Byzantine, Texas

Paramus, NJ ( SCOOCH ) – On Tuesday, April 26, 2022, His Eminence Mor Dionysius John Kawak, Archbishop and Patriarchal Vicar of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese Eastern of the United States, hosted the Spring SCOOCh Bishops meeting at the Mor Aphrem Center in Paramus, NJ.  The private meeting was attended by:  His Grace Bishop David, President of SCOOCh, Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of New York & New England and Papal Representative of the Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese of North America His Grace Bishop Daniel Findikyan, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) His Eminence Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Diocesan Legate and Ecumenical Director of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) His Eminence Archbishop Petros of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Archdiocese of New York & Its Surrounding Regions His Eminence Archbishop Mor Titus Yeldho of the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syriac Orthodox Church A variety of issues w...

( OCA ) - The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America has declared vacant the see of Chicago and the Diocese of the Midwest following the death of His Eminence Archbishop Paul on the Great and Holy Sunday of Pascha, April 24, 2022. His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon has appointed His Grace Bishop Daniel of Santa Rosa as locum tenens of the Diocese of the Midwest.  

If you have read Constantinople's previous articles on the sanctification of chrism, it will become immediately apparent that the Ecumenical Patriarchate acknowledges that it is done elsewhere but that they find such activities redundant and not in keeping with the prerogatives implicit in the position of the "first throne of world Orthodoxy." Still, chrism is even made here in the United States (for more, see this ). ( EP ) - The sanctification of Holy Chrism took place with special splendor and solemnity in the morning of Holy Thursday, 21 April, 2022, at the Ecumenical Patriarchate during the Patriarchal and Synodal Divine Liturgy, presided by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in concelebration with the members of the Holy and Sacred Synod. Holy Chrism is consecrated on Holy Thursday about every ten years at the Ecumenical Patriarchate for use in the sacrament of Holy Chrismation, for the reception of Christian converts joining the Orthodox Church an...

( Antiochian.org ) - "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." (James 5:14–15) The first Scriptural reading for the service of Holy Unction shows that this Sacrament has a twofold purpose: bodily healing and the forgiveness of sins. The two are joined, for man is a unity of body and soul. There can be no sharp distinction between bodily and spiritual sicknesses. Of course, the Church does not believe that this anointing is automatically followed by recovery of health, for God’s will - and not man’s - prevails in all instances. Sometimes, the sick person is healed and recovers after receiving the Sacrament; but in other cases, he does not recover physically. Nonetheless, the Sacrament gives him the spiritual strength to prepare for death and life i...

( Washington Examiner ) - The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church faces mounting blowback after expressing support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine. Patriarch Kirill, who has also criticized Ukraine and its defenders in the face of aggression, risks losing his place in an international ecumenical council. The bishop recently described Ukraine and its defenders as "evil forces" who opposed Ukraine uniting with Russia. "God forbid that the present political situation in fraternal Ukraine so close to us should be aimed at making the evil forces that have always strived against the unity of Rus' and the Russian Church gain the upper hand," Kirill said, according to an English translation of his Sunday remarks. Kirill's support of Putin has put the Russian Orthodox Church at risk of losing international allies. The World Council of Churches, a fellowship of 352 churches across 120 countries, is under pressure to oust Kirill from ...

( GOARCH ) - MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS: 101 Tried and Tested Orthodox Church Outreach Practices You Can Implement in Your Parish The Department of Stewardship, Outreach and Evangelism of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announces the publication of a new book of tried and tested parish outreach practices based on clergy focus groups and clergy interviews. Author, Father Charles Joanides, PhD, LMFT, served the Archdiocese for 15 years, initiating and developing an outreach ministry to intermarried couples and families. During this time, he developed and published a number of books, such as When You Intermarry: A Research for Intermarried Couples, Ministering to Intermarried Couples and Their Families, Attending to Your Marriage, and more. In researching and preparing this book, Father Charles moderated and then analyzed several clergy focus group sessions. He supplemented the focus groups with additional research with individual clergy, refining his results to offer these t...

( OCA-DMW ) - The Diocese of the Midwest, the Archdiocese of Western Pennsylvania and the Bulgarian Diocese announced that the ninth annual Parish Development Forum will be held online on Friday, June 17. Registration will begin in mid-May. “While we hope to return to in-person Forums in coming years, it seems most effective to once again offer the Parish Development Forum as a one-day online session,” said Joseph Kormos, Forum co-chairperson and Parish Development Ministry Leader for the Archdiocese of Western Pennsylvania. “Having the Forum online will also help parishes redirect their travel budgets to the upcoming All-American Council,” he added. “The keynote address for the 2022 Forum will be delivered by His Grace Bishop Daniel of Santa Rosa, who will introduce the Forum’s theme, Parishes Becoming Vessels of Ministry,” said Archpriest Alexander Cadman, clergy co-chair of the Forum. “Our theme was chosen to enhance the theme of the 20th All-American Council, Becoming Vessels of Gr...

 

Beneath thy mercy, we take refuge, O Virgin Theotokos: disdain not our supplications in our distress, but deliver us from perils, O only pure and blessed one.  

BURBANK, IL ( OCA-DMW ) – This past week, His Eminence Archbishop Paul was diagnosed with Multiforme Glioblastoma, an aggressive, incurable brain cancer. His Eminence has chosen to work with his oncologists in order to slow the progress of his cancer, for as long as possible, through radiation and chemotherapy. The clergy and faithful of the diocese are asked to increase their prayers for His Eminence during this trying time. The good work of His Eminence will continue through the Chancery staff as usual. May God grant His Eminence peace, safety, honor, health, and length of days, rightly to divide the word of Thy truth. And also... SYOSSET, NY ( OCA-DMW ) – On Tuesday, March 15, 2022, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon and the Holy Synod met for their Regular Spring Session and appointed an administrator to assist His Eminence Archbishop Paul with his work in the diocese. On March 12, Archbishop Paul wrote to Metropolitan Tikhon requesting temporary assistance within the diocese, and t...

( Antiochian.org ) We are so excited to finally be together again in person! Please join us at St. Philip's Orthodox Church in Souderton, PA, May 6th-8th for a time of fellowship and encouragement. Dr. Mark Tarpley will give the keynote addresses on " ." We are looking forward to a time of family activities, building friendships, and reconnecting with familiar faces.  Dr. Mark Tarpley earned his B.A. and Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Southern Methodist University, and his M.Div. from St. Tikhon's Theological Seminary.  Professionally, Mark has taught in public and private schools and holds a teaching certificate in math 8-12. His instructional experience includes middle school, high school, undergraduate, master's level, and doctoral level courses. He has taught a variety of courses including upper school math courses, Patristic and Medieval history, Latin, logic, moral theology, the problem of evil, and comparative studies of St. John Chrysostom and St. Gregory...

 ... even if I wish it were. ( GOARCH ) - Archbishop Praises Daring New Book: The Theotokos & Ecofeminism By Menios Papadimitriou Cambridge, MA—“Nobody has cared about the garden for years now,” Vicky Flessas began, breathing life into Yannis Ritsos’ lucid verses. “Nevertheless, this year—in May, in June— it blossomed on its own again, brightening everything up to the balustrades, a thousand roses, a thousand carnations, a thousand geraniums, a thousand sweet peas so much so that once again, the woman her old watering can came again, to water—beautiful once again, serene, with an invisible devotion.” It’s this lyrical, if bygone, perception of ecofeminism that inspired Rev. Dr. Vassilios Bebis’ latest text, The Mother of God and Ecofeminism. Entering the verdant garden of his muse, Rev. Dr. Bebis encounters the maiden of Galilee in the serenity of a dutiful woman who returns to the garden. And the threadbare, yet steady watering can that Ritsos places in her grasp whispers of a...

( Raphael School ) - Fundamentals of Carpatho-Rusyn Plain Chant from St. Raphael School Term: Yearlong 2022–23, September 6–May 26 Grade Level: Grades 7-12 Schedule: 1x / week, 75 min. Price: $400  Section: Section 1: T 5:00 p.m. ET with Danielle Bartko Carpatho-Rusyn Plainchant, also known as Prostopinije, is a style of congregational liturgical chant originating from Carpatho-Rusyn villages in Slovakia, Ukraine, and other regions in Eastern Europe. This chant is used in both Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches. Its intention is congregational singing – a single cantor leads the entire congregation. Carpatho-Rusyn melodies are complex enough to inspire prayer, but simple enough for a congregation to pick up by ear and memorize. This chant is particularly useful for congregations without a formal choir, small choirs that cannot field four parts, or children’s choirs. However, this chant is truly at its best when sung by an entire congregation of hundreds of people! Studen...