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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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Why Did Christ Suffer Crucifixion?

By His Eminence Metropolitan Panteleimon of Koroneia “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our infirmities, but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are — yet

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Holy and Great Thursday

Thursday morning is marked by the service of the Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. Though we recall the Mystical Supper during every Divine Liturgy, now, in particular, we are reminded of the very first Eucharist served by our

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An Interpretation of the Hymnography of Matins on Holy Tuesday

By Dr. Michael Koutsos Plagal of the Fourth Tone Behold, the Bridegroom is coming in the middle of the night, and blessed is the servant whom He finds watching. And again unworthy is he whom he shall find careless. See to it, my

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Synaxarion for Palm Sunday

On this day, the Sunday of Palms, we celebrate the radiant and glorious Feast of the Entry of our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. Verses Sitting on a foal, He Who stretched out the Heavens By a word seeketh to

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Holy Week & Pascha in Shrewsbury 2024

Orthodox Christian Holy Week and Pascha will be celebrated with great solemnity once again in Shrewsbury in 2024 from 27 April to 5 May. This year, we enter Holy Week with the reception of eight catechumens on Lazarus Saturday. Below

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Schedule of Services for Holy Week and Pascha in Shrewsbury 2024

You will find below the schedule of services for Holy Week and Pascha in English, Greek, Romanian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Ukrainian and Russian

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Ordination of Stephen Edwards to the Holy Diaconate

On Saturday, 20 April 2024, Mr Stephen Edwards was ordained to the Holy Diaconate at the Church of the 318 Holy Fathers. His Grace Bishop Maximos of Melitene celebrated the Divine Liturgy. Protopresbyter Stephen Maxfield, Oeconomos Timothy Pearce and Presbyter

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The Matins of the Bridegroom Services

The services for Holy and Great Week begin on Sunday evening. The Matins services read during the first three days of Holy and Great Week are known as the Bridegroom Matins services. We begin each Bridegroom Matins service in the

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Synaxarion for Saturday of the Akathistos Hymn

On the fifth Saturday of the Great Fast, we celebrate the praise of our Most-holy Lady, theTheotokos and Ever-virgin Mary, during which “it is not permitted to sit.” VersesThe city in thanksgiving and watchfulness doth praiseHer who upholdeth and constantly

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Saturday of the Akathist Hymn

By Elder Epiphanios Theodoropoulos [On the Fifth] Saturday [of the fast] we chant the Akathist Hymn during Matins. In our days however this does not happen except in the holy monasteries, since in the parishes it is chanted the evening before, on Friday

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That this Pascha is a type of the future and eternal Pascha

That this Pascha is a type of the future and eternal Pascha;and about endurance and courage. St Theodore the Studite: Catchesis 66 Brethren and fathers, Lent is already galloping past and the soul rejoices at the imminence of Pascha, because

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