Jurisdiction
The Orthodox Parish of St Martin and St Helen is part of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland, which in turn is part of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East.
Metropolitan Silouan Oner
Patriarch John X
What we believe
The Orthodox Church is the Church founded by Jesus Christ and described throughout the New Testament. All other Christian Churches and sects can be traced back historically to it. The word Orthodox literally means “straight teaching” or “straight worship,” being derived from two Greek words: orthos, “straight,” and doxa, “teaching” or “worship.” As the encroachments of false teaching and division multiplied in early Christian times, threatening to obscure the identity and purity of the Church, the term “Orthodox” quite logically came to be applied to it. The Orthodox Church carefully guards the truth against all error and schism, both to protect its flock and to glorify Christ, whose Body the Church is. We take seriously the Great Commission of Christ to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt.28:19-20) and therefore do not confine the Faith within narrow ethnic or cultural boundaries. Christ calls ALL who are weary and burdened to find rest in Him! (Matt. 11:28)
The Orthodox Church emphasizes the importance of sacred tradition, the seven sacraments (Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist [Holy Communion], Penance [Confession], Marriage, Priesthood, Anointing of the Sick [Holy Unction]), and the veneration of saints and icons. It believes in the Holy Trinity—God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and views the Church as the mystical Body of Christ, united in faith and worship.
Our history
The history of our parish began in the spring of 1995 with the founding of the British Antiochian Orthodox Deanery. That same year, Alexander Haig and his family were received into the Orthodox faith and moved to Colchester, starting the work that would become the foundation of our parish. He was later ordained a deacon in May 1996 and a priest in September 1996 by Bishop Gabriel Saliby (†2007) of Western and Central Europe. Initially worshipping in St Paul’s Anglican Church, the parish soon moved to the Co-Operative Chapel.
In November 2000, the parish was blessed with a permanent home at St Helen’s Chapel. The chapel, which had not been used for Christian worship for nearly 500 years, was restored to Orthodox use, marking a significant milestone in the parish’s journey. The chapel’s location in the heart of Colchester, along with the generosity of local authorities, provided the parish with a stable base for worship and community life. As the parish continued to grow, the need for a larger home was evident.
In January 2022, the parish purchased the historic St Martin’s Church, a significant step in its mission to serve the local community. This acquisition not only restored the church to Orthodox worship but also provided a larger space for the growing congregation.
Fr Mark Shillaker, our current parish priest, was ordained as a deacon in September 2021 and as a priest in December 2022, by Metropolitan Silouan Oner, the current Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland.
Our temples
We have two temples: St Martin's, which is our main place of worship on Satursdays, Sundays and on main feasts, and St Helen's chapel, where we normally hold weekdays Liturgy.
St Martin's Church
St Martin's partially overlies one of the Roman streets of the town and is aligned on a street which dates from the late Saxon replanning of Colchester.
Whether the church is late Saxon is uncertain; the earliest parts of it are the nave, of which little survives or is visible, and the tower which is Norman. The walls are of flint rubble with Roman and later brick, and the roofs are tiled. The aisles, transepts and chancel are 14th century.
The tower was damaged in the 1648 Civil War siege and never rebuilt. Philip Morant wrote in his history of the town in 1748 that it was still in a ruinous condition and that no services were being held. Substantial restoration work was not carried out until the late 19th century.
In 1996, The Churches Conservation Trust took over the care of Martin's.
In January 2022, our Orthodox Parish purchased the building of St Martin's Church, restoring it to an Orthodox place of worship.
St Martin was a popular saint in the mediaeval period. He is the patron saint of France, soldiers, beggars and innkeepers. His feast day, 11 November, gives rise to the phrase 'St Martin's summer', as fine weather regularly occurs then.
St Helen's Chapel
St Helen’s Chapel has a long and fascinating history, with its origins believed to date back to the eighth century, possibly built by King Offa of Mercia. The chapel stands on the ruins of a Roman theatre, with the foundations likely dating back to the first century. Over the centuries, the chapel has undergone significant changes, including restoration by the Normans in 1076, when they also constructed Colchester Castle. The chapel served various purposes, including being a site for chantries in the fourteenth century, until it was closed by King Henry VIII in 1539. Subsequently, the chapel was repurposed for many secular uses, including as a house, school, and Quaker meeting house.
The chapel saw a period of decline until the 1880s, when the Round family restored it under the guidance of renowned architect William Butterfield. Despite its restoration, the chapel remained a secular space, being used as a meeting room and parish hall before being locked away by the Castle museum in the 1950s. In 2000, the Orthodox Parish of St Helen, which had been seeking a permanent home since its establishment in 1996, was granted the use of the chapel by the Colchester Borough Council. The building, which remains owned by the Church of England diocese, was restored to Orthodox worship, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the chapel’s long and varied history.
The building was in good physical condition, apart from the porch. We painted the interior and installed a home-made but fine iconostasis, with icons mounted at the Monastery of St John the Baptist. The Parish Icon of St Helen, has a shrine beside the iconostasis, and we hope it may become a focus for the prayers of the Orthodox people not only in Colchester, but even from a distance. We also repaired the porch.
A more detailed account of St Helen's chapel history can be found here.
Our people
Below you can find some key people in our parish.
The Very Reverend
Fr Alexander Haig (retired)
Fr Mark Shillaker
(parish priest)
Subdeacon
George Harrison
Reader
Nick Taylor
Safeguarding Officer
Dusan Radunovic
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I attend services if I am not Orthodox?
A: Yes! We are delighted to meet newcomers, inquirers and visitors. You may wish to contact the clergy ahead of your visit but it is not strictly necessary; it is considered polite however to introduce yourself to the priest after the service.
Q: May I receive Holy Communion if I am not Orthodox?
A: No, only Orthodox Christians may receive Holy Communion. This may seem rather harsh or exclusive in today’s ‘inclusive’ world but it is actually part of the Orthodox Church’s care for strangers and the non-Orthodox. The parish priest or deacon will be happy to discuss the issue with any genuinely interested person who wishes to know more. At the very end of the Communion service (Divine Liturgy) some blessed bread known as antidoron is distributed; all (Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike) are most welcome to come up and take some and receive a blessing from the priest, there is no need to ask permission to do this; simply join the queue.
Q: What are Orthodox services like?
A: Orthodox worship is highly liturgical, with the clergy going in and out of the sanctuary and performing many ceremonial tasks which may at first seem strange to non-Orthodox eyes. Unlike in an Anglican or Roman Catholic service, a visitor may notice worshippers coming and going at various times throughout the service, lighting candles, crossing themselves, bowing or even prostrating themselves on the ground, standing quietly in private prayer or venerating the icons around the church. Nobody pays much attention to what anyone else is doing. There are no pews; Orthodox people tend to stand for services, although there are seats around the edges of the temple, if needed. There is no organ or other musical instrumentation; all the music is acappella and sung by a small choir and there are no parts which the congregation must join in with, although some will sing or whisper quietly along. There is much more to say about this subject, but as the Orthodox like to say, the best way to find out is to come and see!
Q: What should I do or how should I act at my first service?
A: Come with love, good faith, an open mind, respect and reverence. Try to let the experience carry you along and don’t worry; watch what others do and follow along as best you can. You are not obliged to venerate icons, cross yourself or anything. You may stand or sit as you wish. It is, however, considered respectful to stand during the reading of the Gospel during the Divine Liturgy and other services and during the recitation of The Lord’s Prayer. You will see people standing up at various other times, try and notice when these happen but don’t be worried about it. Wear something reasonably smart, pleasant and modest and avoid slogans, shorts, short skirts and t-shirts. Some Orthodox women cover their heads, some choose not to; there is no expectation on visitors to worry about this.
Q: Do I need to be Greek to come to your church?
A: Not at all, the Greek part of our church’s name refers more to our wonderful spiritual heritage than the country or language itself per se. The language of the New Testament was (Koine) Greek and it was a common language spoken throughout Asia Minor and the Holy Land in the very early days of the church. Every person who sincerely wishes to know Christ and encounter the faith passed from Him to the Apostles and then faithfully preserved by the Orthodox Church for the last 20 centuries is welcome, regardless of ethnicity or language. Our services are in English, although you will sometimes hear bits of Greek, Russian or Romanian in addition as these are the first languages of many of our faithful.