Ordination of Peter Farrington to the Priesthood

On the 22nd February, 2009, Abba Seraphim ordained Deacon Peter Theodore Farrington to the Priesthood within the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate. Father Peter has served as a Reader and Subdeacon, and then as Deacon for many years within the community of St Alban and St Athanasius in Maidstone and now Chatham.

He will now serve as a priest with Father Michael Robson.

Axios, Axios, Axios

Report by Subdeacon Michael Kennedy

On Sunday 22nd February at the beautiful little church of St Felix at Babingley on the Sandringham estate Deacon Peter Farrington was ordained to the sacred order of the priesthood at the hands of His Eminence Abba Seraphim.  Many church members were present with every community represented, some of whom had travelled long distances to be there.  Abba Seraphim in his homily emphasised the importance of thanksgiving and reminded us that in spite of the unremitting bad news in the media every day we still have much to be thankful for. Not only were we giving thanks on this occasion for the ordination of Father Peter but at in the same service Father Simon was being raised to the order of hegumenous, Abba Seraphim’s mother Joyce had celebrated her ninety-fifth birthday the previous day and Abba Seraphim himself would mark thirty years in the episcopate the following Saturday. In spite of the chilly weather it was possible to take a group photograph outside the church before everybody left for a buffet reception at Kings Lynn golf club just a couple of miles away.

Fr Peter is to serve at the parish of St Alban and St Athanasios, Chatham, Kent.  He will assist the parish priest Fr Michael Robson who has been ill for some time and who was sadly unable to be present at the ordination service.

Please remember Fr Michael in your prayers and Fr Peter as he begins his ministry with the traditional period of forty days preparation.