No.

123
February2017

TheOrthodoxParish
oftheHolyandLifeGivingCross,
Lancaster,U.K.

TheStavronian
amonthlymagazine&newsletterpublishedbythe'HolyCrossSynodia'

TheParishoftheHolyandLifeGivingCross,
belongstotheAntiochianOrthodoxChristianArchdioceseoftheBritishIslesandIreland.
ThePatriarchateofAntiochisthirdsenioroftheOrthodoxChurches.
ThePatriarchisHisBeatitudeJohnX.

ThediscipleswerefirstcalledChristiansinAntioch
(Acts11:26)
VISITOFOUR
METROPOLITAN
His Eminence Metropolitan Silouan is,
Godwilling, goingto visittheParish of
HolyCrossonthe26thFebruary.Hewill
servetheHierarchicalLiturgyat11a.m.
and meet the faithful after the Holy
Liturgy.Iftimepermits,hemayvisitthe
ChapelofStPatrickallwelcome!This
willbethefirsttimeforanEpiscopalvisit
fromourownPatriarchateofAntiochand
weverymuchlookforwardtowelcoming
ourSpiritualFatherinChrist!
IAMACHRISTIANANDIGO
TOCHURCHONSUNDAYS
As Christians we should have no
embarrassment about proclaiming this
kairos timededicatedfortheworshipof
ourCreatorandRedeemer.Othersshould
knowusbyourworksandourcommit
mentstheLiturgyistheworkofthepeo
ple!ThewordholinessinHebrewmeans
tobesetapart;wesetaparttheLords
dayofResurrectionintheweekforHim
whoisourLife.Sundaymorningsareset
apart from our everyday routine to
accept the invitation of the All Holy
Trinity.
Ofcoursetheremaybevalidreasons
whywecannotattendChurchbecauseof
work or illness, but we must beware of
the slippery slope! It is so easy to be
diverted from the saving beauty of the
LiturgyandtheGiftofLifewhichChrist
brings by the blandishments of societys
norms,hobbies,leisureactivities,expecta
tions and diversions. Wherever we find
ourselves,weshouldseekoutthenearest
OrthodoxChristianChurchandruntoit
foroursalvation: Ifwemakeeveryeffort
to avoid death of the body, still more
shoulditbeourendeavortoavoiddeathof
the soul. There is no obstacle for a man
who wants to be saved other than
negligenceandlazinessofsoul.StAntony
theGreat
Once we start staying away from
Church, itbecomesvery easy to missit
againandagain,untilwebegintotreat
Godratherlikeanelderlyauntwholives
agreatdistancefromusandwhomwe
visit on odd occasions of birthdays and
anniversaries to pay our respects;
Actually elderly auntsshould betreated
withmorerespectthanthis!
Inthisdeeplysecularworldinwhich
welive,weneedtomakeeveryeffortto
resisttheeasycomfortsanddistractions
fromthegoaloflifewhichisunionwith
God.
I go to Church on Sunday! is a
bold statement which says to others
WhoseweareandWhomweserve!We
go to Church, because the Church is
composedofitsmembersandwearethe
membersofChristsBody.
IntheparableoftheGreatSupper,
inLuke14:1524weseehoweasyitisto
make excuses: Now when one of those
whosatatthetablewithHimheardthese
things,hesaidtoHim,Blessedishewho
shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!
ThenHesaidtohim,Acertainmangave
agreatsupperandinvitedmany,andsent
hisservantatsuppertimetosaytothose
whowereinvited,Come,forallthingsare
nowready.Buttheyallwithoneaccord
began to make excuses. The first said to
him,Ihaveboughtapieceofground,and
Imustgoandseeit.Iaskyoutohaveme
excused.Andanothersaid,Ihavebought
fiveyokeofoxen,andIamgoingtotest
them.Iaskyoutohavemeexcused.Still
anothersaid,Ihavemarriedawife,and
thereforeIcannotcome. Sothatservant
came and reported these things to his
master. Then the master of the house,
being angry,said to his servant, Go out
quickly into the streets and lanes of the
city, and bring in here the poor and the
maimedandthelameandtheblind.And
theservantsaid,Master,itisdoneasyou
commanded,andstillthereisroom.Then
themastersaidtotheservant,Gooutinto
thehighwaysandhedges,andcompelthem
tocome in,thatmyhousemaybefilled.
For Isay toyou that noneofthose men
whowereinvitedshalltastemysupper.
Standupright,letusattendisthe
command we hear in the Liturgy.
StandingupforJesus,bothintheliteral
senseattheLiturgyandinourChristian
apologeticsmaystartwithfellowshipand
worshipbutitgoesbeyondtheSundays:
itshouldbewovenintotheveryfabricof
ourevery daylife asChristians.Making
timeforGodeverydayinthismodernage
JOURNEYTOORTHODOXY:
isessentialifwearetogrowinholiness. InterviewwithFrMichael
Dutyisthehandmaidofjoy,loveisboth PlekonaboutElisabethBehr
thegiftandthefruitoftheHolySpirit,
thanksgivingistheprismoffaith.When
Siegel
weownthistruth,thenweowntheright
tosayIamaChristian. 1. FirstofallIwouldappreciatealotif
St Kosmas Aitolos wrote: It is our you could talk a little bit about the
dutytoloveGodbecausehehasgivenus personalityofElisabethBehrSiegelsothat
suchalargeearthheretolivetemporarily; our readers have the opportunity to
so many thousand of plants, springs, understandherinaspiritualway.
rivers,seas,air,day,night,sky,sun.For
whomdidHecreatealloftheseifnotfor I had the privilege of knowing EBS.
us? Whatdid He owe us? Nothing. They ThoughelderlywhenImether,shewas
like a burning bush, full of life and
are all gifts He made us in His own
enthusiasm,andgreathumor.Whenmy
imagealthoughwesinthousandsoftimes
wife and I said we could not find the
anhour hehascompassion for uslikea
street signforherflat,shesaid no one
father A man invites you to his home
here needs themthey know where
andwantstotreatyoutoaglassofwine.
everything is! She asked if she copould
For the rest of your life you will respect
smoke and offered them, Galouises and
him and honour him. Shouldnt you
also offered us some excellent liqueur.
honourandrespectGod,whogaveyouso
Shewasfulloflife.IthinkOlgaLossky's
many goodthingsandwhowascrucified
finebiographycapturesEBSverywell.
foryourlove?Shouldntwetooloveour
JesusandthankHim?
2. Her life has certainly been defined by
FrJonathan
her conversion from Protestantism to
Orthodoxy. What really meant her
protestant origins and heritage for
ElisabethBehrSiegelasafutureorthodox
theologian?
EBS told me she was encouraged by Fr
LevGillettoalwayshonorandholdonto
her Lutheran roots. It was through the
Lutheran church, baptism, catechetical
instruction,communion,latertheological
work, work with the Christian Students
Movementandherworkasalaypastor
that she lived in Christ. This was never
taken away by her entrance into the
Orthodox Church. I too came into the
Orthodox Church from the Lutheran, so
there was a special bond between EBS
andmyselfastherealsowasbetweenher
and Sarah Hinlicky Wilson, herself a
Lutheran pastor and theologian. All this
said, I would not characterize EBS's
theologicalandchurchworkasanything
butthatofawesternOrthodoxChristian,
onewhohadlivedandhadrootsinboth
thechurchesofthewestandoftheeast.I
knew no more catholic and orthodox a
theolgianthanEBS.
3. Elisabeth Behr Siegel was friends with
one of the most wellknown orthodox
theologians, Vladimir Lossky. How did
actually influence his thinking the Behr
Siegel'stheologicalapproaches?
EBSwasfriendswithnumerousOrthodox
theologians between the wars. Of all of
themIbelieveFrSergiusBulgakov,also
her spiritual father for a time, Fr Lev
Gillet, her close friend and spiritual
father, and Professor George Fedotov
werethegreatestinfluences, alongwith
Paul Evdokimov, the theologian, also a
closefriend.EBS'secumenicaldedication
and her commitment to the "living
tradition"ofthechurchplaceherinthe
"Paris school" of which, of course,
Bulgakov,Gillet,EvdokimovandFedotov
were important voices. EBS also knew
anotherbrightlightofthat"school"nowa
saint, Mother Maria Skobtsova, and
helpedherministryofservicetothepoor
and those hunted by the Nazis. EBS
helped those destined for extermination
bytheGestapogetoutofParisandinto
thecountryandhiding.
4. Doyouthinkthatwecantalkabouta
some kind of theology of hope in the
ElisabethBehrSiegel'sthinking?
EBSprobablywastheinheritorofGeorge
Fedotov's new hagiogrpahy, the use of
historicalmethodinthestudyofthelives
and teachings of the saints and more
broadlyofthechurch.EBSfirstpublished
onthesaintsofRussia,butthencameto
writeaboutthespirituallifeineveryday
life for peopleofthe 20th century. She
alsocametowriteagreatdealaboutthe
place and role of women in the church
and championed a restoration of the
femalediaconate.Heressaysonwomen
andordinationareclassicandamongthe
mostimportanttheologicalexaminations
of why ordination is not absolutely or
inevitably excluded for women. In this
she was supported by among others,
Metropolitans Anthony Bloom and
GerooesKhodrandKallistosWare.
5. Which is the main reason why the
approachesofElisabethBehrSiegelcould
beconsidered somethingoriginal in the
orthodoxtheology?
EBS was indeed an "original" in
contemporary Orthodox theology. She
wasdedicatedtotherestorationofunity
inthedividedchurchesofeastandwest.
She along with others in the "Paris
school,"celebtaredtraditionasaliveand
constantlyinneedofreinterpretationand
application to new circumstances. She
sawthechurchasvibrant,the"continual
Pentecost"herteacherFrBulgakovspoke
of. Hence, her pioneering work on
holiness/sanctityineveryday,something
Itoohavepursued.(Seethelinkbelow
mysignaturetomypageatmyschoolfor
further links to my trilogy of books on
holinessandpersonsoffaithinourtime:
LivingIcons,HiddenHoliness,Saintstas
theyreallyare,UniversityofNotreDame
Press, 2002, 2009, 20012 and my
forthcomingUncommonPrayer.
6.Giventheentiretheologicalsystemof
ElisabethBehrSiegel,woulditbecorrect
todiscussanyorthodoxfeminism,ifIcan
callitlikethat?
Ithink itwould beaccurateto saythat
EBS knew and understood the femisnist
movementofthe1960s,70s,80s,90and
intothe21stcentury.Shediedin2005.
She sympathized with many feminsist
critiquesofcultureandsociety.However,
I think she felt that studying and
criticizingthewayswomenweretreated
in the church transcended feminism as
ordinarily understood, this because in
Christ there is no Greek, Jew, master,
slave,maleorfemale.Shedidnotshare
her friend Paul Evdokimov's efforts to
sketch out the distinct charisms of
woman. Rather she argued that the
gospels, the rest of the New testament,
theliturgicaltradition,especiallybaptism,
allofferedanequalplacetowomen.But
overhistory,thepatriarchalcharacterof
politics, society and culture turned the
church from its transformed and
transcendent vision of gender. Thus,
EBS's many essays on women in the
gospels,ontheMotherofGod,onwomen
saintsinthehistoryofthechurchandon
the theological issues of ordination and
women.
Giventhemorerecentneotraditionalism
andshiftofOrthodoxthinking,notjustin
theology but also in politics, culture,
social thought to the right, EBS now
stands out as a prophetic figure and
voice. Here and there I know of many
women theologians, like Teva Regule,
KyriakiFitzgerald, ValerieKarras,Susan
AshbrookHarvey,CarrieFrederickFrost,
Sarah Hinlicky Wilson, among others,
and I would say, even without direct
connections,theycarryonEBS'workand
vision. The one exception is Sarah
Hinlicky Wilson, who as a Lutheran
pastorandtheologianattheEcumenical
Institute in Strasbourg, knew EBS, did
thefirstdissertationonherandherwork
andcarriesonherlegacyinmanyways.
TudorPetcu,Romania
TudorPetcuisawriterandagraduateof
the Faculty of Philosophy, University of
Bucharest, Romania. Part of his work
focuses on the evolution of Orthodox
spirituality in Western societies. This
article is part of his new book of
interviewswithOrthodoxconvertsinthe
West,tobepublishedinthenearfuture.

7. How can we find a strong and real

influence of Elisabeth Behr Siegel's
thinking in the contemporary ortodoxy?
And when I am saying "contemporary
orthodoxy"Iespeciallymakereferenceto
thewesternorthodoxy.
THOUGHTSFROMTHE
CELTICFATHERS
From the life of St Ciaran of Saighir,
Ireland:SaintCiaranhadmanycowsand
sheep in his monastery. But he never
tasted something from the products
which his animals were producing. He
was giving everything that the animals
producedtothepoorpeople.Hehadfifty
horsestoploughtheearth.Buthenever
tastedsomethingfromwhathisearthwas
producing. He was giving everything to
thepoor.Thatwashisfoodeverynight:
onesmallpieceofbread,somewaterand
someroots.
ChristosVasilopoulos
Kozani,Greece
NikosGeorgopoulosforhiskinddonation
andgiftofcandles, KatyaTisdall forthe
gift of icons, Anastasios Apostolidis for
thecandlesandcharcoal,aswellasKleio
and Apostolos Kechagias for the gift of
books.MaytheyallreceiveGod'sblessing
asarewardfortheirthoughtfulness.
OLDSTAVRONIANCORNER
ProtoStavronians Ignatius and Ioanna
Bacon from Scotland, are sending their
greetings and love to the Parish. They
used to attend the Holy Liturgy in
LancasterwhentheParishserviceswere
held at the Lancaster Royal Grammar
School.

NAMESOFDEPARTED
LOVEDONESTOBE
REMEMBEREDTHISMONTH
Feb.2:Dimitri
Feb.21:Pisistratos

MEMORYETERNAL!

Pleasesendusthenamesofyourdepar
ted loved ones and date of their depar
tureinorderforthemtoberemembered.

IgnatiusandIoannaBaconinJuly2016at
theconferenceorganisedbytheOrthodox
PARISHNEWS FellowshipofStJohntheBaptist.

Weexpressourthanksfor Tony Plater's

work in the Temple particularly making
oursandtraymobile.Ourthanksalsoto
 rd
MAJORCELEBRATIONSTHIS 23Feb:StPolycarptheHolyMartyr&
BishopofSmyrna
MONTH th
24Feb:First&SecondFindingofthe
st
VenerableHeadofJohntheBaptist
1Feb:StBridgetofKildare( 525) th
26Feb:ForgivenessSundayandSt
nd
2Feb:TheMeetingofOurLordand Photine,theSamaritanwoman
SaviourJesusChristintheTemple th
27Feb:Lentstartstoday
rd
3Feb:StNicholas,Archbishop&
EnlightenerofJapan For the lives of Saints please visit the
th
5Feb:Triodionbeginstoday CalendaroftheGreekOrthodoxArchdi
th
10Feb:HieromartyrCharalampus oceseofAmerica:www.calendar.goarch.org
th
18Feb:StColman( 675)

ServicesatStMartin'sinFebruary*
Sat.4
th
13:00 Memorial,Confessions,SynaxarionandGreatVespers
Sun.5th 10:00 HoursandHolyLiturgy
Sat.11th 13:00 Memorial,Confessions,SynaxarionandGreatVespers
Sun.12th 10:00 HoursandHolyLiturgy
Sat.18th 13:00 Memorial,Confessions,SynaxarionandGreatVespers
Sun.19th 10:00 HoursandHolyLiturgy
Sat.25th 13:00 Memorial,Confessions,SynaxarionandGreatVespers
Sun.26th 11:00 HierarchicalLiturgyfollowedbyParishlunch
*Helpsettingupthechurchisgreatlyappreciatedandstartsfrom9.30a.m.

Godcaresforeveryone.Despairisineffectalackoffaith
St.GeorgeKarslides

Forfurtherinformationpleasecontact:
FatherJonathanHemmings
67SibseyStr.,Fairfield,Lancaster,LA15DQ
Tel:+441524840759,+441524580600
Email:frjah@yahoo.co.uk
www.orthodoxlancaster.org.uk
www.antiochianorthodox.co.uk
ThefollowingblogsofOldStavroniansareavailableinRomanian,ConstiintaOrtodoxa,in
English,Orthodoxcityhermit,andinGreek,Orthodoxyrainbow.

TopandbottomsketchesarecreatedattheHolyMonasteryofTheAnnunciationoftheTheotokosChios,Greece,courtesyofFrTheodosiosDendrinos,Ithaca,Greece.
ThesketchofChristbyPhotisKontoglouwasscannedfromtheOrthodoxcalendaroftheApostolikiDiakoniaoftheChurchofGreece.