Intercession of the Holy Virgin Russian Orthodox Church in Manchester
Registered Charity Number 1118331

Покровскій приходъ въ Манчестерѣ.

Our parish of the "Pokrov" (Intercession of the Holy Virgin) was founded by Russian refugees in displaced persons' camps in Austria and has been present in Manchester since early 1950s. Originally under the omophorion of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, it has received a blessing from St John of Shanghai, at that time the ruling bishop for Western Europe. Archimandrite Vitaly (later a Metropolitan and First Hierarch, of blessed memory) helped in establishing the parish.

In 1993, by the request of the parish council, the ever-memorable Metropolitan Antony of Sourozh has received us under his care. His Eminence Archbishop Anatoly of Kerch, the suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Sourozh, was our rector from July 2002 till November 2010.

Our parish is presently stavropegic, i.e., under a direct rule of the Patriarch of Moscow, but with close links with the Diocese of Sourozh (which is the diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church in Great Britain and Ireland). Since November 2010, our parish Rector is His Eminence Archbishop Elisei of Sourozh. Archpriest Gennady Andreyev is Vice-Rector and celebrates in the parish alternating with Archpriest Maxim Mitrophanov and Priest Evgeny Selensky.

This is a Russian parish, but there are many English people as well. We welcome everybody!

Our church address is: 64 Clarence Road, Longsight, Manchester, M13 0YE. Clarence Road is off Plymouth Grove, near the junction with Stockport Road. See the map. If you want to send a letter to the church please DO NOT address it to 64 Clarence Road, but send it to Mr George Dance at: 3 The Green, Hawk Green, Marple, Stockport, Cheshire, SK6 7HT. Enquiries: Please ring Mr George Dance at (0161) 292-1652 (English) or send a message to parish@pokrov.org.uk.

Through efforts of many people our church has been rebuilt not long ago on the parish land, at the place where it has existed since 1952. We pray for everybody who has worked at the re-building and for numerous benefactors for their donations, small or large. (Here are some pictures of the original church. The original iconostasis has been reinstalled in the new building.) Glory be to God for all!

APPEAL TO THE PARISHIONERS

Calendar and services

The Divine Liturgy is celebrated in the church every Sunday morning at 10am and on feast days as appointed. Confessions are before the Liturgy. Please come for confessions early.
On Wednesdays, Supplicatory Service (Moleben or Paraclesis) to the Mother of God is celebrated at 6pm. Parishioners can come and talk to the priest after moleben.
Other services, e.g., Vigil, may be celebrated on feast days. Check the schedule below.
(If, by exception, there is no priest available on a Sunday or a feast day, Typica may be celebrated, which is a reader's service in place of Liturgy).
After the service we have a cup of tea or even a light meal upstairs. You are welcome to join us and to get to know other people. If you bring food to share with others, please do stick to fasting rules.

The services are in Church Slavonic (with some English). We follow the traditional Julian Calendar (Old Style). The civil, or Gregorian, calendar, or the "new style", is ahead of it for 13 days. The dates at these pages are shown in the Julian (ecclesiastical) and Gregorian (civil) calendars, as Gregorian [Julian].

On-line calendar for today. Another calendar (Russian)

Sunday 5 February [23 January]. The Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee. Tone 1. Beginning of the Lenten Triodion.
The Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia.
    Hours and Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom at 10am.
Monday 6 February [24 January o.s.] to Saturday 11 February [29 January o.s.]: the first preparatory week. No fasting on Wednesday and Friday.

Wednesday 8 February [26 January o.s.].
   Supplicatory Service (Paraclesis or Moleben) to the Mother of God at 6pm.

Sunday 12 February [30 January]. The Sunday of the Prodigal Son. Tone 2.
Three Holy Hierarchs: St Basil the Great, St Gregory the Theologian, and St John Chrysostom.
    Hours and Divine Liturgy at 10am.
Monday 13 February [31 January o.s.] to Saturday 18 February [5 February o.s.]: the second preparatory week.

Wednesday 15 February [2 February o.s.]
The Meeting of the Lord. Срѣтеніе Господне
    Hours and Divine Liturgy at 10am.

Sunday 19 February [6 February]. The Sunday of the Last Judgment (Meatfare Sunday). Tone 3.
    Hours and Typica at 10am.
Monday 20 February [7 February o.s.] to Saturday 25 February [12 February o.s.]: the third preparatory week (cheese week). No fasting on Wednesday and Friday.

Wednesday 22 February [9 February o.s.].
   Supplicatory Service (Paraclesis or Moleben) to the Mother of God at 6pm.

Sunday 26 February [13 February]. The Forgiveness Sunday (Cheesefare Sunday). Tone 4.
    Hours and Divine Liturgy at 10am.

Great Lent starts on Monday 27 February [=14 February o.s.] 2012.
EASTER (PASCHA): Sunday 15 April [=2 April o.s.] 2012.

• Жертвованіе на церковь • On donating to the church • О поведеніи въ церкви   • On behaviour in the church  

Disclaimer. This web page is not official and the Diocese of Sourozh is not responsible for its contents. It is maintained for the benefit of the parishioners of the Pokrov Church in Manchester and all Orthodox Christians who may find it useful. It was started in 1999 with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Anatoly of Kerch. I try my best to maintain it without mistakes, but if there are any, please let me know about them. The humble servant of God The Webmaster .
Last modified: 9 February n.s [27 January o.s.] 2012
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