Dear brothers and sisters,
This is weekly newsletter #24 of the St Ignatius Parish in Belfast.
Blessed Feast of Holy Great Martyr Demetrius the Myrrh-streamer of Thessaloniki. You can read the hagiography of the saint here: https://www.antiochpatriarchate.org/en/page/831/
Apolytikion of Great Martyr Demetrius in Tone Three
A great champion hath the whole world found thee to be when in grave perils; for thou dost put to flight the heathen, O victorious one. As thou didst humble Lyaeus’ arrogance and gavest boldness to Nestor in the stadium, thus, O holy Great Martyr Demetrios, do thou entreat Christ God that we be granted Great Mercy: https://youtu.be/uqxn2Z47wIw?si=JmdSHz1n7xanAEgz
May St Demetrius intercede for all of you!
Contents of this Newsletter:
- Message from Fr Dmitry: Archdiocesan Retreat 2025
- News and Announcements: Services in Church and More
- Homily on this Sunday’s Gospel: On Healing
Message from Fr Dmitry: Archdiocesan Retreat 2025
Dear brothers and sisters,
By God’s grace, I had the blessing and privilege of taking part in the Archdiocesan Retreat 2025, which is taking place from Friday 24 October to Monday 27 October at the Othona Community Camp Centre in Bradwell-by-the-Sea.
A particular joy for me this year is that our parish of St Ignatius in Belfast is represented at the retreat by our sister in Christ Pulcheria. So brave and committed, she travelled on an 6:00 am flight from Belfast to London on Friday. Upon meeting her at the airport, I picked up another seven passengers across different locations in London, including my spiritual father Fr Jonathan Hemmings, who travelled from Holy Cross Parish in Lancaster. Together we set off in the van for the retreat venue.
Ahead of us lay four days of joyful fellowship, worship, insightful talks, and lively social activities. Although I had to return home on Saturday due to other responsibilities, Pulcheria remains at the retreat with the other fifty-five participants.
It is difficult to put into words the beauty of the fellowship at this gathering. Participants have come from many parishes across our Archdiocese. A particular blessing is the presence of His Eminence Metropolitan Silouan, who is at the retreat throughout its duration.
Below I am sharing the full adult and children’s schedules for the retreat to give you a sense of what it is like and, hopefully, to inspire some of you to join us next year: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UC8c2dQsA0kKwD7wRj6ZvLKxYBvZtQrs/view?usp=sharing
You can also read daily reports from the retreat on the Archdiocesan Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/archdiocesebii
We pray for Pulcheria’s safe return to Northern Ireland on Monday evening!
News and Announcements:
- Services in Church next weekend: God willing, we wiling we will meet in Church in the weekend 1st and 2nd of November. We will celebrate our regular program of services, with Great Vespers followed by fellowship on Saturday at 5:00 PM, and Orthros with Divine Liturgy followed by parish lunch on Sunday from 10:00 AM. Come and see!
- Schedule of Services for November – December 2025: Please find the downloadable poster with schedule of services at our parish in November and December in the Services section of our website here https://saintignatiusbelfast.org/services
- NO Online Faith & Fellowship Meeting on Wednesday, 29th October: Please note that there will be no online Faith & Fellowship meeting next week. Our regular weekly Zoom meetings will resume on Wednesday, 5th November, at 7:00 PM (UK time).
- Join our WhatsApp Announcement Group – A reminder that our Parish WhatsApp Announcements Group is the simplest way to stay connected with parish life. Through the group chat, you will receive service reminders, parish updates, and important notices directly on your phone. If you haven’t joined yet, you can do so here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/FOR43rXflmPCm1VTj25yaD
- Parish Library is now open – I remind you that that our parish library is now open! The library offers a growing collection of Orthodox books on various subjects for both adults and children, which you are welcome to borrow and read. You can browse the catalogue online, check the borrowing terms, and even place an order for a book at: saintignatiusbelfast.org/library. Our librarians, Michael and Porphyrius, will be glad to assist you and can be contacted at library@saintignatiusbelfast.org.
This Sunday’s Gospel Reading and Homily: On Healing
The reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Luke (8:26-39):
At that time, as Jesus arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, there met him a man from the city who had demons; for a long time he had worn no clothes and he lived not in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you, do not torment me.” For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him; he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters, but he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them leave. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. When the herdsmen saw what happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear; so he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but he sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
Homily: On Healing
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
This Sunday we hear the Gospel reading about the healing of a man possessed by many demons, a “Legion,” which, according to the Gospel of Mark, were about two thousand in number (Mark 5:13). Beyond the historical fact of our Lord’s mercy, this story reveals to us the depth of God’s love and the way He works for the salvation of every soul.
We see how Christ is never indifferent to the suffering of every single person. The possessed man lived not in Galilee or Judea, where the Lord spent most of His ministry, but far away, across the lake in the country of the Gadarenes. To reach him, Christ crossed the lake with His disciples and calmed the storm on the way (Luke 8:22–25). He deliberately goes to a place where others are afraid to walk (Luke 8:29), entering the darkness to bring light to one abandoned man. This is the same Christ who speaks of the shepherd leaving the ninety-nine sheep to seek the one that is lost (Luke 15:4–7). His love is personal. He does not wait for us to be worthy of His attention. He comes to us in our need, however far we may be.
For us this means that we must never lose hope. The Lord waits for each one of us and even comes to find us. He is present in the Church, in the holy sacraments, in the prayers of the faithful. If we approach Him with humility, He will heal. Saint Paisios the Athonite said: “It takes years of repentance to erase a mistake from people’s memory, but for God a single tear is enough” (Spiritual Counsels, Vol. 1).
The story also shows the constant care of God for His creation. The man had been possessed by many demons, yet they could not destroy him. When the demons begged to enter the swine rather than be sent into the abyss (Luke 8:31–32), the herd rushed into the sea and drowned (Luke 8:33). This makes clear that if it had not been for God’s providence, the man would have been thrown into the sea long before. Even in his suffering, God was protecting him: “The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand” (Psalm 121:5). And Saint Paul reminds us, “God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape” (1 Corinthians 10:13). This trust in divine care is vital. Many burdens in life would crush us if not for the hidden grace of God that sustains us even when we are unaware of it.
Another lesson comes from the presence of the herd of swine. The Law of Moses forbade the eating of pork (Leviticus 11:7), yet the people of that region kept pigs. Their attachment to what was forbidden made them more vulnerable to spiritual harm. Christ permitted the destruction of the herd, cutting off the source of sin. In this He shows us that healing often requires not only dealing with the effects of sin but removing its root entirely. The Lord said, “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell” (Matthew 5:30). This may be painful. It may involve letting go of things we value. Yet nothing is worth more than eternal life with God. The destruction of the swine was a material loss to some, but those who turned to Christ, including the man who had been possessed, gained something far greater. They became children of God (John 1:12).
The Gospel fragment offered by the Church to us this Sunday shows how Christ comes to seek even one lost soul, how His providence protects, and how true healing involves the uprooting of sin. May we always remember that no one is beyond the reach of Christ’s mercy. He comes to us in our need, protects us even when we are weak, and calls us to repentance and freedom. Amen.
Yours in Christ,
Fr Dmitry