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Beneath Thy Compassion: Exploring the Marian Devotion of the Early Church

by Theo Andreou Over one thousand years stands between these two images of the Mother of God tenderly embracing her Son. They testify to the truth of Mary’s own words in Luke 1:48: ‘For behold, from now on all generations will

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Saint Edmund the Martyr

Feast day 20 November. Of his life little is known. In the year 869 the Danes, who had been wintering at York, marched through Mercia into East Anglia and took up their quarters at Thetford. Edmund engaged them fiercely in battle, but

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John the Merciful, Patriarchate of Alexandria

John was born in Amathus of Cyprus c. 550 to the patrician Epiphanios, a governor of the island. He married and had children, but was a widower when he was called to become Patriarch of Alexandria on the recommendation of

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The Feast of Nektarios the Wonderworker of Pentapolis

St. Nektarios was born in Selybria of Eastern Thrace to the family of Demos and Maria Kephalas on 1st October 1846. He was named Anastasios at his baptism, a name which suited perfectly his early behavior. As a child he

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Winefrid, virgin martyr and abbess of Gwytherin

Read about the life of Saint Winefrid and her importance for the town of Shrewsbury Continue reading

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Feast of Great Martyr Demetrios

On 26 October we celebrate the feast of the Holy Glorious and Great Martyr Demetrios the Myrrh Streamer. Life of the Saint Saint Demetrios suffered in Thessalonica during the reign of Galerius Maximian (c. 306). He belonged to one of

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Eata, bishop of Hexham

Saint Eata, a native of Northumbria, was one of twelve original pupils at Lindisfarne under St Aidan. In 651, he became the first Abbot of Melrose, where he mentored Cuthbert. Continue reading

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Pseudo-Dionysius – our new book for Thursday morning reading

Join us as we delve into Pseudo-Dionysius’s mystical theology, exploring the ineffable nature of God through contemplative reading and lively theological discussion every Thursday morning. Continue reading

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Feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke

October 18 Life of the Saint Saint Luke came from the city of Antioch, probably of a pagan family. From his youth he applied himself to seek after wisdom and to study the arts and sciences. He travelled all over

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Holy Scripture in the Orthodox Church – the Septuagint

Introduction The Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible are part of God’s revelation to mankind.  The Orthodox Church claims that the author of the Old Testament is truly God Himself, but it recognises that it is equally the

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Annual Pilgrimage to St. Winefride’s Well

Join the Orthodox pilgrimage to St. Winefride’s Well, Holywell, Wales on Oct 5, 2024. Experience Britain’s oldest continuous pilgrimage site and healing waters. Continue reading

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A New Chapter in Our Church’s Governance

To all members of the Shrewsbury Orthodox Church We are writing to share with you some important changes in our church’s governance structure. These changes are designed to streamline our operations and take advantage of new charity rules and available

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Saturday of Souls: In the Hope of the Resurrection of Christ

On 22 June, at 10am, there will be a Divine Liturgy and Memorial service for Ψυχοσάββατο – Moșii de vară – Задушница – Saturday of Souls. In the Orthodox Church, there is an important and long-standing tradition of praying for

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2024 Paniyiri of the Church of the 318 Holy Fathers

On 16 June, the Sunday of the 318 Godbearing Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, His Grace Bishop Maximos of Melitene presided at Orthros and celebrated the Divine Liturgy for the feast day of the church. Also serving

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CTIS Election Hustings – Monday 24 June

Churches Together in Shrewsbury will host an election hustings this year on Monday, June 24, from 7pm to 8.30pm. The event will feature local prospective parliamentary candidates in an evening of lively debate and conversation at Holy Trinity Church, Meole

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Pilgrimage to St. Seiriol’s Holy Well, Anglesey

St. Seiriol, a Welsh hermit and son of a king, lived in the sixth century. The saint lived as a hermit on Anglesey, where his little “beehive” cell and holy well still exist. According to tradition, he was a close

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Feast of the 318 Holy Fathers, Shrewsbury

This weekend, we celebrate our patronal feast—the feast of the 318 Godbearing Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. On Saturday we will have festal vespers at 6pm. We will celebrate Matins and the Divine Liturgy on Sunday at

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The Panagia, the Life-Giving Spring

The feast of the Life-Giving Spring that we celebrate on the Friday of Renewal Week is a feast of our Panagia. The following is written in the Synaxarion of the day: “On the Friday of Renewal Week we celebrate the

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Photo gallery of Holy Week and Pascha

Christ is risen! Χριστὸς ἀνέστη! Hristos a înviat! Христос воскресе! Christus ist auferstanden! Христос васкрсе! ¡Cristo resucitó! Христос воскрес! Christus ist auferstanden! Kristus er oppstanden! Christus resurrexit! Le Christ est ressuscité! Cristo è risorto! Atgyfododd Crist! !‎  المسيح قام! حقا قام

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The Epitaphios

The Epitaphios is an ornate embroidered icon depicting the body of Christ laying on the Tomb. The word Epitaphios comes from a Greek expression meaning “on the tomb” (= επί του τάφου).  On the Epitaphios, Christ can be alone, or

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