Services & Prayers

  1. God willing, the Divine Liturgy is served each Sunday at 10.30 am, preceded by the Third and Sixth Hours at 10.10 am.
 
The service of Vespers is sung on most Saturdays at 7 pm. Particularly if you are travelling from a distance, please check before leaving home to see whether Vespers will be served; very occasionally, it is necessary for Vespers to be cancelled at short notice. The service will usually be Great Vespers, sung in full with a choir, but on occasions Reader’s Vespers (sung by one or two people at the Choirdesk) may be sung instead. Great Vespers lasts around 45 minutes. Reader’s Vespers lasts around 30 minutes, because the litanies are not sung. 
 
Service sheets containing the readings and hymns for Services, together with sheet music for some of the variable parts, are generally provided below. 
 
If you are unable to attend church – e.g. because of illness, work commitments, or caring responsibilities – you might wish to use some or all of the Reader’s Services shown below, together with the texts provided for each day, as part of your daily prayers.
 
 
SUNDAY 5th APRIL 2026
Palm Sunday
The Entrance of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem 
     
10:10 The Third & Sixth Hours
10:30 The Blessing of Palms
10:50 The Divine Liturgy
 
Hymns and Readings for Sunday 5th April 2026 (PDF Text)
Hymns and Readings for Sunday 5th April 2026 (Word Text)
 
 
Father Kosmas plans to be present in church today, although he is still quite weak, and struggles to speak loudly or clearly enough to serve the Liturgy on his own, without the help of another priest or deacon. Father Ioannis Provatas has been asked to come to assist Father Kosmas this Sunday. 
 
SATURDAY 28th MARCH 2026
Fifth Sunday of Great Lent (Eve)
Saint Mary of Egypt
Tone 1
 
19:00 Vespers
 
SUNDAY 29th MARCH 2026
Fifth Sunday of Great Lent
Saint Mary of Egypt
Tone 1
     
10:10 The Third & Sixth Hours
10:30 The Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great
 
 
Services and Prayers for use at home
 
Daily Prayers – including ​Morning Prayers  Midday Prayers  Evening Prayers  and  Occasional Prayers​  from “A Pocket Prayer Book for Orthodox Christians” (popularly known as “The Little Red Prayer Book” – an official publication of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America) may be found here. (links to external site)
 
Complete texts of Daily Services (Matins, Typika, and Vespers) in English and Greek may be found here (link to external site)
 
 
 
 
Akathist to our Patron: Saint Chad, Bishop of Lichfield
 
Confession
When Vespers is served on Saturday evenings, Father Kosmas is normally available to hear confessions before (please contact him beforehand to arrange a time) and after the service. Although he may be able to hear confessions before the Liturgy (on Sundays, this is from around 9.30 am until 10.00 am) please bear in mind that he also needs to serve the Proskomide, and that several people may wish to come for confession at that time. If you wish to speak to Father Kosmas at greater length (e.g. to make a longer confession) please make an appointment to see him at another time: Mobile / Text / WhatsApp 07960 517266; Email kiwittwer@aol.com
Coronavirus / COVID-19
COVID-19 continues to circulate, but the severity of the illness has decreased compared to the early stages of the pandemic, largely due to widespread vaccination and natural immunity.
Many people experience mild symptoms similar to a cold or flu, such as fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, and loss of taste or smell.
 
If you or your child(ren) have symptoms of COVID-19, it’s recommended to stay at home and avoid contact with others.
 
Face masks and sanitising gel will remain available for those who wish to use them; and we ask everyone to be aware that some people might wish to maintain social distance.
 
Long COVID
A significant concern is the possibility of Long COVID, where some people experience ongoing symptoms and conditions for weeks, months, or even years after the initial infection, potentially leading to chronic conditions and disability.
 
Please click here for advice about how to avoid catching and spreading Coronavirus.