Orientale Lumen speakers finalized

The Orientale Lumen XIII Conference is now all set for June 15-18, 2009 at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, DC on the theme of “Monastic Spirituality for Everyday Life.” I am very hopeful that this ONE conference for 2009 (rather than the three locations we had last year) will bring everyone together in one place and foster more “face-to-face” ecumenical dialogue and exchange of understanding.

Our speakers will be:

Metropolitan Jonah, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America — a year ago, Archimandrite Jonah was a monastic on the West Coast and after being elected and consecrated bishop last summer, he gave a stunning speech at the OCA Sobor which then elected him their leader. We are very honored that he has agreed to be with us for most of the conference agenda, will serve a Divine Liturgy for the Orthodox participants, and will surely have some unique ideas about monasticism for the every day life of lay persons and clergy alike.

Bishop Hlib Lonchyna, Ukrainain Greek Catholic Church, Kyiv, Ukraine — I have known Bishop Hlib for almost ten years, meeting him in Rome several times when I accompanied Archbishop Vsevolod there. He has also attended both Orientale Lumen Conferences in Constantinople, accompanying Cardinal Husar there in May 2007. He is responsible for Monastic Matters of the Patriarchal Curia of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church along with other jobs and has family (his brother is Father Taras Lonchyna, pastor of Church of the Holy Trinity in Silver Spring, MD) in the Washington area and is American born. I am certain he will also provide a wonderful perspective on monastic life for lay persons.

Mother Lois Farag, Coptic Orthodox Church, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN — Mother Lois earned her doctorate in Early Christian Studies at the Catholic University of America and also holds an MDiv from Harvard Divinity School She attended several of the early OL conferences while a student in Washington. She teaches Early Church History at Luther Seminary and is doing research on a book project related to the conference theme of spirituality. She will have a special perspective for the conference working in Church history, teaching at a Lutheran-oriented college, and being from the Coptic Orthodox tradition.

Sister Barbara Jean Mihalchick, OSBM, Retreat Center Director, Mt. St. Macrina, Uniontown, PA — In addition to her current position of directing and giving retreats to a wide range of participants, Sister Barbara Jean was also the Vicar General (number two) of the Order of Saint Basil the Great at their world headquarters in Rome for some 12 years. She has traveled the world, visiting Basilian monasteries and other religious institutions in many places, and will bring a wealth of experience for our spiritual journey of “theosis,” becoming like God.

Professor Richard Schneider, Orthodox Church in America, Director of the Orthodox Eastern Studies Program at Trinity College, Toronto, Canada — Prof. Schneider has been a speaker at the last three OL conferences, 2007 on Icons and 2008 on Feastdays in the US, and at OL EuroEast II on Liturgy in Constantinople. He has a unique perspective of understanding and learning from icons that he refers to as “iconology,” and will apply that to personal spirituality and growth in our Christian journey.

Mr. Elias Damianakis, Greek Orthodox Church, Iconographer and Lecturer — Mr. Damianakis has been studying and living the spirituality of an iconographer for many years, and has developed a well-respected studio of iconography which not only has decorated many churches around the world, but also produced icons for the Vatican and Ecumenical Patriarchate. His talk will bring iconography and spirituality together, and he will also display an exhibit of icons and the process of painting an icon at the conference.

Father John Crossin, OSFS, Executive Director of the Washington Theological Consortium and President of the North American Academy of Ecumenists — Father Crossin has written several books on spirituality, teaches courses on ecumenism, and served as the moderator of OL XII East in Washington last year. We welcome him back as moderator this year, and as an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales, he brings a unique perspective to spirituality.

This year’s agenda for OL XIII will be a little like Noah’s ark — two by two! We have two bishops, two nuns, and two lay men! It will be fun, exciting, and spiritually rewarding. Come and join us!