St Helen's Chapel, Colchester

St. Helen's Chapel
51.891°N 0.901°E / 51.891; 0.901
Standort	Colchester, Essex
Land	Vereinigtes Königreich
Language(s)	Englisch
Denomination	Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch
Previous denomination	Church of England
Administration
Archdiocese	Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland
Clergy
Priest in charge	Father Alexander Haig
Deacon(s)	Father Deacon Mark Shillaker

St Helen's Chapel is an Eastern Orthodox Church in Colchester, Essex, under the jurisdiction of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland, headed by His Eminence Metropolitan Silouan.

The Icon of Saint Helen of Colchester inside of the Chapel

Liturgy

Divine Liturgy at Saint Helen's Chapel is prayed in the English Language, despite Arabic serving as the the official language of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East. Divine Liturgy is prayed at 10:30 am on Sundays, with occasional services during the week.

History

In the 1500s, after the Protestant Reformation, Saint Helen's Chapel ceased to be used for worship and instead was used for secular use as a school, library, and workshop. In the 18th Century, the Chapel began to be used as a Quaker Meeting House and later a Church Hall. In 1886, the Round Family, who also owned the Colchester Castle, purchased the Chapel, and hired famous architect William Butterfield to restore it. Very little of the original stonework exists, excluding a few decorative Roman bricks.

Since the 24th of February 1950, the Chapel has been Grade II listed on the National Heritage List for England.

In 2000, after 500 years, the Chapel was restored by the local Eastern Orthodox parish to be used for Divine Liturgy.