Tucked away on the Hoe is Plymouth’s Greek Orthodox Church – a peaceful and special place for many multicultural communities that share the same religion
Plymouth’s Orthodox Church is a community that was formed around 28 years ago by Greek Cypriot families who had British nationality. Many Greek Cypriots came to Plymouth after the Second World War and established businesses in the city.
Attached to St Demetrios and St Nikitas Greek Orthodox Church is the Plymouth Greek School offering Greek language courses. The first Greek Cypriot, Maria Photiades, arrived in Plymouth in 1935. Post World War Two, in 1946, other families began to arrive and set up businesses in the city, as it was being rebuilt after the wartime destruction.
Then more people arrived after the Turkish occupation of Greek Cypriot villages in 1974. These days, the place of worship has become a special place for multi-ethnic communities, a peaceful place where Romanians, Bulgarians, Russians, Ukrainians and Arab-speaking Christians meet to share their faith and religion.
On ‘Paska’ night, the Orthodox Easter, crowds of people connected to Plymouth’s Greek Orthodox Church celebrated the Proclamation of the Holy Resurrection on nearby streets. The Orthodox Easter is celebrated a week later than the Christian or Roman Catholic Easter and the time it commences is connected to the moon. This year it was celebrated on April 15 and 16, coinciding with the first Sunday after the full moon that month.
Russians and Ukrainians gathered together to have their Easter cakes during the celebrations, despite the current conflict; here in Plymouth there is no issue with peacefulness between them.
The St Demetrios and St Nikitas Greek Orthodox Church was formed in a converted Church of England chapel; the building dates back to the 1800s. The building was purchased by the Orthodox Church around 28 years ago, from the Church of England, and converted for their form of worship.
St Demetrios and St Nikitas Greek Orthodox Church is made up of Priest Fr Gregory Carpenter, Chris Hajiyianni, President, Andreas Nikiforou, Treasurer along with others involved who communicate with the congregation in languages other than Greek or English.
Sergei Kozin, from Latvia, has a Russian mother and Ukrainian father, he is therefore able to communicate with the congregation in their languages, on behalf of Priest Fr Gregory Carpenter. Mihail Dura, who has known Priest Fr Gregory Carpenter for twenty years, speaks in Romanian to those communities during church services.
Orthodox Christians are grouped in self-governing national churches throughout many communities, Greek, Russian, Romanian, and Serbian and although using different languages, they are united in faith and worship. In many of today’s congregations there will be people who were not originally Orthodox in faith.
Priest Fr Gregory Carpenter also explained that in the Orthodox Christianity, the priest ‘serves’ and doesn’t ‘direct things’. Also, priests are permitted to marry within the Orthodox Church. Priest Fr Gregory Carpenter explained: “When you have a married priest, the priest’s wife takes on a role called the Presbytera and she tries to look after the young married woman and the children.”
St Demetrios and St Nikitas Greek Orthodox Church is situated on West Hoe
The Greek Orthodox Church is not registered for marriages, as it is too small. Couples marry at the Registrar Office and then come along to St Demetrios and St Nikitas for the church service. Generally, the Orthodox church do not carry out cremations, after a funeral the dead are buried. Here in Plymouth, burials happen within other cemeteries in the city as there is no graveyard at the West Hoe location to the Orthodox church.
Bay leaves scattered inside the church
Bay leaves are scattered during the service for Orthodox Easter, Priest Fr Gregory Carpenter explains: “At a point in the service a great noise is made that means our Lord Jesus Christ is conquering the Kingdom of Death. Then I come out and scatter bay leaves all over the church. In Corfu, people through pots off the balconies and they break in the street.”
The inside of the church is furnished with lamps and banners from Greece.
Inside St Demetrios and St Nikitas Greek Orthodox Church
There is a peaceful vibe in this small and welcoming Orthodox Church in Plymouth. Priest Fr Gregory Carpenter is used to welcoming refugees, students and anyone who is united in the Orthodox Christian faith.
Some of the Orthodox Christian community of Plymouth at St Demetrios & St Nikitas Greek Orthodox Church with Priest, Gregory Palamas
Source: Plymouth Herald
