Pascha 2011

Christ is Risen!

Kristus nousi Kuolleista!

Kristos Anesti! 

Kristos Voskresse!

From the Wednesday in Holy Week Deacon Christopher and Diaconissa Elizabeth were in Finland with the blessing of Archbishop Gabriel, attending services in Helsinki.

We were able to attend The Washing of Feet with Metropolitan Ambrose in Uspensky Cathedral, the service of the Twelve Gospels in Holy Trinity Church in Helsinki and the Good Friday Procession of the Shroud in Helsinki. The Finns certainly live Orthodoxy and the services were very well attended. They also sing like angels.

The celebration of the Divine Liturgy for the children of the Helsinki parish, in Uspensky cathedral, was a wonderful highlight. Over a thousand children each day of Bright week arrive attend. The Tuesday service we attended was a noisy, yet beautiful occasion and it was delightful to see the children in long lines, arms crossed and smiling faces coming to receive Holy Communion.

Thanks to our friends Irene and Aleksi Usano we were able to see much of the Finnish country side around Helsinki as well as partake of some exquisite Easter fare.

New ikons

New ikons of Christ All-mighty and the Mother of God. They were painted by the late Father John Ross and recently gifted to the Community by Nan Ross.

Patronal Feast of Saint Nicholas
A very quiet and peaceful patronal feast.
Weather was too awful for anyone to get here but they were all remembered.

Holy Saint Nicholas pray for us!

A doubly-Blessed day...

The 17th wedding anniversary of Deacon Christopher and Diaconissa Elizabeth.

And Stefan and Anna told us of their plans to be married in January.

Visits to Yorkshire

Fr Christopher and Diaconissa Elizabeth went south to Yorkshire to combine two visits.

Mother Thekla and Diaconissa Elizabeth.

Firstly to Mother Thekla who as always welcomed us with a huge smile and open arms. She is a little frailer, yet well and comfortable in the  Infirmary of the Order of the Holy Paraclete in Whitby.

Mother Thekla’s wonderful sense of humour prevails. As does her poignant and crystal clear sense of Orthodoxy and how it should be a perfectly natural way of life and worship.

Once again we made a visit to the graves of Mother Maria and Mother Katherine which are also at the Paraclete in Whitby.

Chapel, St Anne's, York

The second visit was to the Liturgy at St Anne’s House in York. A wonderful occasion as ever ; full of joy and love in the Lord. It is always a pleasure to be at Saint Anne’s; a place so redolent of prayer and worship  with its fill of ikons and their lamps, relics of the Saints and a cosmopolitan mix of worshippers.

Mnogaya lyeta!

Diaconissa Elizabeth celebrated her Name Day today.

Repose of Leon Liddament

It is with great sadness for us but joy in the loss of his suffering that we learn that Leon Liddament died on Friday 3rd September 2010.

We have very special connections with Walsingham and Leon in particular. Deacon Christopher has known the Brotherhood of Saint Seraphim for 40 years. Father David celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the day of the National Pilgrimage which meant that many people from over these islands could witness the embrace of the Spirit through Orthodoxy.

Two years ago Deacon Christopher, after a prolonged illness, embarked on an ikon course with Leon. Sadly it was the last time we saw each other; although we had visited Walsingham earlier this year Leon was too ill to receive visitors.

He was a kind and gentle man, staunchly Orthodox and a brilliant ikonographer.

The ikons on the ikonastasis in this Community’s church were the result of Leon’s patience with Deacon Christopher.

A Panikhida was served for Leon this morning.