Keep CHI in Xmas!

Available from Orthodox Stuff just in time for Xmas!

Debate on self-immolation ongoing in Chornobyl

(RISU) - The Donetsk Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate condemned the actions of Chornobyl disaster liquidators (people who clean the nuclear disaster area) who organized a procession on 29 November with an empty coffin, which, according to UNIAN, was left in front of the Donetsk City Council, after the death of one of the protesters during the forced dismantling of their tents near the Pension Fund by police on 27 November. The eparchy called the protesters to repent for that action. According to radio Freedom, the spokesman of the eparchy, Heorhii Huliaiev stated that the Church views the action of the protesters as “humiliation of the Christian symbols.” “The cross should not be used by any means,” said the priest.

He also noted that the Church does not support self-immolation with which the protesters threatened the authorities if their tents are dismantled. Huliaiev criticized the statement of a representative of the Kyivan Patriarchate who said that there were incidents in history when the Church did not condemn acts of self-immolation.

"Towards an American Orthodox Church" symposium

More information available at the American Orthodox Institute.

Nanny state keeps getting it wrong

(The Telegraph) - Nohad Halawi, who worked at Heathrow Airport, is suing her former employers for unfair dismissal, claiming that she and other Christian staff at the airport were victims of systematic harassment because of their religion.

She claims that she was told that she would go to Hell for her religion, that Jews were responsible for the September 11th terror attacks, and that a friend was reduced to tears having been bullied for wearing a cross.

Mrs Halawi, who came to Britain from Lebanon in 1977, worked in the duty-free section as a perfume saleswoman of the airport for 13 years but was dismissed in July.

Her case is being supported by the Christian Legal Centre, who say it raises important legal issues and also questions over whether Muslims and Christians are treated differently by employers.

It comes amid growing concern among some Christians that their faith is being marginalised and follows calls from Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, for Christians to be given greater legal protection in the wake of a series of cases where they have been disciplined or dismissed for practising their faith.

It also raises further questions over race relations at Heathrow Airport.

Last week, Arieh Zucker, a Jewish businessman, complained that he has been repeatedly singled out for full-body scans by Muslim security staff at the airport.

Read more »

St. Tikhon's mission choir sings with "Byzantine Brilliance"

To borrow from Dos Equis' Most Interesting Man in the World, "I rarely dip my foot into polyphonic chant, but when I do I prefer the music at St. Tikhon's."

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(STOTS) - On Friday, Nov. 18th, the St. Tikhon's Seminary Mission Choir performed a concert entitled "Byzantine Brilliance" at Trinity Episcopal Church in Carbondale PA. More videos and photos available here.

On Fasting and Communion from Pat. Pavle of Serbia

From Patriarch Pavle of blessed repose, some words on fasting and communion. His glorification is already the subject of much discussion. You might also like this link from the Serbian Church on fasting times and such.

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(SOC-NASA) - What Holy Communion means to the spiritual life of a Christian is described in the words of our Lord: "I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever... unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed."

With deep faith in these words of the Lord, the early Christians anxiously approached Holy Communion, not because of some requirement, but from an immediate awareness that there was no spiritual life without Him. Just as one is not ordered to breathe, but spontaneously knows that without air he would suffocate and die. The early Christians attended all the Sunday and Holiday liturgies and at the Deacon's invitation - with the fear of God and with faith, draw near, all the faithful lined up and received Holy Communion. They were convinced that they were attaining the deepest mystery of our faith and the holiest gift of God's mercy. They tried to approach the all-holy and most pure God in Holy Communion with purity of heart and soul.

They were called "holy" and they were truly holy for they protected themselves from every sin and they knew that "he who sins is a slave to sin," that sin turns a person away from God, corrupts the soul and makes it incapable of receiving Holy Communion. One who fell into sin would immediately raise himself up through confession, cleansing his soul so that he would not commune unworthy. "For he who unworthy eats and drinks the Bread and Cup of life drinks condemnation." At that time the early Christians kept all the tradition of the fast, understanding that fasting is a holy institution from the Old Testament. God ordered the fasting periods as an everlasting plan. In the New Testament Jesus Christ Himself fasted and taught His Disciples to fast. The Apostles and Saints also kept this. The fasting periods were practiced at certain times as needed and Communion was administered regularly in the fasting seasons as well as when meat and dairy foods were used. During the fasting seasons they fasted and communed, during non fasts, they ate and communed just like the clergy do today. In the early Church there was no special preparation for Communion, nor was a fast considered as the only means for Communion. The preparation for Holy Communion was life-long process of keeping the commandments and guarding against all sin.

Read more »

Notes from the Episcopal Assembly of the British Isles

(ROC-Sourozh) - On Thursday 24th November, the 4th meeting of the Pan-Orthodox Assembly of Bishops with Churches in the British Isles was held at the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God of the Diocese of Sourozh. The meeting was preceded by a Moleben in front of the wonderworking Icon of the Mother of God «Surety of Sinners» brought to the Cathedral from the Church of St Nichlas in Khamovniki in Moscow. The representatives of all Orthodox Churches in Great Britain and Ireland worshiped the icon. The Diocese of Sourozh was represented by Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh, Archbishop Anatoly of Kerch, Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Sourozh, and Priest Joseph Skinner, Head of the Diocesan Department of Inter-Orthodox relations.

Among the issues important for all the Orthodox in the area the Assembly discussed transfers of clergy from one jurisdiction to another. A set of necessary preliminary conditions of transfers of clergy to other juristdictions was approved. These are the confirmation of the canonical perfection of the transfer by the Pan-Orthodox Pastoral Committee, at the moment headed by Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh, and an addressed dismissal letter in case it is a necessary measure in the Church which leaves the cleric or in the Church which accepts the cleric. If none of these Churches has it as a necessary measure, the dismissal letter is given by the Diocesan Hierarch. This decision of the Pan-Orthodox Assembly of Bishops removes the possibility of misunderstandings which had taken place in the past when clergy were accepted to another juristdiction without an addressed dismissal letter.

The Assembly also discussed the issues concerning the service of deacons, university Orthodox Chaplains, approval of a single list of saints shown forth in the British Isles before the Great Schism in the 11th centuary and other important questions.

There was a brotherly meal in the hall of the Cathedral after the meeting of the Pan-Orthodox Hierarchal Assembly.

Catholicos Ilia II of Georgia on the upcoming great council

(foma.ru) - During his visit to Moscow Patriarch, Catholicos, the Georgian Orthodox Church Ilia II, answered questions, "Thomas" and "Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate", describing the relationship between Georgia and Russia, the prospects of convening a new Pan-Orthodox Cathedral and the main challenges facing the Orthodox Church in the former Soviet Union.

Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate: Your Holiness, you have participated in the meeting of the Local Churches. How do you assess it, and the whole attitude of the Orthodox world?

First of all, let me warmly welcome all Orthodox Christians in Russia. I must say that relations between the Russian and Georgian Orthodox Churches have always been cordial. As for the overall inter-cooperation, I think that the dialogue is poor. Today has accumulated a lot of issues between the Orthodox Church, which must be resolved. So now a lot of talk about Pan-Orthodox Council. But I think that until you have resolved all the problematic issues that exist today between the Orthodox Churches, perhaps, the Council can not collect. These difficult issues I refer the issue of granting autocephaly the new local churches, the issue of a diptych and so on. This is a complex topic, and must necessarily solve them with the consent of all the Orthodox Churches.

THOMAS: Your Holiness, in different times and under different conditions of the Church faced different challenges in the preaching of Christianity. Do you see any particular difficulties and challenges common to all post-Soviet Orthodox?

The main duty of the clergy - a sermon, and, of course, our priests and bishops are doing a lot to teach and lead people to the Church. But perhaps it still is not enough. We need more active steps, first and foremost it is important to refer to young people and their problems. I met with a group of young Christians from America, they call to go to church youth, suffering from drug addiction. And it is important to be as active. And yet it is necessary that the sermon was not only, but it sounded at a decent level of quality. The clergy need to prepare before you preach to people. I remember in my years of study at the Moscow Theological Academy in Sergiev Posad, we had a wonderful father, Professor John Kozlov, who was preparing for his sermon from Monday to Saturday. And his sermon was very short, students of the Academy regretted that it had already ended.

Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate: Going back to the relations between the Orthodox Churches, how do you assess the role of the Patriarch in the life of world Orthodoxy?

This is a very energetic and educated people. He is doing much to bring people to church and I think that the efforts he is making quite enough. What matters is that they were supported by the rest of the clergy, who should take the example of the Patriarch. His Holiness Kirill - a great preacher, and that is why he has such a serious credibility among the faithful. Priests and bishops is important to learn from this experience preaching.

THOMAS: How do you assess what role the Georgian and Russian Orthodox Churches have to play today in relations between Russia and Georgia?

Now, when so strained relations between our countries and governments, there was very harmful for the Russia and Georgia to the situation. Under these conditions, the relationship between our Churches - is the only channel for the relationship between our two countries. At the same time I must say that the issue of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali issue - it's open wounds on the body of Georgia, and the same - the oldest of our diocese. I myself was eleven years old Metropolitan Sukhumi and Abkhazian, I know who lived there Abkhazians and Georgians. Relations between them were very warm, so you need to think about how that all came back into its bosom. I met with President of Russia along with other representatives of Churches and told him that the situation of "neither peace nor war" - as harmful and dangerous for Georgia and Russia. Time is working against our countries. And it must as soon as possible to resolve our differences.

More on amazing response to belt of the Theotokos

Virgin of Tenderness

Orthodox-Catholic dialogue meets in Rome

(mospat.ru) - The Coordinating Committee of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church began its work in Rome on 22 November 2011. Taking part in the meeting as consultants on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church are Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, and archimandrite Kirill (Govorun), first deputy chairman of the Education Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church.

At the beginning of the meeting, members of the committee decided unanimously to send congratulations to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia on his 65th birthday. The two co-chairmen, His Eminence Metropolitan John of Pergamon, Patriarchate of Constantinople, and Cardinal Kurt Koch signed the message.

In his address, Metropolitan Hilarion reminded the participants that a discussion of the problem of unia was a precondition of the return of the Russian Orthodox Church to the process of the dialogue. This position was espoused by the Orthodox participants in the meeting. The problems of general methodology of elaborating the document on the primacy of the Roman Pontiff were discussed at the suggestion of Metropolitan Hilarion, who believes that the methodology should reflect the centuries-old experience of the Orthodox dispute against papal claims to universal authority in the Church.

The Commission will continue its work till November 25th.

"The Habit" a woman's call to be a nun at 85

H/T: OBL News

(philly.com) - "NOBODY DIES at the end of this book," writes Philadelphia's Susan Morse in the preface to The Habit (Open Road Integrated Media, $22.99/Kindle edition $9.99), a sometimes searing, often hilarious account of a mother-daughter relationship Hallmark probably doesn't have a card for.

If only because there just aren't that many people whose 85-year-old mothers decide to become Orthodox Christian nuns.

But as we enter the season when family members have more opportunities than usual to get on one another's nerves, you might want to grab a copy before heading over the river and through the woods, if only to have a reminder that even the people who drive us the craziest might be worth getting to know better.

Not that Morse, whose book was published earlier this month and who's looking forward to helping her mother celebrate her 90th birthday this week, pretends to have the road map to a happier Thanksgiving.

The youngest of four children of the late Michael von Moschzisker - creator of Philadelphia's "1 percent for art" program - and his wife, Marjorie - a portrait painter hereafter known as Mother Brigid - Morse found herself becoming the sibling in charge of "Operation Ma" after her father died in 1995.

"Our family is, I think, not unusual, in that people kind of spread out. Everyone spreads out and doesn't want to have to deal with each other," she said last week in an interview in the northwest Philadelphia home where she and her husband, the actor David Morse, have raised three children of their own.

Read more »

On upcoming ecumenical conference on Christianophobia

(mospat.ru) - An international conference on Freedom of Faith: the Problem of Discrimination and Persecution against Christians will be held from November 30 to December 1, 2011, in Moscow. It has been initiated by the Russian Orthodox Church with the support of the Christian Inter-Confessional Committee (CICC).

The Moscow Patriarchate is concerned over violations of the rights of Christians in various countries, which have been committed on a mass scale in recent years. The political transformations in the Middle East and North Africa countries have had as one of their consequences a large-scale emigration of believers from the region.

The supreme authorities of the Russian Orthodox Church have repeatedly drawn the attention of the world community to the need to work out a mechanism of ensuring the rights of Christians, which will make it possible for them to confess their faith freely, to work and to raise their children in accordance with their beliefs.

The Russian Orthodox Church has invited for discussion leaders of Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant religious communities including in the regions where the number of violations of the rights of Christians is growing.

The Conference will be opened by Metropolitan Hilarion, head of the Department for External Church Relations. The meeting is expected to adopt a communiqué summarizing the plenary sessions.

On December 1, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia will meet with the participants in the forum at the Church of Christ the Saviour.

Priest gets prison time for Baptism death

A follow-up to a story posted last year (see here).

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(portal-credo.ru) - The court has sentenced Moldova Riscani area Orthodox priest Valentine Tsarelunge to 1.5 years in prison on the article "reckless homicide" reports November 22 , "Komsomolskaya Pravda" .

The court found the priest guilty of what he, making July 22, 2010 in the village church baptism Mihailo a six baby drowned him.

Sam's father Valentine Tsarelunge pleaded not guilty, insisting that "the ceremony conducted by all the rules," said Attorney District Prosecutor's Office Constantin Rusu. During the trial, the priest has never apologized to the parents of the deceased boy.

The prosecution demanded the defendant to two years imprisonment with a ban on professional activities.

Profile on the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands & Slovakia

(One Magazine) - The fortunes of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Republic and Slovakia mirror those of these Central European states, which once formed a united Czechoslovakia. Church and state were born after the collapse of the multiethnic empire of Austria-Hungary in 1918. Both were controlled by Nazi occupiers during World War II and then by the Soviets, who commandeered leadership after the war. Both were revived after the Velvet Revolution in 1989 and have since been affected by the dissolution of Czechoslovakia — the so-called Velvet Divorce — in 1993.

Though a relatively young community, and numbering only about 100,000 people, the Orthodox Church in the Czech lands of Bohemia and Moravia and the independent republic of Slovakia dates back more than a thousand years.

The Slav mission. In Europe’s Middle Ages, Latin missionaries worked among the Slavic peoples of the principality of Great Moravia. These missionaries (most of whom were Germanic) introduced the Latin rites of the Roman church in the ninth century and advocated closer ties with Moravia’s Germanic enemies. To counter these efforts, Moravia’s reigning prince, Rastislav, petitioned the emperor in the great Byzantine city of Constantinople to provide Slav-speaking missionaries to work among the prince’s subjects.

In 862, the emperor sent two Greek brothers, Cyril and Methodius, who devised an alphabet for the Slavonic vernacular, translated Scripture and the liturgies of the church (it remains unclear whether these liturgies were Byzantine or Latin in rite) into Slavonic, and transcribed the first Slavic code of civil law. Despite support from the papacy, the brothers’ work generated hostility among the Latin Germanic bishops. They later drove Cyril and Methodius from Moravia, engineered Rastislav’s removal and, in 886, banished their followers.

Two of their disciples, Clement and Naum, found refuge in the Balkans, where they furthered the works of Cyril and Methodius. They organized a church Byzantine in custom yet independent of the church of Constantinople and the church of Rome. This church, which supported the aspirations of the first Bulgarian tsar, Boris I, served as a model for similar autonomous churches later established in the Slavic states of Kievan Rus’ and Serbia.

Greater Moravia collapsed after 893. Its successor state, the Latin Catholic Kingdom of Bohemia, retained its Slavic “Czech” identity despite profound antagonisms and influences from neighboring Germanic principalities — a state of affairs that survived until the decades following World War II. This Czech tenacity impacted the culture in a number of ways.

In the early 15th century, Jan Hus, a Czech priest and rector of the famed Charles University in Prague, reacted to the schism in the church (there were three rival claimants to the papal throne) corruption and abuses that compromised the integrity of the church and the papal office. The popular preacher called for a number of reforms — the use of the vernacular in the liturgy, the reception of the Eucharist under both species and the prohibition of clerics from assuming secular power...

Complete article here.

Holy Unction service in New England

At the end of this service some traditions will open the Gospel and the person (I have also seen two) is placed over the afflicted's head. You might also see the book moved in the sign of the cross. These services are returning to many places in the US so ask around if you are interested in seeing this service performed. Also, SVS Press has an excellent book on the topic (see my review here). Be aware that the service can stretch beyond two hours in length, so wear some sensible shoes.

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(OCA-DNE) - On Sunday, November 13th at Holy Trinity Cathedral the Sacrament of Holy Unction was celebrated and His Grace, our Bishop NIKON was anointed by the clergy of his diocese before he begins treatment.

Ordination of Met. Constantine of Singapore

Pictured: Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew (left) and Metropolitan Constantine (right).

Victims of Genocidal Famine in Ukraine Remembered

(UOC-USA) - On Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 1:30PM, the Ukrainian community, under the leadership of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) held its now annual requiem service to commemorate the 78th Anniversary of Ukraine’s Genocide of 1932-1933, known in Ukrainian as the Holodomor. The clergy and hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic Churches (His Beatitude Swiatoslaw, Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church; His Eminence Archbishop Antony of the Eastern Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA; His Eminence Metropolitan Stefan Soroka of the Ukrainian Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia; His Grace Bishop Paul Chomytsky and Bishop-Emeritus Basil Losten of Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stanford, CT and His Grace Bishop Daniel of the Western Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA) led this year’s Memorial Pahankhyda for the repose of the souls of the millions of innocent victims of the Ukrainian Genocide of 1932-1933.

Assembly of Bishops for Italy and Malta meets

(St. Catherine) - November 17 in Venice, a meeting of the Orthodox Episcopal Council of Italy and Malta. The meeting, held at the Metropolitan Patriarchate of Constantinople, was attended by metropolitan Italy and Malta, Gennady (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Bishop Nestor Korsunsky (Moscow Patriarchate), Bishop Andrew Remeziyansky (Serbian Orthodox Church), Bishop Silvanus Italica (Romanian Orthodox Church) and Bishop Konstantiysky Anthony (Bulgarian Orthodox Church).

In the spirit of fraternal understanding graces the hierarchs discussed current issues relating to the life of parishes Local Orthodox Churches in Italy.

In his speech before a meeting of the Metropolitan Bishop Nestor congratulated Gennady with Name Day and presented a commemorative gift hierarch - the bishop's staff. Bishop Nestor also introduced the newly appointed bishops to the Secretary of Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate parishes in Italy Hieromonk Anthony (Sevryukov) and spoke about the challenges faced by the Administration at this time.

A history of the Oriental Orthodox Church in the UK

(britishorthodox.org) - At the invitation of the Oxford University Orthodox Christian Student Society, Abba Seraphim gave a talk on “The Orthodox Heritage of Pre-Schism Britain” at Trinity College, Oxford, on 17 November. He began by pointing out that as a Metropolitan of the Alexandrian Patriarchate, within the Coptic and Oriental Orthodox traditions, the Great Schism of 1054 might seem to be somewhat beyond his remit, as it was a schism between two Chalcedonian churches which had been separated from that portion of the Orthodox Church for centuries. However, as an Englishman with canonical responsibility for a community of British Orthodox congregations he had a keen interest in Britain’s Orthodox heritage and what we may be learnt from it.

The Insular Church from its foundation was an integral part of the universal church, holding to a common faith and order. It withstood successive waves of persecution and when the Constantinian Peace of the Church was established, its hierarchs took their place in the counsels of the church. St. Athanasius the Great commended the British Church for upholding the Nicene Faith and very early we find it drawing on the support of sister churches to root out heresy.

Abba Seraphim examined the eastern origins of early British monasticism, especially links with Coptic Egypt; the role of saints and martyrs; the British enthusiasm for pilgrimages; the evangelism of the Irish saints and later Anglo-Saxon missions (Boniface & Willibrord); the evidence of liturgical and cultural links with other Christian cultures in Europe and the significant cross fertilisation of art and learning. He also highlighted the development of the Roman Primacy from one of honour to one of jurisdiction, examining the traditions of Pope Eleutherius, Augustine of Canterbury and Theodore of Tarsus and the gradual introduction of the filioque.

In concluding Abba Seraphim observed that the title of his talk was capable of two interpretations. The first might be simply to demonstrate that the Orthodox faith was manifested fully in the British Church prior to 1054, whereafter it gradually became more Romanised and fell into schism or worse; the second might be that the British Church in its first thousand years was not only fully Orthodox in its faith and order, as manifested by its full participation in the life and witness of the universal church, but that it made its own significant contribution to the faith, which carried the Gospel to huge populations but enriched and renewed Christendom with its own unique character and perception.

Following questions and a vote of thanks, Abba Seraphim was invited to join representatives of the society for dinner at a local restaurant.

Nativity resources for families

Nativity Resources for Orthodox Christian Families

The Antiochian Archdiocese has an excellent section for families who want to get the most out of the Nativity season. Helpful links on fasting, podcasts to listen to, books to read, an interactive explanation of the Nativity icon, Christmas plays, etc. I encourage you to visit and make use of this singularly wonderful resource.

You might also enjoy an article from Fr. Stephen Freeman available on the OCA site entitled The Nativity Fast – Why We Fast

Also, the OCA Department of Christian Education has a section dedicated to the Nativity Season (see here).

The Greek Archdiocese also has a section on the feast and a detailed analysis of the Nativity icon (available here).

Braving cold to see holy belt of Mother of God in Moscow

(MSNBC) - Russian Orthodox Church believers stand in a line to enter the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour to see a casket containing the holy belt of the Mother of God, brought to Russia from Vatopedi monastery situated on Athos Mountain in Greece, after a church service in Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, Nov. 19. Greek monks brought the belt said to be the one of the Virgin Mary to Russia nearly a month earlier and finish their tour of Russia in Moscow.

When am I a person to you?

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

A selection from Psalm 138 Sep./139 Mas.

Pan-Orthodox veneration of the Cincture of the Theotokos

Apologies for robo-translation.

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(YouTube) - Moscow, November 19. On the eve of the 65th anniversary of the Primate of the Russian Church in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior is committed vigil. Worship led by Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II, Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland Sawa and Metropolitan of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, Christopher. Before polyeleos the temple was brought to the great Christian shrine - the shrine with the Blessed Virgin Mary Belt.

On the revesting of the relics of St. John of Shanghai

I received a flood of emails on the recent post concerning the revesting of the relics of St. John of Shanghai. Many of your questions are answered in the below missive. Thanks for all the questions.

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(ROCOR-WAD) - On Tuesday, October 25, 2011, the relics of St. John of Shanghai & San Francisco were re-vested by the assembled clergy of the Western American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. I was privileged to be present at and to participate in this rite and would like to share it with the members of our diocese and my parishioners (photos of the rite).

The relics of incorrupt saints are re-vested periodically. The re-vesting is an opportunity to examine the condition of the relics and the reliquary that houses them, and is an important part of our care for the saint. Some saints are re-vested frequently (for example, St. Spyridon’s slippers are famously replaced every year as they become worn); others are re-vested less frequently. In the case of St. John, this is the first re-vesting of the Saint to take place since his Glorification seventeen years ago.

The rite was announced to us during the morning session of our Pastoral Conference, during which Archimandrite Irenei (Steenberg) described the rubrics for the service. At Vladyka Kyrill’s suggestion, most of the clergy fasted from lunch that day to prepare for the service. All the clergy had Confession during the evening Vigil and exchanged forgiveness with each other.

Present (if I counted correctly) were the Archbishop, 23 priests and hieromonks, four protodeacons and deacons, a schema-monk, and two readers. Several of the clergy had been present during the original inspection, translation, and/or vesting of the relics prior to the glorification of the Saint in 1994.

The rite began about 8:30 pm. The doors of the Cathedral were locked, and the Moleben Before the Beginning Any Good Work was served before the relics of the Saint. This was followed by the Magnification (Velichanie), after which the clergy venerated the relics. Archimandrite Irenei gave a brief exhortation, reminding us that while none of us was worthy to participate, our love and duty to the Saint required us to fulfill our obedience. A wonderful speaker. His recent talk at Holy Trinity Monastery was quite edifying.

Pre-assigned groups of clergy then moved the reliquary and its stand from the shrine to the center of the cathedral, behind a long table covered with (and placed upon) sheets of white linen. All the priests took their places on either side of the reliquary by rank, with the Archbishop upon his cathedra at the head, and their hands were washed by the readers. The deacons ascended the amvon, and censed continually during the service.

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Update on Abp. Seraphim's child abuse case

(Winnipeg Sun) - A former archbishop with the Canadian arm of the Orthodox Church in America has pleaded not guilty to charges he sexually assaulted two boys during the time he worked in Winnipeg.

Kenneth William (Seraphim) Storheim, 65, appeared Thursday for a preliminary hearing into allegations he abused two 10-year-old boys between December 1984 and June 1987.

At the time, Storheim was a rector at Holy Trinity Sobor, located at the corner of Manitoba Avenue and McKenzie Street in the North End.

A publication ban prevents the printing or broadcasting of any evidence presented by the Crown at Thursday's hearing.

Storheim flew to the city last November to turn himself into police, who were holding a warrant for his arrest. He was quickly released on a promise to appear in court.

He had stepped aside from his high-level position in the church months earlier.

The church said Storheim had been granted a leave of absence while police investigated the accusations; Storheim suggested he stepped aside for health reasons.

And an editorial from Fr. Ted's blog:

As a point of clarification, Archbishop Seraphim is, I believe, considered under suspension by the OCA’s Synod of Bishops, so he has not been defrocked nor has his title or episcopal rank been taken away from him by the OCA.

Sadly, as the news story relates, Archbishop Seraphim’s accounts of why he was originally put on leave of absence do not match other facts known from statements from the OCA which was clear that he was first put on Leave of Absence because allegations of sexual misconduct had surfaced. He had also on another occasion denied knowing what the allegations were about but certainly others knew and some discussed it with him.

The court is supposed to make a determination today as to how to proceed with the case.

ROCOR - Russian Church working group meets

(ROCOR) - On November 17, 2011, the first meeting was held in Moscow by the working group on Church unity as the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Act of Canonical Communion approaches.

With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate hosted the meeting, presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan Ilarion of Volokolamsk. This body was formed by His Holiness at the request of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

Participating in this meeting were the following group members: His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Berlin, Germany and Great Britain, Vice President of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia; His Eminence Archbishop Feofan of Berlin and Germany; His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America, Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of ROCOR (via internet link); His Eminence Archbishop Justinian of Naro-Fominsk, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA; His Eminence Archbishop Mark of Egorievsk, Head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administration of Institutions Abroad; His Grace Bishop Michael of Geneva and Western Europe (ROCOR); Protopriest Nikolai Balashov, Vice President of the DECR; Protopriest Alexander Lebedeff, Head of the Office of Inter-Orthodox Relations of ROCOR; Protopriest Serafim Gan, Chancellor of Administration of the Synod of Bishops and Personal Secretary of the First Hierarch of ROCOR; Hegumen Savva (Tutunov), Vice President of the Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate, Director of the Deputy Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate, and Protopriest Andrew Phillips, member of the Diocesan Court of Great Britain of ROCOR.

Opening the meeting, Metropolitan Ilarion noted the enormous significance of the reunification of the Church in the Homeland and Abroad which took place on the feast of the Ascension of the Lord in May, 2007, for ecclesiastical and national life. The names of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus of ROCOR, the archpastor added, will always be preserved with gratitude by the people of God, and they will enter history as those who reestablished unity within the Church after decades of separation.

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Revesting the relics of St John of Shanghai

(ROCOR) - On Tuesday, October 25, 2011, in accordance with a decision by the Diocesan Council of Western America, clergymen of the diocese performed the rite of revestment of the uncorrupt relics of St John of Shanghai and San Francisco. This special rite was headed by His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill of San Francisco and Western America in San Francisco’s Cathedral of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow.”

Having made confession in advance and asking forgiveness of each other, the archpastors and priests performed a moleben to St John at 9 pm, after which they proceeded to perform the rite of changing the vestments. Every priest participating in the Pastoral Conference of the Western American Diocese was given the opportunity to participate in this rite. The attending protodeacons then intoned the corresponding prayers after the revestment of the holy man’s relics.

Photo gallery here.

DC women's monastery looks to secure new property

From the Friends of Holy Monastery "Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple" blog, a history and current status on their new women's monastery near Washington, DC. They also have a Facebook presence (see here). I hope to visit soon.

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Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Christ is in our Midst!

What a blessing it is to have our Reverend Schema-Abbess Aemiliane and her Sisters here on this continent! We are accustomed to seeing them work hard in Greece, in the amazing Sisterhood guided by the Most Reverend Archimandrite, Elder Dionysios, but now they are on this side of the Atlantic! Pan-Orthodox, American, multi-ethnic and multi-lingual, they now reside in the area of Washington, DC. While practicing a daily cycle of prayer, they minister to pilgrims, serve the community, and welcome all who come their way with abundant hospitality.

For those not familiar with their spiritual family, their Elder, Archimandrite Dionysios, is the Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Petra (“the rock”). The Sisterhood is comprised of approximately 70 nuns from more than 15 countries. In 1994 their Elder founded the Sacred Monastery of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, in Thebes, Greece, near Athens. In 2003, at the invitation of the former Bishop of Thessaliotis, some of the Sisterhood moved to a historic 16th-century monastery dedicated to St. George, which had been closed for decades, and other Sisters moved to an 11th-century monastery dedicated to the Holy Apostles – both located near Karditsa in central Greece – in order to reinvigorate and restore their monastic communities. At the same time Elder Dionysios and the Brotherhood (about 30 monks) were invited to revive and rebuild the Monastery of Petra, in the same area, dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos.

In a similar context, last year the Sisterhood of the Entrance was canonically invited to America and received by Metropolitan Jonah, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), thus founding the fifth monastery in their family of monastic communities. Metropolitan Jonah had met Elder Dionysios 30 years earlier and was aware of his role as the Spiritual Father of thriving monasteries and countless lay persons and families all over the world. On May 24th, 2011, for the first time in nearly 70 years, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), Metropolitan Hilarion, concelebrated with the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), Metropolitan Jonah.

On this historic occasion, Metropolitan Jonah canonically entrusted the Sisterhood of the Theotokos to his beloved brother bishop, Metropolitan Hilarion, as a token of their spiritual unity and in order to enhance the context of stability and freedom for the continued growth of the Community. By the Grace of God, two new Nuns have been tonsured into their Sisterhood since their arrival from Greece: Sister Ioanna, who was born in Shanghai and named after St. John Maximovich, (now departed to the Lord in May, 2011), and Sister Hilaria, who was born in Germany and recently completed her doctorate in Early Christian Studies. All but one are American citizens, with roots from different Orthodox jurisdictions (Greek, Ukrainian, Russian, Antiochian, OCA). Two new novices have also recently joined the community and many inquirers come to visit. They now have their own Chaplain celebrating the Eucharist in their house-chapel.

After this brief background, we would like to share with you the developments rapidly unfolding in the Sisterhood...

Complete story here.

Catholic representative meets with Orthodox in Belarus

VATICAN CITY, 17 NOV 2011 (VIS) - Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, has visited Minsk, the capital of Belarus, at the invitation of Filaret, Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk and head of the Belarusian Orthodox Church which is dependant upon the Patriarchate of Moscow.

While in Minsk, Cardinal Koch participated in an international conference on the theme: "Catholic-Orthodox Dialogue: the ethical values of Christianity as a contribution to social life in Europe". The event was organised by the Institute for Inter-religious Dialogue and Inter-confessional Communication of the Synod of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, and by the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Christian Education Centre, in collaboration with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

According to a communique made public today, the conference "served to underline the desire to continue dialogue on matters of mutual interest, and to develop concrete collaboration in promoting and defending Christian values in Europe".

On Monday 14 November, Cardinal Koch and Metropolitan Filaret were received by Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus, who expressed his satisfaction at the good relations that exist between the two confessions in the country".

"The visit to Belarus by the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity", the communique continues, "has highlighted certain specific elements of great importance: the fact that the Catholic Church has been able to restructure and reorganise herself following the fall of the Soviet Union, and that this has happened in harmony with, and often with the support of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, and the civil authorities.

"The spirit of ecumenical fraternity - in a country which among the States of the former Soviet Union is second only to Lithuania in number of Catholics - has consolidated itself over time, becoming a fact of everyday life and a model of reference".

Assembly of Bishops endorses Youth Worker conference

Hopefully, scheduling will allow me to go.

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(AOB) - Historic January 2012 Orthodox Christian Youth Worker Conference Endorsed by the Committee for Youth of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America

Open to all Youth Workers, Camp Directors and Staff, and OCF Chaplains

Wednesday January 25 to Saturday January 28, 2012 at the Antiochian Village Conference Center – Bolivar, Pennsylvania

This historic gathering will be held Wednesday January 25 to Saturday January 28, 2012 at the Antiochian Village Conference Center in Bolivar, Pennsylvania, and will be hosted by the Departments of Youth Ministry and of Camping of the Antiochian Archdiocese.

The tentative schedule is online, and you can see that we will have combined sessions with the keynote, and breakout sessions in the various tracks (Camp, Youth, OCF).

More details will be added shortly to the schedule with details about the breakout sessions.

Details can be found here.

A medley of photos from Transcarpathia

(taday.ru) - The photographer Alexander Brown is able to see the beauty in the everyday and familiar. Today we offer our readers a report of Alexander, dedicated to the temples of Transcarpathia and people living in those parts.

Photos available here.

Russian delegation visits Balamand Monastery in Lebanon

(mospat.ru) - On 15 November 2011, the last day of his official visit to the Patriarchate of Antioch, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia visited the Balamand Monastery of the Dormition of Our Lady.

Pope Shenouda III celebrates 40 years as pontiff

(Almasry Alyoum) - Pope Shenouda III celebrated Monday the 40th anniversary of his ordination as pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

Nearly 5000 Copts and Eastern Orthodox patriarchs took part in a celebration event held at the papal office in Abbasseya.

Prime Minister Essam Sharaf sent a letter of congratulations to the pope, promising to personally visit him soon.

A number of public figures also attended the celebration, including former Deputy Prime Minister Yehia al-Gamal, Vice President of the Supreme Constitutional Court Tahani al-Gebali and former MP Georgette Qellini.

Members from the Mapsero Youth Union, a Coptic activist group, were also present.

Earlier press reports had said the pope intended to cancel the event, probably in protest of the bloody incident that took place outside the Maspero state television building on 9 October. That night, military vehicles reportedly ran over Coptic-led demonstrators decrying recent attacks on churches around Egypt. Twenty-eight people were killed in the violence.

Several human rights groups and activists have accused the armed forces of a deliberately violent response to the protests. This accusation has been denied by army officials.

Relations between the military and the Coptic community have degraded as a result of the Maspero incident.

Of weeping icons

From the blog Second Terrace, a post entitled "The weeping of the icons." As I am wont to do, I've added some images and highlighted some sections that struck me.

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The icons of the Theotokos are weeping. They are doing so at the churches of two of my priest-friends.

Weeping Icon of St. Anna

At one place, a young boy noticed the strange gleaming, streaming down the face and robes of the Mother of God, during the Great Entrance. The choir was singing "We who mystically represent the Cherubim ..." My friend heard the shuffling of feet behind him, as one side of the church crossed the aisle, in irresistable wonder, to see better.

At the place of my other friend, the oil cannot be contained, and needs to be soaked up by cotton.

In both places, my friends refuse to publish press releases. In fact, they avoid media attention altogether, rightly fearful of the spectacle that the News would bring. One can only imagine: apparition-seekers, professional skeptics, celebrity-addicts. "Did you hear in one place a man was arrested with paint in his bag?" my friend told me, with no small anxiety. "The man was going to throw it on the miraculous icon, to stop the weeping."

So the news gets out through informal channels, much like the messianic secret, and the attendant miracles, resonate like fire through the networks of family and neighbors. And the people now enter these places with a hush, with aching curiosity, that in this time of doubt there would be something, still, that is obvious, but cannot be figured out.

Weeping Icon Of The Panagia

Of course, the miracle remains despite the comic flesh-and-blood cycle proceeding around it. In both places, hunkiness obtains -- and some of you know exactly what I mean. Despite the pastor's poignant plea to venerate with reverential care, some have rushed to the icon, wiping it childishly with their palm and smearing their faces in a rush. Some have begrudged the amount others have gained, thinking that the blessing can be quantified, measured out, like a cash economy. Some have wondered why the same miracle doesn't happen in their more deserving places, as if God should follow an objective criteria of grace and blessing.

My friend complained that one of his colleagues even wondered, aloud, in front of the laity: "What omen is this? What bad thing is about to occur? Hundreds of icons wept like this in Russia before the Revolution came."

That last remark is not exactly, historically true. But nonetheless, it is a native thing to interpret the supernatural as doom. I have heard this sort of thing frequently. I also hear it in my head.

Signs, first of all, always impend the other-ness of God. Other-ness, especially the numinous sort, is always upsetting, even to the faithful. Familiarity is nice, mainly because it exists wholly within the extrapolations of past experience. Everything familiar is completely predictable, understandable, categorize-able, and -- best of all -- define-able.

Weeping icons are never familiar.

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Copper, Gospel stolen from NY parish

(Buffalo News) - Thieves stripped more than $6,000 worth of copper from a Lovejoy-area church in Buffalo over the weekend.

But they also stole something much more emotionally and spiritually valuable -- a silver-gilded Holy Gospel book that may be linked to the founding of the church more than a century ago.

The burglars Friday night stripped both copper and lead from SS. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church on Ideal Street. Church officials and neighbors suspect the thieves may have begun their work Thursday night and finished on Friday night.

The thieves also broke into the church, apparently through a basement window, and church officials later determined that the Gospel book had been taken.

SS. Peter and Paul was founded in 1894 by Russian and Austro-Hungarian immigrants; the next year, they built a modest wooden structure. In 1933, during the Great Depression, the current church was built, a magnificent structure that rises about 100 feet to the top of the cupola.

The Rev. Volodymyr Zablotskyy, acting parish rector, said he believes the Holy Gospel book dates back at least to 1933 and was used by some of the founding families.

"It's a connection to our founders," he said. "In many ways, it's a reminder that even during times of struggle, great things can be accomplished when communities pull together."

Another break-in was attempted at the church Sunday night.

Zablotskyy said church leaders are planning to offer a $500 reward for recovery of the missing book. Anyone with information may call the church rectory at 893-0044.

Attempted robbery at St. Irene Chrysovalantou Monastery

(Orthodox Photos) - The aim was sacrilege on Sunday evening at the Church of St. Irene Chrysovalantou in Astoria, NY. Strangers who entered the temple violating the basement door, attempted to break the image of the Virgin Mary Axion Esti, located in the iconostasis of the church in order to steal the offerings of the faithful. The alarm rang prevented the theft, and the perpetrators fled empty handed. Police are conducting research on the case.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow leads delegation in Syria

(mospat.ru) - On 13 November 2011, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius of Antioch and All the East officiated at the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Assumption in the capital of Syria. The service was celebrated in the Arabic and Church Slavonic languages.

Concelebrating were hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Antioch: Metropolitan Antonio of Mexico; Metropolitan Damaskinos of São Paulo and Brazil, Metropolitan George of Homs; Metropolitan Paul of Aleppo and Iskandaroun; Metropolitan Saba of Houran and the Mountain of the Arabs; Archbishop Nifon of Philippopolis, representatives of the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Bishop Demetrios of Safita; Bishop Mark of Sergiopolis; Bishop Ghattas of Qara; and Bishop Lukas of Seidnaya. Also taking part in the service were the following representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church: Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR); Bishop Sergiy of Solnechnogorsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Administrative Secretariat; archpriest Nikolai Balashov, DECR deputy chairman; archimandrite Alexander (Yelisov), representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to the Patriarch of Antioch; and protodeacon Vladimir Nazarkin, assistant to the DECR chairman.

The cathedral was filled to the capacity; Syrian TV channels broadcast the service live.

Attending the liturgy were the ambassadors of the Russian Federation and Belarus; charges d’affaires of Ukraine and Bulgaria; representatives of the Syrian Jacobite and the Armenian Apostolic Churches.

Orthodox scouts and children vested in dalmatics participated in the Little Entrance.

The Gospel was read in the Church Slavonic and Arabic languages.

His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius greeted His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, saying: ‘While welcoming the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, we recall that the Russian Orthodox Church had been discriminated during seventy years, but nobody was able to break her.’ His Beatitude reminded the worshippers of profound ties between the Churches of Antioch and Russia and thanked the Russian people for their help with educating the citizens of Syria. (In the 19th century, the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society opened schools with lessons in the Arabic language; the programme of education is being continued). The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Antioch underscored. ‘Patriarch Kirill is the head of the greatest Church in the world. She never had a feud with people of other faiths. I am happy to thank You, my dear brother, Russia, and Russian people.’

Patriarch Ignatius presented the Order of Ss Peter and Paul, the highest award of the Orthodox Church of Antioch, to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill said that the Churches of Antioch and Russia have maintained relations for many centuries and added, ‘The Church of Antioch and the people of Syria are undergoing severe trials, and I wished to be and pray with you and inspire you with fresh strength by my modest words. I believe that the Lord will be merciful to the people of Syria and to the Church of Antioch; justice will triumph; and people will solve their internal problems and achieve their noble goals of consolidating society and civil peace and overcoming confrontation through dialogue and mutual understanding. I wholeheartedly wish you success in creating a new Syria, a peaceful and open to all state, in which freedom of religion is respected and Christians and Moslem live in peace as it used to be. May God save this land from interreligious enmity. May the Lord bless Syria in these hard days, support your people, and grant wisdom to those responsible for the destiny of the state.”

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Site of 7th Ecumenical Council to become mosque

H/T: Ad Orientem

(VI) - Hagia Sophia in Nicea, where the Seventh Ecumenical Council was held in 787, is about to be declared a mosque by the Turkish authorities.

As the Turkish press reports, the call to prayer was sung from the Muezzin last Thursday, for the first time since the founding of the Turkish Republish in 1923. The minaret was added to the church in the city that the Turks called “Iznik” in the Ottoman age. Last year it was restored. With the prayer to be said at the beginning of the Islamic feast of sacrifice on Sunday morning, the former church will be ready for Islamic religious ceremonies.

The decision by the office of the Administrative Council, the competent authority, has sparked fierce debate. Selcuk Mülayim, of the University of Marmara, an art historian, underlined the building's importance in the history of Christianity and warned that the move would mark the beginning of protests from all over the world. Iznik's chamber of commerce criticized the move as lacking any sense, since the small city lives off tourism.

Equally controversial is the issue of whether it is the Council's duty to explain how the former church was changed from a museum into a mosque. The office explained that the building had been marked out by the community “unjustifiably” as a museum, since it had never been used as a museum before. Last year, a sign was posted in front of the restored church building, with “Museum” written on it; a guard made visitors pay for an admission ticket.

In Hagia Sophia, the bishops of the Roman empire gathered in 787 to decide over the Byzantine iconoclastic controversy, and to approve the veneration of icons. Nicea was also the meeting place of the First Ecumenical Council, in the year 325. The palace where the Council took place no longer exists. Hagia Sophia was transformed into a mosque by the Muslims in 1331, when they conquered the city. After a fire, it was restored by the architect Mimar; it was later destroyed in the battle of Bursa in the Turkish war of independence in 1920. The ruins were restored in 2007 and have attracted Christian religious tourism.

Back from Jordanville

Apologies for the delay in posting. I just returned from an OISM (Orthodox Inter-Seminary Movement) meeting at Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, NY. It was a beautiful experience, though it did take some time after returning home to readjust to a non-monastic setting. I'm sure this experience is a common one for visitors of monastic communities.

As you might expect, there was a full offering of services to be had, but for me the high point was a talk given by Arch. Irenei on how priests can maintain zeal for God. Sadly, it was not recorded, but it would make a wonderful book so I hold out hope that one day it will be.

A goodly number of seminaries were represented at the event despite the snowstorm that sent many of us off hither and thither past the monastery grounds on our drives in. Visibility was at times only 50 feet or so and even the high golden domes were invisible as we drove by at a creep. The monastery is largely invisible to GPS and cell service is found only after some prayer so we navigated ourselves back trusting in a heavily defrosted windshield and a car moving forward more on momentum than internal combustion.

The days were a blur of services, meals, meetings, tours, and a trip to the bookstore. The English section of the store is only about 20% of the structure. You can image what dozens of seminarians buzzing about a seminary bookstore looked like given the tight quarters of the non-Russian section. It was like a scene from bargain gown day at a bridal shop. I escaped with some books I "had" to have and a few others for the wife and me to read together.

These sorts of meetings always show us how similar we are and how we differ. Beyond beard length, you experience titles, dress, customs, and ideas you're not accustomed to. Some people jump in with both feet and try to soak everything in while others take a more defensive posture. It's an interesting thing to see.

I find as I get older I miss my children more quickly than I used to. By day two I was going up to women holding babies that clearly had a tenuous grasp of the English language to ask about their children's names, ages, etc. I fought the desire to get the phone out and show pictures of the kids... just barely.

Many friends were made on this trip. I hope I can find my way back there sometime with a less full docket of activities and more time to walk the grounds.

Think St. Vlad's should do distance education? Tell them!

I called St. Vlad's just a year ago and was told that they had made no inroads on distance education. I'm glad to see that has changed or, at least, is beginning to change.

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(SVOTS) - St. Vladimir's Seminary is conducting a survey to assist in the development of distance learning programs for the Doctor of Ministry, Master of Arts, and Continuing Education programs. The Rev. J. Sergius Halvorsen, associate professor for Homiletics and Rhetoric at St. Vladimir's, will be using the information from the survey to determine if distance learning programs present viable opportunities to the seminary and potential students. From 2000 to 2011 Fr. Sergius taught at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut, where he also served as Director of Distance Learning.

Please click here to complete the survey on-line; please share the link to this survey with anyone who might be interested in these programs; and please complete the survey by Wednesday, November 16, 2011!

2011 "Project Mexico" trip video

(OCA) - 2011 Project Mexico Archbishop JOB Memorial Mission Trip July 12-18, 2011
On December 1, 2009 the Diocesan Council and the Deans of the Diocese of the Midwest approved Archbishop JOB’s retirement legacy trip to Project Mexico. God had other plans for our Archbishop. The Mission Trip continues as a memorial to our beloved Archbishop Job.

Pan-Orthodox Clergy Wives event at the Antiochian Village

My wife attended. She enjoyed herself a lot. And, despite the unexpected snowfall, I'm glad we made the drive up for the event.

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(Antiochian.org) - “Clergy Wife: Mother, Daughter, Sister, Friend” was the theme of the third annual Clergy Wives Weekend, held at Antiochian Village, from October 28-30. This year’s Weekend was not only successful, but will probably go down in history as unique, thanks to Saturday’s snow storm! Fifty one wives of priests, deacons and seminarians, from as far away as Texas and Colorado, came together for this pan-Orthodox weekend of prayer, reflection and informal fellowship. However, five of our “commuters” did not make it because of the unseasonal storm that dumped 6-8 inches of snow at the Village.

Saturday morning’s speaker was Mother Christophora, abbess of Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Ellwood City. Her encouraging words began with reminding us that we are first and foremost daughters of God our father and the Church our mother. In that relationship we find our true selves, and our salvation. Our relationships as sisters and friends – particularly spiritual friends – also afford God a way to work in our lives to sustain us, and help us grow. Then, being grounded and guided, we can see how we serve as a mother.

After lunch and time to take in the continuously falling snow, Dr/Presbytera Kyriaki FitzGerald gave the afternoon presentation. She focused on how Kh. Joanne Abdalah, in whose memory the Weekend is held, was a mother, daughter, sister and friend, especially to clergy wives, and what her example offers to us.

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New metropolitanates for Ukrainian Greek Catholics

(UGCC) - On November 29 in Lviv, December 13 in Ivano-Frankivsk, December 22 in Ternopil Hierarchical Liturgies will be held, during which the decrees on the establishment of the Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil-Zboriv metropolitanates of the UGCC. Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk), Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, said this on November 8, during a web conference on tochka.net.

The Synod of Bishops decided to create three new metropolitans. The Lviv Metropolitanate will include the Lviv Archeparchy and the Stryi, Sambir-Drohobych, and Sokal-Zhovkva eparchies; the Ivano-Frankivsk Metropolitanate, Ivano-Frankivsk and Kolomyia-Chernivtsi eparchies; Ternopil-Zboriv, Ternopil-Zboriv and Buchach eparchies. The first metropolitans of the newly established metropolitanates will be Archbishop Ihor (Voznyak), Archbishop of Lviv, Bishop Volodymyr (Viytyshyn), Eparch of Ivano-Frankivsk, and Bishop Vasyl (Semeniuk) Eparch of Ternopil-Zborowski.

According to His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the establishment of new metropolitanates is a very important step in the natural development of the UGCC toward patriarchy. “Today in Ukraine there is a single metropolitanate of Kyiv and Halych based in Kyiv. With such a structure, our metropolitanate reflects the state of church that we had at the time of Kyivan Rus’. There was one metropolitan, the de facto head of the national church, who had, respectively, authority over the bishops on his territory. For more than a thousand years our church has developed, particularly in Ukraine. Today this natural state of development of the church structure needs to be improved. Therefore, in order to provide better pastoral care for our faithful, according to the decision of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC and with the blessing of the Apostolic See, we created three new metropolitanates,” the head of the UGCC.

In addition, the primate of the UGCC said that every metropolitan will have the right to convene a Metropolitanate’s Synod, but for the decisions of synod to be valid, they need approval from the Major Archbishop.

It should be noted that now the UGCC will have seven metropolitanates. In addition to the newly created ones, another metropolitanate in Ukraine is the Kyiv and Halych Metropolitanate, headed by His Beatitude Sviatoslav. It consists of Kyiv Archeparchy, Donetsk-Kharkiv, Odesa-Crimea and Lutsk exarchates. In addition, the UGCC has the Przemysl and Warsaw Metropolitanate in Poland, the Philadelphia Metropolitanate in the United States, and the Winnipeg Metropolitanate in Canada.

OCANews shutting down

(OCANews) - As the book of Ecclesiastes famously observed: “There is a time for every thing, and an appointed time for every event under the sun.” With this posting OCANews.org reaches its appointed time and suspends publication...

Complete article here.