The Shepherd, September 2008
SiR UK* NEWS
* Synod in Resistance Churches in the UK
TWO ORTHODOX NUNS REPOSE
TWO NUNS, whom we have known for several years, have recently reposed. Mother Serafima, who had been an Anglican nun and converted to Orthodoxy, was for a period in the Convent of the Assumption in Normanby. Later she helped the late Archimandrite Barnabas at New Mills on the Welsh borders, before settling for many years at Walsingham, where, the day after he himself was tonsured a monk, Archimandrite David, tonsured her and named her after St Seraphim of Sarov, the heavenly patron of the community there. After Fr David’s death, Mother settled in Earl’s Court in London and attended the Russian Orthodox Cathedral at Ennismore Gardens. She died recently at the age of 90, and the funeral was served on 1st / 14th August, the first day of the Dormition Fast, at Ennismore Gardens, followed by interment in our cemetery at Brookwood, the first monastic to be laid to rest here. Fathers David Smith and Joseph Skinner accompanied her body from London, along with a number of parishioners from the Cathedral and her blood-relations. The party included Mother Theodosia, a nun from Russia now establishing a community in East Sussex. They were met here by Leon Liddament and Sylvia Batchelor of the Saint Seraphim’s Trust in Walsingham, who now care for the chapel there, and by parishioners now under the omophorion of Bishop Basil of Amphipolis. Fr Joseph served a rather extended liti at the grave side, as many of the people here had not been able to attend the funeral service itself in London. Afterwards everyone came into the Brotherhood main hall for tea and biscuits, and then after refreshments visited the church to venerate the relics of St Edward and the vestments of Saint John of Shanghai, that we are blessed to have there.
On St Laurence’s day, 10th / 23rd August, Mother Hilda reposed at Saint Mary’s Abbey in West Malling, Kent, where the Anglican sisters very kindly cared for her in her last days, when she was suffering from a severely debilitating illness. For many years, she had been a nun at the Convent of the Assumption in Normanby, and it was there that members of our community first briefly made her acquaintance. Towards the end of her life she opened up a correspondence with us again, and then knowing of her imminent death asked us to obtain our Bishop’s blessing to take her the Holy Mysteries. This was done, and in the last few weeks of her life Mother received the Holy Mysteries twice and had the service of Holy Unction chanted for her. She kindly donated two beautiful icons to our community, one of the Pimenovskaya Mother of God and one of the Great Martyr Demetrius the Myron-streaming. Many of her books and her liturgical transcriptions of the services set to Byzantine chant were also given to us. May Mother Serafima and Mother Hilda rest with the saints, and may their Memory be Eternal.
RESTORATION WORK
THE PROCESSIONAL CROSS and the two liturgical fans in Saint Edward’s Church have recently be cleaned, and Fr Thomas has gold-leafed them to restore their original lustre. These were given us many years ago by Aphroditi Kaminara, who now lives in Greece and Cyprus, and they had become rather dull and tarnished.
Also Mike Stonelake has now put the finishing touches to the Exhibition Room, where a few of the captions needed correcting.
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