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 Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury (+690, commemorated September 19) 

SAINT THEODORE was the eighth Archbishop of Canterbury (668-690), and one of England's great saints. He was a Greek from Tarsus, the home of the Holy Apostle Paul. He was a highly- educated monk living in Rome who was quickly advanced through all the clerical ranks and consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury at the age of sixty-five. St Adrian, an African who was the abbot of a monastery near Naples, was sent to assist St Theodore.

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Monday
Sep142009

The Holy Protomartyr Alban (+304, commemorated June 22)

According to the story told by St Bede the Venerable, St Alban sheltered in his house a priest who was fleeing from his persecutors. He was so impressed by the goodness of his guest that he eagerly received his teaching and received Baptism. In a few days it was known that the priest lay concealed in St Alban’s house, and soldiers were sent to seize him.

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Wednesday
Dec222010

The Venerable Columba, Abbot of Iona (+597)

ST COLUMBA (also known as Columcille, meaning ‘Dove of the Church’) was born in Donegal on December 7, 521 to noble Irish parents. He became a monk and was soon ordained priest. Tradition asserts that, sometime around 560, he became involved a dispute over the right to copy an edition of the Psalter The dispute eventually led to the Battle of Cul Dremhe in 561, during which many men were killed. As a penance for these deaths, Columba was ordered to make the same number of new converts as had been killed in the battle. He was also ordered to leave Ireland and move such that he could not see his native country.

He travelled to Scotland, where it is reputed he first landed at the southern tip of the Kintyre peninsula, near Southend. However, being still in sight of his native land he moved further north up the west coast of Scotland. In 563 he founded a monastery on the island of Iona off the west coast of Scotland which became the centre of his evangelising mission to Scotland. There are many stories of miracles which he performed during his mission to convert the Picts, the people who dwelt in Scotland in those days. In one story in his life, in 565 the saint came across a group of Picts who were burying a man killed by a monster that lived in the waters of Loch Ness, and brought the man back to life. In another version, he is said to have saved the man while he was being attacked, driving away the monster with the sign of the cross.

The primary source on the life of St. Columba is the Life of St. Columba, a hagiography by St. Adamnan of Iona St Columba is believed to be buried together with St Patrick and St Brigid of Kildare in Downpatrick in County Down, deep within the famous Hill of Down. His feast day is June 9.

Monday
Sep142009

The Venerable Hilda, Abbess of Whitby (+680, commemorated November 17)

ST HILDA was abbess of the great Whitby Abbey in northern England in the seventh century. She was the daughter of Hereric, the nephew of King Edwin of Northumbria, and like her great-uncle became a Christian through the preaching of St. Paulinus of York, about the year 627, when she was thirteen years old.

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