No.

126
May2017

TheOrthodoxParish
oftheHolyandLifeGivingCross,
Lancaster,UK.

TheStavronian
amonthlymagazine&newsletterpublishedbythe'HolyCrossSynodia'

TheParishoftheHolyandLifeGivingCross,
belongstotheAntiochianOrthodoxChristianArchdioceseoftheBritishIslesandIreland.
ThePatriarchateofAntiochisthirdsenioroftheOrthodoxChurches.
ThePatriarchisHisBeatitudeJohnX.

ThediscipleswerefirstcalledChristiansinAntioch
(Acts11:26)
Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
! ! ThenHeliftedupHishandsandblessed
! ! with words of fatherly blessing, Jesus
Hristos a nviat! Adevrat a nviat!
Cristo risorto! veramente risorto!
Le Christ est ressuscit! Vraiment Il est
ressuscit!
Cristo ressuscitou! Verdadeiramente
ressuscitou!
Cristo ha resucitado! Verdaderamente, ha
resucitado!
Christus ist auferstanden! Er ist wahrhaftig
auferstanden!
Al-Masih-Qam! Hakkan Qam!
! !
GOINGUP!
OnThursdayofthesixthweekofPascha,
we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord
andGodandSaviourJesusChrist.
AfterHisResurrection,Jesusremain
edonearthforfortydays,appearingto
His Disciples in various places. He ate,
drankandconversedwiththem,verifying
and assuring His Resurrection. On the
fortiethdayafterPascha,Jesusappeared
to His Disciples in Jerusalem. He gave
themHislastcommandment,togoforth
and preach in His Name to all the
nations.Atthesametime,Hetoldthem
nottodepartfromJerusalem,buttowait
until they were clothed with the power
fromonhighbythedescentoftheHoly
Spirituponthem.Havingsaidthis,Jesus
ledHisDisciplestotheMountofOlives.
them.And asHewasspeakingto them
departed from them and ascended into
Heaven, being received by a shining
cloud,indicatingHis divinemajesty.He
gradually disappeared from the sight of
theDisciplesastheygazedatHim.And
astheystoodthus,twoangelsinbrilliant
whiterobesappearedtothemintheform
of men and said to them: Ye men of
Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into
Heaven? ThissameJesus,Whoistaken
fromyouintoHeaven,shallsocomein
likemannerasyehaveseenHimgointo
Heaven. In these words is fulfilled and
definedthedoctrineconcerningtheSon
ofGodandHisWord,intheConfession
of Faith. After our Lord Jesus Christ
fulfilledallHisgreatdispensationforus,
He ascended in glory into Heaven, and
satontherighthandofGodtheFather.
His Disciples returned from Jerusalem
fromtheMountofOlives,rejoicinginthe
promiseofthecomingoftheHolySpirit.
O Christ our God, Who didst ascend in
glory,havemercyonus.Amen
One of my earliest memories as a
childwasgoingtoanupmarketdepart
ment store in my home city with my
motherandtakingthelift.Inthosedays
amansuitedinbrownandyellowlivery
askedwhichdepartmentwerequiredand
dulyobligedbypressingtheappropriate
marbled amber button on a brightly
polishedbrasspanel.Apartfromthetoy
department, my favourite floor was the
top floor which housed the restaurant
where all manner of delights could be
tasted. John 14:2; In my Father's house
are many mansions: if it were not so, I
would have told you. I go to prepare a
placeforyou.
Forty days after Pascha, having
accomplished his Divine plan for us
humans, is the Feast of the Ascension
whichisalsotheleavetakingofPascha;it
celebratesthereturnofChristtoheaven
tositattherighthandofHisFather.The For 20 years our Orthodox Community
mysteryofthisfeastliesinthefactthat
thisisnotadeparturefromthosewhom
he had called on earth,but taking with
himthetotalityofHisandourhumanity
tothebosomoftheFather.
Whilst all illustrations are incom
plete, my memory of the Lift attendant
taking the assembled shoppers tightly
packedintothelifttotheirrequireddesti
nation has some child like correlation:
Matthew8:11;Isaytoyouthatmanywill
comefromeastandwest,andreclineatthe
table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in
thekingdomofheaven.
The Kontakion of the Feast: When
ThoudidstfulfilThydispensationforour
sakes,andunitedthethingsonearthwith
thethingsinheaven,Thoudidstascendin
glory,OChristourGod,innowaydivided,
but remaining inseparable, and crying to
thosethatloveTheeIamwithyouandno withthehelpofafewothers,everyweek
oneshallbeagainstyou.
FrJonathan
PhotosofReligioussitesinEasternPoland
takenbyourParishionerMartaRadford
TRANSFIGURINGOURLIVES
used the Roman Catholic Chapel at the
ChaplaincyofLancasterUniversityasour
place of worship, before renting our
present Church in Westgate. That time
wasatimeofmovement,notonlyinthe
senseof havingtoinstall theIconsand
temporarilyreconstructthespacetohave
the semblance of an Orthodox Temple
butintermsofthespiritualthroughput
ofstudentswhocameandwentastheir
studiesattheUniversitycoursesdictated.
Stepping outside their cultural frame
work they encountered a community
withoutabuilding.Indeed,theyencoun
teredaCommunitywhichcametogether
forworshipinfellowshipasthepeopleof
Godindifficultcircumstances.
My three (now empty) suitcases in
my cupboard under the stairs are
testimony to the physical effort it took,
tobuildaChurch.However,thenumber
of Old Stavronians,some150onmye
mailing list, (former transient students)
who continue to pray for us, send gifts
forthechurchanddonations,helpwith
the magazine and website and keep in
regularcontactaretestimonytoanother
movement the movement of the Holy
Spirit. God empowers us by His grace
often in those most difficult periods of
our life, if we seek Him out. Cypriot
students who had never decorated the
Church with flowers before found
themselves in charge of the Epitaphion.
Greekmenwhohadneverbakedbreadin
their lives found themselves making
prosphora.Russianswhohadneversung
in a choir before found themselves
chanting.
To own your Christian faith is to
growandtobetransfigureditistobe
changed from the occasional, passive
observertoactivewitnessestoChrist.But
it is hard work it involves climbing a
mountain. At such moments, when we
maketheeffort,wearerewardedwithjoy
andpeacethatradiatesfromChrist.We
are bathed with the Divine glory and
reflecttheLightofChrist.
Idonotthinkthatitisacoincidence
thatthelargeblankcanvassofaplain
wall has now been furnished with a
beautifulFrescooftheTransfigurationin
the Chapel; written by one of Britains
foremost Orthodox Iconographers Aidan
Hart.
MayGodcontinuetoreconstructand
transfigureourlifeandbody,whichisthe
livingTempleoftheAllHolySpirit.
FrJonathan
ThefrescooftheTransfigurationofChrist
completedinByzantinestylebyAidan
Hart,attheRomanCatholicChapelofthe
ChaplaincyCentreofLancasterUniversity
COMINGINTOAWARM
HOME
MymotherusedtotellmethatitisGod
whodirectsusdownthedifferentpaths
whichchangeourlives.Thisisverytrue,
asjustoverayearagoIwasanAnglican
of long standing with no thoughts of
leaving,andonHolySaturdaythisyearI
was Chrismated and received into the
OrthodoxChurch.
ItwasgoingtoSaturdayVesperslast
March that was my life changer. I
enjoyedtheserviceimmenselyandknew
after the first visit that I would come
again. I was made to feel so welcome
whichwassomethingIhadneverexperi
encedbeforewhengoingintoachurch.
Angie started to come with me as well
soonafterwardsandshefeltexactlythe
same,andeachweekwelookedforward
tothenextSaturday.
DuringthesummerIstartedgoingto
the Divine Liturgy on Sunday mornings
and this was a revelation to me. In
OrthodoxyIhadfoundthetrueoriginal
faith.Thereweremanythingsthatdrew
me;therewasthebeautyoftheIconsand
the smell of incense; the singing of the
choirandthewordsoftheliturgyofSt
John Chrysostom. It is timeless and
doesn'tchangetosuitthesecularworld.
I knew then that at some point I
wantedtobecomeOrthodox.Therewasa
greatdealtolearnso thatIcould fully
appreciate the Orthodox faith and Fr
Jonathanandmynewfriendswereallso
helpful. Learning about the new saints
andhowtoveneratethemalsomademe
realisethatIwastotallyignorantofthe
early English saints. Something I had
neverconsideredbefore.
After discussing it fully with Fr
Jonathan I decided that I wanted to
becomeOrthodoxandthatthiswouldbe
at Pascha on Holy Saturday. I was so
pleasedwhenKleioandAidanagreedto
supportmebybeingmyGodparents.
WhenFrJonathanmademeaCate
chumen at the beginning of Lent I had
this marvellous feeling of warmth and
contentment which I had each week
when Fr Jonathan said the Catechumen
prayerformebeforetheIconostasis.
Then on Holy Saturday at my
ChrismationIwasso happy.Myfriends
were there to support me; and Dimitry
and Katrina were praying for me in
Russia as were monks and nuns in
Greece.WhenIreceivedtheHolyMyste
ries for the first time in the Orthodox
Liturgyitwasthemostspecialtimeand
nevertobeforgotten.
Thebestwaytodescribethefeeling
ofbecominganOrthodoxChristianisthat
of going into a warm and caring home
afterbeingoutinthecold.
JohnDeacon
PhotoofChapelinEasternPolandtakenby
ourParishionerMartaRadford
THOUGHTSFROMTHE
CELTICFATHERS
FromthelifeofSaintBrigidofKildare,
Ireland:Once,ayoungpriestvisitedthe
monasteryofSaintBrigidtoeatwiththe
nuns.Whiletheywhereeatingtheirfood
StBrigidaskedthepriest:Doyouhavea
spiritualfather?Theyoungpriestreplied
toherandsaidthathehadone.ThenSt
Brigidtoldhimtoriseupalongwithher
andsingforhim(forthespiritualfather)
thememorialhymnsbecausehehaddied
a few minutes before. Theyoungpriest
was surprised and he wanted to know
howStBrigidknewthat.Andshereplied
tohimsaying,thatshehadseenavision
ofhimbeforeafewminutes(avisionof
the young priest) and he didn't have a
headonhisbody;becauseeveryonewho
doesn'thaveaspiritualfatherisabody
without a head. And she asked him to
findanewspiritualfatherbeforecontinu
ingwithhisfood.
ChristosVasilopoulos
Kozani,Greece
NAMESOFDEPARTED
LOVEDONESTOBE
REMEMBEREDTHISMONTH
May26:Paraskeui
MEMORYETERNAL!
Pleasesendusthenamesofyourdepar
tedloved onesanddateoftheirdepar
tureinorderforthemtoberemembered.
OLDSTAVRONIANCORNER
We are so very grateful to those who
rememberus intheirprayersand show
theirloveasgenerousbenefactorsofour
Parish.WewouldliketothankAnastasia
Stamatelatou from Cephalonia, Greece,
and TatianiRapatzikou fromThessaloni
ki, Greece, for the gift of white candles
usedduringtheLiturgiesafterLent.May
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ give
thereward!
We congratulate old Stavronian,
RobertBultocandhiswifeonthebirthof
theirdaughteronApril25th inRomania.
HernameisXenia,namedafterStXenia
of Saint Petersburg! May God provide
health and strength to little Xenia to
persevereinspiritualstruggleandreceive
all gifts in our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ!
OneofouroldStavronians, Katerina
Dokou, from Chalkidiki, Greece has
visited the Monastery of the Genethlion
(Nativity)oftheTheotokosinKleisoura,
Kastoria,Greece,establishedin1314.She
was prompted by a friend of hers to
attendtheSundayLiturgythereinorder
tofeelherselfthekatanyxis(warmfeeling
beforetheDivine)oftheplacewhereSt
SophiathenewofKleisouraspentmostof
her life.StSophia wasbornin1883in
Pontus;shegotmarriedin1907andhad
achild in1910,thatshelosttwo years
later.Duringthesametime,shealsolost
herhusband,whodiedduringWWI.She
then decided to dedicate herself to God
and,mostlikelyin1916,startedoffher
journeyasarefugeetoPiraeus,wherethe
Mother of God presented Herself to the
Saint,askinghertovisitheratHerhome,
in Kleisoura. She lead an ascetic life at
the Monastery for 47 years and was
canonised a Saint on Oct. 4th, 2011, by
theEcumenicalPatriarch(feastday,May
6th).Afewrelevantphotosfollowbelow. MAJORCELEBRATIONSTHIS
MONTH
th
5May:TheGreatMartyrIrene
th
8May:St.JohntheTheologianandSt.
ArseniustheGreat
th
11May:Sts.CyrilandMethodius,
EqualtotheApostles
th
15May:St.PachomiustheGreatMartyr
 st
21May:Sts.ConstantineandHelen For the lives of Saints please visit the
EqualtotheApostles CalendaroftheGreekOrthodoxArchdi
rd
23May:TheretrievaloftherelicsofSt. oceseofAmerica:www.calendar.goarch.org
JoachimofIthaca
th
25May:HolyAscensionandthe3 rd

FindingofthePreciousHeadofthe
ForerunnerandBaptistJohn

ServicesatStMartin'sinMay*
Sat.6th 13:00 Memorial,Confessions,SynaxarionandGreatVespers
Sun.7th 10:00 HoursandHolyLiturgy
Sat.13th 13:00 Memorial,Confessions,SynaxarionandGreatVespers
Sun.14th 10:00 HoursandHolyLiturgy
Sat.20th 13:00 Memorial,Confessions,SynaxarionandGreatVespers
Sun.21st 10:00 HoursandHolyLiturgy
Sat.27th 13:00 Memorial,Confessions,SynaxarionandGreatVespers
Sun.28th 10:00 HoursandHolyLiturgyfollowedbyParishlunch
*Helpsettingupthechurchisgreatlyappreciatedandstartshalfanhourbeforetheservice.

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.