This year, His Grace Bishop Irenei of London and Western Europe celebrated the Altar Feast of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God in London. It is a year since the Cathedral was consecrated. Serving with His Grace were the Cathedral Clergy, Archpriest Vitaly Serapinas, Deputy Rector, Archpriest Peter Baulk, Archpriest Yarolslav Gudymenko and Deacon Andrei Borisas and diocesan clergy Archpriest Paul Elliott, Hieromonk Mark and Deacon Mark Tattum – Smith. Father Matthew, visiting from the Diocese of Pireaus also concelbrated. There were Subdeacons, Readers and servers from across the diocese assisting at the Hierarchal Liturgy which was attended by a large congregation. Afterwards, there was a banquet arranged by the sisterhood. During the meal, Sister Fotina, a member of the monastic choir from St Elisabeth’s Convent in Minsk spoke movingly to the assembled company about the work of the Convent.
September 2019 is the 100th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Parish in London. In the book by Fr Christopher Birchall, Embassy, Emigrants and Englishmen, (Holy Trinity Publications), the date suggested for the formation is the 18th September when Archpriest Eugene Smirnoff called together those interested in forming a parish. They met again on 25th September and had their first parish council meeting on October 17th. The London parish was to be one of the very first parishes to elect to come under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad in 1920, an anniversary that will be kept next year in the 100th Anniversary Celebrations of the ROCOR.
There is a new book published about the London Cathedral coinciding with the Consecration and completion of the frescoes. This can be obtained either from the Cathedral Bookshop or from :
http://www.nkbooksellers.com/books/?rid=1085020 Zdanovich, A. Russkii khram v Londone: Kafedral’nyi sobor Rozhdestva Presviatoi Bogoroditsy i Sviatykh tsarstvennykh muchenikov [Russian Church in London: Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother God and Holy Royal Martyrs]. Moscow. Russkii pechatntyi dom. 2019
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