Pilgrimage to Llanilltud Fawr / Llantwit Major

Pilgrimage to Llanilltud Fawr / Llantwit Major

by | Oct 1, 2023 | News, Saints

Our pilgrimage to Llanilltud Fawr / Llantwit Major organised by Fr Nicholas of the  Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Nicholas, Cardiff. 

St Illtud’s Church, a cradle of Christianity in Wales, former site of St Illtud’s monastery and school of learning for many saints of the age.

O Illtud the wise and most learned of men
you trained many disciples to be holy and Christ-like.
Such men and women are needed as never before.
Pray continue your intercession for us all

Synaxis of The Three Hierarchs

Synaxis of The Three Hierarchs

by | Jan 30, 2023 | Saints

The Dedication of the Orthodox Church in Lampeter is to the Three Hierarchs or luminaries of the Church

The three most great luminaries of the Three-Sun Divinity have illumined all of the world with the rays of doctrines divine and true; they are the sweetly-flowing rivers of wisdom, who with godly knowledge have watered all creation in clear and mighty streams: The great and sacred Basil, and the Theologian, wise Gregory, together with the renowned John, the famed Chrysostom of golden speech. Let us all who love their divinely-wise words come together, honouring them with hymns; for ceaselessly they offer entreaty for us to the Trinity.

St Basil The Great

St Basil The Great

by | Jan 14, 2022 | Saints

Apolytikion of Basil the Great

First Tone

Your voice resounded throughout the world that received your word by which, in godly manner, you taught dogma, clarified the nature of beings, and set in order the character of people. Venerable father, Royal Priesthood, intercede to Christ God to grant us great mercy.

Kontakion of Basil the Great

Fourth Tone

For the Church art thou in truth a firm foundation, granting an inviolate lordship unto all mortal men and sealing it with what thou hast taught, O righteous Basil, revealer of heavenly things.

On January 1 the Greek Orthodox Church commemorates Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia.

Saint Basil was born in the year 330 in Caesarea, to a family renowned for their learning and holiness. His mother, Emilia (commemorated on July 19) and his grandmother Macrina (commemorated on June 14) are Saints of the Church, together with his brothers and sisters: Macrina, his elder sister (July 19), Gregory of Nyssa (January 10), Peter of Sebastia (January 9), and Naucratius.

Saint Basil is also celebrated on January 30th with Saint Gregory the Theologian and Saint John Chrysostom.

Saint Basil departed to the Lord on the 1st of January in 379, at the age of forty-nine.

Pilgrimage to St Govans Chapel Pembrokeshire

Pilgrimage to St Govans Chapel Pembrokeshire

by | Sep 28, 2021 | News, Saints

On saturday 25th Sept some of us embarked upon a pilgrimage to the chapel of St Govan on the south coast of Pembrokeshire. We shared a feast of a picnic and took part in a vespers service in the chapel.

Bearer of Light in the West of Wales
You hid in your cave for the sake of prayer
that the Gospel may spread in Dewisland,
O holy St Govan cease not to pray
that once more Christ may reign in this beautiful land

The Icon of St Govan venerated at the Chapel of St Govan.

The Icon of St Govan venerated at the Chapel of St Govan.

by | Aug 28, 2021 | Saints

The Icon of St Govan entrusted to the Lampeter Community, venerated at the Chapel of St Govan.

St Govan an Irish monk who travelled to Wales but was attacked by pirates, miraculously finding refuge in the fissure of a cliff. This cave became a home for the hermit monk and is the site of an existing stone chapel built in the 13th century.

Bearer of Light in the West of Wales
You hid in your cave for the sake of prayer
that the Gospel may spread in Dewisland,
O holy St Govan cease not to pray
that once more Christ may reign in this beautiful land

St. Natalia, Martyr, of Nicomedia Commemorated on August 26

St. Natalia, Martyr, of Nicomedia Commemorated on August 26

by | Aug 25, 2021 | Saints

Ss. Adrian and Natalia were pagans who were married for one year prior to their martyrdom, and lived in Nicomedia during the time of Emperor Maximian in the early fourth century. The emperor promised a reward to whomever would inform on Christians to bring them to trial. The denunciations then began, and twenty-three Christians were captured in a cave near Nicomedia.

They were tortured, urged to worship idols, and then brought before the Praetor, in order to record their names and responses. Adrian, the head of the praetorium, watched as these people suffered with such courage for their faith. Seeing how firmly and fearlessly they confessed Christ, he asked: “What rewards do you expect from your God for your suffering?” The martyrs replied: “Such rewards as we are not able to describe, nor can your mind comprehend.” St Adrian told the scribes, “Write my name down also, for I am a Christian and I die gladly for Christ God.”

The scribes reported this to the emperor, who summoned St. Adrian and asked him, “Really, have you gone mad, that you want to die? Come, cross out your name from the lists and offer sacrifice to the gods, asking their forgiveness.”

St. Adrian answered, “I have not lost my mind, but rather have I found it.” Maximian then ordered Adrian to be thrown into prison. His wife, Natalia, knowing that her husband was to suffer for Christ, rejoiced, since she herself had secretly turned from paganism to Christianity.

She hastened to the prison and encouraged her husband saying, “You are blessed, my lord, because you have believed in Christ. You have obtained a great treasure. Do not regret anything earthly, neither beauty, nor youth (Adrian was then 28 years of age), nor riches. Everything worldly is dust and ashes. Only faith and good deeds are pleasing to God.”

Read More http://ww1.antiochian.org/node/19333

Troparion (Tone 4) –
Your holy martyrs Adrian and Natalia, O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!

A Gift Of Two Icons

by | Aug 8, 2021 | News, Saints

Two icons now in the care of the Church in Lampeter, 6th century Welsh saints, St Ishmael and St Govan. Both associated with Pembrokeshire, continuing to be venerated in their native land.

Isfael or Ismael (Old Welsh: Ysmail), often anglicized as Ishmael, was a 6th-century medieval Welsh bishop of Rhos. He was allegedly also a Breton prince of Armorica

 

 St Govan an Irish monk who travelled to Wales but was attacked by pirates, miraculously finding refuge in the fissure of a cliff. This cave became a home for the hermit monk and is the site of an existing stone chapel built in the 13th century.

 

Bearer of Light in the West of Wales
You hid in your cave for the sake of prayer
that the Gospel may spread in Dewisland,
O holy St Govan cease not to pray
that once more Christ may reign in this beautiful land

 

21st June is the feast of St Celer

21st June is the feast of St Celer

by | Jun 20, 2020 | Saints

21st June is the feast of St Celer, one of the patrons of our community.

His icon, written by Fr Vladimir, is in our church in Lampeter.

 

Little is known of the life of St Celer, a hermit and martyr who, in the second half of the seventh century, lived in the woods and caves surrounding the healing well. A chapel dedicated to the Mother of God stood over the well. Only a few stones now remain of this chapel, and several very old yew trees. People from all over Wales came on pilgrimage to receive counsel from the holy hermit, to pray and seek healing from the waters of the well. This pilgrimage continued after the death of St Celer. In the Middle Ages, and well into the eighteenth century, a ‘Saint Celer Fair’ was held there from 21 June (date of the repose of the saint) to 29 June (Sts Peter and Paul) and was renowned throughout Wales. Crutches and mementos were left by the well, testyifying to graces received.

The image of God was preserved unspoiled in you, O Father, for you took up your cross and followed Christ, and by your own example you taught us to discipline the flesh for it passes away but to attend to the soul for it is immortal. Wherefore O righteous Celer, your spirit rejoices with the angels.

Annual Pilgrimage to St Cybi’s Well

Annual Pilgrimage to St Cybi’s Well

by | Nov 12, 2019 | News, Saints

The Orthodox Church at Lampeter hold an annual Artoklasia at the Well of St Cybi in November.

Troparion  (Tone 1)

By your journeyings, O Hierarch Cybi, you teach us the virtue of making pilgrimages.  Wherefore, O Prince of Ascetics and All-praised Wonderworker, we entreat you to intercede for us that Christ our God will not find our lives to be utterly worthless and will show us great mercy.

Cybi was born in the late 5th century, the son of a Cornish nobleman, Selyf ap Geraint ap Erbin. His mother is reputed to have been a sister of St Non, which would make Cybi a cousin of St David.
He was raised a Christian and is said to have visited Rome and Jerusalem as a young man. On his way home he was ordained priest by the Bishop of Poitiers.

He renounced his inheritance on his father’s death and began to travel in the Celtic world. He founded churches in Brittany and Cornwall before crossing to South-East Wales with several followers. Churches were established at Llangybi-ar-Wysg and Llanddyfrwyr-yn-Ediligion in Gwent. From there Cybi may have travelled to Ireland before returning to Wales. Dedications at Llangybi (near Lampeter) and Llangybi (near Pwllheli) would suggest that he may have resided in these places for some time.

Given land by King Maelgwn of Gwynedd, Cybi established a monastery at Caer Gybi (Holyhead) on Ynys Gybi (Holy Island) in Anglesey. He became a friend of St Seiriol who also had a monastic settlement on the opposite side of Anglesey.

It is said that Cybi attended the Synod at Llandewi Brefi in 545 and later retired to live on Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island) where he died about 555 and was buried there among the 20,000 saints though some claim he was buried at Capel y Bedd adjoining his monastery.