BUILDING PROGRESS

 

LITTLE VISIBLE seems to have happened in the past few months.  However, we have now completed the work on the New House and on the Refurbishment of the Old Mortuary with the Provision of the Exhibition Room.  The snagging (finding and correcting anything wrong) has been completed in both buildings, and except for the retention fee, which is held over a little longer, we have paid the contractors.  This more or less completes the first two phases of our whole project, and we have now turned our attention to the Church Roof.  This is something that we would very much have liked to tackle first, as it concerns God’s house, but various planning and practical constraints prevented this.  Architect Irina Hoble-Aldersley, of Eulinea Ltd, has drawn up detailed plans of the proposed works, is obtaining pricings and is making the necessary applications to the borough council.  So, behind the scenes a lot of work is still being done.  We hope that we might begin this third and last phase of the project in the period immediately after Pascha 2009, when we hope the weather will be more clement and when the service schedule, at least for the parish services, will be a little less busy.  Naturally we are still collecting funds for this most important part of the whole building scheme and we ask the help of your prayers and your alms in completing the work to the glory of God and to the honour of St Edward.   At present the Building Fund, donations received and formally pledged, stands at £697,285.72.

 

 

WELCOME HOSPITALITY

 

WHEN, late in the month, Fr Alexis had to make a pastoral visit to the North to visit a parishioner there,  Fr Gabriel and Presbytera Helena Lawani (Synod of Archbishop Chrysostomos) kindly offered him hospitality in their home at Broadbottom, putting him up for the night, providing three meals and even chauffeuring him to the parishioner’s home, some 25-30 miles away.  While enjoying their warm hospitality, Fr Alexis was also able to see the small temporary house chapel which they have established there.  During the Winter, they are hoping to re-locate to Droylsden, nearer the centre of Manchester.  May their kindness receive a blessing.

PRACTICAL TIP

 

                  AS was reported on the Synod in Resistance website account of Bishop Ambrose’s pastoral visit to England, we have a great need of more clergy.  This is true not only in England, but in many places in the world, and yet how many parents ever think to direct their children towards taking up the monastic life or preparing them for the ministry?  Like all the “gentiles,’ it seems that Orthodox parents today are only concerned that their children pass exams, and get good jobs and get on in this world, - yet recently we have had some very clear indications that “this world” is on a very shaky basis.  So this is a short-sighted prospect even in secular terms!  One cannot map out our children’s futures for them, but believing parents should at the least open to them the possibility of serving the Church.