Byzantine, Texas

( RISU ) - Upon the invitation of Rt Rev Hlib Lonchyna, Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London, the annual meeting of the Eastern Catholic Bishops in Europe convened in London on Thursday 26th October 2017 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Ukrainian Catholic Exarchate/Eparchy, UGCC Information department informs. This year, as the focus of their meeting, the Bishops of the continent’s Eastern Catholic Churches will discuss “Kerygma – Catechesis – Mystagogy” (the proclamation of the gospel of Christ, its deepening and its celebration). The choice of theme was dictated by the numerous challenges, such as the migration of many Eastern Catholics to regions and countries of different Christian traditions or denominations. The Eastern Catholic Churches have been trying to respond to those challenges through the re-discovery of elements proper to their Eastern tradition. The Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, the Most Revere...

His Beatitude does not shy away from the difficult topics here. Young as Met. Rastislav is, he is a strong and compelling voice to the Orthodox world. ( Romanian Church ) - Address by His Beatitude Rastislav, Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, delivered during the solemn session of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, 28 October 2017: "Difficulties of confessing the Orthodox faith during Communism and the Importance of Religious Freedom today" Your Holiness, Your Beatitudes, Your Eminences and Your Graces, beloved brothers in Christ! Rev. Georges Florovsky wrote in Volume II of his Collected Works very accurately that Christianity introduced a new social order in the first place. From its very beginning, it was not primarily a “doctrine” but exactly a “community”. Beside a kerygma – a message that was necessary to spread in the world – and the Good News – the Gospel to be proclaimed and delivered to people – there was...

October 26, 2017 ( mospat.ru ) – His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania presided over the bringing of a shrine with a part of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov to the spiritual center of the Romanian Patriarchate. After the meeting at Henri Coanda Airport, the Primates of the Russian and Romanian Orthodox Churches arrived on the Patriarchal Hill in Bucharest on which the Cathedral of Ss Constantine and Helen Equal-to-the-Apostles and the Patriarchal palace and residence are situated. Accompanied by the ringing of bells, a solemn procession took place with the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov from the gates of the patriarchal cathedral to the Ss Constantine and Helen Square. The shrine with the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov was placed before the altar and a thanksgiving was celebrated to St. Seraphim. Participating in the service were bishops and priests of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Numerous clergy, monastics...

( Orthodox Ethos ) - From a letter of Archimandrite Irenei to a mother and father (2012): My dear N— and A—, You are Orthodox parents raising Orthodox children in the loving embrace of the Church, and you have asked an important question relating to the cultural “celebrations” surrounding what has come to be known as “Halloween”. Let us start by saying, then, that you must put out of your mind these thoughts about “going with the culture” and permitting your children to take part in such customs “so that they won’t feel out of place with their friends.” Where secular people may feel they have the option to divorce the spiritual realm from the physical and do one thing with their bodies while believing another in their minds, we Christian people do not. We know that the actions of our bodies, and the things we do with our lives, affect our hearts and are directly connected to spiritual realms of which we are, on account of our weakness, not always immediately aware. Can you honestl...

Lawrence, KS ( OCA-DMW ) — For several years, Priest Joshua Lollar and the faithful of Saint Nicholas Church, Lawrence, KS, have gathered at Blue Jacket Crossing Vineyard and Winery to help with the grape harvest. “Blue Jacket is a vineyard just outside Lawrence where the parish gets wine for Liturgy,” explains Father Joshua. “Our participation in the harvest each year presents us with a different experience and a different grape, depending upon the weather, and this year we helped harvest the chambourcin vines, a variety that is used in the wine we use at Liturgy.” This, Father Joshua added, was a record-setting year for production at the vineyard. “We. along with dozens of other local volunteers, harvested 17,000 pounds of grapes during the morning work session,” Father Joshua said. “After the harvest and lunch with the other volunteers and vineyard staff, we blessed the vines as we do every year: ‘O God our Savior, Who wast well-pleased that Thine Only-begotten Son, o...

In all honesty, a man many people have called rather divisive and even dangerous over the years. Regardless of your feelings about him personally, I hope you can join me in praying for his speedy return to health. ( Orthochristian ) - Retired OCA Archbishop Lazar (Puhalo) of Ottawa suffered a stroke on October 11, and is still recovering in the hospital, according to Orthodox Canada . Writing in the daily journal of The Monastery of All Saints of North America of Vancouver, Canada, His Grace Bishop Varlaam (Novakshonoff), former bishop of Vancouver, writes: This has been an emotionally exhausting day for us, as Vladika Lazar suffered a stroke. At first his speech became blurred, then his right side became numb and an ambulance was called out. It arrived in just a few minutes and Vladika was taken to Emergency in Abbotsford where a series of tests and examinations were made to determine his condition. By the time I arrived there later in the afternoon, he was already improving, h...

Do we have naked women needing to be baptized by deaconesses? Do we have priests unable to go to widows homes lest they scandalize the village? Do we have male and female sides to our parishes that need deaconesses to keep the women in order during services? No? Then what role will they play as that's the role they filled 600+ years ago? Helping people through Christian charity? Does that need an ordained ministry? ( Pan-Orthodox Synod Forum ) - Dated October 24, 2017  Orthodox liturgists issued a statement of support for the revival of the order of deaconess by the Patriarchate of Alexandria. It has come to our attention that the venerable Patriarchate of Alexandria, after due consideration, has decided to reinstitute the ancient order of deaconess, in order to better serve the pastoral needs of the ever-increasing number of missionary parishes within the Patriarchate which serves the entire continent of Africa. The validity of this decision, however, has been questioned by some...

( IOTA ) - Founded in February 2017, the International Orthodox Theological Association (IOTA) seeks to serve as a vehicle of Orthodox Christian intellectual culture by providing a forum for an interdisciplinary scholarly exchange. IOTA’s 25 groups represent different aspects of Orthodox Christian life and thought. IOTA’s leadership includes well-respected Orthodox scholars from more than 20 countries. The overarching theme of IOTA’s inaugural conference is Pan-Orthodox unity and conciliarity. As the event will take place in Iasi, Romania, the conference has the support of the leadership of the Romanian Orthodox Church. In addition, the Ecumenical Patriarch and other church leaders look favorably upon the endeavor. Each IOTA group is presently accepting 600-800 word proposals for the topics stated in the group’s Call for Papers. Submit your proposal by filling out this form before 15 February 2018. The working language of the conference is English. Typical presentations will be 15-...

( Hudston Institute ) - Over the last two thousand years, the Church of Antioch has played a major role in the formation and development of Christian theology and philosophy. Today the Church is facing tremendous challenges in its native homeland, Syria. Six years after the beginning of the Syrian civil war, the country is in ruins and millions of its citizens have become refugees or are internally displaced within Syria. The ongoing war has flamed sectarian tensions that threaten the existence of Christianity in one of its earliest locations. Though suffering at home, the Church of Antioch is flourishing abroad with a growing congregation in the United States. What place do Christians and the Antiochian Church have in the future of Syria? What role has the Church played in humanitarian assistance to the millions in need? Why is Orthodoxy finding renewed appeal in Western countries? For answers to these and many other questions regarding the future of Orthodox Christianity in Syria a...

I took his class on the topic and enjoyed it immensely. Maybe you'll enjoy this sampling.

NEW YORK (TNH via OCL ) – The Registry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is in danger because it was given to a special company to digitize it without keeping copies, but the company refuses to return the data until the Archdiocese pays it in full. The Registry contains the names of all the Greek-Orthodox faithful who have had baptisms, weddings and funerals performed by the Church. Practically speaking, the Archdiocese doesn’t have the ability to issue any certificate of baptism or wedding in case some faithful members of the parishes request one, especially before the creation of the local Metropolises when all of that information was stored at the Archdiocese. The entire cost of the digitization was going to be more than a million dollars. A half million was given as deposit to the company to start working on it. The company finished the job but it refuses to return the information unless it receives the total amount. Meantime Director of Registry Fr. Michael Kontogiorgis was...

( EP ) - The Saint Irenaeus Joint Orthodox-Catholic Working Group gathered for its fourteenth annual meeting from 4 to 8 October 2017 at Caraiman Monastery (Romania), at the invitation of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The 2017 meeting was chaired by the Catholic Co-president of the Working Group, Bishop Gerhard Feige of Magdeburg. The group sincerely thanked its former Co-President Archbishop Job of Telmessos who had to withdraw from the group due to the fact that he became Co-President of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic and the Orthodox Churches. Before the opening session on Wednesday evening, October 4, the group was warmly welcomed by His Grace Ieronim Sinaitul, patriarchal Vicar Bishop, on behalf of His Beatitude Daniel, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The group members visited the Antim Monastery, the Patriarchal Cathedral and the Patriarchal Palace in Bucharest. On Thursday morning the group was warmly welcome...

( Knoxville News Sentinel ) - The church treasurer who stole $415,950 from the coffers of St. George Greek Orthodox Church says in court records he is now down to $20 in his pocket and a few thousand in assets and is facing a mountain of debt. Constantine D. Christodoulou has filed for bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Knoxville. In it, he says doesn’t own a home, takes in $2,000 each month and doles out $1,917 from that pay. He says he owes $618,702 debts – $224,675 of which he owes St. George. Attorney Lynn Tarpy is asking on Christodoulou’s behalf that he be allowed to keep his $8,277 in assets, most of which is stock in the travel agency he sold after was caught stealing from the church in February 2015. Paying the price Christodoulou pleaded guilty in Knox County Criminal Court in January 2016 with stealing under a half million from the church over five years while acting as treasurer. He was ordered to repay the church, spend a year in jail and nine m...

( Interfax ) - Moscow, October 18, Interfax - Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk recommends Orthodox believers to study Gospels and points out to Protestant missionaries who know Biblical texts profoundly. "In my official capacity I have to communicate with protestants. Sometimes I am impressed how well they know Biblical texts," he said at a presentation of the sixth volume of his book Jesus Christ. Life and Teaching in Moscow. The metropolitan told that at a conference in the USA he once met a Protestant pastor whose speech was rich in quotations from the Bible and each time the missionary pointed out to the verse and the chapter. When the missionary came up to the Metropolitan Hilarion, the hierarch saw that the Bible in his hands was covered with lines in different colors - "in red and blue pencils, there were notes in the margins." When the missionary saw that the metropolitan was surprised he explained that he lived the whole life with this book and i...

H/T: Discerning Thoughts

Why do I post this story? Because every seminary should be doing this. ( STOTS ) - On Tuesday, Oct. 3, the St. Tikhon's Wives Group had a very inspiring "Meet the Matushka" event via Skype with Mat. Kristen Smith in Florida. Mat. Kristen shared helpful advice she'd been given, spoke about her own experiences, and answered the thoughtful questions that many of those who attended had. Altogether 13 wives attended and were able to enjoy a time of fellowship, as well as benefit from shared wisdom.

( Coptic Solidarity ) - Father Samaan Shehata, a 45-year- old Coptic Orthodox priest from the village of Ezbet Girgis in al-Fashn, Beni Sweif, some 130km south of Cairo, was murdered in Medinat al-Salam, a satellite town east of Cairo, yesterday Thursday 12 October 2017. Fr Samaan, who was ordained in 1998 and was pastor of the church of Yulius al-Aqfahsi in Ezbet Girgis, leaves behind a wife and three children: a young man in his first year at university, and two small girls. Cross carved on forehead Fr Samaan was in Medinet al-Salam meeting the owners of an iron reinforcing bars business at their warehouse, to collect a donation for the needy in the Beni Sweif village. Accompanying him was his friend, Fr Pimen Shaker from Matai, Minya. After completing his task and before heading home, Fr Samaan discovered he had forgotten his mobile phone in the warehouse, so drove back to retrieve it. The chauffeur parked the car across the street from the warehouse, and Fr Samaan disemba...

( AOB ) - The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America held its Eighth Annual General Assembly Meeting October 3-5, 2017 in Garfield, NJ. Thirty-Two Hierarchs from across the country gathered to prayerfully consider ways to enhance their Orthodox witness to the world and to address their common concerns for youth and emerging adults. In his opening remarks, the Assembly Chairman, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, reminded the Hierarchs that “through God’s grace and providence, we have all been brought together to this one place and we have been called to walk in unison toward a common goal…. While our sights are ultimately set on the ‘things to come and longed for,’ as long as we call ourselves co-laborers in God’s vineyard, it is our sacred obligation to work together to realize this goal by drawing ever-closer to one another.” The assembled Hierarchs heard a report by Dr. Richard Flory, Senior Director of Research and Evaluation at the Center for R...

NEW YORK ( GOARCH ) — The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America releases below a “Statement on the Archdiocesan Financial Situation” and a “Message from Archbishop Demetrios” For Information Contact: Harry Giannoulis, harry@theparksidegroup.com — Tel. 212-571-7717 ext. 17 Statement on the Archdiocesan Financial Situation Beginning in October of 2016, and continuing through early 2017, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Geron of America, and the officers of the Executive Committee of the Archdiocesan Council learned that the Archdiocese faced a severe and complex financial deficit that had been building for several years. Concurrently, Archbishop Demetrios recommended a new leadership team, which was elected by the full Archdiocesan Council. George Tsandikos, managing director of Rockefeller & Company in New York, was named as Vice President. Michael Psaros, co-founder and managing director of KPS Capital Partners, was appointed Treasurer. Catherine Walsh, a long-servin...

A kind reader recently forwarded me the text of Protodeacon Peter Danilchik's presentation at a female diaconate conference this year. Good morning everyone. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to speak about what is -- other than my wife, children and family -- the great love of my life, namely the holy diaconate in Christ, in which I have been privileged to serve for the past 42 years. For the deacon, to live is to serve and to serve is to live. This living and serving is, however, not for oneself -- it is for the Church, the Body of Christ. I envy my fellow panelists, who are speaking about very intimate person-to-person service to the Body: pastoral counseling, chaplaincy, hospice and homebound. And here I am, discussing the dry and dreary subjects of administration and governance. Or are they so dry and dreary? Can they be full of passion and love? The answer is yes. But only through service to others and sacrifice of oneself. I have served on multiple governing boar...

( HTS ) - Scheduled to be held on Monday, October 23, 5:00 pm, Seminary Hall. Some Orthodox Christians today are trying to re-institute the ancient Church order of “deaconesses,” despite the uneven history of that female office in the Church, as well as that of the male diaconate. Protodeacon Patrick Mitchell surveys the Church’s early experience of both male and female “deacons” and concludes that they were never the same order, that the female order was inherently problematic for the Church because it appeared to elevate women over men, and that the “ordination” of women as deaconesses made less and less sense as the Church’s understanding of holy orders evolved. That explains why much of the Orthodox Church never had deaconesses, and why even those segments of the Church in antiquity and in the Byzantine era where they did serve eventually abandoned the order. Protodeacon Patrick Mitchell is a former Washington Bureau Chief of Investor’s Business Daily, the author of four books...

( AOB ) - Address of the Chairman His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America at the 8th Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America Garfield, NJ (October 3-5, 2017) *** Your Eminences, Your Excellencies and Your Graces, most respected Hierarchs of the Assembly of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, It constitutes a great joy and a profound blessing to be together again for our 8th annual General Assembly. Many of us have known each other not only since our First Episcopal Assembly in May 26-27, 2010, but long before. Our eight General Assemblies, however, have been special occasion for cultivating and strengthening the bond of deep love and apostolic zeal that unites us as canonical Hierarchs of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church in America. Through God’s grace and providence, we have all been brought together to this one place and we have been called to walk in unison toward a common goal, albeit, one ...

( Antiochian.org ) - By the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Synod of Antioch, under the presidency of His Beatitude Patriarch John X, elected two new metropolitan archbishops in its current session at St. Elias Patriarchal Monastery in Shwayya, Lebanon. His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, primate of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America, participated in the elections. His Grace Bishop Ignacio (Semaan) is the new metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Mexico, Central America, Venezuela and the Caribbean. He succeeds His Eminence Metropolitan Antonio (Chedraoui) who reposed in the Lord this past June, after leading his archdiocese for 51 years. Sayidna Ignacio served as an auxiliary bishop in Mexico for the past six years and as patriarchal vicar of the widowed archdiocese. According to the Mexican Archdiocese, Sayidna Ignacio received a bachelor's degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Damascus; He received a degree in Theology from the Institute of St. J...

On September 24, 2017 Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Dormition in London. Met. Hilarion speaks with his usual frankness at the Christian Future of Europe symposium. ( mospat.ru ) - On 22 September 2017, an international symposium on the Christian Future of Europe took place at the residence of Russia’s Ambassador to Great Britain. The keynote address was delivered by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations. Your Eminences and Your Excellencies, dear Mr. Ambassador, conference organizers, and participants, I cordially greet all of those gathered today at the Russian Embassy in London to partake in this conference dedicated to the question of the future of Christianity in Europe. This topic is not only not losing any of its relevance, but is resounding ever anew. Experts believe that today Christianity remains not only the most persecuted re...

It should surprise no one that there is a veritable cavalcade of theologians and clergy lined up to write something about this new text. Given what I have read about it so far, this amount of attention is deserved given Mr. Hart's popularity (not to mention his charged beliefs on things like universal salvation). As always, Fr. Lawrence Farley has a timely article on the topic. It is entitled " The Deep Melancholy of David Bentley Hart ." An excerpt is below. Dr. Hart has recently completed his translation of the New Testament, and it is now for sale at a book store near you. One naturally asks, “Why do we need another translation of the New Testament since so many translations already abound?” One could understand someone wanting to have another crack at translating the Old Testament, since the verbal concision of the Hebrew tongue and the corruption of the text at a number of places offer opportunity for a number of different readings—to say nothing of the questio...

BOSTON ( GOARCH ) – His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios visited the National Braille Press on September 14, 2017. During the visit he received the first copies of Speaking to God, My Orthodox Prayer book, and the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom printed in Braille by the National Braille Press for the Department of Religious Education of the Archdiocese of America. It is believed that these are the first books ever published in Braille for Orthodox Christians. At the National Braille Press, the Archbishop was greeted by Mr. Nicholas Racheotes, the Chairman of the Press’ Board of Trustees, Brian MacDonald, President, Nicole Noble, Director of Sales, and Whitney Mooney, Sales Associate and Social Media Creative. Mr. Racheotes is an active member of the Taxiarchae Church of Watertown, Mass. He explained about the Braille alphabet to the Archbishop, showing him samples of various publications that the Press creates. The Archbishop toured the facilities and saw how books in Brai...

Some have asked in the past why they say "Christ is Risen" at the repose of someone even if it is not Paschaltide. This something done in the Antiochian Church that is slowly spreading into other jurisdictions. ( Antiochian.org ) - Memory Eternal! + Bishop Antoun "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live." John 11:25 Christ is Risen.... With great sadness and hope in the Resurection, His Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH announces the passing into eternal life of His Grace Bishop ANTOUN, this morning October 2, 2017. More information about the funeral arrangements will be posted when they become available.