News sent in by Pritty Sangma, IAWN  Member and Secretary of the Women’s Fellowship for Christian Service (WFCS) of the Church of North India, St Paul’s Cathedral, Kolkata

The visit of Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, was an event to remember for the Diocese of Calcutta and the family of St Paul’s Cathedral, Kolkata. His visit coincided with the 163rd anniversary of the dedication of St Paul’s Cathedral by the fifth bishop of Calcutta, Daniel Wilson, in the year 1847. The Kolkata visit marked the beginning of the Archbishop’s two week ‘Mission of good will” trip to India for the 40th anniversary celebration of the Church of North India (CNI).

The Archbishop had a hectic schedule in the city. On the day of his arrival, 9 October, he visited two institutions of the “Blessed Teresa of Kolkata” - the Mother House and the Sishu Bhawan, the children’s home. Then he attended an ‘interactant’ at St John’s Diocesan School where the children of the school accorded him warm welcome through very lively traditional dances. Two of the Archbishop’s poems were sung by the girls of the school beautifully, and another by a talented young man. The Archbishop had a very friendly, lively interaction with the media before the main programme of the evening.

The next day, a Sunday, the Archbishop attended a service in Bengali at St Peter’s Church at the historic Oxford Mission, Behala, and shared a lunch with the grateful parishioners there. At 5 o’clock that afternoon, the Archbishop attended a service at St Paul’s Cathedral. The service was short and began with the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the visit of the head of the Anglican Communion. In his message the Archbishop spoke of the fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations through the work of the Spirit.

The intercessory prayer was led by four children from St Paul’s who took on the voice of the poor, the deprived and marginalized children of our own and neighboring countries.

The first voice was that of a 14 year old girl who was duped by 'an agent' who promised her a job but actually sold her to a brothel. The second voice was that of a child of migrant workers in a brick kiln, illiterate and exploited. The third, probably the most horrific, was the voice of the unborn child aborted because she was a girl, and the fourth the plaintive cry of a blind boy speaking on behalf of all disabled children.

Through all his interaction with people and the messages he gave, Archbishop Rowan came across as an honest, deeply spiritual Christian leader who saw himself as a co-pilgrim with other believers.

Inside of St.Paul’s Cathedral, Kolkata