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.

Tuesday 15 December 2009

Synod on the Middle East, October 2010

Archbishop Nikola Eterovic
Preparations continue for next October's special synod on the Middle East. The working document is nearing completion and emphasizes communion within the Church.

The pre-synodal council met in late November, and a communiqué regarding its work was released Monday by the Vatican press office:


The participants in the meeting dedicated ample space to the topic of the deepening of communion in the Catholic Church and, in particular, between the Patriarchal Churches and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, as well as the episcopal conferences of the countries of the Middle East.

The statement stresses the importance of communion with other Churches and the importance of dialogue and collaboration with Jews and Muslims in the social and cultural activities.

In line with Pope Benedict's suggestion, the theme of witness will be important. The secretary-general of the synod of bishops, Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, remarked in his opening address to the Pre-Synodal Council:

In this vast region that encompasses the land in which the mysteries of our
salvation were fulfilled, Christians are called to give witness to the death and
resurrection of Christ in virtue of the gift of the Spirit, who inspires
believers to act in communion and unity with the whole Church and not
individually. ... New generat ions must come to know the great patrimony of
faith and witness in the different Churches....

Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of the Peoples, and Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, were joined by eight Eastern patriarchs in the meeting. Also taking part were the presidents of the episcopal conferences of Iran and Turkey.

2 comments:

weus said...

FOR THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH IN UNIFYING THE DATES OF EASTER
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand (Mk 3:24)

If we, the Body of Christ, are to be one, it can only be in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for we ought to have the words, “Through him, in him and with him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours Almighty Father forever and ever” written in our hearts by now.

Christ, offended, said in a message, “My Kingdom on earth is My Church, and the Eucharist is the Life of My Church, this Church I Myself have given you. I had left you with one Church, but hardly had I left, just barely had I turned back to go to the Father, than you reduced My House to a desolation! You leveled it to the ground! And My flock is straying left and right. For how long am I to drink the Cup of your division? Cup of affliction and devastation!” (Nov 14, 1991 TLIG)

This division, our intolerance with one another, our stubbornness and pride is not according to the Spirit of our Lord. These things prove that Love is missing. We need to ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit for a deep repentance. We need to have a true conversion of the heart, so that the Holy Spirit can lead us to unity, for “It is not just through words that unity among brothers will come, but through the action of the Holy Spirit. Unity will come through humility and love.” (Sep 30, 1993 TLIG)

Easter is the greatest feast we share, yet, it is divided and torn apart as one part of the Body of Christ celebrates His Resurrection, while the other part is entering His Passion. This division massacres daily our Lord's Body. We see this massacre reflected on the whole earth, as well. “Every Easter season I must drink of the cup of your division since this cup is forced on Me. The more time passes for them to unite the dates of Easter, the more severe their sentence this generation will receive.” (May 31, 1994 TLIG)

The world will not have peace until the East and West Church takes the first step towards unity by UNIFYING THE DATES OF EASTER. Jesus promised that if this is done, the Holy Spirit will come in full force to give us the next step to take for complete unity and peace. But the Church must do this first, and then the Holy Spirit will do the rest.

Let us pray for the Church to be One Body in Christ, glorifying one Lord with one heart, united to His Passion and Resurrection with one mind, on ONE EASTER DATE, in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

God bless us.

weus said...

If the Church, the Body of Christ is divided it is because love and humility is lacking.

Jesus left us with one Church. Today, His Body is shredded and torn to pieces. Love is missing.

Unity will begin not with a signed treaty, but in the heart.

The first step is to UNITE THE DATES OF EASTER, out of pure love for Jesus, so that every Christian heart is united to the Passion and the Resurrection of our Lord, with one mind, on one date, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that if we UNIFY THE DATES OF EASTER the Holy Spirit will come in full force to give us the next step to take for complete unity and peace. But the Church must UNIFY THE DATES OF EASTER first, and then the Holy Spirit will do the rest.

Let us raise our hearts in prayer for the Church to UNIFY THE DATES OF EASTER, for the sake of Christ alone.