The Third Day of Christmas: Mission Congregations Gathering
On 27 December 2021, which was the Third Day of Christmas, and also St Stephen's Day, we held a gathering at the Monastery of the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Gerhardville, north of Johannesburg and west of Pretoria. The gathering was mainly for mission congregations in the north of Gauteng who have no resident priest, and thus do not often have the Divine Liturgy. The Divine Liturgy was served so people in those congregations could have an opportunity to receive the Holy Communion at Christmastide.
Divine Liturgy in the Church of St Demetrius, Gerhardville
Fr Kobus van der Riet served, assisted by Fr Markos Manyeke and Deacon Stephen Hayes (whose name day it also was).
Divine Liturgy, St Demetrius
Unfortunately, owing to the rainy weather, the Covid epidemic, and several other factors, attendance was limited mainly to the local congregation from Gerardville itself, and a few from Mamelodi. Other visitors included members of the parishes of Pantanassa, Melrose, and St Nicholas of Japan, Brixton.
Many members of the local congregation at Gerardville are expatriate workers from Malawi.
The service was sung in English, North Sotho and Afrikaans, with a choir of Gerhardville and Mamelodi people to lead it.
The deacon leads a litany, while the priest makes the exclamation at the end
At the end of the service Fr Kobus gave a homily on the life of St Stephen, and Deacon Stephen gave an explanation of the ministry of deacons in the Church, and how it relates to other ministries, such as those of the priest and the bishop.
Fr Kobus van der Riet preaching the homily
The Choir
The choir may be small, but we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, some of whom are represented by the ikons on the wall.
Tone 4 Troparion (Feast)
Thy Nativity, O Christ our God,
has shone to the world the light of wisdom!
For by it, those who worshipped the stars,
were taught by a star to adore Thee,
the Sun of Righteousness,
and to know Thee, the Orient from on high.//
O Lord, glory to Thee!
Tone 4 Troparion (St. Stephen)
Protomartyr and mighty warrior of Christ our God,
thou art victorious in battle and crowned with glory, O holy Stephen!
Thou didst confound the council of thy persecutors,
beholding thy Saviour enthroned at the right hand of the Father.//
Never cease to intercede for the salvation of our souls!
After the Divine Liturgy we gathered in the hall for a bring and share lunch, which was followed by a discussion of some of the problems facing mission and evangelism in the Archdiocese of Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Father Markos spoke of the need for such meetings to continue, and mentioned two kinds of meetings -- one, like the meeting today, with the Divine Liturgy, so that people from outlying congregations with no resident priest could receive the Holy Communion, and another kind of meeting for teaching about the Orthodox Christian Faith.
There was also some discussion of church land and buildings at Soshanguve and Madidi, but there was no one present from Soshanguve to report on progress (or lack of it) in acquiring a church site that the Archdiocese had applied for 20 years ago. At Madidi a meeting was to have been held with the Roman Catholics and Anglicans to discuss with them their procedures for erecting church buildings on communally-owned land, but it was unclear whether such a meeting had been held.
Fr Markos also spoke of the need to visit people in Dennilton and Witbank, and it was proposed that he arrange with Fr Athos Papaevripaides about suitable dates for such visits, and that Fr Markos, Fr Athos and Deacon Stephen should visit those places.
It was felt that other joint meetings of the mission congregations should not be arranged until we knew the dates of Lent, Pascha etc for 2022, and I have since ascertained that the dates are as follows:
While the adults were talking at the business meeting, the children enjoyed playing outside.
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
Divine Liturgy in the Church of St Demetrius, Gerhardville
Fr Kobus van der Riet served, assisted by Fr Markos Manyeke and Deacon Stephen Hayes (whose name day it also was).
Divine Liturgy, St Demetrius
Unfortunately, owing to the rainy weather, the Covid epidemic, and several other factors, attendance was limited mainly to the local congregation from Gerardville itself, and a few from Mamelodi. Other visitors included members of the parishes of Pantanassa, Melrose, and St Nicholas of Japan, Brixton.
Many members of the local congregation at Gerardville are expatriate workers from Malawi.
The service was sung in English, North Sotho and Afrikaans, with a choir of Gerhardville and Mamelodi people to lead it.
The deacon leads a litany, while the priest makes the exclamation at the end
At the end of the service Fr Kobus gave a homily on the life of St Stephen, and Deacon Stephen gave an explanation of the ministry of deacons in the Church, and how it relates to other ministries, such as those of the priest and the bishop.
Fr Kobus van der Riet preaching the homily
The Choir
The choir may be small, but we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, some of whom are represented by the ikons on the wall.
Tone 4 Troparion (Feast)
Thy Nativity, O Christ our God,
has shone to the world the light of wisdom!
For by it, those who worshipped the stars,
were taught by a star to adore Thee,
the Sun of Righteousness,
and to know Thee, the Orient from on high.//
O Lord, glory to Thee!
Tone 4 Troparion (St. Stephen)
Protomartyr and mighty warrior of Christ our God,
thou art victorious in battle and crowned with glory, O holy Stephen!
Thou didst confound the council of thy persecutors,
beholding thy Saviour enthroned at the right hand of the Father.//
Never cease to intercede for the salvation of our souls!
After the Divine Liturgy we gathered in the hall for a bring and share lunch, which was followed by a discussion of some of the problems facing mission and evangelism in the Archdiocese of Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Father Markos spoke of the need for such meetings to continue, and mentioned two kinds of meetings -- one, like the meeting today, with the Divine Liturgy, so that people from outlying congregations with no resident priest could receive the Holy Communion, and another kind of meeting for teaching about the Orthodox Christian Faith.
There was also some discussion of church land and buildings at Soshanguve and Madidi, but there was no one present from Soshanguve to report on progress (or lack of it) in acquiring a church site that the Archdiocese had applied for 20 years ago. At Madidi a meeting was to have been held with the Roman Catholics and Anglicans to discuss with them their procedures for erecting church buildings on communally-owned land, but it was unclear whether such a meeting had been held.
Fr Markos also spoke of the need to visit people in Dennilton and Witbank, and it was proposed that he arrange with Fr Athos Papaevripaides about suitable dates for such visits, and that Fr Markos, Fr Athos and Deacon Stephen should visit those places.
It was felt that other joint meetings of the mission congregations should not be arranged until we knew the dates of Lent, Pascha etc for 2022, and I have since ascertained that the dates are as follows:
- 13 February -- Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee
- 6 March -- Cheesefare/Forgiveness Sunday, beginning of Great Lent
- 17 April -- Palm Sunday
- 22 April -- Great and Holy Friday
- 24 April -- Holy Pascha
- 10 June -- Ascension Day
- 20 June -- Holy Pentecost
While the adults were talking at the business meeting, the children enjoyed playing outside.
Christ is born! Glorify Him!