St. Luke’s Palhagueria is the easternmost congregation. They are the only Algarve congregation to have their own consecrated Anglican building. The church is circular and was built as part of a compound of residential accommodation for older people. It is a beautiful worship space of which the congregation is rightly proud. 

We gathered to say evening prayer in the church. 

The Reverend Carla Vicencio Prior (on my left) arrived one year ago. She is bilingual, being of Portuguese origin but having ministered extensively in England. I was delighted to see how well loved she is by the congregation. 

The ‘middle’ community meets in a Roman Catholic Church in Boliqueime. I joined the community at the home of two of their members for a service of Morning Prayer, after which we drove to see a most remarkable community centre called Vale Silves. 

The main hall at Vale Silves seats 300 and we were going to join them for their Christmas lunch. The hall’s architect was the late husband of the centre’s director, Dr. Amanda. 

Dr. Amanda runs both the Centre and the outreach programmes based at it. These include work with deprived children and with isolated older adults. Dr. Amanda is holding a certificate to represent a £5000 gift from our Boliqueime community to the Centre. Dr Amanda runs the Centre on the basis of the two dominical commands of loving God and loving one’s neighbour as oneself, and evidence of faith-based mission was abundantly present. 

Underneath the hall is a huge, fully-equipped gym to help clients of the Centre stay fit and strong. There is also a pottery workshop, industrial laundry (so that clients can have their clothes and bedding washed), rooms for children and youth and a large outdoor play area. The Centre is non-residential. It provides daycare for children and outreach care for older people. Whilst many of the expats living in the Algarve are quite well off, there is significant poverty amongst local people in a society where wages and social security can be very low. 

I had the pleasure of presenting Christmas gifts donated by the church to some of the older clients. 

After an excellent Christmas lunch, entertainment was provided by the older clients... 

…followed by some of the youngest. 

I was very struck by the idea of looking after young children and very elderly adults in the same facility, and how good this might be for both. 

The westernmost and largest congregation meets in this handsome Roman Catholic church building at Praia da Luz. 

We celebrated the Eucharist for the third Sunday in Advent – Chaplain, The Reverend Rob Kean, to my right and Reader Dr. Chris Wells to my left. 

There was time for an ecumenical visit to the Palace of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Faro, Bishop Manuel. I admired the orange trees that lined the outside of his home. 

Through a hall way, Bishop Manuel took us to a courtyard in which he had established a remarkable mediterranean/sub-tropical garden. It contained almost every fruit that I knew, and some that I didn’t, as well as a wide selection of vegetables. We are pictured here in front of one of his papaya trees. 

I liked Bishop Manuel’s coat of arms. To the left: ‘ecce’ – ‘here I am’, over grapes and corn that signify the north of Portugal from where he originates; to the right the sun, sea and fish which signify the south and the Algarve, with the motto: Amen, to the glory of God!

Photo: shorefront at Praia da Luz.

The Portuguese Algarve has for some time been one of the most popular parts of southern Europe for British people to retire. And it is not difficult to see why – the warm climate, 300 days of sunshine per year, stunning beaches and friendly, anglophile local people. 

One of the Advent Collects invites us to pray that when the Lord returns he will not find us sleeping in sin but active in his service. The Church communities I visited were older but still active in mission. There was a great deal of love and care evident between people. The outreach to and engagement with the Vale Silves centre was impressive. And St. Vincent has significant ecological commitments: A Rocha’s first centre was based on this coast; the church has A Rocha silver and is working towards A Rocha gold, with a huge tree-planting initiative led by Reader Chris Wells in progress. 

Helen and I left Southern Portugal having met some truly remarkable people who in their working lives had done some amazing things. We are thankful for the life of the chaplaincy and for the work of chaplains Rob Kean and Carla Prior in this very special and beautiful South West corner of the diocese.