Byzantine, Texas

As Wikipedia recounts "The Outer Banks (also known as OBX) is a 200-mile (320-km) long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina and a small portion of Virginia, beginning in the southeastern corner of Virginia Beach on the east coast of the United States. They cover most of the North Carolina coastline, separating the Currituck Sound, Albemarle Sound, and Pamlico Sound from the Atlantic Ocean. The Outer Banks is a major tourist destination and is known for its temperate climate and wide expanse of open beachfront." It is also home to one inchoate mission caring for the people in that expansive area (a mix of seasonal employees and the locals that serve them). As a fundraiser they've trademarked an Orthodox take on the popular OBX decal seen all over the Northeast and are selling these 3" x 4.5" decals for $10. 100% of the proceeds go to Holy Myrrhbearers Orthodox Mission . If you'd like to order one you can send a check to Holy My...

( Sofia Globe ) - The Bulgarian Orthodox Church Metropolitan of Varna, Yoan, made a call on October 31 against the growing popularity of Halloween in the country, urging that it not become “part of the Bulgarian soul”. Yoan, who became head of the church in Varna in December 2013, called on Bulgaria’s children and young people to abide in the “pure and holy Orthodox faith”. Halloween has become increasingly widespread in Bulgaria in recent years, with children emulating American practices such as trick and treat, the carving of pumpkins and the donning of macabre costumes. Local media reports on October 31 said that it was outgunning traditional celebrations such as the Day of the Enlighteners on November 1. Yoan, in a lengthy statement, traced the history of Halloween from medieval English practice that arose around the Roman Catholic observation of All Hallow’s Eve. He noted that in Rome, Pope Boniface IV in 609 and Pope Gregory III (731-741) had moved the day, on which al...

Pictured center Met. Hilarion of the Russian Church and to his right Major Archbishop (read: Patriarch) Sviatoslav of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Rome. For context see this post .

( mospat.ru ) - On October 28, 2014, His Holiness Tawadros II, Patriarch of the Coptic Church, arrived in Moscow for his first visit to the Russian Orthodox Church since he was elected to the Patriarchal throne in November 2012. The official delegation accompanying His Holiness includes Metropolitan Bishoy of Damietta; Bishop Rafeile of Central Cairo, general secretary of the Coptic Church Holy Synod; Bishop Kirolos of Milan; Bishop Serapion of Los Angeles; Bishop Angelos, vicar-bishop in Great Britain; Rev. Angelos Ishak, Patriarchal secretary; Rev. Poules Halim, Patriarchal press secretary; Sister Edrosis Girgis, mother superior of the St. Theodore Convent in Cairo; Prof. Dr. Ishak Ibrahim Agban, Port Said Theological and Pastoral College. At Domodedovo airport, Patriarch Tawadros II was met by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, Egypt’s Ambassador to Russia Mohamed Abdelsattar Elbadri, Archpriest vic...

I find myself preparing for a funeral later this week and so my mind is spinning through all aspects of death while I am spending the week gathering all the material things together to make this service happen. I came upon this video (one in a series of lessons on Orthodoxy by Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou - a name you might remember from some of his books) and quite enjoyed this primer on the Church and death. Enjoy.

I'll post videos from the conference when they become available. ( GOA-Toronto ) - With the blessings of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the spiritual leadership of His Eminence Metropolitan Sotirios, the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada) held a historic and very successful Conference on the Ecumenical Patriarchate with the theme, Reflecting on the Past — Looking Towards the Future. The Conference was held at the Metropolitan Centre in Toronto and attended by 300 individuals, including many dignitaries. The day began with introductory remarks from Metropolitan Sotirios and a video address by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew ( here ). Four distinguished speakers presented on various subjects that aligned with the Conference’s theme: Fr. Maximos Constas, a former Professor at the Harvard Divinity School, who is a monk at the Monastery of Simonopetra on Mount Athos and currently a Senior Research Scholar at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox ...

( OCA-DOW ) - "Do you make wine?" It is a question often asked by visitors to Holy Assumption Monastery and St. Simeon Verkhoturksy Church, both located in Calistoga, CA, nestled at the northern end of the Napa Valley. For two years now, the parishioners and nuns have been able to say, "Yes!", thanks to the creation of Calistoga Orthodox Wines , a jointly-managed non-profit company that currently produces two wines - California Kagor Premium Orthodox Chalice Wine and Traditional Blend Chalice Wine. On Sunday, October 12, Calistoga Orthodox Wines hosted its 3rd annual wine-tasting and silent auction to raise funds for producing the wines. The event at St. Simeon Church featured eight local winemakers pouring their wines for guests, in addition to the chalice wines. Attendees milled about the spacious church lawn underneath globe lanterns from mid-afternoon until well after dark, enjoying an open-flame paella bar, desserts, and live instrumental music. Many took...

Many moons ago I posted a video of this "old legend," but I enjoy it so much I thought it time to post the short story itself. Enjoy. 'And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.' -- Matt. vi. 7, 8. A BISHOP was sailing from Archangel to the Solovétsk Monastery; and on the same vessel were a number of pilgrims on their way to visit the shrines at that place. The voyage was a smooth one. The wind favourable, and the weather fair. The pilgrims lay on deck, eating, or sat in groups talking to one another. The Bishop, too, came on deck, and as he was pacing up and down, he noticed a group of men standing near the prow and listening to a fisherman who was pointing to the sea and telling them something. The Bishop stopped, and looked in the direction in which the man was pointing. He c...

So, if you want to know what is upsetting Moscow, this is it. Lines like 'Instead, the Ukrainian media spread information that “the hierarch said that the UOC (MP) is the only canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine.”' are what Russia's External Church Relations group is talking about. Setting aside the polemics associated with the Greek Catholic Churches, I hazard to guess that Rome would be very upset if the Russian Church engaged with sedevacantists and other Catholic splinter groups in the way the UGCC is treating the UOC-KP and UAOC. Again, I'm not entertaining a discussion about the very existence of Greek Catholicism, I'm saying if the UOC-MP is dealing with non-canonical groups and you are giving credence to those groups you should expect the rhetoric to fly. Discuss. ( RISU ) - This is the opinion that Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk) the UGCC expressed on October 23, during a briefing on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of legalization of the UGCC. The ...

Moscow, October 24 ( Interfax ) - The Orthodox Gonfaloniers Union calls blasphemous the project of Moscow canalization manholes depicting St. George the Victory-Bearer designed by the Art Lebedev Studio (see here ) . "We consider the manholes a blasphemous abuse of religious feelings: depiction of the saint covers a manhole, the impurities will flow under it, the depiction is intentionally perverted, the depiction of the saint will be trampled upon," head of the Orthodox Gonfaloniers Union and the Orthodox Brotherhoods Union Leonid Simonovich-Nikshich said in his statement conveyed to Interfax-Religion on Friday. According to him, the project is a subject to Article 148 of the Russian Criminal Code (Public actions expressing evident disrespect to society aimed at insulting religious feelings.) "We ask Moscow mayor office to renounce these canalization manholes, otherwise we reserve the right to turn to the General Prosecutor Office in connection with intentiona...

If you want to see how truly complex the relationship is between the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Roman and Orthodox Church, this is the video series to watch. The first video (a talk delivered by Fr. Brian E. Daley, S.J.) is a good history lesson for those unfamiliar with the self-identification of the Eastern Catholics and how Rome and Orthodoxy have seen them. "Uniatism" is a major sticking point right now and will continue to be until some consensus is reached, Greek Catholicism becomes a thing of the past, or Orthodoxy miraculously decides that it's "no big deal."

H/T: Classical Christianity Often what makes news in the Catholic and Protestant worlds doesn't resound quite the same way in Orthodoxy. That's not to say Orthodoxy lacks its faults in execution (this blog is full of snapshots of such moments), but that things like an "Extraordinary Synod on the Family" get a muted response from the laity. Why? Because Orthodoxy is loathe to do anything new. If we can't find a biblical, patristic, or conciliar precedent for something it's not going to go very far. Even if we look to the Great and Holy Council set for 2016, we aren't going to see anything new I hazard to guess. We're going to see consensus on points that need consensus and some flowery wording on, as the agenda puts it, "Proclaiming Christian ideals to the work of Justice and Human Rights" and "Presence of the Orthodox Church in the World Council of Churches" among other similar "timely" topics. The hot button topic of a...

( Hurriyet Daily News ) - Pope Francis is set to become the fourth Pope to visit Turkey, after the Vatican published details of an upcoming three-day visit to Ankara and Istanbul. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said on Oct. 21 that Pope Francis was scheduled to touch down on Turkish soil on Nov. 28 in Ankara, before leaving the country from Istanbul on Nov. 30. “Accepting the invitation of the president of the [Turkish] Republic, of His Holiness Bartholomew and the president of the [Turkish] Bishops’ Conference, Pope Francis will make an apostolic visit to Turkey from Nov. 28 to 30, traveling to Ankara and to Istanbul,” read the statement issued by Lombardi. On the first day of his visit in the capital, the Pope is expected to visit the Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, before meeting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, and Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) head Mehmet Görmez. ...

( OCA ) - On Tuesday, October 21, 2014—the opening day of the fall session of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America— His Grace, Bishop Irénée of Québec City and Igumen Paul [Gassios] were canonically elected to the vacant Episcopal Sees of Canada and Chicago and the Midwest. In addition, the Holy Synod elected Igumen Daniel [Brum] to serve as Auxiliary to His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West as Bishop of Santa Rosa, CA. Bishop Irénée, who had been serving as Administrator of the Archdiocese of Canada, was nominated by delegates to the Extraordinary Archdiocesan Assembly held in Gatineau, QC on October 2, 2014. Igumen Paul, who had served as Administrator of the Diocese of the Midwest, was nominated by delegates to the Special Midwest Diocesan Assembly held in Broadview Heights, OH, on October 7. Born in Montréal, Quebec on December 25, 1948, Bishop Irénée received a BA in Slavic Studies from the University of Ottawa in 1971, after ...

( spc.rs ) - Since Patriarch Paul as the primate of the Serbian Church did not visit Mount Athos, and that Patriarch German visited Mt. Athos in 1978, this is the first visit of the Serbian Patriarch to Mt. Athos after 35 years. According to the Athonite laws all primates of the Local Orthodox Churches when they enter the ground of Mount Athos they should visit its seat –capital town of Karyes. Patriarch Irenaeus was welcomed by protos – administrator of Mount Athos fathr Symeon from the holy monastery of Dionysiou (one-year mandate was given to representatives of the five Athonite monasteries: Saint Lavra, Saint Paul, Hilandar, Vatopedi and Dionysiou).

( mospat.ru ) - On October 6, 2014, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations visited Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at his residence in the Vatican. The DECR chairman is in Rome for the Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Catholic Bishops, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. ( mospat.ru ) - Answering questions from the interviewer, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations, attending the plenary session of the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Catholic Bishops as representative of the Russian Orthodox Church, spoke on the Christian understanding of the institution of the family and the stand taken by the Russian Orthodox Church with regard to the civic conflict in Ukraine. – Your Eminence, please tell us which practices of the Orthodox Church with regard to the family and marriage...

( The Spokesman-Review ) - The owners of the Hitching Post wedding chapel filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Coeur d’Alene Friday, claiming that the city is unconstitutionally forcing them to violate their religious beliefs by performing same-sex marriages. Owners Donald and Evelyn Knapp say in the lawsuit that they believe marriage is a sacred covenant between a man and a woman. “Performing same-sex wedding ceremonies would thus force the Knapps to condone, promote and even consecrate something forbidden by their religious beliefs and ordination vows,” the suit reads. The city passed an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in 2013. It applies to housing, employment and “public accommodation.” Religious entities are exempt from the ordinance. But in May city attorney Warren Wilson told The Spokesman-Review that The Hitching Post, which is a for-profit business, likely would be required to follow the ordinance. According to the lawsuit, a ma...

( nj.com ) - The Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese of North America is "saddened and dismayed" by the actions of those who protested at a Coptic church in Bayonne this past Sunday, according to a statement released to The Jersey Journal on Thursday. "As congregants of the church, we attend the holy liturgy to worship God with one heart and one spirit, seeking the Lord's grace and forgiveness," Bishop Karas wrote in the two-page statement. "The actions of those who shouted and protested inside the church, disrupting the service, showed no regard for the holy eucharist on the altar. The actions of the protesters in insulting and cursing in the church and at the clergy is both inappropriate and against ecclesiastic law." The first protest in what is expected to be a series of weekly demonstrations occurred this past Sunday, when a throng of churchgoers demanded their leaders bring back Father George Greiss to the St. Abanoub & St. Antonious Coptic Orth...

As always, Met. Hilarion was exceedingly direct in his address to the Catholic hierarchs assembled to discuss the Church and the family. It will be no surprise, then, that he brings up Uniatism as a stumbling block to further rapprochement. ( mospat.ru ) - GREETING ADDRESS BY METROPOLITAN HILARION OF VOLOKOLAMSK TO THE THIRD EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE SYNOD OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS ON PASTORAL CHALLENGES TO THE FAMILY IN THE CONTEXT OF EVANGELIZATION Your Holiness, Your Beatitudes, Your Eminences and Your Excellencies: Allow me first of all to greet you on behalf of the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. The topic of the family is one of the most acute and vital today. It is an indicator of the moral state of the society in which we live. We have anxiously watched as abuse of the notions of freedom and tolerance has been used in recent years to dismantle the basic values rooted in religious traditions. T...

Moscow, October 16 ( Interfax ) - Director of the Human Rights Center at the World Russian People's Council Roman Silantyev urges OSCE to consider the problem of Russophobia. Meeting with the OSCE officials on tolerance and non-discrimination on Wednesday in Moscow, Silantyev suggested to set up a post of OSCE head representative on the problem of Russphobia, "which is actively instigated in Europe." He was surprised with the fact that anti-Semitism and Islamophobia were divided in separate sectors and entrusted to different curators while "the only person is charged with a great massive of other problems in this sphere." Mufti of Moscow, the Central Region and Chuvashia Albir Krganov noted that hatred was instigated not only to Russians, but also to other peoples of Russia, for instance, to Chechens and Tatars. He suggested calling such a personal representative "an expert on defamating peoples of Russia." Earlier, OSCE chairman appointed thr...

For a little background and then the letter from the Texas Attorney General to the City of Houston. When government officials start demanding homilies we should all begin to worry. ( Houston Chronicle ) - Houston's embattled equal rights ordinance took another legal turn this week when it surfaced that city attorneys, in an unusual step, subpoenaed sermons given by local pastors who oppose the law and are tied to the conservative Christian activists that have sued the city. Opponents of the equal rights ordinance are hoping to force a repeal referendum when they get their day in court in January, claiming City Attorney David Feldman wrongly determined they had not gathered enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. City attorneys issued subpoenas last month during the case's discovery phase, seeking, among other communications, "all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to HERO, the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prep...

( antiochian.org ) - This summer at the Summer Meetings at the Antiochian Village in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph announced the new Antiochian Women Project for 2014-2015 which will incorporate his vision for the Antiochian Archdiocese well into the future. Over the next year, the Antiochian Women will work towards "Nurturing the Seeds of Orthodoxy Across North America". The Project is two-fold: "Regional Camping and Learning Centers" – His Eminence's vision is to offer Orthodox programs throughout all of North America and the ultimate establishment of facilities to house these events. "Monastic Communities" – The vision is to make Antiochian Orthodox monastic communities prevalent across our continent. Throughout our work on this Project, let us recall the parable of the mustard seed where Jesus said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? ... It is like a mustard seed which, ... when it is sown, it g...

( mospat.ru ) - In the evening of October 14, 2014, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Department for External Church Relations, arrived in Rome for an official visit, which will last till October 18. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the DECR chairman, acting as a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church, will attend the plenary session of the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Catholic Bishops on Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization and address the meeting. During his visit, Metropolitan Hilarion will meet with Pope Francis, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity Cardinal Kurt Koch, and will deliver a lecture at the opening of academic year at the Southern Italy Faculty of Theology in Naples. Metropolitan Hilarion will be accompanied by Hieromonk Stephan (Igumnov...

( St. Nicholas WTC ) - His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America extends an invitation to all of the faithful of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese to join him along with the Holy Eparchial Synod in New York on October 18 to bless the hallowed and sacred ground upon which St. Nicholas National Shrine at the World Trade Center will be built.

( OCA ) - On Friday, October 24, 2014, Saint Vladimir’s Seminary here will host a one-day seminar titled “Pastoral Counseling Following Abortion and Other Crises,” specifically designed for pastors, trained counselors and parish lay ministers engaged with those suffering from post-abortion distress and other trauma. Dr. Theresa Karminski Burke, founder of Rachel’s Vineyard, the world’s largest ministry dealing with post-abortion healing, will lead four sessions: “The Need for Post-Abortion Counseling,” “Pregnancy Loss and Suicide,” “Crash Course in Trauma (PTSD),” and “Brain Science: How Emotional Trauma Impacts the Brain.” Dr. Burke, who holds an MA and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Immaculata University, has lectured and trained professionals nationally on the subject of post-abortion healing, and her programs offer a unique sensory-based treatment that integrates emotional, psychological, and spiritual dimensions. She is a Nationally Certified Psychologist, Certified Di...

For context on this amazing quotation, see one of my favorite blogs Roger Pearse . But since our discourse has now turned to the subject of blasphemy, I desire to ask one favor of you all, in return for this my address, and speaking with you; which is, that you will correct on my behalf the blasphemers of this city. And should you hear any one in the public thoroughfare, or in the midst of the forum, blaspheming God; go up to him and rebuke him; and should it be necessary to inflict blows, spare not to do so. Smite him on the face; strike his mouth; sanctify thy hand with the blow, and if any should accuse thee, and drag thee to the place of justice, follow them thither; and when the judge on the bench calls thee to account, say boldly that the man blasphemed the King of angels! For if it be necessary to punish those who blaspheme an earthly king, much more so those who insult God. It is a common crime, a public injury; and it is lawful for every one who is willing, to brin...

Long Branch, NJ ( SCOOCH ) – Members of the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches convened with their Roman Catholic counterparts last week on Thursday October 2 and Friday October 3 at the Stella Maris Retreat Center in Long Branch, New Jersey to discuss issues pertaining to the Holy Mystery of Marriage. The purpose of the ongoing North American dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches is to learn from one another’s experiences in matters related to pastoral care. Theological debate and discussion do from time to time ensue, but it is not the primary purpose of the meeting. This year’s topic was the subject of marriage, specifically how each church prepares their faithful to enter into the Holy Mystery of Marriage and how each church deals with the subject of divorce. Both communions agreed on the sacred, eternal and indissoluble nature of marriage, but both also acknowledged the need to minister to those faithful whose human ...

( ACN ) - Currently, there are about 100 young men preparing for ordination at the Orthodox seminary in Smolensk. This city which, according to the earliest documentary evidence, dates back to the year 863, is situated in the west of Russia, close to the frontier with Belarus. Ever since the early 1990s ACN has been supporting the seminary, which was reopened in 1988. Before the communist October 1917 revolution, Orthodox priests had been trained here for over 200 years. However, when the building was finally returned after the collapse of communism, it was in an utterly derelict and desolate condition. In re-establishing the seminary, they had to start again almost from scratch. ACN helped for the furnishing and equipping of the seminary, and we continue to help to this day for the training of its future priests. One of the fruits of this aid is that the seminary maintains close contacts with the Catholic parish in the city. The young men preparing for ordination in the seminary...

( Crux ) As summer turns to autumn, the most compelling storyline in Rome is a highly anticipated summit of Catholic bishops from around the world, which shapes up as a key test of how much the status quo in the Church has been upended by a charismatic pope from a foreign land who’s taken the world by storm. Called a “Synod of Bishops”, the meeting seems destined to grapple with the contentious issue of the Church’s ban on divorced and remarried Catholics receiving Communion. Although the Vatican’s German doctrinal czar warns no change is possible, his admonition does little to stifle the debate. A cardinal considered a lion of liberal European Catholicism uses a platform in Rome to argue for a more compassionate approach, based on the Orthodox model of penance after a first marriage breaks down. More conservative prelates insist that any liberalization would run afoul of a teaching that comes from Jesus himself: “What God has joined, let no one separate.” As anyone who’s been p...

( OCA-DEPA ) - On Sunday, September 7, Holy Apostles Mission a held a "teaching liturgy." Marking the first day of Church School, Proskimedia was served in the middle of the Church where Fr. Timothy explained how the Gifts are prepared. Later during the Divine Liturgy, instead of a sermon, Fr. Timothy explained the parts of the liturgy.

Moscow, October 9 ( Interfax ) - Loss of spiritual weapon is the most terrific thing for Russia, head of the Synodal Department for Church and Society Relations Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin believes. "They try to deprive Russia of its spiritual weapon, which, I believe, is more powerful than nuclear one," Father Vsevolod said on air his program Vechnost i Vremya (The Eternity and Time) at the Spas TV-channel. According to him, notions of good and evil are leveled down with the term "tolerance," moreover it is packed with such an opinion that "tolerance is refusing the monopoly on truth." The priest believes that spiritual weapons is a kind of standing in truth "when we claim that we know truth for all, not only for our people." Father Vsevolod also said that nuclear weapon is not a panacea. "It is enough to buy a leading group of society - those who lack ideas and are ready to sell their ideals for a certain sum of money - in order...

( mospat-usa ) - On Tuesday, October 8, at the invitation of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, His Grace Bishop John of Naro-Fominsk participated in a meeting of the ROCOR Synod of Bishops held in Cleveland, Ohio. Bishop John discussed with the Hierarchs from ROCOR the outcomes from the recent meeting of the Assembly of Canonical Bishops held in Dallas this past September.

( STOTS ) - St. Tikhon’s Seminary is very pleased to announce the LuAnn Motel Scholarship Fund established 2014 by the Motel family, husband Donald, sons, Dr. Peter Motel, Andrew Motel, Esq. and Stephen Motel, and daughter, Dr. Marta Motel Grewell in loving memory of their Wife and Mother LuAnn. The scholarship is to aid one or more female students studying at St. Tikhon’s Seminary enrolled in the Master of Divinity Program. LuAnn’s life was a living tribute to the service of others in both her church life as one of the founding members and later church Warden of St. Herman’s Church, Gradyville, Pa and her professional life as an oncology nurse at Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia. What set her apart much like the Myrrh bearing women was her incredible strength and lack of fear no matter what cross was laid before her. She was an inspiration to all who knew her and the establishment of this scholarship Fund in her Memory is true testimony of the incredible love and respect of he...

( OCA ) - One hundred and three clergy and lay delegates representing parishes throughout the Orthodox Church in America’s Diocese of the Midwest gathered at Archangel Michael Church here on Tuesday, October 7, 2014, for a special Assembly at which Archpriest Paul Gassios was nominated to fill the vacant See of Chicago and the Midwest. Father Paul’s name will be forwarded to the Holy Synod of Bishops for canonical election. His Grace, Bishop Alexander of Toledo, Locum Tenens, opened the Assembly immediately after the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. For several months, Father Paul has served as Administrator of the Diocese of the Midwest. Raised in a Greek Orthodox family, Father Paul became a member of the Orthodox Churh in America in the mid-1980s. He received a Master of Social Work degree from Wayne State University and was awarded the Master of Divinity degree from Saint Vladimir’s Seminary in 1994. After his ordination, he served in the Diocese of the Midwest as r...