Report on the Conference for the Newly-Ordained in Walsingham

With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Silouan, on August 19^th – 20^th a small conference was held for newly-ordained priests and deacons across the Archdiocese in St Seraphim’s, Walsingham.

The conference began on the Wednesday evening with compline and the canon of preparation, served by Fr Paulinus.

The next morning a Divine Liturgy on the feast of the Holy Prophet Samuel was served by Fr Dmitry and Fr Dn Ephraim, of the Cathedral community of St George. During the Proskomedia, Fr Dmitry gave some practical instruction to the assembled clergy, and after the Liturgy itself, the two Fathers gave a practical teaching session on serving the Divine Liturgy, with particular attention given to Antiochian practice. This session focused in particular on the Great Entrance, and how to serve with multiple clergy, as well as a demonstration from Fr Dn Ephraim on how to properly complete the great censing, followed by an exhortation to ensure the holy altar is kept spotless and clean.

A lunch was then held, followed by two talks given by Fr Paulinus: Continuing Catechesis for the Newly Received, and the Pursuit of Beauty. Father focused on the need for formation over information during catechesis and beyond, and that beauty within the Liturgy must serve the worship of the Holy Trinity.

Following these talks, the clergy walked down to Mother Melangell’s skete of the Mother of God of Unexpected Joy. Hymns for the feast were chanted and then Mother served refreshments and gave a short history of Walsingham and the pilgrimage there. Before leaving the skete, the Fathers and Mother were anointed with chrism from the myrrh-streaming Hawaiian icon of the Theotokos which visited the UK a few years ago. Those Fathers who did not need to travel home at this point, walked down to the shrine church where the troparion for the feast of the Dormition was chanted in the Orthodox chapel, followed by water taken from the holy well.

The feeling upon departure was that, while small, the conference was a blessing to those who attended, and that it is a great blessing to learn from and get to know clergy from across the Archdiocese.  We are very thankful to the Plesteds and trustees of St Seraphim’s for allowing us to use the chapel for the conference, and to Sayedna for his blessing to organise the event.