Pokrov parish news, and events related to Orthodox Christianity

`The Way' in Manchester
     21 October [8 October old style] 2006. A programme of first steps towards the Orthodox faith has started in St Aidan's Orthodox church in Manchester. The programme consists of 10 sessions. It was developed at the Orthodox Institute in Cambridge. See more details at a page devoted to Orthodox Christianity for Absolute Beginners.

Patronal Feast
     Saturday 14 October [1 October old style] 2006. A joyful celebration of the Patronal Feast took place at the Manchester Pokrov parish. Many people attended the Reader's service (Typica followed by a Molieben; unfortunately, there was no priest this year) and then participated in the festal meal in the parish hall.

Memory Eternal! Repose of Metropolitan Vitaly
     25 September [12 September old style] 2006.
Metropolitan Vitaly (1910-2006)

Metropolitan Vitaly (1910-2006), the former First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, reposed in the Lord on 12 (25) September 2006, in a hospital near the Holy Transfiguration Skete in Mansonville, Canada. Some of our parishioners knew the late Vladyka Vitaly at the time when he, as an Archimandrite, served in England and helped to establish several Russian Orthodox parishes, including the parish in Manchester.

Funeral
     Wednesday 20 September [7 September old style] 2006. One of our parishioners, Amiran Kokashvili, who died on 11 September 2006, was buried in Bolton. Amiran was born on 9 February 1940. He left the widow, Liubov Alexandrovna Kokashvili, their son Giya, daughter-in-law Elga, and granddaughter Lana. All who knew Amiran, have a loving memory of him. The funeral service was officiated by Fr Gregory Hallam of St Aidan's Orthodox church in Manchester, with the reader and the choir of the Pokrov church. Memory eternal!

Molieben at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester
     Sunday 15 January [2 January old style] 2006. By a request of the organizers of the Russian music festival, an Orthodox Molieben (as reader's service) was offered at the Royal Northern College of Music, with the Pokrov parish choir singing. See more details here .

Funeral
     Monday 12/25 July 2005. One of the Russian DP's ("displaced persons") of the war times, Nicholas Ries, who died on 27 June 2005, was buried at Rochdale Cemetery. Nicholas Ries was born in 1926 in Staraja Russa, near Novgorod. He was a displaced person during the 2nd World War in a camp in Yorkshire. He later came to Rochdale and worked for British Rail. He studied and gained qualifications in Engineering, and spent over 30 years as a technician in the engineering department at Rochdale College. He lived on his own. Nicholas visited Russia 3 times and until his death was in regular contact with sister, brother and nieces in Russia. The funeral service at the cemetery was officiated by Fr Archimandrite Ephrem (Lash), of St Andrew's Monastery, with our parish choir members Anthony Greenan (the choirmaster) and Mariane Greenan, and the reader Theodore Voronov. The service was attended by Nicholas's friends. Memory eternal!

Celebration of Pascha in the parish
     Sunday 18 April / 1 May 2005. Parishioners of Pokrov and many Orthodox people from all over Great Britain celebrated Bright Christ's Resurrection (Pascha). A report in Russian about the Paschal night in the Church of Pokrov can be viewed here.

Afterfeast of Theophany
     Sunday 10/23 January 2005. We had the service of the Blessing of Waters in the church after the Liturgy on that day. Although the demand for Holy Water was high, we have enough water kept in the church to serve the needs of community. Please bring your bottles on any Sunday morning and we will fill them!

Feast of Nativity (Christmas)
     Friday, 25 December 2004/ 7 January 2005. About 100 Orthodox (including children) came to celebrate the Feast of Nativity at the Church of Pokrov. After Divine Liturgy all children received little presents and the whole community had a festive meal in the parish hall. The renovation of the iconostasis had been finished just before the Feast of Nativity.

Birth
     Friday, 11/24 December 2004. The parish congratulates most warmly Stefan and Irina Strekopytov on the birth of their son Anthony, named after St. Anthony the Great. We wish him Many Years, Mnogaya Leta!

Orthodox Conference in London
    Saturday, 5/18 December 2004. A number of our parishioners have attended a one-day Orthodox Conference in Russian language organized by the Christian Movement for the study of the nature of the Church and the legacy of Metropolitan Anthony in Great Britain, which took place at the Cathedral, 67, Ennismore Gardens, London SW7. A brief report of this conference (in Russian language) prepared by one of the parishioners is available here.

Award
    Friday, 9/22 October 2004. Good news! Our church building has received the Manchester Civic Society's award for the best small project. Congratulations to architects Natalia Maximova and Peter Barrett of Archimax!

Baptism
    Sunday, 4/17 October 2004. George (Yegor) Rainkin, son of Elena and Konstantin Rainkin, was baptized by Archbp. Anatoly. Godparents: Stefan Strekopytov and Yana Isaeva. God grant them many years!

Baptism of George Rainkin, 4/17 October 2004

Patronal Feast
     Thursday, 1/14 October 2004, the Feast of Pokrov. The church was open from 10am to 7pm. We had a Readers' service (Hours and Typica) in the morning and a festive meal afterwards. Many guests came, among them Fr. Archimandrite Ephrem of St. Andrew's Monastery, Fr. Gregory Hallam of St. Aidan's Church and Fr. Christodoulos Fyles of the Orthodox Community of the Holy Apostles (Preston). Many thanks to everybody who shared the joy of celebrating our patronal festival with us!

Early morning before the celebration of our patronal feast, Pokrov, 1/14 October 2004. The photograph made under natural light coming from the window. Some members of the community after the celebration of our patronal feast, Pokrov, 1/14 October 2004 Dr. Theodore Voronov and our guest, Fr. Gregory Hallam (Church of St. Aidan), 1/14 October 2004

Birth
     25 September/ 8 October 2004. A daughter was born to our parishioners Marina and Theodore Voronov. She was given the name Maria, after St. Mary Magdalene. God grant her many years! The name-giving prayers and the prayer for the mother were said by Fr Gregory Hallam at the maternity ward of St Mary's Hospital, Manchester.

Iconostasis
    September-October 2004. We have a reason to rejoice once more. The iconostasis has been re-installed. It is the iconostasis that was in the old church demolished in 1998. Part of icons was brought from Austrian DP camps by the first parishioners. The Royal Gates were painted in England by a Russian icon painter Alexander Davydov (1950s). Money for the re-installation of the iconstasis were allocated by The Manchester Russian Orthodox Church Building Trust. We are grateful to Alexei Efimenko and other people who have worked on the re-installation of the iconostasis.

Iconostasis restored, 1/14 October 2004

Banners
    September 2004. Our oldest parishioners Severian Cernoculschi and Valentina Rancans donated to the parish two banners made in St. Flor's Monastery in Kiev. The banners were donated as a memory of the departed members of the Russian Orthodox community of Bolton. Tatiana Karpenko ordered the banners in Kiev and brought them to Manchester. Please pray for Severian, Valentina, Tatiana and for all those departed this life in whose commemoration the gift was made!



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Webmaster. 15 (28) December 2007