Akathist to all the Saints that shone forth in the lands of the West
written by Hierodeacon Grigore Benera
translated by: Calina Gavrea and Fr. Andrew Philips
Kontakion 1
Now let us praise, as is meet, all the saints that in times of old shone forth in the lands of the West, enlightening those parts through their sufferings and struggles. And let us sing to them, as to those that unceasingly pray for us before God, saying: Rejoice, all ye Saints, that in the lands of the West confessed the true faith!
Ikos 1
The most holy name of our Savior hath been glorified wondrously within you, O saints of the West. For, beholding your holy life and deeds for salvation, the peoples of the West learned how to worship the True God and honour you with joy, saying:
Rejoice, apostles and martyrs, monks and bishops, for ye are the praise and joy of all
the West!
Rejoice, for ye above all are the most precious fruit of these lands!
Rejoice, for your holy blood washed away all heathen defilement!
Rejoice, for through teachings full of power ye delivered the people from ignorance!
Rejoice, for in the darkness of those times ye shone like most radiant beacons of light!
Rejoice, for ye showed yourselves before the whole world as true guides to the path of salvation!
Rejoice, for in this way ye became fathers in Christ unto all the peoples of the West!
Rejoice, for even to this day ye pray unceasingly for us in the heavens!
Rejoice, for ye above all are the strong hope of these places!
Rejoice, for all the faithful of the West boast of you!
Rejoice, for ye teach us how to give true honour to God!
Rejoice, for ye call the whole West to repentance and turn back to God!
Rejoice, all ye Saints, that in the lands of the West confessed the true faith!
Kontakion 2
The lands of the West were also counted worthy to receive the wonderful Apostles of God, that with unquenchable zeal everywhere preached the good news of salvation. And through them the peoples of the West were born in Christ for the first time, and began singing to Him as to the true God: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
The Holy Apostles made themselves enlighteners of the West through their untiring labours. For they put at naught the dark powers of the enemy and fearlessly spread the light of Christ in all places. And for this they confessed the truth even unto blood and became worthy to hear from the mouths of all songs of praise like these:
Rejoice, Apostles of Christ, that strove to bring the Gospel to the lands of the West!
Rejoice, for ye above all others are the fathers and protectors of these places!
Rejoice, therefore, Holy Peter and Paul, Princes of the Apostles, for ye founded the first Church in the West!
Rejoice, for through you pagan Rome began to offer pure sacrifice to the True God!
Rejoice, for ye were shown to be fearless before all the terrors and persecutions of the unbelievers!
Rejoice, for at the end ye sealed your faith in Christ even with your own blood!
Rejoice, Holy Apostle James, son of Zebedee, who hast enlightened the Spanish lands!
Rejoice, for thy relics rest in those parts to this day, bringing great comfort to all!
Rejoice, thou too, Holy Apostle Simon the Zealot, who brought the faith of the Risen Christ to Britain!
Rejoice, for like all the other Apostles thou too didst receive death for eternal life!
Rejoice, Holy Aristobulus, who hast followed Saint Simon in preaching!
Rejoice, for thou didst become the first bishop of Britain and witness of Christ!
Rejoice, all ye Saints, that in the lands of the West confessed the true faith!
Kontakion 3
The Apostles of God left worthy disciples and followers in the places they enlightened, and they were in nothing less than their fathers, but in all things followed them in labour and zeal. For through the example of their lives they delivered the heathen from idolatry and brought them to venerate the One True God, teaching them to sing to Him unceasingly: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
Now let us all sing with one voice to all those that were worthy to become followers of the Holy Apostles, furthering their work and hallowing the lands of the West through their teachings and blood; and let us all say to them, as to those who even to this day pray before the throne of God for us, words of praise like these:
Rejoice, all ye who have shown yourselves to be wonderful disciples of the disciples of Christ!
Rejoice, for alongside your fathers ye struggled fervently for the enlightenment of the West!
Rejoice, therefore, amongst all, Holy Clement, for the prince of the Apostles consecrated thee bishop of Rome!
Rejoice, for thou didst guide the flock entrusted to thee with great wisdom and worthiness!
Rejoice also, Holy Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, for thou too didst receive consecration from the hands of Saint Peter!
Rejoice, thou bearer of God, for thy writings greatly console us to this day!
Rejoice, for thy glorious martyrdom is for all an example of manliness and courage in the face of death!
Rejoice, thou too, Holy Justin lover of wisdom, for through thy writings thou didst arouse the wrath of the enemies of Christ!
Rejoice, for not suffering thy divine wisdom, they martyred thee in the arenas of Rome!
Rejoice, also, Holy Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon, who from Asia Minor came to enlighten the lands of Gaul!
Rejoice, for through thy divinely-inspired writings, thou didst ceaselessly fight against all heresies!
Rejoice, for because of this, all Christians honour thee as a great Pillar and Father of the Church!
Rejoice, all ye Saints, that in the lands of the West confessed the true faith!
Kontakion 4
Now let us offer songs of praise to all those that in the lands of the West suffered for Christ even unto blood, and through their manliness trampled down death; and to God, Who strengthened them in torments and tortures beyond all imagination, let us all unceasingly sing thus: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
With joy ye shed your blood for Christ, O venerable martyrs, and to Him ye offered yourselves as a well-received sacrifice. And the peoples of the West, seeing your unspeakable patience, understood that the God of Glory Himself dwelt within you, and marvelling at such a thing, with faith began singing to you thus:
Rejoice, Tatiana and Anastasia, together with Sophia and her three daughters!
Rejoice, Cecilia and Agnes, who showed yourselves women unequalled in courage!
Rejoice, Laurence, archdeacon, together with Sebastian, the glorious martyr of Christ!
Rejoice, good victors, for through your unspeakable passions ye hallowed pagan Rome!
Rejoice, all ye who filled all the lands of the West with your struggles!
Rejoice, Agatha and Lucy, praised martyrs, for in Italy ye fought the good fight!
Rejoice, Valentine and Januarius, enlightened bishops, for ye sealed your teaching with blood!
Rejoice, Cyprian, hierarch, together with Perpetua and Felicity and all those that laid down their lives for Christ in the African lands!
Rejoice, Maurice, wonderful martyr, for in the Swiss lands alongside thy soldiers thou didst fearlessly stand up in the face of death!
Rejoice, Vincent, deacon, for thou didst hallow Spain through thine unimaginable torments!
Rejoice, Alban, valiant warrior, for thou didst offer thyself as the first pure sacrifice of Britain to the true God!
Rejoice, Ursula, bride of Christ, who with thy blood washed the German lands!
Rejoice, all ye Saints, that in the lands of the West confessed the true faith!
Kontakion 5
As the enemy of our salvation saw that he could not defeat the faith of the disciples of Christ through tortures and persecutions beyond compare, he sent against them hosts of deceitful teachers and shepherds, who with treachery would lead the faithful into delusion. But against them stood up wise Fathers, great both in word and deed, who with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit overcame all heresy and taught the people to give true honour to God, saying: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
Now let us praise with joy all the fearless confessors of the Orthodox Faith, who valiantly fought for the truth in the lands of the West and rooted out all lies from among the people through their holy struggles and deeds; and let us sing to them as to true chosen ones of the all Merciful God, saying:
Rejoice, Holy Hosius of Cordoba, for thou didst preside the First Council of the whole world!
Rejoice, Holy Hilary, bishop of Poitiers, for thou too didst fearlessly defend the true faith!
Rejoice, for on account of this thou didst suffer countless persecutions at the hands of the Arian blasphemers!
Rejoice, holy Ambrose, for thou didst rule over the city of Milan with thy divine wisdom!
Rejoice, for with thy words and writings thou didst turn the throngs to Christ!
Rejoice also, Blessed Augustine, for through the prayers of thy mother Monica, God turned thee back from the path of perdition!
Rejoice, for thou didst become a wise bishop and great fighter against heretics!
Rejoice, Jerome, thou blessed man, for through thy many writings thou didst enlighten the lands of the West!
Rejoice, Holy Leo, Pope of Rome, for at the Council of Chalcedon thou didst wonderfully fight for the Orthodox Faith!
Rejoice, for having godly light, thou didst unfailingly guide the people entrusted to thee on the path of salvation!
Rejoice, Holy Martin, fearless Pope, for together with Saint Maximus thou didst confess the truth unto death!
Rejoice, for with joy thou didst suffer for the true faith all the torments of the impious emperor!
Rejoice, all ye Saints, that in the lands of the West confessed the true faith!
Kontakion 6
The times of dread persecution ended through Divine Providence, but martyrdom for Christ did not cease. For those that had up until then visibly shed their blood for the faith, began to suffer for it invisibly, through fasting and tears crucifying all their sinful desires and lusts. On account of this, they made themselves even like unto earthly angels in the flesh, learning to offer to God unceasing praise: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
The lands of the West also gave birth to men and women perfect in holiness, who by their struggles beyond nature, won the everlasting joys of heaven, making themselves to all an unlying example on the path of salvation. Let us therefore honour first those that shone in the land of Gaul, establishing the monastic life in those parts, and let us joyfully say to them thus:
Rejoice, Holy Martin, for of all Western people, thou first wast deigned to taste of the sweetness of monastic life!
Rejoice, for following thine example, throngs of the faithful chose to forsake the fleeting glory of this world!
Rejoice, for shining with the gift of wonderworking, thou didst become bishop of Tours and the great protector of the West!
Rejoice, Holy John Cassian, for together with thy friend Germanus thou didst drink of the wisdom of the desert Fathers!
Rejoice, for through thy wonderful writings thou didst make thyself the true founder of monastic life in the West!
Rejoice, Holy Honoratus, for on the isle of Lerins thou didst found Gaul’s most famous monastery!
Rejoice, for countless numbers of saints strove there for salvation, turning Gaul into the Thebaid of the West!
Rejoice, therefore, together with Hilary and Eucherius, with Vincent and Ceasarius and many other holy monks!
Rejoice, Holy Gregory of Tours, for thou too didst ceaselessly strive for the fame of the saints of thy lands!
Rejoice, Holy Germanus, bishop of Auxerre, who also through thy gifts enlightened both Britain and Gaul!
Rejoice, blessed Saint Genevieve, for from childhood thou didst yearn to live as an anchoress!
Rejoice, for thou proved thyself a most-powerful protectress of Paris through thy holy prayers!
Rejoice, all ye Saints, that in the lands of the West confessed the true faith!
Kontakion 7
Springing up from the lands of Gaul as from a clear and fresh fountain, monastic life
spread everywhere in the West; and in each nation it bore fruit in holy monks full of
virtue, who with pure voices and hearts of praise sang to God for themselves and for
the whole world: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
Now let us all praise with one voice those that strove for Christ in the lands of Britain and Italy, and who through their struggles made themselves enlightened apostles of those lands and fathers of monastic life in those places; and let us sing to them as to most wonderful victors in the struggle against the powers of the enemy, saying thus:
Rejoice, Holy Ninian, for it was at Saint Martin’s feet that thou didst learn all the secrets of monastic life!
Rejoice, for perfecting thyself in holiness thou didst become the enlightener of thy home, the land of the Picts!
Rejoice, Holy Patrick, wonderful apostle, for by thy divine zeal thou didst turn the land of Ireland to God!
Rejoice, for in this way thou didst make thyself the father of the Irish people, for whom thou prayest fervently to this day!
Rejoice, for countless disciples followed thee on the path of holiness!
Rejoice, among them all, blessed Brigid, for by thine unutterable love thou didst become the mother of all Ireland!
Rejoice, thou Holy David, wise bishop, for in Wales thou didst establish countless monasteries!
Rejoice, for on account of this the Welsh revere thee to this day as their protector before God!
Rejoice, Holy Benedict, great struggler, for the land of Italy was enlightened by thine unearthly life!
Rejoice, for through thy wonderful Rule thou didst become a true father to all the monks of the West!
Rejoice, Holy Alexis, Man of God, for in the city of Rome thou didst live in utter meekness!
Rejoice, for on account of thy many gifts the whole world cherisheth thee as a great saint!
Rejoice, all ye Saints, that in the lands of the West confessed the true faith!
Kontakion 8
The enemy of our salvation could not bear that the peoples of the West all with one voice raise up songs of praise to the True God, and therefore he set on them waves of savage and pagan peoples, who in their cruelty passed all through fire and sword. But in those times of great suffering, enlightened preachers rose up in the West, in nothing less than the first Apostles. And through their burning zeal, they turned the temptation of the enemy into heavenly blessing and bore the heathen to Christ, teaching them to sing to Him as to One God: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
Now let us praise all those that among the Franks earned Heaven by their struggles and through their zeal turned many back to Christ. For shining with heavenly gifts, they enlightened the people and wisely guided them to salvation; and therefore they are deigned to hear from the mouths of all songs of praise like these:
Rejoice, Saint Remigius, wonderful archbishop, for thou first wast the Apostle of the Franks!
Rejoice, for inflamed by holy zeal thou didst baptize Clovis, the King of the Franks, together with many heathen!
Rejoice, Holy Clotilde, holy woman, for through thy tears thou didst bring thy husband to Christ!
Rejoice, for together with Saints Radegunde and Bathild, thou didst give all a true example of Christian wives and Queens!
Rejoice, Holy Germanus, bishop of Paris, for thy generosity made thee known as the father of the poor!
Rejoice, for thou didst shine forth before the whole world with thy great gentleness and kindness!
Rejoice, Holy Eligius, skilled smith, for thy love tamed the heathen hearts of stone!
Rejoice, for becoming bishop of Noyon, thou didst turn countless savage Teutons back to Christ!
Rejoice, Holy Amandus, who in the Netherlands preached the Christian faith!
Rejoice, Holy Lambert, for together with thy disciple Hubert thou too didst strive to enlighten those places!
Rejoice, Holy Leger, valiant bishop, for thou didst not waver to reprove the wrong-doings of the king and his subjects!
Rejoice, for on account of this thou wast tormented in all ways, and at the end received a martyr’s death!
Rejoice, all ye Saints, that in the lands of the West confessed the true faith!
Kontakion 9
Seeing themselves overwhelmed by the heathen throngs, the shepherds of the West wisely decided to go and conquer them for Christ. Therefore they sent men enlightened by God and perfect in virtue, who through their valiant struggles defeated the darkness of heathenism and became fathers in Christ to many nations, together with whom they ceaselessly sang to God the song: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
Through Gregory, the wonderful pope of Rome, and Augustine, the faithful monk, the English people was the first among the German peoples to be born to new life and offer to Christ as a pure sacrifice a host of saints. Now let us sing joyfully to these, as to those that made themselves worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven and the veneration of the whole world, saying to them thus:
Rejoice, thou first, Holy Gregory, great Patriarch, for in perfect wisdom thou didst shepherd the lands of the West!
Rejoice, for burning with zeal for Christ, thou didst strive to bring the heathen peoples to the Faith!
Rejoice, for on account of this thou didst send Saint Augustine to preach, and together with him thou art to this day called the Apostle of the English!
Rejoice, Holy Augustine, for thou didst carry the English people to Christ, baptizing their king, Ethelbert!
Rejoice, for becoming Archbishop of Canterbury, together with thy disciples thou didst bring the first light of Christ to the whole English land!
Rejoice, Paulinus, Birinus and Felix, wonderful apostles, for ye became fathers in Christ of the English!
Rejoice, Oswald, Edwin and Sigebert, martyr kings, who defended the Christian faith unto blood!
Rejoice, Aidan, Chad and Botulph, pious fathers, for in the lands of England ye established monastic life!
Rejoice, Theodore, Wilfrid and John, most wise bishops, for through you the English Church became full of glory!
Rejoice, Hilda, Mildred and Audrey, holy nuns, for by your strivings ye outran by far many men!
Rejoice ye, among all the English saints, Cuthbert, great wonderworker, and Guthlac, father of the desert!
Rejoice, thou also, wise and Venerable Bede, for thou didst devote all thy life to sacred writings!
Rejoice, all ye Saints, that in the lands of the West confessed the true faith!
Kontakion 10
The lands of Spain made themselves also worthy of great preachers and bishops, who by their unceasing striving brought the heathen to Christ and turned the heretics to the true faith, calling all to give glory and praise to the True God and with thanks always sing to Him: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
Now let us rightly honour as is meet all those that in Spain wondrously confessed the true faith of Christ our Savior and for it fought unto death. And let us offer them songs of praise, as to those that scattered the darkness of lies and made the truth victorious, saying to them joyfully thus:
Rejoice, Holy Martin, Archbishop of Braga, for through thy zeal thou didst bring the Suevian people to the true faith!
Rejoice, for on account of this thou art to this day reckoned the enlightener and father of those places!
Rejoice, Holy Hermenegild, for among the Visigoths thou first didst confess the Orthodox Faith!
Rejoice, for on account of this thou didst even suffer death, setting at naught thy father, the heretical king!
Rejoice, Holy Leander, for through thy labours the Visigoths abandoned the Arian heresy!
Rejoice, for becoming bishop of Seville, thou didst wisely strive for the best of thy flock!
Rejoice, for in this thou wast helped by thy brother and sister, Saints Fulgentius and Florence!
Rejoice, thou also, Holy Isidore, for thou wast the fourth and most honoured child of this holyfamily!
Rejoice, for thou didst succeed thy brother to the see of Seville, proving to be an undeceiving guide on the path of salvation!
Rejoice, for through thy countless writings thou didst enlighten the world, and thou art to this day revered as a Father!
Rejoice, Holy Ildephonsus, Archbishop of Toledo, for thou didst show thyself to be a true disciple of Saint Isidore and wise shepherd!
Rejoice, for burning with love for the most Pure Mother of God, thou didst defend in writing her eternal virginity!
Rejoice, all ye Saints, that in the lands of the West confessed the true faith!
Kontakion 11
The light of Christ shone even in the unfriendly lands of the Teutons, for the God of glory called all the peoples to Him. Therefore let us sing now to Him Who in His unspeakable mercy redeemed mankind from corruption, and let us worship Him as the Only God, saying: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
Now let us rightly honor, as is meet, the wondrous preachers that rose up from among the Irish and the English, who enlightened many peoples and through their wisdom and zeal showed themselves to be one in honour with the Holy Apostles, and let us sing to them as those that brought to Christ a great harvest of heathen people, saying to them thus:
Rejoice, thou first, Holy Columba, wonderful son of Eire, for through thy zeal thou didst enlighten the lands of the Scots!
Rejoice, for by founding the famous monastery of Iona, thou didst become the Apostle and father to the heathen Picts!
Rejoice, thou too, Holy Columban, for leaving Ireland, thou didst become a fearless preacher to many nations!
Rejoice, for thou didst found many monasteries in the West, setting in them a rule according to the teachings of the desert fathers!
Rejoice, for fearlessly thou didst reprove the evil deeds of unworthy bishops and kings, suffering for this countless persecutions!
Rejoice, Holy Gall, for thou wast deigned to be a disciple of Saint Columban and the beloved Apostle of the Swiss!
Rejoice, thou too, Holy Clement, most wise Englishman, for thou didst preach Christ among the savage heathen!
Rejoice, for on account of thy burning zeal thou bearest to this day the title of Apostle of the Frisians!
Rejoice, Holy Boniface, for together with Saint Clement thou didst bring the Gospel to the lands of the Germans!
Rejoice, for through thee and thy holy disciples, God foreordained to bring to Himself all the German peoples!
Rejoice, for having the blessing of the holy Pope Zacharias, thou didst strive to correct the impieties of the Franks!
Rejoice, for thou didst crown thy holy labors with the crown of martyrdom, which thou didst receive in great old age!
Rejoice, all ye Saints, that in the lands of the West confessed the true faith!
Kontakion 12
The dreaded Northmen were the last fruit which the faithful people of the West brought to the True God. For being enlightened with the true faith, the Viking nations began to worship our Saviour Christ with zeal, singing to Him in a sweet voice: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
Now let us now honour with praises all those that shone forth in the West in the times near the end and through their struggles made themselves the heirs of Heaven. For some even suffered martyrdom for Christ, while others fearlessly preached Him among the heathen. Therefore let even us offer them honor as it is meet, singing to them thus:
Rejoice, all ye that in the lands of Iberia suffered death at the hands of the unfaithful Hagarenes!
Rejoice, among them, Eulogius and George, for together with many others ye hallowed with your blood the city of Cordoba!
Rejoice, all those that in the lands of Ireland and England suffered martyrdom at the hands of the savage Vikings!
Rejoice, for on account of your sacrifice, God turned the people that persecuted you to believe in Him!
Rejoice, among all the new martyrs, Edmund, glorious king, for through thy sufferings thou didst become the great defender and patron of the English land!
Rejoice, Holy Anschar, for thou first didst preach Christ among the heathen Danes!
Rejoice, for thou didst become bishop of Hamburg, and art revered to this day as the Apostle of the North!
Rejoice, thou too, Holy Olaf, valiant warrior, for being Viking by thy nation, thou didst offer thyself as a pure sacrifice to God!
Rejoice, for thou didst become the Christian king of Norway, slaughtered by the heathen for thine unwavering faith!
Rejoice, Holy Sigfrid, for through thy struggle thou didst enlighten the Swedish land and turn the heathen king to Christ!
Rejoice, Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, for thy wisdom and kindness made thee the much beloved father of the whole of England!
Rejoice, for thou didst anoint as king Saint Edward, the innocent martyr, whose relics bring comfort to Orthodox Christians to this day!
Rejoice, all ye Saints, that in the lands of the West confessed the true faith!
Kontakion 13
Now let us sing with songs of thanksgiving to Him Who called His Saints from all over the Earth and gathered His beloved from the edges of the world, to God, Who is glorified in the Holy Trinity. For through His chosen one, Saint John the Wonderworker, He revealed to us the old saints of the West in these last days, for our joy and comfort. For this, then, and for all the others, let us thank Him as our most beloved God, and let us worship Him with voices of praise, saying to Him: Alleluia!
This Kontakion is to be read three times.
And then again Ikos 1:The most holy name of our Saviour…and Kontakion 1: Now
let us praise, as is meet,…
Then this:
Prayer to all the Saints that shone forth in the lands of the West
O ye saints of the West, that in times of old confessed the true faith of our Saviour Christ and for it fought even unto death, thus making yourselves worthy of heavenly glory and becoming heirs of everlasting life! Now do we, your unworthy successors, fall to our knees before you, and humbly beg you: as ye have boldly interceded for us before the throne of God unto this day, so from this time on do ye pray, O our beloved saints, for all the lands of the West! Pray that the Merciful and Long-Suffering God grant them forgiveness of sins and correction of life, and turn them, through His judgments, to repentance and the true faith for which ye sacrificed yourselves.
Again we pray to you, O saints, for all the right believing faithful of the West who have need of your help and mercy: protect them by your prayers from all the temptations that befall them; strengthen them in the true faith and grant them zeal to preach it; guard them from all the wickedness of enemies seen and unseen; and show them victorious before the unfaithful, for the glory of God and your honour. That through you, O saints of the West, the true faith may once again shine forth with power in the West, as it shone in times of old, and that the light of Christ may enlighten all.
And thus, O ye saints, who through Divine Providence have shown yourselves to us in these latter days, receive us also, as the workers of the eleventh hour, for your veneration. And pray for us, who unworthily sing to you songs of praise, that our God, Who forgiveth easily, make us too partakers of heavenly bliss, granting us salvation, as the God Who is Good and loveth mankind. That thus, together with you, beloved saints of the West, we may sing unto Him and worship Him as the All-Merciful God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.