Byzantine, Texas

The Antiochian Archdiocese has thrown their hat into the already packed online bookstore arena. I may order one or two items to see how the service and pricing are. To see my review of online retailers, see this posting . http://store.antiochianvillage.org/ ( Antiochian ) - We are pleased to announce that on June 19th the Antiochian Village Bookstore and Gift Shop went “live” with its new online store. Our ability to offer this has been made possible in large part by the efforts of Mother Alexandra of the Convent of St. Thekla, and fulfills a vision for our store which has been discussed for the past few years. Through her efforts, and with the help of Adam Henderson (a parishioner at St. Mary Church in Johnstown, PA), our store has entered the 21st century. Applying their computer expertise and hard work, all the product in the “brick and mortar” store at the Heritage and Learning Center is being managed and maintained by a retail management software program thus making the laun...

Strasbourg, France, Jun 29, 2010 / 01:52 pm ( CNA ) - The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France has ruled that European countries currently prohibiting same-sex marriage are not violating the human rights of their citizens. In a 4-3 ruling, the court ruled against a lawsuit filed by two Austrian men who were denied permission to marry in 2002 by Austrian officials. The homosexual couple argued that their right to contract marriage, according to the European Convention of Human Rights, had been violated. However, the court ruled that the convention did not address the topic of same-sex marriage, an issue that it said falls under the authority of individual states. In its decision, the court acknowledged “an emerging European consensus towards legal recognition of same-sex couples.” Nevertheless, it continued, “there is not yet a majority of States providing for legal recognition of same-sex couples.” The court also said that if countries choose to allow other mean...

From The Liturgical Year for Little Ones on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. I was reading from the Prologue of Ohrid this morning and was struck by the homily of the fear of God on the above verse. At one point he writes: "Will I be saved? This question should torment every one of us in the same way that the sower is tormented by the question: Will I reap the fruit of my labor in the field? The sower labors and fears every day. Let us also labor and fear "all the time of our sojourning" on earth." As trite as it may be to say, it is very easy to have anxiety and to fear earthly things. To fear God--that is a struggle. However, it is a struggle we need to embrace and seek that we may have the same boldness as Paul one day and be able to say, "Not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Galatians 2:20). To celebrate the feast: Here is a list of activities I compiled last summer for this feast. In addition to these activities, I have a challenge for al...

The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul , or the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, is a liturgical feast in honour of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which is observed on 29 June. The celebration is of ancient origin, the date selected being either the anniversary of their death or of the translation of their relics. For Eastern Orthodox and some Eastern Catholic Christians this feast also marks the end of the Apostles' Fast (which began on the Monday following All Saints' Sunday, i.e., the second Monday after Pentecost). It is considered a day of recommended attendance, whereon one should attend the All-Night Vigil (or at least Vespers) on the eve, and the Divine Liturgy on the morning of the feast. For those who follow the traditional Julian Calendar, 29 June falls on the Gregorian Calendar date of 12 July. (from Wikipedia ) Troparion - Tone 4 First-enthroned of the apostles, teachers of the universe: Entreat the Master of all to gra...

The family is making a road trip up North in July. On fasting days travel across this great country can be difficult. The obvious "adult" choice is to pack food ahead of time as it's cheaper, faster on the road, and without surprises, but where is the fun in it? So, starting in Texas and making our way to Pennsylvania, we need some restaurant advice. Sit-down dining is fair game as is drive-through fare. Let's see some comments! Burger King: Veggie Burgers (we 86 the mayo) Chipotle/Qdoba: Veggie Burritos or Tacos KFC: We just buy a bunch of vegetable sides Taco Bell: Fresco Style Bean Burritos

( mospat.ru ) - On 27 June 2010, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, His Beatitude Pope and Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria and All Africa, and His Beatitude Archbishop Hieronymos of Athens and All Greece. The Liturgy was celebrated at the Church of the Great Martyrs Ss Theodore Tyron and Theodore Stratelates in Malakopi (Derinkuyu). The monastic choir of Xenophontos Monastery sang during the divine service. In his homily delivered after the Gospel reading His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew welcomed Metropolitan Hilarion as a wonderful theologian who has dedicated his studies particularly to St. Gregory the Theologian and remarked that Metropolitan Hilarion and his suite have arrived for pilgrimage to the holy sites of Cappadocia with the blessing His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. The Prima...

From the blog Ad Orientem : I am visiting the family back in upstate New York for a little bit and today went off to the 9:30 AM divine liturgy at one of the eight(!) local Orthodox parishes that are within a convenient drive of my father's house. The liturgy was reasonably well attended for midsummer and was unremarkable until the time came for the last major censing by the deacon. The priest was at the altar with the doors open when suddenly a small boy, not more than four or five years old, broke loose from his parents and ran up towards the altar and... charged right through the doors and started tugging on the priests vestments. I can now relate that the sudden and simultaneous intake of breath on the part of a couple of hundred people creates a very distinctive sound. But the silence that followed was almost painful. The parents... visibly horrified seemed not sure of whether or not to rush up and add to the chaos in the sanctuary. This was coupled with a deep silence fro...

VATICAN CITY, 28 JUN 2010 ( VIS ) - The Pope today received in audience the members of a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, who have come to Rome for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul Apostles. The delegation, sent by His Holiness Bartholomew I, is composed of His Eminence Gennadios (Limouris), metropolitan of Sassima, joint secretary of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, and vice moderator of the central committee of the World Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland; His Eminence Bartholomaios (Ioannis Kessidis), bishop of Arianzos, assistant to the metropolitan of Germany, and Deacon Theodoros Meimaris of the patriarchal see of Fanar. At the start of his English-language address to the group, the Holy Father rendered thanks unto God "that the relations between us are characterised by sentiments of mutual trust, esteem and fraternity, as is amply testified by the many meetin...

From the blog, The Divine Life : This week I attended the 14th annual Orientale Lumen conference , held at the John Paul II cultural center in Washington, D.C. This was my third year attending, and it was quite enjoyable and informative this year. I am a very enthusiastic supporter of these conferences, as I believe that they foster, on a grass-roots level, the effort to have the Church breathe with both lungs, East and West. The path to unity is two-fold: official dialogue at the highest levels of the Church, and growing appreciation and acceptance of each other’s traditions in the pews. The OL conference works to make the second of these two objectives happen. The theme of this year’s conference was “the councils of the church” and each of the speakers reflected on the work of the councils in the life of the Church from different perspectives. Abp. Donald Wuerl The first plenary speaker was Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, D.C. He began by commenting on Christ’s que...

There's a tear in my beer 'cause I'm cryin' for you,dear you are on my lonely mind. Into these last nine beers I have shed a million tears. You are on my lonely mind I'm gonna keep drinkin' until I'm petrified. And then maybe these tears will leave my eyes. There's a tear in my beer cause I'm crying' for you dear You are on my lonely mind. Last night I walked the floor and the night before You are on my lonely mind. It seems my life is through and I'm so doggone blue You are on my lonely mind. I'm gonna keep drinkin' till I can't move a toe and then maybe my heart won't hurt me so. There's a tear in my beer cause I'm cryin' for you dear You are on my lonely mind. Lord, I've tried and I've tried But my tears I can't hide You are on my lonely mind. All these blues that I've found Have really got me down You are on my lonely mind I'm gonna keep drinkin' till ...

( antiochian.org ) - Recently, the editors at Antiochian.org interviewed His Grace Bishop THOMAS of the Diocese of Charleston, Oakland, and the Mid-Atlantic. This will be the first of a series of interviews with our bishops to be published in the coming months (read His Grace's biography here ). 1. Your Grace, you attended the recent Episcopal Assembly in New York. Do you have any thoughts for our readers on this historic gathering? Given the mutual isolation of our various jurisdictions for so many years, I found it especially encouraging that fifty-five bishops of Orthodoxy on this continent were able to come together, speak the same language together, and begin getting about the business of working out a common Church life together. This is what unity actually consists of, that we live together as brothers and sisters in Christ. We have to be mindful, however, of some of the things that were pointed out by His Eminence, Metropolitan PHILIP, in regard to our history in this...

Landon Donovan of the United States (front left) celebrates after scoring a goal with fellow team members Clint Dempsey (back left) and Edson Buddle, during the World Cup group C soccer match between the United States and Algeria at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, Wednesday, June 23, 2010. ( AP Photo/Michael Sohn )

( mospat.ru ) - The first session of the working group of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church in Poland on the elaboration of a document on the contribution of Churches to reconciliation between peoples of Russia and Poland took place in Warsaw on 24 June 2010. The group was set up at a meeting held in the capital of Poland on 26 February 2010. The Moscow Patriarchate was represented by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, his deputy Hegumen Philipp (Ryabykh), and DECR secretary for far abroad countries Rev. Sergiy Zvonarev. Taking part in the session on behalf of the Catholic Church in Poland were the Primate of Poland Archbishop Henryk Muszynski, general secretary of the Polish Episcopal Conference Bishop Stanislaw Budzik, and president of the Council for Ecumenism Bishop Tadeusz Pikus. The working group discussed two versions of the document prepared by the Orthodox and Catholic delegati...

( RISU ) - The website of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) on June 24, 2010, posted the text of the address of the head of the UOC-MP to the president of the European Court of Human Rights on the ban of crosses in Italy. Please see the text below. Honorable Mr. Jean Paul Costa President of the European Court of Human Rights Honorable Mr. President! The multimillion flock of faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was unhappily surprised and much disturbed by the decision of the European Court of Human Rights that banned the placement of the icons, crosses, and crucifixions of Our Lord Jesus Christ in public places of Italy, in particular, in schools. Though the decision given allegedly concerns internal affairs of an individual country, it deeply relates to the issue of freedom of confession and cultural identity of other countries – members of the Council of Europe. History and culture of the majority of European countries took shape under the...

( ACN ) - Christianity in Syria: An interview with Maronite Archbishop Samir Nassar of Damascus. Damascus: Where St. Paul was struck blind so that we might see. This interview was conducted by Mark Riedemann for "Where God Weeps," a weekly television and radio show produced by the Catholic Radio and Television Network in conjunction with the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need. Q) Your Excellency, Damascus, where you are the Archbishop, is a city at the heart of Christianity where St. Paul was struck blind so that he could then later see. Can you tell us a little bit about the situation of Christians today in Damascus? A) Damascus and Syria is a very old Christian country. We use to have in Syria 33,000 churches. Syria use to be predominantly Christian and we still have many famous Christian places. We have many Christian churches that are still very alive. Christians in Syria are not guests. They are the roots and we use to live side by side with the...

From Roger Pearse ... Greek language and literature enjoyed considerable status among Roman optimates during the republic and after. Cicero himself did not disdain to translate treatises into Latin. But in late antiquity, as the centre of Roman government moved to Constantinople, there began to be a need to translate in the other direction. I must say that I have never known much about this. One instance of this process is material quoted by Eusebius. Little of this is from Latin sources, but he makes use of a translation into Greek of Tertullian’s Apologeticum . In other places he quotes imperial edicts, evidently from official translations. But he does not seem to have known much Latin himself. Another instance is material by Jerome. Jerome himself tells us that his Life of St. Hilarion was translated into Greek by a certain Sophronius. His De viris illustribus was translated into Greek by ps.Sophronius, and the version is extant. Interesting the version of the Test...

( AOI ) - One of the greatest needs for the Church in America is an Orthodox school system. With few exceptions, Orthodox Christian children attend public schools. Yes, some attend private religiously affiliated or secular schools. But there are very few Orthodox parochial school. A noticeable exception to this, is Three Hierarchs Eastern Orthodox School ( THEOS ), “a private, non-public, non-profit religious school” that services children in the metropolitan Pittsburgh area. Turning from elementary school children to older students, the lack of Orthodox educational options is even more striking. With the exception of Hellenic College , in Brookline, MA there are simply no Orthodox institutions dedicated to undergraduate education. While there are no doubt a number of reasons for this, it is hard for me to avoid thinking that all of this represents a significant failure of the Church in America. For all practical purposes, with the exception of seminaries, the Orthodox child...

H/T: OBL News 12 June 2010, Teaneck, New Jersey ( socmnet.org ) - The Annual Concelebrated Divine Liturgy of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the USA took place in St. Mark’s Syriac Orthodox Cathedral, Teaneck, New Jersey On June 12th, 2010. The Liturgy was celebrated this year according to the ancient rites of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church, presided by H.E. Archbishop Abuna Zecharias, Primate of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church Archdiocese of North- Eastern U.S.A. Participating in the Divine Liturgy also were the following Hierarchs: His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Orthodox Church in America, His Eminence Archbishop Mor Titus Yeldho of the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in North America, His Eminence Archbishop Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim of the Syrian Orthodox Church for the Eastern USA. Present also were the Ethiopian Orthodox Archbishop of Trinidad, His Eminence Abuna Thaddaius and the reti...

I'm delighted and surprised by this ruling. Canada, who has so much to say about defending the oppressed in other countries (Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq), oppresses Christians on issues of conscience all the time. If you're in the Knights of Columbus and don't want to rent your hall for a lesbian couple's wedding reception? Outrage and legal action. You're a Cardinal that wants to speak against abortion? Outrage and condemnation. Plurality for plurality's sake and the mantra of relativism vs. the Way and objective truth. MONTREAL ( National Post ) - The Quebec government plans to appeal a court ruling that found its imposition of a province-wide ethics and religion course on a private Catholic school “totalitarian” and unconstitutional. The scathing decision issued on Friday by Quebec Superior Court Justice Gérard Dugré was a victory for Montreal’s Loyola High School, a Jesuit boys’ school that has objected to the controversial course since its 2008 introduction. ...

ROME ( FOXNews ) — The earliest known icons of the Apostles Peter and Paul have been discovered in a catacomb under an eight-story modern office building in a working-class neighborhood of Rome, Vatican officials said Tuesday. The images, which date from the second half of the 4th century, were discovered on the ceiling of a tomb that also includes the earliest known images of the apostles John and Andrew. They were uncovered using a new laser technique that allowed restorers to burn off centuries of thick white calcium carbonate deposits without damaging the dark colors of the original paintings underneath. The paintings adorn what is believed to be the tomb of a Roman noblewoman in the Santa Tecla catacomb and represent some of the earliest evidence of devotion to the apostles in early Christianity, Vatican officials said in opening up the tomb to the media for the first time. Last June, the Vatican announced the discovery of the icon of Paul — timed to coincide with the end o...

I have been pondering recently morality and the US. The line of thinking went thus ( thusly isn't a word, people): The currently predominant opinion on the law and issues of morality is tied into the issue of "rights." Unless something is deemed to be destructive to others it should be permitted, or so goes the thinking. Tied to this thinking is an idea of secularism that allows for no comment by religion. Christianity, with it's firm understanding of the wages of sin and a deference to Tradition is muzzled. As a result we see a tendency to expand permissiveness for behaviors once thought universally abominable. What is more, once a behavior has been legitimized, those who continue to "hold on to old stereotypes" or "keep bigoted opinions" are characterized as hateful and behind the times. The idea seems to be that we are moving towards a Utopian society and that to get there we need to "get real" about who people are and how they sho...

H/T: Mystagogy Why does the good Lord permit assaults and sufferings on the True Faith while He permits the pleasure of tranquility to heresies and paganism? Why? Even St. John Chrysostom asks and immediately replies: "So that you would recognize their weakness (the weakness of the heresies and paganism) when you see that they disintegrate on their own without any disturbance and also to be convinced in the power of faith which endures misfortunes and even multiplies through its adversaries." "Therefore, if we quarrel with the pagans or with the wretched Jews, it is sufficient to emphasize as evidence of divine power that the Faith (Christianity) which was subjected to countless struggles maintained victory" even when the entire world stood against her [the Church]. St. Isaac the Syrian says: "The wondrous love of God toward man is recognized when man is in misfortunes that are destroying his hope. Here, God manifests His power for his [man's] salvati...

FENTON, MI ( OCA-Bulgarian ) - Clergy and lay representatives from parishes of the Orthodox Church in America’s Toledo-based Bulgarian Diocese held their 47th diocesan conference at Saint Mary Magdalene Church here June 17-19, 2010. The parish is served by its rector, Archpriest Paul Jannakos and by Deacon John Manutes. His Grace, Bishop Melchisedek of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania, Locum tenens of the Bulgarian Diocese, led the attendees in a retreat on Friday morning, June 18. Business sessions followed in the afternoon at the Holiday Inn Gateway Center, Flint, MI. Archpriest Don A. Freude, as Chancellor and senior priest and head of the the Diocesan Spiritual Council, chaired the business session. During his report, he stated that “since the repose of His Eminence, Archbishop Kyrill, the Diocesan Constitution, Article IV, Section 3, has been in effect for the administration of our God-protected Diocese. The Constitution states: ‘In case of the death or when the Diocesan P...

( thyateira.org.uk ) - The Inaugural Meeting of the Pan-Orthodox Assembly of Bishops with Churches in the British Isles was held on 21st June 2010 at Thyateira House, the centre of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain. The Assembly operates in accordance with the Decision reached at the 4th Pre-conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference Meeting at Chambésy (Switzerland) on 13th June 2009. The following bishops were present: His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira & Great Britain (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) The Most Revd Metropolitan Youhanna of Western & Central Europe (Patriarchate of Antioch) His Eminence Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh (Patriarchate of Moscow) The Rt Revd Bishop Dositej of Great Britain & Scandinavia (Patriarchate of Serbia) The Most Revd Archbishop Iossif of Western & Southern Europe (Patriarchate of Romania) The Rt Revd Bishop Zenon of Dmanisi & Great Britain (Patriarchate of Georgia) The Most Revd ...

NEW YORK ( GOARCH ) – Archbishop Demetrios concluded a four-day visit to Slovakia on June 17, during which he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Presov. Bishop Savas of Troas and Archdeacon Panteleimon accompanied His Eminence on this trip. The visit began on Sunday June 13, when Archbishop Demetrios concelebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov and Sts. Cyril and Methodios in the city of Bardejov, with His Beatitude Archbishop Christopher of Prague and all Czechia and Slovakia, His Eminence Metropolitan John of Presov, His Grace Bishop Savas of Troas and His Grace Bishop Paisios of Goritze (Poland). Following the Liturgy, a blessing ceremony for the new church bell tower was held. Later the Mayor of Bardejov Dr. Boris Hanuscak had a very warm welcome and an informative discussion with His Eminence in City Hall. In the afternoon, Archbishop Demetrios accompanied by Archbishop Christopher and Metropolitan John, visited the “Wooden Home,” ...

BETHESDA, MD ( OCA ) - His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, will deliver an address titled "The Councils of the Church" as part of the Orientale Lumen XIV Conference at Saint Mark Church here on Tuesday, June 22, 2010. The evening will open with the celebration of Vespers at 5:00 p.m. A dinner will follow. Metropolitan Jonah's lecture, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 6:30 p.m. For additional information please call 301-229-6300. The conference, which opens June 21 and runs through June 24, is one of three being held this year. A similar conference was held at Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ June 7-10, while the third will be held in Constantinople [Istanbul], Turkey July 5-8. Sponsored by the Eastern Churches Journal, Eastern Christian Publications, the Orientale Lumen Foundation, the Center for Catholic Studies at Seton Hall University, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the conferences are open to lay persons, religious and clergy, providin...

A Brief Explanation of the Symbolism of the Analabos The άνάλαβος (Analab[v]os), which is the distinctive garment of a monk or a nun Tonsured into the highest grade of Orthodox monasticism, the Great Schema, is adorned with the instruments of the Passion of Christ. It takes its name from the Greek αναλαμβάνω (“to take up”), serving as a constant reminder to the one who wears it that he or she must “take up his cross daily” (St. Luke 9:23). The ornately-plaited Crosses that cover the Analabos. the Polystavrion (πολυσταύριον, from πολύς, “many,” and σταυρός, “Cross”)—a name often, though less accurately, also applied to the Analabos—reminds the monastic that he or she is “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20): With regard to each image on the Analabos, the rooster represents “the cock [that] crew” (St. Matthew 26:74; St. Mark 14:68 Luke 22:60; St. John 18:27) after Saint Peter had “denied…thrice” (St John 13:38) Him Who lamented over Jerusalem: “How often have gathered thy childr...

Wayne Rooney ( WAToday ) - England striker Wayne Rooney was blocked from discussing his religious beliefs by a Football Association official at the World Cup. Rooney had offered an insight into his Catholic faith by explaining why he wears a prominent cross and rosary beads around his neck when he's not playing. He said: "I've been wearing them for about four years now and you don't usually watch training (to see them.) I obviously can't wear them in games. It's my religion." That prompted a further question. But Mark Whittle, the FA's head of media relations, interrupted Rooney in the off-camera briefing by saying: "We don't do religion." Whittle's comment was reminiscent of a brusque "We don't do God" remark made to a reporter by Alastair Campbell as he intervened during an interview during his time as director of strategy and communications to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. ( cleveland.com ) - Christan Morales said her son just wanted to honor American troops when he wore a hat to school decorated with an American flag and small plastic Army figures. But the school banned the hat because it ran afoul of the district's zero-tolerance weapons policy. Why? The toy soldiers were carrying tiny guns. "His teacher called and said it wasn't appropriate," Morales said. Morales' 8-year-old son, David, had been assigned to make a hat for the day when his second-grade class would meet their pen pals from another school. She and her son came up with an idea to add patriotic decorations to a camouflage hat. Earlier this week, after the hat was banned, the principal at the Tiogue School in Coventry told the family that the hat would be fine if David replaced the Army men holding weapons with ones that didn't have any, according to Superintendent Kenneth R. Di Pietro. But, Morales said, the family had only one Army fi...

Moscow, June 18 ( Interfax ) – The Holy See ambassador to the Russian Federation Archbishop Antonio Mennini suggested that Catholic priests every now and then attend divine services in Russian Orthodox churches. The nuncio said it addressing participants in a regular session of Russia's Conference of Catholic Bishops in Sochi, its general secretary Rev. Igor Kovalevsky told Interfax-Religion on Friday. According to Fr. Igor, Archbishop Mennini pointed out that Orthodox-Catholic relations had significantly improved and urged to develop "fraternal relations between Catholic and Orthodox clerics." The nuncio also stated that state-church relations improved after establishing diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level between Russia and Vatican. The Conference of Catholic Bishops made a statement regarding abolishing religious symbols in public schools of Europe and pointed out that the cross is one of most important elements of European identity. The bishops men...

H/T: The Crescat

JOHNSTOWN, PA ( ACROD ) - The Reconvened 21st Diocesan Council-Sobor, concluded yesterday after a lengthy discussion of the Diocesan Priests Pension Plan. The Sobor approved the proposals submitted by the Clergy Pension Board. Following the conclusion of the Sobor, the members of the Diocesan Board of Trustees met at the Christ the Saviour Educational Center to discuss the recently concluded Sobor and make plans for the coming new Church Year. Audio recordings of the DDD, Mission and Evangelization and Stewardship presentations are now available here . View the Photo Galley here . View Liturgical Service videos here . Mission Establishment Plan Introduction Following the 21st Diocesan Council in South Bound Brook, NJ last summer, His Eminence, Metropolitan Nicholas appointed the following to serve on the newly-formed Diocesan Missions Commission: Protopresbyter Michael Rosco, Chairman; Protopresbyter Frank Miloro, Father Andrew Fetchina, Father James Blomeley, Deacon...