It was with great sadness that Abba Seraphim learned of the death on 14 August of His Eminence Metropolitan Kyrillos of Milan, at the age of 65 years.

Halim Nashed Athanasius was born in Sohag in Upper Egypt on 15 October 1952. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Minya, from which he graduated in 1977.  Born in a devout Coptic family (where his brother also became a monk and was consecrated to the episcopate), he undertook voluntary service for the church in Minya Province and came under the influence of Metropolitan Arsanius of Minya, who used him for ministry to the Youth.  In 1979 he entered the monastery of the Holy Virgin, al Baramous, in the Wadi El Natrun, which was founded by St. Macarius the Great in around 335. He made his monastic profession as Kyrillos el-Baramousi. He was ordained as a priest in February 1980 and in June 1986 he was consecrated as a General Bishop by the late Pope Shenouda III to assist in Minya diocese. In 1990 he was transferred to Milan to supervise the Coptic community there and the new monastery of St. Shenouda the Archimandrite at Mettone, outside Milan. In June 1990 he was enthroned as Bishop of Milan, at which Abba Seraphim assisted and established friendly relations between the British Orthodox Church and the Diocese of Milan. Following the death of Pope Shenouda, Bishop Kyrillos was nominated as a papal candidate, but withdrew before the election. One of the first appointments made by H.H. Pope Tawadros II following his enthronement as Pope & Patriarch of Alexandria was, on 28 December 2012, to appoint Bishop Kyrillos to the newly created position of Papal Deputy for Europe. Following that, relations between the British Orthodox Church and the Milan diocese became stronger and there were frequent exchanges of clergy, culminating in the visit to London of Bishop Kyrillos in July 2014 for the service of Thanksgiving for twenty years of union with the Patriarchate. On 28 February 2016 Bishop Kyrillos was ordained a Metropolitan.

Abba Seraphim spoke movingly of the kindness and goodness of Abba Kyrillos, which endeared him to everyone. “His simple monastic spirit and gentle love for all those he encountered were his chief characteristics.  The respect and affection in which he was held extended well beyond his own community, where his own flock greatly loved him. He was revered throughout the Coptic Church worldwide, but also with Christians of all traditions, who responded to his humble courtesy and open-hearted generosity with great readiness. He was a true friend of the British Orthodox and prayers for his repose will be held in all our churches for the next 40 days.

Metropolitan Kyrillos: Memory Eternal !

The British Orthodox Press has just republished Abba Seraphim’s “Root and Branch. The Canonicity and Regularity of The British Orthodox Church”. This was first published in 1992 and argued the basis for the independence of the BOC. It was highly acclaimed at the time, but was withdrawn in 1994 following the union of the BOC with the Patriarchate of Alexandria. Now that the BOC is once again independent, it has been reissued and updated, with some rare historical photographs, which were not in the first edition.

The first chapter examines the early church’s concept of the “local church”, whilst the second examines the historical development of Orthodoxy & the British Isles. Citing numerous authorities, subsequent chapters review issues of Succession & Continuity; the Syriac missions of Bishops Julius Ferrette and Timotheos Vilatte as well as the outreach of other Eastern and Orthodox churches.  Abba Seraphim also recounts the Struggle for Orthodox Mission, citing the ministries of Father Stephen Hatherly, Louis Winnaert, Bishop Jean Kovalevsky, Reuban Spartas, Archbishop Aftimeos Ofiesh, Alexander Tyler Turner and the Evangelical Orthodox Church. His final chapter recounts details of the BOC’s union with the Alexandrian Patriarchate.

Copies of this book can be obtained online from LULU by clicking this link.

Following the ordination of Archdeacon James Maskery to the Priesthood, the office of Archdeacon of the British Orthodox Church became vacant, so on Sunday, 6 August Abba Seraphim blessed Deacon Mark Saunders as the new Archdeacon. Abba Seraphim observed, “The choice of Deacon Mark will be very popular because of the high level of affection and respect in which he is held throughout the church and also because of his long service, having been ordained a deacon in February 2000. His commitment and loyalty to the Church has been outstanding and he serves as a role model for future generations.”

Although he recently returned to his home after a long spell in hospital, a small infection resulted in his being re-admitted  last week as a precaution and the simple service of ordination actually took place in the hospital when Abba Seraphim and the clergy went straight from the morning Liturgy at St. Felix Church at Babingley, bearing the Reserved Sacrament.

The office of Archdeacon in the British Orthodox Church is unusual in that it has passed to successive holders without interruption for the past forty years, since the appointment by the late Metropolitan Georgius of Father Paulos Lawson-Wood (1906-1990) as the last priest to hold that office. On the occasion of his 80th birthday in 1986 Fr. Paulos named Deacon James Goddard as his coadjutor with right of succession. Archdeacon James Goddard served from 1990 until his death in 1993, in turn naming Deacon Alexander Astill as his coadjutor. He served  from 1993-2015 and was succeeded by Archdeacon James Maskery 2015-2017, who in term named Deacon Mark as his coadjutor with right of succession.

We wish Archdeacon Mark: Many Years !

On 30 July 2017, at the Orthodox Church of Saint Mark and Saint Hubert in Cusworth Village, Doncaster, during the Sunday morning Liturgy, Abba Seraphim ordained Subdeacon Athanasius Hall to the diaconate and Archdeacon James Maskery to the Sacred Priesthood.

Abba Seraphim noted that by comparison with Father David and himself they represented a new generation of ministry in the church. They will both be attached to the staff of the Church Secretariat, although Father James will also have responsibility for the Charlton Parish. However, they will exercise more than a London-based ministry as they both travel and transport Abba Seraphim to service in other congregations, notably Bournemouth, Chatham and Babingley.

Messages of greeting were received from friends from far away and, in addition to the local Cusworth congregation, some travelled from Sussex, Manchester and mainland China to attend the ordination. Deacon Athanasius’s wife, Rachel, who is currently visiting her family in the Philippines, made a point of attending their local Catholic Church to coincide with the ordinations at Cusworth, so that they could be united in prayer.

The news of the appointment of The Revd Elizabeth (Liz) Newman, as Priest-in-Charge of the Charlton United Benefice (St. Thomas & St. Luke) was very welcome news. Not only has the British Orthodox Church worshipped at St. Thomas’s, Old Charlton, since May 1989, but Liz, who has been attached to the Anglican parish as a non-stipendiary priest for many years, so is a well-known and respected member of the local community. As former Chaplain to Blackheath Bluecoats School until its closure in 2014, she served on the staff as the same time as Archdeacon James Maskery. As Abba Seraphim was away from London for her induction at St. Thomas’s on 24 July, Subdeacon Athanasius Hall, represented the British Orthodox Church at the service, which was performed by Dr Woyin Karowei Dorgu, the newly appointed Bishop Suffragan of Woolwich and the Venerable Alastair Cutting, Archdeacon of Lewisham & Greenwich and conveyed greetings on behalf of the Orthodox Parish.