In the latest issue of the
Anglican and Eastern Churches Association’s journal, Koinonia – New Series No. 61, All Saintstide 2013, we find a number
of interesting articles and news. An interesting contribution to this issue is
given by Fr. Anastasios Salapatas who points out the relations between
Orthodoxy and Anglicanism by using his parish as a case study. The article is
as follows (p. 33-36):
Orthodoxy in Harrow and the AECA
Anastasios D.
Salapatas
“How awesome is this
place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven”
Gen. 28, 17
By the Grace of God and the
prayers of our Patron Saints, Panteleimon & Paraskevi, with the blessing of
His Eminence our Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira & Great Britain and with
the very hard and dedicated work of the leaders and member of our Community, as
well as with the generous contributions of all our donors and benefactors, we
managed to build in Harrow, from scratch, a magnificent place of worship in
Byzantine style. The construction had taken place between August 2009 and March
2011. In November 2012 it was blessed and consecrated and was offered to our
faithful for worship, for the ultimate goal of the Glorification of our Holy
God and for the deification of His people.
Our community was founded in
1975. It used three different Church buildings until this dream was eventually
realised. The last of the three buildings, the ex-Anglican Holy Spirit Mission
Church, which was purchased by our Community in 1994, had to be sacrificed.
His Beatitude Patriarch Kyrill of
Moscow and All Russia had recently said – at a consecration of a Church – that
“today we build Churches not because we
are rich. Our people had never constructed places of worship from their
abundance. Our Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow was built during the
1990’s, when our people were suffering of many problems”. And he concluded
by saying that, “because of the
construction of new Churches it is possible to solve our financial problems,
which stand as huge obstacles in the middle of our modern way of life”.
We in our Community here in
Harrow, strongly believe that the words of His Beatitude are truthful and of
great spiritual value to us as well.
The General Secretary of the
AECA, the Rev’d Dr William Taylor, as well as other members of the Association,
was present and participated at the historic event of the Consecration of our
Church. Fr. Taylor was representing the Bishop of London at that ceremony and
conveyed his much appreciated written message to us. The message reads as
follows:
“Dear Friends,
On the occasion of the consecration of the new church dedicated to
Saints Panteleimon and Paraskevi, I send my congratulations and the assurance
of my prayers to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thayteira, Fr Anastasios
Salapatas and the Parish in Harrow.
Yours is a truly significant achievement in Building the first new
Byzantine Church in the United Kingdom since that built in Cardiff in 1906. I
know that it represent years of planning, hard work and sacrificial giving on
the part of many. The new Church will be an important addition to the witness
of the Christian Gospel in London.
The dedications to Saints Panteleimon and Paraskevi is a significant
one. The fourth century martyr and physician Panteleimon will be a constant
reminder of the costly witness to the medicine of the Gospel to bring healing
and wholeness to our own society. The virgin martyr Paraskevi , with her
attribution to Christ’s crucifixion on a Friday, further reminds all Christians
of the need to bear witness to Christ’s passion, death and resurrection
whatever the cost. Both of them lived in times of pressures on the Christian
Church not very different from our own.
I welcome this important new visible reminder of the vitality of the
Gospel in our own city and in our own day – one which will outlive all of us. I
pray that the Greek Orthodox community in London will go from strength to
strength as our partners in the Gospel, and send you the assurance of my
prayers and blessing at this auspicious time.
With thank for our partnership in the Gospel.
The Rt Revd & Rt Hon Richard Chartes KCVO DD FSA”
The AECA has also kindly supported
generously the fundraising of our new Church by means of offering £1000 towards
our BUY A BRICK APPEAL! The Church & Community Council are all very
grateful to the AECA. We pray for good progress in all the AECA endeavours and
for every blessing in the lives of its members.
That was a very successful appeal
which was supported by a wide range of people and organisation from within as
well as outside our Community. All donors have a brick, with their name
engraved on it, placed on the outside wall of the sanctuary apse, in
commemoration of their kind gesture and valuable contribution.
Our Community extends a very warm
welcome to all its members and friends and wishes that the prayers and the
blessing of our Patron Saints accompany all of us throughout our lives!”
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