On Holy and Great Friday, 18th April 2025, Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain presided over Matins and the Service of the Epitaphios Lamentations at the Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of St John the Baptist in Essex.
The service was held in the monastery’s newly built church, which is scheduled to be consecrated on 22nd June 2025. This marked the first Holy Friday service in the new space; an occasion of profound spiritual and historical significance.
Archbishop Nikitas was received by the Abbot of the Monastery, the V. Revd Archimandrite Petros, along with the brotherhood, sisterhood, and many faithful pilgrims who had gathered to participate in the solemn commemoration of the Lord’s Burial.
With deep reverence, the Lamentations were sung before the Epitaphios of Christ, drawing the faithful into the heart of the mystery of Holy Friday. The quiet dignity of the monastic setting and the beauty of the newly constructed church amplified the deep contrition of the service.
At the conclusion, Archbishop Nikitas offered words of reflection, emphasising the redemptive nature of Christ’s voluntary suffering and the sacred stillness of the Tomb. He gave thanks for the faithfulness of the monastic community and congratulated Abbot Petros and the brethren on the new church, which stands as a testament to prayerful labour and divine grace.
Photo credit: Alexios Gennaris
