Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ our Lord,

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (1Tim 3,16)

After this last year of many difficulties and tribulations, 2020, we will be warmed by the grace of the festival of Christ’s birth. We have arrived on foot and with prayer and fasting to Bethlehem’s cave, and with the shepherds and the wise men, enter and bow to the new born infant Christ our Lord.

Dear parishioners,

After the new restrictive measures introduced by the UK government last night, we inform you that nothing has changed in relation to churches and other places of worship, and everything remains the same in the church of St. Sava as we have recently informed you about the Christmas services.

Please note: You must not stay, socialise and talk with other people in the church during and after the Holy Liturgy. 

Church Congregation Council

The Serbian Orthodox Church to her spiritual children at Christmas, 2020

The Holy Hierarchical Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church

With all the Hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church, to all the clergy, monastics, and all the sons and daughters of our Holy Church: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, with the joyous Christmas greeting:

Peace from God! Christ is Born!

Christ is born, glorify Him!
Christ is come from Heaven, welcome Him!
Christ is on earth, be lifted up!
Sing unto the Lord all the earth!

With these words Saint Gregory the Theologian begins his Nativity sermon, and these same words we, sixteen centuries later, sing in our services. Sing to the Lord, all the earth, for the joy prophesied by the Old Testament prophets (Isaiah 2:2-3; 9, 6; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Ezekiel 34:23; Micah 5:2) and the righteous (Genesis 12:3; 18:15) has been fulfilled. The most difficult task of man’s life is to comprehend how that announced and then fulfilled joy is not like any earthly joy; rather it represents the very essence of life and our faith. Every earthly joy and celebration is limited by time and space, but the joy of Christmas is an event which lasts, giving meaning to all of our relationships and our whole life here and now. This joy has manifested itself, it has begun, it is already given to us according to Christ’s words: “Your joy no one will take from you.” (St. John 16:22)

Today, the priesthood of St. Sava church in London, after the Holy Liturgy, served a commemoration for the newly presented servant of God, Serbian Patriarch Irinej. Protodeacon Djordje Čekerevac, a friend of the late Patriarch since student days in Prizren and Belgrade, served the Holy Liturgy and commemoration alongside other priests. Protodeacon Djordje and Patriarch Irinej exchanged last messages while Patriarch was in the Karaburma hospital in Belgrade. Patriarch Irinej was also a professor in Seminary in Prizren attended by our priest Radomir Acimovic. With special feelings we remember Patriarch’s visit to England in 2016, his services in London and Birmingham and his speech at St Paul's Cathedral. He was a tireless traveller wanting to visit, encourage and comfort his spiritual children around the globe. Today, as in the previous days, we were in prayer memory with our Patriarch and we remain grateful for his legacy and work in the field of God.

Eternal memory and the Kingdom of Heaven to our Patriarch Irinej!

The priesthood of St. Sava church in London.