The Shepherd, July 2010
BROOKWOOD CEMETERY SOCIETY AGM
THE SOCIETY’S 18th AGM was held in the main hall of our Old Mortuary Building on the evening of 15th June, chaired by John Clarke. It seemed that this year about twice as many people attended as did last year, and we were hard pressed to find chairs enough for them. After the various official matters had been dealt with, Major Paul Whittle gave a most interesting and amusing illustrated talk, entitled “Steam to Mandalay.” Because of the connection between our cemetery and railways, this talk was primarily about railways, but those in Burma. However, Major Whittle, who often gives talks to various societies and, in doing so, collects funds for charitable organizations in Burma (as he preferred to call it), ranged far wider than this would suggest. He touched on the religious heritage of the country, the history of the British rule there, the country’s industry, and its war time record, with reference to the war graves there - another link with Brookwood.
At the meeting, the society’s librarian, Paul Hetherington, said that he felt that, due to work commitments, he wished to retire, and that making the books available from his home had been a problem. In view of this, it was decided that until the Cemetery owners, Erkin and Melanie Guney, are in a position to open a visitor centre, as they hope to do, the BCS library will be kept in the Brotherhood’s Exhibition Room. Arrangements for borrowing books, which deal with a host of subjects linked to the cemetery’s history and the famous people buried here, can be made with Father Niphon.
VISITORS
ARCHIMANDRITE DANIEL (Toyne) of the Holy Resurrection Greek Orthodox Parish in Singapore (Œc. Patr.) visited us on Monday 7th June, and stayed overnight with us, joining us for the celebration of Saint Augustine of Canterbury at Vespers, Mattins and the Liturgy.
On 22nd JUNE, in the evening, His Grace, Metropolitan Parthenios of Kition, Cyprus, Hieromonk Sisinios and a small group of pilgrims unexpectedly visited our church. As they were pushed for time, they declined refreshments, but were shown round the church, and Fr Niphon answered their questions. The clergymen belong to the Synod of Metropolitan Kyrikos, one of the Matthewite Synods, apparently separately constituted five years ago.
JOHN CLARKE TRIBUTE COLUMN!
ACTUALLY this is a continuation of the “Visitors” section, but each of the following groups was in fact brought by cemetery historian, John Clarke, the chairman of the Brookwood Cemetery Society:-
Tuesday, 8th June - a group of about 35 people from the National Women’s Register under the leadership of Deborah Wills - although almost half of them were men.
Saturday, 12th June - the Cambridge Society of Surrey under the leadership of Robin Bell. About 40 people in all, they were all Cambridge graduates & like the previous group, showed a lively interest in our church & worship.
Tuesday, 15th June - two groups of children from Woking High School, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, each comprising about 45 pupils. Fr Niphon considered that they may have been shy but noticed that they seemed to have less interest than previous school groups.
Wednesday, 23rd June - eight residents of Ebbage Court Sheltered Accommodation, Woking, came in the evening to see the church.
PRACTICAL TIP
EQUIP YOURSELF FOR ORTHODOXY! If someone takes up a sport or a hobby: horse-riding, skate-boarding, embroidery, keeping chickens, showing cage birds, visiting historic monuments - whatever it is, and however eccentric it might seem to others, you find that they are willing to spend hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds on their interest and devote a great deal of time and effort to it. But when it comes to the most important thing in their lives, one often finds that many Orthodox Christians are simply not even equipped. Some homes have hardly an icon in them, certainly not where it would be noticed, or perhaps one to put on display when the priest comes. Many Orthodox Christians, even of long or lifelong standing, do not have a Prayer-Book or Bible, much less a library of spiritually profitable books, with which to nourish themselves. This means, in effect, that their church commitment is limited to attending the occasional Sunday service, but such a commitment is not spiritually sustaining. Yes, you may reach your grave, technically a member of the Orthodox Church, and have the blessing of an Orthodox funeral, but will that fact be of any profit to you in the hereafter, or might it not be to your condemnation?
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