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.

 

Monday
Sep142009

The Holy Hierarch Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne (+651, commemorated August 31) 

ST AIDAN was born in Ireland (then called Scotland) in the seventh century. As a monk of the monastery founded by St Columba on the island of Iona, he was known for his strict asceticism. When the holy King Oswald of Northumbria wanted to convert his people to Christianity, he turned to the Celtic monks of Iona, rather than the Roman clergy at Canterbury. St Aidan was consecrated bishop and sent to Northumbria to take charge of the mission.

Click to read more ...

Monday
Sep142009

The Holy Hierarch Augustine, Archbishop of Canterbury (+604, commemorated May 26) 

ST AUGUSTINE was from Italy, and a disciple of St Felix, Bishop of Messana. St Gregory Dialogus, Pope of Rome, chose him to lead a mission of forty monks to evangelize the people of Britain. They arrived at Ebbsfleet (on the isle of Thanet) in Kent in 597.

Click to read more ...

Monday
Sep142009

The Holy Hierarch Cuthbert , Bishop of Lindisfarne (+687, commemorated March 20) 

ST CUTHBERT, the wonderworker of Britain, was born in Northumbria around 634. While still young, tending his master's sheep, he had a vision of angels taking the soul of St Aidan to heaven in a fiery sphere. Several days later he learned that Bishop Aidan of Lindisfarne had reposed at the very hour that Cuthbert had seen his vision.

Click to read more ...

Monday
Sep142009

The Holy Hierarch David of Wales, Bishop of Menevia (+601, commemorated March 1) 

As a young man he became a monk and studied for many years as a priest. According to one tradition he was consecrated Bishop by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, when David went on pilgrimage there. He worked extensively to spread Christianity in Wales, especially in south-west Wales in what is now Pembrokeshire. Here he founded a monastery at Mynyw (Menevia), now St David's, and he is honoured as the first Bishop of St David’s.

Click to read more ...

Monday
Sep142009

The Holy Hierarch Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland (+493, commemorated April 17)

ST PATRICK was a Romano-Briton by birth. He was probably born in 390 on what is now the north-west coast of England at an unidentified place called Bannavem Taburniae. The son of a town councillor, his grandfather had been a priest. Bearing the Roman name ‘Patricius’, meaning ‘noble’, he was brought up to speak Latin but paid no attention to the teachings of Christianity.

Click to read more ...

Page 1 2 Next 5 Entries »