Dear brothers and sisters,
Greetings for the Nativity of the Mother of God. С праздником!
Monday’s feast in London was a great joy, though after Liturgies in both Cheltenham and Cardiff, it was certainly a challenge to priestly energy reserves.
The day started early for Stefan and I, as we celebrated the Lesser Blessing of Water, having made the early start to complete the blessing before Vladyka’s arrival.
It was a great joy to celebrate with our bishop, the brother clergy of our diocese, and visiting clergy from the Russian Patriarchal and Antiochian dioceses, and from the Macedonian Orthodox parish.
With the joyful ringing of bells, the throng of clergy of all ranks, beautiful singing, the tonsure of a reader, and the elevation of Deacon Sergei Baranoff to the rank of protodeacon, it was a wonderful and memorable Liturgy, which was clearly enjoyed by all. Many years to Father Protodeacon Sergei and Reader Matthew.
Not surprisingly, Father Mark and I were bombarded with questions regarding our imminent move, so we repeated ourselves countless times regarding the current slowness in procedures. After conversations with the young gentlemen of the cathedral parish, we are very heartened at the prospect of having the skills, passion and energy of the London youth group at our disposal when we move, knowing that there are some very experienced, competent and capable building-volunteers, who have already proved their various talents in work on the newly acquired temples of our diocese. Under Sasha’s capable eye, they look forward to helping with the conversion of our new home into a beautiful and worthy Orthodox temple.
The growing bond between parishioners from our various parishes through pilgrimages, youth events and inter-parish visits was very much in evidence during our visit. Father Paul sends his greetings to our parishioners, and Vladyka looks forward to visiting Rhydyfelin.
I very much hope that our own youth will formally organise a parish youth-group once we have made our church move, and I was very happy to see that after discussions earlier in the year and a car visit by Jospeh and I, a number of our young people were able to get together to make an informal walking pilgrimage to the holy well at Penrhys, defying the rain, hunger and getting lost. It seems the not-so-youthful adult supervisors were just as buoyant and enthusiastic on the soggy, but spiritually rewarding day. We look forward to repeating this as a parish event, and to hopefully contributing to the care of the well, especially as Penrhys is so close to our new home.
In the parish, our main news in this little bulletin is that after two years serving as senior-sister, Branka wishes to now relinquish this position. We are extremely grateful for her hard work, and for all that she has done to serve our parish during her tenure as senior sister, and for the immense help and great kindness of her support for the parish clergy and visiting clergy. As she looks forward to a quieter life in the parish, we pray that God may grant her many, blessed years!
Given our imminent move, we will address the position of senior sister when once we have moved into the church in Rhydyfelin, as we need not rush to address the vacancy at moment, when we will soon have much to do.
In the meantime, we hope that we ALL (brothers as well as sisters!) can all work together with generosity in the ongoing “domestic” side of parish life, and we will make a rota for the kitchen in our remaining weeks in St Philip’s, and minimise cleaning and washing up by ensuring that we only bring finger-food, unless we are having a more festal lunch together.
This Sunday is the feast of the Exultation of the Life-Giving Cross, which it is a special blessing to have on the Lord’s Day. Given that it is a feast, it would be good to have normal trapeza, though as a feast of the Cross, it will be a FASTING DAY, with the consolation of wine and oil. So… NO ANIMAL PRODUCTS, INCLUDING DAIRY PRODUCTS AND EGGS may be consumed.
It would be a help to have some concrete knowledge of food offerings from willing parishioners, so I will post this request separately on the parish WhatsApp page.
Given the blessing of having relics of the True Cross less than a mile away, in the Oratory Church, we will solemnly venerate the Wood of the Cross in St Philip’s at the end of Liturgy, as has become customary for us on the feasts of the Holy Cross during the year.
Before then, we will chant Small Compline in Nazareth House on Thursday at 18:00, and our usual moleben in the Oratory at 15:00 on Friday. Confessions will be heard after these services.
As it will be the fourth Monday of the month, next week, we will have our customary mission-supper and celebration of Small Compline in the Chapel of St Lawrence, in Warminster, with the Veneration of the Precious Cross. We will gather as usual, at 18:30. May I encourage our worshippers to bring something for our bring-and-share supper, as it doesn’t happen magically.
For our Sunday Liturgies, may I remind parishioners not to approach and venerate the icons on the front-of-church lecterns when the deacon stands before them during the service, and for everyone to remain still during the entrances and readings. Also, we should remember that prostrations are only made during Sunday Liturgy when it is a feast of the Cross at the veneration. Despite localised customs, the Church canons forbid kneeling on Sundays, other than the aforementioned Sundays and on the day of Pentecost, at vespers. Ordination is the only other exception.
As you know, Father Antony of our Mettingham parish recently reposed, so we ask your continued prayers for the repose of his soul. Father Mark Tattham-Smith has instructed us that he will be buried in the churchyard at Mettingham, with his funeral being celebrated on Wednesday 30 September. May his memory be eternal! We also continue to pray for the repose of the souls of the newly-departed handmaidens of God, Viktoriya and Valentina.
Remember that the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God continues until its leave-taking, on Friday, so please continue to keep the feast in your homes and icon-corner.
Asking your forgiveness, for Christ’s sake.
May God bless you and your loved ones.
In Christ – Hieromonk Mark
