A special service of thanksgiving took place at St Paul's cathedral, Nicosia on Saturday 3rd June.
Described as 'a votive mass of the Holy Spirit', it was in fact an occasion to mark the retirement of Bishop Michael Lewis as Bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf, after sixteen years in post, during four of which he was also Archbishop of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East.
Bishop Michael was accompanied by his wife Julia, who sat with him in the sanctuary, symbolising the important part she has played in his ministry. Besides the substantial congregation in the cathedral, many people followed the service on a live stream. They heard the bishop say that though he was retiring as a diocesan bishop, bishops never retire as bishops. No doubt his episcopal wisdom and pastoral experience will be called upon in other fields in the future. But Michael and Julia have no intention of leaving Cyprus. They have dual citizenship.
"This is our home,"
Bishop Michael