News and Events
October 24th, 2009 - St John the Evangelist Coptic Orthodox Church
Father Peter Farrington met Father Antonios, the priest of the Coptic Orthodox community in Bromley, a few weeks ago. Father Antonios invited him to preach and lead the Bible Study at St John's on Saturday 24th October.
October 10th, 2009 - Monos
Monos is an ecumenical organisation which promotes the study and experience of monastic spirituality by all Christians. Father Peter Farrington has been producing some study materials for a Distance Learning course which Monos will be launching on October 10th. Father Peter will be attending the launch and will be giving a presentation on Orthodox Monasticism.
October 7th, 2009 - Anglican/Oriental Orthodox Forum
Father Peter Farrington will be attending the meeting of the Anglican/Oriental Orthodox Forum at St Magnus the Great Church in London.
October 1st, 2009 - AGM of Society of St John Chrysostom
Father Peter Farrington accompanied Abba Seraphim to a celebration of the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom held at the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile in London. This liturgy was followed by the AGM of the Society of St John Chrysostom, and by an interesting lecture by Father Ephrem Lash on the Englishing of Byzantium.
July 27th, 2009 - Jesus Film Evangelism Project
Throughout August and September we are seeking to share our faith in Jesus Christ by offering a professionally produced film of the Gospel of St Luke to our friends, neighbours and the people of the Medway Towns. We will be distributing leaflets about this film, and then delivering copies of the DVD to those who indicate an interest in learning about Jesus Christ, and who are not already members of a local Church.
June 2nd, 2009 - Council of Oriental Orthodox Churches
Father Peter Farrington has been elected as Secretary to the Council of Oriental Orthodox Churches. The Council draws together representatives from all of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the UK, and serves as a means of developing closer relations between our communities. At the Council meeting H.G. Bishop Angaelos was re-elected to the office of President of the Council, H.G. Mathews Mar Thimotheos was elected as Chairman, and Father Shnork Baghdassarian was elected as Treasurer.
February 22nd, 2009 - Ordination of Father Peter Farrington
On the 22nd February, 2009, Abba Seraphim ordained Deacon Peter Theodore Farrington to the Priesthood within the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate. Father Peter has served as a Reader and Subdeacon, and then as Deacon for many years within the community of St Alban and St Athanasius in Maidstone and now Chatham.
He will now serve as a priest with Father Michael Robson.
Axios, Axios, Axios!
Report by Subdeacon Michael Kennedy
On Sunday 22nd February at the beautiful little church of St Felix at Babingley on the Sandringham estate Deacon Peter Farrington was ordained to the sacred order of the priesthood at the hands of His Eminence Abba Seraphim. Many church members were present with every community represented, some of whom had travelled long distances to be there. Abba Seraphim in his homily emphasised the importance of thanksgiving and reminded us that in spite of the unremitting bad news in the media every day we still have much to be thankful for. Not only were we giving thanks on this occasion for the ordination of Father Peter but at in the same service Father Simon was being raised to the order of hegumenous, Abba Seraphim’s mother Joyce had celebrated her ninety-fifth birthday the previous day and Abba Seraphim himself would mark thirty years in the episcopate the following Saturday. In spite of the chilly weather it was possible to take a group photograph outside the church before everybody left for a buffet reception at Kings Lynn golf club just a couple of miles away.
Fr Peter is to serve at the parish of St Alban and St Athanasios, Chatham, Kent. He will assist the parish priest Fr Michael Robson who has been ill for some time and who was sadly unable to be present at the ordination service.
Please remember Fr Michael in your prayers and Fr Peter as he begins his ministry with the traditional period of forty days preparation.
An Icon of the Virgin Mary in the Coptic style
Many of our icons have been created by the internationally renowned iconographer, Deacon Stephane Rene. Visit the Icon Gallery to see more.