Working in the sun

A lovely sunny day today, with temperatures around 28°C.

A few of our workers were lucky working inside the Church, mainly decorating.

But two of them worked on the outside, on the Harrow (north) side, finalising some fillings on the stone work.

Gardens [A']

At the back of our Community building there is a good size area, which serves as garden(s) for the Community block of flats (situated behind the Vicarage).

It is also an area used for various Community activities, like BBQ etc.

During the construction of our Community building and then of our new Church that area was used as a temporary car park.

This area started today being re-instituted as a garden. Trees and flowers will be planted there soon and it will look amazing.

Under floor heating

The heating system of our new Church is under the marble floor.

This is modern heating system with quite a complex pipe system placed under the floor.

The plumbers who are in charge of the system were today finalising the last details before they actually switch it on.

Monthly Cleaning

“Saint Agatha” Ladies Auxiliary Sisterhood is a Charitable Organisation operating within our Community.

The Ladies are always very supportive towards our Church and Community as well as towards all Community endeavours.

They support financially the Church and they offer their good services wherever needed.

One of the works that they do by bringing together many of their members is cleaning the Church.

Today was one of those days when they came smiling and they helped to clean our Church.

We are always very grateful and thankful to our Ladies for their great contributions. May our Great God bless them and their families!

Constantinos Christou

The beautiful floor mosaic with the double headed eagle, which was recently placed under the main dome of our new Church, was actually made in Cyprus by the artist Constantinos Christou.

Constantinos came from Cyprus and worked yesterday and today in order to finalise all the remaining details of the mosaic.

Now the work is all done and the mosaic looks perfect.

Our Sunday School

From today Sunday 18th September 2011 we started our new Sunday School.

The School age pupils who came this morning to the Church were invited by Fr. Anastasios our Parish Priest to join our new venture.

Right after they received Holy Communion all kids moved to a room of our Community Centre and stayed there for about 30’ with Mrs. Andri Kiriakidou, who is in charge of our Sunday School.

At our new Sunday School our kids will learn about our Christian Orthodox Faith, about our Church Traditions, our Church Festivals and Customs and many more.

We celebrate our Sunday School:

- Because God’s Will Is Being Done!

- Because God’s Word Is Being Studied & Taught!

- Because God’s Love Is Being Shared!

- Because God’s Work Is Being Done!

- Because The Lord’s Day Is Being Observed!

- Because God’s People Are Assembled & Enlisted!

Paddy & Vasile

Paddy (Irishman) and Vasile (Romanian) are two regular faces at our premises. They are working here for quite some time. They are mainly builders, who have helped constructing our new Church.

At the moment they are preparing the area near to the Church yard fence, where flowers will be planted in the near future.

Many specialists

Everywhere in our Church and Community premises there are various specialists working today to bring our new Church and the new rooms of our Community building on the required level.

At the entrance of the Church yard, outside the Church building, inside the interior, on the staircase of the Bell Tower, as well as on the first floor of the Community Centre something is being done today.

The weather is complimentary today and that is a good sign from the Heavens.

Our workers are of various nationalities also; Greek-Cypriot, English, Irish, Romanian, Bulgarian, just to mention a few.

We are certainly very happy with the way the work is being done and we are very thankful to all workers involved in the works at our Church and Community Centre.

Feast of the Holy Cross

Saint Helen, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great, when she was already advanced in years, undertook, in her great piety, the hardships of a journey to Jerusalem in search of the cross, about the year 325.

A temple to Aphrodite had been raised up by the Emperor Hadrian upon Golgotha, to defile and cover with oblivion the place where the saving Passion had been suffered.

The venerable Helen had the statue of Aphrodite destroyed, and the earth removed, revealing the Tomb of our Lord, and three crosses. Of these, it was believed that one must be that of our Lord, the other two of the thieves crucified with Him; but Saint Helen was at a loss which one might be the Wood of our salvation.

At the inspiration of Saint Macarius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, a lady of Jerusalem, who was already at the point of death from a certain disease, was brought to touch the crosses, and as soon as she came near to the Cross of our Lord, she was made perfectly whole.

Consequently, the precious Cross was lifted on high by Archbishop Macarius of Jerusalem; as he stood on the ambo, and when the people beheld it, they cried out, "Lord have mercy." This event is commemorated today in our Holy Orthodox Church.

It should be noted that after its discovery, a portion of the venerable Cross was taken to Constantinople as a blessing. The rest was left in Jerusalem in the magnificent church built by Saint Helen, until the year 614. At that time, the Persians plundered Palestine and took the Cross to their own country.

Late, in the year 628, Emperor Heraclius set out on a military campaign, retrieved the Cross, and after bringing it to Constantinople, himself escorted it back to Jerusalem, where he restored it to its place.

Rest from labour. A Fast is observed today.

At the new Classrooms

St. Panteleimon Hellenic College begins its new School Year (2011 - 2012) on the day after tomorrow.

This year we shall have the use of the three new rooms on the first floor of our Community building.

Andreas Kazamias and Neophytos Constantinou are doing there some carpentry work, while the smiling Irish-man Martin is decorating.