Bridget McConnachie came to Orthodoxy late in life, initially drawn to the British Orthodox Church through her friendship with Mary Goodchild. Bridget began attending services in 2011 and on her first visit to the Church of Christ the Saviour in Bournemouth was deeply impressed by the sense of peace she encountered immediately on entering the Church grounds. She continued to enjoy this peace throughout her many subsequent visits. She staunchly supported the Southampton mission from its beginnings in late 2011 but always saw the Bournemouth Church as her spiritual home and was baptised and chrismated into the Orthodox Church, at Bournemouth on Lady Day, 25th March, 2012. Bridget attended Bournemouth at least monthly and made sure she was there for the Advent Carol Service and for Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Pascha.

Bridget also supported other British Orthodox missions whenever she could, including Shadwell and Glastonbury. She was touched by the plight of Syrian Christians in their tribulations of these last several years and gave generously for the work of the Barnabas Fund in that area.

Following a fall early this year, hospital investigations revealed cancer and Bridget moved away from Southampton to live with her son and daughter-in-law in Windsor, where she was able to attend the Liturgy and receive Communion at Saint Andrew’s British Orthodox Mission. She was admitted to a hospice in May where Father Simon and Tasony Sheila Smyth were able to visit her and pray for her a few days before she died. Father Simon administered the holy unction. Although physically agitated and restless Bridget opened her eyes during the prayers and after the brief service was still and calm. One of the nurses explained that Bridget had spoken much of her faith and Church and priest. Bridget still wore her cross around her neck and was watched over in her room by a photo of the late Pope Shenouda for whom she had a deep love.

Bridget McConnachie, Memory Eternal!

On the eve of Pentecost, Saturday 7th June, five adult converts to the Orthodox Faith were received into the Church by baptism and chrismation during a moving and beautiful baptismal liturgy at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Burslem, Stoke on Trent. Father Peter Farrington has been preparing this group for baptism, and was encouraged that despite many obstacles laid in the way, they have grown even closer together as they have made their journey towards Orthodoxy.

Father Peter drove up to Stoke early on Saturday morning, and met some of the baptismal candidates at St Paul’s Anglican Church to begin preparations. An inflatable baptistery was unpacked and pumped up, and the a hose pipe began to fill it with cold water. The altar was set up for the liturgy which would immediately follow the baptism. Slowly the candidates all arrived, and then the many guests who were determined to brave the wet weather to share in this special and significant occasion. By the time that the baptismal rite was ready to begin there were over 55 people in the church hall, including Father Samuel from the nearby Antiochian Orthodox Church, and many of his own congregation.

Father David Seeds, from the British Orthodox Church of St Hubert, Doncaster, had made the journey to celebrate the reception of these first five members of the Orthodox Community of St Chad in Stoke. The morning services began with the baptism of Julie, Jenny, Maria, Des and Phil who had taken the baptismal names of Photini, Genevieve, Mary, Anthony and Philip. The baptismal waters were perhaps not as warm as they could have been, but the candidates braved the cold and entered the waters one by one to be baptised into Christ by Father Peter. Standing with the waters of the baptismal font still upon them they were then chrismated, anointed with holy oil, and with the laying on of hands the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them.

The joyful congregation processed behind the newly illumined Orthodox into the church of St Paul where Father David celebrated the liturgy assisted by Father Peter. Before the liturgy itself began two more candidates were received as catechumens by the customary prayers and anointing with blessed oil.

Father Peter preached on the Spirit of Truth, and asked the congregation to consider that the newly baptised had become Orthodox in their own search for Truth, and for a Christian community rooted in the Apostolic Church of the first century.

After the liturgy had concluded, and the new members of the Orthodox Community of St Chad had received the Holy Mysteries for the first time, a warm and generous time of fellowship and conversation was shared in the church hall over an excellent buffet prepared by the Orthodox Community. Father Peter wishes to congratulate the members of the Orthodox Community of St Chad for organising such a successful event, and to thank Father David for his support and encouragement, and Father Samuel for his generous attendance.

Father Peter will be visiting Stoke very regularly to build up the community here, and there are many plans already being considered for local activities.

On behalf of the clergy and faithful of the British Orthodox Church, Abba Seraphim sent a message of condolence to His Holiness Mar Basilius Mar Thoma Paulose II, Catholicos of the East, on hearing a report of the death of  his predecessor, Mar Basilius Mar Thoma Didymos I, who has been living in retirement at Parumala since his abdication in 2010. 

Born in 1921,  the late Catholicos was ordained priest in 1950 and consecrated to the episcopate as Metropolitan of the Malabar Diocese in 1966.  Called to the monastic life, at the age of 18 he joined the Mount Tabor Dayara in Parthanapuram, which had been founded only ten years previously by Thoma Mar Dionysius of Niranam. He later served as a teacher and headmaster of the various schools and colleges associated with this monastic foundation and, after he became a bishop, he served as General Superior of the Dayara. In 1992 he became Catholicos-elect and in 2005 succeeded Mar Basilius Mar Thoma Mathews II as Catholicos.

In his message of condolence Abba Seraphim recalled that it was his privilege to be received by His Holiness during his memorable visit to India in 2010, shortly before his retirement. “We pray that Almighty God will grant him repose after his many faithful years of service to the Church and that his memory will be eternal!”   

Abba Seraphim joined a Prayer vigil outside London’s Eritrean Embassy on 22 May to mark the twelfth anniversary of the Eritrean government’s persecution of Christian churches. This event is jointly sponsored by the British Orthodox Church, Church in Chains, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, the Evangelical Alliance, Human Rights Concern Eritrea and Release Eritrea. As in previous years the protest is dignified and composed of scriptural readings, prayers, hymns and short talks highlighting the plight of Christians in Eritrea. Abba Seraphim spoke of the uncanonical deposition and long imprisonment of Abune Antonios, the legitimate Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church. Only recently OCP Media Network released a clandestinely taken snap of Abune Antonios from a cellphone, which showed His Holiness looking tranquil and at peace, although still under house arrest. Requests for him be moved to a monastery have fallen on deaf ears.

Commenting on this photograph Abba Seraphim noted that although the government had stripped away his regalia, his authority and his freedom, they had not been able to take away his inner peace and life of prayer. The photograph showed a monk at peace with himself and his God, having served faithfully and refused to compromise with truth in order to retain his status and worldly honour. By contrast, Bishop Dioskoros, who allowed the government to place him upon a stolen throne, was now suffering from the effects of recent debilitating stroke, which left him physically and mentally incapacitated. We pray that, while he still has time, he may yet repent in his heart for his faithlessness and receive forgiveness. “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark VIII: 36).

At the conclusion of the vigil, Abba Seraphim, accompanied by Andy Dipper, David Turner and Dr. Berhane Ashmelash, (on behalf of the participating organisations) handed in a letter of protest to His Excellency the Eritrean Ambassador.