Dear brothers and sisters,A blessed and happy feast of Saints Peter and Fevronia to all of our married couples! Many, blessed years to you all, unto salvation and the Kingdom of Heaven! May the Holy Wonderworkers intercede for you in joy and sorrow, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, and be your spiritual protectors and companions to the gates of the Kingdom. С праздником!
Last Sunday in Tremorfa was a rather quiet, and thin on numbers, but it was a prayerful ending to a blessed few days that saw a group of parishioners make a pilgrimage to Wallasey and Holywell.
After the experience of Georgia, it was a joy to be on pilgrimage again, joining our brothers and sisters in Wallasey to celebrate the feast of St John the Wonderworker, and to have the blessing of a visit to Holywell, with the infectious energy of our young pilgrims making the slightly less young feel invigorated and a little more youthful.
Many thanks to Father Paul and his community for such warm hospitality, and to our starosta, Joanna, for organising and coordinating such a wonderful visit.
May God have mercy upon us and bless us, through the prayers of our holy father, John the Wonderworker, of our Venerable Mother, Winefride, and of all the saints.
We will have our usual service of Small Compline in Nazareth House, at 18:00, tomorrow – the feast of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God – and I will be available to hear confessions before and after the service.
As Friday will give me the very rare opportunity to spend s little time with my nephew, there will be no afternoon service in the Oratory Church, as I will take advantage of the opportunity of a lift to Warminster, where our July Wessex Liturgy will be celebrated on Saturday in the Chapel of St Lawrence, at 10:30. Given the unveiling of one of a number of dinosaurs (that are gracing the town) on the chapel lawn, there may be a succession of little feet making their way to what the late Bishop Kallistos referred to as the “House of Comfort”, but I’m sure we can cope, and will be glad that there will be extra visitors being made aware of the lovely chapel.
As I have to be in London on Sunday, for the marriage of our former student, Jelena, Father Mark will be sole priest for Liturgy, so those who confessed in preparation for communion last Sunday are also blessed to commune this coming weekend.
As Sunday is the feast of St Peter and Paul, it is hoped that trapéza can be a festive lunch, and Joanna will be pleased to receive offers of food for the table as we break the fast (as Branka will also be away in London for the wedding).
We ask your prayers for the repose of the newly-departed handmaiden of God, Natalia, who reposed on Monday, in St Petersburg. A litia will be offered for her repose at the end of Sunday’s Liturgy.
Looking forward to Tuesday 21 July, it is my hope to celebrate the Divine Liturgy for the summer feast of the Kazan Icon in the Oratory Church, though of necessity this will need to be in the Lady Chapel, as our usual side chapel is full of scaffolding during building work. Having discussed the Liturgy with Father Sebastian, I will share details with you.
Asking your forgiveness for Christ’s sake.
May God bless you.
Hieromonk Mark
