As we begin the season of Lent, we send greetings and ask for Blessings upon our Muslim friends and neighbours, entering the holy month of Ramadan.

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The work of the clinic is the result of a longstanding interfaith humanitarian partnership between the Diocese and the Ministry of Health in Aden.

Ras Morbat offers life-changing eye treatments where the local health system faces total collapse due to chronic underfunding; where the daily electricity supply is never guaranteed; and where there is constant political instability and potential for war.

Its patients are the poorest and most vulnerable in Aden, including internally displaced people and refugees.

As we marked the start of Lent with our Ash Wednesday service and the Imposition of Ashes, Fr Alec reminded us of Pope Leo’s message for Lent 2026.
The Pope urged us all to listen more closely to God and others – and to “disarm” our language by fasting from words that wound.

In this year of Jubilee, Bishop Sean invites the people of the Diocese to come together for monthly online services of Evening Prayer celebrating God’s blessings together in Christ.
Services will be held on the third Tuesday of each month.

Everyone is most welcome to join prayers tomorrow – 17 February 2026 6pm Cyprus time for the next of these services, led by Sneha Jeyaseelan (Ordinand: St Andrew Abu Dhabi).

For Zoom link and order of service, please visit https://www.cypgulf.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Diocesan-monthly-Evening-Prayer-2026-1.pdf

Evening Prayers for the months to come will be held at 6pm Cyprus time as follows:

17 March 2026 – Led by Bishop Sean
21 April 2026 – Led by Stanley Murthoti (Ordinand: Church of the Epiphany, Doha)
19 May 2026 – Led by Revd Maria Evangelou (Deacon: St Paul’s Cathedral, Nicosia)
16 June 2026 – Led by Sinan Hanna (Ordinand: St George’s, Baghdad)
21 July 2026 – Led by Revd Lesley Carr (Distinctive Deacon: Anglican Church of Paphos)
18 August 2026 – Led by Revd Henry Ikediego (Deacon: St Mark’s, Famagusta)
15 September 2026 – Led by Revd Rob Jones (Distinctive Deacon: St Christopher’s Cathedral, Bahrain)
20 October 2026 – Led by Beulah Miller (Lay Minister-in-Training: St Andrew’s, Abu Dhabi)
17 November 2026 – Led by Revd Christine Mbona (Associate Priest: St Paul’s, Kuwait)

MUSIC WEEK IS COMING – save the date!
In aid of
Tulips/Help Those With Cancer Association

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Ash Wednesday Service
10.30 Wednesday 18th February
Everyone is most welcome.

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Our Diocesan Synod was held in Bahrain this year and was a very special event.
Celebrating the past 50 years and very much looking to the future, Synod took place in an atmosphere of warm hospitality, friendship, unity and loving support.

Full reports of each day’s events – and more photos – are in the Diocesan website.

Here is a shorter report for St Andrew’s
Diocesan Synod 2026 – Parish Report

Link to the article: https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2026/30-january/news/world/diocese-of-cyprus-the-gulf-celebrates-50-years?utm_campaign=church-times&utm_medium=email&utm_edition=202601300130&utm_source=newsletter

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St Andrew’s was well represented at the Diocesan Jubilee Service at St Clement Danes in London, on Sunday.

Left to right. Rev Anthony Fletcher, former Chaplain at St. Andrew’s. 2000-2004.
Linda Smith, Anne Lloyd and Jeanette Burton – former Treasurer at St. Andrew’s during her time in Cyprus (1999-2009).

Many thanks to Linda Smith for sharing these great pictures of some fabulous St Andrew’s people, flying the flag for us and the Diocese over there in London.

DIOCESAN SYNOD 2026: LIVE-STREAMING OF SERVICES

If you would like to follow this year’s Synod worship, in Bahrain, the QR code below will connect to live-streaming of the following two services:

Synod Opening Eucharist on 2 February at 1530 (Bahrain) / 1430 (Cyprus)

Chrism Eucharist on 4 February at 1800 (Bahrain) / 1700 (Cyprus)

(The Synod services booklet will be available on the Diocesan website from Sunday, with notification to that effect posted on fb the same day.)

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