The Shepherd, April 2010
NEW ICON CARDS
THE ICON of the Twenty-Thousand Martyrs of Nicomedia, which was painted for our church by iconographer, Tatiana Kolibaba of Saint Petersburg, Russia, last year, has now been printed as an icon card, with the troparion and contakion of the martyrs on the reverse. This was done by the Brotherhood in thanksgiving for our reception into the Synod in Resistance under the omophorion of Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos & Fili, which was effected on the feast of the Twenty-Thousand in 2006.
TWO VALUED GIFTS
THE SISTERS of the Convent of the Annunciation have given us an exact copy of a photograph of the Blessed and Ever-Memorable Metropolitan Antony (Khrapovitsky), which was given by him to the Ampenoff family in London - the birth family of their late Abbess, Elisabeth, - with whom he stayed when visiting this country. The Metropolitan’s dedication to the family is visible on the reproduction, but the Sisters have also kindly included a clearer transcription in modern Russian.
FATHER PETER BAULK, of the ROCA-MP church on Harvard Road in Gunnersbury, has also donated two “Eagle Mats” for the episcopal services here. These he brought back from Russia, when he was a delegate of the Moscow Patriarchate Sobor there, at which the present Patriarch was elected.
VISITORS
ŒCONOMOS Father Philemon Herodotou of Paralimni in Cyprus, and his presbytera, Sotiria, visited us on the Thursday of the Great Canon, 5th /18th March. They arrived with Mattheos Nicolaou just as we finished the Presanctified Liturgy, and stayed with us for our meal, telling us about the difficulties of church life in Cyprus. Unfortunately Father Philemon, whom we have know for many years, was in this country for medical treatment.
The Vyne Walking Club paid an unscheduled visit to our church on 2nd March, as they walked through the cemetery. They spent about twenty minutes in the church, asking questions about our worship.
John Clarke has led two groups of visitors to the cemetery recently, arranging to bring them to the church. Both groups comprised about 30 people, the first coming on Sunday 7th March, and the second on Wednesday 10th March.
PRACTICAL TIP
OUR OWN JURISDICTION has only two priests in this country, but across the whole spectrum of the Orthodox, there are relatively few clergymen, trying to minister to flocks that no longer live in small villages or neighbourhoods, as it would have been in an Orthodox country, but who are scattered over great distances. If then you require the priest to hear your confession, to serve a special service for you, to bless something for you, - please show them the courtesy of arranging this beforehand, and not simply assuming that they will be available as and when you choose to turn up. And do not assume that just because they will be in church at the Liturgy, they will also have time to attend to whatever you want. To help you support them as you should in this way, and in case of emergency, always have the contact details of your priest with you and whenever you can make prior arrangements.
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