The Shepherd, October 2005
NEWS SECTION, 2
ESPHIGMENOU MONASTERY ON ATHOS
ONE OF THE TWENTY RULING MONASTERIES of the Holy Mountain Athos, Esphigmenou, has since 1964 refused to commemorate successive Œcumenical Patriarchs in the Divine services, because of the latters’ adherance to Ecumenism. In December 2002, Patriarch Bartholomeos I resolved to end this state of affairs, and the fathers of Esphigmenou were served an eviction order. However matters were stalled when they appealed to Greece’s highest administrative court, the Council of State, against the order. The court has recently ruled that it has no jurisdiction over the matter. The abbots of the other nineteen monasteries met on 2nd September to consider the new situation, and have, presumably with the approbation of the Patriarchate, decided not to force the matter. It is thought that instead of insisting on evicting the Zealot monks, they might establish a parallel “Esphigmenou,” and declare it the legitimate holders of the monastery.
PRESIDENT PUTIN VISITS ATHOS & SYNOD
WHILE ON AN OFFICIAL VISIT to the Republic of Greece, President V. V. Putin of the Russian Federation visited the Holy Mountain Athos at the beginning of September. He was met at the port, Daphne, by the governor of the Mountain, George Dalakyros, and taken to Karyes, the community’s administrative centre, where he met the Protos, the Monk Paul, and the abbots of the monasteries. Metropolitan Demetrios of Sebaste was present representing the Patriarch of Constantinople. President Putin venerated the wonder-working icon of the Mother of God, Axion Estin, and later journeyed to the sacred Monastery of Iviron to famed Portaitissa Icon. Before leaving the Holy Mountain, he then visited the Russian Monastery of St Panteleimon, where after venerating the sacred relics he even ascended the bell-tower and rang the bell three times.
On 14th September, while in New York for the UN celebrations, President Putin also visited the Synodal residence of the Russian Church Abroad, where a moleben was served before the Wonder-working Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, and where the Russian President venerated the relics of the New Martyrs Elizabeth and Barbara of Russia. He was first greeted by the clergy of the residence led by Bishop Gabriel of Manhatten, and later met Metropolitan Lavr, and present First Hierarch of the Church Abroad, who spoke to him about the miracles worked through the Icon.
FESTIVAL AT CORBY
THE MURAL ICONS in the Serbian Orthodox Church of St Prophet Elijah in Corby, Northamptonshire, were blessed on Sunday 12th/25th September, and the occasion was made one of particular festival. On that day the Divine Liturgy was concelebrated by Their Graces, Bishops Luka, Ioannikije and Dositej, assisted by Protopresbyter-Stavrophore Milenko Zebic, the episcopal vicar of the Serbian churches in this country, Protopresbyter-stavrophore Milun Kostic, and Protopresbyters Obren Vujovic, Nikola Kotur, and Slobodan Radojcic, and Father Zarko Nedic. The parish priest, Protopresbyter-Stavrophore Vido Vukovic, ensured that everything ran smoothly. Protodeacon Djordje Cekerevac and our own Hierodeacon Sabbas served as deacons. On his arrival Fr Sabbas, who had gone to represent Saint Edward Brotherhood, had suggested that they might like him simply to attend so that large parts of the services would not be thrown into English, but they not only insisted that he serve, but the choir very courteously responded to all his petitions in English - (in how few churches will they bother to do that!). The murals, painted by iconographer Dragan Stepkovic, were blessed with a special prayer at the Little Entrance, and after the service those participating were invited to a luncheon in the nearby Memorial Hall. The Mayor of Corby and two representatives of the Roman Catholic and Anglican communions there attended the service and luncheon. After the luncheon the folklore group gave a display at tea time.
VIKING PRINCESS, CHRISTIAN SAINT
THIS IS THE TITLE of a small 50 page booklet by Rune Edberg on St Anna of Novgorod, published by the Sigtuna Museum in Sweden. The attractively produced booklet, which includes two icon reproductions of the Saint, is not a classic Saint’s Life, but a study of the Saint and her times. It has been translated from Swedish into English by a parishioner of the St Elizabeth Mission in Birkenhead, Mrs Theodosia Tomkinson. St Anna, whose Swedish name was Ingegerd Olofsdotter, married the Russian prince Yaroslav, the son of St Vladimir, and adopted the name, Irina. Later she was tonsured a nun, and renamed Anna. St Anna’s half-sister, Ealdgyth, had married the English King Edmund Ironside, who was in turn the son of the half-brother of St Edward the Martyr, Ethelred. Another dynastic link was forged between the early Russian royal house and the English line of kings, when a generation or two later, Gytha, the daughter of King Harold, married Vladimir Monomach, the grandson of Yaroslav and St Anna. It is because of these close dynastic links, that in our church to the right of the Shrine of St Edward we have an icon of St Anna of Novgorod, the subject of this valuable new publication. We hope shortly to have copies of this booklet on sale on the bookstall. 
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