A three minute video about us, filmed during Bishop Irenei’s visit 2019:
For ongoing updates look at our facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/stjohnofshanghaibelfast
19 December 2020
Three Catechumens have been received into the church by baptism and two enquirers have been made Catechumens. For more photos please click here. Thank you!
VLADYKA’S VISIT 2020:
We feel mightily blessed by our wonderful, dear and cherished Vladyka Irenei’s and our lovely Fr Spyridon’s visit to our parish at the weekend of the 10/11 October 2020 and would like to express our most sincere thanks for an up-building and lovely time spent together. Thank you Vladyka! Thank you Fr Spyridon and thanks be to God!!
Please have a look at the lovely account of Vladyka Irenei’s visit to Belfast as published on the Diocesan Website by clicking here.
The Gramota – as mentioned in the Diocesan Website account of Vladyka’s visit:
Vladyka’s visit 2020
Bishop Irenei is coming to visit St John of Shanghai Parish Belfast on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th of October 2020 for our Altar feast of the Uncovering of the Relics of St John.
We are delighted to be able to welcome our highly esteemed Bishop, Vladyka Irenei to his second visit to our parish. Fr Spyridon Bailey will be here, concelebrating the Vespers on Saturday and The Divine Liturgy on Sunday.Ā We are also hoping to fit in a visit or two to old local sites associated with ancient Orthodox Celtic saints.
The liturgical arrangements are as follows:
Ā
BISHOP IRENEI IS GIVING CATECHUMEN ZOOM TALKS!!
TUESDAYS AT 7 PM:
We are delighted to be able to announce that, beginning on Tuesday 22nd of September 2020, our bishop, Vladyka Irenei Steenberg is starting a series of catechetical talks given especially to help those interested in deepening our understanding of the Orthodox faith. This is an incredibly wonderfulĀ development and we are very grateful to him.
These talks will be given on the Zoom platform. You can either zoom in directly from your home or come and join us for the experience. You are very welcome and invited.
The Diocesan website has more information about the talks and the clickable links to join the sessions. You can find the link to itĀ here.
Ā
Summer 2021
Bishop Irenei has given his blessing for our putting together an about 
week – long tour visiting different ancient Irish sites next summer and learning about the saints in the process. He would like to join us, and mentioned the possibility of travelling on a coach together, where he would have a microphone and brief us on the background of the stops… he also suggested timing it so that a residential holiday can be immediately before or afterwards and he expressed an interest in staying with us for this also. So please keep this in your prayers and let us know if you are interested yourself also, to join us for such a venture!
A blessed visit
The parish of St John of Shanghai Belfast was delighted to be able to welcome our parish priest, Fr Paul Eliott back for an extended visit after five months of no priestly visits. It was a longed-for action packed number of days including such things as the blessing of a polytunnel site…
hearing confessions, visiting parishioners, going for a meal, celebrating Thurdsday evening and Friday evening Vespers and having a chat with candidates for the Catechumenate, and celebrating two Divine Liturgies… one on Friday 31st July with a special occasion built into the liturgical proceedings:
Congratulations to Constantine on his Baptism in the Glenoe river. Glory to God!
After the Liturgy we headed out to St Olcan’s church in Cranfield near Randalstown where Fr Paul served two molebens, entreating St Olcan and all the saints of Ireland to intercede for us. He streamed the first of these services to his parish and everyone enjoyed the experience.
And on Saturday 1 August the Divine Liturgy contained a special service for receiving two new Catechumens in our parish, glory to God.
Please keep Angela and Darren in your holy prayers.
We are truly grateful for Fr Paul’s untiring service and support for our parish, Glory to God!
CHRIST IS RISEN!!!
Spiritual Talks
We are very thankful to Vladyka Irenei for feeding our spiritual lives with Great Lenten talks. This week and next week (23rd March to 3rd April 2020) we will not have evening services in the chapel on Monday, Wednesday and Friday to enable everybody to listen to these profound and challenging talks given for our growth at 19.00 hours local time. You can listen to these talks from St John of Shanghai Belfast’s facebook page where the links to them will appear as soon as they are available on the day. Thank you Vladyka Irenei.
Parish Holiday
Vladyka Irenei has blessed us to go ahead with plans to have a parish holiday from the 4th to the 11th of July 2020 in a seaside location near Carlingford. It will be also open to our sister parish in Stradbally and to friends of the parish.
We are presently formulating the programme for the week, which will include a Divine Liturgy at the end of the week and daily morning and evening prayers as well as trips to visit local holy sites, and will be heavily subsidised to facilitate those of meager income.
Please contact Johanna (johannamcb@btinternet.com) if you are interested in coming to join us in this venture and also if you have some skills to offer which may benefit the holiday.
A Northern contingent from our parish made their way to Stradbally Co Laois on the occasion of Vladyka Irenei’s first visit to our sister parish there…
See also the write-up and photos of the event in the Diocesan Website by clicking here.
Infant Baptism
On 8 February 2020 toward the end of the Divine Liturgy the youngest member of our parish was baptized… Glory to God and every blessing to the newly baptized and her family!
Christ is Born! Let us glorify Him!
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Cross erected
With the blessing of Fr Paul, a beautiful gift of the Belorussian sisters (who were in Belfast for the Christmas market) became the cross to be erected by the baptismal location where the waters of the Glenoe river had been blessed, to mark the spot. Complete with weather-shield, it is now overlooking the site from an elevated position.
Study group
New venture! Learning about and exploring our faith together. Fr Paul has blessed us to have a study group for those interested in deepening (our understanding of) our faith. All sinners (and saints) welcome – from tentative enquirer to seasoned Orthodox faithful. The day and time is every Sunday at 17:30, and the venue is the sitting room of the house beside which the church is located. Just turn up on the day! (posted Dec 17 ’19)
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Double Adult Baptism
Glory to God and a big thank you for all your prayers! Our two Catechumens took a very courageous step and were both baptised by triple immersion in icy cold waters at the Glenoe waterfall in the early hours of Sunday 14th December (1 December) 2019 …
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Annual visitors
(11 Dec 2019) We had some lovely Belorussian visitors from St Elisabeth’s Convent in Minsk, and connected with the Belfast Christmas market staying with us only for a couple of nights this year – Sr Anna and their driver Dmitri pictured here. It was not their first time here and we are blessed by their love, kindness and generosity, glory to God !
Miracles and Wonders
St John of Shanghai himself was instrumental in two separate instances of healing here among people of our local parish within the last couple of weeks.
The first one was a previous knee injury. Prayerfully positioned in front of an icon of St John which had been placed on his relics in San Francisco, the knee had been moistened with Holy Water. With a hand placed on the knee and silent prayer to St John via his icon, the knee warmed up and subsequently went numb and finally was perfectly restored and is fully functional again, so it could even be put to a ten mile hike in the Mourne mountains with no ill effect. Glory to God and thanks to St John.
The second was an instant healing from abdominal pain via anointing with the oil of St John (which had come from the oil lamp burned above his relics in the cathedral in San Francisco) during the chanting of an Akathist to St John, during last Sunday morning’s service. The pain had been present from three am that morning and had been insistent and unrelenting. However, as soon as the brush with the oil touched the forehead of the anointed, the pain vanished. Glory to God and thanks to St John! (posted 23 November 2019)
The Nativity Fast
The Nativity fast this year will begin on Wednesday 27th November (Nov 14) with its last day being the 6th of January (24th December).
During the fast the following foods are avoided: Meat, including poultry, and any meat products such as lard and meat broth. Fish (meaning fish with backbones; shellfish are permitted). Eggs and dairy products (milk, butter, cheese, etc.) Olive oil. A literal interpretation of the rule forbids only olive oil.
Wine and oil are allowed on Saturdays and Sundays and Fish and wine and oil are allowed on Wednesday, December 4th (November 21) the day of the Presentation of the Theotokos in the Temple, and on Thursday, December 19 (December 6) which is St Nicholas’ Day.
New Catechumen
Glory to God. We give thanks to God for His love and care for all of us and especially commend into His tender loving mercy our new catechumen who was received on 2 November ’19. We ask your continued prayers for both of our catechumens, that they will safely, steadily and unwaveringly proceed to the next milestone on their faith journeys – and beyond. Thank you kindly.
Relics update:
Relics of St Cosmas and St Damian
The relics of Sts Cosmas and Damian will be made available for public veneration on Thursday 14 November during the evening service starting at 19:30, as it is the feastday of the UNMERCENARIES AND WONDERWORKERS COSMAS AND DAMIAN OF ASIA AND THEIR MOTHER, THE NUN THEODOTIA on that day according to the old calendar.
Sts Cosmas and Damian are wonderworkers especially where healing of physical or mental ailments are concerned. Everybody is most welcome.
Bishop Irenei of London and Western Europe visits Belfast for the Altar Feast of the Uncovering of the Relics of St John
We have been exceedingly blessed by the wonderful visit of our beloved Vladyka Irenei. We celebrated Vespers on Saturday 12 October and afterwards, over a cup of tea, Vladyka shared his touching and captivating personal experience of being very involved with and present during the first re-vesting of the relics of St John.
On Sunday we celebrated a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy together during which our parish was mightily blessed by the bishop. We shared a parish meal together for the feast day before Vladyka flew back to London in the afternoon.
We hope to have some video footage of the events in due course.
Please see also the account of the visit on the Diocesan Website as well as an account of his sermon in Belfast.
Ancient Connections Renewed
We would like to welcome our wonderful Bishop, Vladyka Irenei and see in this visit a great renewal of ancient connections between early Irish and early Russian Orthodoxy.
In the Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 1st series Volume 7, 1859 p. 243 ā 244 reference is made to a Saint Marian from Ulster, who led a mission which reached Kiev in 1070, at a time after the official date of the Great Schism, the effects of which had not yet reached Ireland, as the English, under the instruction of the Pope, only invaded Ireland in 1171 to enforce Roman Catholicism here. Therefore the Irish and Russian churches were in full communion with each other at that time. There is reason to believe that the Irish monastery in Kiev remained active until the destruction of the city by the Mongols in 1240. (It is possible that parts of the Russian Church could enjoy Apostolic Succession through these contacts from Saint Patrick, Equal of the Apostles and Enlightener of Ireland, by way of an accompanying Bishop among the Irish missionary monks.)
Monks from the Irish mission stayed in St Michael of Kievās Lavra for an extended period of time and were given gifts of 100 pounds in weight of silver and rare furs by a grandson of St Vladimir, Prince Iziaslav Yaroslavych, for their mission work. Returning via what is now Germany, they built a monastery in Regensburg consecrated to St James. It became known as the Scotten Cloister, as this was the Latin word for Irish (which is used for the Scottish people now, as the Irish had invaded this land and settled there after fighting the Picts).
This cloister in Regensburg is a daughter-house of the āRoyal Coronation Churchā in Cashel, Ireland, both of them featuring the same architecture. The other name for this Irish Church was āTemple Cormacā, using the word ātempleā rather than āchurchā in traditional Orthodox fashion. It is still extant on the Rock of Cashel and is decorated with Byzantine murals probably depicting King Cormac III MacCarthy (who erected the church) and his family. For many centuries Cashel claimed to be the Irish Metropolitan See, rather than Armagh, (which was subsequently recognized as such by the Papacy.)
With such ancient connections between Russian and Irish Orthodoxy we feel particularly blessed to be able to welcome our Vladyka Irenei to Ireland. The relics of St Andrew, patron saint of Russia, and of St Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, will be both awaiting him here to enhance our welcome to him for our parish feast of the uncovering of the relics of St John of Shanghai, a saint very close to his heart.
(During the Bishop’s visit our church will also be blessed to display, for veneration, relics of the Protecting Veil of the All Holy Theotokos and the Tunic of Our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ (joint feast day October 14th). See photo below.)
Relics for veneration on the occasion of Bishop Irenei’s visit on 12/13 October
The above pictured relics will be available for veneration on the occasion of Vladyka Irenei’s visit to our parish on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th of October. For more details of the visit please see the Services section. Everybody is very welcome.
New Feast Day – Invitation
The New Year of the Church Calendar begins on 1 September.
This coming new church year is bringing some important changes, and with them the longed-for first visit of our beloved Bishop, Vladyka Irenei to our parish of St John of Shanghai in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Having moved to London in the summer, Vladyka is hoping to visit his parishes on their altar feast days. Therefore it would be impractical for more than one parish to have the same feast day.
This is why our parish has been blessed with the direction to have our parish feast day for St John of Shanghai on 12 October, the date the church commemorates the opening of the relics of St John, as described in the article in this link: http://orthochristian.com/80365.html
We feel very blessed that Vladyka Irenei will be with us on the 12th and 13th of October for Vespers/ Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and would like to extend an invitation to you all to join us on this our first celebration of our new altar feast.
Everybody most warmly welcome!
BISHOP’S VISIT!!!
Our beloved Bishop is coming for a flying visit! He will be here together with our wonderful Fr Paul.
Vladika Irenei is coming to Belfast!! He will conduct Vespers on Saturday 12th October and celebrate the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Sunday 13th of October at the usual times.
Glory to God!!
All are most warmly welcome!!
PARISH FEAST DAY
Making good use of our rainproof carport extension of the church, a most enjoyable Parish Feast day was had on Saturday 29th June which was concelebrated by Fr Paul and visiting Fr Sergei who had been accompaied on their parish pilgrimage by six parishioners from the ROCOR mission church in Stradbally Co Lois. It was a wonderful occasion enjoyed by all and included a meal together and an AGM afterwards. Glory to God!
Update re 306 Antrim Rd Belfast
June 26th: We were informed yesterday afternoon that the owners of the building have now decided they want to ask for the market value of the building rather than to simply transfer to one of the applicants. This means that unless some very generous donor/s come forward and offer/s to cover the Ā£140 000, we will be out of the competition. We have to let them know our position by 9 July. Thank you for your prayers!
Monday 17th June: We are informed that the decision making person is on sick leave. Let us pray for their speedy and full recovery!
The office hours of 10th of June, 11th June, 12th June, 13th June and 14th June have come and gone without any disclosures being made about the future of the building below. It may be Monday 17th now, before a decision is communicated to us, but we will keep you updated as and when we are told the outcome of our application.
We would like to thank you all for praying for the Community Asset Transfer of the building on the Antrim Rd to go God’s Way – so far neither the DTNI nor ourselves have been told an outocme by the Probation Board (the owners of the building) regarding 306 Antrim Road, Belfast, which we applied for (among others). So it seems we need to double up on our prayers again and continue to pray for God’s will to come to fruition here!! š We will post an update as soon as we have news either way.
10 June 2019
Please keep us in your holy prayers as the authorities consider our application (among many others) for a Community Asset Transfer of the building pictured below. May the Lord’s will be done!
The decision as to who is chosen as the new owner is going to be made on or by 10th of June (although there are probably still conditions attached even at this new stage) so, a little time yet remains for doubling up on the prayers. … Thank you all! Your prayerful support is much appreciated! May St John pray for us all, and may the will of God be done for His own glory.
Patronal Parish Feastday Celebrations
You are cordially invited to our Patronal Parish Feast of St John of Shanghai on Saturday, 29th of June in the presence of his and many other visiting relics.
This will include Services followed by a Garden Party for all.
Details: There will be two priests concelebrating:
Fr Sergey Mironenko, the priest of our sister parish in Stradbally, Co Laois, and our own parish priest, Archpriest Fr Paul Elliott.
Confession will start at 9:45, Hours will start at 10:00
Divine Liturgy will start at around 10:30.
You are indeed invited and will be very welcome!
UPCOMING AGM
I am hereby giving four weeks notice of the AGM to be held on Saturday 29 June in the afternoon after the garden party of the patronal parish Feast Day of St John. All invited to attend.
Diocesan Pilgrimage to St Alban’s
A wonderful time was had at the Annual Diocesan Pilgrimage where our beloved Vladika Irenei celebrated the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and, after a little lunch, brought us back to a Moleben at the relics of St Alban
To the Clergy and Faithful of Great Britain, Ireland
and Western Europe
Beloved Fathers, Brothers and Sisters!
With joy I write to share the news that the Holy Synod, following on from its decision of 7th / 20th September to appoint a new Ruling Bishop for Great Britain, Ireland and Western Europe, has elected also a Vicar Bishop to serve within this territory and aid me in the spiritual and practical care for the flock of these diverse lands. Confirmed by our Holy Synod and with the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch, the Very Reverend Archpriest Adrian (Echevarria), long-time cleric of the Diocese of Western Europe and the historic parish in Vevey, will be consecrated as Auxiliary Bishop with the title āBishop of Vevey.ā
Father Adrian, ordained to the Holy Priesthood over twenty years ago by His Grace Bishop Ambrose of blessed memory, has served the Diocese diligently, quietly and prayerfully those many years; and he has been a support, spiritually and practically, to the clergy and faithful near to him. It is the sincere prayer of the Holy Synod that, in calling Father Adrian to the high office of Archpastor, these same gifts may come to be offered for the benefit of all our faithful in Europe.
I ask all the clergy and faithful to pray for our Bishop-Elect, Father Adrian, that God will give him strength and endurance to bear this precious Cross. Details regarding his tonsure into monastic orders, and the date and place of his consecration to the Episcopacy, will be forthcoming.
May God protect and bless His servant, and all His flock,
+ BISHOP IRENEI OF RICHMOND AND WESTERN EUROPE
Practical guidance on relations with the Church of Constantinople
A word from the Bishop
Beloved children of the Dioceses of of Great Britain, Ireland and Western Europe!
The recent Statement of the Holy Synod on the severance of communion with the Church of Constantinople expresses the voice of the Hierarchy of our Church in a time of spiritual temptation, when insurpportable actions on the part of one of the ancient Patriarchates is creating discord and spiritual peril in the heartland of ancient Holy Rus’. It is the gravest of sorrows that so much of that action is being motivated by transparently political agendas, creating terrible suffering and spiritual trial at the prompting of what are debased, utterly worldly aims. In the midst of this, however, we are witnessing violations of the Holy Canons and abrogations of Church Tradition and order that go fundamentally against the Gospel and the nature of the harmonious life of the Orthodox Church; and for this reason our Holy Synod, together with the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Moscow, has felt is impossible to continue in a state of intercommunion with the Church of Constantinople so long as that body persists in these grave and inappropriate actions. This is because the Church is profoundly aware that, while political and worldly motivations may be behind many of the actions recently undertaken, there are nevertheless spiritual dimensions to every act of rebellion against the teachings of the Church, and to remain in intercommunion with rebellion puts our own souls, and those of our faithful and our beloved, in spiritual peril. It is a time to stand steadfastly for the truth.
The most important ‘practical counsel’ I wish to give is the necessity to pray, with peace and without bitterness, that the Lord will restore peace to the hearts of those currently enflamed by the present situation; and not to fear or become disheartened in the face of present trials. Yes, this is a sad situation, and it will pose for a time painful hindrances to our mutual life with our brethren; but ours is a God Who brings joy out of sorrow, and Who uses our faithfulness in times of difficulty to temper and strengthen our faith and the love we are able to manifest to the world. So do not grow weary, or afraid, or bitter, or downcast! God is with us, as with all His children, and shall be our truly-present help.
The impossibility of intercommunion exists at all levels, clerical and lay, and includes our refraining from participation in pan-Orthodox commissions or activities that are chaired or co-chaired by the Hierarchy of the Church of Constantinople.
The Holy Synod realises that this situation is the most painful precisely for us who live in the Diaspora, where our lives are deeply interconnected with the lives of our beloved brothers and sisters of the other Patriarchates, and where the present impossibility of intercommunion makes such practical measures immediate and deeply sorrowful. I urge all to proceed with a spirit of patience and love; and if and when you have specific questions of a practical nature, relating to this situation, that you feel very welcome to contact me directly for counsel.
May the Lord Himself guide us all, and keep us close to Himself, and lead us through a sorrowful moment into the restoration of unity in peace.
+ BISHOP IRENEI OF RICHMOND AND WESTERN EUROPE
| All welcome to help! |
2 dates Ā· 13 Oct & 20 Oct both dates from 11:00 to 17:00 hours
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| If you can help, please bring your passport or other photo id and meet us in the pedestrian zone outside Castlecourt shopping centre to be given your official collector’s badge š Thank you!!
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The proceeds will be for the “building fund” of the charity, used to build/obtain/improve/maintain a suitable church/hall/centre for the Orthodox Faith as expressed through ROCOR in Northern Ireland.
The cross-jurisdictional young adult Orthodox group in Belfast
had an enjoyable outing to Downpatrick, praying an Akathist to St Patrick at his graveside on Sat 22nd September 2018.
Vladyka Irenei is appointed Ruling Bishop and Hierarch.
At their Sobor on Thursday 20th September 2018, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia appointed Bishop Irenei as Ruling Hierarch of our Diocese. He is now officially Bishop of Richmond and Western Europe. Glory to God for such wonderful news!
Dates for your Diary – Autumn 2018!!
8 SEPTEMBER DIVINE LITURGY
6 OCTOBER DIVINE LITURGY
13 OCTOBER BELFAST STREET COLLECTION
20 OCTOBER BELFAST STREET COLLECTION
ALL HANDS ON DECK NEEDED!!
Please contact Johanna johannamcb@btinternet.com / 078 5458 3638 for further details!
Welcome to Lydia (Lily)
Glory to God Who provided a lovely day for Lydia’s (Lily’s) reception into the Orthodox faith. God grant you many years! Grateful thanks also to our dear Fr Paul for his untiring and loving service to our little parish.
Diocesan Pilgrimage 2018
Maximos, Matthew, Nikos, Lucy and Johanna represented the Belfast parish of St John of Shanghai at the Diocesan Pilgrimage in Binsey near Oxford in England on Saturday 14th July ’18. It was a most blessed occasion with our humble, loving and peaceful immeasurable-gift-of-a-Bishop Irenei – who re-confirmed his intention of visiting Belfast ( 
š !!!) – celebrating the Divine Liturgy together with numerous clergy and altar servers inside a full church followed by a Moleben to Sts Frideswide & Margaret at the well outside the church on a scorching hot summer’s day. Some sat in the shade of the church grounds for a picnic afterwards, while others went to “The Perch” Restaurant/Pub after, where Diocesan matters were on the agenda in the shade under some trees… Treasuring the memories and thanking God for the opportunity of being united in one holy location with representatives of the whole Diocese… a gift to all to be sure. Taking photos was Lucy’s afterthought – once (nearly – spot the feet in the altar area?) everyone had left – thank you Lucy!
Some photos of the wonderful Feastday…
30 June ā Feastday of St John!!! = Parish Feastday!!
8:30 Panikhida (service for the departed) 10:00 Hours /Confession, Divine Liturgy served by Fr Paul followed by gardenparty! All most welcome.
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13 JUNE: Nikos and Johanna travelled to Oxford to venerate the relics of St Seraphim of Sarov. (some photos on facebook)
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The second update (from 12/June) is that the other party has viewed as well and since then also made their interest official. Now there is an involved process of further assessments and recommendations and competition between us up ahead, and there is no telling which way it will go, except to say that from a worldly perspective the other interested party may look more attractive to the decision makers as they are older and better established and thereby have a longer track record. May the Lord’s will be done – if it is meant for us, may we get it, and if it is not meant for us, may we not get it. We are hopeful, that either way, the Lord will provide something for His own glory. Thank you for continuing to keep it /us in your holy prayers!
8 – June 2018: Update for your prayers:
We have met with a representative of DTNI today, and discussed further details regarding our own status as an organization in relation to asset transfer requirements. The outcome of this assessment will become important if the other interested party confirms their interest after viewing the property, which they have not yet done. May God bless you for your continued prayer support!
Prayer request
After visiting the below building – located five miles outside Omagh, Co Tyrone, in the centre of Ulster, we have been encouraged to proceed further with the next steps needed for finding out if this building could come our way and possibly become a small monastic settlement with great potential for groups and pilgrimages … Fr Paul Elliott explains: “We sang the Lord’s Prayer in what could be the church. The acoustics are just beautiful. I am not a monk and obviously not a nun, but this is an amazing opportunity to possibly start a monastic parish right in the centre of Northern Ireland. It could be a pilgrim centre for those who wish to visit and venerate the Irish saints. It is an hour and a half from Belfast … It has potential for youth camps and church groups. Let us wait on God’s will…all help and all prayers welcome for this brave little parish!”
Visit of two monks
Hiermonk Fr Isihiy from the ROCOR mission on the Mount of Olives together with his travel companion Fr monk Iliyah from Bulgaria were visiting and praying at St Patrick’s, St Brigid’s and St Columba’s grave in Downpatrick on 29 May 18 in glorious weather, before heading to Struel Wells. A blessed time was had by all.
Pentecost
We were mightily blessed by a wonderful Pentecostal Reader’s Service especially also by the singing of some trained Choir members of ROCOR visiting from the US – the Pentecostal unity was felt right across the nations with faithful from Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Germany, Ireland / UK, and the US all celebrating together.
Thank you to Nikos!
A big thank you to Nikos for donating beautiful icons, edifying books and many other useful objects from charcoal and incense and stationary to garden furniture to the parish of St John. This is very much appreciated! May St John of Shanghai pray for him!!
Diocesan Pilgrimage !
Planned for Saturday 14 July 2018 – for details please view below link, thank you!
There are now two places available in Johanna’s car (travelling with Johanna and Lucy) and in the four berth cabins in the ferry to and from Liverpool. Departure from St John’s church at 20:30 on Friday 13 July to catch the night ferry – cabin booked – and then drive to location on Sat 14 morning. Return on the same day back to Liverpool by about 20:30 please God, to catch the night ferry back to Belfast in good time for the readers Service on Sunday 15th morning. If you would like to go, please contact Johanna by email: johannamcb@btinternet.com Many thanks!
Decree-01E-Diocesan-Pilgrimage
Christ is Risen!
13/04/2018: Glory to God, His Grace Bishop Irenei has expressed his intention to visit Belfast. It is not yet known when this visit might take place, but you will find it announced here as soon as we have more details.
He has also blessed us to endeavour to find more suitable (bigger) premises for our parish for the future. Please do keep this in your holy prayers.
TUESDAYS ā NEW: in response to the above news, there will be an Akathist to St John the Forerunner every TUESDAY evening at 19:30 until further notice. All welcome
The Paschal Epistle of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion
of Eastern America and New York, and of Great Britain and Ireland,
First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad
(Scroll down for Russian version of this epistle.)
CHRIST IS RISEN!
I express my heartfelt greetings to you my brother archpastors, dear in the Lord fathers, brothers and sisters, on this holy, brightest and all-joyous day of the Resurrection of Christ, and in the name of the Three-day Risen God, the Lover of Mankind, extend to you the embrace of Paschal rejoicing and fraternal love! Bowing down to Christ, the Giver of Life, together with the entire Church, I fervently pray for His mercy, that He grant us the unearthly, desired peace that He gave His disciples, and blesses our prayerful and fraternal communion in His name.
Christ is Risen! These were the first words with which the Most-Blessed Mother of God, the Apostles, the Women Myrrh-Bearers and other followers of Christ greeted each other, when, after the heavy torments, crucifixion, death and the burial of the Savior, they first learned of His Resurrection. Some brought forth this joy, saying āChrist is Risen,ā and others responded: āThe Lord is risen indeedā (Luke 24:34). And now, as then before the Early Church, the Resurrected Christ Himself stands before us. We, āhaving beheld the resurrection of Christ,ā gaze upon His glory with our mindās eye, hearing, as did the Myrrh-bearers, His sweet words, āRejoice.ā
How much hope is offered to us by this call of the Savior, how much light it showers upon our souls, wiping away our tears of sorrow, temptation and tribulation! It is the Paschal joy with which martyrs bolstered themselves as they toiled in prisons and labor camps, the Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church whose lives we continue to prayerfully commemorate and praise in this hundredth anniversary of the tragic events of the murder of Hieromartyr Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kiev and Archbishop Andronik of Perm, the Royal Passion-Bearers and Holy Grand Duchess Elizabeth and Nun Barbara. Carefully examining and lovingly kissing their lives, works, sufferings and deaths, even while rejoicing in the depth of our souls for the Resurrected Christ, let us try to emulate our beloved martyrs in their staunch faith, spiritually enriching ourselves through the veneration of their memory, patiently and humbly bearing our own lifeās cross. As Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky wrote, āwhere there is the cross, there is also resurrection.ā He was even during his lifetime revered as a defender of Orthodox Christianity by the brethren of St Alexander Nevsky Lavra, where he is buried.
Lifting up prayers of gratitude to God for His abundant mercies, blessings and guidance, which we were fortunate enough to hear during Great Lent, and which we continue to receive from the All-Merciful Hand of the Almighty as He shines forth from His Tomb, we piously beseech our Holy New Martyrs and Confessors to help us preserve our temple. This temple, unmade by hands, is comprised of the souls of our flock in the Fatherland and the souls of the children of the wanderers who had lost everything, scattered throughout the world, and the other flock of our Mother Church, living in purity, chastity and sanctity, even as we live in Christ, in prayer and in the Mysteries of the Church, without which it is impossible for us to attain salvation.
And so, heeding the call of the Resurrected Savior, let us all rejoice, let no one remain in sorrow, for āThis is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.ā Amen.
With Paschal joy in the Resurrected Christ,
+ Hilarion
Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York, and of Great Britain and Ireland,
First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
Pascha of Christ 2018.
Š„Š ŠŠ”Š¢ŠŠ” ŠŠŠ”ŠŠ ŠŠ”Š!
Š”ŠµŃŠ“ŠµŃŠ½Š¾ ŠæŃŠøŠ²ŠµŃŃŃŠ²ŃŃ Š²Š°Ń, ŃŠ¾Š±ŃŠ°ŃŃŃ-Š°ŃŃ ŠøŠæŠ°ŃŃŃŃŠø, Š“Š¾ŃŠ¾Š³ŠøŠµ Š¾ ŠŠ¾ŃŠæŠ¾Š“Šµ Š¾ŃŃŃ, Š±ŃŠ°ŃŃŃ Šø ŃŠµŃŃŃŃ, Ń ŃŃŠøŠ¼ ŃŠ²ŃŃŃŠ¼, ŠæŃŠµŃŠ²ŠµŃŠ»ŃŠ¼ Šø Š²ŃŠµŃŠ°Š“Š¾ŃŃŠ½ŃŠ¼ Š“Š½ŠµŠ¼ Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠ¾Š²Š° ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµŠ½ŠøŃ Šø, Š²Š¾ ŠøŠ¼Ń ŃŃŠøŠ“Š½ŠµŠ²Š½Š¾ ŠŠ¾ŃŃŃŠ°Š²ŃŠµŠ³Š¾ Š§ŠµŠ»Š¾Š²ŠµŠŗŠ¾Š»ŃŠ±ŃŠ°-ŠŠ¾Š³Š°, ŠæŃŠ¾ŃŃŠøŃŠ°Ń ŠŗŠ¾ Š²ŃŠµŠ¼ Š²Š°Š¼ ŃŠµŠ»Š¾Š²Š°Š½ŠøŠµ ŠŠ°ŃŃ Š°Š»ŃŠ½Š¾Š³Š¾ Š»ŠøŠŗŠ¾Š²Š°Š½ŠøŃ Šø Š±ŃŠ°ŃŃŠŗŠ¾Š¹ Š»ŃŠ±Š²Šø! ŠŠ¾ŠŗŠ»Š°Š½ŃŃŃŃ Š²Š¼ŠµŃŃŠµ ŃŠ¾ Š²ŃŠµŠ¹ Š¦ŠµŃŠŗŠ¾Š²ŃŃ Š„ŃŠøŃŃŃ-ŠŠøŠ·Š½Š¾Š“Š°Š²ŃŃ, Š³Š¾ŃŃŃŠ¾ Š¼Š¾Š»Ń ŠŠ³Š¾ Š±Š»Š°Š³Š¾ŃŃŃ, Š“Š° Š“Š°ŃŃŠµŃ ŠŠ½ Š½Š°Š¼ ŃŠ¾Ń Š½ŠµŠ·ŠµŠ¼Š½Š¾Š¹ Šø Š²Š¾Š¶Š“ŠµŠ»ŠµŠ½Š½ŃŠ¹ Š¼ŠøŃ, ŠŗŠ¾ŃŠ¾ŃŃŠ¹ ŠŠ½ Š¾ŃŃŠ°Š²ŠøŠ» ŃŃŠµŠ½ŠøŠŗŠ°Š¼ Š”Š²Š¾ŠøŠ¼, Šø Š±Š»Š°Š³Š¾ŃŠ»Š¾Š²ŠøŃ Š½Š°ŃŠµ Š¼Š¾Š»ŠøŃŠ²ŠµŠ½Š½Š¾Šµ Šø Š±ŃŠ°ŃŃŠŗŠ¾Šµ Š¾Š±ŃŠµŠ½ŠøŠµ Š¾ ŠøŠ¼ŠµŠ½Šø ŠŠ³Š¾.
Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠ¾Ń ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµ! ŠŃŠ¾ Š±ŃŠ»Šø ŠæŠµŃŠ²ŃŠµ ŃŠ»Š¾Š²Š°, ŠŗŠ¾ŃŠ¾ŃŃŠ¼Šø ŃŠ°Š“Š¾ŃŃŠ½Š¾ ŠæŃŠøŠ²ŠµŃŃŃŠ²Š¾Š²Š°Š»Šø Š“ŃŃŠ³ Š“ŃŃŠ³Š° ŠŃŠµŠ±Š»Š°Š³Š¾ŃŠ»Š¾Š²ŠµŠ½Š½Š°Ń ŠŠ¾Š³Š¾ŃŠ¾Š“ŠøŃŠ°, Š°ŠæŠ¾ŃŃŠ¾Š»Ń, Š¶ŠµŠ½Ń-Š¼ŠøŃŠ¾Š½Š¾ŃŠøŃŃ Šø Š“ŃŃŠ³ŠøŠµ ŠæŠ¾ŃŠ»ŠµŠ“Š¾Š²Š°ŃŠµŠ»Šø Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠ¾Š²Ń, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š°, ŠæŠ¾ŃŠ»Šµ ŃŃŠ¶ŠŗŠøŃ ŃŃŃŠ°Š“Š°Š½ŠøŠ¹, ŃŠ°ŃŠæŃŃŠøŃ, ŃŠ¼ŠµŃŃŠø Šø ŠæŠ¾Š³ŃŠµŠ±ŠµŠ½ŠøŃ Š”ŠæŠ°ŃŠøŃŠµŠ»Ń, ŠæŠ¾Š»ŃŃŠøŠ»Šø ŠæŠµŃŠ²ŃŃ Š²ŠµŃŃŃ Š¾ ŠŠ³Š¾ ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµŠ½ŠøŠø. ŠŠ“Š½Šø ŠæŃŠøŠ½Š¾ŃŠøŠ»Šø ŃŃŃ ŃŠ°Š“Š¾ŃŃŃ, Š³Š¾Š²Š¾ŃŃ Ā«Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠ¾Ń ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµĀ», Š° Š“ŃŃŠ³ŠøŠµ Š¾ŃŠ²ŠµŃŠ°Š»Šø: Ā«ŃŠŗŠ¾ Š²Š¾ŠøŃŃŠøŠ½Ń Š²Š¾ŃŃŠ° ŠŠ¾ŃŠæŠ¾Š“ŃĀ» (ŠŠŗ. XXIV, 34), Š²Š¾ŠøŃŃŠøŠ½Ń ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµ Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠ¾Ń! Š Š½ŃŠ½Šµ, ŠŗŠ°Šŗ Šø ŃŠ¾Š³Š“Š° ŠæŠµŃŠµŠ“ Š²ŃŠµŠ¹ ŠŠµŃŠ²ŠµŠ½ŃŃŠ²ŃŃŃŠµŠ¹ Š¦ŠµŃŠŗŠ¾Š²ŃŃ, ŃŃŠ¾ŠøŃ ŠæŠµŃŠµŠ“ Š½Š°Š¼Šø Š”Š°Š¼ ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŃŠøŠ¹ Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠ¾Ń. ŠŃ, ŠŗŠ°Šŗ Ā«Š²Š¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµŠ½ŠøŠµ Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠ¾Š²Š¾ Š²ŠøŠ“ŠµŠ²ŃŠøŠµĀ», ŃŠ¾Š·ŠµŃŃŠ°ŠµŠ¼ ŃŠ»Š°Š²Ń ŠŠ³Š¾ ŃŠ²Š¾ŠøŠ¼ Š¼ŃŃŠ»ŠµŠ½Š½ŃŠ¼ Š²Š·Š¾ŃŠ¾Š¼, ŃŠ»ŃŃŠøŠ¼, ŠŗŠ°Šŗ Šø Š¼ŠøŃŠ¾Š½Š¾ŃŠøŃŃ, ŠŠ³Š¾ ŃŠ»Š°Š“ŃŠ°Š¹ŃŠøŠµ ŃŠ»Š¾Š²Š° Ā«ŃŠ°Š“ŃŠ¹ŃŠµŃŃĀ» (ŠŃ. XXVIII, 9).
Š”ŠŗŠ¾Š»ŃŠŗŠ¾ Š½Š°Š“ŠµŠ¶Š“ ŠæŠ¾Š“Š°ŠµŃ Š½Š°Š¼ ŃŃŠ¾Ń ŠæŃŠøŠ·ŃŠ² Š”ŠæŠ°ŃŠøŃŠµŠ»Ń, ŃŠŗŠ¾Š»ŃŠŗŠ¾ ŃŠ²ŠµŃŠ° Š¾Š½ ŠæŃŠ¾Š»ŠøŠ²Š°ŠµŃ Š² Š½Š°ŃŠø Š“ŃŃŠø, Š¾ŃŠøŃŠ°Ń ŃŠ»ŠµŠ·Ń ŠæŠµŃŠµŠ¶ŠøŠ²Š°ŃŃŠøŃ ŃŠŗŠ¾ŃŠ±Šø, ŠøŃŠŗŃŃŠµŠ½ŠøŃ Šø ŠøŃŠæŃŃŠ°Š½ŠøŃ! ŠŠ¼ŠµŠ½Š½Š¾ ŠŠ°ŃŃ Š°Š»ŃŠ½Š¾Š¹ ŃŠ°Š“Š¾ŃŃŃŃ Š½ŠµŠ¾ŃŠ»Š°Š±Š½Š¾ ŃŠŗŃŠµŠæŠ»ŃŠ»ŠøŃŃ ŃŃŃŠ°Š“Š°Š»ŃŃŃ, ŃŠ¾Š¼ŠøŠ²ŃŠøŠµŃŃ ŠæŠ¾ ŃŃŃŃŠ¼Š°Š¼ Šø Š³Š¾ŃŃŠŗŠøŠ¼ ŃŠ°Š±Š¾ŃŠ°Š¼ ŃŠ·Š½ŠøŠŗŠø, Š¼ŃŃŠµŠ½ŠøŠŗŠø Šø ŠøŃŠæŠ¾Š²ŠµŠ“Š½ŠøŠŗŠø Š¦ŠµŃŠŗŠ²Šø Š ŃŃŃŠŗŠ¾Š¹, ŃŃŃ ŠæŠ°Š¼ŃŃŃ Š¼Ń ŠæŃŠ¾Š“Š¾Š»Š¶Š°ŠµŠ¼ Š¼Š¾Š»ŠøŃŠ²ŠµŠ½Š½Š¾ Š¾ŃŠ¼ŠµŃŠ°ŃŃ Šø ŠæŃŠ¾ŃŠ»Š°Š²Š»ŃŃŃ Š² Š½ŃŠ½ŠµŃŠ½ŠµŠ¼ Š³Š¾Š“Ń ŃŃŠ¾Š»ŠµŃŠøŃ ŃŃŠ°Š³ŠøŃŠµŃŠŗŠøŃ ŃŠ¾Š±ŃŃŠøŠ¹ ŃŠ±ŠøŠµŠ½ŠøŃ ŃŠ²ŃŃŠµŠ½Š½Š¾Š¼ŃŃŠµŠ½ŠøŠŗŠ¾Š² ŠŠ»Š°Š“ŠøŠ¼ŠøŃŠ°, Š¼ŠøŃŃŠ¾ŠæŠ¾Š»ŠøŃŠ° ŠŠøŠµŠ²ŃŠŗŠ¾Š³Š¾, Šø Š°ŃŃ ŠøŠµŠæŠøŃŠŗŠ¾ŠæŠ° ŠŠµŃŠ¼ŃŠŗŠ¾Š³Š¾ ŠŠ½Š“ŃŠ¾Š½ŠøŠŗŠ°, Š¦Š°ŃŃŃŠ²ŠµŠ½Š½ŃŃ Š”ŃŃŠ°ŃŃŠ¾ŃŠµŃŠæŃŠµŠ² Šø ŠæŃŠµŠæŠ¾Š“Š¾Š±Š½Š¾Š¼ŃŃŠµŠ½ŠøŃ Š²ŠµŠ»ŠøŠŗŠ¾Š¹ ŠŗŠ½ŃŠ³ŠøŠ½Šø ŠŠ»ŠøŠ·Š°Š²ŠµŃŃ Šø ŠøŠ½Š¾ŠŗŠøŠ½Šø ŠŠ°ŃŠ²Š°ŃŃ. ŠŠ½ŠøŠ¼Š°ŃŠµŠ»ŃŠ½Š¾ ŠøŠ·ŃŃŠ°Ń Šø Ń Š»ŃŠ±Š¾Š²ŃŃ Š»Š¾Š±ŃŠ·Š°Ń ŠøŃ Š¶ŠøŠ·Š½Ń, ŃŃŃŠ“Ń, ŃŃŃŠ°Š“Š°Š½ŠøŃ Šø ŃŠ¼ŠµŃŃŃ Šø, Š² Š³Š»ŃŠ±ŠøŠ½Šµ Š“ŃŃŠø ŃŠ²Š¾ŠµŠ¹ ŃŠ°Š“ŃŃŃŃ Š¾ Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠµ ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŃŠµŠ¼, Š±ŃŠ“ŠµŠ¼ ŃŃŠ°ŃŠ°ŃŃŃŃ ŠæŠ¾Š“ŃŠ°Š¶Š°ŃŃ Š½Š°ŃŠøŠ¼ ŃŠ¾Š“Š½ŃŠ¼ Š¼ŃŃŠµŠ½ŠøŠŗŠ°Š¼ Š² ŠøŃ ŠŗŃŠµŠæŠŗŠ¾Š¹ Š²ŠµŃŠµ, Š“ŃŃ Š¾Š²Š½Š¾ Š¾Š±Š¾Š³Š°ŃŠ°ŃŃŃŃ ŠæŠ¾ŃŠøŃŠ°Š½ŠøŠµŠ¼ ŠøŃ ŠæŠ°Š¼ŃŃŠø, ŃŠµŃŠæŠµŠ»ŠøŠ²Š¾ Šø ŃŠ¼ŠøŃŠµŠ½Š½Š¾ Š½ŠµŃŃŠø ŃŠ²Š¾Š¹ Š¶ŠøŠ·Š½ŠµŠ½Š½ŃŠ¹ ŠŗŃŠµŃŃ, ŠøŠ±Š¾ Ā«Š³Š“Šµ ŠŗŃŠµŃŃ, ŃŠ°Š¼ Šø Š²Š¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµŠ½ŠøŠµĀ», ŠæŠøŃŠµŃ Š¤ŠµŠ¾Š“Š¾Ń ŠŠøŃ Š°Š¹Š»Š¾Š²ŠøŃ ŠŠ¾ŃŃŠ¾ŠµŠ²ŃŠŗŠøŠ¹, ŠµŃŠµ ŠæŃŠø Š¶ŠøŠ·Š½Šø ŠæŠ¾ŃŠøŃŠ°Š²ŃŠøŠ¹ŃŃ Š·Š°ŃŠøŃŠ½ŠøŠŗŠ¾Š¼ ŠŃŠ°Š²Š¾ŃŠ»Š°Š²ŠøŃ Š±ŃŠ°ŃŠøŠµŠ¹ ŠŠ»ŠµŠŗŃŠ°Š½Š“ŃŠ¾-ŠŠµŠ²ŃŠŗŠ¾Š¹ ŠŠ°Š²ŃŃ, Š³Š“Šµ Šø ŠæŠ¾Š³ŃŠµŠ±ŠµŠ½.
ŠŠ¾Š·Š½Š¾ŃŃ Š½ŃŠ½Šµ Š±Š»Š°Š³Š¾Š“Š°ŃŠ½ŃŃ Š¼Š¾Š»ŠøŃŠ²Ń Šŗ ŠŠ¾Š³Ń Š·Š° ŃŠµŠ“ŃŃŠµ Š¼ŠøŠ»Š¾ŃŃŠø, Š±Š»Š°Š³Š¾ŃŠ»Š¾Š²ŠµŠ½ŠøŃ Šø Š½Š°Š·ŠøŠ“Š°Š½ŠøŃ, ŠŗŠ¾ŃŠ¾ŃŃŃ Š¼Ń ŃŠ“Š¾ŃŃŠ¾ŠøŠ»ŠøŃŃ Š·Š° Š²ŃŠµŠ¼Ń ŠŠµŠ»ŠøŠŗŠ¾Š³Š¾ ŠæŠ¾ŃŃŠ° Šø ŠæŃŠ¾Š“Š¾Š»Š¶Š°ŠµŠ¼ ŠæŠ¾Š»ŃŃŠ°ŃŃ Š¾Ń ŠŃŠµŃŠµŠ“ŃŠ¾Š¹ ŠŠµŃŠ½ŠøŃŃ ŠŃŃŠ½ŠµŠ³Š¾, Š²Š¾ŃŃŠøŃŠ²ŃŠµŠ³Š¾ Š½ŃŠ½Šµ ŠøŠ· Š³ŃŠ¾Š±Š°, Š¼Ń Š±Š»Š°Š³Š¾Š³Š¾Š²ŠµŠ¹Š½Š¾ ŠæŃŠ¾ŃŠøŠ¼ Š½Š°ŃŠøŃ ŃŠ²ŃŃŃŃ Š½Š¾Š²Š¾Š¼ŃŃŠµŠ½ŠøŠŗŠ¾Š² Šø ŠøŃŠæŠ¾Š²ŠµŠ“Š½ŠøŠŗŠ¾Š², ŃŃŠ¾Š±Ń Š¾Š½Šø ŠæŠ¾Š¼Š¾Š³Š»Šø ŃŠ¾Ń ŃŠ°Š½ŠøŃŃ Š½ŠµŃŃŠŗŠ¾ŃŠ²Š¾ŃŠ½ŃŠ¹ Ń ŃŠ°Š¼ Š“ŃŃ Š¾ŃŠµŃŠµŃŃŠ²ŠµŠ½Š½Š¾Š¹ ŠæŠ°ŃŃŠ²Ń, Š“ŃŃ ŠæŠ¾ŃŠ¾Š¼ŠŗŠ¾Š² ŠæŠ¾ŃŠµŃŃŠ²ŃŠøŃ Š²ŃŠµ Š“Š¾ŃŠ¾Š³Š¾Šµ ŃŠŗŠøŃŠ°Š»ŃŃŠµŠ², ŃŠ°ŃŃŠµŃŠ½Š½ŃŃ ŠæŠ¾ Š²ŃŠµŠ¼Ń ŃŠ²ŠµŃŃ, Šø Š²ŃŠµŃ ŃŠ°Š“ Š½Š°ŃŠµŠ¹ Š“Š¾ŃŠ¾Š³Š¾Š¹ ŠŠ°ŃŠµŃŠø-Š¦ŠµŃŠŗŠ²Šø Š² ŃŠøŃŃŠ¾ŃŠµ, Š±Š»Š°Š³Š¾ŃŠµŃŃŠøŠø Šø ŃŠ²ŃŃŠ¾ŃŃŠø, Š² ŠæŃŠµŠ±ŃŠ²Š°Š½ŠøŠø ŃŠ¾ Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠ¾Š¼, Š² Š¼Š¾Š»ŠøŃŠ²Š°Ń Šø ŃŠµŃŠŗŠ¾Š²Š½ŃŃ ŃŠ°ŠøŠ½ŃŃŠ²Š°Ń , Š±ŠµŠ· ŃŠµŠ³Š¾ Š½ŠµŠ²Š¾Š·Š¼Š¾Š¶Š½Š¾ Š½Š°Š¼ ŠæŠ¾Š»ŃŃŠøŃŃ ŃŠæŠ°ŃŠµŠ½ŠøŃ.
ŠŃŠ°Šŗ, ŠæŠ¾Š¼Š½Ń ŠæŃŠøŠ·ŃŠ² ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŃŠµŠ³Š¾ Š”ŠæŠ°ŃŠøŃŠµŠ»Ń, Š²ŃŠµ ŃŠ°Š“ŃŠ¹ŃŠµŃŃ, Š½ŠøŠŗŃŠ¾ Š½Šµ Š¾ŃŃŠ°Š²Š°Š¹ŃŃ ŠæŠµŃŠ°Š»ŠµŠ½, ŠøŠ±Š¾ Ā«ŃŠµŠ¹ Š“ŠµŠ½Ń, ŠµŠ³Š¾-Š¶Šµ ŃŠ¾ŃŠ²Š¾ŃŠø ŠŠ¾ŃŠæŠ¾Š“Ń, Š²Š¾Š·ŃŠ°Š“ŃŠµŠ¼ŃŃ Šø Š²Š¾Š·Š²ŠµŃŠµŠ»ŠøŠ¼ŃŃ Š² Š¾Š½ŃĀ». ŠŠ¼ŠøŠ½Ń.
Š” ŠŠ°ŃŃ Š°Š»ŃŠ½Š¾Š¹ ŃŠ°Š“Š¾ŃŃŃŃ Š¾ Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠµ ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŃŠµŠ¼,
+ ŠŠŠŠ ŠŠŠ,
ŠŠøŃŃŠ¾ŠæŠ¾Š»ŠøŃ ŠŠ¾ŃŃŠ¾ŃŠ½Š¾-ŠŠ¼ŠµŃŠøŠŗŠ°Š½ŃŠŗŠøŠ¹ Šø ŠŃŃ-ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠŗŠøŠ¹, Šø ŠŠµŠ»ŠøŠŗŠ¾Š±ŃŠøŃŠ°Š½ŠøŠ¹ Šø ŠŃŠ»Š°Š½Š“ŠøŠ¹
ŠŠµŃŠ²Š¾ŠøŠµŃŠ°ŃŃ Š ŃŃŃŠŗŠ¾Š¹ ŠŠ°ŃŃŠ±ŠµŠ¶Š½Š¾Š¹ Š¦ŠµŃŠŗŠ²Šø.
ŠŠ°ŃŃ Š° Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠ¾Š²Š° 2018 Š³.
The Paschal Epistle of His Grace Bishop Irenei of Sacramento, Administrator of the Diocese of Great Britain and Ireland, 2018
(Please scroll down the page for the Russian version of this epistle.)
Dear in Christ, Fathers, Brothers and Sisters!
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
With heartfelt joy I greet you with the radiant Feast of the Lordās Resurrection. As the sons and daughters of the Risen God, we stand today before our Lord in the fulness of His glory. We behold life, more powerful than death; love, more powerful than enmity; peace, more powerful than hatred; and joy, more powerful than the sorrows of the world.
Today we say āChrist is risen,ā and we experience the world change. In this simple proclamation, all of history becomes something new. It had seemed the case that death was the final word ā for us, and for all mankind ā but we say āChrist is risenā, and we see death trampled down. We say āChrist is risenā, and it is no longer possible to believe in the triumph of evil, however difficult the circumstances of this world may become. The whole Orthodox world, taken up in the joy of this redemption, cries out āChrist is risen!ā, and the world echoes back the truth that has changed it, and must change us, forever: āTruly, He is risen!ā
My beloved Fathers, brothers and sisters: your prayers and your love for one another bring me additional joy on this day of the Feast of Feasts. We must never forget, as St Mary of Egypt once said, that the Son of God ābecame man for a purposeā, and this purpose is the binding up of our wounds, the tending of our broken hearts, the eradication of our sins, and the lifting of us up into the life of unity in love with Himself and with one another. His glorious Resurrection, which now we celebrate with all our hearts, is fulfilled in us when we allow our own hearts, weighed down by the cares and trials of this world, to be raised up by Him. This resurrection, which can and must take place in our hearts in this life, is our foretaste of the resurrection that one day, by Godās mercy, will take place in our flesh, and we shall be called forth from the grave to stand face-to-face with the living God.
Until that moment, as we live by faith and strive after all the good things of Godās Kingdom, may todayās glorious proclamation be our constant source of strength and joy. We are the children of God Who has crushed death, defeated the devil, and brought joy into all the earth. May your hearts be filled with it also, and may your love abound in His holy Resurrection.
+ Irenei,
Administrator of the Diocese of Great Britain & Ireland,
Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
Pascha of Christ 2018.
ŠŠ¾ŃŠ¾Š³ŠøŠµ Š²Š¾ Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠµ Š¾ŃŃŃ, Š±ŃŠ°ŃŃŃ Šø ŃŠµŃŃŃŃ!Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠ¾Ń ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµ! ŠŠ¾ŠøŃŃŠøŠ½Ń ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµ!
Š” ŃŠµŃŠ“ŠµŃŠ½Š¾Š¹ ŃŠ°Š“Š¾ŃŃŃŃ Ń ŠæŠ¾Š·Š“ŃŠ°Š²Š»ŃŃ Š²Š°Ń ŃŠ¾ ŃŠ²ŠµŃŠ»ŃŠ¼ ŠæŃŠ°Š·Š“Š½ŠøŠŗŠ¾Š¼ ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµŠ½ŠøŃ ŠŠ¾ŃŠæŠ¾Š“Š°. ŠŠ°Šŗ ŃŃŠ½Š¾Š²ŃŃ Šø Š“Š¾ŃŠµŃŠø ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŃŠµŠ³Š¾ ŠŠ¾Š³Š° Š¼Ń ŠæŃŠµŠ“ŃŃŠ°ŠµŠ¼ ŃŠµŠ³Š¾Š“Š½Ń ŠæŠµŃŠµŠ“ Š½Š°ŃŠøŠ¼ ŠŠ¾ŃŠæŠ¾Š“Š¾Š¼, Š½Š°Ń Š¾Š“ŃŃŠøŠ¼ŃŃ Š²Š¾ Š²ŃŠµŠ¹ ŠæŠ¾Š»Š½Š¾ŃŠµ ŠŠ³Š¾ ŃŠ»Š°Š²Ń. ŠŃ Š²ŠøŠ“ŠøŠ¼ Š¶ŠøŠ·Š½Ń, Š±Š¾Š»ŠµŠµ Š¼Š¾Š³ŃŃŠµŃŃŠ²ŠµŠ½Š½ŃŃ, ŃŠµŠ¼ ŃŠ¼ŠµŃŃŃ; Š»ŃŠ±Š¾Š²Ń, Š±Š¾Š»ŠµŠµ Š¼Š¾Š³ŃŃŠµŃŃŠ²ŠµŠ½Š½ŃŃ, ŃŠµŠ¼ Š²ŃŠ°Š¶Š“Š°; Š¼ŠøŃ, Š±Š¾Š»ŠµŠµ Š¼Š¾Š³ŃŃŠµŃŃŠ²ŠµŠ½Š½ŃŠ¹, ŃŠµŠ¼ Š½ŠµŠ½Š°Š²ŠøŃŃŃ; ŃŠ°Š“Š¾ŃŃŃ, Š±Š¾Š»ŠµŠµ Š¼Š¾Š³ŃŃŠµŃŃŠ²ŠµŠ½Š½ŃŃ, ŃŠµŠ¼ ŠæŠµŃŠ°Š»Šø ŃŃŠ¾Š³Š¾ Š¼ŠøŃŠ°.
Š”ŠµŠ³Š¾Š“Š½Ń Š¼Ń Š³Š¾Š²Š¾ŃŠøŠ¼ Ā«Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠ¾Ń ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµ!Ā», Šø Š²ŠøŠ“ŠøŠ¼, ŠŗŠ°Šŗ ŠøŠ·Š¼ŠµŠ½ŃŠµŃŃŃ Š¼ŠøŃ. Š ŃŃŠ¾Š¼ ŠæŃŠ¾ŃŃŠ¾Š¼ Š²Š¾ŃŠŗŠ»ŠøŃŠ°Š½ŠøŠø Š¾Š±Š½Š¾Š²Š»ŃŠµŃŃŃ Š²ŃŃ ŠøŃŃŠ¾ŃŠøŃ. ŠŠ°Š¼ ŠŗŠ°Š·Š°Š»Š¾ŃŃ, ŃŃŠ¾ Š·Š° ŃŠ¼ŠµŃŃŃŃ Š¾ŃŃŠ°Š½ŠµŃŃŃ ŠæŠ¾ŃŠ»ŠµŠ“Š½ŠµŠµ ŃŠ»Š¾Š²Š¾ ā Š“Š»Ń Š½Š°Ń Šø Š²ŃŠµŠ³Š¾ ŃŠµŠ»Š¾Š²ŠµŃŠµŃŃŠ²Š°, ā Š½Š¾ Š¼Ń Š³Š¾Š²Š¾ŃŠøŠ¼: Ā«Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠ¾Ń ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµ!Ā», Šø Š²ŠøŠ“ŠøŠ¼, ŃŃŠ¾ ŠæŠ¾ŠæŃŠ°Š½Š° ŃŠ¼ŠµŃŃŃ. ŠŃ Š³Š¾Š²Š¾ŃŠøŠ¼ Ā«Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠ¾Ń ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµ!Ā», ā Šø ŃŠ¶Šµ Š½ŠµŠ²Š¾Š·Š¼Š¾Š¶Š½Š¾ Š²ŠµŃŠøŃŃ Š² ŃŠ¾ŃŠ¶ŠµŃŃŠ²Š¾ Š·Š»Š°, Š² ŠŗŠ°ŠŗŠøŠµ Š±Ń ŃŃŃŠ“Š½ŃŠµ Š¾Š±ŃŃŠ¾ŃŃŠµŠ»ŃŃŃŠ²Š° Š½Šø ŠæŠ¾ŃŃŠ°Š²ŠøŠ» Š½Š°Ń Š¼ŠøŃ. ŠŠµŃŃ ŠæŃŠ°Š²Š¾ŃŠ»Š°Š²Š½ŃŠ¹ Š¼ŠøŃ, Š¾Ń Š²Š°ŃŠµŠ½Š½ŃŠ¹ ŃŠ°Š“Š¾ŃŃŃŃ ŃŃŠ¾Š³Š¾ ŠøŃŠŗŃŠæŠ»ŠµŠ½ŠøŃ, Š²Š¾ŃŠŗŠ»ŠøŃŠ°ŠµŃ Ā«Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠ¾Ń ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµ!Ā», Šø Š¼ŠøŃ, ŠŗŠ°Šŗ ŃŃ Š¾Š¼, Š¾ŃŠ·ŃŠ²Š°ŠµŃŃŃ ŠøŃŃŠøŠ½Š¾Š¹, ŠøŠ·Š¼ŠµŠ½ŠøŠ²ŃŠµŠ¹ ŠµŠ³Š¾, Šø Š“Š¾Š»Š¶Š½Š¾Š¹ Š½Š°Š²ŃŠµŠ³Š“Š° ŠøŠ·Š¼ŠµŠ½ŠøŃŃ Š½Š°Ń: Ā«ŠŠ¾ŠøŃŃŠøŠ½Ń ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµ!Ā»
ŠŠ¾Šø Š²Š¾Š·Š»ŃŠ±Š»ŠµŠ½Š½ŃŠµ Š¾ŃŃŃ, Š±ŃŠ°ŃŃŃ Šø ŃŠµŃŃŃŃ: Š²Š°ŃŠø Š¼Š¾Š»ŠøŃŠ²Ń Šø Š²Š°ŃŠ° Š»ŃŠ±Š¾Š²Ń Š“ŃŃŠ³ ŠŗŠ¾ Š“ŃŃŠ³Ń ŠæŃŠøŠ½Š¾ŃŠøŃ Š¼Š½Šµ Š“Š¾ŠæŠ¾Š»Š½ŠøŃŠµŠ»ŃŠ½ŃŃ ŃŠ°Š“Š¾ŃŃŃ Š² ŃŃŠ¾Ń Š“ŠµŠ½Ń ŠŃŠ°Š·Š“Š½ŠøŠŗŠ° Š²ŃŠµŃ ŠŃŠ°Š·Š“Š½ŠøŠŗŠ¾Š². ŠŃ Š½Šµ Š“Š¾Š»Š¶Š½Ń Š½ŠøŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° Š·Š°Š±ŃŠ²Š°ŃŃ, ŠŗŠ°Šŗ ŃŠŗŠ°Š·Š°Š»Š° Š¾Š“Š½Š°Š¶Š“Ń ŠæŃŠµŠæ. ŠŠ°ŃŠøŃ ŠŠ³ŠøŠæŠµŃŃŠŗŠ°Ń, ŃŃŠ¾ Š”ŃŠ½ ŠŠ¾Š¶ŠøŠ¹ Ā«ŃŃŠ°Š» ŃŠµŠ»Š¾Š²ŠµŠŗŠ¾Š¼ Š“Š»Ń ŃŠµŠ»ŠøĀ», Šø ŃŠµŠ»ŃŃ ŃŃŠ¾Š¹ ŃŠ²Š»ŃŠµŃŃŃ ŠæŠµŃŠµŠ²ŃŠ·ŃŠ²Š°Š½ŠøŠµ Š½Š°ŃŠøŃ ŃŠ°Š½, ŃŃŠµŃŠµŠ½ŠøŠµ Š½Š°ŃŠøŃ ŃŠµŃŠ“ŠµŃ, ŠøŃŃŃŠµŠ±Š»ŠµŠ½ŠøŠµ Š½Š°ŃŠøŃ Š³ŃŠµŃ Š¾Š² Šø Š²Š¾Š·Š²ŃŃŠµŠ½ŠøŠµ Š½Š°Ń Š² Š¶ŠøŠ·Š½Ń ŠµŠ“ŠøŠ½ŠµŠ½ŠøŃ Š² Š»ŃŠ±Š²Šø Ń ŠŠøŠ¼ Šø Š“ŃŃŠ³ Ń Š“ŃŃŠ³Š¾Š¼. ŠŠ³Š¾ ŃŠ»Š°Š²Š½Š¾Šµ ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµŠ½ŠøŠµ, ŠŗŠ¾ŃŠ¾ŃŠ¾Šµ Š¼Ń Š¾ŃŠ¼ŠµŃŠ°ŠµŠ¼ ŃŠµŠ³Š¾Š“Š½Ń Š²ŃŠµŠ¼ ŃŠµŃŠ“ŃŠµŠ¼, ŠøŃŠæŠ¾Š»Š½ŠøŃŃŃ Šø Š² Š½Š°Ń, ŠŗŠ¾Š³Š“Š° Š¼Ń ŠæŠ¾Š·Š²Š¾Š»ŠøŠ¼, ŃŃŠ¾Š±Ń ŠŠ½ Š²Š¾Š·Š²ŃŃŠøŠ» Š½Š°ŃŠø ŃŠµŃŠ“ŃŠ°, Š¾ŃŃŠ³Š¾ŃŠµŠ½Š½ŃŠµ Š·Š°Š±Š¾ŃŠ°Š¼Šø Šø ŠøŃŠæŃŃŠ°Š½ŠøŃŠ¼Šø ŃŃŠ¾Š³Š¾ Š¼ŠøŃŠ°. ŠŃŠ¾ Š²Š¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµŠ½ŠøŠµ, ŠŗŠ¾ŃŠ¾ŃŠ¾Šµ Š¼Š¾Š¶ŠµŃ Šø Š“Š¾Š»Š¶Š½Š¾ ŠæŃŠ¾ŠøŠ·Š¾Š¹ŃŠø Š² Š½Š°ŃŠøŃ ŃŠµŃŠ“ŃŠ°Ń Š² ŃŃŠ¾Š¹ Š¶ŠøŠ·Š½Šø, ŃŠ²Š»ŃŠµŃŃŃ ŠæŃŠµŠ“Š²ŠŗŃŃŠµŠ½ŠøŠµŠ¼ ŃŠ¾Š³Š¾ Š²Š¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµŠ½ŠøŃ, ŠŗŠ¾ŃŠ¾ŃŠ¾Šµ Š¾Š“Š½Š°Š¶Š“Ń, ŠæŠ¾ Š¼ŠøŠ»Š¾ŃŃŠø ŠŠ¾Š¶ŠøŠµŠ¹, ŠæŃŠ¾ŠøŠ·Š¾Š¹Š“ŠµŃ Ń Š½Š°ŃŠµŠ¹ ŠæŠ»Š¾ŃŃŃ, Šø Š½Š°Ń ŠæŃŠøŠ·Š¾Š²ŃŃ Š²Š¾ŃŃŃŠ°ŃŃ ŠøŠ· Š¼Š¾Š³ŠøŠ», ŃŃŠ¾Š±Ń Š»ŠøŃŠ¾Š¼ Šŗ Š»ŠøŃŃ Š²ŃŃŃŠµŃŠøŃŃ ŠŠ¾Š³Š° ŠŠøŠ²Š¾Š³Š¾.
ŠŠ¾ ŃŃŠ¾Š³Š¾ Š¼Š¾Š¼ŠµŠ½ŃŠ°, ŠæŠ¾ Š¼ŠµŃŠµ ŃŠ¾Š³Š¾, ŠŗŠ°Šŗ Š¼Ń Š¶ŠøŠ²ŠµŠ¼ Š² Š²ŠµŃŠµ Šø ŃŃŃŠµŠ¼ŠøŠ¼ŃŃ ŠŗŠ¾ Š²ŃŠµŠ¼Ń Š“Š¾Š±ŃŠ¾Š¼Ń, ŃŃŠ¾ ŠµŃŃŃ Š² Š¦Š°ŃŃŃŠ²Šµ ŠŠ¾Š¶ŠøŠµŠ¼, ŃŠµŠ³Š¾Š“Š½ŃŃŠ½ŠµŠµ ŃŠ»Š°Š²Š½Š¾Šµ Š²Š¾Š·Š·Š²Š°Š½ŠøŠµ ŠæŃŃŃŃ Š±ŃŠ“ŠµŃ Š“Š»Ń Š½Š°Ń ŠæŠ¾ŃŃŠ¾ŃŠ½Š½ŃŠ¼ ŠøŃŃŠ¾ŃŠ½ŠøŠŗŠ¾Š¼ ŃŠøŠ»Ń Šø ŃŠ°Š“Š¾ŃŃŠø. ŠŃ Š“ŠµŃŠø ŠŠ¾Š³Š°, ŠŗŠ¾ŃŠ¾ŃŃŠ¹ ŃŠ¾ŠŗŃŃŃŠøŠ» ŃŠ¼ŠµŃŃŃ, ŠŗŠ¾ŃŠ¾ŃŃŠ¹ ŠæŠ¾Š±ŠµŠ“ŠøŠ» Š“ŠøŠ°Š²Š¾Š»Š° Šø ŠæŃŠøŠ½ŠµŃ ŃŠ°Š“Š¾ŃŃŃ Š½Š° Š²ŃŃ Š·ŠµŠ¼Š»Ń. ŠŃŃŃŃ Š¶Šµ Šø Š²Š°ŃŠø ŃŠµŃŠ“ŃŠ° Š½Š°ŠæŠ¾Š»Š½ŃŃŃŃŃ ŠµŃ, Šø ŠæŃŃŃŃ Š² ŠŠ³Š¾ Š”Š²ŃŃŠ¾Š¼ ŠŠ¾ŃŠŗŃŠµŃŠµŠ½ŠøŠø ŠøŠ·Š¾Š±ŠøŠ»ŃŠµŃ Š²Š°ŃŠ° Š»ŃŠ±Š¾Š²Ń.
+ ŠŠ ŠŠŠŠ,
ŠŠ“Š¼ŠøŠ½ŠøŃŃŃŠ°ŃŠ¾Ń ŠŠµŠ»ŠøŠŗŠ¾Š±ŃŠøŃŠ°Š½ŃŠŗŠ¾Š¹ Šø ŠŃŠ»Š°Š½Š“ŃŠŗŠ¾Š¹ ŠŠæŠ°ŃŃ
ŠøŠø,
Š ŃŃŃŠŗŠ¾Š¹ ŠŠ°ŃŃŠ±ŠµŠ¶Š½Š¾Š¹ Š¦ŠµŃŠŗŠ²Šø.
ŠŠ°ŃŃ Š° Š„ŃŠøŃŃŠ¾Š²Š° 2018 Š³.
A lovely Easter Greeting and Blessing to the Flock in Belfast from our dear Bishop Irenei
He is Risen Indeed!!
St John of Shanghai Feastday:
Liturgy & Parish Garden Party
Garden Party in honour of St John of Shanghai
All most heartily welcome!
Charitable status!
We have today (17/01/2018) received the news that our application to the Charity Commission of Northern Ireland to be given Charitable status has been granted, Glory to God and thanks to all who donated their time and expertise to reach this milestone! Our charity registration details are:
The Orthodox Church of St John of Shanghai
Northern Ireland Charity number: NIC106905
Parish Meeting
There will be a parish meeting on Saturday 13 January following the Divine Liturgy. All welcome. Please consider preparing for this by attending both the celebration of Vespers on Friday 12 @19:30 and Confession and Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning 13th.
Message from Bishop Irenei
The Iconostasis is finished – Glory to God
New Location
4 November 2017: With the blessing of Bishop Irenei, St John of Shanghai parish has now moved to its very own wooden church in the back garden of 4 Ashfield Drive, beside the chapel of St John the Baptist.
Fr Paul Elliott blessed the new church in the morning
…and celebrated the Divine Liturgy there,
after hearing confessions in the neighbouring chapel of St John the Forerunner and Baptist in the same garden and before having teas and coffees and a little soup and then heading to Lisburn for a houseblessing.
A new iconostasis is to be made by the beginning of December in time for the next Divine Liturgy.
Baptism
On September 30 after the Divine Liturgy, we were blessed to be able to host the Baptism of our youngest parishioner in the presence of a relic of St John of Shanghai, which Fr Paul Elliott had brought with him.
Divine Liturgy
Fr Paul Elliott is flying over to Belfast and arriving in the afternoon on Friday to have time to meet with some parishioners on Friday before celebrating Divine Liturgy on SATURDAY 5 August. Confession and Hours at 10:00 am followed by Divine Liturgy at around 10:30am. Refreshments afterwards> All very welcome.
St John’s Feast Day!
This Saturday 1 July 2017:
Hours and Confession from 10:15 followed by
Divine Liturgy from about 10:45 followed by
Service for the Departed followed by
Food provided by the McCarthy family
Celebrant: Fr David Lonergan
Everyone Welcome!!
DIVINE LITURGY
We are grateful and happy to be able to let you know that Metropolitan Hilarion has given his blessing for Fr Paul Elliott to serve Divine Liturgy for us and also for Fr David Lonergan to help out as and when he can. We are also very grateful that Fr Paul and Fr David have kindly offered their support for our parish.
We would now like to invite you to our next Divine Liturgy on Saturday 1 July 2017. This is the feast day of our patron saint St John of Shanghai and Metropolitan Hilarion has blessed Fr David Lonergan to be the celebrant. There will also be a service for the departed after the Liturgy, followed by tea and coffee with light refreshments. All so very welcome!
FAREWELL TO FR JOHN
Fr John Diulaj is preparing to leave Belfast on Sunday morning 28 May 17. He is initially moving back to Lithuania. We wish him well for the future and a safe journey. He also expressed his best wishes for all of us remaining here.
VISIT BY NUNS’ CHOIR
We were very blessed today by a beautiful performance of the Choir of St Elisabeth Convent, Minsk, to a sizeable and captive audience of people of all ages. Many thanks to the choir and the organisers of their trip and to God for their coming to us to sing both Liturgical and other songs, including some poems set to music of our Archpriest friend and poet Fr Andrei Logvinov. Hope to upload some videos at a later date. If you are on facebook, there are some there from the direct streaming we attempted for the first time. You may be able to see them here.
SATURDAY 13th MAY 2017 at 12 noon:
The Belarussian nuns are coming to our parish to sing both liturgical and folk music pieces for us from 12 noon onwards. They will bring with them some of the goods they usually sell at the Christmas market from St Elisabeth Convent, Minsk. Also there will be light refreshments afterwards. Everyone welcome!! Here is a link for you to sample what the sound like: … http://obitel-minsk.by/ā¦/xor-seā¦/video/poyut-sestry-v-belgii
SUNDAY OF THE MYRRH-BEARING WOMEN
A wonderful Divine Liturgy of the Sunday of Myrrh-bearing Women was had by all, thanks be to God and to our dear Fr John, followed by a nice time of
community together with teas and coffees afterwards.
UPDATE
Glory to God our dear Fr John seems to be getting better by and by and we are looking forward to our Sunday Divine Liturgy as planned this Sunday.
Let us all make a big effort to be there to support him and each other by our presence as well as continued prayers. Thank you!!
PRAYER REQUEST
Please all pray for the speedy and full recovery of our dear Fr John. Remember especially the call to pray at 8pm wherever we might be at that time, when we would like to all be united in prayer both for Fr John and for our dear parish of St John of Shanghai. May St John also pray for us all!
CHRIST IS RISEN!! HE IS RISEN INDEED!!
See some of the photos taken at our Easter Celebrations here.
Sat 13 MAY @12:00 NOON: CONCERT OF ST ELISABETH CONVENT CHOIR FROM MINSK, BELARUS
The Choir of The Orthodox St Elisabeth Convent in Minsk in Belarus is coming to St John of Shanghai parish in Belfast for a musical and spiritual feast.
Due to the need for our Parish priest to have to be in London on the same date, arrangements have been amended as follows:
At 12 noon there will be a Concert of Folk and Liturgical Music.
followed by a light lunch, and (until three o’clock) there will be an opportunity to buy CDs and other items from the Minsk Monastery.
Admission is free, but a donation toward the choir’s travel costs and monastery would be much appreciated. All very welcome.
For a sample of their singing click here.
HOLY RELIC OF ST PATRICK THE ENLIGHTENER OF IRELAND VISITS ST JOHN’S PARISH
Welcomed by a group of faithful, the rare relic of St Patrick was venerated with an Akathist in honour of St Patrick. (17/3/2017)
THE WONDERWORKING KURSK ROOT ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD OF THE SIGN VISITS BELFAST
The Wonderworking icon was in St John’s church for a Moleben and Akathist Service on Wednesday 15 March and on Thursday 16th for private veneration before being returned to London by Fr John.
It was a wonderful experience with a good turn out, including a photographer from a local newspaper.
We are greatly encouraged in our faith and are very thankful and humbled to have been hosting this ancient icon.
RELIC OF ST PATRICK, ENLIGHTENER OF IRELAND
For the short Akathist Service (without priest, as Fr John will be attending the Diocesan Assembly in London) on Friday 17th March at 10:30 we will have a relic of St Patrick the Enlightener of Ireland for veneration on loan to our parish from the private collection of Dr Terence MacCarthy.
All welcome.
TIMETABLE OF THE WONDERWORKING KURSK ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD OF THE SIGN IN BELFAST
WEDNESDAY 15 MARCH 2017:
With the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion, Fr John is flying over to London Heathrow early in the morning, to meet with Fr Paul Elliott and receive charge of the icon. Fr John and the icon are then scheduled to fly from Heathrow to Belfast to arrive in Belfast at 16:30. To allow for delays and travel time from the airport, we will have a Moleben and Akathist service from 18.30. The icon will also be there for veneration after the service until 21.00 hours.
THURSDAY 16 MARCH 2017
The church will be open for private veneration of the icon from 9 am to 10:45 and will then travel directly from St John’s church to the airport with Fr John, who is scheduled to fly back to London Heathrow at 13.05 to meet with Fr Paul Elliott or another escort there.
For a website with extensive information on this icon click here. And for a touching short video of the icon’s reception in Kursk in Russia have a look at this video. Thank you!
VISIT OF THE WONDERWORKING KURSK ROOT ICON
We are delighted to announce that our Metropolitan Hilarion has given his blessing for the famous and holy wonderworking Kursk Root Icon to visit our parish in Belfast. Glory to God. With the help of God the icon will be in Belfast in time for an evening service on Wednesday 15 March 2017 and is scheduled to leave again just before lunchtime of Thursday 16th March 2017. Exact times of services will be published nearer the time, but make a note in your diaries and spread the wonderful news!
PS: This is the very same icon in front of which St John of Shanghai reposed in Seattle in 1966. Glory to God!
FORGIVENESS SUNDAY
This coming Sunday, 26 February 2017, we will have an additional Service to the Divine Liturgy – the Rite of Forgiveness Vespers. Immediately after the Divine Liturgy this coming Sunday, which makes Saturday the last day for eating cheese and other dairy products up to Easter.
THE PRESENTATION OF OUR LORD IN THE TEMPLE
You are invited to join us for the feats of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple on Wednesday morning, 15th February 2017. 10:00 for Hours and Confession and 10:30 (ish) for Divine Liturgy. (Teas and Coffees afterwards if there are takers š ) All welcome!
CALL TO DAILY PRAYER (issued 12- Feb – 17)
We had a wonderful Divine Liturgy this morning, where Fr John suggested that all of us, in our various locations, could take ten or so minutes for prayer at or as near as possible to 8pm every day.
This would be prayers that we favour such as the “Our Father” the Trisagion prayers, Psalm 50 and/or 90 and/or other prayers of our choice.
The idea is, that the concerted effort to pray for each other and for the parish at the same time will strengthen our unity and love and will help to build the parish with the grace and mercy of God, who answers prayers. …
So, the call is out there to commit to about ten minutes per day at – or as near as possible to – 8pm to prayer for each other and for the parish. Let us be (-come) committed to this especially during the approaching Lent!
Thank you!!
ALLELUIA
Glory and praise to our God!
Yesterday our new and wonderful parish priest, Fr John Diulaj celebrated his first Divine Liturgy with us, with Confessions beforehand and with the blessing of the waters afterwards.
We had tasty rice and vegetable curry kindly prepared by Conor MacCarthy as well as teas and coffee afterwards.
We are delighted and feel very blessed to have been given such a holy parish priest, who is deeply interested in the welfare of his parishioners and his parish. He is very open to having conversation with all and already mentioned the possibility of organising both instructive classes to help us to get more deeply acquainted with Russian and in particular with ROCOR saints and spirituality as well as planning pilgrimages for the future.
Furthermore we have heard yesterday, that there will be a visit of Bishop Irenaeus to GB in May this year, and that he is to bring a relic of St John of Shanghai with him for our parish, to be then delivered to us by Fr Paul Elliott when he comes to visit us.
All of this is very encouraging and humbling and wonderful news of confirming our parish. Alleluia. Glory to God.
WELCOME!
We are delighted to welcome our new parish priest to the parish. He arrived safely after travelling for two days and nights. Glory to God. We are looking forward to regular Sunday Liturgies now. All welcome. See the Services section for more details.
UPDATE !
Fr John apologizes sincerely for a small delay in his arrival to our parish. He will arrive on 22 January and the first Divine Liturgy with him will be celebrated on Sunday 29 January. From then on, we will have Divine Liturgies every Sunday. Glory to God.
PARISH NEWS
Glory to God and thanks to St John and to your prayers, we are expecting our new Parish Priest Fr John Diulaj from Lithuania to arrive in the middle of January. He has the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion to be our new priest. We are expecting to see him for the joint Liturgy together with Fr Paul Elliott on Saturday 14 January (remember to bring some food/drink if you can) and are looking forward to a regular Liturgical life being re- installed in St John’s parish. Alleluia. Let us keep Fr John in our prayers, welcome him warmly and help to make his transition to Belfast as easy as possible.
DIOCESAN NEWS
The Diocese of Great Britain and Ireland (ROCOR):
There has been a Russian Church in London for about 300 years, After the Russian Revolution the Imperial Embassy Chapel was closed and a new home was sought for the parish. It became a diocese in 1929 when Archmandrite Nicholas Karpov was consecrated as Bishop of London and took up residence in the UK.In 1932 he reposed in the Lord whilst visiting the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (Karlovtsi Synod) in the then Kingdom of Serbia. The next bishop to reside in London and have oversight of the parishes in the United Kingdom was the ever-memorable Archbishop Nikodem (Nagaieff), who was bishop in London from 1954 until his death in 1976, at the age of 93. Initially, Bishop Nikodem was a suffragan bishop under the ompohor of Archbishop John (glorified in 1994 as Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco) who, from 1953 to 1962, was Archbishop of Brussels and Western Europe. The next bishop to reside in London was Bishop Constantine (Jessensky) of blessed memory who retired in 1986. In the same year, Archbishop Mark was appointed as ruling hierarch for London and Great Britain. The Cathedral parish moved to its present location in Chiswick, West London, in 1990, having previously been at Emperor’s Gate, London SW7. For a more detailed history see “Embassy, Emigrants, and Englishmen” by Fr Christopher Birchall, published by Holy Trinity Press, Jordanville in 2014. Archbishop Mark retired as Ruling Bishop of the British Diocese on the 8th December 2016 at the Synod meeting in New York. The First Hierarch of the Russian Church outside Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion, (photo) is now the current Ruling Bishop.
PARISH MEAL
You are warmly invited to a parish meal together with Fr Paul Elliott on Friday 2 December at the little church hall at 7:30 pm in the evening. Divine Liturgy then on Saturday 3rd December. The more the merrier. Especially if you are an enquirer into Orthodoxy this may be a good weekend to get acquainted with the parish.
INVITATION
The Russian Orthodox Community of St Finnian of Clonard in Belfast has issued an invitation for us on the occasion of the visit of their Archbishop (of Sourozh) 1/10, and the Liturgical service at St. George’s at 10am:
“…I am writing to let you know that our Archbishop Elisey is visiting us on Saturday 1/10 and he will conduct a service that day at St. George’s and you can receive Holy Communion from him you wish. You are all invited to join us. There will be some tea and sandwiches after the service. Please let your parishioners know and tell them they are very welcome to join us. …”
You can find the location of the church they worship in (St George’s) on their website by clicking on above link and looking for the “locate us” tab, or here.
DIOCESAN NEWS
Statement from Chancellor of the Diocese of Great Britain and Ireland dated 31/08/16
” His Eminence Archbishop Mark will shortly be retiring as ruling Hierarch of the Diocese of Great Britain and Ireland. Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Church outside of Russia (ROCOR) will take over administration of the diocese until new arrangements can be confirmed. The exact timing of this change will be announced shortly.”
NEW PREMISES
We have now moved into the middle floor chapel in the church halls building. (On the photo below you can see the big window overlooking the Antrim Rd. It is behind out altar area.) All welcome to all Services .
We celebrated the feast of Transfiguration today, 20/8/16 in our new church. Glory to God. Here a few photos…
MOVING PREMISES
This weekend we will have a Reader’s service at 10:30 on Sunday and tea and coffee in the hall afterwards. We will then move into the middle floor of the hall building and have our services there in future. The next Divine Liturgy is planned there for Saturday 20 August. Please spread the word and come to support our little mission with your prayers and physical presence. Each person is an encouragement for all. God bless you all and St John of Shanghai pray for us all. Amen. NB: We need extra help for moving into the new premises after teas and coffees on Sunday. All help gratefully appreciated. Hope to see you there.
RE-LOCATING
We are currently engaged in conversation with the Anglican owners of the church building we are using, about moving to the room on the middle floor in the church hall building, to reduce our outlays. We will announce our moving date as soon as this has become definite. Please keep the process in your prayers. Thank you.
PARISH FEAST-DAY CELEBRATIONS
The parish feast day is the usually feast day of St John of Shanghai. It is usually celebrated on the Saturday nearest to the 2nd of July. This year we are celebrating the parish feastday on Saturday 7 July together with Fr Paul Elliott and Matushka Jane. We will have some hot food in the hall afterwards and everyone is very welcome!
OVERSIGHT OF THE PARISH
Fr Paul Elliott from Liverpool has been blessed by Archbishop Mark to have oversight over our parish at least until we have a new parish priest appointed. (see Clergy) He is also intending to come over to celebrate Divine Liturgies with us on Saturdays once a month. Glory to God. For dates and times see the Services section.
FR MLADEN’S LAST LITURGY
Fr Mladen is planning to move to Dublin on Sunday 29th of May and so will celebrate his last Divine Liturgy with us on SATURDAY 28th of May at the usual time: 10:00 Hours and Confession followed by DIVINE LITURGY, followed by and teas and coffees in the church hall. All welcome.
We will update you as soon as there is news about a successor of Fr Mladen. Service schedules for the next months are found under the services tab.
BAPTISM
On Easter Saturday we had the wonderful occasion of the baptism of Gabriel at Lough Money in County Down. Glory to God! Congratulations and a warm welcome to the Church!
READERS’ SERVICE 17 MARCH
There was a Readers’ Service on 17 March at 11:00 am, as Fr Mladen was tied up with his secular work and therefore was not able to celebrate the Liturgy. Thank you to all who were there.
DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE
Archbishop Mark has given his blessing for a diocesan pilgrimage in Spring 2017! For more information see the diocesan website: http://www.rocor.org.uk/diocesan_pilgrimage.html
DIOCESAN MEETING
Archbishop Mark is planning to be in London at the Cathedral there on Saturday 16 April 2016 and to hold a Diocesan meeting there, to which an invitation has been extended not only to Fr Mladen, but also to at least one, and if possible more than one parish representative to also attend. If you are interested, let us know!
NEW BABY
Glory to God! And congratulations to the Gardovic family on the arrival of their baby son Vasilije!
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ANNUAL GENERAL PARISH MEETING
Our first AGM was held on Sunday 31 January. Thank you to those who attended.
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EXCELLENT WEBSITE
Our sister parish in Birkenhead, Liverpool has an absolutely excellent website worth browsing for hours on end. Check it out …. http://www.newmartyr.info/
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ICONS FOR SALE
We will continue to have icons for sale. If you are interested and do not see them out on display in the church hall after Divine Liturgy on a Sunday, do not be shy, ask someone about them. Someone will be able to help with bringing the two boxes to the hall, so you can have a look at them, and chose an icon or two if you want to. These icons are provided by and sold for the Belarusian nuns of St Elisabeth Convent. All proceeds go to them.
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VISIT TO IRELAND OF WONDERWORKING ICON:
The Wonderworking Kursk Icon of the Mother of God (which is mentioned in Ikos 8 of the Akathist to St John, as he reposed in front of it) traveled to Ireland. It visited St Peter’s and St Paul’s parish in Dublin (24/06/2015), and also St Colman’s church in Stradbally (25/06/2015).
There were many people present in Stradbally and the little church could hardly hold them all. It was wonderful to see such a great turnout, and also to see the many children present. Lucy and Johanna also went to Stradbally to venerate the icon and to ask the Theotokos to pray for our parish here in Belfast. The icon has now left Ireland again.
http://www.stpeterstpaul.net/index.php?lang=en
http://www.st-colman-church.org/html_en/service-en.html
Research more information about this icon by means of this link:
