England: Nearly 200 newly illumined at Greek church in Hatfield

Hatfield, Hertfordshire County, England, April 14, 2025

Photo: thyateira.org.uk     

A truly glorious event took place on Lazarus Saturday, April 12, at Twelve Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Hatfield, Hertfordshire County, England.

That day, nearly 200 individuals were received into the Orthodox Church at the church an hour north of London, reports the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain.

Photo: thyateira.org.uk The service was led Archbishop Nikitas, assisted by clergy from across the Archdiocese. The newly illumined are students of the eighth session of the Archdiocesan Discover Orthodoxy course, which has already brought scores of people into the Church. OrthoChristian has reported on several mass reception services over the past few years (see Mass Baptism celebrated at London parishThe new Orthodox Christians are from diverse backgrounds, including British, Greek, Swedish, and Portuguese.

“>here, Another mass Baptism celebrated at London parishThe newly-illumined attended the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Divine Wisdom in Bayswater on Sunday and communed of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ for the first time.”>here, Archdiocese of Thyateira’s catechism course continues to convert by the dozens—another mass BaptismMore than 70 individuals who completed the Discover Orthodoxy Class have been received into the Orthodox Church thus far.”>here, Mass Baptisms in Belarus and EnglandAt least two mass Baptisms occurred in the Orthodox Church over the weekend.”>here, and On the Saturday of Lazarus, 43 individuals were welcomed into the Orthodox Church by Archbishop Nikitas LuliasThe newly illumined Orthodox Christians hail from various backgrounds, including the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Greece, Africa, other Commonwealth and European countries, and Asia.”>here).

The current class has been meeting on Zoom since September 2024 and will continue through May.

The group consisted mainly of adults, thought with several children too. Most were received by Holy Baptism and Chrismation, while about 20 adults were received through Chrismation. The new Orthodox Christians have backgrounds from the UK, Cyprus, Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Africa, Latin America, Asia, and across the Commonwealth and Europe.

Photo: thyateira.org.uk     

Following the Baptisms, the newly illumined participated in the Divine Liturgy and received the Eucharist for the first time.

The day concluded with a Lenten reception.

Mass Baptism at Greek church in Australia, where Orthodoxy is quickly growingAccording to 2016-2021 census data, Orthodoxy is the fasting growing denomination, with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia coming in as the fastest growing among the Orthodox jurisdictions.

“>On Friday, OrthoChristian reported on a mass Baptism at a Greek church in Sydney, Australia.

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