FRIENDS OF MOUNT
ATHOS
(Registered
Charity No. 1047287)
The notice for this year's meeting is enclosed. Please note that once again it falls on a Saturday, so we are hoping for a good turn-out.
Bishop Kallistos has often been described as the voice of Orthodoxy
in the West but, conferences apart, it is thirteen years since he last addressed
the Friends of Mount Athos, of which he is President. Though he has now retired
from his position as a university teacher, he remains much in demand both
as a lecturer and as a pastor, so it is entirely appropriate that he should
take as his theme "The Spiritual Father in Early Monasticism and on the
Holy Mountain".
Professor Malcolm Wagstaff, formerly Professor of Geography at the
University of Southampton, is also enjoying an active retirement. A staunch
supporter of the Friends for many years and a veteran of the path-clearing
project, he has long been working on a study of the British military surveyor
William Martin Leake. He brings these interests together in presenting an
illustrated talk on Leake's visit to the Holy Mountain in 1806.
Sandwiched between the two talks is the
official business of the AGM and as usual there will be elections. Bishop Basil
and Professor David Cadman as well as the Secretary (Graham Speake) and the
Events Secretary (Anthony Hazledine) have all reached the end of their term of
office and will tender their resignations. All four have indicated their
willingness to stand again. Any other nominations for these positions should
reach the Secretary in writing at least one week before the meeting. Guests are
welcome to attend the AGM but may not vote.
The fact that we are meeting on a Saturday means that we have an opportunity to join the Orthodox community at 1 Canterbury Road (five minutes' walk from St Anne's) for a vigil service at 5.30 pm. Those who are staying overnight in Oxford may like to know that on the Sunday morning (which is the feast of the Holy Fathers of the Second Ecumenical Council) there will be a celebration of the Divine Liturgy (mostly in English) at 10.30 am. Both Orthodox and non-Orthodox members and their guests are warmly invited to attend these services.
Attendance
at the AGM is free. The charge for attending the rest of the day (including
morning coffee and afternoon tea) is £7.50 / $15 per person (students £4.00 /
$7.50); and there will be a buffet lunch costing £12.50 / $23.50. Names and
cheques (payable to The Friends of Mount Athos) should be sent as soon as
possible, Payment in British Pounds should be sent with the reservation
information to the Events Secretary, Anthony Hazledine, Antique Oriental
Carpets, High Street, Fairford, Glos GL7 4AD. Payments in Dollars accompanied by the reservation
information should be sent to Robert W. Allison, 45 N. Saunders Rd., Greene,
Maine, USA 04236. If paying in dollars, please send duplicate reservation
information to Anthony Hazledine at the address above.
This spring another expedition, the fifth, will be dispatched to the Mountain for a fortnight in May. The list for this year is already full and there is a waiting list, such is the enthusiasm for this important and rewarding project inspired by our honorary member, HRH The Prince of Wales. But the project leader, John Arnell, will soon be assembling a team for next year and any members of the society who wish to volunteer their services are encouraged to contact him (John@thearnells.org).
Following the highly successful pilgrimages to France in 2002 and to Thessaly in 2004, the Friends are now organizing a third pilgrimage, this time to the renowned monasteries of Moldavia in Romania, several of which were once dependencies of the Holy Mountain. These houses of prayer are famed for their magnificent external frescos and for the extraordinary beauty of their surroundings. Led by Bishop Kallistos, the programme will include guided visits to fifteen monasteries and important cathedrals, museums, and places of natural beauty. The maximum number of participants is 25 and the cost, including flights, accommodation, meals, and guide (but excluding insurance), is £682.10 $1284.00 per person. There are still a couple of places available: anyone who is interested in joining the group should contact Dimitri Conomos (dimitri.ec@btinternet.com) as soon as possible.
Residential conferences
In March 2005 the Friends held a second residential conference at Madingley Hall near Cambridge, this one devoted to the theme, '"Beauty Will Save the World": Art, Music, Architecture, and Athonite Monasticism'. The main speakers were Bishop Kallistos of Diokleia, Abbot Vasileios of Iviron, Dr Dimitri Conomos, Mr Aidan Hart, Professor Ioli Kalavrezou, Dr John Nandris, and Dr Sophia Sotiropoulou. Once again the conference was fully booked well before the event and attracted delegates from North America as well as many countries in Europe and all parts of the United Kingdom. The success of two such conferences means that a tradition has now been established and we are already working towards a third to take place early in 2007. Meanwhile it is hoped that the proceedings of the first conference, Mount Athos, the Sacred Bridge: The Spirituality of the Holy Mountain, will be published shortly.
Applications are invited from suitably qualified graduate students working for a higher degree or diploma at institutions of higher learning in the UK for the Friends of Mount Athos Travel Bursary. Applicants may be drawn from any discipline but should be already engaged in or willing to become engaged in a project with a specifically Athonite context. The value of the award is £500. Applications, accompanied by the names and addresses of two referees, should be addressed to the Secretary, Dr Graham Speake, Ironstone Farmhouse, Milton, Banbury OX15 4HH. The attention of applicants is drawn to the fact that women are never admitted to Mount Athos.
Bequest from the late Guy Evans
Guy Evans was one of our first members and most enthusiastic supporters. We were therefore saddened to hear of his death in November 2004. But he remembered the Friends to the last and generously left the society a legacy of £50.00, on condition that it be used to buy Hagioritic wine for consumption by members at their next convenient meeting. We have assured his family that the money will be put to the use that he prescribed. May his memory be eternal!