On 19 and 20 December our parish celebrated the patronal Feast of St Ignatius the God-Bearer, Bishop of Antioch, in the presence of our beloved father and Metropolitan, His Eminence Silouan.
The hierarchical visit began on Friday morning, 19 December, with His Eminence visiting Armagh, which is the historic bishopric seat of Saint Patrick. Sayedna Silouan was accompanied by Fr Dmitry and some members of the Parish Council. The delegation visited both the Church of Ireland Cathedral and the Roman Catholic Cathedral.
At the Church of Ireland Cathedral His Eminence was received by the Very Reverend Shane Forster, Dean of the Cathedral, who kindly guided the visit and explained the history, development and present life of the cathedral as the diocesan seat. His Eminence then proceeded to the Roman Catholic Cathedral where members of the Parish Council introduced its history and showed Sayedna around its grounds.
Later His Eminence was received for lunch at the home of one of the Parish Council members before returning to Belfast to prepare for the festal services.
On Friday evening the parish celebrated Festal Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia for the Feast of St Ignatius. At the conclusion of the service His Eminence delivered a homily on preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of Christ. He shared a moving story inviting the faithful to imagine a fourth Magus, who while journeying to meet the newborn Saviour, repeatedly stopped to help those in need giving away time and gifts. Though he arrived too late to see Christ in the manger he discovered that Christ had come to him because he had fulfilled the commandment of love of neighbour.
His Eminence reminded the faithful that while preparations such as gifts food and household arrangements are important ahead of the Feast, the first preparation must be the purification of the heart achieved not only through prayer and the sacraments, but crucially, through the good deeds.
The evening continued with a fasting dinner prepared by the parish’s Hospitality Team followed by the fellowship with His Eminence. Parishioners had the opportunity to ask questions and speak with Sayedna personally.
On Saturday 20 December His Eminence presided at the celebration of Festal Orthros and the Divine Liturgy. In his homily he presented St Ignatius of Antioch as a model for the faithful reflecting on the Gospel reading (Mark 9:33-41), where Christ sets a child before His disciples as an example of humility and purity. According to Holy Tradition this child is understood to be the future St Ignatius.
His Eminence spoke of the purity of children, their freedom from sin, and their direct unclouded knowledge of God. He called the faithful to strive for such purity. He explained that purification begins with the mind which must be directed toward God through prayer, the Gospel, the writings of the Holy Fathers and faithful commitment to daily responsibilities avoiding idleness and distraction. As the mind is healed the heart is also purified through attentiveness in prayer, participation in the services, confession and Holy Communion leading to a transformed life. In this way the faithful may follow Christ as St Ignatius did even unto martyrdom.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy the parish presented His Eminence with an icon of St Ignatius of Antioch and local Irish gifts as a sign of love and gratitude. His Eminence thanked the faithful and expressed that the greatest gift for him would be the continued growth of the community, the establishment of a permanent place of worship, and the regular celebration of the Divine services. He assured the parish of his prayers and support while encouraging everyone to work together toward this goal.
The services were followed by a fasting parish lunch and continued fellowship. His Eminence concluded by expressing his joy in the visit and by noting the prayerful atmosphere of the parish. He thanked everyone for the feast and encouraged the faithful to continue serving one another and bearing witness to the Orthodox faith in Belfast and throughout Ireland.
The visit concluded with a Parish Council meeting presided over by His Eminence after which he returned to London.
We once again express our gratitude to His Eminence Silouan for visiting the parish on our patronal feast. It was a joy to be gathered around our bishop, in a family atmosphere of prayer and love, giving thanks to God for His many blessings and for our patron, St Ignatius the God Bearer, who intercedes for us before His throne.
Full photo album is available here: https://saintignatiusbelfast.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/SaintIgnatiusChurchDocuments/IgB4QItqsohsS5MD-ujYCn2uAeaKZz1PIAZYQq0ZSn2cTZA?e=Xiym0F
This beautiful celebration would not have been possible without the dedication of many members of our community who took care of His Eminence and his itinerary, prepared the services, set up the church, chanted, served in the altar, prepared food, arranged logistics, and above all came to pray. We thank each and every one of you.
We wish everyone a blessed and peaceful Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ.
