Every second Saturday of the month, Divine Liturgy in English of Sunday - Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family, Duke Street, London W1K 5BQ.
4pm Divine Liturgy. Next: 13th November 2021

Very sadly, the Divine Liturgy in English at 9-30 am on Sundays at the Holy Family Cathedral, Lower Church, have had to be put on hold. Until the practicalities we cannot use the Lower Church space. Hopefully this will be resolved very soon. Please keep checking in here for details.

Owing to public health guidance, masks should still be worn indoors and distance maintained. Sanitisers are available. Holy Communion is distributed in both kinds from the mixed and common chalice, by means of a separate Communion spoon for each individual communicant.

To purchase The Divine Liturgy: an Anthology for Worship (in English), order from the Sheptytsky Institute here, or the St Basil's Bookstore here.

To purchase the Divine Praises, the Divine Office of the Byzantine-Slav rite (in English), order from the Eparchy of Parma here.

The new catechism in English, Christ our Pascha, is available from the Eparchy of the Holy Family and the Society. Please email johnchrysostom@btinternet.com for details.

Saturday 4 August 2012

APOCALYPSE AND RESURRECTION: News from Damascus


We have just received this email from His Grace Samir Nassar, Archbishop of Damascus of the Maronites, circulated by Bishop Nicholas Samra of the Melkite Eparchy of Newton in the USA.

 
APOCALYPSE AND RESURRECTION


Dear friends
I will keep on writing as long as I live and as the Internet access is still possible ... Since Tuesday, July 17, 2012 morning, the battles reached the capital Damascus using heavy weapons, tanks and helicopters in a crowded city. The destruction is enormous. What a Calvary!

The clashes are taking place in the streets and move from one neighborhood to another. It is impossible to sleep with the fear and the sound of bombs and gunfire of cannons. Summer temperatures are from 42°C (108°F) to 56°C (133°F) and power outages are awful.

Damascus is cut off the rest of the Syrian cities and suffers from many shortages.  The supplies can no longer reach it. We are short of bread, vegetables, live, cooking gas and fuel for bakeries ...

Run for your lives ... Many families are leaving the hot neighborhoods of battles to form an endless chain on the road to Lebanon. Other roads to Jordan, Iraq and north to Homs-Aleppo are closed.

A general feeling of panic is causing the exodus towards Lebanon. I hope the people the will find the proper welcome there … Because the Syrians have so welcomed Palestinian, Lebanese and Iraqis refugees...

 
The few faithful who dared coming to pick up the courage from the mass burned many candles at the tomb of Blessed Martyrs of Damascus. They exchanged farewells and tears before returning running to their homes under the sounds of gunfire and explosions ...

Damascus was spared for 16 months from the violence that tore the other cities of Syria ... here comes our turn to suffer and die.

We just managed to fit in a corner under the stairs to shelter with our neighbors from the bombshells, the caves of the parish have just been cleaned …

Provided that the Resurrection will not be late after so much suffering ....

 Damascus July 20, 2012.
                                                                 
+ Samir NASSAR
 Maronite archbishop of Damascus

Posted by Society of St John Chrysostom at 10:45
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