LORD GEORGE CAREY, former Archbishop of Canterbury and one of the most high profile figures of the Anglican Church, has been in the Algarve for a special ceremony to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the ordination of Chaplain Eric Britt, leader of the Anglican Church in the Algarve.
The Reverend Eric Britt renewed his vows at a special service held last Saturday at St Luke’s Church, located in the grounds of Monte da Palhagueira Retirement Village, which was attended by 120 people.
A “moving” sermon was delivered by Lord Carey, which is said to have been very much appreciated for its “relevancy to everyday life and for its humour”. The music at the service was provided by none other than the current Archbishop of Canterbury’s organist from Lambeth Palace, who flew out especially for the occasion.
A sumptuous lunch was enjoyed following the service, for which extensive preparations (including china being flown in from the UK) were made by Mrs. Cornelius Reed, owner of Monte da Palhagueira Village. Finally, it must also be mentioned that the day saw the blessing of the chapel’s new clock tower.
Former Archbishop honours old friend
The two men of the cloth have a long-standing friendship of some 30 years or more, which goes back to the Theological College, where Chaplain Eric Britt was a scholar and the former Archbishop was a teacher. It was there that the Reverend Britt was taught Greek by George Carey, some years before he was chosen to become Archbishop of Canterbury – a post he held between 1991 and 2002.
The Anglican Church in the Algarve has been established for around 42 years and has three churches here. Chaplain Eric Britt has been responsible for these parishes for the past four years.
