Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church, Reading, UK

07/06/2026

Dear Church Family,

We would like to share an important update regarding the President’s role within our church.

Following the recent transition of our President, Theodora Dimakopoulou, the Church Committee met last Sunday to prayerfully consider and vote on leadership for the remainder of the current term.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Theodora for her faithful service, dedication, and commitment to our church community during her time as President. Her leadership, hard work, and care for our congregation have been deeply appreciated, and we thank her for the many ways she has contributed to the life and ministry of our church. We wish her every blessing and success in this new chapter and pray that God will continue to guide and strengthen her in all that lies ahead.

We are pleased to announce that 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐄𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 has been elected to serve as President for the remainder of the current term. We are sincerely grateful that Paul has graciously accepted this responsibility and is willing to serve our church in this important role. His commitment, wisdom, and heart for our congregation will be a great blessing as we move forward together.

Please join us in thanking Paul for his willingness to serve and in welcoming him into this role. We also ask that you keep both Paul and Theodora in your prayers during this time of transition, asking for God's guidance, wisdom, and blessing upon them.

May God continue to lead and strengthen our church as we serve Him together.

With every blessing,
The Church Committee

29/05/2026

Dear friends,

We wish to bring to your attention the forthcoming UK cinema release of the new historical film Kapodistrias - The Governor, directed by the internationally acclaimed Greek filmmaker Yannis Smaragdis.

The film presents the life, sacrifice, and vision of Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first Governor of modern Greece and one of the most significant figures of post-independence Hellenism. It is a thoughtful historical portrayal of a man whose life was marked by service, faith, and dedication to the Greek people.

Given the historical and cultural significance of the subject, Greek schools, Philoptochos societies, youth groups, and parishioners with an interest in Greek history and heritage may especially appreciate the opportunity to see the film.

The film will begin screening in selected cinemas across the United Kingdom from 12 June 2026, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Bristol, with additional cities expected to follow.

Further information and cinema listings may be found at:

https://www.twofresh.co.uk/kapodistrias

27/05/2026

Dear friends,

The annual COTY Pentecost Picnic will take place at Hyde Park, following the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Divine Wisdom on Sunday 31st May.

The picnic remains an opportunity for young adults from across London and beyond to gather together on this great feast day, to reconnect, meet new faces, and enjoy an afternoon of food and fellowship. Tickets for the picnic can be purchased by our youth for £5.00 using this link:

www.ticketsource.com/whats-on/london/hyde-park/coty-pentecost-picnic/e-grllal.

For further information do not hesitate to reach out to a member from our Committee.

13/05/2026

‼️Additional evening service on 20th May ‼️

Dear all,

We would like to inform you that on Wednesday 20th May our church will hold an additional evening service to celebrate the commemoration of St. Constantine & Helen as well as Christ’s Ascension.

Service will start at 7pm.

We hope to see you there and celebrate together in love and prayer.

We would like to notify you that Wednesday 20th of May there will be an evening service to celebrate Christ's Ascension as well as St. Constantine & Helen. The service will be start at 19:00 and we hope to see you there!

13/05/2026

Dear everyone,

As the time for this wonderful event is approaching, we would like to encourage all of you who will be particularly interested in attending to let us know by the end of the week.

Please let either the Secretary or the President of our church know of your interest. This is going to help us better prepare and have an idea of the numbers of the attendees.

From the committee of Prophet Elias, Reading

27/04/2026

Dear all,

Please find attached a poster announcing the forthcoming Patriarchal Visit of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who will be in London on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, on the occasion of the Nameday of His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas.

A Nameday Gala Banquet will be held in His Eminence’s honour at the London Hilton Park Lane.

Further details will follow in due course.

Please do speak with a member of our committee or message us if you’re interested in attending.

24/04/2026

✨ Archdiocesan Youth Camps 2026 ✨

Dear friends,

With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas, the Archdiocese will once again run its summer residential youth camps as part of the Archdiocese Children and Youth Ministries. 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐲 will take place in Devon, and 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐚 will run in the North of the UK for the second year.

𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬:
✨𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐲 - 𝑆𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑎𝑦 25 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝐹𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑦 31 𝐽𝑢𝑙𝑦 2026 (£300 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑)
✨𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐚 - 𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑦 3 𝐴𝑢𝑔𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝐹𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑦 7 𝐴𝑢𝑔𝑢𝑠𝑡 2026 (£220 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑)

Camp Saint Sophrony is served by Bishop Raphael as head of clergy, and Camp Saint Bega by Father Antonios Kakalis as priest in charge.

Thyateira Youth Camps are for children aged 8–17 (school years 4–13). Their purpose is to deepen young people’s faith and understanding of Orthodox life, strengthen friendships within the wider Church, and cultivate a lived sense that we are one family in Christ. Over the years, many young people have returned to their parishes strengthened in faith, serving as chanters, readers, deacons, and priests. Some have even found their future spouse within the wider Church community.

𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
Both camps are now open for pre-registration of new applicants via the website:
https://thyateirayouthcamps.org.uk/youth-camps/

Following pre-registration, qualifying applicants will receive a sales link for their chosen camp.

Tickets for Camp Saint Bega are already on sale.Tickets for Camp Saint Sophrony open on 1 March and are typically filled very quickly.

A £100 deposit is required to secure a place. Spaces are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Both camps are run entirely by voluntary staff, and the fees reflect only the true running costs.

Yours in Christ,
Bishop Raphael of Ilion
& Camp Saint Sophrony and Saint Bega Teams

24/04/2026

A message from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira & Great Britain:

Beloved in the Lord,
Christ is Risen!

At the request of the Embassy of Greece, we are pleased to share information regarding the upcoming ReBrain Greece event in London, an initiative of the Greek Ministry of Labour and Social Security aimed at connecting Greek professionals of the diaspora with leading companies in Greece.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧:
𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲, 9 𝐌𝐚𝐲 2026
𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐞

This may be of particular interest to members of our communities, especially Greek citizens and professionals currently residing in the United Kingdom.

𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤:
https://rebrain-greece.idloom.events/rebrain-greece-uk

With prayerful wishes, in the joy of the Risen Lord,
Archdeacon George Tsourous

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Αγαπητός εν Κυρίω,
Χριστός Ανέστη!

Κατόπιν σχετικού αιτήματος της Πρεσβείας της Ελλάδος, σας προωθούμε ενημέρωση για την επερχόμενη εκδήλωση ReBrain Greece στο Λονδίνο, πρωτοβουλία του Υπουργείου Εργασίας και Κοινωνικής Ασφάλισης της Ελλάδος, η οποία αποσκοπεί στη σύνδεση Ελλήνων επαγγελματιών της διασποράς με επιχειρήσεις που δραστηριοποιούνται στην Ελλάδα.

Η εκδήλωση θα πραγματοποιηθεί το:
Σάββατο, 9 Μαΐου 2026
𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐞

Η πρωτοβουλία αυτή απευθύνεται κυρίως σε Έλληνες πολίτες και επαγγελματίες που διαμένουν στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο.

Σύνδεσμος εγγραφής:
https://rebrain-greece.idloom.events/rebrain-greece-uk

Μετ’ αναστάσιμων ευχών,
Αρχιδιάκονος Γεώργιος Τσουρούς

21/04/2026

A visit to the Great School of the Nations 🏫🇬🇷

We are so pleased and exited to share with you all that not long ago, on 2nd of April, we had the distinct honor of meeting with the School’s Director, Mr. Dimitrios Zotos, for a deeply moving discussion regarding the enduring presence and journey of Hellenism in in Constantinople.

As part of the visit, on behalf of our parish, a beautiful icon of Saint Arsenios the Cappadocian was offered to the School by Anastasios Kofonikolas. It was a moment of profound grace, received by the School with immense joy and visible emotion!

We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Anastasios for his wonderful initiative. It is through these gestures that our shared heritage and faith remain vibrantly connected. 🙏✨

Στις 2 Απριλίου 2026 πραγματοποιήθηκε επίσκεψη στη Μεγάλη του Γένους Σχολή, το παλαιότερο ελληνικό εκπαιδευτικό ίδρυμα, με την ίδρυσή του να ανάγεται στο 1454, λίγο μετ....

21/04/2026

Dear everyone,

With reverence and joy we invite you at our Holy church to honour the Great Martyr, Trophy Bearer and Wonderworker Saint George.

The service will start at 7pm and will continue until 22pm.

Please take into account that there will be NO parking at the church premises for that service.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Αγαπητοί αδελφοί και αδελφές

Με ευλάβεια και χαρά, σας προσκαλούμε στον Ιερό Ναό μας να τιμήσουμε τον Μεγαλομαρτη και Τροπαιοφόρο «Άγιο Γεώργιο» την Τέταρτη 22 Απρίλιο 2026 ότην Βραδινή Ακολουθία, όπου θα τελέσουμε τον Όρθρο και την Οεια Λειτουργία τον Αγίου.
Στο τέλος της Λειτουργίας, θα ακολουθήσει Αρτοκλασία.

Ώρα Έναρξης: 19:00

(Please note there will be no parking at the church that evening)