The Celebration of Our Lady of Blachernae in the Greek Orthodox Community of Milton Keynes.

On Sunday, July 6th of this year and as planned, we celebrated the summer Feast of our Community, solemnly honoring the Blachernae of the eternal City, the city of Constantine, in England, at the Church of Saints Ambrose & Stylian, which houses Her Chapel.

A Liturgy and Blessing of the Icons were held and after the Procession of the Icon, which due to rain took place inside the Church, Holy Water was distributed to the Congregation amidst feelings of devotion and emotion. The Holy Water arrived in our Community from the Pilgrimage Church of Saint Blacherna, in the Golden Horn at the Lighthouse, from exactly where the inscription <<NIPSON ANOMIMATA MI MONAN OPSIN>> has been carried for many years and times, to our own Parish, to our Chapel. We are beyond grateful to those who took care of sending it to us.

The Divine Liturgy was presided over by the Most Rev. Archimandrite Theophanes Petrou, who has at times pastored our parish in the past, who was accompanied by the Priestly Head of our Community, Economos Gregory Wellington and who preached the Feast of the Feast.

A crowd of believers filled our Church, not only from the parishioners of the area but also from people who traveled several hours to worship and receive Holy Water that came <<from the City>>.

A treat followed in the Church dining room, which was taken care of by the ladies of the Auxiliary Brotherhood, in the same building, which every Thursday afternoon is divided into two smaller rooms to be transformed into a teaching room, which houses two classes of our Greek School.

Our Community experienced another beautiful day of prayer, gathering and communication, which gave joy and emotion to all our fellow people.