Parish News – Sunday 6th October

Dear brothers and sisters, a blessed and joyful feast of the Hawaiian-Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. 

It was lovely to have the chance to tell the children about the icon whilst Father Mark the Younger prepared the chalice for Holy Communion – especially as we anticipate the icon’s November visit to South Wales and Wessex.  

It was a joy and relief to have Father Mark the Younger back after last weekend’s throat problems.

As you may know, I also concelebrated in Bournville with Father Nenad, in Lazarica, this weekend, with the Divine Liturgy and parastas for the departed yesterday morning.

I greatly enjoyed spending time with the youth of the community, and answering their questions and sharing some perspectives on our Orthodox spiritual life. I was also able to discus some parish matters with Fr Nenad – this being a major reason for my visit. Thanks to everyone for such warmth and kindness!

We will return to Bournville for our parish pilgrimage on Saturday 26th October. 

If you are able to offer free places in your car, please let Tracy know, and we will ensure that as many as possible enjoy the blessing of the visit, during which I am particularly keen for our young people to meet their peers in Bournville.

Despite the half-marathon and our brothers on the Holy Mountain, our Liturgy was pretty well attended, and it was good to welcome back our recent visitors and share not only Liturgy, but trapéza with them.

As we try to economise a little, due to the considerable rise in rent, we set 15:00 as the end of trapéza and pack away time, and this seemed to work well. We will review this as the weeks pass.

In the week ahead, we will offer a moleben for the protection and well-being of the parish on Tuesday – meeting in the Oratory Church at 15:00. Vespers will be celebrated at the same time on Friday (not Thursday, this week), after which I will travel to Warminster, where we will celebrate the Hours and Divine Liturgy for our west of England parishioners in the Chapel of St Lawrence at 10:30.

Parishioners from the Welsh side of the Severn will be enthusiastically welcomed!

Confessions may be heard before and after our Oratory services, but please give notice if you wish to do so beforehand.

Amongst the newly departed, please remember Halyna, whose funeral I will celebrate in Barry tomorrow; Nikolai who reposed on Tuesday; Edmund’s father-in-law, Igor, and Lydia and Natalia.

We pray for our regent Olga and for Valentina Nikolaevna on their travels, and for Lazarus, George, Nikolai, Porphyrios, Vlad and Gleb on their Athonite pilgrimage.

It has been lovely to see their photographs, including Athonite cats, and we look forward to hearing of their experiences on the Holy Mountain.

Wishing you a prayerful and productive week.

May God bless you.

In Christ – Hieromonk Mark

Posted in Newsletter, Parish News.