To know more about Orthodox Western Rite in the UK, consult
Folkestone, Kent.
Thursday 27th October 2016: 11 a.m. A MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR KING HAROLD GODWINESSON and all his companions will take place on the 950th anniversary of Sandlake Fight, aka The Battle of Hastings, at the Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene, Whatlington, East Sussex (car park TN33 0ND). Further details from The Guild of St Eadmund
16 September 2013
In the year 597 St Augustine came to England to convert the English to Christianity. By the middle of the 7th century England was substantially Christian, and subsequently organized itself into Bishoprics, Parishes, and practised its religion to such an extent that it not only generated over 300 saints; but also was responsible for spreading Christianity throughout northern Europe.At that time the whole of Christendom was de-facto Orthodox (right-believing). However in the 11th century the western patriarch (styled the Pope) got ideas above his station. Whereas all the other patriarchs were content to administer their patriarchates, the Pope wanted to rule his, and not only his: he wished to assume a universal command over the whole church. This was the cause of the Great Schism of 1054, when the Christian jurisdictions of the east (now known as the Orthodox churches), and the church of the west (now known as Roman Catholic church) sadly split asunder.
The English church continued to be Orthodox, and although the English remained loyal to the Pope, who was still their lawful Patriarch, they continued to practise their religion as they always had. The Pope, being greatly desirous of subjecting all the peoples that he could to his control, took advantage of the overweening arrogance and greed of William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy, and blessed his insubstantial claim to the throne and his unjustifiable invasion of England in 1066, thus converting it into a ‘crusade’.
William only just won the Battle of Hastings but, to our great loss and confusion, was able to impose his rule on England, and force its church to accept the Bishops that he set over it, and the heretical ideas that they proposed. Within a century the church in England had become a simulacrum of what it had been, and changed from a Christian church to just another instrument whereby the English people could be dominated and the Norman / Roman Catholic rule could be imposed.
The St Eanswythe Orthodox Study Group*, along with the other missions of the Orthodox Western Rite, exists to reverse the Norman Conquest, and to re-establish our own, pre-Conquest Church in England, using the same liturgy and practices and holding the same beliefs that were held and loved by the pre-Conquest English people: also venerating the many Saints that were manifested in this pleasant land between 597 and 1066.
If you would like to learn about the Orthodox Western Rite and help in this great work, please contact:
Eadmund Dunstall, 28 Quested Road, Cheriton, Folkestone, Kent CT19 4BY
*St Eanswythe is the Patron Saint of Folkestone, and her relics are still present in the Parish Church of St Mary and St Eanswythe on the Bayle in Folkestone. She was the granddaughter of King St Æthelberht of Kent who received St Augustine in 597, and she was the founder of the first nunnery in England at Folkestone.
Western style icon of St Eanswythe of Folkestone
We thank Father Thomas for coming to Weston super Mare on 18th November 2012 to celebrate our first Western Rite Liturgy of Saint Gregory the Great and for continuing to celebrate the Western Rite Liturgy for us as often as possible.
See NEWS section of our new website for details of recent events.
See NEWS section of our new website for details of recent events.
For details of services in the Wessex area, please consult Saint Aldhelm Orthodox Mission in Wessex
The Western Rite Altar at Saint Dunstan's Parish Church, Poole
Courtesy of Father Chrysostom, Parish Priest.
Saint Aldhelm's Chapel where we sing Matins is behind this altar and
can be accessed by the steps visible on the left side of this photo.
Saint Aldhelm's Chapel
7th January 2013
7th January 2013
Celebrating the Christmas Liturgy at Saint Dunstan’s, Poole
Celebrating the Christmas Liturgy at Saint Dunstan’s, Poole
We were very fortunate to have Father Thomas with us again, this time to celebrate Christmas. The beautiful church of Saint Dunstan’s with its impressive acoustics was a very stunning setting for our Western Rite Liturgy. We thank Father Chrysostom, the parish priest, very much for his generous help in allowing us to use the western style altar in the Lady’s chapel.
We had a very good attendance, considering it was the first Monday back to work for most people. We were very happy to welcome some Russian and Romanian parishioners among our congregation. Others came from Somerset and Southampton.
Our next Western Rite Liturgy will take place at Oxford during +Bishop Jerome's visit. See Schedule of Services above.
October 5, 2012
Ordination of Father Thomas
Father Thomas and Father Anthony
On October 5, 2012, being the Ember Friday, Fr Anthony, Pastoral Vicar for
Western Rite (ROCOR) presented to His Grace, Bishop Jerome of Manhattan,
Vicar Bishop for Western Rite, Thomas Harry Cook of Nottingham, England for
ordination to the Holy Priesthood in St Ambrose of Milan, Putnam Valley New
York. Father Thomas will be Rector of St Edmund the Martyr Orthodox Church.
He is the first Western Rite priest to be ordained by ROCOR for England. Fr
Thomas is married to Matushka Jane and they have two children. Fr Thomas
has been Orthodox for 6 years and holds a BA with Honors in Philosophy from King's
College, University of London and a DipHE in Orthodox Christian
Studies from the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, Cambridge. He
will receive his M. Div. in December. The Criminal Background Check required
of all Western Rite Clergy prior to ordination was completed by the
Nottinghamshire Police in June of 2012.
The Rev Thomas Cook
St Edmund the Martyr
7A Victoria Street, Geding
Nottingham, Notts. NG4 3JE
UK
"Dignus est!"
Fr Anthony, Pastoral Vicar
New York
