St Martha and St Mary's Anglican Church Leuven

Info

We are an international university parish in the Anglican Communion. Our services are Sunday-evenings from 6:30 pm and everyone is welcome to attend!

Geschiedenis

For newcomers, the following explanatory notes may be useful.

Sunday services

We organise either one or two Sunday services each week. Our main Sunday service of Holy Communion always takes place at 18u30 in the Kapel Justus-Lipsiuscollege, Minderbroedersstraat 15. It is a service especially aimed at students from KU Leuven and ETF Heverlee, with a variety of musical styles, a tradition of intellectual preaching and warm fellowship after the service. The basic language is English, but there is a lot of Dutch used during the service. There is a choir at this service which is always grateful to receive new members and which rehearses just before the service, at about 17u40. Once or twice each semester, we do not have Communion but "Dynamic Worship", which is a freer expression of Christian faith through art, poetry, sermon and music. We meet at 18u30 every Sunday of the year except for the two Sundays after Christmas and the Sundays in August. This service is always followed by coffee and cake, and a couple of times each semester we have popular bring-and-share/pot luck suppers after the service. M&Ms' chaplain is Jack McDonald, an Anglican priest who is also president of Belgian Anglicanism, canon theologian at Holy Trinity Anglican cathedral in Brussels and a professor at FPG Brussel and KUL. M&Ms also has a parish ordinand (priest in training), Jane McBride, who is also a student in the Faculteit Theologie KUL. Jane is in her second year of three years of full-time training, and is set to be ordained in summer 2017.

We also meet in the same place on the first Sunday of each month at 10u30 in the morning. This is an ecumenical service held with the Roman Catholic community at Justus-Lipsiuscollege. This Catholic congregation is led by Reimund Bieringer, a Catholic priest who is also a professor in the Faculteit Theologie KUL. Our rhythm is that these services alternate between a Roman Catholic service and an Anglican service, and our firm tradition is that all present at these services are warmly invited to receive Communion. This service is held in English, with a short sermon, and is ideal for young families, although everyone is welcome. This community is used to noisy children (even screaming children!), and people should feel no embarrassment in this area. M&Ms also worships with JLC each year on Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and for an Advent carol service.

More information is available in English and Dutch on the parish website: www.anglicanchurchleuven.be