Showing posts with label Greek Orthodox News-United Kingdom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greek Orthodox News-United Kingdom. Show all posts

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Orthodox Exodus


Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 07:25 PM GMT [General]

SPCK bookshops have seen changes since they were handed over to the Society of St Stephen the Great, a charity run by two Texan brothers, Mark and Phil Brewer, as I wrote on Saturdsay in the Sacred Mysteries column. Many have closed.

Now I read on a website called Orthodox Poole

"For the grace of God, and by the intercessions of Saint Stephen the Great, the Saint Stephen the Great Charitable Trust (Reg. No. 1109008) successfully took possession of this magnificent Church of England church in Poole, Dorset in May 2005.

The church was consecrated and named Saint Stephen the Great Church on the 12th of August, 2007 by Metropolitan Joseph as a part of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Western Europe. With God's will, the church is being restored to its former glory and will remain as a prominent landmark for future generations!"

That was written by Mark Brewer.

The church, built for the Church of England between 1913 and 1916, made Nikolaus Pevsner very excited. It looks remarkable, In 2001 came the news that it was being declared redundant.

Since then, the Antiochian Orthodox Church had been worshipping at the church. No Longer. "The Community, originally sited at the old St. Osmund's church in Poole, is currently worshipping at the church hall belonging to the Roman Catholic parish of St. Edmund Campion at Castlepoint," says the community website.

The problem seems to be that the bishop who "consecrated" the church belongs to the Romanian Orthodox Church, and the Antiochian Orthodox worshippers have their own bishop.

The "Normal Weekly Service Schedule" at St Osmund's, or St Stephen's as it is now, is, according to the Orthodox Poole site, Divine Liturgy on Sundays at 10.30. I haven't had a chance to try it yet.

SOURCE:

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Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Cost of vandalism may force congregation to sell church

by Daniel Blake
Posted: Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 12:02 (GMT)
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A Greek Orthodox Church in Northhamptonshire may be forced to sell its church building after repeated vandalism has pushed the church to the edge of bankruptcy.

The church at the old St Crispin’s Hospital in Duston has been undergoing a restoration scheme since the Greek Orthodox church took over and received a £54,000 grant from English Heritage for the repairs, reports the BBC.

The church is a grade II listed building but has been the victim of graffiti and criminal damage. The vandals have also stolen CCTV cameras meant to deter them as well as damaging the church.

"We bought the church nine years ago and we have been trying to restore it slowly but we've had around £13,000 of damage done to the church including smashed windows, stolen lead and ripped-up tiles,” church member Malcolm Rogers told the BBC.

"That has pushed us to the point of bankruptcy and we now owe the builders £9,000 and they are charging us daily interest.

"Had we not had all this vandalism we would probably be there about finished with the restoration.”

The church is now seeking help from businesses, but if no one can be found to support costs it may be necessary to sell the church.

“We don't know what to do now. We need to raise money and hopefully someone out there will be able to help us," Rogers told the BBC.

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