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English-language Anglican worship in the Frauenkirche, Dresden

The Frauenkirche in Dresden is an 18^th century Protestant Church featuring a 96m high dome resting on eight slender pillars. It was severely damaged during allied bombing raids on the city on 13^th February 1945 and collapsed two days later. Because, following the end of World War Two, Dresden was situated in the Soviet zone of occupation which became the satellite communist state of East Germany, no efforts were made by the authorities to rebuild the Church. Instead, in 1966, the ruins were declared a ‘memorial against war’.

Following the collapse of communism and the reunification of Germany, quite appropriately 25 years ago today 🙂 , a society was formed to promote the rebuilding of the Frauenkirche and to raise funds to finance the project. Reconstruction commenced at the beginning of 1993 and was completed in 2005. The tenth anniversary of the consecration of the rebuilt Church will be celebrated at the end of this month on 30^th October.

From the outset of the rebuilding project, very strong links have been established between the Frauenkirche and Coventry Cathedral, through the Community of the Cross of Nails. Their shared experience of the devastation caused by bombing during the Second World War, means that they both are involved in the work of reconciliation and the Coventry Litany of Reconciliation is used regularly at the Frauenkirche.

Since soon after the consecration of the rebuilt Frauenkirche, once a month, on a Sunday evening, an English-language Anglican service of Evening Prayer has been held. This has been under the auspices of the Berlin Anglican Chaplaincy, in particular the Assistant Chaplain, Rev’d Dr Irene Ahrens. She doesn’t always officiate as sometimes there are guest Anglican clergy from England, invited to take the service and preach. But she has overall responsibility to ensure things run smoothly!

Interior of the Frauenkirche © Ricky Yates

Earlier this year, Irene contacted me, asking if I would be willing to take on her role from the beginning of 2016. She only works in a voluntary capacity; she is now 75 years old and her husband has had serious health issues in recent months. So during the week that Lea Williams was with me on placement back in early July, we spent the day in Dresden, meeting both Protestant Pastors, Holger Treutmann and Sebastian Feydt, together with their administrator Monika Schneider.

During our visit, we were given our own private tour of the amazing Church building, including parts that the average tourist or worshipper, never gets to see. We also spent time in their administrative offices just round the corner from the Church, discussing what normally happens each month at the Anglican service and enabling me to ask certain pertinent questions as to what to expect. All three were most pleased to discover my Coventry connections, being born and educated in the city.

Following further email exchanges and phone conversations, including one phone call when I was sitting in my hospital bed, it was agreed I would officiate at the service on the evening of Sunday 20^th September. The original plan was for Irene to be there with me, to guide me as what to expect and show how things are normally done. Unfortunately, her husband’s continued ill health meant she was unable to attend.

Decorated ceiling of the dome of the Frauenkirche © Ricky Yates

On Sunday 20^th, after both attending the Czech Protestant service, (to make a presentation to Pastor Eva who was retiring), and celebrating the Eucharist with the Prague Anglican congregation, I set out for Dresden by train, as my car was out of action having a new clutch installed & two new sections of exhaust fitted. Unfortunately, the train arrived late from Budapest and left Prague fifteen minutes later than it was meant to do so. It was then held up for a further twenty minutes just over the German border, by a broken-down train ahead of us. Thus I had a bit of a rush to get from Dresden Hauptbahnhof to the Frauenkirche.

Yours truly in the Frauenkirche following the service © Ricky Yates

Upon arrival at 17.30, feeling somewhat flustered by my delayed train journey, I was made welcome by a verger, who took me to the vestry where Pfarrer Sebastian Feydt and Monika Schneider were waiting for me, together with the organist, Daniel Clark. Having talked me through what was expected, they all went off to sit in the congregation, except for the organist who disappeared to the organ loft.

There was a congregation of around one hundred. As I discovered as I shook hands with people at the door following the service, they were a mixture of regular attending English-speakers, Germans with varying amounts of English – several wished me ‘Schönes abend’ as they left, together with English-speaking tourists from around the world. With Pfarrer Sebastian Feydt in the congregation, I did feel a little as though I was ‘preaching with a view’, as happens in some Protestant denominations. But he was very positive following the service and seems very pleased about me taking on the role of overseeing the English-language Anglican service.

Having successfully officiated in September, I’m next due in Dresden in December when the service will be one of Lessons and Carols. It will be Irene’s farewell service and our Diocesan Bishop Rt Rev’d Dr Robert Innes will also be present. Then from January, it will be over to me!

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would get to lead worship and preach in the Dresden Frauenkirche, yet alone on a regular basis. Maybe I need to change the title of this blog to ‘Ricky Yates – an Anglican in Prague and Dresden 🙂

The Frauenkirche looking across the River Elbe © Ricky Yates

Only in the Czech Republic…..

You are entering the Czech Republic © Ricky Yates

I am very aware that in July and August, I only managed to publish three posts here on my blog. And I also note that today, half of September will have passed without anything being published either. My two excuses are the very hot weather that we experienced during nearly all of both summer months, together with my hospitalisation at the beginning of August and having to attend umpteen subsequent medical appointments.

This post is the beginning of my attempt to start writing and publishing regularly once again. I hope my readers will forgive its slightly more frivolous nature – I do also have planned some more serious subjects to blog about in due course.

‘Only in the Czech Republic’, is the usual comment Sybille and I make, when we see something that is so typically Czech, yet would cause shock and surprise in most other cultures. The sights I describe in this post, all fall into this category and were all observed during the recent very hot and sticky weather in August.

One Saturday morning, we made our regular weekly visit to the Farmer’s Market at Vítezné námestí. Because of the exceptionally hot weather, the Prague 6 authorities, as well as providing a water supply to the stalls needing one, had also set up a rotating fountain on the grassy area behind the stalls. That Saturday morning, there were numerous children ranging in age from approximately three to nine, thoroughly enjoying themselves by running in and out of the water being sprayed. And they were all, without exception, not wearing a single item of clothing. Judging by their skin colour and lack of tan lines, it is what they had been doing all summer.

Their parents were, no doubt, amongst those adults sitting under the nearby trees. But there were no irrational fears of paedophiles taking photographs or abducting a child. Children were being allowed to be children – totally unselfconsciously enjoying themselves.

I have frequently commented in this blog and in conversation, on how well so many Czech women hold their age. When seeing three generations out together, with the new mother pushing the buggy/stroller and her mother alongside, it is frequently difficult to believe that there is actually a generation between the two ladies.

However, on that same Saturday morning at the Farmer’s Market, there was a lady who I’m convinced was, like me, the wrong side of sixty. Yet she was wearing a sun dress held up by two straps no wider than shoes laces, revealing bare arms and shoulders and with a hemline that finished somewhere above mid-thigh. Whilst the weather was very hot and sticky, it still was an ‘only in the Czech Republic’ sight.

One very positive aspect of the Czech relaxed attitude to the human body, is that women can freely breastfeed, without anyone batting an eyelid. One evening during August, Sybille and I were sitting in the beer garden of Bar-Restaurace U Pramene, when two couples came in and sat at a nearby table. One couple, without children, sat on one side, whilst the other couple with a young child and a baby, sat on the other side.

As all the adults were enjoying their beers and the young child her soft drink, the baby started making a noise. So the mother just unbuttoned the top of her dress, got her breast out, lifted the baby from its buggy/stroller, and began to breastfeed him/her. But whilst doing so, she also happily continued drinking her beer! A most interesting way to give the baby an introduction to what Czech people call tekutý chléb / liquid bread 🙂

As I wrote in my most famous blog post, ‘How to be Czech in 10 easy steps‘ under point three, one aspect of ‘dressing Czech’ for ladies, is showing a rather large amount of cleavage. As I wrote there, this is look not just reserved for a romantic evening with your husband or boyfriend, but can often be seen being worn in situations which can seem a little inappropriate.

Our host Ceskobratrská církve evangelické / Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren congregation at Kostel sv Klimenta / St Clement’s Church, have a practice of a leading lay person, (I presume, an elected elder), being up front with the Pastor, helping to lead worship each Sunday. At the end of their service, this person always stands with the Pastor at the back of the Church, shaking hands and talking to the congregation as they leave. It is while this is happening that I, along with my helpers, slip into the building to start setting up for our service.

On the last Sunday in August, the lay leader was a lady, probably in her mid forties. She was wearing a summer dress which was quite long by normal Czech standards, the hemline finishing a little below her knees. But in total contrast, the neckline of her dress plunged at the centre, displaying a considerable amount of cleavage! Nice to wear when sunning oneself on the banks of the Vltava, but up front in Church, helping lead worship? Only in the Czech Republic!

That was the week that was

Last Sunday morning (2^nd August), I was getting dressed, ready to travel by tram into central Prague for our Sung Eucharist at St. Clement’s, when I became extremely breathless. Sybille describes me as ‘hyperventilating’ and I honestly thought I was about to faint. After sitting still for about five minutes, the breathlessness eased. However, by that time, I’d missed the tram I was going to catch, so we agreed instead, that I would drive us to Church as I seemed to be OK when sitting. Knowing what we know now, it was a daft decision!

I somehow managed to both celebrate the Eucharist and preach. But I had great difficulty singing the hymns and other sung parts of our liturgy. I have never missed a Sunday service through ill health in the nearly seven years I’ve been in Prague and I was determined that that record was not going to be broken. But it remains a miracle that I ever completed the service.

Following post-service refreshments, I managed to drive us both home and walk to a nearby bar-restaurant garden for lunch. But I spent most of the rest of the day resting, planning to visit my GP, first-thing on Monday morning.

My GP practice is based three tram stops away from the Chaplaincy flat at Vítezné námestí. It is called Young & Co, as the practice was founded and is headed by Dr. Adriana Youngová, a female Czech GP who is married to an Englishman, Timothy Young, hence her unusual surname. No Czech surname begins with the letter ‘Y’ which has caused me problems on numerous occasions. So I find it quite amusing that the head of my Czech GP practice, courtesy of her marriage, now has the same problem as I do 🙂 One bonus is that all the surgery staff, know how to pronounce my surname correctly, because of their boss!

On the morning of Monday 3^rd August, I was seen by another of the practice GPs, Dr. Hana Škodová. She asked me lots of questions and along with Sybille, seemed somewhat mystified that I had no other symptoms other than being breathless. The practice nurse took blood from me so that various tests could be made. This was the first of what seems like umpteen needles that have been stuck into me this past week, either to extract blood or inject me with various substances. ‘Pin cushion’ probably best describes how my body currently feels 🙁 I was also sent off to have my chest x-rayed and told that I would receive a phone call later in the day, once the first results of my blood tests were available.

Early on Monday afternoon, the phone rang. It was my GP surgery. One result from the first blood tests indicated that I almost certainly had a pulmonary embolism – a blood clot in my lung. I was to call an ambulance and get myself to the nearest hospital emergency department ASAP! The surgery kindly emailed me the test results, with the offending result highlighted in red, so I could print them off and have something to give to both the ambulance and hospital staff.

Sybille helped me pack a bag, presuming that I would be spending a few nights in hospital and also called the ambulance. Despite being able to walk into the ambulance, the driver decided I was an emergency case and proceeded to drive me to hospital at high speed with siren blaring and blue lights flashing! So I arrived in the Emergency Department of Vojenská Nemocnice, the Military Hospital.

Once again, needles were stuck into me and blood was taken for more tests. When the results of these tests came back, confirming everything the GP surgery had discovered, I was then sent for a CT scan. Iodine was injected into me 🙁 , to enable clearer scan definitions, and the machine itself, kindly spoke to me in English, telling me when to hold my breath and when to breathe out.

I was wheeled back to the Emergency Department where the Doctor told me, even though she had yet to look at the scan results, the technicians had confirmed that I had a huge pulmonary embolism. I was to be immediately admitted to a cardiology ward of the hospital.

Therefore I spent from late afternoon on Monday 3^rd, to just before lunchtime on Wednesday 5^th August, as a cardiac patient of Vojenská Nemocnice, the Military Hospital. During that time, I started receiving twice daily injections into my lower abdomen, as well as taking a once daily tablet of warfarin, both with the intention of thinning my blood and helping the embolism to break up and disperse.

On the morning of Tuesday 4^th August, I had an ultra sound scan of my heart which showed it to be in good order, other than a slightly enlarged right ventricle, caused by the embolism. One of the encouraging things that has come out of this whole experience is that nearly every test has shown that my body is in good order. My blood pressure is fine, my kidneys are working normally, and my heart has no problems.

However, on Tuesday afternoon, I had a further ultra sound scan of the lower part of both of my legs. Whilst my right leg is completely OK, unfortunately the scan found several thrombosis in the calf of my left leg. It was one of these that decided to leave the lower part of my left leg, and become an embolism in my lung 🙁

Ten years ago, in 2005, I had a thrombosis behind my left knee. But after treatment with warfarin, it completely dispersed and a year later, I was once more allowed to be a blood donor. Therefore the medics are still unclear as to why this problem should have reoccurred, when my left leg has been perfectly fine for the past ten years.

Late on the morning of Wednesday 5^th August, I was discharged from hospital. I was given:

A prescription for further twice daily injections into my lower abdomen, the last of which is due to be administered tomorrow morning. I’m grateful to be married to a former nurse who has been administering these, rather than having to do so myself.

A prescription for warfarin tablets, currently to be taken once daily, first thing in the morning.

A prescription for full length compression stockings for both of my legs.

A three page report, outlining what had been discovered about me during my hospitalisation, and outlining various courses of action for my GP.

On Thursday 6^th August, I once more met with Dr. Hana Škodová. She explained the contents of the report and the whole variety of further tests that I need to have in the coming weeks. Once more I had blood taken, to check my INR level – to decide the exact amount of warfarin I need to take to thin my blood sufficiently, without becoming so thin that I bleed too easily. I’m due back to see her tomorrow morning.

So after a very eventful week, I am grateful:

Just to be alive! Untreated, what happened could easily have killed me.
For wonderful, high quality medical care, totally free of charge, because I and the Church as my employer, pay into a compulsory health care scheme.
For the prayers and best wishes of so many people.

What does in mean for my future?:

That I will have to take warfarin, ‘rat poison’ as Sybille calls it, for the rest of my life.
That I will now have to be very careful not to cut or injure myself as it will be far more difficult to get any wound to heal.
The end of my cricket playing career as I cannot put myself at risk of being hit by a cricket ball. Therefore keeping wicket for Prague Barbarians CC on Saturday 18^th July will go down as my last appearance as a player on the cricket field. Whilst we lost that match against Vinohrady CC, I didn’t let a single bye, so it is an appropriate note on which to end my career.

One final note:

Last Friday, if my arithmetic is correct, I passed the age my mother was when she died in April 1980. But my experience this past week, has been an important reminder of my own mortality. I, and every other human being on this planet, will not live forever. All of us need to live our lives in recognition of that important fact.

Lea Williams – an Anglican ordinand in Prague

Lea with me in the chancel of St Clement's Church © Sybille Yates — Lea with me in the chancel of St Clement’s Church © Sybille Yates

From the morning of Sunday 5^th July, through to the morning of Monday 13^th July, Sybille and I had the pleasure of having Lea Williams staying with us at the Chaplaincy Flat, as part of his ‘Long Summer Placement’. Lea is training for ordained ministry in the Church of England at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, just outside Oxford. As part of his training, he is required to spend at least four weeks, gaining experience in a parish setting, in advance of his final year of theological study.

Because prior to commencing studying at Cuddesdon, Lea had worked for three years in a parish setting as a full-time Children’s Worker, it was thought that he ought to experience a contrasting setting for his ‘Long Summer Placement’. Therefore, the recently appointed new principal of Cuddesdon, Bishop Humphrey Southern, suggested Lea should go and spend his time with my colleague Rev’d Clive Fairclough, the Anglican Chaplain in Moscow. Clive had been Bishop Humphrey’s curate when Humphrey was an Incumbent in the Diocese of Salisbury. But because Clive and his wife Joanna, could only host Lea for three weeks, it was agreed that he should spend the balance of his placement time with me.

Observant readers of my blog may have noticed that I mentioned enjoying lunch and having meetings at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, during my recent visit to the UK at the beginning of June. This was in order to meet with the Placements Tutor, Rev’d Dr Jane Baum, as well as to discuss practicalities and expectations with Lea. But at this point, I should say that I already knew Lea and his Czech wife Petra, because I conducted their wedding at Bouzov Castle near Olomouc, in July 2009. It was, as the blogpost is entitled, ‘My first Czech Wedding‘ 🙂

As explained in a most helpful booklet produced by Ripon College, Cuddesdon, the placement is, ‘a significant milestone in the transition from lay to ordained ministry. It is a chance for the student to observe and experience for themselves the role of an ordained minister, and to reflect on what it will be like for them to exercise this role.’ Whilst the eight days Lea was with me were far from being typical, there were fortunately, plenty of interesting things going on. And I hope that he gained some insight into what is like being an ordained priest in charge of a continental European Chaplaincy.

Whilst Lea is on placement, (I use the present tense because he is currently in Moscow until early August), Petra, together with their two children, is staying with her father and other family members in Olomouc. On the morning of Sunday 5^th July, Lea travelled by train from Olomouc to Prague, to be at our 11.00 Sung Eucharist. He then travelled with me all the way to Brno, for the regular monthly evening service there, at which he led intercessions, before we made the return journey together back to Prague. As a result, Lea did see rather a lot of the Czech Republic in one day!

On Monday 6^th July, we attended a whole series of events marking the sixth hundredth anniversary of the martyrdom of Jan Hus about which there will be a separate blog post shortly. Tuesday 7^th was mainly taken up with admin, whilst we took Wednesday 8^th as our ‘day off’.

We spent Thursday 9^th in Dresden, visiting the Frauenkirche and meeting the two Protestant Ministers who work there. This was the first step in preparation for me taking responsibility, from January 2016, for the monthly English Anglican service that is held there on the third Sunday evening of each month. This is also to be the subject of another blog post 🙂

Then we spent Friday morning, attending the last part of the Fifth Conference of representatives of the Cross of Nails Community in Central and Eastern Europe which was being held in Prague that week. The conference ended with a Festive Service at which the Dean of Coventry Cathedral, Very Rev’d John Witcombe, gave a address on the theme, ’75 Years of Peace Efforts by Coventry Cathedral – Turning enemies into friends’. This in turn, will be the subject of a third forthcoming blog post!

Lea’s Prague placement culminated with him being the preacher at our 11.00 Sung Eucharist on Sunday 12^th July. He experienced what I often call the ‘Discipline of the Lectionary’ in that the Gospel reading set was Mark 6. 14-29, which tells the rather unedifying story of the beheading of John the Baptist. But he bravely tackled the story head-on and received much positive feedback from several members of the congregation who I asked to complete ‘Sermon Evaluation Sheets’ for him. We posed for the photograph at the beginning of this post, in the chancel of St Clement’s Church, following the service.

However, it wasn’t all work. Being married to a Czech lady, Lea was already aware of the delights of Czech beer. Here he is, enjoying another 0.5l of his favourite Cerný Kozel.

Lea enjoying his dark beer © Ricky Yates

It’s too darn hot!

The temperature in Prague today © Ricky Yates

My sincere apologies for the absence of a fresh blog post for over three weeks. It isn’t as though there is a lack of things to write about – quite the reverse. July 2015 has been far busier than than my previous Julys in Prague and I’ve got at least four prospective posts to compile. But the real problem has been the weather. In the words of Cole Porter and best known for being sung by Ella Fitzgerald, ‘It’s too darn hot!’

Sybille frequently describes the summer weather pattern in Prague as being pleasantly warm, followed by getting hotter, then much hotter, before there is a major heavy thundery downpour and the temperature returns to being pleasantly warm. After that, the same cycle resumes. But this year, especially since the beginning of July, the weather has been very hot and sticky with little or no relief and hardly any rainfall. According to news reports I read today, river levels and ground water levels in the Czech Republic are very low and the prevailing conditions are being described as a drought – the worst the country has experienced since 2003.

The weather has made even fulfilling my regular duties, a tiring exercise. As a result, rather than sitting down and compiling a coherent blogpost, all I’ve wanted to do each evening is either sit on the balcony and try to recover with a cool glass of wine, or head to the bedroom and lie down, with a total absence of the need of our duvet!

Today has almost certainly been the hottest day of the year so far. I took the photograph at the beginning of this post, of the clock and thermometer in my car, when I returned this afternoon, from conducting a wedding at Château Mcely, about seventy kilometres outside Prague. The thermometer actually reached thirty-eight degrees at one point but I was driving at the time and was therefore unable to photograph it. Currently my black clerical shirt is being washed in our washing machine, to remove a whole series of white sweat stains with which it had become decorated whilst I was officiating today.

According to the BBC weather forecast, we are promised some rain and reduction in temperature this coming weekend. But previous promises of rain and reduced temperatures have failed to materialise. As my wife often ironically comments, she doubts whether the Prague weather actually reads the BBC forecast 🙂

I do promise to start blogging properly once again, very soon, providing the Prague weather finally manages to return to something nearer to normality for July.