Mettingham Patronal Festival

08/09/2010

Please mark Saturday, the 6th of November in your diaries as the patronal festival of the Mettingham Church of the Icon of the Mother of God: the Joy of All Who Sorrow.  This will be the 24th of October by the church calendar, and the feast of the icon.  The Vigil will be served at 6 o' clock on the previous evening and the Divine Liturgy will be served at 10.30 on the day.  As this will fall on a Saturday this year, please let us make a special effort to support our brothers and sisters on their parish feast.

Please support our Haitian Mission

05/09/2010

While the news channels are currently focussed on the tragic situation in Pakistan, for which we must offer our prayers and give practical and financial support where we can, let us not forget the other places where the people are still suffering the effects of natural disaster.  The situation in Haiti is still incredibly difficult after the devastating earthquake at the beginning of this year.  A large proportion of the population is homeless as towns lie in ruin, and the already desperate state of poverty of many people has worsened.  According to news reports, the vast majority of the financial aid that was pledged by the international community during the initial media focus on Haiti has not been delivered.  The news cameras may have moved on but the intense problems remain.

Our church has a number of missionary parishes in Haiti, some of whose people are among those suffering.  To worsen the blow, one of their churches and their school were destroyed by the earthquake.  His Grace Bishop Michael of Geneva made an archpastoral visiation to the missions last month with Priest Matthew Williams.  Father Matthew reports that the evidence now of the work of Non-Government aid Organisations is diminished.  A number of our people are living and worshipping in tents and are relying solely on Orthodox support.  Any financial help that you are able to give will help to relieve the suffering of our brothers and sisters.  Donations can be safely made either through the Fund For Assistance or through the specially-formed Haiti Orthodox Family Relief.

Please give as generously as you can and do continue to pray fervently.

Iconostas at St Elisabeth's Wallasey

30/08/2010

Readers may remember that the glorious new iconostas at Dormition Cathedral in London was consecrated by His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion during his archpastoral visitation to our diocese last November.  The icons from the previous, temporary iconostas, however, have not been retired but have found a new home at the church in Wallasey, which was acquired for use last summer by the parish of St Elisabeth the New-Martyr.

These icons are part of the rich history of Orthodoxy in Great Britain and particularly of our Russian Orthodox Diocese of Great Britain and Ireland, and now, through the generosity of the cathedral parish in London, where they have been venerated for decades, they have found a new home in the Wallasey.  The final set of the Apostles was donated on the feast of the Dormition and will be mounted along the top of the iconostas on either side of the central Deisis.  It is hoped that they will be an inspiration and a call to prayer for all who enter the church, and may aid the mission of the Church in the northwest.  The parish of St Elisabeth is immensely grateful for this gift.

Feast of the Dormition

30/08/2010

His Eminence Archbishop Mark made an archpastoral visitation to the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God and the Holy Royal Martyrs on its principal patronal festival, on the 15th (28th NS) of August.  Parishioners from elsewhere in the diocese made a special effort to attend the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the cathedral, at which Priest Peter Baulk of the cathedral parish was elevated to the rank of Archpriest and Priest Paul Elliott, of the Wallasey parish of St Elisabeth, was awarded the privilege of wearing the gold pectoral Cross.

A Cross-Procession followed the Liturgy and was blessed with sunny weather, and a ceelebratory repast followed in the parish hall.  As ever, it was a joyous occasion for our small diocesan family and it is hoped that others from across the diocese will be able to attend next year.

To the newly-elevated Archpriest Peter and Priest Paul, may the Lord grant many years!