Just a few lines, to share some great news. This weekend, I was in Cambridge for a FOMA (Friends of Mount Athos) Conference dedicated to His Eminence Metropolitan Kallistos. It was a great event, with some wonderful speakers and an impressive guest list. I shan’t write more on the conference itself, because I’ve taken some notes and I’ll expand them over the next few days.
All I want for now is to let you know that I’ve had a chance to speak with Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh (Moscow Patriarchate) and that His Eminence gave me his permission to visit the Russian parishes in the UK, so I may speak to people about our monastery. This meeting has been on my mind for such a long time – I am so grateful to His Eminence for his generosity, and so happy for his vision regarding Orthodoxy in the UK.
After the support we have received from the Antiochian parishes – who’ve been part of the story of the monastery since day one, both in the UK and in the US (thank you and may God bless you!) – our small monastery has now found a new group of friends and supporters in the Russian parishes. All this support is essential for us – not only from a financial point of view (although, obviously, this is the short-term priority), but in a much deeper way. This monastery is built on a vision of pan-orthodox unity; in everything we have done so far, we have been very careful to hold on to this vital principle – we should never turn into an ethnic ghetto, but contribute to the unity and love that are natural to the Body of Christ.
Please pray for His Eminence Elisey; may God grant him many years. Also pray for His Eminence Metropolitan Kallistos Ware – he has become one of the best friends of our monastery in ways I could not even hope for. Prior to my meeting with Archbishop Elisey, Metropolitan Kallistos took the time to send him a personal letter of introduction for myself and our Monastery which I am sure contributed decisively to Archbishop Elisey’s decision to welcome and support us.
—
During the conference, I met a few of the people who have been praying for the monastery from the beginning, and I’ll tell you now what I’ve told them in Cambridge: I don’t know what you’re doing and how you are praying, but keep it up, my friends. It is clearly working.
This is such wonderful news! Glory to God!
Truly wonderful news! God is providing! God to Him.
happy to see all working.
may we have a nice journey to Easter full of blessing.