The speech of His Eminence, Metropolitan Pavel – Abbot of the Holy Dormition Kiev Caves Lavra on 29th March: the day on which the persecuting government set for the withdrawal or eviction of the sacred brotherhood who rebuilt the monastery from ruins and rubble.

Persecution is a daily reality, and the age of the martyrs and confessors has returned.

“ We, dear brothers and sisters, are at the baptismal font of Holy Rus, a 1000 year old place, where we still are in communion with those who inhabit Heaven, with the testimony of their Holy Relics abiding in this greatest holy place.

The first martyrs here were Ioann and Fyodor, his father, the Varangian Christians who were sacrificed to the idols. Then martyrs Theodor, Lukian, Vasiliy and others who are resting in this sacred place. The last martyr – hieromartyr Vladimir who was fighting the godless authorities, renovationism and all those passions and sins devouring our Fatherland.

Today unfortunately history is repeated. Instead of uniting people around defending the country we (the country) are killing our own, driving them out of our sacred places, OUR holy places, built by OUR people, built by ourselves. I testify of that as a person who knows, who built many churches. We are interceding before all the saints so they would not abandon us, and the faithful.

“Again Herodias is raving, again she is dancing and again she is trying to have John the Baptist beheaded by Herod. Again Jezebel is going around trying to seize the vineyard of Naboth and chase Elijah into the hills”- for this sermon the Holy Hierarch was sent into exile.

Today these kinds of things are happening in our country. Today we received correspondence from the director of the “ museum” signed by the minister of culture informing us we are being evicted from this place of 1000 years of prayer.  I want to warn the President and all his gang- our tears will not fall onto the ground but they will fall on your head to your woe.

Today you think that having climbed to power on our backs and with our blessing you can treat us like this. God will not forgive you or your kin for this evil act – today two hundred and twenty monks are being made homeless; because you could not receive Metropolitan Onufriy with the Synod to hear him out; you could not control your Minister of Culture consumed by the spirit of godlessness an demonic hate towards us. Therefore, he acts with your permission. Woe to you!  

We informed the above mentioned authorities that we will not leave the Lavra until the decision of the Court. We have turned to all the Ukrainian courts with all our documents, but now the third judge has declined our case, because the pressure on the judges to expel us from the Lavra is too great.

Today we are appealing to the United Nations, to UNESCO and other human rights organisations. We are appealing to the other churches to pray for us so truth would win.

We know that Truth is crucified in the world. When the Hieromartyr Petro Polyansky was judged by a “ troika” tribunal, one of the three said: “ Ours is the truth, we are finishing with you, priests, we have won” to which Fr Petro replied-“ You are right, yours is the TIME, the time of lies, untruth and deceit.

There is also another Judgement- the Judgement of Christ. You will not win that trial because Christ the Judge and Defender never makes mistakes.

Mr President and you Cabinet – woe to you! We are not the enemies of Ukraine. We are not bandits or “ the fifth column”, we are citizens of our country. You came to us in your election campaign, you asked for the blessing from Metropolitan Onufriy to win this election. And today, as president, you could not even receive and hear out the elderly hierarch who represents millions of your citizens.

We have seen the lawlessness that has happened in Ivano-Frankivsk Region. In the city the last cathedral has been taken away. The cathedral which the Lavra rebuilt. Tear gas with pepper spray….they shut the doors and smoked people out like rats…have a look at the videos- get closer to your people.

We saw what the state police has been doing in the region of Vinnitsa- a priest serving the sacrament of anointing with oil, was beaten by the police, and dragged through the church. Those who take the sword will perish by the sword.

A word about us to the international community- we preach love, overcoming of hatred, patience, we support the human rights…so what is this eviction about? How can we trust or believe our authorities? We ask and demand justice but not only for ourselves, but for our Holy Church ( the people)

I address the police. You are coming for us on the 30^th, but be mindful people. Do not carry out instructions of the mad tormentors. The synod of so-called Orthodox Church of Ukraine already said they will be serving the Feast of the Annunciation in the Lower church in the Lavra. They also had the plan of taking the Pochaev Lavra approved. And now, dear brothers and sisters, look at this so called New Church in Ukraine, which deprives people of the real sacraments, which acts by bullying, which takes away salvation from people. Whose supporters take away churches by force and then don’t attend. There is a saying “Сам не гам- та иншому не дам» describing this. 

The tears of the monks will also fall on someone else – Patriarch Bartholomew, who is doing lawlessness in Ukraine today. I don’t understand the man- he is 80 years old, soon he will be standing at the judgement seat of Christ…does he think himself immortal.

Having lost a lot of his folk he is today stealing sheep from someone else’s yard. Woe to you and shame on you, because all that is happening today is with  your miserable and deceitful blessing.

I am addressing you, dear brothers and sisters with a plea, please come to the services to support us all as the journalists of the Rada told us that disorder may happen on the 30th and the 31st of March.

We call on you not to respond to haters with hate. We ask you to be faithful to the Holy Mother Church. We know that even if we have to leave we will come back. Khrushchev promised that by 1970 he will show the last priest on TV but how mistaken he was.

The Church was resurrected and he is probably enduring the torments of hell. On the 10th of March 1961 the Lavra was shut by him. In 1988 in the Soviet Union the Lavra opened again and the faithful monks returned, making more disciples. Sixty two  years later, the grandchildren of the persecutors of the Church come again to shut us down. The desires of the world and the passions are winning over you. Think of it now, because you will have to give answer for everything. 

Dear pilgrims, brothers and sisters, who came to us for spiritual renewal and the blessing from the saints- again, we are enduring times of persecution, by the people who are casting out the Mother of God herself, who said to the Greek architects “ I want to dwell in the city of Kiev”.

She provided the funds for the building of the Holy Dormition cathedral and She appeared in an uncreated icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God.

The presence of the Mother of God is the highest treasure for the monastics. The Monk Alipiy, with the other iconographers, frescoed the wonderful church. The church was desolated and deconsecrated several times and destroyed by the bolsheviks. It was fully rebuilt by the brethren and the small donation from the government in 2000. With many tears of people who prayed and donated so they would see the church rebuilt before they died. 

Since then, the brothers have invested everything into the interior decor, the royal doors, the icons over the last 22 years.

This church was taken away from us. You saw the darkened crosses since it happened, you saw darkened icons…people are probably working on the destruction of the Holy places.

Why do I say this? Because I read and hear threats in the internet, on the news…yesterday I went to the passport office because my passport is lost or has been stolen, but the news has started spreading lies that I am emigrating, abandoning my brethren. This is how slander works. 

I will not leave unless I have to bury everyone of you. 

Today I am addressing all countries which have protection of human rights observed, I am addressing the faithful, of whom some say this is coming to us for our sins. Maybe it is better for all of us to look deeper into our hearts and look closely at our own lives and our sins? 

The minister of culture said in public this is for the sins for the Ukrainian Church. If you decided to pronounce a verdict on us without an epitrachil, maybe you can ask yourself if your wife could have died because of your sins? Maybe you can take the plank out of your eye instead of seeing the specks in the eyes of our brothers, martyrs and confessors?

We never thought that in the 21st century we would be oppressed by our own people. But if we read the elders who prophesied in Stalin’s times about the times of Khrushchev, about our times, we are awe-struck at how they saw what would happen?

Dear Rulers, what has the Church done to you? Or maybe you are running away from your conscience? None of us is going to avoid the judgement of God, not a single person. 

Again, dear Brothers and Sisters, please, I beg you, pray for us, for me, because I as an abbot have a very heavy heart.

Yesterday the security services had their meeting with me and they I said, “I am not compromising.” If I have to give my life for Christ, for the Church, then I have to. There can be no compromises with God. And you are temporary. Like dew in the sun you will evaporate. Again and again I say, those who raise the sword shall perish by it. 

I am addressing those people who slander us. We do not have the Moscow Church here. Our church is Christ’s Church. We do not sing songs or poems hate against anyone, we exist to praise Christ and his Mother. We wish everyone peace and health, at the time when the enemies are attacking our country from all sides.

Instead of being grateful for the prayer that is ascending to God, here you are killing our priests! Some of you said- when we are finished dealing with the Lavra we will sort out the womens monastery of the Protection of the Mother of God. 

“Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned” ( Psalm 33)

One of the joys of the Great Fast has been knowing that a group of parishioners and friends of the community have been reading the entire Psalter of the Holy, Righteous King and Prophet David each day, joining prayers for the parish and for their personal intentions to this spiritual-offering.

In our East Slavic tradition, each of the twenty kathismas  of the Psalter has appended penitential troparia and a prayer for use in the monastic cell or Christian home, as well as introductory and concluding prayers – so, with this in mind, our parishioners praying the psalms in English have taken advantage of the Jordanville ‘Psalter for Prayer’, which has these additional spiritual-materials.

Whilst Sequential Psalters printed in Russia and Ukraine have such hymns and prayers, English language translations which follow the Greek tradition usually do not, though troparia and prayers are used in Byzantine monastic praxis – but with differing hymns and prayers. Those of Old Rite Slavonic Psalters also differ from those used in the New Rite.

With some flexibility, some of our parishioners and friends have incorporated the Psalter-readings into their morning or evening prayers, but however the psalms have been read, they have brought spiritual strength and encouragement to those sharing the task.

The psalms, of course, are at the heart of Orthodox Christian worship, and their challenging moral and spiritual lessons call us to repentance, attentiveness and action: to turn to God and His abiding presence with those who trust in Him, live in Him and hope in Him.

How wonderful to know that the entire Psalter is read in our scattered community every day, and I hope that this might continue after the Fast!

Holy, Righteous King and Prophet David, pray to God for us!

How wonderful it was to welcome our newly-baptised parishioners into the eucharistic fellowship of the Church this morning, with Patrick, Brigid and Mary being quietly ‘churched’ during the chanting of 6^th Hour, then leading the faithful in the reception of the Holy Gifts, at communion time.

We offer them our warmest congratulations on their reception of the Holy Mystery of the Saviour’s Body and Blood, and rejoice that in the last few days they have been able to partake of four of the seven Holy Mysteries (Sacraments) of the Church: confession/penance; baptism; chrismation; and the Holy Eucharist. Glory to God!

In our parish, it is our custom for those who have received the Holy Mysteries to remain on the left kliros until the Holy Gifts have been translated to the proskomedia table after Communion, and having turned to pronounce, “O God save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance” towards the end of today’s Liturgy, it was a joy to see our many communicants standing there after having zapivka, with the baptismal candles of the newly-enlightened burning bright.

I know that our neophytes have been greatly touched and encouraged by the amount of support they have received from their fellow parishioners, with this reflected in messages, greetings and gifts.

The warm fellowship during our ‘pop-up trapeza’ was wonderful, offering the chance for our visitors and new people to chat with parishioners, and for the community to greet the newly-baptised. Thanks to all who were so kind and generous in their offerings. Parishioners particularly enjoyed Serbian baked goods, which proved very popular today!

As most parishioners knew, Deacon Mark and I were rather tired and brain-fogged, this morning, having been stranded on the motorway until 03:00, due to car problems. Operating on two hours sleep (one for our deacon) meant that I was rather forgetful and negligent regarding announcements.

Further to the  email sent out a few days ago, I should have reminded parishioners of services on Wednesday. As I am still rather vague and bleary, I shall just quote the previous communication.

“Next Thursday is the ‘Thursday of the Great Canon’, so we will gather in Nazareth House on Wednesday evening at 19:00 to chant Thursday Matins with the whole of the Canon of St Andrew of Crete, and hear the life of St Mary of Egypt – for which reason we call Thursday ‘Maryino Stoyanie / Марьино стояние’: ‘Mary’s Standing’.

The complete text may be found at orthodoxaustin:

https://drive.google.com/…/1NesFiJDHXeGjKVeTUxBpVZ…/view

Earlier in the day, at 16:30, a moleben will be offered for the sacred brotherhood of the Holy Dormition Kiev-Caves Lavra. I will then hear confessions before matins, as well as after the service. Confessions will also be heard on Thursday for those not able to attend matins.”

I would appreciate an email from those requiring confessions on Wednesday or Thursday, as soon as possible (indicating which day). Thank you in advance!

We missed our hierodeacon today, though our loss was the cathedral’s gain, and Father Avraamy’s prayerful and precise serving at the hierarchical Liturgy was greatly appreciated. This makes us very happy, though we look forward to regaining this prayerfulness and precision in Cardiff when we celebrate the Sunday of St Mary of Egypt!

As the newly-baptised Mary will have moved to Pamplona with her husband, Jose, by the time of her nameday on 1/14 April (which is also Orthodox Good Friday), we will very much us the Sunday of St Mary as an alternative nameday, to celebrate the memory of her heavenly patron with her, also celebrating the fact that it will have been Patrick’s nameday on Thursday. So… another celebration for two of our newly-baptised parishioners.

We will celebrate the Saturday of the Akathist Hymn with a service in Llanelli on the eve – Friday night – at 19:00, then on Saturday, we will celebrate vespers after setting up the convent church at 17:00, on Saturday, and the Hours and Liturgy on Sunday at 10:40. The variables for vespers may be found at:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ue7Mb9qQY2yufG5ji21Eul691gbKfVqy/view

… and for the Liturgy:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EUzaVjn8p0q5lP1DBaukXrASacezn6sh/view

I will send a further email regarding Holy Week, during which His Grace, Bishop Irenei, has blessed the public, liturgical celebration of Holy Unction, though next year will see this reserved as a purely conciliar rite in the cathedral (on a Saturday), according to ancient tradition, by which it is celebrated by a hierarch with six of the priests of his diocese.

I must end by thanking the parish sisters, who seem to have sent me home with enough food for a week. The love shown to the parish clergy is incredible, and we are so very grateful for the love and support we receive. Dear sisters, may God bless you and reward your mercy and charity.

With love in Christ  – Hieromonk Mark

Our heartfelt congratulations go the newly-enlightened servants of God Mary, Brigid and Patrick, who received the Holy Mysteries of baptism and chrismation this afternoon at the Old Church Hall in St Nicholas-in-the-Vale.

Though we completed the service in the house, in Menna’s little oratory, the rain didn’t dampen our spirits during the exorcism prayers, the consecration of the baptismal waters, the blessing of the oil of the catechumens and their anointing, and the baptism and chrismation, which were performed outside.

The last service celebrated in the oratory was before the Wonderworking Kursk-Root icon of the Mother of God, and our neophytes appreciated this blessing from the Theotokos.

It was the first multiple baptism that we have celebrated in the parish, and we were so happy that there should be such a strong bond of love and friendship between those who received this Holy Mystery together, supporting one another in the close bonds of a Christian parish family.

With all three of those baptised, it has felt like we have always known them, though Patrick (Dan) was the only we already knew! They all came hungry for the Truth and the uncompromising fulness of Orthodox Tradition, and have been steadfast in this.

We rejoice that they will be able to participate in the fulness of our Paschal celebrations, with the added joy of Pascha being the first anniversary of George’s baptism.

We look forward to their churching before tomorrow’s Liturgy, and their communing of the Holy Mysteries of the Lord’s Body and Blood.

Many thanks to our Senior Sister Melangell for welcoming us to her home once again. We have now celebrated five baptisms there.

We pray for the Lord to grant the newly-enlightened many, blessed years!

Here we are at the end of another busy weekend of services and fellowship in Cheltenham and Cardiff, having been blessed to hear confessions, serve the Liturgy, enjoy meals with parishioners and to spend plenty of time with our students and young people.

Yesterday was a long one, but we were very glad to have been able to celebrate the Divine Liturgy for the Parental Saturday, also offering a panikhida for “the souls of all our fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters who from the ages have fallen asleep in the true faith, and in hope of resurrection and life eternal…”, especially remembering the newly-departed priests Stephen and John, the warrior Ioann, and Viktoria, who was laid to rest on Friday.

As usual, we shared a sociable and joyful trapeza before a local house-blessing and a visit to All Saints, Pittville, to collect parish belongings remaining since we last worshipped there in summer 2021. It was lovely to see Father Robert, who will be moving to the parish of St Agnes, Kennington, in April.

The need to set up the chapel at Nazareth House and an hour and a half of confessions saw a stop-off in Cardiff, finally arriving home fourteen hours after the morning departure – fifteen for Father Deacon Mark, for whom the driving on such a long day and in such awful weather must have been tiring and challenging.

Praise God that we see such dedication and such a profound understanding of diakonia – driving, setting up the church, leading the kliros as our usual singers were away, putting everything away again, more driving, setting up another church, and yet even more driving. And then… we started again today!

Such dedication and labour is indicative of the character of the clergy and idea of service in our diocese. We most certainly do not become clergy in ROCOR for an easy, comfortable life, with regularity, and routine, or with a sense of entitlement – especially given that all but three of us in the British part of the diocese have secular work in addition to serving parishes! Or clergy live to serve, however tiring and challenging that service might be.

How blessed we are!

Today was blessed with the Hours and Liturgy for the Sunday of St Gregory Palamas in Nazareth House, and we were pleased to welcome new visitors as well as returning visitors who have discovered us in the last few weeks. Trapeza allowed friendly social interaction, and the chance to welcome new faces, and social time was extended when a group of us made our way to the nearest café, enjoying time together, with much musical talk between some of our musicians, largely about traditional chant systems – and we have so much musical expertise within the community!

I was very pleased that our oltarnik Oswald’s icon-stall continues to receive lots of support from parishioners, and was very glad that my ordered “Weep Not For Me O Mother” was ready, as well as wonderful icons of St Brigid being added to those on sale.

This week will see confessions on Thursday, before compline at 18:00, and I would like those needing to confess to email me by 12:00 on Wednesday.

Saturday will see our pilgrimage to Capel-y-ffin slightly higher up the valley of the Honddu from the site of St David’s Celtic foundation at Llanthony. We will assemble there at 10:30 to  set up for the Hours and Liturgy at 11:00. It looks like we will fill the little church, given the numbers who have indicated their intention to join us.

We are very grateful to Fr Richard for the warm hospitality extended to us in allowing the use of Little St Mary’s at Capel-y-ffin, and hope to visit to St Mary’s Church in Hay-on-Wye, part of the same ministry area to which Capel-y-ffin belongs, as well as enjoying the bookshops and cafés.

Unbelievably, Sunday will mark the middle of Lent, with the Veneration of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, and the following weekend will be a baptismal one, when we will welcome Dan, Mo and Germaine into the Church – thanks be to God!

Many thanks to all who made the weekend’s celebrations so joyful and warm, especially our singers – who have started preparing for Pascha – and our parish sisters who fed so many people, and also supported the clergy with food. It was a joy to share some of this with students this evening – with Serbian cooking going down very well!

I pray that you will maintain the impetus of the Great Fast, and continue to struggle for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

May God bless you all.

In Christ – Hieromonk Mark

Dear brothers and sisters,

Thank you to all who supported Sunday’s celebration of the Sunday of Orthodoxy, with our joyful Liturgy and moleben. It was a wonderful celebration of the Faith.

I am happy that Sister Anna has agreed to the use of the chapel for a Lenten service at 18:00 each Thursday, following confessions. We will gather again this week, and for evening prayers with the canon/akathist of repentance. May I ask those wishing to make their confession to email me by noon on Wednesday, indicating whether staying for the service as well.

Deacon Mark and I will be celebrating the Divine Liturgy in Cheltenham on Saturday, with our service at Prestbury United Reformed Church commencing with the Hours at 10:00, followed by the Liturgy at 10:30 and a panikhida for the Memorial Saturday.

Deacon Mark and I will return home via Nazareth House to set up for Sunday, and confessions may also be heard at 18:00, for those unable to confess on Thursday.

Without wishing to sound like a school-master, may I reinforce what was said after Liturgy?

There should be NO casual conversation or unnecessary talking during services, and it is not appropriate to go and verbally greet or chat with friends at this time. We can smile, nod and mouth a hello and enjoy the ample chance to catch up after the service.

As soon as the blessing has been pronounced for the Hours, this is liturgical time and the prayer of the Church, not free time for conversations or even private prayers and devotions.

The same goes for the thanksgiving prayers after Liturgy. Despite what was said at the end of Sunday’s service, there were still those who chatted audibly during those prayers.

There should most definitely be no talking during Holy Communion, let alone sitting down to chat. Unless age or health deems it necessary, we do not sit in the Lord’s Presence in the Holy Gifts!

We need to be careful that we do not adopt a casual attitude to being in church, but need to be mindful that even though Nazareth House is not an Orthodox temple, it nevertheless becomes the sacred-place in which the Lord comes to give Himself to us in the Holy Mysteries, where the Church offers the greatest sacrifice of prayer and praise to the Lord in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.

We wish our services to be prayerful, and without unnecessary noise, movement or distraction, so let us all work together to ensure this.

Looking forward to next Sunday, we will be celebrating the Sunday of St Gregory Palamas, and the variables may be found at –

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b7R8C9zWGNVn9uSPpgOfs9v_9TfX1KFK/view

May God bless you all.

In Christ – Hieromonk Mark

Dear brothers and sisters,

We were blessed with a triumphant celebration of the Sunday of Orthodoxy in Cardiff, yesterday, and affirmed the fullness and glory of the Orthodox Christian Faith and our obedience to the Sacred Tradition of the Church: an inheritance not of our making, but the deposit of Faith handed down to us by our pious and God-fearing forebears, for us to hand on to the next generation represented by the children and young people of our parish. We know this not to be the case in some places, and this is first hand knowledge given the parishioners who have taken refuge in our parish because of the renovationism, modernism and liberalism they have encountered elsewhere.

Some of those who have joined the parish, despite living far away, have made this clear in conversation over the last few days. However, this is not an occasion to gloat and feel pleased with ourselves, as though we are somehow superior. Our tenacious defence of Othodox dogma and tradition is what the Church demands of us, simply as Orthodox Christians – and from all Orthodox Christians.

Every Orthodox parish – as indeed every diocese and patriarchate – should be an ark of refuge and salvation, as the local manifestation of Christ’s Church, preserving and defending her Faith and sacred Tradition. 

It is precisely on account of the swelling tide of schism, heresy and persecution confronting the Church in our present sorrowful times that our Ruling Hierarch wished the faithful to be strengthened and confirmed in the fullness of the Church’s teaching by the solemnity our moleben on the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy – a radiant feast even in these early days of the Great Fast. So, a solemn and comprehensive order of service was blessed for parish use, lacking only the anathemas pronounced by our bishops and some other episcopal parts.

With the addition of the icons the faithful had brought to hold during the service, candles burning before the icons on the high windowsills and additional icons on the shrines that form our temporary ikonostas, their importance in our celebration as a sign of Orthodoxy was clear, and it was a joy to look out from the sanctuary and see parishioners bearing the sacred images of the saints as we started our moleben.

In the Great Litany, our deacons asked the Lord to “look upon His holy Church with a merciful eye, and preserve her safe and unconquered by heresies and superstitions, and keep her in His peace”; to “calm dissensions within her, and by the power of the Holy Spirit convert to a knowledge of the truth all who have apostatised and join them to His chosen flock”; and to “enlighten the minds of those darkened by unbelief with the light of His divine wisdom, and strengthen His faithful and preserve them steadfast in Orthodoxy.”

After the symbol of Faith – the Creed – our deacons solemnly intoned:

“This is the Apostolic Faith!

This is the Faith of the Fathers!

This is the Orthodox Faith!

This Faith confirmeth the universe.”

Commemorating the Holy Equals of the Apostles the Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena, the pious sovereigns of Byzantium, Kieven Rus’ and Russia who defended and upheld the Faith, and the great saints and wonder-workers who struggled in holiness, we chanted Vechnaya pamiat’ / Eternal memory again and again, recognising the debt that we owe to them for the preservation and defence of the Orthodox Faith; for teaching and upholding Orthodox, Catholic and Apostolic dogmas; for their steadfastness suffering and endurance in defending the Faith against heresy and schism.

Among the great names, we heard mention of Athanasius the Great; the great ecumenical teachers, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom; Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria; Leo the Great and Flavian the Confessor; the Fathers of the Seven Ecumenical Councils; Maximus the Confessor; Methodius, Patriarch of Constantinople; Theodore the Studite; and the Holy Hierarch Mark, Metropolitan of Ephesus.

After the names of the Holy Equals of the Apostles, the Great Prince Vladimir and Great Princess Olga, we responded to the  commemorations of the Great Princes Yaroslav the Wise, Vladimir Monomakh, Alexander Nevsky and Dimitry Donskoy; the first Romanov Tsar, Michael Feodorovich; the martyred Tsar Alexander II; Tsar Alexander III; the Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II and the martyred Imperial Family; also the martyred King Alexander of Serbia. For them all, we prayed “Memory eternal!”

Then, having commemorated the departed Patriarchs of the ancient Orthodox Patriarchates, we remembered Patriarchs of Rus’ and Serbia, New-Martyrs and Confessors and finally the First-Hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, the past hierarchs of our diocese of Western Europe and those who ruled the British Diocese when it was a separate eparchy: Archbishop Nikodem, Bishop Nikolai and Bishop Konstantin, of blessed memory.

Completing the commemoration of the departed, our hierodeacon prayed,

“To those who suffered and were slain in various ways for the Orthodox Faith and Fatherland: princes, nobles, and Christian forces, and all Orthodox Christians who have piously reposed in true Faith and in the hope of resurrection unto everlasting life: Memory eternal!”

Our deacons then led our prayers for the living – for the Patriarch and Hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, for all patriarchs “who stand fast in God’s righteousness, rightly defining the word of truth”, for right-believing hierarchs, for the members of the Imperial House and Orthodox Royal houses,  for the Orthodox faithful of the lands of Rus’ and of our God preserved diocese. After each petition the choir and faithful joyfully and enthusiastically chanted “Mnogaya leta!”

Ending with the Te Deum, the moleben was a very special combination of prayer for those who departed into error, and a celebration of the Orthodox Faith and those who have defended it and preserved it.

It was a joyful and festal Triumph of Orthodoxy, strengthening us and encouraging us at the end of the first week of the Fast.

What a contrast to the previous Sunday, when we chanted the stikhira of repentance, prostrating in the Rite of Forgiveness.

Our profound thanks go to all who contributed to our wonderful celebration, especially our choir, who laboured hard, and to our hierodeacon and deacon who were so central to the liturgical rites of the day.

To all Orthodox archpastors and sovereigns, our fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, who have departed this life, defending and preserving the Faith: memory eternal!

To our archpastors and pastors, those who struggle in the monastic-life and all of the pious faithful, steadfast in the Faith: many years!

I pray that the festive joy of the Triumph of Orthodoxy may strengthen us and encourage us in our parish life, and as individuals during this season of the Fast.

Asking your forgiveness for Christ’s sake.

Hieromonk Mark

Dear brothers and sisters,

With the Sunday of the Prodigal Son signalling the approach of the Great Fast, our service heralded our entry into meatfare week and the last seven days of meat before the Sunday of Pascha.

We were blessed to sustain a congregation of around forty-five adults plus children, including Yuriy, whose fifth birthday was celebrated with the chanting of Many Years and the sharing of very nice Medovnik / Honey Cake, made by matushka Alla.

I was very happy that we were able to meet and welcome new Ukrainian faces today, and Father Hierodeacon Avraamy will be working on publicity and advertising among his fellow Ukrainians, some of whom are struggling to find us in Cardiff. He lives in Swansea and is also aware of Ukrainian faithful seeking a canonical Orthodox community not involved in supporting the schism in their suffering homeland.

As you will be aware, although still a cleric of the Dnipropetrovsk Diocese, Hierodeacon Avraamy is now temporarily a cleric of our parish, having been blessed to serve here by both Metropilitan Irenei of Dnipropetrovsk and our own Bishop Irenei.

With the resumption of his ministrations, it was a joy to celebrate the Liturgy with the solemnity of two deacons, and several people commented on how Hierodeacon Avraamy and Deacon Mark work so well together: censing the church in tandem, during the more solemn entrances and alternating the litanies. Far from being more complicated, the Liturgy flows better and without pause. May God bless our deacons and their service as ministers of the Divine Mysteries and sacred services!

It was a relief that the confession arrangements worked pretty smoothly, with a couple of remaining confessions and communion during he thanksgiving prayers. This greatly helped the flow of the Liturgy and management of time.

Having completed the sacramental ministrations of the day, a new icon of St Luke of Simferopol was blessed, having been commissioned by Deacon Mark from the iconographer in our midst, as well as icons purchased fro Oswald’s ‘lavka’.

Following the Liturgy, it was lovely to see parishioners socialising so warmly and catching up with one another, with Oswald having customers at his icon stall, and the sharing of post-Liturgy snacks. Thank you to all who generously provided food and drinks for the faithful – and thank you to all who made the clear up and packing away so much smoother today.

I was very happy that the young men of the parish were able to spend time together over a cup of coffee and some lunch in a nearby café in the afternoon, and was glad to be able to join them and have some social time and conversation about the details of our Liturgy. We are so incredibly blessed to have such a band of pious and spiritually focussed young men, including those baptised over the last fourteen or fifteen months. Having received a blessing from Bishop Irenei to establish a parish brotherhood, dedicated to St David, I look forward to seeing it’s development once we have passed the First Week of the Great Fast. This will unite the brethren of the parish across the generations and the miles, given the geographical dispersion of the parish.

Having continued house-blessings last week, I hope to do a few more in the week ahead, though I will need to be in Llanelli for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy for the feast of the Meeting the Lord on Wednesday.

I wish to hear confessions on Thursday, and ask for requests by 12:00 on Wednesday, to allow arrangements to be confirmed.

Saturday will see the Divine Liturgy, a Litia for the Departed and a baptism in Cheltenham, before the return to Cardiff where we will set up the church and celebrate Small Compline at 17:00.

As well as celebrating the Liturgy on Sunday, we shall also have our Annual General Meeting, with feedback from the clergy and parish officers and discussion of the items on our agenda. Again, if you have any matters which you would like to add to the agenda, please email Deacon Mark – rmfisher@ntlworld.com

Finally, as we approach the Great Fast, I would like to encourage you all to have some spiritual reading ready, to be spiritual food and drink to nourish your souls and help sustain the journey to Pascha through the days of Lent. If you haven’t ordered/bought anything, now is the time to do so!

May God bless you all!

In Christ – Hieromonk Mark

Today saw the celebration of the Sunday of the Holy New-Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, as well as the Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican, marking the approach of the Great Fast. 

It was good to sustain our usual number of forty to forty-five worshippers, but it was evident that many in the congregation arrived during the early part of the Liturgy. Admittedly, confessions have made our start rather slow of late, but those communing of the Holy Mysteries should be in church for the Hours, as well as the Liturgy.  

Having settled back into Nazareth House and discovered how best to make things work, the Hours will commence at 10:40 and the Liturgy at 11:00 each Sunday. 

We expected to have Father Hierodeacon Avraamy celebrating with us, but he was unable to join us due to family sickness. We look forward to next week’s Liturgy and the blessing of two deacons for our Liturgy. Last week’s Sunday service was so imposing with two deacons serving in our celebration. 

We are grateful to our chancellor, Archpriest Paul, for sending vestments for Hierodeacon Avraamy, who is one of several Ukrainian clergy blessed to serve in our diocese, bringing great experience and liturgical knowledge. 

CONFESSIONS 

This was the first week in which no confessions were heard during the preparation of the chalice for Holy Communion, so a few confessions were heard after Liturgy, at which time Holy Communion was also administered.  

We need to be clear that this should really be for those living a distance from the church, and those who are at the mercy of public transport – such as our Ukrainian ladies (living in Ogmore Vale), whose train was cancelled, and who walked for an hour in order to ensure they were able to use alternative transport and attend Liturgy: determination!  

Whilst, confessions/communion worked well, this time after Liturgy – when clergy are tired and need to sit down –  cannot and must not become the default confession and communion time for late-arrivers, especially when there is only one priest. So… this post-Liturgy time will be monitored. 

Last week saw confessions on Thursday and Friday, with a house-blessing on Friday, as well. But, so far, there have been hardly any requests for house-blessings, at least from our parishioners in Wales. So, please do not forget that this is a Theophany tradition each year. We had several requests today, and will make arrangements to visit parish homes. As some of these visits may be on Saturdays, there may not be a public service in the evenings of those days, but rather vespers being celebrated across the parish, in the homes of the faithful, with the possibility of compline being celebrated after setting up the convent-church for Liturgy. 

THE WEEK AHEAD 

Looking forward to the latter this week, I will hear confessions on Thursday and Saturday, so may I ask for requests as soon as possible, but by 14:00 on Wednesday at the latest.  

Prior to pre-Lenten preparations, this week is fast-free. 

There will be no public celebration of vespers this Saturday. 

 CHELTENHAM 

Though our Cheltenham mission Liturgy is usually on the second Saturday of the month, the February Liturgy will be on Saturday 18^th February (the third Saturday). As this coming Saturday will see the celebratory anticipation Yuriy’s 5^th birthday, Deacon Mark will be otherwise engaged. 

However, for some years, it has actually been our tradition to celebrate the February Cheltenham Liturgy on the afterfeast of the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple (Candlemas). I’m pleased to say that we will be doing the same this year, and will also have a baptism on this day. 

As usual, our Liturgy will be in Prestbury United Reformed Church, Deep St, Prestbury, Cheltenham GL52 3AW. Cardiff friends would be extremely welcome! 

Confessions will be heard from 09:15, with the Hours at 10:00 and the Divine Liturgy at 10:30. 

WALSINGHAM

As announced at Liturgy, Father Dean of St Mary Butetown has once more extended an invitation for our parishioners to join the July South Wales Pilgrimage to Walsingham, as Norman and I did, last year – making a rather small Orthodox contingent. 

However, whilst there, we were able to join our dear friends who keep the Orthodox lamp burning in Walsingham and celebrated services in the Orthodox Chapel of the Anglican shrine, as well as praying in Mother Melangell’s house-chapel.  

A handful of parishioners have expressed interest in joining the pilgrimage, and I would be very pleased to have faithful from our South Wales communities travelling to Walsingham as a group – as it is already three and a half years since we previously did so, in November 2019. 

The pilgrimage will be from July 24-27. 

Cost:  

• Full Board and travel by coach £370 (£270 under 16 years) 
• Full Board only (no coach) £225 (£140 under 16 years) 
• Children under 5 yrs: FREE 

I will post details on our parish Facebook Page, but any queries may be sent in Georgina’s direction:  georgie.partridge12@gmail.com 

I’m happy to hear that interested parties have already been in touch! 

Additionally, given the place of Walsingham in the spiritual lives of some of our South Wales Orthodox faithful we are discussing the formation of a local Orthodox group akin to the various ‘cells’ of Our Lady of Walsingham, supporting the shrine and the historic Orthodox presence by prayer and pilgrimage, and encouraging devotion to the Mother of God. More to come! 

We discussed this whilst we met at Newman Hall, where we periodically chanted the akathist in honour of the Walsingham Icon of the Mother of God. 

Whilst on this pilgrimage theme – I would like to remind parishioners that I will be in Walsingham for the customary February visit, maintaining the historical links between the Russian Orthodox Church outside of Russia and the Anglican Shrine. I greatly look forward to celebrating the Liturgy with our friend, the newly-ordained Priest Mark (Tattum-Smith) from Mettingham, whom I hope to see become increasingly involved in ROCOR ministrations in the shrine. 

PILGRIMAGE TO LLANDAFF

Just to remind you that we will be meeting in Llandaff Cathedral for a moleben before the relics of St Teilo, at 10:00 on Saturday 25^th February, with time to explore the cathedral and visit St Teilo’s Well before those who wish to do so repair to the Black Lion for lunch. 

Confessions will be heard in Nazareth House that afternoon, when the church is set up for Sunday Liturgy. 

PARISH AGM

We will be holding our parish annual general meeting on Sunday 19^th February after the Divine Liturgy, and anyone wishing to raise subjects for our agenda should email our deacon and parish administrator, Father Deacon Mark: rmfisher@ntlworld.com 

No elections are due at this meeting, but the requirement for us us to form an electoral role though the establishment of a parish subscription will be discussed. 

PRAYER REQUESTS