Pan-Orthodox Vespers in London - Sunday of Orthodoxy

 

On March 24, 2013, the Day of Orthodoxy, the traditional Pan-Orthodox Vespers was celebrated in London.

According to the established procedure, this year the celebration was held at the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s Church of St. Sophia. The celebrants were Archbishop Gregory of Thyateira (Patriarchate of Constantinople), Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh (Moscow Patriarchate), Bishop Dositej of Scandinavia and Great Britain (Serbian Patriarchate), Archbishop Anatoly of Kerch, vicar of the Diocese of Sourozh (Moscow Patriarchate), and Bishop Athanasius of Tropea, vicar of the Archdiocese of Thyateira. Among the worshipper were clergy of the Orthodox Churches of Constantinople, Antioch, Georgia, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria. Archpriest Maxim Nikolsky and Protodeacon Dimitry Nedostupenko of the Cathedral of the Assumption also participated, representing the Diocese of Sourozh.

The sermon was delivered by Archpriest Gregory Hallam, head of deanery of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in Great Britain and Ireland.

The service was adorned by hymns in Greek, Arabic, Church Slavonic, Georgian, Romanian and English sung by parish choirs of all the Orthodox jurisdictions.

The Vespers was organized and conducted by the Pan-Orthodox Pastoral Commission of the Bishops’ Assembly in Great Britain and Ireland, headed at present by Archbishop Elisey. The order of the joint service was coordinated by Rev. Joseph Skinner, secretary of the Pan-Orthodox Pastoral Commission and member of the secretariat of the Pan-Orthodox Bishops’ Assembly.

After the service, the congregation enjoyed traditional Greek hospitality at a common Lenten table, the website of the Diocese of Sourozh reports.