an article for the sixth anniversary of the opening of the first Orthodox church in Dublin

c) Church of the Annunciation and St. Andrew, Mt. Pleasant, Ranelagh Road, Dublin 6
30th November 1986 to the present (November 1987)

30th November 1986 a new place of worship for the Orthodox was found, namely part of the transept of St. Columba’s, known as the Tin Church, in Ranelagh. Agreement with the Church of Ireland authorities having been reached within eight days, the church was made ready for dedication by the intense labour of the priest and some fifteen parishioners. On St. Andrew’s Day the Blessed Sacrament was brought into the sanctuary, the premises were blessed and the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated for a joyful congregation in the presence of His Excellency the Ambassador of Greece. At the conclusion of this Divine Liturgy our priest wrote the following words in the record book:

«”Lord, remember the small Orthodox Community in Ireland and all the hardship she has suffered, and the oath she swore to the Lord: Not to enter tent or house, not to climb into bed, not to allow herself to sleep, not event to close her eyes until she had found a place for the Lord, a home for the Mighty One of Jacob (Ps. 131:1-5)”.

And after seven months of exile a place for the Lord was found which in eight days of continuous and dedicated work was made ready to welcome Him.
This second Orthodox Church in Dublin was dedicated to the Most Holy Annunciation of the Theotokos and the Holly Apostle Andrew today, 30th November 1986.
At the intercession of the Theotokos and the Holly Andrew the first-called to the apostolate, may God in Trinity be merciful to us now and on the dreadful Day of Judgment.
Archimandrite Eirenaios Craciun, priest in charge.»