Byzantine, Texas

...and pray for those who stand at the gates today.

I posted the promotional flyer to this a few weeks back. Here is the video of the event itself.

( ROC-UKIE -) - On May 20, 2021, a round table "Vaccination: Ethical Issues in the light of the Orthodox faith" was held at the Sretenskaya Theological Academy.  At the end of the event, its participants approved the final document. Participants of the round table "Vaccination: ethical aspects in the light of the Orthodox faith" - members of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church, experts in the field of medicine and biology and representatives of the Orthodox community - discussed emerging issues, including among the believers of the Orthodox Church, regarding vaccination against coronavirus infection COVID -19. Scientists and doctors who are making significant efforts to overcome the consequences and prevent the further spread of the coronavirus infection COVID-19, which has claimed lives of many people and brought a significant disorder to the lives of peoples, deserve profound gratitude and respect. Today, as in the past, thanks to advances in...

( OCA-AK ) - Beloved Clergy and faithful Members of the Diocesan Council of the holy, God-protected Diocese of Sitka and Alaska, Christ is Risen! Truly, He is Risen! Христос Воскресе! Во истину Воскресе! Kristusaq Unguirtuq! Illuumun unguirtuq! I greet you with the joy of our Risen Lord and with the desire to share with you an important decision made by the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America, a decision that directly affects our diocese. At the 2021 Spring Session, the Holy Synod has requested that I now exercise my locum tenens obligation to convene a special Diocesan Assembly with the express purpose of nominating a candidate to be elected as the ruling hier- arch of the Diocese of Sitka and Alaska. With that mandate in mind, I hereby convene a special session of the Diocesan Assembly on Saturday, August 7, 2021 at Saint Innocent Cathedral in Anchorage. The Most-blessed TIKHON, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada, will preside over this assembly...

New York, NY ( SCOOCH ) – Christ is Risen!  Truly He is Risen!  At a meeting of the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches occurring earlier this month, it was reported to the Standing Conference that the Synod of Eritrea – under pressure from the government of that country – has determined to install another patriarch contrary to the canon law while His Holiness Abune Antonios I is alive and has not been formally deposed after an ecclesiastical trial convicting him of any wrongdoing or heresy. As representatives of their respective Mother Churches, the bishops of the Standing Conference stand unequivocally with His Holiness Abune Antonios I, and recognize him as the only legitimate Patriarch of Eritrea, praying that God might return him to his throne in peace.  In light of this conviction, the Standing Conference has decided to issue two letters:  One to the Eritrean government, expressing the Conference’s strenuous objections to any actions which under...

( GOARCH ) - AXIOS! AXIOS! AXIOS! V. Rev Archimandrite Athenagoras Ziliaskopoulos Elected Bishop of Nazianzos This morning, the Holy and Sacred Synod elected The V. Rev. Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Throne Athenagoras Ziliaskopoulos, Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod and Chaplain of the Holy Cross Theological School, as the Bishop of Nazianzos, assistant Bishop of His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch, who placed him at the disposal of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America in order that he may continue his current service in the Holy Archdiocese. The full announcement is below. ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE COMMUNIQUÉ With thanksgiving it is announced that during its gathering today, the Holy and Sacred Synod, at the suggestion of His All-Holiness, elected unanimously: 1) His Grace Bishop Andreas of Krateia as the provincial Bishop of Toronto of the Ukrainian presence in Canada under the Ecumenical Patriarchate. 2) The V. Rev. Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Throne...

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more kind and considerate man to help shepherd the good people of the Diocese of the South. A long-awaited Axios! to Bishop Gerasim. ( OCA ) - On Tuesday, May 18, 2021, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America, meeting in their regular Spring 2021 Session under the presidency of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, canonically elected the Very Reverend Archimandrite Gerasim (Eliel) Bishop of Fort Worth, Auxiliary to His Eminence Archbishop Alexander and the Diocese of the South.

( HCHC ) - By a unanimous vote of HCHC’s Board of Trustees on May 10, 2021, Rev. Dr. George Parsenios has been appointed Dean of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and Professor of New Testament with tenure. In announcing the appointment, HCHC President George M. Cantonis said, “We are extraordinarily fortunate that a scholar of such renown, himself a Holy Cross alumnus, has accepted the deanship, which has always been of tremendous importance to the institution’s academic and spiritual vitality, but never more than at this time, as we intensify our efforts to make HCHC the very best it can be.” Fr. Parsenios is an award-winning teacher and internationally recognized scholar of the New Testament, with expertise in the Gospels. He has held the rank of Full Professor at Princeton Theological Seminary since 2002. He has been an Adjunct Professor at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and at the St. Athanasius Theological College in the University of Melbourne (Australia...

( OCA-DEPA ) - Christ is Risen! Indeed, He is Risen! Hopefully, we are rejoicing with the announcement from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) of May 13th, that those fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks or socially distance inside or outside! The state of Pennsylvania has adopted the CDC’s new guidelines as well. Additionally, every adult wishing to be vaccinated has had more than adequate time to do so. (The HIPAA law, safeguards a person’s right to privacy and consequently restricts who may ask about a person’s vaccination status.) Therefore, effective immediately, we are eliminating the mandatory mask and social distancing requirements for our Pennsylvania parishes and encourage our faithful to return to full participation in the life of the church. Wilmington, DE may implement the new guidelines on May 21st. Let our churches be filled once again to the Glory of God! One may personally choose to wear a mask if desired, but it is no longer required. Parishes that have ade...

( SOC ) - The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, under the presidency of His Holiness Porfirije, Serbian Patriarch decided to start the regular session of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church with the service of the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy in the Memorial Cathedral of Saint Sava in the Vracar district, on May 24, 2021, on the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius. The Holy Liturgy will be served by Serbian Patriarch Porfirije with the concelebration of the hierarchs. The previously planned solemn act of enthronement of the primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Stauropegial Monastery of the Pec Patriarchate, the ancient seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church, has been postponed until further notice due to epidemiological measures in force in this southern Serbian province.

( OCA-DOW ) - Updated Covid Guidelines from His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin (May 14th, 2021) To the Reverend Clergy and Faithful of the Diocese of the West, Christ is Risen! It has been well over a year since we first became aware of the COVID-19 pandemic and the negative impact it was beginning to have on society as well as in our personal lives. Early in the pandemic, governments and governmental agencies began to implement guidelines, procedures, and protocols to protect the public health. The Church also participated in the effort to minimize the effects of the pandemic, including introducing some temporary procedures that affected our common life and worship. These protocols included the use of masks, social distancing, suspending of social gatherings, etc. The past months have been strange and even difficult for us all as we have navigated these unknown and sometimes frightening waters. And, without a doubt, our patience has been tried on many occasions. However, we held fast t...

 

( Antiochian ) - Good News from His Eminence Metropolitan JOSEPH May 14, 2021  Christ is Risen!  ​I pray you and your parishes had a blessed Pascha and Bright Week. In light of the announcement by the CDC yesterday saying that people who have been vaccinated no longer need to wear masks and social distance, whether indoors or outdoors, and in light of the reality that most every adult who wants to be vaccinated has had the opportunity to be vaccinated, we are lifting all requirements to wear masks and social distance in our churches in the United States of America. Nevertheless, those who choose to continue wearing masks in the church should not be discouraged IN ANY WAY from doing so. The only thing we ask is that if you have any high risk people in your parishes who are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons that you make every effort to accommodate them by having a small area of the church, where they can still social distance and wear masks, set aside in order for the...

If only Netflix put out more of this and less of the other stuff, I'd still have a subscription.

( Antiochian ) - A new Ancient Faith book release, The Religion of the Apostles: Orthodox Christianity in the First Century, has been authored by The Rev. Dr. Stephen De Young, pastor of Archangel Gabriel Antiochian Orthodox Church in Lafayette, Louisiana. The book is described as "Orthodox Christian Biblical theology in one volume​," in which Fr. Stephen traces the lineage of Orthodox Christianity back to the faith and witness of the apostles, rooted as it was in a first-century Jewish worldview.  The Religion of the Apostles presents the Orthodox Christian Church of today as a continuation of that religious heritage, which was really a continuation of the life of the people of God since the beginning of creation.  Father Stephen holds a PhD in Biblical Studies from Amridge University, is the host of The Whole Counsel of God​ ​podcast, and co-host of the Lord of Spirits podcast on Ancient Faith Radio. He is also the author of The Whole Counsel Blog on the Ancient Faith Mini...

( Orthochristian ) - After several months of lockdown restrictions, Mt. Athos is finally open to pilgrims again, starting today. The decision to reopen the Holy Mountain was made by the Sacred Community—the governing body of Mt. Athos, consisting of one representative from each of the 20 ruling monasteries, reports the Orthodoxia News Agency. The number of pilgrims allowed on the Mountain at one time will be strictly limited: Each monastery may issue 10 diamontirions (a visa-like document needed to enter the Holy Mountain); some sketes may issue 5, and some 2, and cells and hesychasteria may issue 1 each. The Sacred Community’s circular states that it is strictly forbidden to allow people to move between monasteries once they are on Mt. Athos.

( ROC ) - The Cambodian deanery of the diocese of Thailand, the Patriarchate Exarchate of South-East Asia, has published the Khmer version of the Paschal divine service including the Paschal matins, Hours and the Divine Liturgy. The translation was made with a blessing of the Patriarchal Exarch for South-East Asia, Metropolitan Sergiy of Singapore and South-East Asia and under the guidance of the secretary of the diocese of Thailand, Archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin). The project was coordinated by Hieromonk Paisius (Opate), rector of the St. George church in Phnom Penh. The rector of the St. Panteleimon church in Sihanoukville, Rev. Roman Postnikov, was responsible for the editing. The translation was drafted by D. Yu. Okhvat, the Khmer language and literature lecturer, Chair of the Philology of South-East Asia, Eastern faculty of St. Petersburg University. It was decided to present copies of the book as a Paschal gift to all Khmer parishioners. The translation is also available in elec...

( HCHC ) - George M. Cantonis, President of Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology has announced plans to reopen the HCHC campus for the Fall 2021 semester. With the increasing availability of vaccinations, resulting in an anticipated decline in COVID-19 transmission and infectivity, the reopening will mark a return to a more typical on-campus experience for HCHC’s students, with flexible accommodations. Inside and outside the classroom, they will once again be able to enjoy many of the distinctive elements of an HCHC education.  The current plan is to hold classes in-person, with faculty teaching and students learning in the classroom. Fall 2021 classes will commence on September 7, 2021. The Spring 2022 semester will begin for all students on January 18, 2022. As during the 2020-2021 academic year, the institution will adhere to all state, federal, city, town, and HCHC guidelines to minimize the risk of COVID transmission. In addition, all students, faculty...

( Orthodox Times ) - Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew gave a full-length interview to the Georgian channel TVFormula and journalist Giorgi Targamadze. The interview was broadcast on Easter Sunday, May 2, 2021. As reported by fanarion.blogspot.com, the Ecumenical Patriarch clarified that: “The churches of Abkhazia and South Ossetia are under the jurisdiction of the Georgian Orthodox Church. It is not right that the Russian Orthodox Church intervened. The fact that the Moscow Patriarchate will recognize the autocephaly of Abkhazia if the Georgian Orthodox Church recognizes the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, it is blackmail with no basis . ”

  ( Antiochian ) - Everyone is invited to join us for the 2021 Virtual Parish Life Conference.  This year we are spreading out the sessions over the month of June in order to make them more accessible to our summer schedules.  Please note the wonderful line up of topics and speakers, and invite everyone to join us! Welcome to the all-virtual, all-new Parish Life Conference, brought to you by Holy Cross, Linthicum! The PLC2021 will feature one Saturday of retreat & worship, followed by three Wednesday evening discussions, all focused on renewing our relationships with each other and Christ. Please pre-register at no charge to receive the Zoom link for each individual event. Visit our website for more details and registration information! Schedule Inaugural Saturday: June 12 9:00am - Opening Keynote: "Be the Salt" by Fr. John Parker, Dean of St. Tikhon's Seminary 5:30pm - Diocesan Wide Vespers Your parish is invited to celebrate Vespers at 5:30 PM this one Saturday, so ...

"How Greek can we make this intro?" "Hold my ouzo, Yorgos." This is a fun series. Very conversational and flows well. Watch a video or two of theirs and tell me what you think. I think people enjoy this podcast-like format and hope to see more parishes doing it.

( Basilica ) - The Romanian People’s Salvation Cathedral, also known as the National Cathedral, an Orthodox cathedral under construction in Bucharest, Romania, to serve as the patriarchal cathedral of the Romanian Orthodox Church, has a giant Orthodox iconostasis (23.8 meters length and 17.1 meters height and an area of 407 square meters), which sets the new world record for the Largest Orthodox Iconostasis, according to the World Record Academy. The National Cathedral’s iconostasis was realized in 2018 by artist and mosaicist Daniel Codrescu and his team with Orsoni Venezia 1888 enamels and golds. The World’s Largest Orthodox Iconostasis is made entirely of mosaic and fresco in Byzantine style. The iconostasis has 45 icons placed on four registers. It will be covered with mosaic on both sides, having over 800 square metres of mosaics. When completed, the cathedral will also have the largest mosaic collection (interior decoration) in the world (~25,000 sqm), the World Record Academy no...

narthex när´thĕks [key], entrance feature peculiar to early Christian and Byzantine churches, although also found in some Romanesque churches, especially in France and Italy. Usually extending across the entire west front of the building, it was a vestibule for the penitents and catechumens who were not admitted to the church proper. The narthex was either enclosed within the building (often separated from the nave by a mere screen of columns) or consisted of an exterior colonnaded or arcaded portico. In the latter case it was sometimes merely a continuation of the atrium, as in a number of Italian basilical churches, including the original basilica (4th cent.) of St. Peter's Church, Rome. The inner narthex was particularly characteristic of the monastic churches, where admission was restricted. In churches having both types of narthex, as in Hagia Sophia, Constantinople (originally a Christian church), the outer one is termed exonarthex. With the growth of unrestricted entry into...

 

 

The Greek-Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem performed the traditional “washing of the feet” ceremony outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Thursday, April 29.

( Syriac Orthodox ) - On Thursday, April 29, 2021, His Eminence Archbishop Mor Dionysius John Kawak celebrated the rite of the Washing of the Feet at Mor Gabriel Church in Haworth, New Jersey, assisted by Very Rev. Fr. Aziz Hadodo the Parish Priest, Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Shabo and the Deacons and the Choir. In the service, he washed the feet of twelve people representing the twelve disciples. In his sermon, His Eminence encouraged everybody to be humble such as the way Our Lord and Savior was.