+St. John Maximovitch

"Never, never, never let anyone tell you that, in order to be Orthodox, you must be Eastern. The West was fully Orthodox for a thousand years, and her venerable liturgy is far older than any of her heresies." +Saint John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco

You are the inheritors of a precious treasure: the authentic and Orthodox rites that nourished thousands now in the Kingdom of Heaven. The Orthodox Church thanks you for preserving this tradition all these years, so that it could be restored to her through Western Rite Orthodox parishes. +Bishop Basil, Bishop of Wichita and the Midwest of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.

30 April 2024

Saint Birinus and the Antiochian Archdiocese in the British Isles

The Saint Birinus Orthodox Western Rite Mission of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland now has a website https://saintbirinus.uk/index.html and a FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557490628403

All information about the activities of the Mission, Mass times and locations, and Prayer Meetings at Saint Mary the Virgin, Isleworth will now be posted on the website and the FB page.  Streaming of the services will be available on both platforms.

If you wish to access the Propers of the various services, please look into my previous postings on this blog.  If you have any question, just email me at 'gildas at saintbirinus.uk' replacing ' at ' by @ and no spaces!

25 February 2024

March 2024

   March - April 2024

The First Vespers of Sunday are sung at 3:45 p.m. over GoogleMeet.
The Sunday Matins are usually sung at 8:30 a.m. on GoogleMeet.

We use The Orthodox Divine Office according to the Use of the Western Rite of the Holy Orthodox Church by Abbot David Colburn 2018  obtainable from http://www.olwtn.org/online-store/
Alternative source from Lulu bookstore: Hardcover: £39.65   Paperback: £25.97

The Orders of Service can be downloaded here:
All items with this symbol & can be found in the Propers for the day as linked in the descriptions.

Marian Hymn from Advent to Purification: Alma Redemptoris Mater.
Marian Hymn from Purification to Holy Wednesday: Ave Regina Caelorum
Marian Hymn from Holy Saturday to Saturday after Pentecost: Regina Caeli 
Marian Hymn from Trinity Sunday (Pentecost I) until Advent: Salve Regina.


Last Updated 9th April 2024


We hold Prayer Services once a month at St Mary the Virgin church, Isleworth TW7 6ER starting at 11:00 a.m.  Please see below.  You are all invited to attend.


On the 24th February 2024, His Grace Metropolitan Silouan of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland formally accepted the Saint Birinus Orthodox Community under his Omophorion.  We are grateful for his welcome and his protection.  Deo gratias.


























2nd March: 3:45 p.m. First Vespers of SEPTUAGESIMA by video conferencing.
3rd March:  8:30 a.m. Matins of SEPTUAGESIMA by video conferencing.  9:45 a.m. Terce at St Aldhelm Chapel, followed at 10:30 a.m. by the Liturgy of the Antiochian Church at Saint Dunstan's Church, Poole.  Western Rite sung Propers.  Missa Sicca

9th March: 3:45 p.m. First Vespers of SEXAGESIMA by video conferencing.
10th March:  8:30 a.m. Matins of SEXAGESIMA by video conferencing.  9:45 a.m. Terce at St Aldhelm Chapel, followed at 10:30 a.m. by the Liturgy of the Antiochian Church at Saint Dunstan's Church, Poole.  Western Rite sung Propers.  Missa Sicca

12th March: St Gregory the Great, Pope, Confessor & Doctor.  This morning will be the first Western Rite Mass celebrated in the Antiochian Christian Orthodox Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland for the Orthodox Community of Saint Birinus.  Father Chrysostom will be the celebrant at Saint Dunstan's Parish Church, Poole.  Please join us.  10:00 a.m. Terce followed at 10:30 a.m. by the Mass of Saint Gregory the Great celebrated in his honour.  Deo gratias.

16th March: 3:45 p.m. First Vespers of QUINQUAGESIMA  & St Patrick by video conferencing.
17th March: 8:30 a.m. Matins of QUINQUAGESIMA, by video conferencing, 
9:45 a.m. Terce at St Aldhelm Chapel, followed at 10:30 a.m. by the Liturgy of the Antiochian Church at Saint Dunstan's Church, Poole. Missa Sicca Western Rite sung Propers .

20th March: ASH WEDNESDAY: 8:30 a.m. Matins of Ash Wednesday by video conferencing.

23rd March: 10:30 a.m. The second Mass of Saint Gregory the Great, for the Saturday after Ash Wednesday will be sung at Saint Dunstan of Canterbury church, Poole, preceded at 10:00 by Terce.
The faithful at the 2nd Mass of Saint Gregory the Great at St Dunstan's, Poole.


23rd March: 3:45 p.m. First Vespers of QUADRAGESIMA / LENT I by video conferencing.
24th March:  11:00 a.m. Prayer Meeting at Saint Mary the Virgin, Isleworth including Matins of QUADRAGESIMA / LENT I, Missa Sicca with  Western Rite sung Propers followed by Thanksgiving Prayers.

24th March: 7:30 p.m. First Vespers of the Feast of the Annunciation of the B.V.M. by video conferencing. 
25th March: 8:30 a.m. Matins of the Feast of the Annunciation of the B.V.M. by video conferencing. Missa Sicca.  followed at 10:30 by the Liturgy of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, at Saint Dunstan's church, Poole.

30th March: 3:45 p.m. First Vespers of LENT II by video conferencing.
31st March:  8:30 a.m. Matins of LENT II by video conferencing.  9:45 a.m. Terce at St Aldhelm Chapel, followed at 10:30 a.m. by the Liturgy of the Antiochian Church at Saint Dunstan's Church, Poole.  Western Rite sung Propers.  Missa Sicca. 

6th April: 11:00 a.m.  The third Mass of Saint Gregory the Great for the Saturday after the Second Sunday of Lent will be celebrated at Saint Dunstan of Canterbury Parish Church at Poole.  It will be available for viewing via GoogleMeet with this link: meet.google.com/esv-ahvg-ikh

                    
Father Chrysostom during the celebration of 6th April 2024

6th April: 3:45 p.m. First Vespers of LENT III by video conferencing.
7th April:  8:30 a.m. Matins of LENT III by video conferencing.  9:45 a.m. Terce at St Aldhelm Chapel, followed at 10:30 a.m. by the Liturgy of the Antiochian Church at Saint Dunstan's Church, Poole.  Western Rite sung Propers.  Missa Sicca

13th April: 3:45 p.m. First Vespers of LENT IV by video conferencing.
14th April:  8:30 a.m. Matins of LENT IV by video conferencing.  9:45 a.m. Terce at St Aldhelm Chapel, followed at 10:30 a.m. by the Liturgy of the Antiochian Church at Saint Dunstan's Church, Poole.  Western Rite sung Propers.  Missa Sicca

20th April: No online First Vespers of PASSION SUNDAY this afternoon.
21st April:  11:00 a.m. Prayer Meeting at Saint Mary the Virgin, Isleworth including Matins of PASSION SUNDAY, Missa Sicca with  Western Rite sung Propers followed by Thanksgiving Prayers. 

27th April: 10:30 or 11:00 a.m. Mass of Saint Gregory the Great for the Saturday in the week of Passion Sunday.  To be celebrated by Father Chrysostom at Saint Dunstan Parish Church, Poole.  This will be streamed either through Google Meet or on the Facebook page and the website.  Mass Propers. Sung Mass Propers.

27th April: 3:45 p.m. First Vespers of PALM SUNDAY by video conferencing.
28th April:  8:30 a.m. Matins of PALM SUNDAY by video conferencing.  9:45 a.m. Terce at St Aldhelm Chapel, followed at 10:30 a.m. by the Liturgy of the Antiochian Church at Saint Dunstan's Church, Poole.  Western Rite sung Propers.  Missa Sicca

2nd May: MAUNDY THURSDAY

3rd May: GOOD FRIDAY


5th May:  9:30 a.m. Matins of HOLY EASTER SUNDAY by video conferencing.  Western Rite sung Propers.  Missa Sicca. 

6th May: 10:30 or 11:00 a.m.  Mass of Saint Gregory the Great for Easter Sunday, at Saint Dunstan Parish Church, Poole.

Next dates for Meetings at Isleworth during 2024 (All are subject to change at short notice):
21st April: PASSION SUNDAY
26th May: Third Sunday after PASCHA