St George's Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral – London

Friday, 16 May 2025 | St Sava’s Serbian Orthodox Church, Notting Hill Gate

With the blessings of His Eminence Metropolitan Archbishop SILOUAN, of the Antiochian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland; His Grace Bishop MATTHEW, of the Diocese of Sourozh (Moscow Patriarchate); His Grace Bishop IRENEI, of Great Britain and Western Europe (ROCOR); His Grace Bishop NEKTARIJE, of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Great Britain and Scandinavia; and His Eminence Archbishop ATANASIE, of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the London Antioch Youth hosted a joyful Orthodox Young Adults Gathering for youth from parishes across London. The event took place at St Sava’s Serbian Orthodox Church in Notting Hill Gate.

The evening began prayerfully with the service of Small Compline and the Akathist to the Theotokos, held in the beautiful cathedral of St Sava. Following the service, participants proceeded to the church hall, where a panel discussion on the theme “Worshipping God in Spirit and Truth” was offered by clergy from the different dioceses.

The speakers included: Mitred Archpriest Maxim Nikolsky, Assistant Priest at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God (Knightsbridge); Archpriest Yaroslav Hudymenko, Assistant Priest at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God (Chiswick); Archpriest Constantin Popescu, Parish Priest of St George Romanian Orthodox Cathedral (Enfield); and Fr Boniface Carroll, Priest-in-Charge of St Botolph’s Antiochian Orthodox Parish in London.

Drawing on the encounter between Christ and the Samaritan woman in John 4, the speakers reflected on Christ as “the Truth” and the firm foundation of our lives, who invites us into communion with Him. They spoke about how we are called to approach others with compassion and honesty, as Christ did, while faithfully upholding Orthodox belief. A key reflection came from a sermon by Saint Luke of Crimea: “Worship of God is the worship of the Spirit of God by the human spirit, and this becomes possible when the human spirit is cleansed and sanctified through repentance, constant prayer, and the striving to fulfil the commandments of Christ… And service to God in truth must be a journey along the path pointed out by the Lord – a path of suffering and spiritual struggle – toward that eternal Divine Truth which was revealed to the world by Jesus Christ.” This helped frame the discussion on worship as both a personal transformation and a lifelong ascent. A brief Q&A session followed, in which participants posed anonymous questions to the members of the panel.

After the talk, attendees enjoyed delicious Middle Eastern food and took part in a relaxed and engaging interactive activity. Participants were grouped into rotating discussion circles based on their career fields, stages of life, and areas of London in which they live. The activity gave everyone the chance to discover fellow Orthodox Christians working in the same industry, navigating similar life stages, or living right around the corner, reflecting a potential for a stronger sense of local Orthodox community.
The evening concluded with warm fellowship and lively conversation, leaving many encouraged by the unity, joy, and shared purpose among Orthodox youth in London. The next gathering is planned for early July, and all Orthodox young adults in London are warmly invited to join.