The Anglican Centre in Rome

We are pleased to announce that Stephan Dreyer, a Roman Catholic theologian who chairs the Ecumenical Forum HafenCity – in Hamburg – will be responding to Mats Nowak’s talk on the city’s Anglican heritage on Thursday, 21 May 2026. The event is the next in our regular series of seminars and will begin at 6.00pm Central European Time.

The Ecumenical Forum (Ökumenische Forum) is an initiative created by 10 different Christian churches for prayer and inspiration, meeting and exchanging ideas, and marvel, celebrate and learn at church and cultural events.

For 200 years after the Reformation, the Anglican community was the only non-Lutheran group permitted to worship in public in Hamburg. This unique historical status not only strengthened the cultural and religious bonds between England and the continent but also laid the groundwork for the establishment of Church of England chaplaincies across mainland Europe. At the heart of this story stands the Church of St Thomas à Becket, which for almost two centuries has served as a spiritual home for Anglicans from around the world.

Mr Dreyer is the Archdiocese of Hamburg’s Commissioner for Ecumenical Relations and has worked in pastoral service within the archdiocese since 1990, including in parish ministry and in religious education, chairing the city’s Caritas branch, and as Commissioner for the archdiocese’s relations with the Parliament and Government of the State of Hamburg.

Mr Nowak studies theology at the University of Hamburg and is currently on a placement with the Pontifical Gregorian University. He is also a musicologist and freelance journalist.

To express your interest in attending, either in-person or online, please contact us at [email protected]

Join us for our next seminar in June

Our next seminar – the last in this academic year – will be on Thursday, 11 June, at 6pm (CET) with the Revd Dr Ishaya Anthony, Canon Theologian of the Diocese of Kwoi in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).

Dr Anthony will join us online and speak on “The Future Has Arrived”: A Decolonial Reading of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) and the G26 Abuja Affirmation. You would be very welcome to join with us then.

A beautiful celebration of Ascension Day at Comunità Luterana di Roma last night, with a full church, uplifting singing and extensive ecumenical participation. The preacher was Fr Yaroslav Semehen, Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic Basilica of Hagia Sophia in Rome and our Director, Bishop Anthony Ball, was among the participating clergy. Huge thanks to Pastor Michael Jonas and his congregation for their warm welcome and generous hospitality in the garden after the service.