Father Michael took part in the Local Council of Russian Orthodox Church

Representatives of all of the Dioceses of our Church gathered at the Council. The Council worked for three days, during which important matters related to the elections were discussed, as well as the cadidates, proposed by the Episcopal Council. The Local Coucil made the decision not to propose any new cadidates. Mitropolitan Filaret of Minsk and all Belarus decided to withdraw his candidacy. As we know, out of the two remaining candidates, Mitropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad and Mitropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk, the delegates of the Local Council by the means of secret ballot elected Mitropolitan Kirill as a new Patriarch. His enthronment took place on the 1st of February at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow an all Russia became the 16th Patriarch of the Russian Church.

(Photo: Father Michael with participants of the Council)

Baptism of our Lord

It is the second year, during which our parish in Glasgow has midnight services. After the service,the parishionerswishing to dip into a font basinwith cold baptismal water could do so. The roomy tank was made by our choir singer Anatoly specially for the traditional bathe and was placed in the church courtyard. It was filled with water beforehand and blessed after the liturgy on the eve ofthe Great Feast of Baptism of our Lord. This year, despite the cold weather, a few dozens of people havegathered. Not everyone dared to dip three times with the sign of the cross as per the old Russian tradition, however among the bravest were women and even children. The community was supplemented with a new member the same day shortly before the service. He was baptised by the name of Edwardafter King Edward the Confessor - the Saint of yet undivided Christian Church, whoearned fame in England.

Glasgow Russian School celebrates Christmas and the New Year of 2009

Christmas and the New Year were celebrated in the usual way on Saturday 17 January at the children’s School attached to the Parish of St Kentigern. The event was organized by a group of teachers and parents led by Larisa Sokolovskaya and Elena Vakaryuk. As always, it was not only children attending the School who came, but lots of guests as well. A show centered on the Christmas tree where the older pupils took the part of angels and the younger ones those of woodland animals coming to decorate the tree went down very well. The beautifully decorated hall, the tall Christmas tree and the splendid costumes put everyone in a cheerful, festive mood right from the beginning. Then came a show with Father Frost, Snowmaiden and Baba-Yaga. The children solved riddles, did round-dances while they sang, displayed their talents as reciters, singers, and dancers to Father Frost, and finally they received presents. The show and the New Year performance were under the muscal direction of Irina Tugaleva, who conducts the parish choir, and who had trained the children in their Christmas repertoire.

The celebration also included a modest celebration of the fifth anniversary of the founding of the School, which arose out of music classes organized in the parish early in 2004. Since that time about a hundred children aged from 18 months to 16 years have passed through the School and its nursery section. The School is the first educational institution for children in Scotland where children of various nationalities can be introduced to Russian Orthodoxy and Russian culture (Visit the website for more information). More pictuers in the Photo Gallery.

Christmas (January 2009)

Midnight Liturgy celebrating Christmas took place at the Community of St. Kentigern. After the Great Compline archpriest Michael celebrated the Divine Liturgy, which began at midnight. The parochial choir, which had some new singers, sounded  wonderful. With Bishop Elisey's blessing part of the service in the community from now on will be in English, same as everywhere else in the Diocese, which unites the orthodox believers of different nationalities. After the midnight service the parishioners broke traditional Christmas feast with the communal meal. Children got their presents from Santa Claus, whom they impatiently expected for the last few days. (More pictures in the photo gallery).

Panikhida for His Holiness Patriarch Alexy

Panikhida for His Holiness Patriarch Alexiy was served after Divine Liturgy at the St. Kentigern Parish. The congregation prayed to God to rest the soul of the reposed Head of Russian Orthodox Church. In his sermon before the panikhida archpriest Michael Dudko reminded the congregation about the meaning of hierarchy in Orthodox Church and called for their profound prayers. The Liturgy, which is served in the parish once a month, sounded unusual. It was on that day the Holy Synod was to announce an acting Head of the Russian Orthodox Church, acting Patriarch, but the decision was yet unknown at the time, thus only the Diocesan Bishop Elissey was commemorated at the service. It was later announced that Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad will be the acting Patriarch. He will be the Head of the Church until a new Patriarch is elected at the Church Council.