Colchester Patronal Feast

28/06/2011

The parish of St John the Wonderworker will celebrate its patronal feast this upcoming weekend.

The Vigil will be served at 5.30 p.m. on Friday, the 1st of July.  The Lesser Blessing of the Waters will be take place at 9 o' cock on the morning of Saturday, the 2nd of July, with the Divine Liturgy and Cross-Procession at 10 o' clock.

Services will be followed by a festal meal to which all are invited.  For further details, please contact Fr Andrew Phillips through the directory.

An Appeal for Musical Help

09/06/2011

The Monastery of St Pantaleimon in Clacton-on-Sea hopes to begin regular public services, including at least the Divine Liturgy on Sundays, to serve the people of the area.  However, this will require a competent and dedicated singer, familiar with the system of eight tones and the structure of the services, to assist on the kliros.  Detailed knowledge of how to construct the services is not essential as Fr Sergei is able to assist with this but, for the stability of the worshipping community, it is necessary that this role be taken on by somebody who is able to commit to regular attendance, whether this be weekly, fortnightly, or whatever other arrangement can be made.

If you or anybody you know may be able to offer this service of love to the Church, please contact Fr Sergei through the directory.

Two New Missions

25/05/2011

Two new missions have recently been launched within our diocese, both dedicated in honour of St Nicholas, the Wonderworker of Myra.

The first is an outreach effort of the cathedral parish of the Dormition of the Mother of God, and is based in Cardiff.  The Liturgy is served on one Saturday each month in the Greek Orthodox church of St Nicholas.

The second is a satellite mission of the Wallasey parish of St Elisabeth the New-Martyr, based in Liverpool.  The Liturgy will be served occasionally, as announced, at the Anglican parish church of Our Lady and St Nicholas.

Photographs from the first Liturgies of both missions may be viewed here and here, and contact details may be found in the directory.

Please pray for the clergy and people of these missions as they seek to reach out to isolated Orthodox people and to bring new people into the Ark of Salvation.

The truth of things hath revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith, and icon of meekness, and a teacher of temperance; therefore, thou hast achieved the heights by humility, riches by poverty.  O Father and Hierarch Nicholas, intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

-tropar, tone 4

The Jordanville Prayer Book

09/06/2011

The 1960 version of the Jordanville Prayer Book, containing the translations of Archimandrite Lazarus (Moore), is in print by permission of His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus, of pious memory. The cloth-bound facsimile reprint has been published by St George Orthodox Information Service and retails at £14.50 per copy.

SGOIS/Orthodox News, The White House, Mettingham, Suffolk NR35 1TP

StGeorgeOIS@aol.com

Paschal Epistle

24/04/2011

Christ is risen!

The Paschal Epistle of Archbishop Mark is now in the articles section of the website.

Diocesan Service of Holy Unction

04/04/2011

The time of year is again approaching when Orthodox Christians come together during the season of Great Lent to participate in the Mystery of Holy Unction.  It will be celebrated in our diocese on Saturday, the 9th of April, being the 27th of March in the Church calendar and the Saturday of the Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God.  This will take place at 2 o' clock in the afternoon at the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God and the Holy Royal Martyrs, in Chiswick, West London.

 

The service consists of seven epistles and seven Gospels, each reminding us of the healing brought to us by Christ.  In his general Epistle, St James, the Brother of the Lord, exhorts the local churches, saying 'Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord' (James 5:14).  Acknowledging our physical and spiritual sickness, we come to God in prayer, asking for healing of our souls and bodies, for the sake of our salvation.

 

In a time when the world presents us with all manner of alternative therapies, self-help books, and new age healing techniqies, relying on man's own power to heal himself, it is important for us Christians to remind ourselves that it is Christ Who heals us; it is Christ Who redeems fallen creation, with its suffering and pain; it is Christ alone Who has conquered the power of sin and death by his glorious Resurrection.  Therefore, it is to Christ that we must turn for healing of our souls and bodies; it is in the incarnate Christ that we must trust to raise us beyond the mire of fallenness through his Resurrection and Ascension, and it is to Christ that we must pray with compunction and humility.

 

Because Holy Unction is intrinsically bound to the physical and spiritual healing that we receive in the life of the Church, we must approach this Mystery as we would Holy Communion, and seek to free ourselves of the sins that separate us from the fullness of life in Christ.  Therefore, it is proper that we should confess our sins and be absolved before we are anointed.

 

May this anointing strengthen us in our pilgrim journey into the fullness of life in Christ, at the will of the Father, and through the power of the Holy and life-creating Spirit.

Wallasey Parish Launches New Mission

09/03/2011

The parish of St Elisabeth the New-Martyr, Wallasey, has launched a new mission to reach out to people in Liverpool, with the intention of integrating them into church life in the Wallasey parish.  The mission will be under the dedication of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, for which purpose an icon of St Nicholas was generously donated by the cathedral parish in London.  The icon originally came from the St Nicholas parish in Bradford, which closed in the 1990s, so has returned to the north to be a channel of grace to those who call upon the Saint in prayer before it.

The mission will take the form of occasional Divine Liturgies and possibly other services, hosted at the Anglican parish church of Our Lady and St Nicholas in Liverpool city centre, through the kind hospitality of its parish priest and church council.  The first Liturgy will be served on Saturday, the 8th of May, being the 21st of May in the civil calendar.  More details will appear here nearer the time.

Mettingham Church Launches New Website

08/03/2011

The Church of the Mother of God: Joy of All Who Sorrow in Mettingham has, in the last few days, launched the full version of its website, which until recently has been a basic webpage.  This beautiful and informative website may be viewed here.  Please do take the time to explore some of the spiritual material particularly.

Consecration of the Manchester Parish

07/03/2011

The parish of the Intercession of the Mother of God in Longsight, Manchester, is to be consecrated by Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh on Saturday, the 28th of February, being the 13th of March in the civil calendar.  Services will begin at approximately 9.30 a.m.

While this parish is now stavropegial, it was once part of our diocese and it would be good for us to support them at this special time.  Please pray for the Pokrov parish and its people.

Pan-Orthodox Vespers

04/03/2011

On the first Sunday in Great Lent, being the Sunday of Orthodoxy, it has become customary in parts of the world where various Orthodox jurisdictions exist for pan-Orthodox Vespers to be served.  This year his Eminence Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh cordially invites us to take part in this service, which is to take place at the Cathedral of the Dormition and All Saints in Ennismore Gardens.  More details may be found nearer the time on the Sourozh diocesan website.