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LOOKING BACK

with the English Speaking Church of Andorra - St George's






    Worshipping in Erts Church – by John Pinnell


    For many years the English-speaking Church of Andorra, St George's, alternated between the very attractive (but rather inconvenient) chapel at Anyos, with its perfect setting on a sunny day for gathering both before and after a service, and the parish church in La Massana. Winter was Saturday services in La Massana – summer could be Sunday services at Anyos. Perhaps the best example of compromise was Harvest Festival outside Anyos chapel on a sunny (but quite cool) October morning with visitors from France (we had to be outside as there was simply not enough room inside).

    Over a year ago we were offered (and accepted) the use of Erts church of Sant Romà for all our services. We have yet to be privileged with the holding of a key (simply cutting a copy would exercise the normal local key-cutting service given the size of it). However, we do have the ability to store things there (using the confessional – which might make for a slightly awkward scene one day with the local parish priest). And we can get access beforehand to turn on the electric radiators (which, after many hours of patient work, do have an effect on the atmosphere – so long as we keep the front door shut as much as possible. So if Elsa appears to be guarding a closed door rather than welcoming potential worshippers it is all in the cause of warmth for all).

    The church is very simple – a little rectangle with a tiny bell tower and two glassless windows, protected by wooden shutters and iron rejas (bars), with a small gallery (whose stairs are treacherous for descending communicants from the choir). The seating is for about 40 (if we are not wearing winter coats and are prepared to be quite intimate). The benches are clearly designed for short sermons and rapid services – despite the provision by St George's Church of new cushions that certainly reduce the impact of sitting on a narrow bench. The highlight of the church, however, is its baroque altar piece; all carved out of wood and painted in bright colours including a liberal dusting of gold. A good feather-dusting might be of use as well as little more artistic lighting – but there it is, looking 17th century in style but possibly I might be told that it dates from the 18th century as that style took a while to migrate to the valleys of Andorra.

    The altar itself is very simple (and hidden below the hand-embroidered altar cloth that Elsa and Michael brought back from Peru). The whole atmosphere of the church is simplicity enhanced by the altar piece that dominates the background. Acoustics are fine – and nobody can be far enough away from the chaplain or warden conducting the service not to hear perfectly without amplification.

    We managed to fill the church to overflowing at least twice in our first year, and again in this, our second year. We have also managed to be a very small congregation indeed at other services. Regardless, the church serves us very well. Needless to say, for special occasions – especially the Christmas Eve carol service – we need to migrate to the parish church in La Massana. We borrowed that on one sad occasion last year for a funeral service and filled it. We are certainly anticipating being full to overflowing there for the coming Christmas Eve – as we were last year when Elsa helped borrow one hundred plastic chairs from the Comù (town hall) – almost all of which were filled.

    The parish has not asked for any rent for “our” church – but we have been making an increased annual contribution. We have also offered (and the offer has been accepted but the work at the time of writing is still pending) to renew the wiring and replace the electric radiators. We would be delighted to welcome readers of this newsletter who do not regularly join us – and would even understand were you to check first whether we had improved the heating…



    from The Churchwarden's annual Report 2010 – by Valerie Rymarenko

  • We held 3 church services/month, with variations at Christmas and Easter. We enjoy wonderful support from our visiting chaplains who come to celebrate Holy Communion.
  • Since the end of April, 2009, we have held 12 services of Holy Communion and our visiting chaplains have come from England and Wales, Catalonia and Mallorca, and from France.
  • Michael Derham and I alternate in organizing services. We have read 8 services of Morning Prayer – one very helpfully and well-led by Val Rylatt - and one service of Evensong and 10 services of Compline.
  • We are very grateful to the parish priest of La Massana, Mossèn Jordi Miquel, for giving us use of Erts Church since April 2008. The church is accessible, but very cold in winter, so we moved to Arinsal Church for the winter. Mn Jordi also allows us to use La Massana parish church: we have led a Songs of Praise service there, and a Christmas Eve service of Nine Lessons and Carols (attended by 200 adults and 40 children).
  • On Good Friday, 2010, we held our Tenebrae service at Arinsal Church. The Passion was read by six voices in a script beautifully presented as a spoken Mystery Play. On Easter Morning 20 of us braved the snows and celebrated our open-air Sunrise service in the mountains above Pal at 7:15am, led by John Pinnell. Marc Pìa managed to play the organ, despite falling snow.
  • Clare Allcard arranges funerals and does unstinting, dedicated work with grieving families. Mossèn Joan Fenosa took Joan McCarthy's funeral at Ordino Church, and Mossèn Anton took Nancy Loukes funeral at Meritxell Hospital Chapel.
  • We are fortunate to have Marc Pià as our regular, church organist. Gerry Scott, Andrew Leopard, and Robert Bailey have occasionally accompanied services.
  • In total, since the end of April 2009, St George's has held 35 worship services – an average of one service nearly every 11 days. The average attendance at Holy Communion was 26. Chaplains have taken Communion to 9 people unable to get to church. The average attendance at Mattins was 14. Children attended 12 services
  • Every Friday we have Bible Study led by me, Yen Tan or Jo Hine. Most visiting chaplains also lead Bible Study. We thank Mary Crowe for her great generosity in letting us use her home for Bible study until her health made this impossible. We now meet at the homes of other group members. By holding the range of worship services described, with both modern and traditional language, and with the support of very fine chaplains, I hope we have provided something for everyone and served as a church welcoming to all English-speakers, of many denominations, who want a centre of worship in Andorra. How has St George's been involved with the wider community? Through:
  • The yearly Christmas Charity Fair in La Massana on 29th November, 2009, made possible by the work of some 80 helpers, from both inside and outside the church, including Catalans and Andorrans. The Fair gives local enjoyment and raises a large sum for charity. The raffle ticket sellers worked very hard, and we raised €17,250, which was distributed to 10 local charities and the 2 supported by St George's: 'Infants del Món' and 'The Rural Development and Research Centre, Chiapas, S. Mexico'. Cheques were distributed to the charities at a cava and Christmas-foods party on 17th December, 2009, and real bonds of friendship are growing from this annual event.
  • Church stalls at the Car Boot Sale in Arinsal (June, 2009 – raising €600) and at the Arinsal Street Market (August, 2009 – raising €550).
  • Fellowship events with our chaplains - usually lunches in restaurants or pot-luck meals at the Hotel del Bisset, l'Aldosa. On 9th August, 2009 we held our annual church picnic in Mary Crowe's beautiful garden.
  • Clare Allcard is authorized by Meritxell Hospital to visit patients, and she is dedicated to doing this, especially for visitors and tourists in Andorra who are away from home and worried by the language. Other members of the church work quietly away doing charitable work in the community.
  • St George's has become involved in helping a member of the congregation through her cancer diagnosis and treatment, and in this cause we have experienced tremendous generosity from members of the congregation, people in Andorra, and abroad.
  • Through our Newsletters, we keep in touch with friends inside and outside Andorra, many of whom do not attend church.


from our newsletters, Michaelmas 2009 and Epiphany 2010



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In the Diocese in Europe: The English-Speaking Church of Andorra - St George's, Box 113 Credit Andorra, La Massana, Andorra



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