I Found England's Forgotten Orthodox Saints

In this video I go on a pilgrimage through Orthodox England as I explore the Orthodox saints of Essex — from the pre-schism saints of early Britain and Anglo-Saxon England to Saint Sophrony of Essex, one of the great Orthodox spiritual fathers of the modern age. In this video, I visit St Helen’s Chapel in Colchester, connected with the tradition of Saint Helen of Colchester, the mother of Constantine the Great and finder of the True Cross. Her story links Roman Britain, Colchester, Rome, and Jerusalem, showing how Essex stands close to the roots of Christian history. I then travel to the village of St Osyth on a mission to find St Osyth’s Well and explore the life of Saint Osyth of Essex — a princess, queen, abbess, and martyr whose memory still lives in the landscape of the Essex coast. From there, I visit St Peter-on-the-Wall at Bradwell-on-Sea, the ancient chapel founded by Saint Cedd, the missionary bishop who helped re-establish Christianity among the East Saxons in the 7th century. This remarkable chapel, built with Roman stone on the edge of the sea, is one of the most powerful surviving signs of Anglo-Saxon Christianity and the early Christian history of Essex. Finally, I go to the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in Tolleshunt Knights, the Orthodox monastery in Essex founded by Saint Sophrony of Essex. His life connects Essex with Mount Athos, Saint Silouan the Athonite, Russia, Paris, and the living tradition of Orthodox monasticism. This journey brings together British Orthodox saints, English saints, ancient pilgrimage sites, and the continuing life of the Orthodox Church in Britain. From St Helen’s Chapel Colchester to St Osyth’s Well, from St Peter-on-the-Wall Bradwell-on-Sea to the Monastery of St John the Baptist Essex, this video explores how Essex became a place of saints, mission, martyrdom, prayer, and spiritual renewal. Whether you are interested in Orthodox Christianity, pre-schism saints, Anglo-Saxon saints, Christian pilgrimage in Essex, or the deeper story of Orthodox saints of England, I hope this journey helps you see Essex in a new way — not just as a county in England, but as a landscape marked by holiness. 00:00 Intro 00:44 St Helen of Colchester 06:33 St Helen's Chapel 08:38 St Osyth 12:34 Searching for St Osyth's Well 15:26 St Cedd 17:30 St Cedd's Chapel 22:12 St Sophrony & the Essex Monastery 25:09 The Miracles of St Sophrony 26:23 Outro #OrthodoxChristianity #OrthodoxEngland #SaintsOfEssex #ChristianHistory #SaintSophrony