The initial year in the life of a new parish is full of firsts: the first Liturgy, first patronal feast, first nativity. But the first celebration of the great and holy week of the passion, together with the services of Christ’s resurrection, marks a certain turning point. Much is familiar, yet much is new – and this year’s Holy Week was precisely such an occasion in our community.

Preparations for the week

Practical preparations for Holy Week began some time ago, with the construction of the first sections of a new iconostasis, obtaining materials for the celebrations of Pascha, the painting of a new icon of Christ’s passion on the cross, the compilation of music for the full services of the week, choir practices and other activities. These culminated with the ‘moving in’ to the hall at St Anthony’s for the construction of our chapel on Great and Holy Wednesday, with the help of several parishioners. The parish’s newly-constructed altar was assembled, as were the central portions of the new iconostasis, in which were mounted the icons of Christ and the Mother of God recently brought back from Russia for the parish.

A new cross and Golgotha had been constructed for the services of the passion, and these were decorated with new iconography in advance of Holy Week. Placed upon the cross was a new icon of Christ the King of Glory, painted by a member of our parish.

The newly-constructed chapel was then decorated with flowers arranged by members of the parish, including children. Flowers for the Plashchanitsa, or burial shroud, were arranged, together with wreaths for the cross and other arrangements to adorn the church.

The services of Great and Holy Week

The Sunday of Palms was celebrated in our usual place of worship at St Giles, and framed in the context for the coming week’s services. The matins of the Bridegroom followed, and the full services of Holy Week began Wednesday, with the final celebration of the Divine Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts, and in the evening the service of holy anointing.

The parish was delighted to welcome Fr Philip Steer, together with Matushka Philippa, who joined us from Norfolk. Fr Philip concelebrated with Fr Stephen from Holy Wednesday through Pascha. Fr Philip is a dear friend of the parish, and it was a joy to welcome him back for these services.

The full cycle of services carried forward from Holy Wednesday, including the service of the passion of Christ with the twelve Gospel readings; the burial service with the bringing out of the shroud; matins with the lamentations at Christ’s tomb and the prophecy of resurrection; the vesperal Liturgy of St Basil on Great and Holy Saturday; and then the services of holy Pascha itself. In addition to much music known to the Russian Orthodox community in Oxford for many years, the choir this year sang a great deal of new music—including the lamentations and new settings of the passion antiphons.

A meeting of feasts

A peculiarity of this year’s Holy Week was the joint celebration of the feast of the Annunciation of the Mother of God, which this year fell on Great and Holy Saturday (25th March / 7th April). The coming together of two days in which the Mother of God plays so significant a role (the Annunciation of Christ’s incarnation and birth was combined in this service with the great hymn of Christ to his mother from the tomb, ‘Do not lament me, O Mother, seeing me in the tomb; for I shall arise…’), was heightened by the celebration of a baptismal liturgy. The parish joined in receiving the infant Anna Williams into the Church in the midst of the Liturgy, which gave an added meaning to the refrain ‘As many as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ’, which was sung by the whole congregation of the faithful as the newly-baptised Anna, together with her parents and sponsors, circled the font before the tomb of Christ – a vivid symbol of the Christian life of rebirth, sacrifice and resurrection.

The Paschal rite

The holy week of the passion culminated in the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, Pascha itself. For this, our parish was happy to welcome Fr David Smith, from the Russian Orthodox community in Tunbridge Wells, who joined Fr Stephen and Fr Philip for the celebrations.

As is customary, the book of the Acts of the Apostles was read in its entirety in the dark church from 9.30 p.m. onwards on Saturday evening, and then the midnight office, with its canon of the anticipation of Pascha, was sung by the choir. At a little past midnight, with the full church in darkness and the choir silent, the cross with three-branched candlestick was illumined in the altar and the clergy began the refrain, ‘Thy resurrection, Christ our Saviour, is hymned by the angels in heaven; grant that with pure hearts, we on earth may also glorify thee.’ As the clergy emerged from the sanctuary, the candles of all the faithful were lit and the procession moved around the exterior of the church as the people joined in the refrain. The Paschal proclamation was made at the closed doors, and for the first time the people, following the priests, sang the Paschal hymn: ‘Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and to those in the tombs he has given life!’

The service continued with matins and the reading of the Paschal homily of St John Chrysostom, followed by the celebration of the Paschal Liturgy. We were delighted to have with us so many guests, not only from other Orthodox parishes in the environs, but also from local churches, including our hosts at St Anthony’s.

Midnight feast and parish barbecue

The Liturgy was followed by the traditional blessing of meat, eggs and cheese, and a joyful feast in the church hall. It is not every day that so enormous a meal falls at the hour of 3.30 a.m., but the late hour did not dampen a joyful and festive celebration.

Having taken a few hours’ rest, the parish held its first Paschal barbecue at the South Oxford Adventure playground, with excellent (and abundant) food prepared by many members of the parish. Paschal Sunday was a bright and sunny day, and the children enjoyed the outdoor play equipment, as well as an egg hunt on the grounds.

With thanks

The coming-together of this week’s services and activities was the work of a great many people. The thanks of the whole parish are expressed to everyone who offered their time and efforts: singers, cooks, readers, those who helped with preparations, those who cleared up, child-minders, ‘parish florists’, visiting clergy, and not least our gracious hosts at St Anthony’s. And to all those who joined the parish in prayer at the culmination of the fast:

Click here for a full gallery of photographs from Holy Week and Pascha 2007.