This page offers a collection (provided in reverse order) of accounts and reports of notable services and events in St Nicholas parish, from its foundation in September 2006 to date. This is by no means an exhaustive list of all parish events, but merely a collection of personal accounts of certain ocassions by parishioners and friends.
As it is good to collate these parish reminiscences, all are encouraged to write their impressions of particular parish events which were in some way significant to them. If you would like to submit such an account for publication on this website, please contact the webmaster. Submissions cannot be made annonymously and the final decision as to suitability rests with the Parish website committee.
St Nicholas Parish has been amplified by a number of baptisms since the consecration of the its new church in October 2010, but, happily, it took some six months for it to experience its first loss. On Wednesday 30th March 2011, the funeral service of Barbara Mastrud was conducted by Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia, as the Parish bade farewell to one its oldest and most loyal members.
Barbara, who died on Monday 21st March after suffering complications following heart surgery was 85. A member of of the Orthodox Church since 1976, she was musically gifted and had been involved in liturgical singing for most of her life - first as a young girl in the church choir of the Lutheran Church in her native Chicago, then as a choir-mistress in the Anglican convent in Oxford and finally as a singer and then director of the 'Slavonic' choir in the Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity and the Annunciation in Oxford, the position which she mantianed for many years. Latterly, after the founding of St Nicholas' Parish, Barabra continued conducting and singing in its choir despite her failing health. Indeed she sang in the choir at the Divine Liturgy a week before her death.
Barbara's funeral was conducted by her spiritual father, Metropolitan Kallistos and assitsted by Frs Stephen and Ian, respectively rectors of the two Orthodox Churches in Oxford so dear to Barbara's heart, and an old friend, Fr Maxim Nicholsky, the priest-in-charge of the small Russian Orthodox community in Swindon where for many years Barbara sang at the monthly services. A number of sisters from Barbara's old Angilcan Convent of the Incarnation in Fairacres also attended the funeral, as had many people from all walks of life and many different countries, including her nephew and his family from USA. She was laid to rest in the grave within the Orthodox section of the Wolvercote Cemetery alongside her many friends from the Church already departed from this life.
Barbara's rich and multi-faceted life is reflected in the interview which she gave to the Russian-language Orthodox magazine 'Foma'. The edited version is printed here with the kind permission of the interviewer.
Her love of singing, joie de vivre and general good humour are immortalised in the short video clip of her appearance in the St Nicholas Parish concert in 2009. This can be viewed here:
May your memory be eternal, ever-memorable sister in Christ. May you find rest with the saints in the Kingdom of Heaven!
The newly-ordained Hieromonk Iriney, flanked by two bishops: Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco (left) and Bishop Theodosy of Seattle
It is with great joy that we can announce that Deacon Matthew Steenberg, formerly the deacon of St Nicholas Parish has received monastic tonsure, being given the name Irenei in honour of the Holy Hieromartyr Ireneus of Lyons. On Sunday 10th March, the Sunday of St John of the Ladder, Hierodeacon Irenei was ordained to the holy priesthood at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”, San Francisco, California by His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America (ROCOR). Fr Irenei will be attached to the Russian Orthodox Parish of St Tikhon of Zadonsk, also in San Fransisco, as well as continuing in his role as the principal of the St John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy.
May the Lord richly bless the ministry of His servant Hieromonk Irenei and grant him many years.
This year saw the re-introduction of the annual diocesan summer conference, which was participated in by many members of our parish. Read a parishioner's account.
The parish welcomed Archpriest Vladimir from Moscow, who had come to visit their quintuplet grand-daughters, who had been born in the care of the parish.
Sunday of the Prodigal Son; Feast of the Meeting of the Lord
On the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, which this year was also the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, Panayiotis Tekosis, a member of our parish since its first days and a regular server in the altar, was tonsured a Reader and ordained Subdeacon by His Grace, Bishop Elisey of Sourozh. His wife, Kathryn, together with their five children—Maximus, Stavros, Mellangeth, Emmanuel and the recently-baptised Johanneka—were present with him at the diocesan cathedral, together with Deacon Matthew and a number of our parishioners.
In the midst of a full church, Panayiotis stood in lay clothes at the head of the ranks of clergy at the end of the Sixth Hour, before the beginning of the Divine Liturgy. There they greeted the bishop on his arrival, and Vladyka Elisey blessed Pan to wear the cassock. A short time later, after the bishop had been vested for the feast in the centre of the cathedral, Panayiotis was led out of the altar by Dcn Matthew and cathedral deacon Evgeny, to be presented to the people and the bishop. Having been brought to the cathedral at the centre of the church, Panayiotis was first tonsured Reader. His hair was shorn and he was vested in the short phelonion; and he was, as is traditional, immediately given his first task in this office: to read a passage from the epistles, selected by the bishop ‑ selected ‘at random’, but in fact by the Holy Spirit, to speak directly to Panayiotis at this first calling to the ordained offices of the Church. After the reading was completed, the phelonion was removed and the new Reader was vested in the white sticharion. Immediately there followed the ordination as Subdeacon, at which Pan was vested with the crossed orarion, and the prayer said by the bishop with the laying on of hands.
The tonsure and ordination thus concluded, the new Subdeacon Panayiotis served the remainder of the Liturgy amongst his fellow subdeacons—being given, as is also traditional at ordinations, the duty of washing the bishop’s hands. In the altar, he was warmly greeted and congratulated by all the clergy and servers, and with the bishop’s blessing received communion in the altar before being greeted by Vladyka Elisey with words of congratulation and guidance for his service. The bishop reminded Pan that, as the prayers at the tonsure of a reader make clear, these are the first stages of the holy priesthood, and he asked for God’s blessing on Pan’s new service, prayer, and growth in our parish and diocesan life.
It was a joy for members of our parish, and particularly Pan’s family, to be present with him on this important occasion. His family were able to gather around the cathedral so his children could watch as their father’s hair was shorn and he was vested by the clergy; and following the service a festal lunch was served at which family and friends could visit together. A group of nuns, visiting from Ekaterinburg, were present for the feast, and presented Pan and Kathryn with gifts from their monastery. A small icon of the Panaghia, Protectress of Athos, was presented to him on behalf of our parish.
On a personal level, it was a blessing to be present with Pan, to offer him to the bishop, and to be a part of what was an important event, not only for him, but for our parish.
Remember the newly-ordained Subdeacon Panayiotis, together with his family, in your prayers—and may God grant him many years!
The wonderworking Kurk-Root icon of the Mother of God of the Sign visited our parish on Sunday, 25th November 2007. A special area commemorates this occasion.
In the midst of a full church, Panayiotis stood in lay clothes at the head of the ranks of clergy at the end of the Sixth Hour, before the beginning of the Divine Liturgy. There they greeted the bishop on his arrival, and Vladyka Elisey blessed Pan to wear the cassock. A short time later, after the bishop had been vested for the feast in the centre of the cathedral, Panayiotis was led out of the altar by Dcn Matthew and cathedral deacon Evgeny, to be presented to the people and the bishop. Having been brought to the cathedral at the centre of the church, Panayiotis was first tonsured Reader. His hair was shorn and he was vested in the short phelonion; and he was, as is traditional, immediately given his first task in this office: to read a passage from the epistles, selected by the bishop ‑ selected ‘at random’, but in fact by the Holy Spirit, to speak directly to Panayiotis at this first calling to the ordained offices of the Church. After the reading was completed, the phelonion was removed and the new Reader was vested in the white sticharion. Immediately there followed the ordination as Subdeacon, at which Pan was vested with the crossed orarion, and the prayer said by the bishop with the laying on of hands.
