Храм Рождества Пресвятой Богородицы (Уолсолл)

Our church welcomes Orthodox Christians of all cultural backgrounds, and all who have an interest in the Orthodox Church. Our services are in English. Other languages – Greek, Romanian, Slavonic and others – are used when needed to make the worship accessible to whoever is attending. As part of the Archdiocese of Thyateira, we are under the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, and we are committed to the ‘Ecumenical’ character of the church, that is of the One Church that serves ‘the whole inhabited earth’, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church that has been changelessly One since its birth; that affirmed the apostolic faith in the ‘Ecumenical’, that is ‘worldwide’, Councils of the early centuries; and that is committed to serving the people in their own language, drawing on and transfiguring their own traditions.

In February 2000 our Archbishop, His Eminence Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain, gave his blessing for the setting up of this new parish to serve the Black Country. There have been regular services in the area for many years, particularly since the Second World War. But this is the first permanent Orthodox parish with its own buildings to serve this part of the world, with its diverse and ancient local traditions and a population of over one million.

The church is dedicated to the Theotokos, Maica Domnului, Bogoroditsa. The building was formerly the Anglican parish church of ‘St Mary’, and the original dedication has been retained, but transfigured by adopting September 8th, the Birth of the Theotokos, as the patronal feast. This commitment to retaining existing traditions and transfiguring them into something fully Orthodox can also be seen in the restoration work and development of the buildings, that the parish has carried out. The church was built in 1902 and is in the form of a traditional basilica, with a nave and two aisles. The workmanship is of the highest standard, as was characteristic of the time. But the building had been very poorly maintained and needed major work. As we carry out the work, we keep always in mind the character of those earliest basilicas of the fourth and fifth centuries, and, God-willing, our church will become more fully Orthodox as we continue with the work.

The Divine Liturgy has been celebrated here every Sunday, and on the main feasts, since we moved here in November 2000. The times of all the services can be found on the website. Father John is available to see people at any time of the week. We look forward to seeing you.

Tel: 01922 633 451

Charity Number1082272

Источник: http://www.orthodoxwalsall.org.uk