During this years Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Bishop Damien Mead travelled to Sicily to receive an Ecumenical Award and speak at a ceremony in Capo d’Orlando.
He also had the opportunity to visit with the Roman Catholic Parishes in the town. Fr Sebastiano – Roman Catholic Parish Priest of the Parish of Christ the King & St Lucy. Gave Bishop Damien a warm welcome and after attending Mass, he presented the Parish with an Icon of St Augustine of Canterbury.
For some years his parish and Bp Mead’s parish have been ecumenically twinned, with the blessing of The Most Revd Guglielmo Giombanco Bishop of Patti. It had been intended for Bp Mead to meet Monsignor Giombanco during his visit, but unfortunately the RC bishop tested positive for Covid-19 just before his arrival in Sicily and was not available. Fr Sebastiano has agreed to convey our greetings to his bishop soon.
It was also not possible to meet Fr Benedeto – Parish Priest of the Parish of St Anthony, which has joined our ecumenical association. However, Professor Antonio Matasso, who was responsible for these ecumenical endeavours, accepted the Icon on his behalf, in St Anthony’s Church.