Greek Orthodox Church of St John Chrysostom

10/06/2026

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☦️ First of all, remember, Lord, our Archbishop and Patriarch, BARTHOLOMEW, and grant that he may serve your holy Churches in peace, safety, honour, health, and length of days, rightly discerning the word of your truth. (From the Holy Anaphora of the Divine Liturgy of
St John Chrysostom)

☦️ Ἐν πρώτοις μνήσθητι, Κύριε, τοῦ Ἁρχιεπισκόπου καὶ Πατριάρχου ἡμῶν, ΒΑΡΘΟΛΟΜΑΙΟΥ, ὃν χάρισαι ταῖς ἁγίαις σου Ἐκκλησίαις ἐν εἰρήνῃ, σῷον, ἔντιμον, ὑγιᾶ μακροημερεύοντα καὶ ὀρθοτομοῦντα τὸν λόγον τῆς σῆς ἀληθείας.

09/06/2026

Today is the feast of St Columba of Iona in Scotland, one of the great Celtic saints. His biographer St. Adamnan tells that once he unknowingly blessed a knife belonging to one of the brothers. When he realized what he had done, he said ‘I trust in my Lord that the implement I have blessed will not harm man or beast.’ His prayer was answered—when the brother tried repeatedly to use the knife to slaughter a steer, he found it simply would not cut (Life of St Columba II.30).

There is another story that, near the end of his life, he became aware that he had not long left in this world. The week of his death, he sat down from a walk, wearied, and the loyal white work-horse of the monastery ran over to him, rested his head on his breast, and wept as a man would. The saint was amazed that the animal was aware of realities the monks were not, and had come to bid him farewell. He blessed the horse, who turned and went sadly on its way (ibid. III. 24).

09/06/2026

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"The Britons were among the first people in Europe to follow Christ. By the 2nd and 3rd centuries they already had bishops, churches, and martyrs such as Saint Alban.

They were farmers, herdsmen, warriors, and builders who loved their homeland and lived by the rhythms of the land. When Rome fell, they kept the Gospel alive in their villages, hills, and ancient settlements. Though Angles and Saxons later arrived from across the North Sea, the Britons did not disappear. They mixed, married, and fought alongside the newcomers, and together helped form the English people.

The blood of those first Christians still flows in our veins. Their courage, faith, and love of home helped shape England, and we remain the heirs of that inheritance."
-- The English Remnant

07/06/2026

Come and get a Greek souvlaki! £10 with a soft drink or £12 with a beer!

05/06/2026

Join our friendly community this Sunday for a BBQ hosted at our church!

📍Dog Lane , Cheltenham, Gloucestershire - simply search Cheltenham Orthodox Church to find us!

We hope to see you!

03/06/2026

Registration now open:

02/06/2026

Remember it’s our Church BBQ this Sunday!

🌧️DO NOT fret about the weather! There will be tables and chairs set up inside if protection from the rain is needed!

We hope to see you there! There will be great food, company, child’s lucky dip, and raffle prizes to win!!

31/05/2026

🔸 The Holy Trinity Icon 🪽🔸

On today’s Feast of Pentecost, when we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit and the full revelation of the Holy Trinity to the world, we also commemorate the icon of the Holy Trinity, commonly known as “The Hospitality of Abraham” (Gen. 18:1-15). The original icon was painted in the 15th century by Russian iconographer St Andrei Rublev and is regarded as one of the most profound icons of the Church. It presents a symbolic image of the three Persons of the Holy Trinity, for the appearance of the three angels to Abraham in the Old Testament has long been understood by the Fathers as a foreshadowing of the Triune God.

Genesis tells us that the Lord appeared to Abraham by the Oak of Mamre as he sat at the entrance of his tent. Lifting up his eyes, Abraham saw three men standing before him. He ran to meet them, bowed himself to the ground, and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass by Your servant” (Genesis 18:3). When Abraham offered to wash their feet and prepare food for them, “they said, ‘Do as you have said’” (Genesis 18:5). Speaking with one voice, the three angels prefigure the unity of the divine essence shared by the three persons.

Abraham hastened to Sarah and instructed her to prepare bread, while a choice calf was prepared and set before the heavenly visitors together with curds and milk. Abraham and Sarah then stood before them beneath the tree as they ate (Genesis 18:6-8). The Lord then revealed that Sarah, though advanced in age, would bear a son (Genesis 18:9-11). This promise came to pass, and Isaac was born to them (Genesis 21:2-3). In Rublev’s icon, the three angels - representing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit - are arranged so that their bodies form a perfect circle, symbolising their eternal communion and unity.

The chalice containing the sacrificial calf prefigures both the Eucharist and Christ’s Passion. In the background stand the Oak of Mamre (foreshadowing the Wood of the Cross), the house of Abraham and Sarah, and a mountain inclined in reverence before the Lord, often associated with Mount Moriah, where Abraham was commanded to offer Isaac in sacrifice.

30/05/2026

We will have a Service this Sunday 31st May to celebrate Pentecost!

It will start at 08.30am and finish earlier at about 11.30ish.

27/05/2026

Our beautiful Greek Orthodox Church photographed on a professional camera. Join us for an upcoming Liturgy on Sunday.