Dumfries, Scotland, February 24, 2025
Left to right: Fr. Patrick Cardine, Abbot Theodore, Fr. Justin Slaughter Doty, Fr. Philip, Dcn James Cavendish, Sayedna, Fr. Boniface, Fr. David McCready, Fr. Dmitry. Photo: antiochian-orthodox.com
After a few years of discussions, a large portion of a diocese of one of the Old Calendarist churches has been received into the Antiochian Orthodox Church in its Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland.
On Monday, February 10, His Eminence Metropolitan Silouan visited a community in Dumfries, Scotland, to receive James Cavendish, formerly a vicar bishop of the Diocese of the British Isles of the Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of North and South America and the British Isles, together with clergy and laity from the diocese.
This reception followed two years of “intense and amicable consultation,” the Antiochian Archdiocese reports.
On the evening of Met. Silouan’s visit, Vespers was celebrated at the Church of the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Walsingham and St. Ninian, after which the former Bp. James and two novice brothers were received back into the canonical Church by Chrism.
During the Liturgy the next day, Br. James was ordained to the diaconate and another monastic was received back into the Church. Deacon James will be leading the Typika and other reader services for the monks and laity in Dumfries for the time being.
In its former Old Calendarist jurisdiction, the diocese celebrated according to the Western Sarum Rite. In speaking with OrthoChristian, Deacon James explained that they are now using the Eastern Rite until an official blessing is given by the Antiochian Synod to return to the Western Rite.
According to Dcn. James, the diocese consists of two parishes and four missions with six clergy and about 150-200 people, who voted nearly unanimously to move into the Antiochian Church.
According to the site of the Old Calendarist jurisdiction, its British Isles Diocese consists of one community at present.
Last week, OrthoChristian reported that the pastors and most of the people of an Evangelical church in Halifax, England, are also preparing to be received into the Antiochian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland.
Evangelical church in Halifax, England preparing to join Orthodox ChurchAn evangelical congregation in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, is in the process of converting to Orthodox Christianity via the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland.Follow OrthoChristian on Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe, and Gab!
