Thursday 30 September 2010

A smile sent to Ireland

Brick arches are today installed on the windows of the Sanctuary apses.

Paddy, the brick layer, is smiling to his relatives in Ireland.

He expects them to see him on our blog as he helps to build a place of worship.

He seemed to be very proud about it; and we are very happy to have people like him working in our sacred project.

Wednesday 29 September 2010

Copper on site

We have now copper on site.

It is the material that will go on the Dome.

Specialist workers working in the Nave preparing the copper before it is placed on the Dome.

Monday 27 September 2010

Photo of the week - 51

Progress on the roof is shown on this week's picture. The progress in the interior cannot obviously be seen on this picture.

Friday 24 September 2010

In and out the Bell Tower

The focus is on the Bell Tower today.

Plastering is carried on inside the structure.

Fixing of brick arches takes place on the outside of the Bell Tower.

Thursday 23 September 2010

Men Working!

I was very joyful to see at the entrance of our building site today the panel with the details about our building programme showing “10” more weeks to go up to the completion of the works.

It was a great feeling to realise that we come close to the finishing point of our great project, of our grand dream.

Then, as I was looking at the building site, just outside of the new Church, I’ve noticed the truck of the scaffolding company which had the emphatic inscription at its rear “MEN WORKING”, with one exclamation mark on each side of the inscription.

It is more than certain that the building industry is still a very manly world.

Many modern women may not like this, but the work being very demanding and hard obviously needs very strong human beings to work in it.

Bricklaying, plastering and roof works are still in progress, all being in the final stages.

Tuesday 21 September 2010

A visitor from Athens

A VIP member of the clergy, coming all the way from Athens (Greece), visited our new Church yesterday.

This is The Very Rev’d Dr. Stavros Kofinas, Priest and Psychotherapist.

He was in London for a few days for a Conference of the European Network of Health Care Chaplaincy, as well as for our Community’s Symposium on “The Christian Priesthood”, where we celebrated our Parish Priest's (The Very Revd Fr. Anastasios D. Salapatas) 25th Ecclesiastical Ministry Anniversary.

He was very pleased to see the progress of our building works and promised to come back when the Church will be finished to celebrate the Holy Eucharist in it.

Thursday 16 September 2010

Today’s action

It is very busy today at our building site.

The brick arches that arrived yesterday are moved from outside into the Church and are being installed.

They are really very heavy. The hands of our strong workers as well as special equipment are used to lift them up.

The roof is currently being felt and battened and temporary waterproofing installed.

Some work is also being done at the new Church’s Office.

Wednesday 15 September 2010

Stone on site

The new stone has arrived and it is ready to start being fixed in the right places of our new Church.

It will obviously go around the doors and windows in order to offer a nicer impression on the various facades.

The first stone to be fixed was on a window at the Church office.

Tuesday 14 September 2010

The Feast of the Holy Cross

Today in our Church calendar we commemorate the Elevation of the Holy Cross as one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church. This feast is also referred to as the Exaltation of the Cross.

This feast commemorates the finding of the Cross by the Empress Helen (the mother of St. Constantine the Great) on Golgotha in 326 AD, the place where Christ was crucified. On the spot where the Cross was discovered, St. Helen had found a hitherto unknown flower of rare beauty and fragrance, which has been named "Vasiliko", or Basil, meaning the flower of royalty. Note that the word “Vasiliko” means “of the King,” since the word “Basileus” in Greek means "King"; so, the plant Vasiliko, Basil, is tied to the Precious Cross of the King of Glory, our Lord Jesus Christ. Underneath the Basil, the Cross of Christ was found, but with it were the other two crosses, those used to crucify the two thieves on either side of Christ.

In order to determine which one was the true cross, and as a funeral procession was passing that way, the body of the dead man was placed on each of the crosses, and when it was placed on the True Cross, the dead man came to life — thus the name the “Life-Giving” Cross, which gives life not only to that man, but to each person who believes in the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and His all-glorious three day Resurrection. When the true Cross was identified, it was lifted on high for all the people to see, who then continually sang “Kyrie eleison” (Lord have mercy), a practice which is still enacted at current celebrations of this feast.

Monday 13 September 2010

Photo of the week - 49

This picture shows progress on the roof of the new Church building. The timber frame is nicely constructed and soon the workers will be able to place on it the traditional red tiles.

Friday 10 September 2010

Dome like a crown

The Dome at our new Church looks now like a beautiful and nicely decorated crown.

The bricks with their nice designs and the arches are making it look a real jewel on the top of our new place of worship.

Thursday 9 September 2010

Full of scaffolding

The interior of our new Church is full with scaffolding again.


The reason is that the plastering is in progress.

The recent rainy weather was not very helpful in this process, as the Church became very wet.

The sunshine today was a great gift from the heavens and we hope that the work will continue as normal.

Wednesday 8 September 2010

12 weeks to go

Today I visited, for the first time after my holidays, all parts of our new Church building.

The welcoming sign reminded me of the fact that we are in the closing phase of the building process.

Twelve more weeks to go before we get the key and start using our new Church for the Community worship.

Then I went up on the roof and saw from very close the progress of the main roof works, as well as of the Dome and the Bell Tower.

The workers are operating at the moment on the very top of every part of the building. We should pray for their strength and well being.

Tuesday 7 September 2010

September 2010

THE SEPTEMBER PROGRAMME
OF DIVINE SERVICES AND OTHER EVENTS

Tuesday, 7th September: 6.00 pm Vespers

Wednesday, 8th September: 9.30 am Matins and Divine Liturgy
.....Feast of the Nativity of the All-Holy Mother of God
..........(Fish Day)

Friday, 10th September: 6.00 pm St. Panteleimon Hellenic College begins

Saturday, 11th September: 10.00 am St. Panteleimon Hellenic College begins

Monday, 13th September: 6.00 pm Vespers

Tuesday, 14th September: 9.30 am Matins and Divine Liturgy
.....Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
..........(Fast)

Thursday, 16th September: 6.00 pm Vespers

Friday, 17th September: 9.30 am Matins and Divine Liturgy
.....Feast of St. Sophia & her daughters Sts. Faith, Hope & Charity

Saturday, 18th September: 5.00 pm Vespers

Sunday, 19th September: 25th (Silver) Ecclesiastical Ministry Anniversary
..........of The Very Revd Fr. Anastasios D. Salapatas
.....6.00 pm Symposium on “Christian Priesthood”
.....8.00 pm Dinner & Dance

Thursday, 23rd September: 6.00 pm Vespers

Friday, 24th September: 9.30 am Matins and Divine Liturgy
.....Feast of St. Thecla, Equal-to-the-Apostles
.....6.30 pm A.G.M. of Parents of St. Panteleimon Hellenic College
.....7.45 pm Blessing of Friday Hellenic College

Saturday, 25th September: 12.15 pm Blessing of Saturday morning Hellenic College
.....4.30 pm Blessing of Saturday afternoon Hellenic College

Monday 6 September 2010

Photo of the week - 48

This is a picture of the week from a different angle. We've decided to change the angle for second time from the beginning of the building works, in order to show as much as possible from our new Church and to compliment the Dome.