The Orthodox Parish of St Martin and St Helen

Services for September 2024

Sunday 1 September
Church New Year, Matins & Holy Liturgy 9:45 St Martin’s Church

Thursday 5 September
Prophet Zechariah & Righteous Elizabeth | Hours & Holy Liturgy 9:30, St Helen’s Chapel

Saturday 7 September
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church.
Sunday 8 September
The Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady The Theotokos & Ever-Virgin Mary | Matins & Holy Liturgy 9:45 St Martin’s Church

Wednesday 11 September
St Deiniol, Abbot of Bangor & Bishop in Clwyd | Hours & Holy Liturgy 9:30, St Helen’s Chapel

Saturday 14 September
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church.
Sunday 15 September
The Universal Exaltation of the Holy Cross (parish observance) | Matins & Holy Liturgy 9:45 St Martin’s Church

Thursday 19 September
St Theodore of Tarsus (Patron of Our God Protected Archdiocese) Hours & Holy Liturgy 9:30, St Helen’s Chapel

Saturday 21 September
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church.
Sunday 22 September
Matins & Holy Liturgy 9:45 St Martin’s Church

Tuesday 24 September
St Silouan of Mount Athos | Hours & Holy Liturgy 9:30, St Helen’s Chapel

Saturday 28 September
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church.
Sunday 29 September
Matins & Holy Liturgy 9:45 St Martin’s Church

+Confessions on Saturday evenings after Great Vespers or by appointment.+

The Feast of the Dormition of The Most Holy Theotokos - Thursday 15 August. Hours at 9:10 and Divine Liturgy at 9:30, St Martin's Church. Come and see.

Apolytikion (First Tone)
In giving birth, thou didst preserve thy virginity; in thy dormition thou didst not forsake the world, O Theotokos. Thou wast translated unto life, since thou art the Mother of Life, and by thine intercessions dost thou deliver our souls from death..

Kontakion (Second Tone)
The grave and death could not hold the Theotokos, who is sleepless in her intercessions and an unfailing hope in her mediations. For as The Mother of Life, she was translated unto life by Him Who dwelt in her ever-virgin womb.

August Services, come and see

Thursday 1 August
+BEGINNING OF DORMITION FAST+

Saturday 3 August
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church.
Sunday 4 August 9:00 Adult Baptisms, St Helen's Chapel, followed by Holy Liturgy 10:30 St Martin’s Church.

Tuesday 6 August
The Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ, Hours & Holy Liturgy 9:30, St Helen’s Chapel

Saturday 10 August
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church.
Sunday 11 August
Matins 9:45 and Holy Liturgy 10:30 St Martin’s Church.

Thursday 15 August
The Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos & Ever-Virgin Mary, Hours and Holy Liturgy from 9.30 St Martin's Church.

Saturday 16 August
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church.
Sunday 17 August
Matins 9:45 and Holy Liturgy 10:30 St Martin’s Church.

Friday 23 August
Leavetaking of the Dormition; St Irenaeus of Lyons, Hours and Holy Liturgy from 9.30 St Martin’s Church.

Saturday 24 August
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church.
Sunday 25 August
Matins 9:45 and Holy Liturgy 10:30 St Martin’s Church.

Saturday 31 August
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church.

Venerable Athanasius, founder of the Great Lavra and Coenobitic Monasticism on Mount Athos, and his six disciples, Hours & Divine Liturgy Friday 5 July 9:30am in St Helen's Chapel.

Troparion
The ranks of Angels were awed by your life in the flesh, how in the body, you went forth toward invisible struggles, O renowned one, and smote the hordes of demons with mortal wounds; for this reason, Athanasios, Christ rewarded you with abundant gifts.
Therefore, O Father, pray that our souls may be saved.

The Holy Hieromartyrs Nicholas and Habib Khasha: A Testament of Faith and Sacrifice This new booklet chronicles the lives of these father and son saints, canonized last October, as churches will celebrate their feast for the first time on July 16.

Services for July 2024. All welcome.

Friday 5 July
St Athanasius, Founder of the Great Lavra on Mt Athos, Hours & Holy Liturgy 9:30, St Helen’s Chapel

Saturday 6 July
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church.
Sunday 7 July
All the Saints of Britain, Matins 9:45 and Holy Liturgy 10:30 St Martin’s Church.

Thursday 11 July
St Sophrony of Essex, Great Martyr Euphemia the All-Praised, Hours & Holy Liturgy 9:30, St Helen’s Chapel

Saturday 13 July
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church.
Sunday 14 July
Matins 9:45 and Holy Liturgy 10:30 St Martin’s Church.

Thursday 18 July
Martyrs the Grand Duchess Elizabeth & Nun Barbara, Hours & Holy Liturgy 9:30, St Helen’s Chapel.

Saturday 20 July
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church.
Sunday 21 July
Matins 9:45 and Holy Liturgy 10:30 St Martin’s Church.

Thursday 25 July
The Dormition of the Righteous Anna, Mother of the Most Holy Theotokos, Hours & Holy Liturgy 9:30, St Helen's Chapel.

Saturday 27 July
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church.
Sunday 28 July
Matins 9:45 and Holy Liturgy 10:30 St Martin’s Church.

Feast of The Holy, Glorious and All-Praised Chiefs of the Apostles, Peter and Paul, Saturday 29 June: Hours & Divine Liturgy from 9:30, St Martin's Church. Come and see.

Sayedna Silouan in Latakia

Sunday 23 June - Holy Pentecost: Matins 09:45, Divine Liturgy 10:30 - St Martin's Church

Troparion of Holy Pentecost Tone 8

Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, Who hast revealed the fishermen as most wise by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit; through them Thou didst draw the world into Thy net. O Lover of Man, glory to Thee!

Sunday of the 318 Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council. Matins 09:45; Divine Liturgy 10:30. St Martin's Church.

Troparion Tone 8
You are most glorious, O Christ our God!
You have established the Holy Fathers as lights on the earth!
Through them you have guided us to the true faith!
O greatly Compassionate One, glory to You!

SERVICES FOR JUNE

Saturday 1 June
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church

5th Sunday of Pascha 2 June
Sunday of The Samaritan Woman, Matins and Holy Liturgy from 9.45am St Martin’s Church.

Saturday 8 June
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church

6th Sunday of Pascha 9 June
Sunday of The Blind Man, Matins and Holy Liturgy from 9.45am St Martin’s Church.

Thursday 13 June
THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD & SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST, Hours and Holy Liturgy from 9.30am St Martin’s Church

Saturday 15 June
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church

7th Sunday of Pascha 16 June
Sunday of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, Matins and Holy Liturgy from 9.45am St Martin’s Church.

Wednesday 19 June
Holy Apostle Jude, the Brother of Our Lord, Hours and Holy Liturgy from 9.30am St Helen’s Chapel

Saturday 22 June
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church

8th Sunday of Pascha 23 June
HOLY PENTECOST, Matins and Holy Liturgy from 9.45am St Martin’s Church.

Saturday 29 June
Holy Glorious & All Praised Leaders of the Apostles, Peter & Paul, Hours and Holy Liturgy from 9.30am St Martin’s Church | Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church

1st Sunday after Pentecost 30 June
All Saints + The Synaxis of The Holy Glorious & All Praised Twelve Apostles, Matins and Holy Liturgy from 9.45am St Martin’s Church.

+Confessions on Saturday evenings after Great Vespers or by appointment.+

Holy Marriage, Holy Baptism, funerals, memorials, etc by arrangement

This Thomas Sunday, His Eminence Metropolitan Silouan visited the Parish of St Martin & St Helen in Colchester. After the Great Doxology at Orthros, before the start of the Divine Liturgy, Sayedna ordained (now former) Reader George Harrison to the order of Subdeacon and Nicholas Taylor to the order of Reader. Subdeacon George has served faithfully as Reader in our God blessed community for several years and has given much time and energy in helping to build God's Holy Church in Colchester and beyond. Reader Nicholas (who also works very hard as parish treasurer) puts in a lot of effort ensuring the choir have the proper liturgical resources needed before each service. Sayedna preached on the importance of recognising the resurrection of Christ as a reality in our own lives, and stressed the importance of Holy Communion and Confession as the means of spiritual renewal and resurrection for each of us. After concelebrating the Hierarchical Liturgy with Father Alexander and Father Mark, Sayedna spoke briefly again to the people, reminding them of the importance of truly giving ourselves to the Church, as Subdeacon George and Reader Nick have done, each in our own way, with our own gifts and talents, whether monastic, clergy or laity.

kontakion of the Feast - Tone 4

With his searching right hand, Thomas did probe Your life-bestowing side, O Christ God; for when You did enter while the doors were shut, he cried out unto You with the rest of the Apostles: You are my Lord and my God.

Christ is risen! We are Orthodox Christians. Comments which disrespect our Holy, Apostolic Faith, our traditions, our bishops and other clergy, and our wider community will be not be tolerated and will be deleted without discussion. Anyone attempting to use post comment threads as a soapbox for heterodox and/or heretical positions will be banned. All questions and inquiries asked in good faith will be answered in a spirit of truth and love. All are welcome, please be polite.

Your prayers

Father Mark

We are delighted that His Eminence Metropolitan Silouan will visit the parish this Sunday 12 May, Thomas Sunday. Sayedna will ordain our current reader George Harrison as sub-deacon and Nick Taylor as our new reader. Christ is risen!

Christ is risen! Services and info for the remainder of May

Bright Saturday 11 May
NO VESPERS (Due to Barking Pilgrimage)

2nd Sunday of Pascha 12 May
Thomas Sunday - Visit for ordinations by HE Metropolitan Silouan, Matins and Hierarchical Liturgy from 9.45am St Martin’s Church.

Wednesday 15 May
St Pachomius the Great, Hours & Holy Liturgy from 9.30am St Helen’s Chapel.

Saturday 18 May
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church

3rd Sunday of Pascha 19 May
Holy Myrrh Bearing Women, Matins and Holy Liturgy from 9.45am St Martin’s Church. (Church Council meeting after liturgy)

Saturday 25 May
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church

4th Sunday of Pascha 26 May
The Paralysed Man, Matins and Holy Liturgy from 9.45am St Martin’s Church.

Wednesday 29 May
Mid-Feast Pentecost, Hours & Holy Liturgy from 9.30am St Helen’s Chapel.

Christ is risen! Χριστός ἀνέστη! Хрїсто́съ воскре́се! Hristos a înviat! !المسيح قام! حقا قام

Some photos from the Paschal services at St Martin's Church.

Epitaphios decorating in St Martin’s this Great and Holy Friday. 🙏♥️☦️♥️🙏

Bridegroom Matins of Great and Holy Wednesday - served tonight, Tuesday 30 April 6pm in St Martin’s Church.

Behold, the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night, and blessed is that servant whom he shall find watching, but unworthy is he whom he shall find heedless. Beware, therefore, O my soul, lest thou be born down with sleep, lest thou be given up to death and shut out from the kingdom. But rather, rouse thyself and cry: Holy, holy, holy art thou, O God! Through the Theotokos, have mercy on us!

Hymn of Bridegroom Matins

The Entry of Our Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday)

St Martin's Church - Sunday 28 April, Matins and Divine Liturgy from 9:45am

By raising Lazarus from the dead before Your passion, You did confirm the universal Resurrection, O Christ God! Like the children with the palms of victory, we cry out to You, O Vanquisher of death: Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord!

Troparion Tone 1

And so we again reach the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent and its powerful story of surrender, repentance, struggle and theosis, exemplified in the deeply moving and almost incredible story of the life of St Mary of Egypt.

Holy Mother Mary, pray for God for us! Holy Father Zosimas, pray to God for us!

Matins 9:45 - Holy Liturgy 10:30

Having been a sinful woman,
You became through repentance a Bride of Christ.
Having attained angelic life,
You defeated demons with the weapon of the Cross;
Therefore, O most glorious Mary you are a Bride of the Kingdom!

Kontakion Tone 3

Thanks be to God! The six main icons have been successfully installed. Massive thanks to Sophronia, Athanasios, Silviu and Ioan for pulling out the stops to make this happen before Holy Pascha. ♥️🙏☦️🙏♥️

A big push today to finish the iconostasis structure. The large icons will go in, God willing, next week. Then crosses, catches, a curtain and latches! Glory to God, Holy St Martin, pray for us. ☦️🙏☦️

SERVICES FOR THE REST OF GREAT LENT, HOLY WEEK AND HOLY PASCHA

Wednesday 3 April
Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, 6pm St Martin’s Church
Friday 5 April
Akathist - Third Salutations, 6pm St Helen’s Chapel
Saturday 6 April
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church
Sunday 7 April
Third Sunday of Great Lent, Veneration of the Cross Matins and Holy Liturgy from 9.45am St Martin’s Church.
Wednesday 10 April
Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, 6pm St Martin’s Church
Friday 12 April
Akathist - Fourth Salutations, 6pm St Helen’s Chapel
Saturday 13 April
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church
Sunday 14 April
Fourth Sunday of Great Lent, St John of the Ladder, Matins and Holy Liturgy from 9.45am St Martin’s Church.
Wednesday 17 April
Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, 6pm St Martin’s Church
Friday 19 April
Akathist - Fifth Week, 6pm St Helen’s Chapel
Saturday 20 April
Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church
Sunday 21 April
Fifth Sunday of Great Lent, St Mary of Egypt
Matins and Holy Liturgy from 9.45am St Martin’s Church.
Wednesday 24 April
Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, 6pm St Martin’s Church
Saturday 27 April
Lazarus Saturday Great Vespers 4.30pm, St Martin’s Church

HOLY WEEK & HOLY PASCHA

Sunday 28 April
Entry of Our Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) Matins and Holy Liturgy from 9.45am St Martin’s Church
Great & Holy Monday, 29 April
Bridegroom Matins, 6pm St Martin’s Church
Great & Holy Tuesday, 30 April
Bridegroom Matins, 6pm St Martin’s Church
Great & Holy Wednesday 1 May
Service of Holy Anointing, 6pm St Martin’s Church
Great & Holy Thursday 2 May
The Twelve Gospels, 6pm St Martin’s Church
Great & Holy Friday 3 May
Vespers & Deposition 12pm | Matins & Procession 6pm, St Martin’s Church
Great and Holy Saturday 4 May
Liturgy of St Basil 9:30am, | Acts of the Apostles & Midnight Office from 10pm, St Martin’s Church
Great & Holy Pascha 5 May
The Resurrection of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Holy Liturgy 1am, | Agape Vespers 3pm, St Martin’s Church

Third Friday of Lent 5 April: Akathist and Small Compline; Service of the Third Salutations to the Theotokos. 6pm in St Helen's Chapel.

To thee, the Champion Leader, we thy servants dedicate a feast of victory and of thanksgiving as ones rescued out of sufferings, O Theotokos; but as thou art one with might which is invincible, from all dangers that can be do thou deliver us, that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, thou Bride Unwedded!

Τῇ ὑπερμάχῳ στρατηγῷ τὰ νικητήρια,
Ὡς λυτρωθεῖσα τῶν δεινῶν εὐχαριστήρια,
Ἀναγράφω σοι ἡ Πόλις σου Θεοτόκε.
Ἀλλ᾿ ὡς ἔχουσα τὸ κράτος ἀπροσμάχητον,
Ἐκ παντοίων με κινδύνων ἐλευθέρωσον,
Ἵνα κράζω σοι· Χαῖρε, Νύμφη ἀνύμφευτε

Second Friday of Lent 29 March: Akathist and Small Compline; Service of the Second Salutations to the Theotokos. 6pm in St Helen's Chapel.

To thee, the Champion Leader, we thy servants dedicate a feast of victory and of thanksgiving as ones rescued out of sufferings, O Theotokos; but as thou art one with might which is invincible, from all dangers that can be do thou deliver us, that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, thou Bride Unwedded!

Τῇ ὑπερμάχῳ στρατηγῷ τὰ νικητήρια,
Ὡς λυτρωθεῖσα τῶν δεινῶν εὐχαριστήρια,
Ἀναγράφω σοι ἡ Πόλις σου Θεοτόκε.
Ἀλλ᾿ ὡς ἔχουσα τὸ κράτος ἀπροσμάχητον,
Ἐκ παντοίων με κινδύνων ἐλευθέρωσον,
Ἵνα κράζω σοι· Χαῖρε, Νύμφη ἀνύμφευτε.

Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts; Wednesday 27 March 6pm, St Martin’s Church.

~O taste and see that the Lord is good!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!~

First Friday of Lent 22 March: Akathist and Small Compline; Service of the First Salutations to the Theotokos. 6pm in St Helen's Chapel.

One of our small people may have misplaced their rabbit on Sunday. He is safe and sound and helping to look after the temple! ♥️

Work continues on our new iconostasis - we are making use of temporary icons until the work is complete. Glory to God that this is finally coming together! 🙏☦️🙏