From Diocese of Sourozh
A group of pilgrims from the Cathedral Parish visited a ROCOR parish in Felixstowe and the Stavropegic Monastery of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Tolleshunt Knights.
27 June 2007
On 30 June, a group of pilgrims from the Dormition Cathedral headed by Bishop Elisey of Bogorodsk visited a parish of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in Felixistowe, Suffolk, dedicated to St John of Shanghai.
Vladyka Elisey presided over the Divine Liturgy which was concelebrated by the parish’s rector Archpriest Andrew Philips with his clergy and deacon Dimitri Nedostupenko, a clergyman of the Diocese of Sourozh. A moleben before an icon containing a fragment of the Saint’s relics was served at the conclusion of the Liturgy. St John’s cassock which he wore during his sojourn in Britain is kept in the Felixtowe church.
After the moleben, Vladyka congratulated the rector, the clergy and all the faithful on the occasion of the patronal feast of the parish and emphasised particularly his joy at being able to preside over joint celebrations after the reunification of the Russian Orthodox Church. To mark his visit to the parish, Bishop Elisey presented the rector with an icon depicting the Holy Sepulchre of the Lord, which he had acquired during a recent trip to Jerusalem.
The day concluded with a festal meal for the clergy and the faithful, after which Fr Andrew addressed the London pilgrims. In his talk, Fr Andrew gave a brief outline of his ministry and presented a video recording of the seminal IV All-Diaspora Council of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia of which he was one of the participants.
The pilgrims resumed their journey in the afternoon, travelling to the Stavropegic Monastery of St John the Baptist (Œcumenical Patriarchate) in Tolleshunt Knights, Essex.
Waiting to greet the pilgrims by the monastery gates was the Superior of the monastery, Archimandrite Kyril, together with the brethren. Following a short thanksgiving moleben at the Church of St Sioulan the Athonite, the pilgrims made their way into the monastery crypt, where Bishop Elisey served a Litia for the Departed for the community’s founder, Schema-archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov) who reposes there.
Later, Bishop Elisey took part in the all-night vigil which was celebrated in St Silouan’s Church in three languages, English, Greek and Church Slavonic. At the conclusion of the service, the pilgrims were invited to the to the monastery refectory for supper, during which the extracts from the writings of St Silouan complied by his disciple, Fr Sophrony were read. At the end of the visit, Vladyka Elisey singed the monastery guest book, leaving a commemorative inscription and, following a period of conversation and fellowship with the brethren , the pilgrims left for London.
