Today (17 December 2024), the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Mayfair, London, also known as Farm Street Church, welcomed KING Charles III to a special Advent service celebrating the courage and perseverance of Christian Communities

The service, co-hosted by the 175-year-old Jesuit parish and Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), reflected on the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Mosul and the Nineveh Plains in northern Iraq by Daesh (ISIS).

The event began with the Farm Street Choir’s performance of My Soul, There Is a Country by Sir Charles Hubert Parry. His Majesty The King joined the congregation as part of the grand procession, which marked the formal opening of the service. Fr Dominic Robinson, Parish Priest, warmly welcomed everyone, offering an opening prayer that celebrated local community support, the hopeful presence of students of four schools representing the future, and the powerful witness of the Iraqi Christian community demonstrating that reconciliation is possible. Dr Caroline Hull, National Director at ACN, expressed heartfelt gratitude for The King’s presence and all of those who have stood in solidarity with Iraqi Christians.

As part of the proceedings, The King met representatives of the London-based Iraqi Christian diaspora, including individuals who suffered persecution and forced displacement when Daesh seized the Nineveh Plains.

His Majesty also met with members of Farm Street Church, including those involved in outreach initiatives supporting the homeless and others in need, as well as friends and benefactors of ACN.

Fr Peter Gallagher, The Provincial of the Jesuits in Britain, shared: “This special service at Farm Street Church reminds us of our shared commitment to walking with those in need and igniting hope in the face of challenges. We are grateful for The King’s presence and the opportunity to stand together in faith and solidarity, recognising the resilience of many Christian communities and God’s guiding presence in our lives.”

Fr Dominic Robinson added: “It’s been a pleasure to bring together friends from different Christian traditions, all faiths and none, to celebrate seeds of hope during this significant season for us all. Advent hope is evident in our local community and was seen today through the presence of our homeless parishioners, those in hospitality who serve us, and our wonderful volunteers. Amid the tragedies in the Holy Land and the Middle East, we were strengthened by the hope of the Iraqi Christian community, who are now rebuilding their ancient biblical lands. The King’s presence, praying and meeting with concern for those on society’s peripheries, confirms this Advent hope for justice and peace, and we are truly grateful for his ongoing support.”

The Advent service included a scripture reading from Matthew 5:38-48 in Aramaic by Archbishop Athanasius Toma and the Chaldean Choir’s performance of King of the Earth. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, led a concluding prayer calling for the blood of martyrs to “continue to be the seed of Christianity”. The service concluded with blessings in English by Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, Apostolic Nuncio to the Court of St James, and in Aramaic by Fr Andrew Toma, Chaldean Catholic Chaplain, leaving a lasting sense of hope and solidarity among all present.

As the Jesuit Church in Central London, Farm Street aims to be a beacon of hope in a constantly changing multicultural city where the needs of those on the margins of society are getting greater.

Additional information

• Farm Street Church, the Jesuit Catholic church in Central London, has been a significant part of London’s cultural and religious life for the last 175 years. Today, it serves as a place of welcome and hospitality for all.

• Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has supported the rebuilding of churches and homes in the Christian town of Qaraqosh and other settlements in the Nineveh Plains, enabling thousands of families to return to their homeland. The charity has also helped establish the Catholic University in Erbil in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, where most Christian families sought refuge after the Daesh invasion.

Photos © Marcin Mazur / ACN