Dear friends in Christ,
Wishing you a blessed new week. This is the third weekly Newsletter of St Ignatius Parish in Belfast.
Content of this newsletter:
- Message from Fr Dmitry: Unity in Christ
- Announcements: Services this weekend, online Faith & Fellowship group, Kids’ Corner in the Church
- St Ignatius: the patron and protector of this holy temple
Unity in Christ
⁃ Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him” (Acts 10:34-35)

On Saturday, January 25th, I had the blessing to accompany, along with our London-based clergy, His Eminence Metropolitan Silouan, to concelebrate the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava in London. His Eminence attended at the invitation of His Grace Nektarije, the recently enthroned Serbian Bishop of London, Great Britain, and Ireland. You can read more about this occasion and view photos here
One thing stood out for me in particular in this joyful celebration, something which I, if I may, call the spirit of Orthodoxy: that we are, above all, united in Christ, regardless of our ethnic or national backgrounds. Together, we glorify the One God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and proclaim the saving Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. His universal message, to love Him and one another as He has loved us (John 13:34), transcends every culture and resonates in every language.
Here are just a few quotes from the Scripture about this unity of all nations in Christ:
– All nations whom You have made Shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And shall glorify Your name. (Psalm 85[86]:9)
– Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. (Isaiah 2:2)
– Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19)
– But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him (John 4:23)
– Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all (Colossians 3:11)
– There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28)
At St. Sava’s, one moment in particular reminded me very clearly of this unity. When Metropolitan Silouan introduced us – his London-based clergy – to Bishop Nektarije, he remarked with amazement that among the six of us, no two came from the same country. A Metropolitan from Syria, surrounded on this occasion by his clergy from Lebanon, England (from a Lebanese family, but born and raised in London), the United States, Russia, and Romania — all united in Christ to serve His Church in London. This diversity felt so natural to us that we hadn’t even considered it until it was pointed out. This reflects the broader reality of the Orthodox Church in the UK and Ireland: clergy and faithful from many diverse backgrounds, with a significant and growing presence of the people historically local to these regions, those born and raised here, who form the backbone of many parish communities worshiping the One True God. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence reflected on the beauty of that concelebration in St Sava’s Cathedral: Serbian and Antiochian clergy, along with congregations of diverse origins, worshipped together in symphony, rejoicing in our shared faith and unity in Christ.
In our parish, we are blessed to share in this same spirit, with people from many backgrounds coming together to worship. Let us continue to nurture this Pentecostal spirit (I am referring to the unity manifested by the Feast of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, enabling them to preach the Gospel to people of all nations and languages), opening our hearts and the doors of our community to everyone who seeks Christ. Just as Simeon proclaimed at the Presentation of Christ in the Temple – the Feast we are to celebrate this Sunday: “For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” (Luke 2:30-32)
May we, as a parish, remain faithful to our calling to be a welcoming light to all, proclaiming the Gospel and glorifying God in unity!
Announcements:
- Divine Services this Weekend at the Church:
Address: Cullen Memorial Hall, Methodist Complex, 381 Donegall Road, Belfast, BT12 6GR
Saturday, 1st February, 5:00 PM: Great Vespers, followed by fellowship with tea, coffee, and biscuits.
Sunday, 2nd February, The Feast of Presentation of Our Lord and Savior in the Temple:
– 10:00 AM: Orthros
– 11:00 AM: Divine Liturgy, followed by parish lunch. If you would like to contribute food or drinks, please contact Carmel who coordinates the lunch. - Kids’ Corner in the Church:
At the last Parish Council meeting (was held on the 21st January 2025), we discussed ways to ensure that our church is a welcoming and accommodating space for families with children. We want to give parents the opportunity to focus on prayer, but also want children to feel included, engaged, and at ease in the church. To support this, we will set up a designated Kids’ Corner in the main part of the church. This area will provide a space for children, whenever they need it, to quietly play and interact while remaining part of the worship experience, with parents present taking turns keeping an eye on the corner to ensure a safe and peaceful environment. The parish will supply a few toys and books, but we encourage children to bring their own toys to play on their own or share with others. We kindly ask that toys be appropriate for a worship setting, avoiding loud or disruptive items. If you would like to contribute to this initiative by donating children’s books, toys, or other suitable items for the Children’s Corner, your generosity would be greatly appreciated. - Weekly online Faith & Fellowship Meeting
On Wednesday, 29th January, 7:00 PM, we will hold our usual weekly online Faith & Fellowship meeting. After praying Little Compline, we will begin the first in a series of monthly conversations about our Patron Saint, Ignatius the God-Bearer, Bishop of Antioch. Join us on Zoom here: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/97707660214
St Ignatius, the patron and protector of this holy temple:

As mentioned above, once a month in our weekly online Faith & Fellowship meetings, we will reflect on the life and teachings of the patron of our community, St. Ignatius the God-Bearer, Bishop of Antioch. St. Ignatius is not only a great martyr but also a remarkable bishop who left us a series of epistles—letters instructing several early church communities in faith, spiritual life and practical ecclesiastical arrangements.
I have preliminarily planned five sessions, with each focusing on a specific theme found in St. Ignatius’s epistles. To guide our discussions, I am using the excellent book by Archpriest Andrew Stephen Damick, Bearing God: The Life and Works of St. Ignatius of Antioch the God-Bearer.
For our first conversation, we will explore the life of St. Ignatius and focus on the theme of martyrdom, which not only defined his life but is also a recurring and powerful element in his writings, particularly in his Epistle to the Romans.
For those who wish to read St. Ignatius’s letters, there are two respected and accessible translations into English of which I am aware:
Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1 (1885), edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. This monumental collection includes St. Ignatius’s letters along with valuable background information. You can access the text online here: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers2/ANF-01/TOC.htm
The Letters of Ignatius of Antioch (Popular Patristic Series, Volume 49), translated by Fr. Alistair Stewart and published by St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press. This is a more modern translation and is available for purchase online at a modest price.
If you wish to learn about St. Ignatius’s life before the meeting, I recommend this brief account of the saint’s life: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2011/12/20/103594-hieromartyr-ignatius-the-god-bearer-bishop-of-antioch.
For your reflection, I have also included below a few quotes from his Epistle to the Romans, in which the saint speaks profoundly about martyrdom. In this letter, he addresses the Christian community in Rome regarding his impending martyrdom in the arena of the circus. He describes the spiritual meaning of martyrdom and fervently urges them not to interfere or prevent him from fulfilling this path:
- For if you are silent about me, I am a word of God; but if you love my flesh, I shall again be only a voice” (Romans 2:1).
- Only pray that I may have power, both within and without, so that I may not only be called a Christian but found to be one. For if I am found to be one, I can slo be called one, and ten can be faithful when I disappear from world (Romans, 3:2)
- Let me be food for the wild beasts, through which I can attain to God. I am the wheat of God and I am ground by the teeth of wild beasts so that I may be found the pure bread of Christ (Romans 4:1)
- “Now I am learning in bonds to desire nothing” (Romans 4:3)
- My desire has been crucified and in me there is no matter-loving fire; there is water living and speaking in me, saying from within me: ‘Come to the Father’ (Romans 7:2).
May St Ignatius intercede for all of us before Christ!
Yours in Christ,
Fr Dmitry