Byzantine, Texas

Orthodox Missionary Fraternity, Nairobi, Kenya.

( ROCOR-Chicago ) - With the blessing of His Grace, Bishop Peter of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America and President of the Diocesan Pastoral School, the Pastoral School will henceforth be named in honor of St. John of Kronstadt. As is well know, St. John struggled greatly with his studies as a youth, but after a miraculous divine intervention, became an excellent student with high marks in both seminary and academy. The Pastoral School will adopt as its patronal feast day December 20/January 2 – the repose of the great Russian Pastor and favorite of God John Sergiev, the all-Russian Pastor of the late 19th century. God willing, this date will be prayerfully celebrated annually with a Divine Liturgy at the Diocesan Cathedral in Des Plaines, IL. We ask all people of good will towards the Pastoral School to entreat the prayers of St. John before the Throne of the Lord for the students and faculty of the school, and for the school's continued miss...

( HTS ) - For the first time, Holy Trinity Seminary is participating in #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. Thanks to a generous donor, every dollar you give to Holy Trinity Seminary starting today through December 1 will be doubled! All donations will be matched up to $50,000. Donate today and help the Seminary raise $100,000 by December 1. Please watch the video below and share it with your friends. Invest in the Church's future today and double your impact! Donate by using the form below or through PayPal by clicking here .

( Pravmir ) - According to church spokesman Paul Halim, “Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria will attend the funeral and pray for the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of Jerusalem and the Near East, His Eminence Dr Anba Abraham, who died on Wednesday.” The high profile visit is being made despite the church’s firm position not to visit Jerusalem without a solution to the Palestinian cause. This, explained Halim, is because the late archbishop of Jerusalem was second in importance after Pope Tawadros in the Holy Synod of Bishops, the supreme canonical authority of the Coptic Church. The Holy Synod banned visits to Jerusalem on 26 March, 1980 following the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met Pope Tawadros II earlier this month at the papal residence in the Cathedral of Saint Mark in Cairo’s Abbassiya district. The Coptic pope was reported to have told Abbas that the Palestinian cause is “the top” Arab priority. “Dialogue is the best...

Belarus ( OCP ) - Belarusian journalists finished the work on a new pro-life movie called “Athos – pro-life! The legacy of Saint Paisios of Mount Athos”. The first copy of a movie created by Artem Mahakeev and Matvey Rodov was given as a present to a First Lady of Serbia during her visiting of a cathedral church in Minsk. The film dedicated to a pro-life movement in Orthodox Christian countries has been filmed this year on the Holy Mount of Athos. It was created with the participation of the abbots of the numerous monasteries on Athos. One of such abbots was archimandrite Mefodiy (Markovich), the abbot of the Serbian monastery Hilandar on the Holy Mount. Mrs. Dragica Nikolic, the First Lady of Serbia, expressed an interest in the topic of the movie as the idea of pro-life is important for all the Slavic peoples, both on the Balkans and in the Eastern Europe. Also Mrs. Nikolic told the journalists about her church activities – she is engaged in creating church mosaics in Serbia. ...

The videos can be found here .

( Antiochian.org ) - Thanks to His Grace Bishop Thomas and the clergy of the Diocese of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid-Atlantic, a new collection of inspirational readings is now available here . The series "Spiritual Notes from the Diocese of Charleston" (formerly "Notes from Bishop Thomas"), complied by Fr. Daniel Meyer, offers teachings selected from Sayedna Thomas' treasured collection of essays, articles, homilies and more, including many rare pieces from earlier decades of The Word. "Diocese of Charleston Bible Study" is a study of scripture from Fr. Stephen DeYoung and includes weekly scripture texts, reflections on the readings and questions for further contemplation. In "Spiritual Nuggets from the Diocese of Charleston," Fr. Noah Bushelli provides brief reflections and quotations from Church fathers as a source of concise spiritual edification. All three series are updated weekly, and Spiritual Notes and Bible Study pieces are...

From a blog by Anastasios Hudson . Knowledge of the Orthodox Christian faith is growing in Latin America; there is an increasing number of clergy, parishes, and monastic institutions, and more and more materials are being published in Spanish and Portuguese, as well. This is a cause for rejoicing, as more and more people are able to find the original Christian Church, especially in an age where modernism and relativism obscure the Truth and hinder man’s salvation. However, as Latin American people become more and more familiar with Orthodox Christianity, there is likewise a growing confusion regarding what exactly constitutes authentic and legitimate Orthodox Christianity. On the one hand, there are numerous so-called “official” jurisdictions which teach and practice things at variance with authentic Orthodox Christianity, but excuse these abuses based on their supposed canonical legitimacy and authority; on the other hand, there are numerous charlatans who take advantage of the i...

( Greek Reporter ) - Geoffrey Smith, a scholar of early Christianity studies at the University of Texas found a strange Ebay entry last January. An ancient Greek papyrus with quotes from the Gospel of John was being sold at a starting price of 99 dollars. “I thought, this can’t be allowed to sell on eBay,” Dr. Smith said to the New York Times. “It will just disappear into a private collection The scholar decided to contact the seller, asking him to put an end to the online auction and allow him to examine the ancient Greek papyrus. In the end his wish was fulfilled and he had the chance to take a look at the ancient document which dated back to around 250-350 AD. His research show that on one side the papyrus contained part of the New Testament, specifically six lines from the Gospel of John. On the other side he found part of an unknown Christian text. According to the New York Times the the discovery of the ancient Greek papyrus brings up another issue that has to do with th...

( OCMC ) - To the Reverend Clergy, Parish Council members, and Faithful of the Diocese of the Midwest, On November 15, 2015, we begin the Nativity Fast — that season during which we especially focus our attention on prayer, fasting and almsgiving in preparation for our celebration of the Incarnation of Our Lord, Jesus Christ! By taking on our human nature, the Living Word of God shares, in His very person, the “Good News” of salvation. He comes to proclaim the Gospel to all who would receive it, especially the poor, as we read in the written words of Scripture. And He calls upon us to likewise share this Good News in every way possible, “to the ends of the earth.” Within the Orthodox Archdiocese of Kenya, under the omophorion of His Eminence, Archbishop Makarios, over 250 priests labor to proclaim the Gospel in a growing number of communities, many of which are remote and not easily accessible. Transportation is a major obstacle in pursuing their ministry. In order to assist ...

( OCA ) - The Department of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry of the Orthodox Church in America has launched a new digital project titled “ Saints You Missed in Sunday School ”. This project will highlight the lives of some of the lesser known saints found on the OCA’s daily “Lives of the Saints.” “The lives of our saints are an incredible resource for all of us, demonstrating the continuous preaching of the Gospel throughout history and encouraging us towards missionary work, deeper prayer, and acts of mercy by their example,” said Andrew Boyd, OCA Youth Director. “With the launching of ‘ Saints You Missed in Sunday School ,’ we hope to present these saints in a way that’s easier to share on social media and through other digital means, making them more accessible to youth and young adults.”

( ROCOR ) - On Tuesday, November 17, 2015, Priest Gregoire Legoute of the Mission in Haiti of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, reposed in the Lord at the age of 53. Fr. Gregoire was born in Les Cayes, Haiti in 1962. He converted to Holy Orthodoxy and, in 1996, was tonsured a reader and ordained subdeacon and deacon by Bishop Hilarion of Manhattan. In 2002, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Michael of Geneva and Western Europe, and served the Haitian Mission with distinction for 13 years, spiritually nourishing the seven parishes of the Mission alongside his brother-priest, Fr. Jean Chenier-Dumais. He is survived by his Matushka Rose, and their two daughters, Anastasia and Chrissy. Memory eternal to the newly reposed Priest Gregoire!

( Malankara-NAD ) - His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, will be the chief guest of honor at the bicentenary valedictory celebrations of the Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kottayam, Kerala, India, along with in the inauguration of the 200th Memorial of Metropolitan Joseph Mar Dionysius (Pulikkottil I). The ceremony will be held on November 26th at the SMRITHI Auditorium of the Seminary. Along with His Beatitude, the esteemed presence of His Excellency P. Sathasivam, Governor of Kerala will grace the occasion. Our Diocesan Metropolitan, His Grace Zachariah Mar Nicholovos, Very Rev. Steven A. Voytovich, Dean of St. Tikhon's Seminary and Very Rev. Fr. Dr. John Behr, Dean of St. Vladimir's Seminary, will accompany His Beatitude on this fraternal visit to Malankara. The Orthodox Church in America, a church belonging to the family of Eastern Orthodox Churches, has a long relationship with the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in Nor...

NEW YORK ( GOARCH ) - The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is pleased to announce the launch of two new websites, www.GreekOrthodox.bible and www.Septuagint.bible, as part of the new .BIBLE top-level domain (TLD) initiative. The .BIBLE TLD joined .com and .org this past year as a new option for web site addresses on the Internet. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America’s Department of Internet Ministries is one of only a select number of key ministry partners of American Bible Society participating in this initiative in 2015. American Bible Society is administering the new .Bible TLD), with the aim to open up a new platform for engagement with the Scriptures. Domain names ending with .BIBLE will be available for public purchase in early 2016 (for more information please visit www.nic.bible ). “There is no mission more sacred than sharing the message of the Gospel and giving people from around the world the opportunity to engage with the Scriptures on a daily basis,” said...

Lord Jesus Christ, our God, You said to Your disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.” We come before You in humility and ask that Your peace which surpasses all understanding will descend upon all people around the world, especially those currently in conflict and at war. Increase understanding and forgiveness between nations. Awaken the longing for a peaceful life in all those who are filled with hatred for their neighbor. Extinguish every dispute and banish all temptations to disagreement. Grant wisdom to civil authorities. Free those held captive, protect those in danger, and comfort those who are suffering and displaced. Implant in all of us reverence for You, and confirm us in love for one another. Make us worthy to celebrate the feast of Your holy nativity and to join with the angels in chanting: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men.” For You are the King of Peace and the Savior o...

Some might remember the Demacopoulos piece " On Orthodox Fundamentalism ." Here, there, in conference, and in other writings he has shown himself to be staunchly anti-Muscovite. The below article strays from that position not one iota. ( GOARCH ) - Pundits from both America and Europe have recently ascribed religious motivations to the actions of Vladimir Putin. Is Orthodox Christianity to blame for his militant incursions, reactionary policies, or anti-Western rhetoric? Absolutely not. The notion that the Ukrainian crisis has religious causes is both factually wrong and religiously offensive. What’s worse, it is politically foolish, playing directly into Putin’s preferred narrative of a culture war. Nonetheless, the idea is gaining a foothold among powerful Western politicians. Carl Bildt, the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, recently asserted that Putin’s efforts to destabilize the Ukraine and his “anti-Western and anti-decadent line” have been “building on dee...

Before (below) and After (above) ( CBC ) - After three years of planning and renovations, parishioners of Saint Antonios Orthodox Church in Halifax held their first Sunday service at their new home. The original Saint Antonios church is located across the street from what used to be Saint Matthias Anglican Church on the corner of Chebucto and Windsor Street. After the Anglican church closed, the Lebanese church decided to take it over to accommodate their growing congregation of more than 200 families. This saw the century-old church transform from a red brick building with steeples to a white building with gold domes. "It was a big challenge for us to transform it to what it is now," said Father Maximos Saikali, priest of Saint Antonios, "It's breathtaking." Saikali says the smaller, original Saint Antonios will remain open for services held throughout the week. The $6 million renovation began in May 2013. Original elements from Saint Matthias ...

( Antiochian-AU ) - The Antiochian Village is a spiritual revelation. There are facilities where the faithful will be able to stay in for some days, praying, contemplating, learning, mixing with others, etc.… it is the church in the world. Today, more than any other period of our history, the church needs effective means to face the secular and paganistic world and to prepare and provide its faithful, from the day of their birth until leaving this world all the necessary means to defeat the spiritual darkness and to live and preach the Teachings of their Savior. The village has begun working with the children and youth plus the parents and grandparents. Will provide educational programs “we have started that” already began utilizing the facilities which may cater to hundred persons in addition to the clergy and leaders and teachers. We have a permanent nun; soon we will have a permanent priest. We already began the celebration of the divine services beginning the first of Septe...

( mospat.ru ) - On 10 November 2015, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with the head of the Syriac Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II. They were joined in the meeting, which took place at the Patriarchal residence in St. Daniel’s Monastery, by Mor Severius Hawa, Metropolitan of Baghdad and Basra; Metropolitan Mor Dyonisius Jean Kawak, Patriarchal Assistant and Director of the Department of Ecumenical Relations; Archbishop Mor Philoxenus Yusuf Cetin, Patriarchal Vicar in Istanbul and Ankara; Mor Nicodemus Daoud Sharat, Archbishop of Mosul; Very Rev. Raban Roger-Youssef Akhrass, Director of the Syriac Studies Department; Very Rev. Raban Joseph Bali, Patriarchal Secretary and Syriac Media Office Director. The Russian Orthodox Church was represented by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), his deputy archimandrite Philaret (Bulekov): and hier...

( SVOTS ) - Two presentations hosted by the St. Juliana Society (SJS) in the fall 2015 term provided the future clergy wives at St. Vladimir's with much food for thought and discussion. On Monday evening, October 26, a large group of women turned out to join in a mini-workshop offered by Matushka Amy Bozeman. Matushka and her husband Fr. David Bozeman (SVOTS '12) lead the community of St. Nektarios Orthodox Mission in Waxahachie, TX. As an experienced labor and delivery nurse, an educator, doula, writer, editor, and mother of teens, Mat. Amy wears many hats. Her workshop focused on how women can identify and intentionally work through the expectations that they bring to seminary life. She emphasized the need for women to establish healthy patterns of self care, including the setting of appropriate boundaries that will be important later in the nurture of clergy family life. I feel like this line should blink and be in 24pt font. On Monday, November 9, Matushka Dennise K...

( Antiochian.org ) - The Antiochian House of Studies, a department of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, is pleased to announce the establishment of the Ph.D. program in Orthodox Studies. His Eminence the Most Reverend Metropolitan Joseph, Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, heartily approves and blesses this pioneering initiative. As the first such Antiochian Orthodox program set within the English-speaking framework in North America, the Ph.D. program is intended to train specialists in Biblical and Patristic Theology, with the specific aim of transmitting the wisdom and ethos of the Orthodox tradition to our theologians, educators and pastors. In its mission to fulfill the ancient apostolic calling to build up Christian theological education, the Antiochian House of Studies is led by a team of renowned scholars who offer students of all backgrounds the opportunity to engage in scholarship at the highest level. ...

( Serbia Incoming ) - "Where there is Slava, there is a Serb.“ – Serbian proverb Majority of Serbs are Christians, and Christianity came very soon after the settling of South Slavs in Balkans. Byzantine missionaries and brothers St. Cyril and St. Methodius are considered to be the founders of South Slavic Christianity. It was a very cunning way to introduce Slavs as pagans to the new religion – most of old Slavic gods were implemented in characteristics of Christian saints, and until nowadays we can still find original corelations with ancient Slavic religion. Serbian Christians are mostly Orthodox Christians, belonging to Serbian Orthodox Church. Along with Churches of Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Russia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania and Ecumenical Church of Constantinople – Serbian Orthodox Church forms the Council of Orthodox Patriarchates. Thanks to the fact that each nation has a Church of its own, most of the national folklore maintained untouched through the church. Y...

Think these peg dolls are the bee's knees? Visit the Edmund And Ambrose Facebook page or Etsy shop and support an Orthodox artisan.

( Antiochian.org ) - On Monday November 2, 2015, His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph hosted the first pan-Orthodox clergy retreat for the clergy of metropolitan New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Little Falls, New Jersey. Other hierarchs in attendance were His Eminence Archbishop Michael (Dahulich) of the OCA diocese of New York and New Jersey and His Grace Bishop Nicholas of the Antiochian Archdiocese. The retreat was attended by more than 30 members of clergy and was led by Metropolitan Joseph. The theme for the retreat was "Holy Nation, Holy Diaconate, Holy Priesthood and Holy Episcopate." His Eminence focused on the key attributes that must be present in every Orthodox Christian across the categories of layman, deacon, priest and bishop, emphasizing the need for holiness and decorum. After lunch, a lively question and answer session took place. The assembled clergy asked about the state of Orthodox unity in America, the ...

( LA Times ) - Sako and Ripsik Hakopian stood in the pews of their Glendale church and waited for Wednesday night's Bible study to begin. Ten years ago, they would not have considered themselves avid churchgoers. But after their daughter, Yvette, was killed in 2008, Ripsik Hakopian felt an immediate draw to the humble Armenian church across the street from her home. Forty days of mourning passed before Hakopian finally mustered the strength to step inside St. Peter Armenian Church, where her daughter would regularly come to light candles. One year later, the Hakopians made their first "matagh," or offering, through the church. "I knelt on the altar, and I knew I had to do something," Hakopian, 65, said as she fought tears. The practice came to the fore earlier this week, following reports that a family had performed a lamb sacrifice days before their 20-year-old son, Richard Pananian, was killed in a traffic accident that sent his body flying onto a f...

BUCHAREST, Romania ( AP ) — Protesters calling for an end to widespread corruption and better governance this week have turned their anger to the powerful and rich Romanian Orthodox Church in the wake of a nightclub fire which left more than 30 dead. Public discontent with the church is at an all-time high after it failed to address an outpouring of national grief. Pressure is mounting for its financial privileges to be reviewed. "We want hospitals, not cathedrals!" chanted tens of thousands of protesters this week. Protesters want an end to hefty state subsidies to the nation's biggest church, to which 85 percent of Romanians belong, and for the church to pay tax. Other officially registered churches are also given subsidies. The Humanist-Secular Association says Romania has 18,300 churches, compared with 4,700 schools and 425 hospitals. Many were built after communism ended and religious restrictions were lifted. In 2014, an election year, the government allo...

Greek Catholic Bp. David (Motiuk) ( Edmonton Journal ) - My Ukrainian Catholic faith has been a significant cornerstone in the life of me and my family, but I had been pulling away from my faith over the past few years, mostly out of fear I would not feel welcome expressing my authentic self. I am a transgender woman. Weeks before I came out last year to the rest of the world, I met the bishop — at his invitation — for another in a long line of very important conversations. I later talked to our priest. From my personal journal dated Jan. 29, 2014, this is how part of that conversation went. “Will we still be welcome to practise our faith as we always have in the church?” I asked. The bishop replied: “My answer is an overwhelming yes. As a church, we need to be welcoming to all. We are taught to show kindness and compassion for each other. The church is not a ‘what,’ but a ‘who.’ As humans, we don’t always get it right. You may experience some resistance and negativity, whet...

A cantor friend of mine pointed me towards this new podcast during a discussion about the rather lofty, almost performance piece emphases I'm seeing in some sectors when singing for the divine services. Simply put, I'm not a fan. While I'm all for well-done music, I find the Liturgy-as-Stage-Production where the music is so complicated and extravagant to be a hindrance to prayerful reverence rather than an aid to it. Could someone who attends church regularly sing along? Is it so polyphonic or layered that you can't really tell what is said? Is it glorifying God or the cantor? The second podcast from this series tackles that topic directly. Give it a listen and tell me what you think. ( AFR ) - “Sing to the Lord” is a program devoted to exploring the various aspects of Orthodox liturgical singing and all manner of related topics. The program will explore the theology of singing and Orthodox worship over the centuries, different types of hymns and genres, the orig...

( Missionary Guatemala ) - We just held a meeting of catechists from all throughout Guatemala. These are the leaders of the parishes, and they come to these meetings to learn and grow.

( OCA-DOS ) - October 30, 2015 No. 10/038 To the Clergy, Monastics and Faithful of the Diocese of the South, Christ is in our midst! With this letter, I am providing an update to the Diocese of the South concerning the status of Archimandrite Gerasim following upon the most recent Fall Session of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America on October 20-24, 2015. As you will recall from my letter of March 21 of this year, the Holy Synod, during its Spring Session on March 17-20, decided that, rather than proceeding directly to a canonical election of Archimandrite Gerasim, it would appoint him as Administrator of the Diocese of the South as part of the established process for vetting episcopal candidates. This action was to be reviewed at the Fall Session of the Holy Synod. I can report that the Holy Synod did, in fact, review this matter last week and that Fr. Gerasim was in attendance at our sessions. I presented an update on the Diocese of the South with part...