for ChristianUnity. We havecollaborated onseveral radioprogrammes andu n d e r t a k e ncommon activities.Obviously, thereare some funda-mental issues thatdivide us but ourrelationship withinAustria is good. Asfar as some of therecent pronounce-ments of thecurrent Pope are

concerned, we found theseunfortunate and do not expect tomake great strides forward in theecumenical movement in theimmediate future. We do not, ofcourse, need recognition from Rome,but would like nevertheless to beconsidered a sister church.

What are your relations withother Christian churches?I believe that we have been spirituallyenriched through our closerelationship with the OrthodoxChurch, in particular the GreekOrthodox Church. We also enjoy agood relationship with the AnglicanChurch, and in fact I will be preachingat Christ Church on Sunday, 9December. In 1988, the GermanEvangelical Church (EKD) and theChurch of England signed anagreement at Meissen, Germany, andin 1992 the Lutheran and Anglican

churches signed a commonstatement at Porvoo in Finland. Thiswas followed in 2001 by anagreement between the Church ofEngland and the Lutheran Church inFrance signed at Reuilly in France.

We are all active in the EcumenicalCouncil, and I would particularly liketo commend the efforts of your ownminister, the Ven. Patrick Curran, tobring us several steps forward.Personally, I would like to deepen ourrelationship with the AnglicanChurch and believe that there is a lotto discover. Most Lutheran churchesthroughout the world have Anglicanpartners.

Do you feel you are a Lutheranwho is a Christian, or a Christianwho is a Lutheran?First and foremost, I am a Christian.We must remember that we belongto the one Church of Jesus Christ,albeit in different forms. Obviously,there are some exceptions and wecannot identify with those churchesthat recognise sources of spiritualguidance other than the Bible. Attimes, we have to put our relationshipwith other Lutheran churches onstand-by, as was the case in SouthAfrica during the Apartheid regime.Within Christianity there arenaturally differences, but not alldifferences should be seen as acontradiction. Many add diversityand vitality to the Christian faith andserve to enrich our lives and that ofthe church. �

Luth

eran

Sta

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Many parishioners will recall that during my time as Music Directorat Christ Church we sponsored a Sing-Along performance of Handel’sMessiah during the Advent season. Although this was a very popularevent and was held for a few years in succession, it had to be discontinuedbecause the expenses involved began to overreach the available resources,and the ever-increasing number of participants and audience also began tooutgrow the Church‘s seating capacity. Since then, there have been manyrequests from various sides to resurrect the Sing-Along Messiah, and thisyear I have managed to find a solution that has finally made this possible. Incooperation with the Lutheranische Stadtkirche, Christ Church will be holdinga Sing-Along Messiah with orchestra and soloists once again on 24 November.The performance will take place at 19.00 in the Lutherische Stadtkirche,Dorotheergasse 18, in the 1st District. The members of the Lutherancongregation have greeted this project with great enthusiasm and, in thespirit of ecumenism, have offered their space (which, in a pinch can seatupwards of 500) and many of their resources to help with its realisation..There will be a rehearsal for those able to attend on 24 November at 13.30.Any who own their own choral scores are encouraged to bring them. We willattempt to provide photocopies of the score for those without. Though wehave even managed to get a subsidy from the City of Vienna, it does notcover the entire cost of the event and we will be obliged to suggest an offeringof 15 Euro from all participants and audience to help keep us afloat. I hope

that many of the parishioners of Christ Churchwill feel inspired to come and join in the funas singers in the choir (vocal and musicalproficiency are not prerequisites) or if theyprefer, to simply sit back and listen to theglorious music, and at the same time establishnew contacts with the Lutheran congregation.

I am very happy that, with the help of theLutherische Stadtkirche, the Sing-AlongMessiah can be brought back to life. In thepast it has been a source of great enjoymentfor all involved (I maintain that you will neverhear as riveting a rendition of the HallelujahChorus as you will at a Messiah Sing-Along!).For many this is a much-loved Christmastidetradition and it would be wonderful if we couldestablish it as such in Vienna.

Sing-Along Messiahby A

nd

rew C

ouse

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Human beings are specialistsin not seeing things...Tooeasily, we learn to screen outwhat makes us uncomfortable,what challenges our sense ofbeing in control. It’s not just

that we select what matters and whatis useful to us in finding our wayaround in the world; we select whatreinforces our security and we treateverything else as if it didn’t matter.And among the things we often prefernot to bring to mind is the fact thatour ‘ordinary’ secure and fairlycomfortable lives depend on a greatdeal of invisible work by others. It’strue at the most routine level. Buttoday we think specially of those whohave chosen to put their own lives atrisk for the rest of us. Some of themare asked to exercise the greatestheroism; some are called to that lessspectacular but still real heroismwhich is to hold themselves inreadiness of mind and body forwhatever may come. When werecognize our debt to them, it is notonly to those who have served andstruggled heroically but also to thosewhose daily work and faithfulsupport make it possible for heroismto happen. When we say our thankyou’s to them, it is to all of them.

The following is an extract from a sermon given by theArchbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, on theoccasion of the dedication of the Armed Forces Memorialin Staffordshire, England, on 12 October 2007. Althoughit was written for a specific memorial, it is equally validfor war memorials the world over.

And sometimes this feels awkward;we don’t always like to be remindedthat we are all in need of protectionand that we all depend on thegenerosity and discipline of arelatively small number of our fellow-citizens. Instead of feeling grateful,we feel embarrassed, and we’d rathernot look and see the structures thatsupport us. But it’s not good for usto train our eyes away from all this;and that is why we need visiblememorials. All the service and skillthat keeps us secure may be invisiblea lot of the time, but, if we are not tobe dishonest, shallow and unreal, weneed to make the invisible visibleonce in a while. And that is whattoday is about-naming all those whohave been ready to risk everythingfor the good of our nationalcommunity, and indeed the good ofour world. Some of them have diedin heroic circumstances, some intragedy and conflict, some in routineduties – but all of them as parts of asingle great and generous enterprise.

To acknowledge this is indeed, in avery strong sense, a religious action.A person of faith is not simplysomeone who has certain abstractideas in his or her head, but someone

Archbishop Rowan Williams

photo: Lambeth

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who is aware of being the focus ofan endless generosity, someone whorealises that God’s gift is all around,and that without this divine gift weshould not exist. And they seek tomake this awareness visible in publicactions and public images – in therhythms of daily prayer, in the visibleoffering of thanks to God.

For Christians, the divine gift is seenmost clearly in the death of Jesus,who died so that all human beingsmight have new life; and so weChristians make visible this event ingratitude by our sharing in the HolyCommunion and by lifting upwherever we can the sign of the cross,the visible token of an invisible andeternal and unimaginably costly love.

So what we are doing in dedicatingthis memorial is a sort of echo of suchactions of faith. We recognise ourneeds and our dependence; we openour eyes to see the rich pattern ofactivity that keeps us alive and atpeace; we lift up a visible andtangible reminder, so that we don’tget trapped in unthinking,complacent security. We weavetogether our gratitude and oursorrows—because each name hererecorded represents a uniquemoment of loss and anguish for afamily and a group of comrades.There is nothing abstract about thiscommemoration. In doing this, werediscover things about our ownhumanity that we often shy awayfrom—our urgent need of each other,

the reality of a common lifesupported by gift and sacrifice.

So here is our reminder of debts weowe, debts to what is so oftenwitnessed but not seen. ‘To put upstones ensures some sacrifice’. Wehave let ourselves be challenged andour comfort interrupted by thismemorial. For this brief moment wehave seen more than we normally letourselves see; and we pray the Godupon whose risky, sacrificial love weall depend to teach us the honesty,the thanksgiving, and the pity weneed to keep us fully human: to teachus, in St Paul’s great words, to ‘looknot at the things which are seen, butat the things which are not seen’ (IICor.4.18), because they are the signsof a truth that never passes away.

The National Memorial Arboretum is the UnitedKingdom’s living and lasting memorial tocommemorate and celebrate those who have giventheir lives in the service of their country, all whohave served and those who have suffered as a resultof conflict and others who for specific or appropriatereasons are commemorated on the site. TheArboretum is a unique haven of peace,contemplation and hope for the future. It consistsof 150 acres of wooded parkland within the NationalForest in Staffordshire where visitors can both enjoyand learn about the trees and their surroundings,and reflect upon their special symbolism.

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The annual Christ ChurchChristmas Bazaar, although notnecessarily at the top of theViennese social calendar, isnevertheless an event that isanticipated with great pleasure bymany. Its aims are threefold: first,it provides the Church with amuch-needed source of revenuethat enable it to meet its financialobligations and support a numberof charities; secondly, it enablesthe local community to get toknow Christ Church and itscongregation, and to gain aninsight into our community; andthird, it contributes to a sense ofcomradeship and commonpurpose amongst the con-gregation, as a large number ofpeople all do their bit towardsmaking the event a success.

This year sees a change in leader-ship in the annual Christmas Bazaarteam. Phyllis Tuggle, recently arrivedin Vienna, took over from Patrick

Knox-Peebles asBazaar Coordinator.Asked why she hadagreed to take on anonerous and time-consuming taskwhile she was stillfinding her feet inVienna, Phyllisadmitted that“Patrick was veryp e r s u a s i v e ” ,although shehastened to add that

she had no hesitation in saying “yes”when asked. Although it is her firstexperience of running a bazaar, sheused to organize a retreat for some500 parishioners at her home churchin Atlanta, so obviously possessesimpressive managerial skills!

The wife of a Coca-Cola executivewho has moved with her family to anumber of countries, most recentlyRussia, Phyllis learned German on anearlier assignment to Austria.Fluency in German is virtually aprerequisite for the job of BazaarCoordinator, which involves frequentcontact with potential sponsors fromthe Austrian business community.Despite this, one of the aspectsPhyllis finds most frustrating so faris her lack of connections with thebusiness community in Vienna. Thebiggest challenge facing any BazaarCoordinator is consistently theidentification of willing sponsors forthe tombola and raffle that accountfor much of the revenue generatedby the Christ Church Bazaar. “As anewcomer, I do not have the type ofsupport system that I enjoyed inAtlanta with the business world”,Phyllis sighs. She is, however,supported by a team of sevenindividuals who are working hard tofind donors, but while they haveidentified a number of valuableprizes, the major raffle prize has stillto be found. Readers who think theycould help in this respect, or whowork in companies, or know ofcompanies, that would be willing to

Bazaar News

Phyllis Tuggle

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supply a large number of smallpromotional articles for the tombola(where every ticket wins a prize),should contact Phyllis without delay.Similarly, Phyllis is looking for avolunteer to coordinate the toy stall.

The Bazaar has over the yearsattracted a faithful public—mainlyViennese—who come with certainexpectations. Phyllis has no intentionof changing what has proved to be awinning formula until she has hadtime to see where, and if, there is aneed to make any adjustments. Hernew task was made much easier forher by the willingness of herimmediate predecessor, PatrickKnox-Peebles to provide valuableback-up. He handed over to her alarge, very comprehensive file,covering all aspects of theorganization, as well as a team ofexperienced helpers. “This meansthat I have not had to reinventanything”, Phyllis says, adding“although everyone has such a busywork schedule that it’s impossible toorganize meetings as a group”.

Students from the ViennaInternational School and AmericanInternational School will not onlyhelp out at the bazaar as they did inthe past, but will be given a numberof assignments in the run-up time tothe day. There is, however, a needfor more helpers, and Phyllis isspecifically looking for people toassist in bringing and carrying,sorting and setting up, on the daybefore of the bazaar (30 November)and clearing up on the day after thebazaar (2 December).

For those who are not directlyinvolved in the stalls, or who do nothave an assigned function, there area number of other useful jobs thatneed to be done. If every single oneof us makes a commitment to dosomething we can make sure thatthe Christ Church Bazaar 2007 is themost successful bazaar ever! �

The White Elephant Stall offersbargains galore at the ChristmasBazaar! We are busy collectingchina, ceramics, glassware,kitchen items, silverware, orna-ments, pictures, frames, lamps.Christmas tree ornaments arealso very welcome. Now is agreat time to de-clutter and handin your donations at the ChurchShop. The White Elephant teamwould like to thank you all foryour continued and generoussupport of our stall.

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Who’s Who in Christ Church??

Mysterypersonno. 1

Crossways continues with its presentation of members of ourcommunity. The aim is to get to know each other better and toput a name to a familiar face. Guess our mystery people beforeyou turn to p.29 to see if you guessed accurately!

Our first mystery person comes from Toronto, Canada, although herfather is British. The entire family was closely involved in the life of theRoman Catholic church that they attended; her father was deacon andconducted marriage preparation courses with her mother, and she herselfsang in the church choir. The family was extremely tightknit, and our mysteryperson spent memorable holidays with her British grandparents and regularlymet up with her numerous relatives in Canada. She studied organizationalpsychology at university, and started work in marketing and print advertising.When she had saved up enough, she realised one of her student dreams,namely to spent a year travelling around the world. She actually spent fourmonths in Europe, but stayed for 8 months in Brazil, a country whose blendof cultures and ethnicity she found fascinating. While in Portugal she mether future husband, and married in Canada in 1991. She moved to his nativeAustria in 1992, and was fortunate to find employment very quickly at the

International Atomic Energy Agency, where she still works today. After asuccession of secretarial assignments—and 21 years after completing herdegree—she is now working in her own professional field in HumanResources Planning and greatly enjoys her job.

Her daughters were born in 1993 and 1996 and between a full-time joband the demands of raising two children, her attendance at church lapsed,although she had, in her early days in Vienna, sung in the Christ Churchchoir for a time. She had dipped her feet into the Anglican faith duringher childhood visits to her grandparents in England and about two yearsago, decided that she would like to be a regular member of the ChristChurch congregation. Last year, at the same time as her elder daughter

Olivia was confirmed, she was received into the Anglican Church. Her parentswere happy to see her return to the church, despite the fact that she hadchosen Anglicanism over Catholicism. The preparation classes she attendedwith the Chaplain convinced her that she wanted to play an active part inthe life of the church and she is a valuable member of our congregation andenjoys participating in church activities. She attends the Thursday evening‘Soundings’ group when she can and together with Lucille Curran is tryingto form a family choir to lead the singing at services when the choir is notpresent. Olivia and her sister Kassandra also attend Christ Church with theirmother, and Olivia serves at the altar, while Kassandra attends Sunday School.

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Despite her very brief association with Christ Church, mystery personno. 2 has made her mark in a special way. Born in the southern Philippinesinto an Episcopalian family, she and her family were closely involved intheir home church from an early age. While she sang in the choir andeventually became a lay reader, her sisters taught Sunday School andorganized the crèche. She recalls that when they were held up for one reasonor another, the minister would ask the congregation to wait until the foursisters arrived before starting the service! They all studied ballet and thepiano, but our mystery person also displayed an early talent for singing.She joined Bayanihan, the Philippine National Folk Dance Company,performing in a number of countries throughout the world. Having wona national music competition for young artists when she was at school,she decided to pursue a career in singing. After university, she was offereda Fulbright scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music, from whichshe graduated in 1995. She then returned to the Philippines where shetaught vocal repertoire classes at university, where she was alsoresponsible for directing and producing operas. The following years sawher back in New York, moving on to Italy, where she gained a grant tostudy opera and learn Italian, and to Spain on a government grant tostudy Spanish repertoire. During her studies, she continued to give concertsand perform in operas, while keeping up her teaching.

She met her husband-to-be in New York at a Christmas party and the couplewere married in his home country, Germany. Naturally, he also has musicalinterests, but these lie with the French horn. Last year, he was posted by hisemployer bank to Vienna and was instructed by his wife was to look for anAnglican/Episcopal church. Indeed, wherever her singing engagements havetaken her, she makes a point of seeking out an Anglican/Episcopal churchimmediately upon her arrival. When she joined her husband in Vienna, shewasted no time in coming to Christ Church where she was swiftly recruitedinto the choir. Since then, we have had several occasions to enjoy herremarkable voice, as a soloist of with the choir. She continues to sing inconcerts, and in fact has three concerts planned for the coming month. Oneof her passions is sacred music as well as performances of voice and piano,where she loves the challenge of bringing out different colours and layers ofmeaning simply with her voice. Although she still thinks of New York as herhome, she enjoys many aspects of life in Austria (pastries, peace and quietafter a certain hour, the cleanliness of the city), is busy learning Germanand hopes to open her own vocal studio again soon. She follows a long lineof accomplished singers in the Christ Church Choir and we hope that we willbe able to count on her presence in our church for many years to come.

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November 2007

Holy Communion (BCP)Sung EucharistSunday School and CrècheOrgan Concert

08.0010.00

18.00

08.0010.00

19.00

2nd Sunday before Advent

Holy Communion (BCP)Sung EucharistConfirmation with Bishop PierreWhalonSunday School and CrècheOrgan Concert

08.0010.00

10.50

Holy Communion (BCP)Said EucharistSunday School and CrècheRemembrance Day Service

113rd Sunday before Advent

Holy Communion (BCP)Sung EucharistSunday School and CrècheChoral Evensong, preacher: BishopGabriel of the Coptic Orthodox Church

08.0010.00

18.00

408.30 Morning Prayer

08.30 Morning Prayer

4th Sunday before Advent

08.30 Morning Prayer

Sunday Monday Tuesday

26 2708.30 Morning Prayer

18.30 Soundings (7)

18.30 Soundings (8)

18.30 Soundings (9)

18.30 Soundings (10)

Remembrance Sunday

19.00 Film ‘Operation Spring’ hosted by prison visiting team

Christ the King

Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you; dothis in remembrance of me.

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10.00 Toddlers Group

10.00 Toddlers Group17.45 Chaplain to pre-

sent the report‘Faithful Cities’ at the National- bibliothek

10.00 Toddlers Group

19.00 Choir practice

19.00 Choir practice

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19.00 Prayer Ministry

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All Saints’ Day

10.00 Sung Eucharist

18.00 Prayers for the departed

19.30 Taizé Worship

10.00 Workshop with to Bishop Whalon15.00 on “How to read

the Bible”18.00 Bring and share

supper at the Sandbergs

19.00 Church Council

18.30 Reading Group: Sky Burial by Xinran

19.00 Messiah Sing- along, Doro- theerg. 18

All Souls’ Day

10.50 Service of Remembrance in Klagenfurt

19.00 Choir practice

19.00 Choir practice

10.00 Toddlers Group

15.45 House Concerthosted byChristina andMike Stevens

09.30 Holy Communion

09.30 Holy Communion

09.30 Holy Communion

09.30 Holy Communion

18.00 Holy Communion in Klagenfurt

Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Church Notices

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“Mothers Prayers” was started in England in November 1995 and has spreadrapidly throughout the world with contacts in over 70 Countries and has theapproval, support and blessing of Christian leaders of all denominations. Thereare now thousands of groups around the world. Two grandmothers, Veronicaand sister-in-law Sandra, felt led by the Lord to start Mothers Prayers and topray in a special way for their children. They felt that they should bring all thepain and the worries they had to Him and to trust in His words ‘Ask and you willreceive’.For more information see: www.mothersprayers.org/. Veronica will speakat the Rochuskirche (3rd district) on Sunday, 4 November at 19.45

On Sunday 5 November our preacher at Choral Evensong (18.00) will be BishopGabriel of the Coptic Church. The Coptic Church is the Church of the Egyptians.The Copts see themselves as being the descendants of the Pharaohs and belongto one of the oldest churches believing that St Mark brought the Gospel toAlexandria from where it spread. I would ask you to mark this date in yourcalendars. Please come and support this unique occasion to meet with a leaderof the Coptic Church.

The month of November is marked by various services that focus onremembering. We begin November with All Saints Day (1 November, 10.00 SungEucharist) when we remember all those who have been called into the fellowshipof Christ and especially those whose lives were marked by a special grace. Theday after is All Souls when we say prayers for the departed (2 November, 18.00).On Sunday 11 November we will keep Remembrance Sunday at Christ Church(start 10.50 prompt). The Thursday prior we will keep a Service of Remembranceat the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Klagenfurt. Finally Austrianand German Protestants will keep the last Sunday of the liturgical year asTotensonntag – a day when people visit the graves of their loved ones. It has itsorigins in an 1816 edict from King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia.

Over the past years we have been able to keep a choral tradition going that wasstarted up in the 80s or perhaps earlier with special services in Holy Week andEaster plus two special services in December. These are the Advent Lessonsand Carols on Sunday, 2 December at 18.00 and the Service of Nine Lessonsand Carols on Sunday, 16 December, at 18.00.

Christmas: A comedy of errors, Tuesday 4 December, 1900, Church Centre, DrHans FörsterWe all know about Christmas and all about its origins: the pagan festival ofthe winter solstice. However, as so often, this may be common knowledge, butscholarly research suggests another story. Dr Förster, who has devoted manyyears of research to this question, might surprise us with his conclusions.C

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American Women’s Holiday Bazaar, Saturday, 17 November from 10.30 to 16.00at Le Meridien Hotel. Proceeds generated from AWA tables will support oursponsored charities. What do we offer? A large White Elephant Table;international café with home made chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and pies;tables with pottery, Christmas ornaments, jewelry and more; kids’ activitiesarea with prizes; raffles prizes with 2 trips included.

North & South: in a rare occasion, two organists present a comparison betweennorthern and southern styles in German baroque organ music. The Reformation,drew a line between Protestant and Roman Catholic musical styles, eachdeveloping in a different direction. Christ Church’s organist Emanuel Schmelzer-Ziringer and Lourenço César Finatti will play works by Muffatt, Froberger,Buxtehude, Scheidemann and others on Sunday 18, November, at 19.00 in ChristChurch.

In this issue of crossways you will find a bank transfer slip (Erlagschein).Once a year we ask for a donation to help cover the costs of printing and mailingcrossways, which is the envy of many a parish in our Diocese. In previousyears we have asked for a donation of 18 Euros. Costs have risen with the newlayout and format. We would ask that if at all possible you would increase yourdonation. This will not be possible for all and this is understood. People living inthe UK can make out cheques to the Christ Church Support Association as wehave a British account. All organisations are struggling with issues relating tocommunication. crossways is one way in which we are able to shareinformation and keep in touch, the others being the church notice board, theSunday wrap and the Christ Church website. A family living in Riad, formerparishioners, are avid readers of crossways and enjoy receiving their copy.The Editor is always willing to receive comments and suggestions. PSC

An Austrian documentary in German with English subtitles will be screened onMonday,12 November at19.00 in the Church Centre. The event is hosted by thePrison Visitors’ Team. Operation Spring is a documentary about how Austriarecently tested its new laws and methods of investigation. It is a step-by-stepunravelling of the actual events and a meticulous study of the core incriminat-ing evidence as seen from different angles. Early in the morning of 27 May1999, 850 police officers stormed apartments and refugee dormitories through-out Austria. The code name for the police raid was “Operation Spring”. In all,some 100 Africans were arrested. According to news reports it marked an un-paralleled victory for the police in the fight against organized crime. The differ-ent sides of the story are presented.

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Part 5: Wolfgang Schüssel

“It’s all OK.” After marathonnegotiations which led to theconclusion of talks to formthe Treaty of Nice inDecember 2000, WolfgangSchüssel, Austria’s ‘steelychancellor’ as The Economisthad recently lauded him,

managed to sum up and reassure theinternational stage that all was well,a succinct quote headlined by theBBC at the time. An interesting endto a controversial year for Austria, inwhich Schüssel’s investiture aschancellor in February had causedthe international community, andindeed many in Austria, to believethat all was far from “OK”.

The elections held in October 1999shook the very foundations of theAustrian political landscape. Whilstthe Social Democrats (SPÖ) retainedtheir position as the most popularparty, their share of the vote wasdramatically reduced, with theFreedom Party surging into secondplace, forcing Schüssel’s People’sParty (ÖVP) into a humiliating thirdposition—a position which Schüsselhad once notoriously claimed wouldmean going into opposition for theÖVP. Negotiations followed thataimed to continue the GrandCoalition previously in place betweenthe SPÖ and the ÖVP, however after

weeks of grinding negotiations, talkswere finally broken off late one nightin January 2000. A coalition with theFreedom Party was to be drawn upwithin a matter of days. By earlyFebruary 2000 Schüssel had finallyachieved the prize he made no secretof having in mind right since hiselection as the head of the ÖVP in1995 – the position of chancellor.

The first few months of the 21st

century for Austria were marked bythe so-called EU sanctions, hastilyimposed against Austria by the EU ona bilateral level following theswearing in of the new Government,highlighting the displeasure of theother 14 EU member states due to thebuilding of a coalition with a partywidely perceived as having far righttendencies. During the course of themonths that the bilateral sanctionswere in place (they were finally liftedin September of the same year) itquickly became clear that Schüsseland his controversial coalition was tosurvive the sanctions, which, as hassince been argued, merely served tobolster support for the newGovernment within Austria.

The autumn of 2002 saw Schüsseltake one of the biggest—and mostsuccessful—gambles of his politicalcareer. A Freedom Party gathering in

This is the fifth and final article in a series prepared byNigel Reynard on Austria’s Federal Chancellors. Previousarticles appeared in crossways Nos. 12, 13, 15 and 16, onChancellors Kreisky, Sinowatz, Vranitzky and Klimarespectively.

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the Styrian town of Knittelfeldrevealed the full extent of thedivisions that went right to the verytop ranks of the Freedom Party,leading to the resignations of its thenleader, Susanne Riess-Passer, theFinance Minister Karl-Heinz Grasserand chief party spokesman PeterWestenthaler. With his own coalitionclearly in jeopardy Schüssel wasquick to call fresh elections. Thisgamble was to pay off by the timeelections were held in late November2002, with the ÖVP improving itsprevious standing by some 15 percent, leaping to first place for the firsttime since 1966, and in so doingrelegating the SPÖ to second place.During the course of the electioncampaign Schüssel was identified asa major asset by the ÖVP, withpictures of him appearing incampaign posters proclaiming ‘Wer,wenn nicht er?’ [Who else if nothim?], the purpose of which was toundermine the personality of the stillat that time relatively inexperiencedand less media-savvy SPÖ leader,Alfred Gusenbauer.

Schüssel’s victory put his party in anew and strong position—to thedespair of many who had beenconvinced that the election wouldmark a change in the overall politicalconstellation. After weeks ofnegotiations with other parties, theÖVP-Freedom Party coalition was setto continue, the only considerabledifference being that the losses of theFreedom Party resulted in a greaterdominance of the ÖVP against a now

smaller and less significant juniorparty. A new difference was tomanifest itself in the longer term.Schüssel appeared to become evermore forthright in his views anddetermination with regard tosensitive issues, not least thoserelated to national security. Thisattitude was perceived by many asarrogant, even wholly out of touch.

One such example was highlightedmonths after the election victory in2002, in which Schüssel citedelements of Austria’s neutral standingas being outdated, an opinion that hita sour note with many, both on theleft as well as the right. Anothercontroversial issue was that of theordering of the Eurofighter jets, apurchase regarded by many as aninappropriate extravagance, andindeed one that created one of thefirst major tests of endurance for therelatively recently formed GrandCoalition.

In the months leading towards theautumn election of 2006, a financialscandal involving a major bank withparticularly strong SPÖ affiliationsled some to believe that Schüssel’sre-election chances were fairlycertain. To the great surprise of many,this was not to be; his party wasnarrowly beaten into second place.Since handing over the reins ofchancellorship as well as theleadership of the ÖVP earlier thisyear, Schüssel retains a stronginfluence within the ÖVP by virtue ofhis position as chief party

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A major factor in the breakdown of negotiations for a grand coalition was the astuteoffer of the chancellorship by the chairman of the FPÖ, Jörg Haider, to Schüssel,enabling him to achieve his long-harboured ambition although he had only comethird in the election of 2005. The defeat of 2006 had been foreshadowed by the lossof the elections to the diets of the provinces Salzburg and Styria, former strongholdsof the ÖVP. This had also meant the loss of the Government’s majority in the secondchamber, the Bundestag. His incompetent FPÖ ministers and a more than unpopularminister of education and his habit of keeping silent on important issues for as long aspossible, had long damaged his reputation. On the other hand, by excluding Haiderfrom the cabinet and in fact relegating him to Carinthia, he substantially reducedHaider’s political standing to the present 4% of the BZÖ, the new Haider party. Bytaking the right wing of the spectrum it was finally possible to settle most of the theirksome issues of restitution and settlement of claims by the victims of Nazi persecution.I contend that this was partly due to the sanctions and the fact that in a grandcoalition, both parties were always vying for the votes of the extreme right andconsequently delayed or avoided relevant measures and legislation.

crossways resident historian Fred Gruber adds:

spokesman. A determined anddiligent individual whose career hasbeen shaped by a considerablenumber of calculated risks, Schüsselshows little sign of tiring of politics, �

On Thursday, 11 October,girls from the 1st ViennaGuides entertained members of the Christ Churchcongregation in the British Embassy’s conference room.We were greeted by the Head Guide and her aides invitedus to be seated at a table laden with a deliciousassortment of home-baked cream cakes, sweets andbiscuits helped along by coffee and tea.

After animated conversation followed an hour ofenjoyable musical entertainment ranging from recorder,

guitar, piano and trumpet, to song and dance, mimic by a budding MarcelMarceau and ending with a rendering of Edelweiß sung by the Guideschorusline. Most impressive was the assured and relaxed manner in whichthese young ladies succeeded in putting their guests at ease, under theguidance and encouragement of Claire Ledward and Cheryl Eedes. Well done!

and, one might argue, only time willtell whether this year, 2007, canindeed be described as the yearwhich marked the beginning of theend of his political era.

Tea with the Guides

Faith Schultze

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Bishop Pierre Whalon of the convocationof American churches in Europe will beconducting the confirmation at ChristChurch this year. Pierre Whalon was bornon 12 November 1952 in Newport, RhodeIsland. He received the Baccalauréatphilosophie, in Caen, France in 1972 and tooka Bachelor of Music degree from BostonUniversity in 1974. He was awarded theDiplôme supérieur, Harmonie et Contrepoint,from the Schola Cantorum in Paris, France in1977, followed by a Master of Sacred Musicfrom Duquesne University in 1981. He is agraduate of Virginia Theological Seminary,earning the Master of Divinity degree, cumlaude, in 1985.

Bishop Whalon was ordained Deacon in June 1985 and Priest in December1985. From 1985 to 1991, he was Rector of All Souls, in North Versailles,Pennsylvania. He then served as rector of St Paul’s, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania,from 1991 to 1993. His last parish position was serving as rector of St Andrew’sChurch and School in Fort Pierce, Florida. He was elected Bishop of theConvocation of American Churches in Europe in June 2001 and consecratedin Rome, November 2001, at St Paul’s-within-the-Walls.

A columnist for Anglicans Online since 1999, he has also been a featurewriter for Tribune 2000 (a Paris-based, liberal Roman Catholic magazine inFrench) and has published a number of articles and book reviews in both

Anglican and secular publications.Bishop Whalon is a dual national of theUnited States and France and isbilingual in English and French. He hasstudied German, Russian, Latin, NewTestament Greek, and is currentlylearning Spanish. Since 1980 BishopWhalon has been married to MelindaJane McCulloch, also a musician. Theyhave one daughter, Marie-Noëlle. Inwhat spare time he has, he enjoysplaying the organ, fishing, writing,cooking, exercising, learning newlanguages, and the cinema.

Bishop Pierre Whalon

Information draw

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I had commented recently to the Chaplain aboutmy approach to prayer, and he invited me to putdown some aspects that might be of interest toothers at Christ Church.

Under the influence of my Aunt Anna, who was my“nanny” for many years (both parents were in thefashion trade in London), I said prayers every nightbefore going to bed. My Aunt taught me also to askfor guidance and help, and the importance of sayingthank you, even for very little things in my life.Fortunately, I have rarely asked or had to ask for

help, and only once on a life-threatening occasion. As I am still here …

The family went to church primarily at Christmas and Easter, so prayer forme became a personal matter—my attempt at talking directly to God. God (Irealize looking back) was even at a very early age abstract, of no morephysical form than terms like happiness or love, indeed strongly connectedwith these. Thus I would talk to God during the day whenever I felt like it,and never doubted a presence. Strangely, perhaps, I have always had a senseof “dialogue”.

I have regularly risen early but, because of one of our cats, I developed thehabit of waking up at around 3 a.m! The peace at that hour drew me tocontemplation, almost daily. I used the communion service (1928 version),with the copy my Aunt gave me as a child, as the entry point for my informalmeditation. It served to initiate the “dialogue”—unhurried and relaxing. Therewas no topic of daily life that I ever felt I could not touch upon. After whichand a cup of tea, I returned to bed for the next cycle of sleep!

About five years ago, the family suffered injury from someone who ought tohave been a friend. I was very angry, even thinking of revenge—of coursevery un-Christian, but it is surprising how blind one can become. The topicbecame a major focus of the dialogue for some years before I foundequilibrium and a measured approach to a situation that is now being quietlyresolved. It was a real battle within myself, the dialogue taking a form bestdescribed by the old fashioned term “a disputation”. I slowly came tounderstand that revenge breeds an endless energy-wasting cycle of actionsthat may even harm the initiator more than the perceived adversary. I leavethe reader to consider how this personal form of prayer, the dialogue, servedto guide and help me: I believe it was essential.

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On 17 October, members of the Christ Church congregation,as well as others associated with our church in one capacityor another, were treated to a highly entertaining evening atthe beautiful home of Faith Schultze. Once we were allcomfortably seated and fortified with refreshments, we hearda fascinating talk by Dr. Eleonore Biber on “Genteelspinsters, smart ladies and female sleuths”. Dr. Biber, anexpert on crime and mystery novels, had met personallyseveral of the writers—mainly, but not exclusively, female—whose works she talked about with considerable animationand obvious enthusiasm. The books she chose to illustrateher talk were well known to many of us, and it wasfascinating to follow her exposé of the personalities of well-known fictional detectives. In deference to our chaplain andhis wife, who were among the audience, she touched on anumber of crime novels with a church setting that added tothe mystique of the plot. Humerous, lively and insightful,Dr. Biber’s talk as well as the discussion that followed, lefta smile on the faces of all those sitting around her.

Although we had been promised no more than ‘snacks’, wewere presented with a magnificent spread of finger-foodsafter the talk, and had an opportunity to meet old friendsas well as some new ones. Before supper, the Ven. PatrickCurran invited us to recite the Lord’s Prayer together. Hethanked both Eleonore and Faith on our behalf for athoroughly enjoyable evening. Driving home, friends of ourswho were visiting from England commented wistfully on“how nice it must be to form part of such a friendly andinteresting community”.

NEXT EVENT: House Concert at the home of Christina and MikeStevens (1, Rathausstraße 7/63), on Saturday, 10 November. Christinaasks that guests arrive at 15.45 for a 16.00 start. The concert andentertainment will be given by Christ Church Choir and their manymusical friends, and will comprise a melange of instrumental and vocalitems in classical, popular and traditional modes to suit all tastes. Cost:12 Euros (including drinks and finger-food). Please contact Christinaon tel: 2600-21051 (A0643 in the VIC) for tickets. Profits go to ChristChurch projects.

an evening of crime

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A regular series of short articles that focus on different parts of theworldwide church each month; bringing news as well as a prayer of orfor the area concerned. The following article was prepared before thelatest tragic events in where numerous Buddhist monks lost their livesin the fight for democracy and freedom for the people of Myanmar.

Diversity is key in describingMyanmar, which stretches from theHimalayas in the north to a tropicalarchipelago 1,200 miles to the south.Dominated by both the northernmountains and the plains of theIrrawaddy river in the centrallowlands, its 47.5million peoplecome from 150 different ethnicgroups and speak 135 differentlanguages. The people groups varyin size from the Burmans who makeup two-thirds of the population to themany smaller tribes living mainly inthe hills, including the Shan, Karen,Arakanese, Chin, Kachin and Monpeoples. Influential Chinese andIndian communities live in the majorcities—the majority of the populationlives in rural areas, but there is anincreasing trend towardsurbanisation.

The Mons were dominant until the9th century, when the Burmansmoved down from Tibet and settledin the Irrawaddy Valley. Since then,there have been many ethnicconflicts and changes of powerbalance, including British influencefrom 1824 until independence in1948 (apart from 3 years followingthe 1942 Japanese invasion). Ademocratic republic was establishedin 1948 but a military coup in 1962paved the way for a one-partySocialist Republic. The presentgovernment, currently known as theState Peace and DevelopmentCouncil, took power in 1988, and in1989 changed the country’s namefrom Burma to Myanmar (the changeis not universally recognised). AungSan Suu Kyi, daughter ofindependence fighter Aung San,emerged as the new oppositionleader. In the 1990 election her partywon 85 per cent of the vote, but themilitary government refused to handover power. She has mostly beensubject to house arrest since then.

Theravada Buddhism dominates withan 86per cent following. Estimates ofother major faiths are Christian 6percent, Muslim 3per cent, Animism2per cent and Hindu 0.5per cent.Buddhism is no longer the state

MYANMAR

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Information compiled in May 2007 from various sources, by the Revd. Mary J. Vickers, from whomfurther information may be available. Contact her by Email at: mpvmailbox-wcf@yahoo.co.uk WorldChurch Focus is produced as a resource for local churches, and is partly funded by Christians Aware(www.christiansaware.co.uk) Articles can be reproduced in church magazines, prayer letters, sermons,etc, but wider use needs permission from Mary Vickers who owns the copyright.

Pray for: those who lost their lives during the recent civil protest as well as theirgrieving families; unity and increased working together among the different churchgroupings; those working in Bible translation; the poor and those working amongthem; improved international relationships and understanding; and for continued

growth and witness of a relatively isolated Church.

religion, but it still has great influencein the life of the country. Althoughthere is freedom of religion, convertsto Christianity may face difficultiesin their own communities and, aspolitical involvement is not allowed,the Church can face difficulties infulfilling its mission where issues ofpoverty and the place of Christianswithin society are involved. Thechurch is built on foundations laidby Adoniram Judson, an AmericanBaptist missionary who arrived in1813. His work was slow and difficultamong the Burman people, but waswell accepted among the Karen andother ethnic minority groups. Thefirst Anglican priests arrived in 1825,not as missionaries but as armychaplains. The first Anglican Diocesewas formed in 1877, as part of theProvince of Calcutta, with the firstnative Burmese ordained in 1877,and the first native Karen in 1878.The Anglican ‘Province of Myanmar(Burma)’ was formed in 1970, andnow has 6 dioceses. Foreignmissionaries were expelled in 1966,but national Christians continued thework, often under intense pressure,

and the Church has grown. Baptists,Assemblies of God, Methodists andAnglicans are the largestdenominations.

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Dates for yDates for yDates for yDates for yDates for your Diarour Diarour Diarour Diarour Diaryyyyy

date time event

Nov. 1 (Thurs) 10.00 All Saints’ Day Sung EucharistNov. 2 (Fri) 18.00 Prayers for the DepartedNov.4 (Sun) 18.00 Choral Evensong with Bishop GabrielNov. 9 (Fri) 19.30 Taizé WorshipNov. 10 (Sat) 15.45 House Concert at the Stevens’Nov. 11 (Sun) 10.50 Remembrance Day ServiceNov.12 (Mon) 19.00 Film: Operation Spring – Prison VisitorsNov. 14 (Wed) 19.00 Prayer Ministry – Topic DariusNov. 15 (Thurs) 17.45 Chaplain to present the report ‘Faithful

Cities’ at the NationalbibliothekNov. 17 (Sat) 10.00 to Workshop with Bishop Pierre Whalon

15.00 ‘How to read the bible’18.00 Bring and share supper at the Sandbergs’

Nov. 18 (Sun) 10.00 Confirmation with Bishop Pierre Whalon18.00 Organ Concert: Emanuel and Lourenco

Nov. 21 (Wed) 19.00 Church CouncilNov.22 (Thurs) 18.30 Reading Group ‘Sky Burial’ by XinranNov. 24 (Sat) 19.00 Messiah sing-along, Dorotheergasse 18December 1 (Sat) BazaarDecember 2 (Sun) 18.00 Advent Carol ServiceDecember 4 (Tues) 19.00 Dr. Förster ‘Christmas: a comedy of errors?’December 5 (Wed) 19.00 Ministry Committee meetingDecember 7 (Fri) 19.30 Taizé WorshipDecember 9 (Sun) 10.00 Preacher: Oberkirchenrat Dr. M. Bünker

16.00 Brian Attwell Sing-alongDecember 14 (Fri) 18.30 Christmas Carols sing-along and bring and

share at Mariedl Page’sDecember 15 (Sat) 14.30 Farewell service for Bishop Bernhard Heitz

at San Salvator ChurchDec. 16 (Sun) 10.00 Sunday school Nativity Play

18.00 Nine Lessons and CarolsDec.20 (Thurs) 18.00 tbc Christmas Service in KlagenfurtDec.24 (Mon) 22.45 Christmas Eve Midnight MassDec.25 (Tues) 10.00 Christmas Day Sung Eucharist with carolsJanuary 16 (Wed) 19.00 Church CouncilJanuary 17 (Thurs) 19.00 Ecumenical Service for the ‘Tag des

Judentums’ at Christ Church; PreacherBishop Heitz

January 18-25 The Week of Prayer for Christian UnityJanuary 20 (Sun) 10.00 Preacher: Dorothea Haspelmath-Finatti

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A rash SarahAargh! HagarBrake! Eh? RebekahHeal LeahA tram TamarRim aim MiriamBad hero DeborahHide all DelilahAmino NaomiSabbath, eh? BathshebaThrees Esther

Bite heals ElisabethAt harm MarthaCars do DorcasDaily LydiaClips rail PriscillaSoil LoisHas a dash HadassahRap a ship SapphiraHabitat TabithaHash tune Nehushta

Solution to last month’s anagram quiz: Women in the Bible

Bei Unzustellbarkeit an Absender zurück:

Return address if not claimed:

Christ Church Vienna, c/o British Embassy

A-1030 Vienna, Jaurèsgasse 12

www.christchurchvienna.org