COMPARED with the Tour de France, or even with many church
fund-raising rides around England, a sponsored bike ride from one
end of the parish to the other does not sound much - but when it is
135km in the gruelling Spanish sun, across the Costa Blanca
Anglican chaplaincy, it requires considerable stamina.
When the Chaplain, the Revd Marcus Ronchetti, and his son Tom
recently completed it, calling on the way at all the churches used
by the seven congregations in the parish, they had raised more than
€4000. The splendid sum had come from sponsorship, donations, and
parish events, and will go to the funds of the chaplaincy, which
serves a long stretch of the coastline south of Valencia.
The chaplaincies in the diocese in Europe have to be largely
self-funding, Nick Green, of the Costa Blanca chaplaincy, reminds
us. They pay into a very small Common Fund, but have to raise all
the money themselves for their clergy, buildings, and everything
else.
Because there are so many retired people in the area, they have
an important funeral and bereavement ministry, and also support
organisations such as the Rotary Fellowship, Royal British Legion,
Air Crew Association, and Royal Society of St George, for whom the
clergy act as chaplains; so these sponsored events are exceedingly
important.