Welcome

Welcome to our website which we hope will be of interest or a source of information to you. Ours is a parish of the Antiochian Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, which is in communion with all the canonical Orthodox Churches and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. In line with Orthodox practice, our services are in the language of the people; in our case, English, Orthodox visitors of other backgrounds saying the Lord's Prayer in their native tongue. 

The Orthodox Church lies in a tradition that goes back in an unbroken line to the Church of the Apostles and the earthly life of Christ Himself. We are often portayed as a very conservative church but this is a matter of faith and history; one cannot change the truth to fit into a very fleeting, passing, timescale when viewed with the eternity of God and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

In our church you will see many icons of Christ, the Mother of God and many saints and sacred events; a feature of Orthodoxy that proclaims the Incarnation of our Lord and God Jesus Christ and are often referred to as "windows into heaven". The priestly vestments are very beautiful; not for the glorification of the clergy but for the glory of sinful humanity transformed by the Grace of God. The Divine Liturgy is the principal service, when the faithful may receive the Body and Blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Incense is used in all our services and permeates the fabric of the church itself. Thus we have a church that is internally very beautiful visually, has the aroma of sanctity and our ears are filled with beautiful music (Just human voices: instruments are not allowed). In some way the church building reflects the glory of Heaven and a place fitting for God.

Anyone may come to our church to "have a look" and you are assured of a warm welcome. Do not worry about how to act or what to do; just let the experience take care of itself. If you need any information about any aspect of our church or the Orthodox Church in general, do not hesitate to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Fr. George (Evans), Parish Priest.

Fr George's Letter for October

Most Holy Mother of God Save Us.

“The virtues build a new person radiating love to the world.”

(Metropolitan Paul (Yazigi) who consecrated our temple.)

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16.

Sunday 18^th October. 19^th Sunday After Pentecost. Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke (1st). St Julian Sabas (Syria 4^th). St Peter of Cetinje, Metropolitan of Montenegro (1830).

“He gives us kinsfolk, and takes them from us, but He does not leave us; His eye does not grow weary in watching over us, nor is there any change in His love for us. All death’s stings help us to cleave the more closely to our God, the living God.  (Bishop Nikolai Velimirovic, Homilies).

Today’s Gospel Reading: Luke 7:11-16. “Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain, and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.

And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow........”

In the Gospel for today, we see the great compassion of Christ who, coming near to the city gate, encounters the funeral procession of a young man; perhaps we would say a lad. He was the only son of his widowed mother and was her only comfort and support. We should bear in mind that Christ’s compassion was not directed to the dead boy but to the living and grieving mother. In the other instances that we have of Christ raising the dead, that of Lazarus and Jairus’s daughter, the compassion shown was for the living relatives of the deceased firstly and the restoring to life of the dead that showed His power over both the living and the dead.

This power was manifested on the three occasions in different ways: Jairus’s daughter was still in her bed; the widow of Nain’s son was being carried to his burial; and Lazarus was sealed in his tomb and already beginning to decompose. The resuscitated widow’s son, Lazarus and the daughter of Jairus  would eventually die but Christ gave them back to their loved ones to stop their flow of tears and to witness to His divinity. This sees both the living and the dead not separate from each other but as sharers in His own glorious Resurrection that is our hope as Orthodox Christians and the joy of Pascha that is with us in life and death every day.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers Lord Jesus Christ our God have mercy on us and save us.

Much Love,

Fr. George.