Aron Messiah, the architect of many important buildings along the Riviera completed Saint Paul's Church in 1924, a building which be began designing nearly a decade before. On Thursday 25 February at 18:30 a public lecture will be offered to present the life and work of this important Riviera architect.

Mr Daniel Jessula, great-grandson of the architect, and Dr Judit Kiraly, Riviera historian, will co-present this public lecture on the life and work of Aron Messiah who was the builder for many of the great Riviera figures of the early 20th century, including The Belgian King Leopold, Baronne Ephrussi de Rothschild, and James Gordon Bennet. Among his many accomplishments: the villa La Léopolda, the gardens of Villa Ephrussi, the pavilions of the Hotel Eden Roch, the Anglican churches in Beaulieu-sur-mer and Monaco, and the Vicarage and Library at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Nice.

This public lecture will be given primarily in English and will include opportunity for questions and discussion. A reception will follow the lecture in the Saint Paul's Church Library.

On Monday, 1st February, H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco paid a much appreciated visit to Saint Paul's to attend a cocktail fundraiser for the new Library Lift. Prince Albert has agreed to serve as the Honorary Patron for the Lift Campaign and kindly made himself available for this fundraising event.

No doubt thanks to the patronage of our Prince, the fundraising campaign got off to an excellent start with more than €52,000 raised as a direct result of this cocktail fundraiser.

The proposed Library Lift will make it easier for the elderly and the disabled to attend events and meetings in the Church Library (our parish hall). The lift will be located beside the church with access from the street level just beyond the "east end" of the building and all the way down to the level of the Library floor. Click here for more information about the Library Lift.

 Click here for the Monaco Life news report on the cocktail fundraiser.

Kindly note, the organising committee was given only one week to put together a cocktail for HSH Prince Albert, and in the limited space of the Chaplain's Apartment. Sadly, this meant that not everyone who should have been, could in fact be invited. The original plan was to hold a major event with His Serene Highness in attendance in the church itself, for 150 guests or more representing all of the groups that make use of the Library, but time simply did not make this a reasonable option on such very short notice.

Click here for photos from the Lift Fundraiser cocktail. (Photos taken by Simon Wynne, Monaco Life photographer Nancy Heslin, and the Palace photographer.)

Once again this year, Holy Trinity Church in Nice is organising a Lenten Retreat for the Anglican Churches on the Riviera. The retreat takes place at Notre Dame de Laghet.

Bishop Stephen Platten