Saturday 29 January 2011

Services for February 2011


Services for February 2011

Meeting of our Lord in the Temple
Tue 1st 6.30pm Great Vespers
Wed 2nd 11am Divine Liturgy

Sat 5th 6pm Great Vespers
Sun 6th 10am Matins; 11am Divine Liturgy

Sat 12th 6pm Great Vespers
Sun 13th 10am Matins; 11am Divine Liturgy

Beginning of the Triodion
Sat 19th 6pm Great Vespers
Sun 20th 10am Matins; 11am Divine Liturgy

Sat 26th 6pm Memorial and Great Vespers
Sun 27th 10am Matins; 11am Divine Liturgy
This is Meatfare Sunday and the last time we eat meat until Pascha

Name Days in February3rd Archimandrite Simeon Piers
7th Richard Grace
16th Nicholas Chapman (OS)
19th Philothei (Imogen) Maxfield

Reposed2nd Protopresbyter Alban Barter (2009)
10th Photini (Philippa) Pearce (2006)

The Triodion (Greek: Τριῴδιον; Romanian: Triodul) is the liturgical book used
during Great Lent and the preparatory weeks leading up to it. Many canons in
the Triodion contain only three canticles or odes, hence the name. The period the
book covers extends from the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee (the tenth
before Pascha) and concludes with Great and Holy Saturday

Recipes from Afaf





Recipes from Afaf!
Makhloutah (Mixed Pulses Soup)
The name of the soup derives from the
verb khalata which means, mix things together.
In this instance, it refers to the mixing of
different pulses or beans together to produce
an earthy nourishing soup, great for vegans.
The amount given in this recipe is a suggestion,
you can vary it according to your liking, you can
even omit one of them if you don’t like it and
increase the amount of the one you like or substitute it with lentils. Before mixing the
beans, I tend to boil them separately because each type takes a different time to
soften, especially haricot beans. Alternatively, you can speed up this recipe by using
tinned beans, they work well.
The dried broad beans I use here are the Lebanese ones which I believe have more
flavour than others. They have a brownish colour and tend to be plumper but smaller
in size than the ones that are usually available in general supermarkets. Tinned broad
beans (or Foul Medammas) are also available in Lebanese grocers.
Serves: 4 - 6
Ingredients:
 75 g / 3oz chickpeas soaked overnight in water which is three times their volume,
stir into that ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
 75 g / 3 oz haricot beans soaked overnight in water with ¼ tsp bicarbonate of
soda
 75 g / 3 oz dried broad beans soaked overnight in water with ¼ tsp bicarbonate of
soda
 2.25 litres / 4 pints stock made up from the juices of the beans and added water.
 75 g / 3 oz green or brown lentils (optional)
 20 g / ¾ oz rice
 1 large or 2 medium onions thinly sliced
 85 ml / 3 fl oz good brand olive oil
 Salt to taste and freshly milled black pepper
 1tbsp ground cumin
 1 tsp allspice
 30 g / 1oz fresh coriander chopped, you could also substitute it with parsley,
chives or freshly chopped spring onions
 Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle (optional)
Method:
1. Rinse chickpeas, haricot beans and broad beans then place in separate saucepans
with three times their volume of water, add 1 tsp salt and bring to boil. Remove
the scum, then cover and let them simmer until they begin to feel tender.
2. When they are ready, drain them but reserve the liquid in a measuring jug, you
may need to top it up with water to make up the quantity required.
3. Heat up the oil in a deep saucepan (preferably non-stick), wide enough to mix all
the ingredients, fry the onions for about three minutes, then add the three
beans, sauté for a couple of minutes to give them a good coating, season. If you
want lentils, you could add them to the mixture at this stage, do likewise if using
tinned beans. Pour in the stock (or water if using tinned beans) and bring to the
boil then reduce the heat, cover and let the whole mixture simmer for 45
minutes, stirring occasionally, the beans should be really soft, otherwise cook for
longer.
4. Next, stir in the rice, check again whether you need topping up with hot water.
Give the whole thing a good stir, simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the rice
is cooked, taste again and adjust seasoning if necessary.
5. Serve hot with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, scatter generously with chopped
coriander or parsley or any herbs of your choice. Delicious with freshly baked
crusty bread!
Yakhnet Bazella maa Jazar (Fresh Peas and Carrot stew)
This is one of my favourite dishes for the
sweetness of fresh peas and carrots mixed with
the juices from the meat and flavoured with
orange peel, gives this wintery dish a
distinguished taste. If you can’t find fresh peas,
substitute with frozen ones. The other good
thing is that this dish works well for vegetarians
and vegans, simply, omit the meat and for more
flavour add garlic. This dish is usually served with
plain rice, another tip is that it shouldn’t come out too ‘saucy’, the amount of water I
recommend is fine, however, if using tinned tomatoes which tend to be more watery,
reduce the amount.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
 1tbsp vegetable oil
 1 large onion finely chopped
 300g / 11oz lean lamb meat cut into small cubes
 300g / 11oz carrots peeled and diced into small cubes
 4 cloves of garlic peeled and smashed (optional)
 Peel of 1 small orange
 150ml / 5fl oz water (or vegetable stock if omitting meat)
 450g / 1lb fresh ripe tomatoes skinned or the equivalent of tinned chopped
tomatoes,
 Seasoning: salt to taste, freshly milled black pepper plus ½ tsp ground allspice
 500g / 1lb 2oz fresh or frozen peas
Method
1. To skin the fresh tomatoes, simply drop them in boiling water, leave them for
one minute for the large ones, and 30 seconds for the smaller ones, then
remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate, to cool slightly. Slip off the skin and
chop.
2. Heat up the oil in a deep medium sized pan. Stir fry the chopped onion for 1
minute then add meat, season with and cook until it is lightly browned. Mix in
the carrots, garlic if using, orange peel and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring
occasionally. After that, add chopped tomatoes followed by the water or
vegetable stock (if omitting the meat), and bring to the boil, cover and simmer
for about 15 minutes, after which you mix in the peas. If you are cooking
frozen peas, you may need to increase the heat to boiling point before
dropping them in. Simmer for another 15 minutes or until the peas are cooked.
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
3. Discard orange peel and serve hot with plain rice.
Falafel (Bean Patties)
Falafel is eaten throughout the Middle East usually
wrapped in bread as a sandwich. It makes an ideal
meal for vegetarians and vegans, it can also be
served as a starter. The main ingredients are dried
broad beans and chickpeas, the rest can be varied to
suit your taste, for instance, if you don’t like
coriander, you could substitute it with parsley or if
you like your Falafel spicier you could add chillies. One more thing, it is important
that the ingredients are dried thoroughly, otherwise the mixture will be too wet and
mushy. In the end, we will be looking for a tasty mixture that binds firmly when you
shape it.
A great advantage is that once cooked, it freezes well. Once defrosted, it and can be
reheated in a hot oven or microwave.
Makes about 20
Ingredients
 200g/ 7oz skinless dried split broad beans soaked overnight in water with ½ tsp
of bicarbonate of soda
 75g/ 3oz chickpeas, preferably split chickpeas, soaked overnight in water with
¼ tsp of bicarbonate of soda
 1 medium sized leek washed, drained from excess water trimmed and chopped
 5 fat cloves of garlic peeled and smashed to a paste
 1 sweet red pepper washed and chopped
 about 5 spring onions washed and finely chopped
 50g / 2oz coriander, rough stalks discarded, washed dried and chopped.
 1 or 2 chillies (optional)
 1 slice of bread (optional)
 About 4 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
 Bicarbonate of soda
Seasoning
 Salt & freshly milled black pepper
 2 rounded tsp cumin
 1 tsp allspice
To serve
 Lebanese bread, allow 1 bread per person
 Mixture of sliced radishes, chopped parsley, tomatoes, lettuce, and pickled
turnips
 Tahini sauce or Taratoor (See recipe in Sauces)
Method
1. Soak broad beans and chickpeas separately in water, adding bicarbonate soda
to each, leave them for several hours, ideally overnight.
2. When you are ready to cook, rinse the broad beans, drain then and spread
them on a tea towel to dry. Next, rinse the chickpeas, for the split ones, add
fresh water and using your fingers rub the skins off and discard, rinse again the
skinless chickpeas, drain and dry thoroughly. If you have whole ones, rinse and
drain them then take whatever you can fit on a large chopping board, cover
with a tea towel then bash them gently with a rolling pin. You will see that the
skins come off, discard the skins, pick up the skinless ones and keep them to
one side, it does not matter if they are broken because we need to grind them
later. Repeat the process with the rest of the chickpeas, then rinse drain and
dry.
3. Now, put broad beans, chick peas, along with the rest of the ingredients adding
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda in a food processor. Process until you reach a
mixture that binds together firmly. If it is too moist, shred the bread, add it to
the mixture and process again. Taste and adjust taste if necessary, then cover
and leave it to rest for an hour.
4. Take a piece of the mixture the size of a golf ball, shape it into a patty about 4-
5 cm/ 1½ -2 inches diameter and place it on a plate, continue likewise with the
rest until the mixture is finished. Let the patties rest for 20 minutes.
5. Heat the oil to about 190°C/ 375°F, dust each patty in the sesame seeds (this is
optional) before dropping it into the hot oil, do likewise with the rest. Deep fry
for about 3 minutes turning them once or twice until they reach a deep golden
brown colour. Drain on a kitchen paper and keep warm until you finish deep
frying.
6. To serve: Open up the bread, leaving the other half attached, put the patties
creating one row in the middle, top it with the salad of your choice then drizzle
with the tahini sauce, flip the other half of the bread to cover, roll it up, wrap
the bottom side with greaseproof or kitchen paper (to catch the excess juice)
and eat. Alternatively, serve the falafel on a plate with a little salad, bread and
sauce on the side.

The Meeting of our Lord in the Temple
This feast, celebrated on February 2, is known in the Orthodox Church as The
Presentation of Christ in the Temple. Another
name for the feast is The Meeting of our
Lord. Roman Catholic and Protestant
Christians call the feast, The Purification of
the Holy Virgin. About 450 AD in Jerusalem,
people began the custom of holding lighted
candles during the Divine Liturgy of this feast
day. Therefore, some churches in the West
refer to this holy day as Candlemas. The Feast
of the Presentation concludes the
observances related to the Nativity of Christ,
a period that opened on November 15 with
the beginning of the Nativity fast.
The Icon of the Feast
The Holy Icon shows that the meeting takes
place inside the Temple and in front of the
altar. The altar has a book or a scroll on it and
is covered by a canopy. The Theotokos stands
to the left and is holding out her hands in a
gesture of offering. The one hand of the
Theotokos is covered by her cloak or as it is known, the maphorion. She has just
handed her Son to Simeon.
Christ is shown as a child, but He is not in swaddling clothes. He is clothed in a small
dress and his legs are bare. Jesus appears to be giving a blessing. Simeon holds Jesus
with both hands which are covered. This shows the reverence Simeon had for the
Messiah. Simeon is bare headed and there is nothing to show that he is a priest.
Some biblical scholars say that Simeon was probably a priest of the Temple or a
Doctor of the Law.
Joseph is behind the Theotokos. He is carrying the two turtle doves for the sacrifice.
Anna the Prophetess is also standing behind the Theotokos and is pointing to the
Christ child.
The words Simeon spoke when he saw the Christ Child are known as "St. Simeon's
Prayer." This prayer is sung daily at the evening Vespers services of the Orthodox
Church.
In the Orthodox Church, both baby boys and baby girls are taken to the Church on
the fortieth day after their birth. This is done in remembrance of the Theotokos and
Joseph taking the infant Jesus to the Temple.

Pan-Orthodox Assembly of Bishops


Pan-Orthodox Assembly of Bishops
The 2nd Meeting of the Pan-Orthodox Assembly of Bishops with Churches in the
British Isles:
14th December 2010 at Thyateira House, London
The following bishops were present:
His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira & Great Britain (Ecumenical
Patriarchate)
The Most Revd Metropolitan John of Western and Central Europe (Patriarchate of
Antioch)
His Eminence Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh (Patriarchate of Moscow)
The Rt Revd Bishop Dositej of Great Britain & Scandinavia (Patriarchate of Serbia)
The Most Revd Archbishop Iossif of Western & Southern Europe (Patriarchate of
Romania)
The Most Revd Archbishop Mark of Berlin, Germany & Great Britain (Russian
Orthodox Church Outside of Russia)
The Most Revd Archbishop Anatoly of Kerch (Diocese of Sourozh)
The Most Revd Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia (Archdiocese of Thyateira)
The Rt Revd Bishop Athanasios of Tropaeou (Archdiocese of Thyateira)
The Rt Revd Bishop Zenon of Dmanisi & Great Britain (Patriarchate of Georgia), the
Most Revd Metropolitan Simeon of Central and Western Europe (Patriarchate of
Bulgaria) the Rt Revd Bishop Ioan of Parnassos (Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Ukranian
Orthodox Diocese in Great Britain) and the Rt Revd Bishop Chrysostomos of Kyanea
(Archdiocese of Thyateira) were unable to attend.
According to the decision made at the Inaugural Meeting of the Assembly (21.06.10),
the Presidents of the three Committees set up by the Assembly (Theological, Pastoral
and Educational) were to each chair a meeting to propose to the Bishops matters for
discussion.
A meeting of the Theological Committee has yet to be held.
The Educational Committee met at Thyateira House on 2nd December. It proposed
that the bishops discuss the following:
1) The organisation of a Pan-Orthodox Clergy Conference.
2) A Pan-Orthodox Newsletter
3) The preparation of Pan-Orthodox catechetical material, such as pamphlets on
liturgical topics, a catechetical book and teaching resources.
A Meeting of the Pastoral Committee was held on 16th November 2010 at the Russian
Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition, London. The Committee proposed for
discussion:
1) Christian Orthodox mission and the reception of converts
2) Practices about Holy Communion and Confession
3) Mixed marriages
4) Social service: hospital, cemetery and prison chaplaincy
5) Youth activity (Pan-Orthodox Youth Camps)
6) Procedures regulating Inter-Orthodox clergy relations
The Episcopal Assembly decided:
1) That the Educational Committee should gather together existing catechetical
material such as diocesan and parochial pamphlets on the Orthodox Faith both
from within and from outside of the United Kingdom for the Theological
Committee to examine. The Theological Committee is also to examine the
catechetical book ‘The Living God’ (SVS Press) to determine whether it can be
used as a standard catechism by all of the dioceses in the British Isles.
2) To set up a fund for the Pan-Orthodox Assembly, under the name “Pan-
Orthodox Assembly Fund” for the purposes of publications and other actions of
the Assembly which will require money. Each diocese will pay an annual
contribution toward the fund.
3) The annual celebration of Pan-Orthodox Vespers in London on the Sunday of
Orthodoxy will henceforth be organised and publicised by the Pastoral
Committee of the Pan-Orthodox Assembly. The Bishops also decided that the
Georgian and Romanian Communities should also begin hosting this event. The
Assembly also hopes for such Pan-Orthodox services to be held in Manchester,
Birmingham, Glasgow and Dublin.
4) On 13th March 2011, the Service of Pan-Orthodox Vespers will be held at the
Georgian Orthodox Church of St George: The Ark of the Covenant, Rookwood
Road, London N16 6SS, at 5.00 p.m.
5) To begin planning a Pan-Orthodox Clergy Conference to be held in the near
future.
In addition to these decisions, the Bishops also discussed the problems of mixed
marriages, the reception of converts into the Orthodox Church, the prospect of a
shared English translation of the Divine Liturgy, and the need for improved
communication between the Orthodox dioceses.
The next Episcopal Meeting will be held on 30th June 2011 at the Greek Orthodox
Church of the Twelve Apostles in Hertfordshire.
The Meeting concluded with lunch provided by Archbishop Gregorios at Thyateira
House.
London, 17th December 2011



Saints of Britain – St Werburgh of Chester
Werburga or Werburgh, as she is more commonly known in modern English, was
born at Stone sometime early in the seventh century which makes her a very local
saint indeed. Her father was Wulfhere king of Mercia whilst her mother
was Ermenilda who was herself a daughter of Ercombert, king of Kent and Sexburga who was herself the daughter of a king of East Anglia.
Not a great deal is actually known about Werburga as such. There are no real contemporary records of her activities and the earliest account of her life was written by a Flemish monk named Goscelin towards the end of the 10th century, whose
account was used by later
writers such as William of
Malmesbury.
The traditional tale is that despite her beauty and her obvious attractions as a very
well connected royal princess, she rejected all suitors and
resolved to dedicate her life to God. Therefore, with her father's consent, she took
holy orders and entered the Abbey of Ely, which lay within the borders of the
kingdom of East Anglia, and which had been founded by her great
aunt Etheldreda and who was the current abbess at the time.
In due course her uncle Aethelred became ruler of Mercia and invited her to return
home and assume control of all the convents within the kingdom. Werburga was
therefore to dedicate the rest of her life to the business of reforming the
existing Mercian establishments and founding new religious houses including those
at Trentham, Hanbury and Weedon.
After a life of service to the religious administration of Mercia, Werburga died on the
3rd February in either 699 or 700. She had apparently already decided on Hanbury as
her final resting but happened to be at Trentham when she died. The nuns
at Trentham refused to give up the body and even instituted security arrangements
to prevent its removal. Despite this an expedition from Hanbury succeeded in
recovering her remains. (It is said that all the bolts and bars sprang open once
touched and that all the guards were overpowered
by sleep and remained oblivious to the theft.)
The Miracle of the Geese
The most noted miracle attributed to Werburga
relates to an incident at a farm in Weedon close
to Chester which was being plagued by flock of wild
geese, who were feasting on the farm's cornfields
much to the detriment of its overall productivity.
Werburga dealt with the problem by ordering the
geese to be shut up for the night (the geese meekly
obeyed her command); the next day she scolded
them for ravaging the fields and told them to go
away.
The geese however refused to leave, as the
previous night,
one of their number had been caught, killed and
eaten by the farm's steward. Werburga ordered
the steward to bring forth the bird's remains, at
which point Weburga restored the bird to life. The
flock, including the now reconstituted goose, then
departed and in gratitude never returned again.
The tale explains why Werburga is often depicted
in iconography with a goose somewhere nearby.
By the year 708 her brother Coenred had
succeeded Aethelred as king of Mercia and
decided to move her body to a more conspicuous
place within the church at Hanbury.
Her body was found to be miraculously intact
despite the passage of some eight or nine years
since her death, which was naturally considered to be a sign of divine favour and her
tomb therefore became an object of veneration and a centre for
pilgrimage. Coenred himself is said to have to have been so effected by this miracle
that he decided to abdicate and enter holy orders himself.
The shrine remained at Hanbury for the next 160 years or so but due to the threat
from Viking raiders it was decided, in the year 875, to relocate the shrine to Chester.
Troparion (Tone 4)
Thine illustrious life filled the angels with awe
and put the demons to flight in terror,
while it adorneth the congregations of the faithful with the splendour of grace,
O venerable mother Werburga!
As in thy charity thou didst extend thy love to all thy fellow creatures,
intercede with God in our behalf, that our souls may be saved!

Saints of Britain – St Seiriol of Penmon



Seiriol was an early 6th century saint, who created a cell at Penmon
Priory on Anglesey, off the coast of north Wales. He later moved to Ynys Seiriol
(Puffin Island). He was a son of
King Owain Danwyn of Rhos.
According to tradition, he
and Saint Cybi were good friends,
and would meet weekly
near Llanerchymedd, at the
Clorach wells. Saint Cybi would
walk from Holyhead, facing the
rising sun in the morning and
setting sun in the evening. Saint
Cybi was known as Cybi Felyn (Cybi
the Dark), as he was tanned during
his journey. Seiriol, travelling in the
opposite direction, from Penmon,
would have his back to the sun.
Thus, he was known as Seiriol
Wyn (Seiriol the Fair). Rhyd-y-Saint
railway station (English: Ford of the Saints railway station) on the Red Wharf Bay
branch line near Pentraeth, was named as Seiriol and Cybi are said to have met there.
Seiriol was a younger brother of King Cynlas of Rhos and King Einion of Llŷn. His cell
at Penmon is said to have been rebuilt by his brothers, as they didn't think his
humble residence was good enough. St Seiriol's Well (Ffynnon Seiriol) lies in a small
chamber adjoining its remains. Adjacent to them are the church and ruins of
a monastery also dating back to Seiriol's day.
In his old age, Seiriol retired to Ynys Lannog which subsequently became known
(in Welsh) as Ynys Seiriol. Later it would be known to the Vikings as Priestholm, and is
known as Puffin Island in English since the 19th century.
We commemorate Saint Seiriol on 1 February.

Friday 7 January 2011

Services for January 2011


Services for January 2011

Sat 1st 6pm Great Vespers
Sun 2nd 10am Matins; 11am Divine Liturgy
Wed 5th 6:30pm Vesperal Divine Liturgy and Great Blessing of the Waters
Thu 6th 11am Divine Liturgy of Theophany and outdoor Blessing of the Waters

Sat 8th 6pm Great Vespers
Sun 9th 10am Matins; 11am Divine Liturgy

Sat 15th 6pm Great Vespers
Sun 16th 10am Matins; 11am Divine Liturgy

Sat 22nd 6pm Great Vespers
Sun 23rd 10am Matins; 11am Divine Liturgy

House Blessings by arrangement between 6th January and 2nd February

Name Days in January
1st Vasiliki Harvey
7th Cristian Bostan; Jan Warrilow; Oana Onofrei
14th Nino Bartholomew
17th Antonis Harvey
25th Archpriest Gregory (our Dean)
27th Nina Chapman

Parish Feasts
13th Saint Kentigern, Doncaster
16th Saint Fursey, Sutton
19th Saint Macarios the Great, Leeds

Reposed
6th Archpriest Michael Harper (2010)
14th Mary Carter (2005)
18th Priest John (2001)

The Feast of the Holy Theophany of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ


The Feast of the Holy Theophany of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ








This observance commemorates Christ's baptism by John the Forerunner in the River Jordan, and the beginning of Christ's earthly ministry. “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway, out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17). By descending into the water, Christ sanctifies it, but immediately comes out because he had no need of cleansing. The Feast of Theophany is the culmination of the Christmas Season, which starts on December 25 and ends on January 6. In mystic commemoration of this event, the Great Blessing of Water is performed on this day, and the holy water so blessed is used by the local priest to bless the homes of the faithful.
The feast is called Theophany because at the baptism of Christ the Holy Trinity appeared clearly to mankind for the first time - the Father's voice is heard from Heaven, the Son of God is incarnate and standing physically in the Jordan, and the Holy Spirit descends on Him in the form of a dove.
This feast is also sometimes referred to as Epiphany by English-speaking Orthodox Christians, but that name more properly refers to the Western Christian feast falling on that same day and commemorating the visit of the Magi to the child Jesus. The term "Epiphany" does appear in the services for this feast, however.

Troparion in Tone 1

When Thou, O Lord wast baptized in the Jordan
The worship of the Trinity was made manifest
For the voice of the Father bore witness to Thee
And called Thee His beloved Son.
And the Spirit, in the form of a dove,
Confirmed the truthfulness of His word.
O Christ, our God, Thou hast revealed Thyself
And have enlightened the world, glory to Thee!
picture sourse

Saints of Britain – St Brannock of Braunton



Saints of Britain – St Brannock of Braunton

In the first of a series of writings concentrating on our British Saints we look at St Brannock of Braunton who is commemorated on 7th January.
It is likely that Saint Brannock (Brannoc) is one and the same as Saint Brynach of Wales.
Since St Brynach was in Wales first, we’ll start there where he is said to have travelled to Rome and Brittany before arriving at Milford Haven. It is not known from where he travelled to Rome. A number of oratories were erected by St Brynach near the rivers Cleddau, Gwaun and Caman but his most famous foundation, at the foot of Mynydd Carningli (translated as Mountain of the Angels) was a significant monastery at present day Nevern. Nothing now remains of the monastery but a Norman church (dedicated to Saint Brynach) was built on the site which because of undercutting by the river Caman has itself been rebuilt many times. The churchyard is remarkable for a Celtic Cross (10th Century) and several inscribed stones (of 5th or early 6th Century) inscribed in Latin and in Ogham.
Also in the churchyard is a “bleeding yew” which leaks red sap at certain times of the year.
Saint Brynach is said to have been something of a wild fellow in his youth but very virtuous after his conversion and descriptions of his adventures (including amorous and ghostly encounters) found in the “Life of St Brynach” show a degree of humour not usually found in the writings of saintly lives.
The Saint was frequently harassed by King Maelgwn of Gwynedd for a while until he wrought miracles and the two came to terms.
On 7th January (the date of the death of the Saint) we commemorate St Brannock of Braunton which is not in Wales but in Devon.
St Brannock is believed to have migrated here to establish another monastery – on a hill overlooking the village – but it fell down.
In a dream, the Saint was told to look for a sow and piglets and to build his new church there. This story is commemorated in one of the stained glass windows in the present St Brannock’s Church in Braunton and in a fine roof boss.
Holy Saint Brannock pray to God for us.