Shrewsbury church hosts Archbishop, Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire and mayor to mark major celebration
Shrewsbury played host to an Archbishop and a host of ecclesiastical and civic dignitaries as part of celebrations to mark the 1,700th anniversary of a pivotal event in Christian history.
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The Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Britain was joined by the Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire, the Mayor of Shrewsbury and Anglican, Catholic and Orthodox bishops at a special liturgical service at St Julian’s Church, Shrewsbury.
The service, led by Archbishop Nikitas, marked 1700 years since the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, in 325 AD.
The council is seen as important for laying the foundations of Christian unity, affirming the founding Christian belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ and establishing the Nicene Creed.
The creed is the core declaration of Christian faith which is still recited by Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox and many Protestant congregations today.
Special guests at the Shrewsbury service were the Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire Mrs Anna Turner, Shrewsbury Mayor Councillor Alex Wagner, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury the Right Reverend Mark Davies, the Anglican Bishop of Oswestry the Right Reverend Paul Thomas, and the Reverend Sean Henry, Dean of Shrewsbury Cathedral.
Archbishop Nikitas celebrated the service with Orthodox Bishop Maximos Pafilis and numerous Orthodox clergy from across the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain. A congregation of more than 180 people attended.
Celebrations continued after the Liturgy with a reception dinner at The Croud Meadow.
This was also attended by the Anglican Bishop of Shrewsbury the Right Reverend Sarah Bullock.
Parish priest Father Stephen Maxfield said: “This was the first time, in hundreds of years, that two bishops came together to serve a liturgy. We were honoured to be joined by the Lord-Lieutenant, the Mayor, Bishop Mark, Bishop Paul, Bishop Sarah and the Reverend Sean.”
Churches around the world are commemorating the anniversary of the first Council of Nicaea under the unifying banner of ‘Nicaea 2025’.
Shrewsbury has been the main host of Nicaea 2025 celebrations for the whole Greek Archdiocese because the town’s Orthodox parish is the only one in Britain, and possibly the whole of Western Europe, dedicated to the 318 bishops who gathered at Nicaea, from across the Roman Empire, to defend the foundational Christian faith.
Other Nicaea 2025 events in Shrewsbury have included an exhibition of holy icons, which continues until Friday (June 6) a sell-out concert of ancient music at Shrewsbury Cathedral and an open day at the Church of the 318 Holy Fathers in Sutton.
A symposium, examining the history and legacy of the first Council of Nicaea, will be held on June 21, at St Julian’s Church.
