Antochian Missionary Work in Ireland
|
2006 The Belfast parish's first home. A sign in the upper window reads, "St Ignatius Antiochian Orthodox Church". |
|
2007 things improve greatly,St I gnatius moves to the old church hall of a large Anglican church. |
|
2008 Blessings abound from above, St Ignatius moves to its present location occupying the entire building. |
|
The new church is filled with over 600 in attendance at a Hierachichal Vespers service. |
|
Father Irenaeus and the Webservant in Kells during a pilgrimage to early Christian sites. |
Fields White unto Harvest
Ireland, a Fruitful Field for Antiochian Missions
For the past several years members of the Saint George Evangelism Committee have enjoyed a close and fruitful relationship with the Antiochian missionaries to Ireland, Father Irenaeus and Khouria Genevieve, and the parish that they serve, St. Ignatius of Antioch. When we first met them the parish was a small group of Orthodox Christians worshiping in a little room above some poor shops next to a pub in a run down section of Belfast. Though the group was small, the love and fellowship was strong, and the sense of mission was extraordinary, way beyond what one is used to seeing in a new mission. Father Irenaeus was actively encouraging members of the parish to excel in spiritual knowledge by entering the St. Stephens Course of Studies usually intended for people seeking the ordained ministry. His vision was for a parish of missionaries bringing the ancient faith back to a country that has a rich spiritual history, being the country that once, long ago, brought the Christian faith to Northern Europe.
Within a short period of time the parish in Belfast had increased to the point where they could move to a better location. A parish hall belonging to an old Church of Ireland parish filled the need. Not only was it in a better part of town, with more room, but the surroundings were pleasant and dignified. At this time my wife and I made our second visit to St. Ignatius while participating in a pilgrimage to the early Christian sites of Ireland sponsored by the parish. The pilgrimage was quite wonderful, especially the warm welcome we received by our brothers and sisters in Belfast, and the lovely, peaceful, ruins of ancient monasteries, hermitages, and churches was worth travelling halfway around the world to visit. There, in some green forest valley, or upon some windswept island, the ancient stones bear witness to the Gospel of Christ many hundreds of years after their builders have gone to join the choir of saints in heaven.
The large, stone church building (to which the parish hall where St. Ignatius parish worshiped was connected) was an elaborate, mid-eighteenth century structure in an Anglo-Catholic style, having decorative windows and wood work of the very finest quality. The Parish itself was made up of a group of faithful Anglicans in a previously Protestant area which has gradually changed to a Catholic area and with the subsequent relocation of most of its parishioners. Fr. Irenaeus expressed his vision that the church building would soon belong to the Antiochians, all we needed was about one and a half million pounds(at the time about $2,880,000). I didn't want to be a naysayer, but I couldn't image how it could be done. The parish of St. Ignatius is made up of mostly working class people and students. I was pleasantly surprised that they were able to move from the Church Halls to their present location. The beauty and magnificence of the massive stone church next door where they moved to seemed like a pleasant pipe dream. But I held my peace. It had been demonstrated to me on more than one occasion that Fr. Irenaeus was somewhat of prophet, and not given to exaggeration.
Not long after returning home to Oregon we began to receive report after report of exciting news from Belfast. There was now a mission in the city of Armagh meeting on Saturdays at St. Patrick's (Anglican) Cathedral, as well as Missions in Cork and Ballydehob. The mission in Dublin was now also having weekly services with the "home grown" assistant priest, Fr David Lonergan. The most gracious parishioners and bishop of the Church of Ireland (Anglican) wanted St. Ignatius to have the church building next door and was willing to go to whatever reasonable extremes they could to see that it would happen. They granted St Ignatius a very reasonable short term tenancy with the view of giving them an opportunity to grow into the new premises and to have a reasonable time to get donations to help them buy the premises. Soon the parish was moving into the church building and an icon exhibit was being planned to educate the public on the Orthodox faith. Soon the Antiochians of Northern Europe were given a new Metropolitan, His Eminence, Metropolitan JOHN (Yazigi), who would soon be visiting the parish in Belfast. Exciting things were happening in rapid succession, it was irritating being so far away, but we could participate through our prayers and our love offerings.
At the time of this writing, December 2008, the Metropolitan's visit has just ended. It was an amazing success, covered heavily by the media, when the 650 seat Church was nearly filled with people in attendance, with some 40 clergy amongst them at the Hierarchical Great Vespers presided over by Metropolitan JOHN. It was particularly of significance that when the Metropolitan had to cut the ribbon to officially open the Icon exhibition, he called on Bishop Alan Abernethy, the local Church of Ireland Bishop of Connor, to assist him. Fr Irenaeus later told me that when he saw the hands of both these two men on the same pair of scissors, the thought came up in his heart that in the midst of the religiously divided Ireland, here at last you have two men who are not cutting to divide, but cutting open a new way for us to walk in unity and immediately the words of Isaiah came to his mind and alive for Ireland; that the different divides should not remember the former things, neither consider the things of old, for behold, God will do a new thing that will spring forth; He will make a way in the wilderness, and a river in the desert.
I heartily encourage anyone who wishes to see his or her mission contributions put to profitable use to prayerfully consider contributing to the mission work of the Belfast parish. Our Lord requires (as it says in the Gospels) that the riches he gives to us be returned with interest earned. What better way to make sure your talents (whether of the world's goods, or of service) go to good use than to invest them in mission work that God is truly blessing.
The Antiochian Orthodox Church of St. Ignatius, Belfast website is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to know more about the life of this parish. You may go there to see photos of the new location, and read about the events in the life of the parish, including the visit of Metropolitan JOHN. {website}
Anyone wishing to support the work of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Ireland can do so either by contributing directly using this link {contribute}, or indirectly through the St. George Evangelism Committee. All funds donated toward the work in Ireland will go directly to Saint Ignatius, Belfast.
The parish of St. Ignatius, Belfast offers inspirational and informative pilgrimages to the ancient early Christian sites of Ireland. Anyone interested in the details of these pilgrimages, or in seeing photographs of past pilgrimages may do so by using this link: {pilgrimages}
If you would like to read about St. George parishioners pilgrimage to Ireland in 2008, click here.
If you would like to read about Athanasius and Nektaria Blalock's visit to Ireland in 2006, click here.Athanasius Blalock, The Eve of St. Nicholas, 2008