Pan-Orthodox Vespers was celebrated at the London Cathedral

PAN-ORTHODOX VESPERS was celebrated at our Cathedral on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, March 20^th at 6.00 pm in the presence of Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain, Archbishop Silouan of the British Isles and Ireland, Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh, and other hierarchs, clergy and faithful of the Orthodox dioceses in the UK.

Many people came at have been welcomed at this annual celebration of our unity in the Orthodox Faith.

Cheesfare week - Maslenitsa in the Сhildren's school

Today in the parish school, the Cathedral hosted a celebration of Maslenitsa. After lessons, during their  games, children were visited by Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh and congratulated on the upcoming Great Lent. Children told how they understand the meaning of the fasting. On the question of the Bishop, how begins fast, the children did not hesitate to answer: Forgiveness! The Archbishop mentioned a good family atmosphere among the pupils, teachers and parents. Together, at the table with pancakes and cakes, they shared the joy of approaching the spiritual spring - the Great Lent.

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The rite of Enthronement of the Metropolitan of the Antiochian diocese

On Saturday 27 February at the Cathedral of St. George in London (Antiochian Patriarchate) was held the rite of Enthronement of Metropolitan Silouan of the British Isles and Ireland to his Cathedra.

The celebration was attended by five bishops of the Patriarchate of Antioch: Their Eminences Saba of Bosra, Al Horan and Jabal al Arab; Basilios of Akkar; Efraim, Patriarchal Vicar; Ignatios of France, Western and Southern Europe; Isaac of Germany and Central Europe; the Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain Gregorios, the Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh. The Anglican Church was represented by the Bishop Jonathan Goodal of Ebbsfleet. Archbishop Nichols of Westminster (The Roman Catholic Church) was represented by Bishop Paul Hendricks. The East Syrian Church was represented by its head in Great Britain, Metropolitan Athanasius.

Pilgrimage to Kent

A group of believers of the Diocese of Sourozh from the Diocesan Region of Southern England made a pilgrimage to the shrines of Kent in Minster and Canterbury.

The Pilgrimage started with a visit to the beautiful stone cross which marks the approximate site of of the landing of Saint Augustine at Ebbsfleet and his first meeting with the King of Kent, Ethelbert, in AD597. This date is the beginning of the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons to Orthodox Christianity.

We then travelled to Minster where a Roman Catholic community of nuns live on the site of the ancient convent of Saint Mildred. We venerated this saint's relics and Father Stephen Platt served the Liturgy in the sister's chapel. We were very moved by the kindness and hospitality of the nuns.

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Archbishop Elisey attends the Lord Mayor's Archbishops and Bishops Dinner

 On Thursday, Feb 17th, Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh was a guest of the Lord Mayor y Mayoress of London, Lord and Lady Mountevans, at the Archbishops and Bishops dinner at Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor.

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Archbishop Elisey made an Archpastoral visit to Portsmouth

On Sunday 14th February Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh celebrated the Divine Liturgy, dedicated to the Feast of the Presentation (Meeting) of the Lord at the Diocesan Parish of the Holy Apostles Ss Peter and Paul in Portsmouth.

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JOINT DECLARATION OF POPE FRANCIS AND PATRIARCH KIRILL OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you” (2 Cor 13:13).

The persecution of Christians led to the meeting of Patriarch and Pope

Blatant persecution that Christians are in the middle East, led to the organization of the meeting between the primates of the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches that used this opportunity to speak up in their defense. Such opinion was voiced in conversation with the correspondent of TASS, the diocesan Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church in Britain, Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh, speaking on held in Havana meeting between the Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis.

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The day of memory of the Three Holy Hierarchs

On February 12, 2016, the day of the commemoration of Three Holy Hierarchs and Ecumenical teachers, St Basil the Great, St Gregory the Theologian and St John Chrysostom, Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh served the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God in London. Concelebrating with the Archpastor were clerics of the Cathedral, Archpriest Maxim Nikolsky and Archpriest Joseph Skinner.

During the Liturgy, the Litany of Fervent Supplication was augmented with special petitions for His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, who had a meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis at the International airport of Havana, Cuba, on that day.

On the eve, a particle of the holy relics of the Apostle Barnabas of the 70 was brought to the Cathedral. Apostle Barnabas was Apostle Paul's companion and the founder of the Church of Cyprus. With the blessing of Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh, the All-night vigil to the Apostle was combined with the service to the Three Holy Hierarchs.

Throughout the day the faithful were granted an opportunity to venerate the relics and offer up their prayers near the honourable relics of the Аpostle.

 

Archbishop Elisey met with the Bishop of London

On Thursday, February 11th, Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh, the Diocesan Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church in Great Britan and Ireland, had a meeting with the Bishop of London, the Right Reverend and Right Honourable Richard Chartres, at the latter's official residence in Dean's Court near St Paul's Cathedral. 

Among the subjects discussed was the forthcoming meeting between His Holiness, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus and His Holiness, Pope Francis. Bishop Richard expressed his appreciation of the historic significance of this meeting, which was due to address an issue of great importance, the increasing persecution of Christians in many countries around the world. In his view, this was a matter of urgent concern not only for the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches but for Christians of all traditions.

Noting the Russian Church's own experience of martyrdom in the 20th century, His Grace assured Vladyka Elisey that prayers for a successful outcome of the meeting would be offered at the service that he would be conducting in St Paul's Cathedral on the day  on which it was due to take place. 

JOINT PRESS RELEASE of Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh and Archbishop Antonio Mennini

London 11/02/2016

Before the meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill, Catholics and Orthodox in the United Kingdom as well the believers all over the world gather in prayer, well aware that through this epochal gesture it is offering to humanity – in this moment of severe tensions and conflicts – an extraordinary testimony, unique – of how it is possible to rediscover today – way of peace and unity. A testimony which, after all, by the will of God is placed in the journey of grace which both Churches are making. 

This meeting doesn’t mean that problems between the two Churches have disappeared – they continue to exist and respectful diplomacy and theological commissions will continue to work in order to resolve them – but it marks a new beginning, concentrated on sharing the sufferings of entire peoples, and in particular of Christian communities in the Middle East, which ask help and solidarity and a preoccupation with the defense of Christian values. 

A meeting, therefore, which is of historic significance, because it seals the encounter between the Heads of two Churches who have never met in history, who represent two cultural and spiritual traditions that for ages were considered in contrast, while they are complementary and are a chance of mutual enrichment, not only for themselves but for the whole of society in which they live and work. 

For all these reasons, we are confident that this meeting will be of great social value also for nonbelievers, becoming a moment of rejoicing for respectful populations, as the Popes and the Patriarchs in history prayed for years during which they longed for this. But it will also require the work of ecclesiastical communities, to regain consciousness of what this would mean: a way to discover the true love granted by Christ, which eliminates every division and burns resentments, divisions, recrimination, misunderstandings and mutual sufferings.

We prayfully wish for the success of this forthcoming meeting.

+ Archbishop Antonio Mennini, 

Apostolic Nuncio in Great Britain 

+ Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh,

Diocesan Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church in Great Britain 

On Thursday, Feb. 11th, a relic of the Holy Apostle Barnabas will be in the London Cathedral throughout the day.

On Thursday, Feb. 11th, around 9am, part of the holy relics of the holy Apostle BARNABAS will be brought to the London Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God of the Diocese of Sourozh. A moleben to the saint in the presence of his holy relic will be celebrated after the Divine Liturgy, around 11 am.

At 6pm the Vigil for the holy Apostle Barnabas will be celebrated together with the service for the Three Holy Hierarchs appointed by the typicon. The holy relic will remain in the Cathedral until 9 pm.

Press conference at DECR on Patriarch Kirill's forthcoming visit to Latin America

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations (DECR), held a press conference on February 5, 2016, at the DECR. The meeting with Russian and foreign mass media reporters was devoted to the Primatial visitation of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to Latin America, which will take place from February 11 to 22, 2016, His Holiness will visit the Republic of Cuba, Republic of Paraguay and Federative Republic of Brazil.

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The 300th anniversary of Russian Orthodoxy in the British Isles

The Russian Orthodox Church marks 300 years of its presence in the British Isles in 2016.

In December, 1716 divine services started to be celebrated in the church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in London, which was established by the Russian Embassy for the Russian citizens who regularly visited England due to the development of business and diplomatic relationships between the two Empires. From that time Russian Orthodoxy began to spread across Great Britain and Ireland.

In his Christmas message, Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh said, "I call upon our compatriots and all whose church life has its origin in the Russian Church to mark this significant date by the strengthening of our unity. With deep gratitude I greet all those who endeavour to preserve the Orthodox traditions which we have inherited from our predecessors and spiritual teachers."

Exhibitions, presentations, seminars, conferences, icon exhibitions, concerts and performances of church choirs relating to the event are planned during the Jubilee year. The consecration of the Dormition Cathedral of the Sourozh Diocese in London will be the culmination of the celebrations. It will take place in October this year after the major refurbishment is completed, 60 years after the first consecration of Cathedral in the Orthodox tradition.

"I hope that our Jubilee will give a spiritual impulse to the reconciliation and strengthening of the unity of the different ecclesiastical jurisdictions which feel themselves to be heirs of the common tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church, which found shelter for its children in the British Isles 300 years ago", - Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh noted in his message to the faithful.

Pilgrimage to Moscow

Our St Elizabeth’s Community near Bodiam undertook a very important and long awaited pilgrimage to the holy places of Moscow connected with our heavenly patrons: the Holy Martyr Grand Princess Elizabeth and the Nun Barbara, together with all the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia. more

Christmas message of Elisey Archbishop of Sourozh

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE OF

E L I S E Y

ARCHBISHOP OF SOUROZH

TO THE PASTORS AND ALL FAITHFUL CHILDREN

OF THE DIOCESE OF SOUROZH

OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

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CHRISTMAS MESSAGE OF PATRIARCH KIRILL OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE OF PATRIARCH

KIRILL OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA

In this was manifested the love of God toward us,

because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world,

that we might live through him. (1 Jn 4:9) 

Your Eminences the archpastors, esteemed fathers, 

all-honourable monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters!

It is with a heart overflowing with joy in the Son of God who has come in the flesh that I address all of you and congratulate you on the radiant and life-bearing feast of the Nativity of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

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A group of pilgrims of the Diocese of Sourozh visited Bari for the Feast of St Nicholas

A pilgrimage to the holy relics of St Nicholas the Wonderworker in Bari on the occasion of his feast day took place from 17th -19th December, 2015. The main group of 10 pilgrims, led by Archpriest Joseph Skinner, was made up of parishioners of our cathedral who serve the church community in various ways according to their abilities, devoting much time and effort to their work. Some other parishioners made their way independently.

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Priestly ordination in the Dormition Cathedral

On November 8th, 2015, the 23^rd Sunday after Pentecost, on the feast day of the Great Martyr   Demetrius of Thessalonika, Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh together with Archbishop Anatoly of Kerch and other Cathedral clergy celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Dormition Cathedral of the Diocese of Sourozh.

Memorial prayers for all warriors who had lost their lives in world wars were said during the Liturgy together with memorial prayers for those who had been killed in the airplane crash over the Sinai Peninsula.

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Archpastoral visits to Nottingham and Tunbridge Wells