Welcome !

The Orthodox Christian Parish of the Holy and Life ­Giving Cross at Lancaster (United Kingdom) belongs to the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland.  

The Holy Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is served every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. (reading of the Hours starts at 10:00 a.m.) at the St Martin's of Tours Church, Braddon Close, Westgate, Lancashire, LA4 4UZ, United Kingdom (find us). In addition, the Great Vesper is served every Saturday at 2:00 p.m. proceeded by Confessions and reading of the Synaxarion at 1:00 p.m. Other Orthodox services (Vespers, Akathists etc.) are being held according to the Orthodox calendar. Please, contact us for more information on the exact time and date of the services. 

We are a relatively small parish led by Fr. Jonathan Hemmings, but with faithful from more than half a dozen nationalities! The Parish also serves the liturgical and pastoral needs of Orthodox Christians studying and teaching at Lancaster University.

We enjoy our fellowship, having meals together and taking part in pilgrimages to Orthodox monasteries, churches, ancient Christian sites and other worship places (photos). We produce a newsletter each month with our news and spiritual food for thought. We also work in translations, and have translated St. Lioba's life from English to Greek and St. Joachim's life from Greek to English (more information here). Please also see the holy tasks page with details about our work, and our treasures page with information on the icons and holy relics of St. Nicholas Planas and St. Joachim of Ithaca, that our parish is blessed to have. 

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An Appeal!

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

After 20 years of using borrowed premises our Orthodox Community of the Holy and Life Giving Cross has found a building for a Temple that will serve the needs of the Orthodox Christians in the Lancaster area. 

To this end, we are making an appeal to raise funds to cover the rent and other needs of the Church on a permanent basis. Apart from your much needed prayers, you can find information on how to contribute to our fund raiser here.

​Notices

• ​Our monthly newsletter, the Stavronian, is out. Read the December issue here ! Also, Stavronian is 10 years old.
• Fr. Jonathan has written and published "Fountains in the Desert" (in English and Romanian), which is based on the sayings of St Antony the Great. Please contact us for orders (priced £7.50 plus postage & packaging
• We are very pleased that Εν Πλω published Fr. Jonathan's "Fountains in the Desert" book in Greek. The book presentation will be held in Athens, Greece, Saturday the 8th of October 2016, at 7p.m. at the bookstore En Plo (address). We are thankful to Kleio Kehagia for the translation of the book from English to Greek. If you are in Greece please visit Εν Πλω's bookstores to buy the book or contact us for orders. All the proceedings from the book will help our Parish to cover the expenses of a permanent Church for worship.
• Also available is the story of Fr. Michael Harper's 48 year long ministry "Visited by God" told by Kh Jeanne Harper. The foreword to the book is written by Prof. David Frost, Principal of the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, Cambridge. Fr.Jonathan wrote the last chapter on Fr. Michael's contribution to the formation of the Antiochian Deanery. Available priced £7.50 (plus postage and packaging).

"Fountains in the Desert"

Fr. Jonathan (left) embracing the aer with Fr. Theodosios (right) during the Holy Liturgy
in the Church of St. Nicholas in Ithaka, Greece.

Psalm 133  
"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, 
even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: 
for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore."