On 30 August, during a solemn celebration at Riga Cathedral, Rinalds Grants was installed as Archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia. A close friend of the Chemin Neuf community, he himself was a member and retains a deep affection for its openness to the Holy Spirit, its Ignatian spirituality and its call to Christian unity.
‘Thanks to Chemin Neuf, I was able to discover both the challenges of community life and its beauty and richness. I still have friends there who live their faith seriously, but always with joy,’ shares Archbishop Rinalds Grants.
For him, this new ministry means above all following God’s call and allowing himself to be led by the Holy Spirit.
‘My priorities are pastoral care – for pastors and laypeople alike – and mission, especially among families, young people and children,’ he confides.
His motto, taken from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, expresses the heart of his faith:
‘And I will show you a still more excellent way.’ (1 Cor 12:31) – excellentior via – introduction to the magnificent hymn to love, the most beautiful and demanding description of charity that the world knows.
Married to Ieva and father of four children, the archbishop served for twenty-five years at the parish of the Old St. Gertrude Church in Riga. In his spare time, he enjoys playing table tennis and is learning to dance the tango.