1869 – 2014
1870
Metropolitan Saint Innocent of Moscow and the Holy Synod approve the Western Rite specifically for the United Kingdom at the behest of Dr Overbeck.
1882
The Patriarch and Synod of Constantinople gave conditional approval to the use of the Latin liturgy and Benedictine office.
1898
The Western Rite Diocese of Moravia and Silesia was organised in Czechoslovakia under the Holy Synod of Russia.
1904
Archbishop Tikhon (Later Patriarch saint Tikhon of Moscow) and Bishop Saint Raphael (Hawaweeny) assisted by Fr. Saint John (Kochuroff) petitioned the Holy Synod of Russia to permit the adaption of the services taken from from the Book of Common Prayer, for use by Orthodox people.The Synod set up a Commission which reported back in 1907.
1912
The Rituale Romanum was blessed by Metropolitan Gerassimos (Messarah) of Beirut for English use in 1912, and later revised.
The same year a group of Church of England bishops attended the Holy Synod of Russia meeting in St. Petersburg, and met with the Metropolitan Eulogios and his Society for Rapprochement with the Church of England.
1921
Patriarch Dimitri of Serbia consecrated Fr Gorazd (Pavlik) bishop of the Western Rite Diocese of Moravia and Silesia. Patr. Dimitri’s co-consecrators were Metropolitan Antony (Khrapovitsky) of Kiev (later First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia) and Bishops Barnabas, Dositheus and Joseph. Bishop Gorazd was martyred by the
Germans September 4th. 1941. The diocese was later forced to change to Eastern Rite.
1926
On the 8th of August, the Polish Catholic National Church – Bishop Alexis of Grodno – was received, as a Western Rite Diocese of Poland under the Moscow Patriarchate. This group was largely destroyed by the Germans during World War II with at least one parish remaining into the 21st century. Saint John of Shanghai was tonsured by Metropolitan
Anthony (Khrapovitsky) First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
1929
The Russian Fraternity of Saint Irenee in France (headed by Vladimir Lossky and Evgraf Kovalevsky) acting under metropolitical guidance, celebrated the Western Rite in a Parish church for the first time.
1936
Under the terms of a Moscow Ukase, the Western Orthodox Church in France, was set up, headed by Fr. Eugraph (Kovalevsky). A group of Old Roman Catholics led by Louis Charles Winnaert formed the original core membership of this Western Rite national Church.
1944
Fr. Denis (Chambault) professed as a Benedictine within the Moscow Patriarchate in Paris. He founded the Saint-Denis & Saint-Seraphim de Sarov Priory in rue d’Alleray.
Fr. Eugraph (Kovalevsky) completed a restoration of the ancient first millennium Gallican Liturgy – the Liturgy of Saint Germanus.
1947
Fr. Gregorio Baccolini, a Benedictine monk was received in France. He set up a small Orthodox Benedictine house in Rome.
1964
ROCOR’s Archbishop Saint John of Paris celebrating the Western Rite in Paris.
The Church in France overseen by Saint John continued from then on.
1966
Saint John of ShangHai, Archbishop in ROCOR consecrated Fr Evgraph Kovalevsky as Western Rite Bishop of Saint-Denis, Paris for the Orthodox Church of France
Bishop Jean-Nectaire
Bishop Jean-Nectaire celebrating in the Orthodox Church of France cathedral in central Paris
1969
Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) and Archbishop Alexis (van der Mensbrugghe)(Moscow Patriarchate) celebrating the Western Rite
1972
The Romanian Orthodox Church consecrated Fr Gilles Bertrand-Hardy as Bishop Germain of Saint-Denis in Paris for the Orthodox Church of France
1994
A group of Church of England clergy and people had formed themselves into a group called “Pilgrimage to Orthodoxy” with the intention of becoming Orthodox Western Rite. A press release was issued stating that they were being received by the Antiochian Orthodox Church in America under Metropolitan Philip. However this was later rescinded and they were received under somewhat different circumstances under the Antiochian Archbishop in Paris.
2000
In 2000, Fr Michael (ROCOR, Hieromonk) was studying at York and connected with local Orthodox families as well as people in Doncaster. Assisted by Fr Dennis Moffat, Fr Michael celebrated the Western Rite Divine Liturgy at the cemetery chapel at Hatfield Woodhouse.
Hatfield Woodhouse is a quintessentially protestant town, being one of the earliest places that Wesley preached, and of course has a number of Methodist churches. Interestingly a number of Methodist people including a minister attended our services – and sang very well.
2001
In 2001, Fr Michael and his cell attendant David spent some months in France at the invitation of the Orthodox Church of France (l’ECOF) in order to understand the church there.
Part of the time, they lived in the Bishop’s house in central Paris and for the winter at the monastery of the Transfiguration and Saint John of ShangHai and San Francisco at Saint-Marcel-Campes in Tarn not far from Cordes sur Ceil in the south of France. The monastery was built on the base of a Cathar castle destroyed in 1204 and the lower storeys were original castle building. Fr Michael celebrated the Western Rite in the monastery chapel for local people. At the conclusion of his visit, Fr Michael gave the ROCOR Synod a report on the Orthodox Church of France.
The monastery chapel at Transfiguration and Saint John of ShangHai
2006
Then in 2006, Fr Michael was in Belgium at Philippeville where he celebrated the Western Rite Liturgy in several local churches and chapels.
Here at a borrowed Roman Catholic church Fr Michael is assisted by a local Greek Orthodox Deacon.
Meetings were held in Philippeville with members of the Orthodox Church of France clergy who came to a Liturgy, and held discussions afterwards
Eventually, local people set up their own Western Rite chapel.
2007
In 2007 a retreat was held at Hawkinge near Folkestone in Kent to coincide with the centenary of the 1907 decision of the Holy Synod of Russia regarding Western Rite. Fr. Michael and Fr. Barry conducted the sessions of the retreat. Retreatants came from England, Belgium and America.
The retreat was held at The Grange in a large former barn which had been converted to luxury accommodation.
On the Sunday the Western Rite Divine Liturgy was held in the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin at nearby Capel le Ferne. This church was built in AD 1030 and is little altered.
Fr Barry reading the Epistle at Capel le Ferne.
The Recession at the end of the Liturgy.
Lunch after the Liturgy.
Venerating Saint Eanswythe as close as we could get to her shrine in Folkestone not far from our retreat house.
2009
In November 2009 Metropolitan Hilarion whilst visiting London met with the Church of England Archbishop of Canterbury
A few days later after Metropolitan Hilarion consecrated the new upper church of the Dormition cathedral in Harvard Road London there was a celebratory lunch, Fr. Michael here with an Old Catholic Archbishop.
After lunch, Metropolitan Hilarion instructed Fr Michael to officially start to set up Western Rite Missions in England.
And so Saint Eanswythe mission began using this church in Southbourne, Bournemouth.
Inside the church
First Chrismation
Friends with their newly blessed icons outside the church.
Several members of our congregation attended a study session in London with Fr Andrew Louth and Metropolitan Kallistos
Fr Michael’s study in Bournemouth.
Visiting Saint Bertram’s well and his nearby shrine
Blessing Phillip as a Server at South Molton
Fr. Michael was living at Pusey House Oxford, where he had meetings with Metropolitan Kallistos and Bishop Basil. At the time he worked at recruiting some academics to the cause.
2010
Decree appointing Fr. Michael in charge of Western Rite in UK
A Western Rite meeting and Liturgy was held at Saint Magnus Martyr in London. Fr. Michael celebrated, Fr. Sergei heard confessions and Ari Adams served.
The lower church at the Dormition ROCOR cathedral in London set up for Western Rite Liturgy.
The Chapel where we moved to at Christchurch which had better facilities and was not far from the magnificent Norman Priory church
2011
Blessing a Novice nun
Metropolitan Hilarion indicates in a letter that he would like to see an Hermitage established in Scotland.
On one occasion we used this chapel in Bournemouth itself in the grounds of St. Peter’s church, the chapel with its magnificent Comper reredos, virtually unknown in the canon of Comper
2012
Having been Ordained in America, Fr Thomas Cook celebrates the Liturgy at the chapel in Saint Dunstan’s church, Poole at Christmas 2012
The Assumption of Mary Western Rite monastery in Eisenbergen, Germany is received into ROCOR
Fr Michael after the Liturgy.
2013
Fr Thomas does Evensong in Oxford
With a blessing from Metropolitan Hilarion and from Metropolitan Kallistos, Fr. Michael ran the annual Orthodox retreat on Iona. Here he is singing Evensong with the retreatants in Saint Oran’s chapel.
2014
Fr. Michael concelebrating with Metropolitan Hilarion at the Ordination of Edward whom Fr Michael had originally Baptised. Fr Michael was staying at the Metropolitan’s house for discussions about the future of Western Rite in the UK.
The Metropolitan formally establishes the Western Rite Saint Bride Hermitage in Edinburgh, Scotland. http://saintbridehermitage.org/ and http://saintadomnan.wordpress.com/
The Hermitage and chapel near Edinburgh
Interior of the Chapel of Saint Mary the Virgin at the Hermitage
Fr Michael celebrating the Dormition
Fr. Michael concelebrating with Scottish clergy from several parishes in Scotland.
Fr. Thomas and the people at Headington.
Fr. Thomas celebrating the Liturgy at Headington
2015
This year has been mainly given over to writing books and running retreats.
The chapel at Bickleigh originally built in AD600 and never a ruin, documented since AD800, we do our retreats here now. Since it is privately owned, we have no worries with and church authorities.
ORTHODOX WESTERN RITE 