LONDON, G.B. – [Photos by Jessy Papasavva Photography]
A large number of catechumens was received into the Orthodox Church during a deeply moving service led by His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain on April 4. The ceremony took place at the Church of the Twelve Apostles on the Saturday of Lazarus, marking a moment of profound joy and renewal within the life of the Archdiocese.
According to an announcement by the Archdiocese, in Hertfordshire alone, 75 newly illumined faithful were received into the Church. At the same time, similar services have been taking place across the Archdiocese, with hundreds received in parishes in Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cambridge, and London, reflecting a wider and continuing movement of reception into the Orthodox Church.
Assisted by clergy from across the Archdiocese, Archbishop Nikitas welcomed many of the newly illumined following their participation in the Archdiocesan Discover Orthodoxy programme, through which approximately 250 individuals have been received this year. Led by the Revd Presbyter George Tsiappourdhi, the course has been meeting weekly on Zoom since September 2025, with a new programme for the newly illumined set to begin in May 2026.
The newly illumined Orthodox Christians, primarily adults with several children among them, were received through Holy Baptism and Holy Chrismation, with a number of adults entering the Church through Chrismation alone. Participants came from a wide range of backgrounds, including the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Africa, Latin America, Asia, and across the Commonwealth and Europe.
Following the sacred service, the neophytes entered the church holding candles and joined the faithful in the Divine Liturgy, receiving the Holy Eucharist for the first time.
At the conclusion of the service, Archbishop Nikitas expressed his gratitude to the parish clergy – the Revd Protopresbyter Joseph Paliouras and the Revd Father Demetrianos Melekis – as well as to the many volunteers whose careful preparation made the day possible. A generous Lenten reception, hosted by Archon Louis Loizou, Community Chairman, brought together the newly illumined, their families, and the wider parish in a spirit of shared joy.
The day will be remembered not only for the number received, but for what it quietly revealed – a growing and living Church, gathering people from many places into a shared life.
