Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (Psalm 115:6)

Since the time of the establishment of the Diocese of Sourozh, and throughout the time of the pastoral service of His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of blessed memory, the clergy and faithful of our diocese have sought to preserve and honour the memory of the many Saints of God who shone forth in these islands of Britain, labouring to preach the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, bearing witness to Him through martyrdom, monastic struggle or through their pastoral service in the Church of God.

The Holy Tradition of our church recounts how, from the time of the Holy Apostles, who followed the Lord's command to 'Go and teach all nations' (Matt 28:19), the Good News of our Lord and Saviour was preached in the land of Britain, being brought here by the Holy Apostles themselves, among them the Apostle Simon the Zealot, the Righteous Joseph of Arimathea and the Apostle Aristobulus of the Seventy. Later, as witnessed to by the early histories of the Church, the God-Preserved Emperor Constantine was proclaimed Emperor in the city of York, his mother the Holy Empress Helena being of British lineage.

From the time of the first preaching of the Gospel of Christ in these lands, hundreds of saints shone forth here in this place. The memory of many of these has been preserved and honoured throughout the generations, and now, in these days of our own Orthodox witness, the saints of the early, Undivided Church are again known, loved and venerated by the faithful members of our Diocese, as well as by the Orthodox faithful of other Local Churches dwelling in Great Britain.