Friday 4 July 2014

Services in July 2014

at Audley and Dresden

Wed 2nd 11am Divine Liturgy or Akathist 

Sat 5th 6pm Great Vespers 
Sun 6th 10am Matins; 11am Divine Liturgy 
Wed 9th 11am Divine Liturgy or Akathist 

Sat 12th Pilgrimage to Crowland 
6pm Reader Vespers 
Sun 13th 10am Matins; 11am Divine Liturgy 
Mon 14th 7pm Meeting of the Trustees at Dresden 
Wed 16th  11am Divine Liturgy or Akathist 

Sat 19th 6pm Great Vespers 
Sun 20th 10am Matins; 11am Divine Liturgy 
Wed 23rd 11am Divine Liturgy or Akathist 

Sat 26th  Liturgy & Blessing of the Waters at Stoney Middleton 
6pm Great Vespers 
Sun 27th  10am Matins; 11am Divine Liturgy 
Wed 30th  11am Divine Liturgy or Akathist 

August 1st ~ Beginning of the Dormition Fast 
August 2nd ~ Pilgrimage to Saint Bertram in Ilam (No Local Services) 


Name Days 
10th Alexander Oliver Joy 
12th Veronica Irene Dobson 
17th Marina Guinness 
18th Dara Elizabeth Davidchack; Elizabeth Nash; Elizabeth Ella Jade Reeves 
20th Monk Elia; Ghassan Ayoub 
22nd Mary (Maria) 
24th Anca Bostan 

Reposed 
23rd Tameena Ayoub (2011) 
26th James Arthur Carter (2008) 
31st Tsinara (2008) 

Parish Feasts 
17th Agia Marina, Longton; St Marina, Grimsby. 






July 12th - Pilgrimage to Croyland

The year 870 is especially memorable for the cruel outrages of the pagan Danes, who in
different parts of the country slaughtered innumerable victims, in their thirst for
conquest and hatred of our holy religion. Lincolnshire and East Anglia were among the
provinces which suffered most, and there, shortly before the glorious martyrdom of St
Edmund, the chief monasteries were utterly destroyed. Bardney in Lincolnshire, where
the relics of St Oswald had long reposed, was entirely demolished, and all the monks
murdered, without leaving so much as a record of their names. The same took place at
Ely, where the two communities of men and women founded by St Etheldreda were put
to the sword. At Peterborough, then called Medehampstead, the Abbot Hedda and all
his monks, in number 
eighty-four, were also 
exterminated, the shrines 
of the Saints profaned, and 
the library burned. It was 
on the 26th or 30th of 
August that the barbarians 
reached Croyland, the 
celebrated retreat of St 
Guthlac. The solemn Mass 
was just ended but the 
clergy had not left the 
sanctuary, when the 
pagans broke into the 
church. The celebrant, 
who was the Abbot 
Theodore, the Deacon Elfgetus, and the Sub-deacon Savinus, were murdered in the 
sacred vestments before the altar, and shortly 
afterwards the Acolyths Egdred and Ulrick.
Some of the community escaped, and hid
themselves in a neighbouring forest; but those 
who sought to conceal themselves within their 
own walls seem all to have been discovered 
and cruelly butchered. Amongst these were 
Askegar, the Prior, and Sethwin, the Sub-prior, 
as well as two venerable monks, Grimkeld and 
Agamund, who had attained their hundredth 
year. The shrine of St Guthlac was profaned, 
and the holy place left in a state of complete 
desolation. It was about the same time that the 
Monastery of Bennet Hulme in Norfolk was 
destroyed in the like manner, and the holy man 
Suniman, for whom it had been built about half 
a century before, put to death with all his 
community. 

Troparion to All the Saints of Lincolnshire (Tone 8) 
As the bountiful harvest of your sowing of salvation, 
the shire of Lincoln offers to you, Lord, 
all the saints who have shone in these lands. 
By their prayers, keep the church and our land in abiding peace, 
through the Theotokos, O most merciful One. 

July 27th - Saint Panteleimon


His parents were Eustorgius of Nicomedia, a
pagan, and Saint Eubula (March 30). They
named him Pantaleon, which means in all
things like a lion, but when he converted to
Christianity, he changed his name
to Panteleimon, which means all-merciful. He
learned about Christianity from the priest who
later baptized him, Saint Hermolaus.
Hermolaus was living with two other priests,
Hermippus and Hermocrates; the three were
"survivors of the massacre of 20,000 Christians
in 303 (December 28)."
St. Panteleimon had been educated as a
physician, and he "dedicated his life to the
suffering, the sick, the unfortunate and the
needy. He treated all those who turned to him
without charge, healing them in the name
of Jesus Christ. He visited those held captive in
prison. These were usually Christians, and he
healed them of their wounds. In a short time, reports of the charitable physician spread
throughout the city. Forsaking the other doctors, the inhabitants began to turn only to
St. Panteleimon."
Other physicians brought his case before the Emperor Maximian. St. Panteleimon
confessed to being a Christian and refused to offer sacrifice to the state gods.
"[He] suggested that a sick person, for whom the doctors held out no hope, should be
brought before the emperor. Then the doctors could invoke their gods, and Panteleimon
would pray to his God to heal the man. A man paralyzed for many years was brought in,
and pagan priests who knew the art of medicine invoked their gods without success.
Then, before the very eyes of the emperor, the saint healed the paralytic by calling on
the name of Jesus Christ. The ferocious Maximian executed the healed man, and gave St.
Panteleimon over to fierce torture."

Hermolaus, Hermippus, and
Hermocrates were brought forth;
they confessed and were beheaded.
Throughout the many tortures, St.
Panteleimon remained untouched.
Enraged, Maximian ordered that St.
Panteleimon be beheaded. The
soldiers took him to an olive tree,
but when they struck him while he
was praying, the sword melted like
wax. After he finished his prayer, "a
Voice was heard from Heaven,
calling the passion-bearer by his new
name and summoning him to the
heavenly Kingdom." He instructed the soldiers to rise from their knees where they had
fallen in fear and to complete the execution. After they followed his instruction, the
olive tree became covered with fruit.
Although his body was thrown into a fire, it came out unharmed and was buried by
Christians. His head is located on the island of Andros at the Panachrantos
monastery and, on occasions, is taken to other monasteries for veneration. Some of
his relics can be found at the Putna Monastery (Bucovina, Romania), as well as in the Ss.
Peter and Paul Cathedral in Constanţa, Romania.
"St. Panteleimon is invoked in the prayers at the blessing of water and the blessing of oil,
together with St. Hermolaus and the other unmercenaries and wonder-workers." There
is an Akathist hymn in his honour.

Holy Passion-bearer and healer Panteleimon, 
entreat the Merciful God, to grant our souls forgiveness of 
transgressions.