Author Archives: admin

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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Experiencing the Life in Christ through Sacred Art and Symbols – Jonathan Pageau interviews Aidan Hart

The Danish philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard once said, “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced”. One might rephrase this, “the truth is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be participated

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Archdiocesan Family Fun Day

On Saturday, October 23, 2021, with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain the Archdiocese held a Family Fun Day.  This event was organized by Mr. Christos and Mrs. Alexia Papalexandrakou in coordination with Archimandrite

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A new monastery in the Scottish Highlands

On 21 of October Father Stephen and Deacon Panteleimon traveled to the Church of the Forerunner and Baptist John in Haringey, North London to attend the annual clergy conference of the Archdiocese. It was an opportunity for the archdiocese to

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The Abbesses’ Way

On Sunday the Akolouthos (secondary school age children) of the Varangian Guard walked from our church to Shrewsbury Abbey. Our church was once owned by Saint Milburga‘s priory in Much Wenlock and the relics of Saint Winifred were translated to

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