August2015

No.105

TheOrthodoxParish
oftheHolyandLifeGivingCross,
Lancaster,U.K.

TheStavronian

amonthlymagazine&newsletterpublishedbythe'HolyCrossSynodia'

TheParishoftheHolyandLifeGivingCross,
belongstotheAntiochianOrthodoxChristianArchdioceseoftheBritishIslesandIreland.
ThePatriarchateofAntiochisthirdsenioroftheOrthodoxChurches.
ThePatriarchisHisBeatitudeJohnX.

ThediscipleswerefirstcalledChristiansinAntioch
(Acts11:26)

DEMENTIAREMEMBERING
WHOSEWEARE!
Manyofusknowsomeonewhohassuf
feredorwhoissufferingfromDementia;
whoselifehasbeendisorderedbytheloss
of memory, whose personality has been
altered and whose reasoning has been
impaired.Itmaynotbeamodernpheno
menonbutitisapersistent,chronicprob
lemwithinoursociety.
It issaid thattheHoly Spirit isthe
LivingmemoryoftheChurch.StPaulin
his letter to the Corinthians talks about
thebodyastheTempleoftheHolySpirit:
1 Corinthians 6:1920 ; Or do you not
knowthatyourbodyisthetempleofthe
HolySpiritwhoisinyou,whomyouhave
fromGod,andyouarenotyourown?For
you were bought at a price; therefore
glorifyGodinyourbodyandinyourspirit,
whichareGods.
Our Orthodox Temples (Churches)
are rich in symbolism infusing all our
senses.Godsanctifiesmatterweglorify
Godbothinourbodyandinourspirit.
ThewallsofourChurcheshavepictures
of Our Lord, the Theotokos and the
saints;theirsoulsavingworksandstories
surround us as we stand in worship
before the throne of grace at the Holy
Liturgy.
Itseemsasthoughinthelaterstages
of dementia where confusion is so
prevalent that the temple is stripped of
images,thefurnitureremoved,thewalls
of memory erased or whitewashed. For
thosewhositinoldpeopleshomesorat
homes with family carers, stimulation is
necessaryweareinterdependentcreatu
resmadeintheimageofGod.Wedonot
losethatimage.
We can provide small, simple but
meaningfultasksforthosewithdementia
todowhentheybecomeagitated.Wecan
decorate the room of their mind by
reference to past events, refurbishing

their long term memory of past events

through photos, images, films, music,
food,smells,taste.
Our creative energies and imagina
tion may need to be employed to calm
thoseagitatedbyconfusion.
StPaulreassuresusthatwearenot
on our own, but those who care, who
love,mustexpressitindeterminedaction
throughinventive perseverance likethe
fourmenintheGospelwhocarriedtheir
friendtothehousewhereOurLordwas,
removingtherooftilesandloweringhim
by ropes on a stretcher before the
Saviour.Mark2:4;Andwhentheycould
notcomenearHimbecauseofthecrowd,
theyuncoveredtheroofwhereHewas.So
when they had broken through, they let
downthebedonwhichtheparalyticwas
lying.
FrJonathan

APOEMFORSTCOLUMBA
SodarkwasIonainsidethedarknessof
thePaganfaith,untilamancame
dressedinwhitebringingwithhima
strongflame.

HisnamewasColumba,hisheartwas
brightlikethewingsofadove,forhimI
wanttofindonegreenandlovelygrove.
Aplacewherehecanprayalonewiththe
angelsoftheLord,alittlecellwherehe
canwritebeautifulhymnsandpoemsto
bringhopetoourlittlesadworld.
Protectoroftheshepherds,protectorof
thesheep,withhissweetvoicehecould
calmthewildestbeast.
Withhisheavenlyteachingsandwith
JesusChristsflamehewarmedthehearts
ofthepeopleandhebanishedfromthe
landtheDruidsevilbane.
Underthesunandunderthemoonlight,I
liketowhisperhisprayersbecausethey
bringjoytomylife.

PARISHNEWS
Fr Jonathan and Parishioners attended
the Summer Conference of the
FellowshipofStJohntheBaptist which
was held at the Shrine of the Holy
MotherofGodatWalsingham.Itwasa
Pilgrimage aswell asaConference; the
theme of the Conference was
Pilgrimage with some 40 Orthodox in
attendancefromalloverEngland.Itwas
goodtomeetupwithFr.Pancratiosfrom
Chester after so many years and of
course to listen to Met. Kallistos. Fr
Jonathan, Jessica, Gladys and Elizaveta
metupatKingsLynnandgotataxifrom
there to Walsingham. A few photos
followbelow.

DearSaintColumba,Ireland'sfruitful
tree,praytotheLordforusandfromour
demonssetusfree.
ChristosVasilopoulos
Kozani,Greece
TheShrineoftheMotherofGodof
Walsingham

NAMESOFDEPARTED
LOVEDONESTOBE
REMEMBEREDTHISMONTH
Aug.29:Angelos
MEMORY ETERNAL!
Pleasesendusthenamesofyourdepar
ted loved ones and dateof their depar
tureinorderforthemtoberemembered.

MotherMargaritaandFrJonathanafter
theSundayHolyLiturgy.

Peoplewere 'fishing'filling basketswith

fishonthefields.
IhopeyouandeveryoneinLancaster
are well. It looks like we are having a
nicesummerintheUKthisyear.
Iryna

ADoveontheCross

MAJORCELEBRATIONSTHIS
MONTH

Parish lunch after the Sunday liturgy on

July12th.

OLDSTAVRONIANCORNER
Iryna Minakova from Cambridge sends
hergreetingstotheParishalongwitha
letter of a miracle that happened in
Ukraine.
DearFr.Jonathan,
I read in the Orthodox news this
article today. In my home city of
Dnepropetrovsk there was a tornado. It
caused lots of damage to the buildings
anddroppedacarwith adriver onthe
waybutwhenitreachedthechurchofSt
Matrona,itstopped.Myparentstoldme
that the trees were pulled out near the
airport area and that the fish from the
river Dneper ended up on the fields.

th
6Aug:TheHolyTransfigurationofour
LordandSaviourJesusChrist
th
13Aug:St.Tikhon,BishopofVoronezh,
WonderworkerofZadonskandAllRussia
th
15Aug:TheDormitionofourMostHoly
Theotokos
th
16Aug:St.Gerasimus,Wonderworker
ofCephalonia
th
20Aug:St.Oswin,KingandMartyr
(651)
nd
22Aug:St.Sigfrid,Abbotof
Wearmouth(688)
rd
23Aug:ApodosisoftheDormitionof
ourMostHolyLadytheTheotokosand
EverVirginMary
th
24Aug:St.CosmasofAetolia,equalto
theApostles
th
27Aug:MartyrPhanourius
th
29Aug:BeheadingoftheHoly,Glorious
Prophet,ForerunnerandBaptistJohn
st
31Aug:ThePlacingoftheCinctureof
theMostHolyTheotokosintheChurchof
Chalkoprateia/St.Aidan,Bishopof
Lindisfarne(651).

For the lives of Saints please visit the

CalendaroftheGreekOrthodoxArchdi
oceseofAmerica:www.calendar.goarch.org

NINEDAUGHTERSOFMEMORY
Theoldladysatinherchairmusingonpasttimeswithherdaughters:
Kalliope
Doyourememberyourholidayreport,mydear?
Thestorytoldinstoic,epicverse
Howyourheroicdeedsthebattlewon
Thedragonslayedtoendthecurse.
Hopefromdespairbywordsalonesetfree
Yourvoiceandpengaveventtocertainharmony.
Kleio
Doyourecalltheguitarlessonsandthespeechesthatyougave?
ThatconcertthatyouplayedonParnassusMount.
Pluckingfromhistorywellwornstrings
Strummingthetuneoftruthsaccount.
Youmadefamousthosewhowentbefore
Thoseclosetohomeandthoseondistantshore.
Euterpe
Doyouhonourinversethehymnyouusedtosing;
Topleasethecongregationofyourchoice?
Doyoustillplaythefluteandentertain
Thecrowdandencouragethemtorejoice.
Suchhappydays,itstillbringsasmile
Toponderonyourgraceandstyle.
Erato
Doyoubearinmindthelovelettersthatonceyouwrote?
Whenyouwereyoungandwordswererare.
Theplayfullinesyoulovedtoquote
Insummersheat,whenscentofrosesfilledtheair.
Yourdarkeyesstillclaimtheotherssight
Likepiercingarrowsofthenight.
Melpomene
Doyousalutethemaskyoucherishofpretence?
Yourlifethathidestheotheryou,erelong
Ofcelebrationinthemidstoftragiccircumstance
Andtearsthatflowwithmelodioussong
Theknife,theclub,theboot,themask
WouldanswerallIneedtoask.

Polymnia
Doyourecollecttheserioustonesyoutaught?
Fromsolemnspurandgravestrevelation
Thewhisperedsacredsilencethatyousought
Whichledeloquenceitselftoechoinelation.
Praisescannotcloakorveilyourname
Yourworkshaveearnedimmortalfame.
Terpsichore
Doyoucelebrateindancethoseshowsofsuchdelight?
Yourmovementmidstthechosennine
Seated,waitingforachancetoflirt
Withtwirlingskirtamongstthechorusline.
DoesknowledgeoftheartsstillspringfromHelicon?
Ifmusicguidesyourfeetmysweet,danceon.
Thalia
Doyoumemorisethejokesyouusedtotell?
Ididntseeyouwithyourentourage!
Theverdantflourishingofyourcomicdress
Midstclownsthatofferedcamouflage.

Yourcrownofivy,wearingboots
Youclimbedtheheightsfromhumbleroots
Urania
DoyouhonourtheheavensandthankGodforgifts?
Raisetheeyesofotherstocelestialheightfromnaught
Majesticbeautyandgracebeholdthatwhichlifts
Imaginationfromthepowerofrationalthought.
Youusedtopondercosmicbirth
Thesun,themoon,thestars,theearth.
Sowherenowarethesedaughters
Coveredbythenymphicwaters!
Allatseatheysay
Whereistheirpoetrytoday?
Theirmothertoo,itseems,hasslippedaway.
Memory,itappears,nolongerlives
Thoughjoyofculturestillforgives
Thesinsofthesecularselect;
Thecynic,philistine,politicallycorrect
WhoSailuponafashionstide
Whoinsteriletowersofgreedreside
andfortheirownintentionsguide.

TheartsandlifeinTitanicstruggle
Toofewhands,toomanythingstojuggle.
Yetthereistoeachatimeandchance
Torescuelife
throughpoetry,music,artanddance.
,
,
,
,
.Hippocrates

FrJonathan

ServicesduringAugust*
Sat.1st
10:00am HolyLiturgyinR.C.
Sat.8th
10:00am HolyLiturgyinR.C.
Sat.15th
10:00am HolyLiturgyinR.C.
Sat.22nd
10:00am HolyLiturgyinR.C.
Sun.30th
10:00am HolyLiturgyinQ.R.followedbyParishlunch
*Helpsettingupthechurchisgreatlyappreciatedandstartsfrom9.15a.m.

Godcaresforeveryone.Despairisineffectalackoffaith
St.GeorgeKarslides

Forfurtherinformationpleasecontact:
FatherJonathanHemmings
67SibseyStr.,Fairfield,Lancaster,LA15DQ
Tel:+441524840759,+441524580600
Email:frjah@yahoo.co.uk
www.orthodoxlancaster.org.uk
www.antiochianorthodox.co.uk

TopandbottomsketchesarecreatedattheHolyMonasteryofTheAnnunciationoftheTheotokosChios,Greece,courtesyofFrTheodosiosDendrinos,Ithaca,Greece.
ThesketchofChristbyPhotisKontoglouwasscannedfromtheOrthodoxcalendaroftheApostolikiDiakoniaoftheChurchofGreece.