The Shepherd, October 2009
SiR UK NEWS
SAINT EDWARD’ DAY
THIS YEAR marked the 25th Anniversary of the reception in 1984 of the Sacred Relics of St Edward by His Grace, Bishop Gregory of Washington. Unfortunately, the celebration was rather low-key, as the use of our church had not been restored to us. The roofing work was continuing there. Nonetheless, the Saint’s grace was manifest in our quieter celebration. For the Vigil, we were joined by a group of young Russians from the Russian Orthodox Cathedral Parish in Ennismore Gardens, London (MP). They arrived only to find the other side of the cemetery locked, and their way barred. They had to walk through the village and back up to the cemetery, well over a mile, and had to climb over a wall. All the while it was pouring with rain. Naturally in the circumstances they arrived late (in the second kathisma of Matins), and they were wet through. Two of them we not well, which is what made them determined to come to the Saint’s feast. Later in the week, they phoned us to tell us of their “mini-miracle:” that, despite the sodden state they arrived in, by the time of the Gospel reading they found they were all dry (even in our rather cold and damp Mortuary hall), and none of them suffered any ill effects. Perhaps a greater miracle in our times, is that there are such people who are so keen to attend the celebrations of the Saints. May they be blessed! The day of the feast itself dawned bright and sunny, and we celebrated, again in the Mortuary Hall, with the Divine Liturgy and the Lesser Blessing of Waters, followed by a light lunch provided by the ladies who had joined us on the occasion.
TWO ROOFING PROJECT SET-BACKS
THE ROOFING WORK has been delayed further, and will probably not completed until mid-October now. Further, although we are pleased with the excellent quality of their work, the contractors have tried to hoick up the cost in one or two areas, and so we are considering omitting them from the present scheme. Further, on making an exact account of the the donations received over the years since the whole building project began (9 years already), we have found that, because a few pledgers did not meet their commitment, we were £4,000 short of the figure we had anticipated. At the moment we are trying to raise that sum and ensure the work is finished as soon as possible.
PRACTICAL TIP
ALWAYS BEAR IN MIND that a person striving to be spiritually intelligent can learn from everything he sees, hears or experiences but, if he is striving also to be sober, he does not succumb to the temptation to comment on everything.
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