Author Archives: admin

Message from Father Stephen on the war in Ukraine

First of all, all of us Orthodox Christians must be deeply ashamed that we find two Orthodox Christian countries fighting each other.  This is a terrible witness to the World. In our community there are Russians, Ukrainians and half Russian,

Posted in Announcements & Events | Leave a comment

Encyclical for the Beginning of the Holy & Great Lent 2022

In just a few days, we will begin the Lenten journey to Pascha. The Church once again, invites us to walk the sacred path of liturgical and personal preparation, as She has done for centuries. She sounds the trumpet of

Posted in Feasts, Saints & History | Leave a comment

Support for Ukrainian Refugees

Thank you all so much for your kind donations of items for Ukrainian refugees and of time sorting these before being sent to the Ukrainian border. The organisation that we have been working with – the Shropshire Eastern European Organisation

Posted in Announcements & Events | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Confession and Holy Communion

In certain parts of the Church, especially those influenced by Russian practice, there has grown up a tradition that it is not possible to receive holy communion unless you have first made a confession.  In many places the result has

Posted in Introduction to Orthodoxy | Comments Off on Confession and Holy Communion

Open unto me the gates of Repentance….

When we enter into the season of the Great Fast, we start to use a number of special prayers and services.  Amongst these is the hymn that we sing at Matins every Sunday from the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee

Posted in Introduction to Orthodoxy | Leave a comment

Surprised by Christ – Fr James Bernstein’s search for Truth

Everyone searching for Christ should read this wonderful book. Bernstein is an immensely gifted man with a keen intellect and a profound desire, from early life, for the truth. His writing style is simple and direct. The book is well

Posted in Introduction to Orthodoxy | Leave a comment

Counting sheep – a catechism in the catacombs

I want to write about tombs, sheep and sea monsters… And yes, I know it sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. But in actuality, these things are related quite profoundly to each other. I want to draw your

Posted in Introduction to Orthodoxy | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Yugoslavian refugees builds community in Telford

A history of the Serbian Orthodox Community of St Nicholas, Donnington, Telford Had it not been for the Second World War, Serbs would not have found their way to Shropshire and settled in the Donnington area of Telford. After the

Posted in Feasts, Saints & History | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Pilgrimage from Lastingham to Whitby

A few weeks ago we picked up a flyer in church and read that between 9th and 10th June Fr John and Presbytera Georgina Nankivell would be leading a group of members of the Community of the Nativity of the

Posted in Announcements & Events | Leave a comment

Walking in Wonder – Elizabeth White

Nurturing Orthodox Christian Virtues in Your Children This slim book belies its enormous potential to parents of young children.  Elizabeth White draws on her own experiences of motherhood, her errors and joys of introducing a child to God’s wonderful world.

Posted in Introduction to Orthodoxy | Leave a comment

A Lifetime in Pilgrimage: Archimandrite Lazaru

As far as English speaking Orthodoxy is concerned there are three individuals who have been at the “tip of the spear” for Orthodox mission. They were all monks, all became Archimandrites and all had an influence way beyond what would

Posted in Feasts, Saints & History | Leave a comment

The Inner Kingdom – Metropolitan Kallistos

On Thursday mornings we are currently reading The Inner Kingdom by Bishop Kallistos (as he was when it was published by St Vladimir’s Seminary Press in 2000). It is proving an extremely insightful text. It is a selection of previously

Posted in Introduction to Orthodoxy | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Christianity in Qatar

In November Presvytera Catherine and I visited Qatar where our daughter and her family are living. Qatar is a small Arabian country – a peninsular that sticks out north into the Persian Gulf. It is about the size of Wales

Posted in Feasts, Saints & History | Leave a comment

Christmas Message of Archbishop Nikitas

Christmas Message of His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain As I sit and write a few words to you, beloved people of God, I speak to you as a father would speak to children at the waning

Posted in Feasts, Saints & History | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Christmas Message of Archbishop Nikitas

Madagascar Orthodox Church mission

I have been having the great good fortune to have a work assignment in Madagascar, which is the world’s fourth largest island, situated off the south-eastern coast of Africa and currently one of the poorest countries in that continent. The

Posted in Feasts, Saints & History | Leave a comment

Festival of Saint Nicholas

On 5 December after the Divine Liturgy in Telford there will be a celebration for our father among the saints, Nicholas of Myra the Wonderworker. Family crafts activities | story telling | Saint Nicholas Carols | a visit from Saint

Posted in Announcements & Events | Leave a comment

The real story of Athens – Bruce Clark’s new book

There is (even) more to Greek history than Plato or Pericles, and there is more to the story of the Parthenon than marble sculptures or perfect architectural proportions. Bruce Clark’s 500 page book – Athens, City of Wisdom – tells

Posted in Feasts, Saints & History | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Cave church dedicated to 318 Godbearing Fathers in Archimandrita, Cyprus

There are apparently very few churches dedicated to the 318 Godbearing Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea but we have recently discovered that there is a cave church that shares the dedication in the Oreites Forest in Cyprus.

Posted in Feasts, Saints & History | Leave a comment

Report on community youth work for AGM 2020/2021

Looking back over the last couple of years 2020 and 2021 it seems that the youth and their families have in fact risen to the challenges and come out stronger and more committed. Our Varangian Guard has really lived up

Posted in Announcements & Events | Leave a comment

A Christmas Wonderland

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira warmly invites you to join it at the 3rd Enlightened Evening reception on Sunday, 12th December 2021 (16:30 to 20:30) at The Hellenic Centre, Marylebone, W1U 5AS. Come and enjoy a sumptuous Greek buffet

Posted in Announcements & Events | Comments Off on A Christmas Wonderland