(Registered Charity No.1047287)
Ironstone Farmhouse, Milton, Banbury OX15 4HH
Newsletter No. 8, May 2000
How many of you who read this have a copy of the Annual Report for 1991? Not many, I suspect. It was our first, and we were not so numerous then. Only 150 copies were printed. My report on "The Society's Year" opens with these words: "The list of patrons, the draft constitution, the membership application form, and the sugscription fee were all approved at a meeting of the Executive Committee on 23 November 1990. It could therefore be argued that the society formally came into existence on that date." We shall therefore be celebrating our tenth birthday on 23 November, 2000; and by way of a thanksgiving for the flowering of the society we propose to mark this anniversary with a service of Orthodox Vespers in St. Bride's Church, Fleet Street, at 6 pm on that day. The service will be taken by our chairman, Bishop Kallistos. After it we shall adjourn to St. Bride's Institute for a glass of wine, followed at 7.15 by an address by the Rt Revd Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, on the theme "Orthodox Relations". Bishop Richard will also be taking part in the thanksgiving service.
There will be a reminder of this event nearer the time. Meanwhile I am pleased to lay before you, in chronological order, details of the rest of our programme for this our tenth anniversary year.
The 2000 Annual General Meeting (AGM)
There is still time to book a place at this year's AGM which will be held on Tuesday 30 May in the Mary Ogilvie Theatre at St. Anne's College, Oxford. There is coffee from 11 am and the proceedings begin at 11.30. Fr Nikolaos Hatzinikolaou, priest-monk of Simonopetra, will give the first talk, on the theme 'The Holy Mountain: The Highest Place on Earth'. The second presentation of the day, beginning at about 2.45 pm, will be an illustrated talk by Professor Robert Allison on the topic 'Gabriel of Gallipoli and the "Iznik" Style: the story of a ceramics artist from Gallipoli who became a teacher of Neomartyrs at Philotheou'. The society's AGM will take place at 2.15, and as usual there will be elections. The Chairman (Bishop Kallistos), the Treasurer (Simon Jennings), and two other members of the Executive Committee (Dimitri Conomos and Derek Hill) have all reached the end of their term of office and will tender their resignation. All have indicated their willingness to stand again. Any other nominations for these offices should reach the Secretary in writing at least one week before the meeting. Guests are welcome to attend the AGM but may not vote.
Attendance at the AGM is free. The charge for attending the rest of the day is £5 each (students £2.50); and there will be a full buffet lunch costing £10. Names and cheques (payable to the Friends of Mount Athos) should be sent as soon as possible to the Events Secretary, Anthony Hazledine, Antique Oriental Carpets, High Street, Fairford, Glos GL7 4AD.
Orthodox Christian Millennium Festival On Saturday 1 July there is to be a festival of Orthodoxy in Shrewsbury: see the enclosed flyer. The society will be supporting this event and will have a stand in the exhibition. Members are strongly encouraged to attend. Admission is free.
Dedication of the Refurbished Protaton Tower
Work on the refurbishment of the Protaton Tower, the entire cost of which has been borne by the generous benefaction of our President, Sir Steven Runciman, is now nearing completion. On Saturday 15 July at 3 pm in Karyes there will be a service of dedication of the Treasury conducted by His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to which the Holy Community have invited the benefactor, 'but not only him - also others from among the most beloved and worthy members of your society of the Friends of Mount Athos'. Sir Steven has indicated his intention to be present in Karyes for this great event which will surely be a milestone not only in his long (and largely idiorrhythmic) career as a Byzantinist but also in the much shorter (if more cenobitic) history of the Friends. We hope that as many members as possible will be there to celebrate it with him and to wish him and the society 'many years'.
Reception at Highgrove
H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, Honorary Member of the Friends of Mount Athos, has very kindly invited the members of the society to attend a reception at his country house, Highgrove, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire, on Wednesday 2 August from 3.30 to 7.00 pm. We are greatly honoured that His Royal Highness has once again offered to open his house and garden to us as part of our anniversary celebrations. Admission will be by ticket only and an application form is enclosed with this newsletter.
OTHER NEWS
The metochia of Simonopetra in France.
On 20 May the katholikon (dedicated to St. Silouan) at Père Placide's Monastery of St. Antoine will be consecrated on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarchate by His Eminence Metropolitan Jérémie of Paris. The next day, 21 May, Mother Paissia will be formally installed as the Abbess of the Monastery of the Holy Protection of the Mother of God at Solan by Fr Elisaios, Abbot of Simonopetra, in the presence of Metropolitan Dionysios of Neapolis and Stavroupolis and Bishop Paul of Tracheia. Members of the communities of both Simonopetra and Ormylia will be present at both events. The Friends of Mount Athos have contributed towards the costs of the associated festivities.
Everald Ware
We regret to report the death on 19 April of Mrs Everald Ware, aged 89, mother of our Chairman, Bishop Kallistos. Everald was an active member of the Friends and a regular attendee of the AGM. We shall miss her cheerful presence and our condolences go to the Bishop and other members of his family. Eternal memory.
FoMA Travel Bursary
Applications are invited from suitably qualified graduate students working for a higher degree or diploma at institutions of higher learning in the UK for the Friends of Mount Athos Travel Bursary for 2000. Applicants may be drawn from any discipline but should be already engaged in or willing to become engaged in a project with a specifically Athonite context. The value of the award is £300. Applications, accompanied by the names and addresses of two referees, should be addressed to the Secretary. The attention of applicants is drawn to the fact that women are never admitted to Mount Athos.
Graham Speake
Hon. Secretary