Dear brothers and sisters,
This coming weekend, we will celebrate the Sunday of All of the Saints who have shone forth in the Lands of Russia with Small Compline and confessions at 16:30 on Saturday afternoon, and the Hours and Liturgy on Sunday morning at 11:00.
This Saturday is the feast of St John the Wonderworker, but as I must work Saturday morning, as usual, we will combine his celebration with that of All Saints of Russia, on Sunday.
Having celebrated the feast of All Saints last weekend, we now turn to the holy men and woman glorified by their lives of holiness in the four lands of Rus’ – Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Carpatho-Russia.
Ignoring the nationalsitic baying of schismatics we hear in Ukraine and elsewhere, we will celebrate the common legacy of St Vladimir as a Christian path that unites, rather than divides: a legacy that all of the members of our community share, as equal heirs. As Metropolitan Hilarion reminded the gathered faithful in Cheltenham, when he visited us with the Kursk-Root icon, we are all children of Holy Rus’.
Those requiring confessions should email Deacon Mark (rmfisher@ntlworld.com) asap, with Sunday ideally being reserved for those parishioners travelling long distances.
The variables for Liturgy may be found here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tIuTJU-4RbHIw0fnXGTYIK2Ur07BYS9c/view
May God bless and protect you all.
In Christ – Hieromonk Mark