The Shepherd, May 2008
THE PASSING OF TWO FRIENDS
AND BENEFACTORS
DURING Great Lent, Mrs Barbara Worth, in whose garden the chapel of the former St Werburgh Mission in Congleton was located, died after a short illness. After Archbishop Mark’s closing down of the ROCOR Mission there, the parishioners split into four groups. Some followed us to Fili, some joined the “Chrysostomite” presence in this country, some went to Fr Paul Elliott’s parish in Birkenhead, and some joined the nearby Antiochian parish of St Michael at Audley. Barbara was in this last group. Her funeral service was chanted on the evening of 8th April in the beautiful church of the Audley parish. Fr Samuel Carter, its pastor, officiated, assisted by Fr Paul Elliott (ROCA-MP). Fr Alexis attended from our Brotherhood. In the morning after a pannikhida, Barbara was laid to rest in a local cemetery. Fr Samuel remarked on the good work that Barbara had done for his community and mission, and the members of the former St Werburgh mission certainly owe her a debt of immense gratitude for providing them with a place of worship for so many years, for her hospitality, and her encouragement. May she now find her reward with the Saints and may her memory be eternal!
FR ALEXANDER CHERNEY, a Protopresbyter of the Œcumenical Throne, and the dean of the Latvian Orthodox people in this country, died during the last week of the fast. Before taking on his priestly ministry, Fr Alexander had been an architect, and he helped our Brotherhood immensely in its very first days, drawing up the plans for the conversion of the Old Mortuary Building as our house, and throughout the subsequent years, he continued to support us by his prayers, his friendship and his numerous gifts of relics, holy vessels, and vestments. He leaves a widow, Matushka Helen, whose friendship we also greatly value. Father’s funeral was chanted at the London Russian Orthodox Cathedral, Ennismore Gardens, on the Wednesday of Bright Week, after the celebration of the Divine Liturgy there. Six priests took part, led by Archimandrite Aemilianos (Œc. Patr.) of Kingston-upon-Thames. He was assisted by the clergy of the Russian Cathedral itself, by a priestmonk from Latvia, and Fr Deacon Meliton Oakes of Thyateira House. Frs Alexis and Niphon attended from our Brotherhood. Near the end of the service, Fr Aemilianos read a moving tribute to Fr Alexander by His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain, in which the Archbishop outlined the deceased’s life and spoke of his remarkable pastoral ministry and care for his people. May Fr Alexander, whom we shall always remember as our benefactor, find rest with the Saints, in everlasting paschal joy.
MOSAIC ICON GIVEN
BY FAR the most august parishioner in our tiny mission in Ryde, Isle of Wight, Cllr Mrs Melanie Swan, who is an artist, executed a large and beautiful mosaic icon of the Sweet-Kissing Mother of God, which on the day of the Bishops’ concelebration at Brookwood, she kindly donated to the Brotherhood for the new house.
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