Consecration of the Church of Saint Sophrony at the Monastery of St John the Baptist, Essex
With profound gratitude to God, the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain announces the consecration of the new Church of Saint Sophrony the Athonite at the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of St John the Baptist in Essex, which took place on Sunday, 22nd June 2025.
His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain presided over Matins, performed the sacred service of consecration and celebrated the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy. His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was prayerfully present in the Holy Altar throughout, bestowing grace and fatherly support on this historic occasion for the Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom and beyond. The Patriarch was accompanied by the Grand Ecclesiarch and Director of the Private Office V. Revd Archim. Aetios Nikiforos and Patriarchal Deacon and Undersecretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod, the V. Revd Oecumenios Amanatidis, who also served.
Concelebrating with His Eminence were the Abbot of the Monastery, Archimandrite Peter, and the Fathers of the brotherhood.
The occasion was further graced by the presence of Hierarchs from the Mother Church and beyond:
– Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon
– Metropolitan Athanasios of Kolonia
– Metropolitan Ioustinos of Nea Krini and Kalamaria
– Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki
– Metropolitan Iakovos of Ireland
– Bishop Maximos of Melitene
– Bishop Raphael of Ilion
– Bishop Iakovos of Claudiopolis
Clergy in attendance included priests and monastics from Mount Athos and Greece, Ireland and across the United Kingdom, reflecting the pan-Orthodox and international significance of this blessed occasion. Their presence bore witness to the spiritual and theological legacy of Saint Sophrony and the monastic tradition he established on English soil.
Among the distinguished guests were Their Excellencies Mr. Ioannis Tsaousis, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to the United Kingdom; Mr. Kyriakos Kouros, High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus; and Mr. Yuriy Sterk, Ambassador of Bulgaria to the UK.
Numerous Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate were also in attendance, including Dr Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Archons in the United States, the spiritual advisor of the Archons the Revd Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne Protopresbyter Alex Karloutsos and Presbytera Xanthi Karloutsos; Mr Louis Loizou, Archon in the United Kingdom; and Archon Mr Athanasios Kechagioglou from Greece, among others. Their prayerful support of the Ecumenical Throne and enduring commitment to the Orthodox witness were acknowledged with gratitude.
The sacred services began early in the morning with Matins and a solemn procession of the Holy Relics from the Chapel of Saint Silouan to the new Catholicon. The relics were placed reverently within the Holy Altar, and the consecration proceeded with spiritual joy, followed by the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.
Following the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Archimandrite Peter offered heartfelt words of welcome to the Ecumenical Patriarch and presented him with gifts as a sign of deep reverence and gratitude. In return, the Ecumenical Patriarch addressed the gathered faithful in both Greek and English, offering words of spiritual encouragement, and presented the Abbot with a beautifully crafted oil lamp as a personal gift. The Ecumenical Patriarch then led a Trisagion memorial service for the recently departed Metropolitan Jeremiah of Ankara, of blessed memory.
Following the services, a formal lunch was hosted in honour of the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Archbishop, while a buffet meal was offered to the faithful in marquees behind the old Refectory. The brotherhood, together with many volunteers, offered generous hospitality to hundreds of pilgrims and visitors who came from across the United Kingdom and abroad to participate in this historic and grace-filled event.
The Monastery of St John the Baptist, founded by Saint Sophrony, continues to shine as a centre of hesychastic prayer and spiritual renewal in the heart of Essex. The new church, dedicated to its founder and saint, now consecrated, stands as a sacred offering to Christ and a place of encounter, prayer, and divine beauty.
Photographs: Alexios Gennaris and John Mindala
