The Akathist Hymn is one of the most loved services of the Orthodox Church: a standing hymn of praise to the Holy Mother of God, composed in Constantinople in the sixth century by St Romanos the Melodist. Through a series of joyful salutations beginning with “Rejoice”, the hymn leads us prayerfully through the mystery of the Incarnation — the Annunciation, the Nativity, the worship of the shepherds and Magi, and the renewal of the world in Christ.

The word Akathist means “not sitting”, as the faithful traditionally stand throughout the service. The hymn consists of 24 verses arranged according to the Greek alphabet, alternating between poetic praise and the refrain: “Rejoice, O Bride unwedded.”

In Great Lent, the Akathist is prayed at Small Compline on the first four Fridays (where possible), with the entire hymn sung in full on the fifth Friday. The service includes the chanting of the Canon, censing, the Kontakion “O Champion General”, and veneration of the icon of the Mother of God.

All are warmly welcome to join us for this beautiful Lenten devotion.

Each year, the Canon of St. Andrew is read over the first four days of Great Lent, during Great Compline. It is then read in full on the fifth Thursday in Great Lent. It is one of the most spiritually uplifting and inspiring canons in the Holy Tradition of our Church. The holy Canon is a "dialogue between St. Andrew and his soul." The ongoing theme is an urgent exhortation to change one's life or, in other words, to repent.

On the fifth Friday of Great Lent we celebrate the very festive, uniquely and mystically beautiful Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos. We hear the bright and wonderful refrain “Rejoice, O Bride unwedded,” at the end of each stanza. The place of the Theotokos in Lent is significant, since without her there is no incarnation.

The morning service of the Church is called Matins. It opens with the reading of six morning psalms and the intoning of the Great Litany. After this, verses of Psalm 118 are sung: God is the Lord and has revealed himself unto us. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

This service immediately precedes the Divine Liturgy. Anyone requiring confession is invited to make themselves known to the priest for this purpose during the service.

The Service of Typika is a short service used when the Divine Liturgy cannot be celebrated, when a priest is not available. It includes the pre-Communion psalms, the day's Divine Liturgy readings, and Hymns called troparia. The Epistle and Gospel readings are read, not chanted.

The service is followed by a bring and share lunch.

Come and see! Come and join us.

The morning service of the Church is called Matins. It opens with the reading of six morning psalms and the intoning of the Great Litany. After this, verses of Psalm 118 are sung: God is the Lord and has revealed himself unto us. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

This service immediately precedes the Divine Liturgy. Anyone requiring confession is invited to make themselves known to the priest for this purpose during the service.

The Service of Typika is a short service used when the Divine Liturgy cannot be celebrated, when a priest is not available. It includes the pre-Communion psalms, the day's Divine Liturgy readings, and Hymns called troparia. The Epistle and Gospel readings are read, not chanted.

The service is followed by a bring and share lunch.

Come and see! Come and join us.

The morning service of the Church is called Matins. It opens with the reading of six morning psalms and the intoning of the Great Litany. After this, verses of Psalm 118 are sung: God is the Lord and has revealed himself unto us. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

This service immediately precedes the Divine Liturgy. Anyone requiring confession is invited to make themselves known to the priest for this purpose during the service.

The Divine Liturgy is the primary worship service of the Church. It is a Eucharistic service and comprises two parts: Liturgy of the Word, at which the Scriptures are proclaimed and expounded; and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, in which the gifts of bread and wine are offered and consecrated; the faithful then partake of them in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

The liturgy is followed by a bring and share lunch.

Come and see! Come and join us.

The morning service of the Church is called Matins. It opens with the reading of six morning psalms and the intoning of the Great Litany. After this, verses of Psalm 118 are sung: God is the Lord and has revealed himself unto us. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

The Holy Week “reversal”

In the Orthodox Church the services of Holy Week often appear “upside down” because many of them are liturgically celebrated in anticipation of the following day. In other words, the Church begins the liturgical day the evening before, and during Holy Week this anticipation becomes even more pronounced.

This pattern comes from the biblical understanding of time. In Genesis the creation account repeatedly says that evening comes before morning (Gen 1:5 etc.). The Jewish and early Christian liturgical day therefore begins at sunset. Christianity inherited this rhythm, which is why Vespers traditionally marks the start of the next day.

During Holy Week the Church intensifies this pattern so that the faithful can enter the events of Christ’s Passion liturgically before they happen.

For example:

• Matins of Holy Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are usually served the evening before (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday evenings). These are the Bridegroom Matins services.

• The Matins of Holy Friday (the service with the Twelve Passion Gospels) is celebrated Thursday evening.

• The Matins of Holy Saturday (the Lamentations at the Tomb) is served Friday night.

• Paschal Vigil begins late Saturday night and flows directly into Pascha.

So what looks “upside down” is actually the Church moving forward into the next day’s mystery ahead of time.

Why the Church does this

There are several reasons:

1. To live the Gospel events liturgically.
The Church does not simply remember the Passion historically. The services allow the faithful to enter the unfolding drama of Christ’s suffering, burial, and resurrection.

2. To gather the faithful.
In monasteries Matins belongs to the early morning, but parish life makes that difficult. Celebrating them the evening before allows people to attend.

3. To create a continuous narrative.
Holy Week services are designed so that the story of salvation unfolds step by step across the week, with each evening preparing us for the next day’s event.

St John Chrysostom often speaks about worship as participation in the saving events of Christ, not mere remembrance. The structure of Holy Week embodies exactly that vision.

So the services are not truly “upside down”.
They follow the ancient biblical day beginning in the evening, and during Holy Week the Church uses that rhythm to draw us ahead into the mystery of the Cross and Resurrection.

The morning service of the Church is called Matins. It opens with the reading of six morning psalms and the intoning of the Great Litany. After this, verses of Psalm 118 are sung: God is the Lord and has revealed himself unto us. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

The Holy Week “reversal”

In the Orthodox Church the services of Holy Week often appear “upside down” because many of them are liturgically celebrated in anticipation of the following day. In other words, the Church begins the liturgical day the evening before, and during Holy Week this anticipation becomes even more pronounced.

This pattern comes from the biblical understanding of time. In Genesis the creation account repeatedly says that evening comes before morning (Gen 1:5 etc.). The Jewish and early Christian liturgical day therefore begins at sunset. Christianity inherited this rhythm, which is why Vespers traditionally marks the start of the next day.

During Holy Week the Church intensifies this pattern so that the faithful can enter the events of Christ’s Passion liturgically before they happen.

For example:

• Matins of Holy Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are usually served the evening before (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday evenings). These are the Bridegroom Matins services.

• The Matins of Holy Friday (the service with the Twelve Passion Gospels) is celebrated Thursday evening.

• The Matins of Holy Saturday (the Lamentations at the Tomb) is served Friday night.

• Paschal Vigil begins late Saturday night and flows directly into Pascha.

So what looks “upside down” is actually the Church moving forward into the next day’s mystery ahead of time.

Why the Church does this

There are several reasons:

1. To live the Gospel events liturgically.
The Church does not simply remember the Passion historically. The services allow the faithful to enter the unfolding drama of Christ’s suffering, burial, and resurrection.

2. To gather the faithful.
In monasteries Matins belongs to the early morning, but parish life makes that difficult. Celebrating them the evening before allows people to attend.

3. To create a continuous narrative.
Holy Week services are designed so that the story of salvation unfolds step by step across the week, with each evening preparing us for the next day’s event.

St John Chrysostom often speaks about worship as participation in the saving events of Christ, not mere remembrance. The structure of Holy Week embodies exactly that vision.

So the services are not truly “upside down”.
They follow the ancient biblical day beginning in the evening, and during Holy Week the Church uses that rhythm to draw us ahead into the mystery of the Cross and Resurrection.

The morning service of the Church is called Matins. It opens with the reading of six morning psalms and the intoning of the Great Litany. After this, verses of Psalm 118 are sung: God is the Lord and has revealed himself unto us. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

The Holy Week “reversal”

In the Orthodox Church the services of Holy Week often appear “upside down” because many of them are liturgically celebrated in anticipation of the following day. In other words, the Church begins the liturgical day the evening before, and during Holy Week this anticipation becomes even more pronounced.

This pattern comes from the biblical understanding of time. In Genesis the creation account repeatedly says that evening comes before morning (Gen 1:5 etc.). The Jewish and early Christian liturgical day therefore begins at sunset. Christianity inherited this rhythm, which is why Vespers traditionally marks the start of the next day.

During Holy Week the Church intensifies this pattern so that the faithful can enter the events of Christ’s Passion liturgically before they happen.

For example:

• Matins of Holy Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are usually served the evening before (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday evenings). These are the Bridegroom Matins services.

• The Matins of Holy Friday (the service with the Twelve Passion Gospels) is celebrated Thursday evening.

• The Matins of Holy Saturday (the Lamentations at the Tomb) is served Friday night.

• Paschal Vigil begins late Saturday night and flows directly into Pascha.

So what looks “upside down” is actually the Church moving forward into the next day’s mystery ahead of time.

Why the Church does this

There are several reasons:

1. To live the Gospel events liturgically.
The Church does not simply remember the Passion historically. The services allow the faithful to enter the unfolding drama of Christ’s suffering, burial, and resurrection.

2. To gather the faithful.
In monasteries Matins belongs to the early morning, but parish life makes that difficult. Celebrating them the evening before allows people to attend.

3. To create a continuous narrative.
Holy Week services are designed so that the story of salvation unfolds step by step across the week, with each evening preparing us for the next day’s event.

St John Chrysostom often speaks about worship as participation in the saving events of Christ, not mere remembrance. The structure of Holy Week embodies exactly that vision.

So the services are not truly “upside down”.
They follow the ancient biblical day beginning in the evening, and during Holy Week the Church uses that rhythm to draw us ahead into the mystery of the Cross and Resurrection.

The Twelve Matins Gospels recounting the Passion from the Last Supper to the sealing of the tomb, interspersed throughout the Matins service. The faithful stand holding lighted candles during the reading of each of these twelve Gospels.

Come and see! Come and join us.

According to the order of the Lenten Triodion, the Matins service for Holy and Great Saturday is served Friday night. This service includes what are called the Lamentations of the Theotokos.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has been taken down from the cross, and His Most Pure Mother laments and grieves over His lifeless Body, but theologises concerning the mystery of His death and our redemption. The Burial Shroud (Epitaphios) remains in the centre of the church to symbolise Jesus’s burial in the new tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.

Come and see! Come and join us.

Agape Vespers (also called Vespers of Love) is a Vespers service that continues the celebration of Pascha, typically held in the afternoon on the day of Pascha. At this service, the Gospel reading (John 20:19-25) depicts the first appearance of the risen Lord to his disciples. It is recited in many languages (often as many languages as are known by those present in the congregation), symbolising that the glorious resurrection of Christ is proclaimed to all the nations of the world.

The service will be followed by a bring-and-share Festal Picnic (due to weather forecast!)

Come and see! Come and join us.

The morning service of the Church is called Matins. It opens with the reading of six morning psalms and the intoning of the Great Litany. After this, verses of Psalm 118 are sung: God is the Lord and has revealed himself unto us. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

This service immediately precedes the Divine Liturgy. Anyone requiring confession is invited to make themselves known to the priest for this purpose during the service.

The Divine Liturgy is the primary worship service of the Church. It is a Eucharistic service and comprises two parts: Liturgy of the Word, at which the Scriptures are proclaimed and expounded; and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, in which the gifts of bread and wine are offered and consecrated; the faithful then partake of them in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

The liturgy is followed by a bring and share lunch.

Come and see! Come and join us.