Patronal Festival - July 2014

The Hymn of Kassiani

The Hymn of Kassiani, also known as the Hymn of the Fallen Woman, is a Penitential Hymn that is based on the Gospel reading for Holy Wednesday morning (Matthew 26:6-16), which speaks of a sinful woman who anoints Jesus' feet with costly ointment. This hymn is chanted only once a year and considered a musical high-point of the Holy Week, at the Matins and Presanctified Liturgy of Holy Wednesday, in the Plagal Fourth Tone.

Tonight this Hymn was chanted in our Church by the Senior Chanter Mr. Andreas Kazamias, accompanied by the Lambadarios Dr. Panayiotis Procopiou.

Palm Sunday by 3

A). Palm Sunday morning

Our Lord has entered Jerusalem. He also entered our Church and our hearts and we welcomed Him by holding palms and olive branches.

Following the Cypriot liturgical order we had a procession around our Church; we had prayers at the back of the Church as well as in the front.

Then we gathered inside and the Priest after he had read a relevant Gospel he blessed the palm crosses and the olive branches.

At the end of the Service all members of the congregation received a palm cross as a blessing.

B). Palm Sunday afternoon

After the morning Service in our Church many of the Community members had gathered at the Golden Kitchen Fish Restaurant in North Harrow for a lovely fish meal, according to our Religious and Cultural Tradition.

Petros & Anastasia Christofi, the proprietors of the Restaurant, with the assistance of their son Yiannaki, welcomed everyone and offered a delicious meal.

The Priest, the Chairman of the Community Mr. Pantelis Demosthenous and the Teasurer Mr. Soteris Constantinou thanked the Christofi family and offered them a present.

C). Palm Sunday evening

“Behold the Bridegroom cometh in the midst of the night and blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching”!

At the beginning of Holy Week (Palm Sunday evening) we held at our Church the first Sacred Service of the Bridegroom.

The icon of the Bridegroom Jesus was taken by the Priest around the congregation and then it was placed in front of the icon-screen, for everyone to see it and venerate it!

Holy Week 2014

The Programme of the Sacred Services at our Church for this year’s Holy and Great Week is as follows: