Dear brothers and sisters,
Despite the current pressures on us, it was good to see so many in St John’s today, including our returned Athonite pilgrims, and plenty of young people.
Many thanks to our faithful for making today work, despite the pressures upon our Sunday routine after the recent meeting between our parish officers and the representatives of St John’s.
When we first came to St John’s we were given great support by Mother Frances, especially in the light of our own support for refugees, and the goodwill and concern for the wellbeing for our community was massively appreciated. There was great stress on St John’s as a place of security and refuge where people could feel safe and welcome. Sadly, times change.
We are very sad that our relationship with St John’s now seems to simply be a hire agreement, but that is the new reality that we need to face and embrace in order to adapt our Sundays and make the most of the time we have together.
Given that we are now paying the full rental rate – with no discount for a small parish with limited funds, and with no allowance even for cleaning time after feeding people who are making up to 160 mile round journeys – we will be raising the issue of worshipping in a cold building in which we could see our own breath by the time the parish committee sat down for its post-Liturgy meeting. I and my brother priest do not usually feel the cold, but most certainly did today after having taken our vestments off, despite wearing cassocks.
Despite entering the building later and having to unfortunately end trapeza earlier, the day worked as well as could be expected, though we greatly regret the lack of thanksgiving prayers and the squeeze on social time for those coming together from such a wide area.
We had intended to add a short litia to the Mother of God and St John the Wonderworker, as a weekly petition for God’s help in our situation, but today’s changes plus a committee meeting rendered this impossible. We will, however, do so in the coming weeks, and I will post prayers for the parish in its present adversities on our WhatsApp group. Please offer prayers in your homes and actively ask for God’s help and guidance.
As you saw today, a copy of the Kursk-Root Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God, the Hodegetria (She Who Shows the Way) of the Church Abroad, was placed with the icon of St John the Wonderworker on the left of the solea in Liturgy, and I would ask those who are able to pray the akathists in honour of the Kursk Root icon, and to St John for the protection and well-being of our parish, and for the Lord and the Mother of God to show us the way forward in our present adversity.
Parallel English/Slavonic text of the akathist in honour of the Kursk-Root icon: http://orthodox-europe.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Kursk-RU-EN-pdf.pdf
English text of the akathist to St John the Wonderworker: http://sfsobor.com/service-texts.php
Slavonic text (Russian orthography) of the akathist to St John the Wonderworker: https://azbyka.ru/molitvoslov/akafist-svjatitelju-ioannu-arhiepiskopu-shanhajskomu-i-san-francisskomu-chudotvorcu.html
We certainly had a beautiful array of flowers in church, with parishioners bringing autumn garden flowers, in addition to those from the celebration of the feast of the Uncovering of the Relics of St John the Wonderworker in Warminster, yesterday, and other vases of blooms. Thanks to all who brought colour and beauty to St John’s with their floral offerings for the glory of God.
For those who are unclear about our Warminster celebrations, which happen on the second Saturday of each month, our Liturgies are simply an outreach to Cardiff parishioners who live on the English side of the Severn, but regularly journey to Cardiff, often by the car-load, in order to enable as many people as possible to attend the Divine Liturgy. Vladika blessed this outreach just after the lockdown period, when visitors asked about serving those without a parish in Wessex, and who subsequently became regular and supportive members of our Cardiff community.
Whilst we refer to Warminster as a mission, it is essentially a local gathering of Cardiff parishioners for worship and prayer in their own locality, and who not only support one another in their Faith, but wish to share it with others who may have never encountered our Orthodox Church before, or are unable to travel great distances to be physically part of our community in Cardiff.
Activities in Warminster are financially self-supporting, incurring no cost from the Cardiff budget even though our Wessex Cardiff parishioners make a considerable contribution to it.
We look forward to our next Liturgy on Saturday 9th November, when we shall celebrate both the Great-Martyr Demetrios the Myrrh-Gusher and his companion the Martyr Nestor.
Some of our South Wales Cardiff parishioners have visited their brothers and sisters in Wessex, who would love to welcome you if you are able to make the journey to the Chapel of St Lawrence, in Warminster.
After a busy week, I hope to have a quiet day tomorrow before a a busy seven days, which will see me in Cardiff and Cheltenham, with services at 15:00 in the Oratory Church this Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I will be available for confession after each service and before Wednesday’s and Thursday’s services by request.
Next Saturday will see Father Mark the Younger and I fulfil the obedience (received from our late Metropolitan Hilarion) to serve Cheltenham, with the Hours and Divine Liturgy at 10:30 in Prestbury United Reformed Church.
As we are unable to celebrate the feast of the Protecting Veil – Pokrov – with a Liturgy tomorrow, we will honour the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God in Cheltenham..
The last Saturday of the month, 26th October, will see our pilgrimage to St Lazar’s in Bournville, and if we are to try and arrange transport, we need to know of potential drivers and free seats in cars asap. Please let me or Mary (Tracy) know, including the number of pilgrims you could accommodate in any free seats.
Last Monday, Mary and I planned the pilgrimage list for the next year, and will be seeking permissions for services.
After Mother Melangell shared news of the repose of Mother Joanna in Cambridge, whose funeral will be celebrated tomorrow, Alexander asked for prayers for the newly departed Benjamin, formerly of the same parish, so we add their names to the newly departed we have been commemorating: Archimandrite Germogen, Milica, Nikolai, Halyna, Jovana, Lydia and Natalia.
May the Lord grant eternal repose to the souls of His newly departed servants , the nun Joanna and Benjamin, and may their memory be eternal!
I hope that next Sunday will work even better than today, and hope that everyone will help in church, whether before or after services and trapeza. Please do not wait for someone to clean up and tidy up after you.
Please pray fervently for our parish in the week ahead, especially on tomorrow’s feast of the Protecting Veil.
Asking your forgiveness, for Christ’s sake.
In Christ – Hieromonk Mark