St Hugh's Vence
THE CHAPLAINCY OF SAINT HUGH’S CHURCH, VENCE
How to find us & contact
21, avenue de la Résistance, 06140 Vence
Centrally located on the edge of the “cite historique” of a charming medieval old town, St Hugh’s Vence is conveniently located close to several public parking areas as well as the Ara bus stop (Terminus Bus 9 and 400).
Church Warden - Howard Dellar
Howard.Dellar@icloud.com 00 44 7540 704 056
Who we are
Saint Hugh’s Church, Vence, is a community of faith, peopled by predominantly English-speaking Christians from a variety of traditions whether Anglican, Catholic or Reformed. Although St Hugh’s exists as a separate chaplaincy in the Union Nationale des Associations Cultuelles de l’Eglise Anglicane de France (National Union of Anglican Churches in France), we share a chaplain and organist with Holy Trinity, Nice.
We have close and fruitful ties with our sister church, Holy Trinity Nice, as the churches share a common outlook and inclusive Christian theological tradition.
We also share our church with the Eglise Protestane Unie (French Protestants) with whom we have had close ties for nearly 100 years. We invite the Eglise Protestante church to our social events and shared services at special times.
We are actively involved in the ecumenical life of our area, for example by participating in the service of Christian Unity in Vence.
How we worship
Our community gathers weekly for a Sunday sung Eucharist at 9 am, which is followed by a convivial social hour.
In addition to our weekly eucharist, the community of St Hugh’s organizes Holy Week services, a Harvest Festival (with proceeds going to the local food bank), a St Hugh’s Day service and meal, and a popular Christmas Carols and Readings service where all are welcome.
We organize several events during the year to include the local community and share our cultural heritage, such as a Cream Tea, Christmas Market and book sales.
We participate in the Queen’s flower donations by giving to a local hospice and we annually give to a children’s charity in India which helps AIDS victims. We also serve as an intimate venue for weddings, christenings, anniversaries and funerals.
The rhythm of the Liturgical Year is followed faithfully, with the rites and ceremonies appropriate to the time. The church has a small and hardworking sacristy team and there are also rotas for intercessions, flowers, coffee and readings.
We seek to serve the community that comes to us, particularly because we offer services in English, but we also reach out to the community in which we live. We strive to do this to the best of our ability and in a way that is relevant to our lives now and in the future.
Our history
Our church’s history goes back to 1909 when Miss Alice Shaw, a single, middle-aged English woman, decided to settle in Vence. She invited her ordained brother, Alfred Havergal Shaw, to conduct services in her drawing room for a small group of Anglican friends.
The present property was purchased in 1920 and was altered to create a more appropriate space.
Our church has been recently renovated and now seats approximately 50 people.
Image Gallery
A selection of photos from our community and charitable activities.
