What is St Mary’s?
St Mary’s is unique. We are the only English-speaking
church in Belgrade and the only Anglican presence in Serbia. Our worship
life centres around weekly celebration of the Holy Eucharist (also
known as the Lord’s Supper, Mass and Communion). However, as
a
community we endeavour to love God and
our neighbours every day – not just Sunday. Who goes?
People like you. Our congregation is made
up of locals and other Europeans, Africans
and Americans, Asians and Australians.
Some are born-and-bred Anglicans, but many of us come to St Mary’s
from other Christian denominations. Students, aid workers, diplomats,
children, journalists, mothers, footballers, executives, pensioners
and teachers all find their worship home with us. Our members speak
English as a first, second or even third language.
 Where
does the community meet?
The congregation is based in the Serbian capital,
Belgrade. We don’t have a church building of our own, so on
Sundays and feast days we meet in a chapel inside a downtown building
belonging to the Roman Catholic charity Caritas. Other times we
meet in each other’s homes.
What is the context?
Serbia, one of the countries of the former Yugoslavia,
is located in south-eastern Europe. The main faith here is Serbian
Orthodox Christianity, and
Serbian is the dominant language spoken. Belgrade, the ‘white
city’, with its 1.5 million inhabitants, was bombed by Nato
in 1999, and the scars still remain. But the reconstruction effort
continues and today Belgrade is better known for its bustling urban
café culture.
What is St Mary’s’ denominational affiliation?
We are part of the Anglican Communion, which has
70 million members worldwide. The Anglican Communion is made up
of 38 provinces overseen by the Archbishop of Canterbury, two of
which comprise our church, the Church of England. The Church of
England in turn consists of 44 dioceses, ours being the Diocese
in Europe, served by the Bishop of Gibraltar. This huge diocese
hosts seven archdeaconries, including ours, the Eastern Archdeaconry,
cared for by an Archdeacon based in Vienna. Finally, our archdeaconry
has about two dozen congregations, of 
which one is St Mary’s Belgrade!
What can I expect as a first-time visitor to St Mary’s?
You can expect a warm welcome, sincere worship
and a good cup of coffee with new English-speaking
friends. Please join us!
____________________________________________________________
|
