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2006 Clergy Symposium
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Below are Metropolitan PHILIP's thoughts on Missiology, Ecclesiology, and Theology.
The Thoughts of Metropolitan PHILIP on Missiology - edited by Father Joseph Allen, Th.D. The Thoughts of Metropolitan PHILIP on Ecclesiology - edited by Father Joseph Allen, Th.D. The Thoughts of Metropolitan PHILIP on Theology - edited by Father Joseph Allen, Th.D.
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The Thoughts of Metropolitan PHILIP on Missiology - edited by Father Joseph Allen, Th.D.
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The Thoughts of Metropolitan PHILIP Our Lord Himself was indeed the missionary par excellence. In Matthew 4:23 we read: “And He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.” And in the “fullness of time,” the “Word became flesh” and entered time on a mission of salvation. He was sent by the Father to make us “partakers of the Divine Nature.” In John 20:21, Christ said: “As the Father has sent Me, even so I send you.” The Church, which is the extension of Christ in time and space, was sent by Christ to missionize and evangelize. Evangelism means “to preach the Gospel.” “Woe unto me if I do not preach,” said St. Paul. After the birth of the Church on Pentecost Day, the Apostles and early Christians went about the oikomene, the known world at that time, preaching the Gospel and missionizing, despite their persecution and the monumental difficulties which they had to face. Although the Church was born in Jerusalem, Antioch became the greatest center for missionary activities. It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. There are many stories about the missionary travels of the Apostles. It is clear, however, that Christianity did not spread throughout the entire Roman Empire until after the Edict of Milan. The Pax Romana presented what Michael Green describes as both opportunities and difficulties for evangelism. Some of the opportunities were (a) peace and unity; (b) philosophical hunger; and (c) religious dissatisfaction. Some of the difficulties were: After A.D. 313 circumstances changed radically, and organized missionary enterprises became normal. Metropolitan Anastasios divides the history of Byzantine missions into two major periods: In the same way, we can missionize and evangelize America, but only if we unite. We pray that the mother churches will soon realize that we are no longer little children and that the Preparatory Commission for the Great Synod will stop discussing the diaspora in absentia. The truth is that America is searching for the New Testament Church. America is searching for the Church which was born on Pentecost Day. America is ready and waiting for us, but are we ready for America? Do not say, “There are yet four months, then comes the harvest.” I tell you, lift up your eyes and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper may rejoice together (John 4:35, 36). To be more particular, I believe that the most difficult challenge which the Church will be facing in this new millennium is Orthodox unity in this hemisphere. I would like to state for history’s sake that Antioch was never a stumbling block to Orthodox unity. Two of our illustrious and venerable patriarchs of this century have made crystal-clear statements on behalf of Orthodox unity in North America. In 1977, the late Patriarch Elias IV, in an interview published in A Man of Love, was asked: “What do you foresee for the future of Orthodoxy in the diaspora, particularly in North America?” His Beatitude answered: We are all well aware of the canons of the Church which, among other things, say that there cannot be many bishops in one city. The Antiochian See is ready to do her part to rectify this unfortunate situation of Orthodoxy in North America. We affirm that in North America there should be an autocephalous church with its own patriarch and Holy Synod. However, all mother churches must agree on this point, and more importantly, the faithful in North America must do their part to make independence and unity a reality and not just a written Tomos. In 1985, the position of Antioch was again stated on the pages of The WORD magazine by our beloved Patriarch Ignatius. In anticipation of the Great and Holy Synod, His Beatitude said: I believe that these two explicit statements of our venerable patriarchs speak for themselves. My predecessor, Metropolitan Antony Bashir, was a staunch advocate of Orthodox unity in North America, and made many statements in this regard. In 1976, speaking in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, I personally said: We Orthodox have a tendency to glorify the past and feel proud of ourselves. There is no doubt that the church of the Ecumenical Councils was glorious and courageous in responding to the challenges of her time. Have we responded to the challenges of our time? As individual jurisdictions, I believe we have succeeded in building beautiful churches, in educating young priests and organizing good choirs and church schools, etc., but collectively, we have done absolutely nothing. An example of the problem is seen in the tragedy of Kosovo, which clearly revealed our nakedness and ineffectiveness as Orthodox in this country. We have no clout in Washington, D.C. whatsoever, because we are still speaking to the State Department and the White House as Greeks, Russians, Antiochians, Serbians, etc., instead of speaking to Washington with one voice. Even Madeline Albright refused to talk to us during the dark days of that unfortunate war. We cannot be agents of change in full obedience to the truth unless we transcend ethnicism and establish a new Orthodox reality in North America. I am not asking anyone to deny his or her own history and culture. What I am asking is to blend the old and new cultures into some kind of integrated reality. This focus on our missionary task was most noted when, in 1994, we in North America experienced a moment of transfiguration when thirty Orthodox bishops gathered at the Antiochian Village to know each other, pray together, and discuss common Orthodox problems. At that time, I delivered a paper on “Missions and Evangelism,” and Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh delivered a paper on “Orthodox Unity in North America.” That was all. The news of this brotherly, long-anticipated and unprecedented meeting caused an earthquake in certain Orthodox quarters, which sent shock waves throughout North America, and beyond our shores. How dare we meet and say, “We are here in America to stay and we are not in diaspora!” I do realize that we are dealing here with a very complex problem. This multiplicity of jurisdictions is deeply connected to the self-evident reality of our various ethnic cultures. Such cultures cannot be eliminated by a statement from SCOBA or by an edict from some patriarch somewhere. Only time can take care of this problem. Despite this reality, however, we cannot consider this present Orthodox situation in America as final because, by so doing, we will betray Orthodoxy and her basic principles. Finally, I firmly believe that Orthodox unity in North America is inevitable and such unity will strengthen the mother churches, spiritually and otherwise. No one can stop the wheels of history and no one can reverse the course of a mighty river. Such a “mighty river” is the true metaphor of Orthodox missiology! |
The Thoughts of Metropolitan PHILIP on Ecclesiology - edited by Father Joseph Allen, Th.D.
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The Thoughts of Metropolitan PHILIP on Ecclesiology The central biblical theme regarding our Ecclesiology is taken from the first Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 3:9-17: We are laborers together with God: you are God’s field. You are God’s building. But let every man take heed how he builds; for no other foundation can man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Every man’s work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it. For it shall be manifest by fire, and the fire shall try every man’s work, of what sort it is. Certainly we do not organize for the sake of organization. We do organize in order to coordinate our efforts, so that our vision and dreams for a Christ-like Church might be fulfilled and realized. The purpose of all our organizations is to grow spiritually in Christ. If we fail to do so, then all our organizations and all our efforts will have been in vain. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and everything else will be added unto you” For many years we have been administering our local parishes under a false dichotomy, under a dangerous and completely un-orthodox dualism. Thus, we have been preaching two kinds of theologies: one for the church upstairs, and one for the hall downstairs. We do not believe in this “upstairs-downstairs” theology. Nor do we believe in the existence of two classes in the parish opposing each other: namely, clergy versus laity. This kind of dualism has caused us many problems. Some Orthodox clergy do not think that we need organizations and church councils. They think that they can administer the affairs of the parish without help from the laity. Furthermore, they believe that the councils are nothing but an American innovation in our Church and that we do not need them. We completely disagree with this trend of thinking. At the same time, there are some councils who believe that the priest can be hired or fired if he is not perfect. The question now is: what human being is perfect? If you are looking for perfect bishops or perfect priests, you are going to look, and look in vain. We are very reluctant to transfer priests from one parish to another because someone does not like the way a priest combs his hair. We are very reluctant, also, to transfer a priest from one parish to another because his English (or Arabic) is not perfect. We are further reluctant to transfer a priest from one parish to another because of complaints that he asks questions about the financial affairs of his parish. Priests are appointed and transferred only by the Archbishop, on the basis of whether or not his ministry in this particular parish is still fruitful. I believe that we have reached a state of spiritual maturity when we can look at the parish as the family of God, one which is bound together by the bond of love, and which works together for God’s glory. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Thus, we are no longer living under the yoke of the law but in the grace and fellowship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There are no masters and slaves in the parish. The parish is the family of God. The priest who listens to your confessions, who leads you in prayers, who distributes to you the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, must be respected as such. At parish meetings, he must be given the place of honor. Councils must listen carefully to his comments and adhere to his recommendations. In his first Epistle to the Corinthians, Saint Paul wrote, “For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you have not many fathers” (4:15). The priest, then, is a father to his family and not a dictator. He is the teacher of the faith and must share in the administration of the parish. He must teach his children with love, carefulness, and patience. He must understand that the priesthood is a martyrdom for Christ’s sake. Charity, or Philanthropia, is also critical to our Ecclesiology. In the Didache (an early Christian document), we read the following: “Thou must not refuse the needy but share everything with thy brethren. Say not that this is thy property, for if we enjoy together the eternal blessings it should be the more so with temporal ones.” St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great were among the outspoken Fathers against social injustice and the monopoly of wealth: Say not I am spending what is my own, I am enjoying what is my own. No, not your own, but other people’s. Precisely because you make an inhuman use of it and say I have a right for my personal enjoyment that which belongs to me. I maintain that those possessions do not belong to you. They belong together to you and your neighbors, just as sunshine, air, earth and all the rest (Chrysostom, Homily 10 on Corinthians 1). To this St. Basil the Great adds: The courage of the early Fathers in speaking against the indifferent and affluent upper class and injustice in society is quite amazing. Our Ecclesiology must also include the relationship of our faith and our works. To St. James, our faith is not something abstract, nor is it an intellectual adventure, nor can it be reduced to a mere philosophy. In James’ own words, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27). To this he quickly adds: “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). Therefore, if you have faith, translate it into concrete actions on behalf of your neighbor, for a dead faith can save no one. What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, go in peace, be warmed and filled, without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead (James 2:14-17). In his explanation of the Orthodox Faith, St. John of Damascus says, “Because faith without works is dead, likewise works without faith are dead, because true faith is tested through works.” Some Christian denominations, unjustifiably, find contradictions between James and Paul. The Church, however, does not find any such contradictions. It is inconceivable that the emphasis of James on good works excludes faith, and by the same token, it is inconceivable that St. Paul’s emphasis on faith in his letter to the Romans, Chapter 5, excludes good works. James and Paul wrote to two different communities with different needs. Concerning the “faith only” issue, I read and reread St. Paul’s letter to the Romans and discovered, once again, that St. Paul never said that we are saved by faith alone. This is a critical distinction in our Ecclesiology. St. James was concerned with the dead and legalistic approach to faith, while St. Paul was concerned with the self-righteousness of the Judaizing elements in the early Church. Their basic teaching was that salvation can be achieved through the legal piety of the law. St. Paul emphasized that we win salvation only through Christ and in response to divine grace, apart from the Mosaic Law. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have access by faith through grace” (Romans 5: 1,2). There is a fundamental difference between the old law and the grace brought by Christ. “For what the law could not do … God did by sending His own Son” (Romans 8:3). There were other Fathers who later taught this message. For example, St. Clement of Alexandria said… “When you see your brother you see God.” Likewise, Evagrius taught: “After God, we must count all men as God Himself.” Paul Evdokimov adds: “The best icon of God is man.” St. Anthony the Great put it this way: “From our neighbor is life, and from our neighbor is death. Therefore, if we win our neighbor, we win God, but if we harm our neighbor, we sin against Christ.” More profoundly, St. Basil the Great expands on this theme even more graphically, when he asks: I would like to reemphasize here that the purpose of all these quotations from the Fathers is not to impress on you that we are saved by good works alone. If good works are not a genuine response to the divine grace and an expression of our deep faith in Christ Jesus, then such good works are to no avail. Professor John Karmiris can summarize this issue for our clear understanding of Orthodox Ecclesiology. He writes: Generally, then, we can say that man’s justification and salvation is first and foremost an action and a gift of the divine grace; secondly, it is by the intention and free cooperation of man in the form of concrete faith and good works. While, to the contrary, a fall from faith and good works entails a fall from Divine Grace. |
The Thoughts of Metropolitan PHILIP on Theology - edited by Father Joseph Allen, Th.D.
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The Thoughts of Metropolitan PHILIP on Theology I see three main issues which define our Orthodox Christian theology. First, the doctrine of man in our theology is based on the biblical view which was fully defined by our Church Fathers. Man has all the potentialities for perfection, simply because he was created in the image of God. St. Maximus the Confessor states: Those who followed Christ in action and contemplation will be changed into an even better condition, and there is no time to tell of all the ascents and revelations of the saints who are being changed from glory to glory, until each one in order receives deification. Man was not created to be a slave, neither to society nor to history, neither to science nor to technology, neither to communism nor to capitalism. Even though nature has limitations, these limitations can be overcome by the sacramental life of the Church. Each and every one of us can become Christlike through prayer, contemplation, and action. St. Maximus further says: While remaining in his soul and body entirely man by nature, he becomes in his soul and body entirely God by grace. Deification involves the whole human being. All the ancient Greek dichotomy between body and soul disappears in St. Maximus. When God created man, He created him as a whole being, and when man collapsed, he collapsed not partially but as a whole being. Likewise, when man was redeemed, he was redeemed totally, body and soul. Through the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, God enters into union with the whole man. The second issue is the theology of hope. While other Christians have focused their eyes on Calvary, we have focused ours on the empty tomb. Do we not experience this reality every year on Easter morning when we shout, “Christ is risen from the dead”? In I Corinthians 15:14, 22, St. Paul said: If Christ has not been raised then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. On Great Friday, there were tears, pain, agony and death, but on the third day, the darkness of Great Friday was dissipated by the bright light of the empty tomb. The new Pascha inaugurated the new age, the new being, and the new man. The Orthodox Church celebrates this joyful event every Sunday. The following are some of the hymns which we chant on the morning of the Holy Resurrection, which reveal to us this joy and this new being: Let us cleanse our senses that we may behold Christ shining like lightning with the unapproachable light of Resurrection, that we may hear Him say openly “rejoice,” while we sing to Him the hymn of triumph and victory. Verily this day which is called Holy is the first day among Sabbaths, it is their king and lord, it is the feast of feasts, and the season of seasons. Where are those like Sartre or Camus who say there is “no exit”? Let them gaze at the empty tomb. Our hope then is genuine because it is rooted in the reality of the Resurrection. It is not an empty utopian hope which ends in false security. It is the hope of the realization of God’s kingdom first within us, and ultimately, beyond the veils of temporal existence. The third issue of our Orthodox theology is the relevancy of our liturgical life. During the dark ages of Orthodox theology, our Church survived because of the richness of her liturgical life. If one understands our various liturgical services, one will understand the whole theology of the Orthodox Church. While others talk about liturgical poverty and liturgical renewal, as Orthodox, we must concentrate our efforts on liturgical understanding. Any Liturgy which does not permeate the faithful with a strong feeling of the holy is a meaningless service. If one has a living priest, a living choir and a living congregation, then one will find oneself involved in a wonderful mystical experience. We cannot acquire a mystical experience in the Church if the Liturgy is nothing but a business meeting or another lecture. A few years ago I talked to a group of non-Orthodox students about the nature of our worship. One of them asked: “Why don’t you preach in the Orthodox Church?” I said, “We do preach in the Orthodox Church, but we do more than that. We do not tell the faithful only what Christ said, but what He in reality did through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.” In the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the priest prays during the Anaphora the following: Thou it was who didst bring us from nonexistence into being, and when we had fallen away didst raise us up again, and didst not cease to do all things until Thou hast brought us back to heaven. In the Orthodox Liturgy, one can see God, man and nature in their proper perspective. Our Eucharist answers the central questions: Who are we? Where are we going? What is the meaning of life? Who is God? The emphasis in the Orthodox Liturgy is first on being, then on doing. If our personality is disintegrated and if the image of God in us is distorted, then our actions will undoubtedly reflect this disintegration and that distortion. |
Photos of the Symposium
On Monday July 17, 2006 His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP, Bishop ANTOUN, Bishop BASIL, Bishop JOSEPH, Bishop MARK, Bishop THOMAS, Bishop ALEXANDER, and members of the clergy of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America gathered together at the 14th Biennial Clergy Symposium held at the Antiochian Village.
Priests from every diocese came to greeted each other and welcomed the new priests to their first Clergy Symposium. Christ's love is truly present!
Below are photos of different events that took place during the Symposium. Please select a day to view the photos of the event.
| Tuesday July 18, 2006 | |
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| Wednesday July 19, 2006 | |
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View Photo Gallery |
| Thursday July 20, 2006 | |
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View Photo Gallery |
Tuesday Morning Address
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On Tuesday July 18, 2006 the day began at 7:30 am. Following Orthros, everyone gathered into the Auditorium for the morning address by Prof. Paul Meyendorff of St. Vladimir's Seminary. Prof. Meyendorff spoke to the clergy about "Theology & Liturgy" and also about the priesthood of the laity. This wonderful address was concluded by a range of questions including the congregational role of participation within the church service. Below are photos of the the address.
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Tuesday Vespers & Evening Program
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On the evening of July 18, 2006 His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP presided over the Vespers service held at the Antiochian Village Camp. After Vespers the Counselors performed skits and sung songs for all the Hierarchs and clergy. Below are photos of the evening.
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2006 Nativity Message from His Beatitude PATRIARCH IGNATIUS IV.
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The Nativity of our Savior Jesus Christ dawns upon us each year to remind us of God's infinite mercy and love for His entire Creation, and to call us to reflect again on the sublime Mystery of the Divine Incarnation, without which our salvation would not be possible. Christmas should constitute, for all of us, an occasion of spiritual renewal, a moment of meditation on our life, acts, behavior, and on our commitment to live in Christ. Peace and joy was poured upon earth at the moment the Divine Child appeared in a humble cave. The pure-hearted, humble shepherds were the persons who received Him, not the world's powerful leaders. Christmas is an invitation, for all of us, to contemplate on the heavenly message and to strive for peace, which is not, unfortunately, attainable nowadays, in the cradle of the Good News, in the land of the Incarnation, and in many regions of our suffering, crucified world. Images of massacre and destruction are shown and diffused every day, as well as images of the violation of the dignity of the human being for whom the Glorified Son consented to dwell among us, in order to restore our affiliation to the Father, to enable us to sit with Him on the Day of Judgment. We pray Our Lord, during this honorable season of Christmas, the New Year and Theophany, to grant us peace and stability, praising God and acclaiming with the Angels: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill to men.” Ignatius IV |
Links
40th Anniversary Celebration for His Eminence, Metropolitan PHILIP
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For more information and tickets to the banquet, please call St. George Church of Troy, MI at (248) 589-0480. For hotel information, please call the Hilton Detroit/Troy at (248) 879-2100. They have secured a rate of $99.00/night, however, reservations must be made by September 14, 2006. The group code is SGO and the group name is Antiochian Orthodox Group.
Anyone wishing to send greetings or congratulatory notes to His Eminence on this occasion should send them to: His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN All letters should be received no later than October 1, 2006.
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Send a message to His Eminence Today!
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Post a message of congradulations or prayers for His Eminence in behalf of his 40th Anniversary. |
6-23-06 : His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP Meets with Christopher Holwey, the Chairman of the Archdiocese Department of Sacred M
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His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP met with Christopher Holwey, the Chairman of the Archdiocese Department of Sacred Music on June 23, 2006 at the Archdiocese Headquarters in Englewood, New Jersey. The agenda for the meeting included a discussion of the most important goals and objectives for this department, and how they can be achieved. The following are some of the highlights of the discussion:
More information can be found on the website for the Department of Sacred Music http://www.antiochian.org/music
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An Orthodox Christian viewpoint on the Gospel of Judas
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Christ is Risen! Truly, He is Risen! Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, I greet you all with the Paschal greeting: Christ is Risen! Please pray for one another on the road towards Holy Pascha in the great joy and light of the Resurrection. For my part, I pray that this Holy Pascha will strengthen you and all the faithful to spread the spirit of philanthropy and self-sacrifice, so that our Risen Lord Jesus Christ will always reign in human hearts. In spite of the media’s relentless avalanche of anti-Christian propaganda concerning our Lord, I am confident that you are standing firm in your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Battling for our Orthodox Faith, which bears the Truth of Who Jesus Christ is, we must remain undismayed by attacks that the media launches against the accuracy and veracity of the four Gospels. The controversial publication of the Gospel of Judas, just a week before we celebrate Christ’s resurrection at Easter, is sure to scandalize any faithful Christian. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the media is fascinated by Gnostic ideas that were popular in the days of early Christianity. Consequently, the media is seeking to resurrect these defunct ideas with this so-called Gospel of Judas as Christians celebrate the true Resurrection. Orthodox Christians, however, believe that the truth of the four Gospels stands eternally unwavering. We retain strong confidence in the authenticity of the New Testament and, in particular, of the four Gospels. Unfortunately, any discovery of an ancient text, especially one rejected by the early Church, is lavished with all kinds of media attention. This recent “new gospel,” better entitled the Judas Document, is neither “good news” (the meaning of “gospel”) nor was it written by Judas Iscariot—nor is it even particularly “new.” Although this ancient manuscript was recently found by some Egyptian peasants in the mid- to late-1970s, it was well known by the early Church Fathers. In fact, The Gospel of Judas was roundly condemned and refuted by the Fathers. For example, St. Irenaeus (ca.125-202), bishop of Lyons, in his book Against Heresies mentions the doctrines of a Gnostic sect known as ‘Cainites,’ who declared that Cain (the son of Adam who murdered his brother, Abel, in a fit of envy) and all of the ‘evil’ characters of the Old testament were to be venerated because of their ‘persecution’ by God. According to historians, this sect never had many adherents, and by the beginning of the Third Century AD, Hippolytus of Rome barely mentions them while listing the heretical groups of that time. The Cainite heresy asserts that there are some sins that even Christ cannot cleanse with His Blood, and that the scars left on the body and the soul by old transgressions are sometimes so deep that they cannot be removed by the healing grace provided by Christ. What else is this but to say that Christ died in vain? St. Irenaeus reveals that this sect produced the fictitious Gospel of Judas now trumpeted everywhere in the media. While talk-shows and magazines assume this Gnostic text somehow gives us a glimpse at the “real” Jesus, in reality this fanciful narrative reveals more about the ancient Cainites (and the modern media) than it does about Christ. The Gnostics put emphasis on the dualism between the material and spiritual worlds. For this reason, Judas, according to this “Gospel,” is selected to free Jesus from his physical body, so that He can enter the spiritual world. Judas, therefore, performed a service to Jesus by betraying Him to those who would then crucify Him. Thus, He ‘liberated’ Jesus from His physical body, freeing Him to become pure spirit. Consequently, according to this gnostic text, the Resurrection of our Lord’s Body does not matter, but only that of the spirit. This is so preposterous that I will not even waste any Christian’s time by explaining why this is false. The word ‘gnostic’ derives from the Greek word for ‘knowledge,’ gnosis. Thus, Gnostics focus on secret and mysterious knowledge. In this document Jesus reveals secrets to Judas that have been kept hidden from the rest of humanity. In the so-called Gospel of Judas, Jesus refers to Gnostic concepts such as ‘aeons’ and the ‘eternal realm’ of ‘emanations.’ He explains the so-called esoteric mysteries of the cosmos, and He them about “the error of the stars; and ... sent it ... on the twelve aeons.” This document thus creates a false synthesis of ancient mythology and Christian theology, syncretizing elements from many different religions, Christianity being merely one of these. For this reason, this text is neither reliable nor authoritative, and it contradicts historically and theologically the Faith once and for all delivered unto the saints. St. Athanasius declared of our four canonical Gospels: “Let no man add to these, neither let him take out from these.” Whatever ancient document comes to light either now or in the future, it cannot undermine the authority of the four inspired canonical Gospels, which were established forever in the biblical canon by the Church in its Ecumenical Councils. For this reason, the falsely-titled Gospel of Judas, written long after Judas’ death, does not merit the name “gospel.” In celebrating the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ, my beloved brethren in the Lord, we need to carry today’s cross; for without the Cross there is no Resurrection. Our biblical and liturgical texts for Holy Week are the greatest reply we could give to the Gnostics of our time. Be assured that the enemies of the canonical Gospels will be “scattered like the smoke” and will “melt like the wax before fire!” Christ is Risen! Truly, He is risen! Father Michel Najim Dean |
August 4, 2006 : The Standing Conference of American Middle-Eastern Christian and Muslim Religious Leaders Convenes
Cloned pages are still being worked on
August 8, 2006 : Urgent Appeal in regards to the Middle East
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URGENT APPEAL We are currently undertaking a massive appeal for funds to aid the suffering people of Lebanon (See Metropolitan PHILIP’s letter of July 25 by clicking here). Since His Eminence wrote that appeal the situation has grown even more dire. There are now more than 1000 people who have been killed and about 3000 wounded. In addition, more than 1,000,000 Lebanese have been displaced from their homes, becoming refugees in their own country. This sad reality, coupled with the Israeli blockade by land, sea and air, has created a humanitarian disaster that is growing more and more unbearable on a daily basis. Children are without food and mothers are without milk for their babies. The elderly are without medicine and essential medical treatments. Metropolitan PHILIP has already forwarded $100,000 in advance to His Eminence, Metropolitan ELIAS of Beirut, to help with the overflow of refugees that the Archdiocese of Beirut is trying to comfort and help, however, the need is so much greater. We therefore appeal to you to immediately send donations through your local parish or directly to the Archdiocese. At the same time, we urge the pastors of the parishes to work diligently to collect all the donations and forward them to the Archdiocese as soon as possible.
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Bishop BASIL visits St. Tikhon's Seminary
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South Canaan, PA - On Saturday morning, 18 February, 2006, Bishop BASIL (Essey) of Wichita and Mid-America (Antiochian Archdiocese), member of St. Tikhon's Board of Trustees, ordained Dn. Christopher Morris to the Holy Priesthood and George (Raid) Shawareb to the Holy Diaconate at St. Tikhon's Monastery Church.
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Bishop MARKof Toledo Visits St. Vladimir’s Seminary
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The highlight of His Grace’s visit was the ordination of Deacon Peter Jon Gillquist to the Holy Priesthood. On the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, in the St Vladimir’s Seminary Chapel, the community, friends and loved ones gathered to celebrate the hierarchical Divine Liturgy and witness the blessed ordination by SayidnaMark.
Fr Peter Jon Gillquist, a third-year student in the Masters of Divinity program, has an unconventional background. He has released seven CDs of original music rooted in various Christian themes and has performed at hundreds of parishes and venues around the United States. He is the son of Fr Peter Gillquist, who is the chairman of the Antiochian Archdiocese's Department of Missions and Evangelism, author of numerous books, including Becoming Orthodox, and the project director of the Orthodox Study Bible.
Fr Peter was among the serving clergy for his son’s ordination. Other serving clergy included Fr Thomas Zain, Lecturer in Pastoral Theology and Dean of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY; Fr George Alberts of St. George Church in Danbury, CT; and Deacon Thomas Braun of St Barnabus in Costa Mesa, CA.
Please visit www.svots.edu for a photographs of His Grace’s visit and the ordination.
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Bishop THOMAS ordains Deacon David Bleam to the Holy Priesthood
Cloned pages are still being worked on
Blessed is he who gives without remembering
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Blessed is he who gives without remembering and he who receives without forgetting It is with much thankfulness and gratitude that I would like to take this opportunity to thank my brother bishops, the clergy, esteemed members of the Archdiocese Board of Trustees, members of the Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch, the Antiochian Women, Fellowship of St. John the Divine, SOYO and the parishes and laity of this God-protected Archdiocese for your wonderful generosity on the occasion of my 40th anniversary as your Metropolitan. It is hard to believe that 40 years have passed since my election, consecration and enthronement. Words cannot express the joy I felt this past weekend in Detroit as I, or rather we, celebrated 40 years of working together to build what we have today for the glory of God and His Holy Church! The warmth of the entire weekend culminated in the gift of love presented to me by all of you at the banquet on Saturday evening. This gift, a check in the amount of $250,000 from all of your generous donations, was too much for any one man. Therefore, I felt compelled to do as I did on my 25th anniversary in 1991 when I established the endowment for the Antiochian Village with my monetary gift on that occasion. This endowment has grown to over one million dollars and is currently being used to fund various projects for the Antiochian Village. This time, I am donating the $250,000 I received into a fund I have started that will become part of the Retired Clergy Fund of the Archdiocese in the future. This fund, which I also hope will grow to one million dollars, is made up of the many gifts and honoraria I have received over the years from the generous people of this Archdiocese. It is my fervent prayer that our clergy who serve this archdiocese faithfully all of their priestly lives will be able to retire with dignity and I hope to do everything I can to make this a reality. Finally, I would like to thank Archpriest Joseph Antypas and the entire community of St. George of Troy, MI, especially the members of our Archdiocese Board of Trustees in Detroit, Mr. Nicola Antakli, Mr. George Darany, Mr. Walid Khalife and Mr. Robert Koory for their generosity and hospitality. May God bless them and their families. Your Father in Christ, |
Choir Sunday - December 10, 2006
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December 10, 2006
TO BE READ FROM THE PULPIT
“I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.”
(Psalm 103:33-34) Beloved Clergy, Parish Councils and Faithful of our Archdiocese:
We greet you during this holy season of Advent as we prepare to celebrate the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in the flesh, praying that you are all in good health. During this joyous season, we must take time from our busy schedules to honor the choirs and chanters of our parishes. While they are faithful each and every Sunday, feast day, sacrament and other services during the year, all too often, we take them for granted. Therefore, today is the time to thank them for their dedication and service to the church. If we think how dull our services would be without our choirs, especially during special seasons such as this one, we realize the vital part they play in the life of the parish. To realize their importance, one just needs to recall the emissaries who visited Constantinople from Russia in the Tenth Century. After visiting Hagia Sophia Cathedral and hearing the beautiful chanting and liturgy, they reported that they “did not know if they were in heaven or on earth.” As a result, a whole nation was converted to the Orthodox faith.
In appreciation for the tremendous contribution which our choirs make to our parishes we have proclaimed the second Sunday in December as “Choir Sunday,” which falls, this year, on December 10, 2006. Thus, we urge our beloved clergy and parish councils to honor our choirs and chanters on this day by doing something special in their honor.
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Come Receive The Light : November 2006 Schedule
Schedule of Programs for November 2006
THEME: ANXIETY
11/04/06
Topic: Healing Memories and Looking to the Future with Hope
Guests: Dr. Albert Rossi
Dr. Albert Rossi shares with us the importance of memories, though we learn that most memories are negative; what can we do to make them positive. Dr. Rossi enlightens us on what we need in order to look to the future with hope; an effective prayer life thinking of our Lord Jesus Christ instead of all that is around us that is corrupting us.
11/11/06
Topic: Living the Orthodox Life in the 21st Century
Guests: Bishop KALLISTOS Ware
Fr. Chris welcomes Bishop KALLISTOS Ware of Diokleia, an auxiliary Bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Great Britain. Bishop KALLISTOS focuses his discussion on the importance of living the Orthodox Life in the 21st Century, bringing Christ into our daily spirit. Be sure to tune in for a spiritually uplifting program learning how we can see Christ in our everyday lives while living in an age of secularism.
11/18/06
Topic: Bringing Christ into our Daily Spirit
Guests: Bishop KALLISTOS Ware
Bishop KALLISTOS Ware of Diokleia, an auxiliary Bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Great Britain continues his discussion on living the Orthodox Life in the 21st Century, bringing Christ into our daily spirit.
11/25/06
Topic: Psychosomatic Healing
Guests: Dr. John Chirban
Dr. John Chirban, founder of the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology, and Religion (O.C.A.M.P.R.), discusses the holistic model of healing, such as that practiced in Byzantium. This approach emphasizes the psychosomatic interdependence of human nature, which is reconciled with the specialized approaches of today’s healing disciplines.
Subscribe to the Come Receive The Light e-newsletter at http://www.receive.org for a weekly inspirational message and the latest updates of upcoming programs.
Day of Prayer - March 5, 2006 - Still time to get involved!
Cloned pages are still being worked on
His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP Announces the appointment of Very Rev. Anthony Yazge as the new Director for the Antiochian Vil
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His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP has announced that Very Rev. Anthony Yazge will become the new Director of the Antiochian Village Camp following the current camping season. He will replace Very Rev. Michael Nasser who will begin his missionary work in Mexico as part of Project Mexico. The appointment was finalized at a meeting on Thursday June 15, 2006 held at the Archdiocese Headquarters (see photo below). That meeting was attended by (left to right in the photo) Mr. Robert Laham, Chairman of the Village Council, Metropolitan PHILIP, and Fr. Anthony. Fr. Anthony was born in Washington DC, and is married to Khourieh Stefanie. They have three children, Matthew, Mark and Alexis. He graduated from St. Vladimir Seminary in 1988, and previously had earned his BS degree in Special Education from The University of Maryland. He has served as the pastor of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Terre Haute, Indiana since 1988. Fr. Anthony is no stranger to the work of our youth and the Camp. From 2004 to the present he has served as NAC Teen SOYO Spiritual Advisor, and for 13 years before that as Midwest Teen SOYO Spiritual Advisor. Since 2001, he has been the NAC Teen SOYO Special Olympics Camp Coordinator. As a teenager himself he served as the President and Treasurer for both Eastern Region and NAC Teen SOYO. As far as the Antiochian Village Camp is concerned, Fr. Anthony was a Camp Counselor, has served for 11 years as a session priest, and has sent his own children to the camp for the past 10 years. We pray that the Lord will grant Fr. Anthony, Khourieh Stefanie and their children every blessing as they begin their new life at the Antiochian Village. Everyone who is associated with the Antiochian Village Camp will surely miss Fr. Michael Nasser. In his 10 years as Camp Director, significant progress has been made in both the physical facilities, as well as the camping program. Not only has he had a large impact at the Antiochian Village Camp, but he has overseen the establishment of our regional camps, insuring that the same high quality camping experience is maintained for all of our children. His work has been tireless, and his enthusiasm for the Camp and serving our children has been contagious. We also wish Fr. Michael, Khourieh Vicki, and their children Maria, Joshua, and Elena every blessing as they embark on a very new and challenging life in Mexico.
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His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP appoints Mr. Christopher Holwey to chair the Archdiocese Department of Sacred Music effective F
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January 5, 2006 – Englewood, New Jersey
His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP has appointed Mr. Christopher Holwey of Joliet, Illinois, as the Chairman of the Sacred Music Department for the Archdiocese. This appointment will be effective February 1, 2006. Mr. Holwey is a graduate of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, where he helped to direct both the male and mixed Seminary choirs from 1981 to 1984. He also sang with the Seminary Octet in 1983, performing in more than 97 parishes around the country. He recently composed a choral setting for the Divine Liturgy, and arranged all of the special melodies of Troparia and Kontakia that are sung on the feasts of the Orthodox Church. He is an accomplished pianist, and has chanted and participated in choirs for most of his life. We welcome Mr. Holwey to this position, and pray that our Lord will bless his work, and the work of all of the department members who generously volunteer their time. We also express sincere thanks to all of the chanters, choir directors and choir members of this Archdiocese who labor selflessly to uplift our souls with beautiful music.
Mr. James Meena, Chairman of the Department of Sacred Music for the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, has requested and received the blessing from His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP to end his four-year tenure as the chairman of this department. He will pursue other endeavors which demand his time and attention. Under his leadership, the department has fostered the growth of the Sacred Music Institute on both the East and West coast, as well as the enhanced use of the internet for the distribution of sacred music material. Mr. Meena served the department with distinction, and his contributions are greatly appreciated.
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His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP hosted the campers and counselors who are participating in the 2006 Vill”edge” Roadtrip.
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On July 13, 2006, His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP hosted the campers and counselors who are participating in the 2006 Vill”edge” Roadtrip.
Vill”edge” Roadtrip is a program of the Antiochian Village Camp that takes campers on the journey through the early history of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese visiting historical sites throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. More information on this program can be found on the web at http://www.antiochianvillage.org/camp/VilledgeRoadTrip.html One of the designated sites is the Archdiocese Headquarters in Englewood, New Jersey. The participants had lunch with His Eminence and participated in a lively question and answer session. They also sang some of the hymns that they have learned at camp. Their next stop is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. |
Hundreds of Faithful Enjoy Orthodox Education Day 2007
On Saturday, October 6, 2007, St Vladimir's Seminary welcomed hundreds of guests who traveled to the seminary's campus for this year’s Orthodox Education Day. It was a full day of prayer, fellowship, good food, and educational workshops as participants explored this year's theme: "Our Church: Her
The day started off with a procession from the Three Hierarchs Chapel to the tent for the celebration of a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy to commemorate the feast of the Glorification of St Innocent. His Beatitude Metropolitan Herman of the OCA presided, and His Grace Tikhon, Bishop of Philadelphia and
AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES
Following the Liturgy, delicious foods from North America,
The children’s corner of the field was the most vibrant. Girls with butterflies and boys with pirate patches painted on their faces threw balls, played games, sculpted clay, and glued beads on icon frames. For teenagers, Dr Peter Bouteneff, SVS Professor of Dogmatics, offered a workshop on Film and Faith, analyzing movies in light of Orthodox theology.
There was a significant presence of college students on campus for Orthodox Education Day as SVS and OCF partnered to host an overnight retreat concurrent with the day’s program. Students from across the tri-state area and beyond were on the seminary campus to hear John Stonestreet, a full-time OCF chaplain and recent alumnus of SVS, give a series of talks entitled Donald Trump or Tonsured Monk? Hillary Clinton or Homemaker in the Kitchen? WHAT IS MY VOCATION?
Other popular workshops of the day included Orthodoxy 101 by Fr Luke Veronis with nearly 60 people in attendance and a seminar entitled Diaspora- What’s That? by Fr John Erickson, former dean and long-time SVS Professor of Church History. Church musicians and choir members had the special treat of hearing Dn Kevin Smith, SVS Instructor in Liturgical Music, present the workshop, Liturgical Music: Something Old and Something New. A circle formed around Fr Chad Hatfield and Fr John Behr as they discussed the Future of the Seminary highlighting the new curriculum in the main tent. Several seminarians who served on OCMC Mission Teams last summer recapped their experiences in an intimate conversation with those who were interested in missions.
Various other afternoon activities available to visitors included campus tours, bookstore sales, a guided visit of the library, and free time for quiet reflection in the chapel. Throughout the Rangos building there were exhibits on display from some of the most active Orthodox ministries, including OCMC, IOCC, OCF, New Skete Monasteries, Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery, Raphael House, Ss Cosmos and Damian House, Fellowship of Orthodox Stewards, Project Mexico, Russian Brotherhood, Indian Orthodox Youth Group, and the Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry.
The day concluded with a memorial service and Great Vespers in the filled-to-capacity seminary chapel. As the day wrapped up, one of the day’s organizers was overheard saying, “I am so grateful that all these people got up this morning and decided to come to St Vladimir’s Seminary today.”
The seminary extends its deep gratitude to all the parishes and individuals who donated money, food, time, and efforts, and to all the seminarians who helped to make Orthodox Education Day 2007 a successful and joyful day.
In Memoriam of Ernest J. Saykaly, 1927-2006
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It is with great sadness that we announce that Mr. Ernest J. Saykaly, Vice-Chairman Emeritus of the Archdiocese Board of Trustees, fell asleep in the Lord on Wednesday February 22, 2006 in Florida. Mr. Saykaly distinguished himself as a business leader, and an exemplary steward of the Orthodox Church in North America. He was first elected to the Archdiocese Board of Trustees in 1974, and then became the Vice-Chairman of the Board from 1979 until his retirement from the Board in 1999. He was appointed by His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP as the first Chairman of the Archdiocese Department of Stewardship. He also served as the first Chairman of the Antiochian Village Council, and was instrumental in leading the fundraising that resulted in the building of the Heritage and Learning Center. In addition to his service to this Archdiocese, he served as a member of the Board of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, and also as Treasurer and Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Seminary. Mr. Saykaly is survived by his wife Vivian Nakash Saykaly, and children Mark, Nancy, and Janet. The wake for Mr. Saykaly will be at the Urgel Bourgie Funeral Home, 1255 Beaumont Ave. in Mont-Royal, Quebec during the following days and times: The funeral service will be held on Tuesday February 28th, 2006 at 10:00 a.m. at: St. Nicholas Antochian Orthodox Church May His Memory be Eternal !! |
Letter from His Eminence pertaining to the tragedy at Virginia Tech
It is with deep pain that I watched the tragic events unfold on one of our college campuses. This could have been any campus and any one of our many college students. As such, I have no doubt that our own college children and parents were affected by yesterday’s events even more than the rest of us. What should be places of tranquility and peace have too often become places of tragedy. Places where parents should be able to send their teens to become educated adults and where children go to expand their minds and gain knowledge that will enable them to be productive members of society must be safe and free of evil and destruction of all kinds. The hopelessness of the man who perpetrated these senseless killings can only reinforce the need of our clergy and lay leaders to instill in our faithful, and especially in our youth, the need for strong, traditional families as well as values that are rooted in Christ and the Church.
On behalf of my brother bishops and all the clergy and faithful of our Archdiocese, we express our deepest sympathy to the families of those who were murdered or injured yesterday. In addition, we pray that our risen Lord Jesus Christ, who destroyed death, will grant the families and the entire country the peace and hope that only the empty tomb can provide.
+Metropolitan PHILIP
Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America
May 22, 2006 : Al - Kafaat Luncheon
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On May 22, 2006, His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP hosted a meeting and luncheon at the Archdiocese Headquarters to support the outstanding humanitarian work being done by the Lebanese organization AL-KAFAAT (translated as “Abilities”). AL-KAFAAT, which can be found on the web at www.al-kafaat.org, provides specialized rehabilitation and educational services for children who have, or who are at risk of developing serious disabilities that may affect their development. The group was founded in 1957 by Nadeem H. Shwayri and his wife Lily with the use of their personal funds, and has grown to become an important resource for children of all religions and backgrounds.
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May 9, 2006 - Metropolitan PHILIP Celebrates Ordination of St. Vladimir’s Seminary Dean to the Holy Priesthood
| May 9, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sofia Lopoukhine, Communications Officer |
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Later that day, it was a special blessing to have His Eminence Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese share words of appreciation for the achievements of St. Vladimir’s Seminary at a banquet. His Eminence began by saying, “I am delighted to share the joy of this evening and I bring greetings from so many clergy who have benefited from this seminary.” He concluded his speech by presenting Fr. John with a beautiful pectoral cross, and as he handed it to him proclaimed, “Axios, my friend.” For Fr John this was a completion of a path that began many years ago, starting in 1964 when he was received into the Orthodox Church in the seminary chapel. This was followed by 33 years of teaching canon law and church history at the seminary where he also served as Academic Dean and now as Dean and CEO. The newly ordained Fr. John expressed great gratitude for all those who helped him get to this point and for the spiritual encouragement he has received through out his life at the seminary. With great optimism Fr. John spoke about the future of the Church and the next generation who are looking for what Orthodoxy in America has to offer, “I see young people today carrying the spirit of St Vladimir’s, which is a devotion to truth that is never limited to parochialism or nationalism, into the world.” Photos from event... |
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Memory Eternal+ the father of Fr. John Baize
Please remember in your prayers the newly departed JIM LANE, the father of FATHER JOHN BAIZE of Holy Transfiguration/Hillsboro, KS. Father John may be contacted via Email.
May his memory be eternal+
Memory Eternal+ the mother of Fr. Nicholas Dahdal, Bedeh Dahdal in Amman, Jordan
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We extend our deepest condolences to the entire Dahdal family on the passing of Fr. Nicholas Dahdal's mother, Bedeh Dahdal in Amman, Jordan. Fr. Nicholas Dahdal is the priest of St. George Orthodox Church in Cicero, Ill. The funeral will be held in Amman, Jordan. Please keep Fr. Nicholas and his family in your prayers. May her memory be eternal+
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Memory Eternal: Mr. Gene Warr, the father of Archdiocese Trustee Kory Warr departed this life November 23, 2006
Your prayers are requested for the repose of the soul of Mr. Gene Warr, father of Archdiocesan Trustee Kory Warr of St Elijah/Oklahoma City.
Mr. Warr, a protestant Christian, departed this life at one-thirty in the morning, November 23rd.
Gene's entire life was lived in anticipation of the day when he would stand before God and hear the words of his Master: "Well done, thy good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord". Gene is survived by his wife Irma, his sons Kevin, Kyle, and Kory, his daughters Kate Rutledge, Genese Leeper and Mary Beth Salazar, daughter-in-law Christi Warr, grandchildren Braylon, Lauren, Kasie and Jacob Warr, Rob and T.J. Leeper, Mindy Hawkins and her husband Monty, and great-grandson Carson Hawkins.
A private, graveside service will be held Tuesday. A public memorial service will be held at 10:00 am, December 9, 2006 at Covenant Community Church.
Address:
Covenant Community Church
2250 N. Mustang Road
Yukon, OK
Condolences:
Condolences may be sent to his son Kory via Email. May his memory be eternal+
Metropolitan PHILIP celebrates Holy Pascha at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, NY
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Thanks be to God, His Eminence, Metropolitan PHILIP was able to make his usual visits to the parishes in the Greater New York City area for Holy Week and Pascha this year, marking the first services he has presided over since his illness last October. With the help of our risen Lord and the prayers of the faithful here and throughout the world, he has made a full and remarkable recovery. The following pictures show visits to three churches, Virgin Mary Church in Yonkers, NY where he presided over the service of the 12 passion Gospels on Holy Thursday assisted by the pastor, Rev. Dimitri Darwish; St. Mary Church, Brooklyn, NY, where he presided over the Lamentations service on Great and Holy Friday, assisted by the pastor, Archpriest Michael Ellias; and St. Nicholas Cathedral, where he presided over the Paschal Services, assisted by the Cathedral dean, Archpriest Thomas Zain. As has been the tradition for many years, the Antiochian seminarians attending St. Vladimir's Seminary also accompanied the Metropolitan and Archdeacon Hans to the various parishes. Audio of the Rush Procession and Paschal Orthros April 20, 2006 - Holy and Great Thursday Photos
April 21, 2006 - Holy and Great Friday Photos
April 22, 2006 - Great PASCHA Photos
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Metropolitan PHILIP visits St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral in New York, meets with Representative of the Moscow Patriarc
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by Archpriest Thomas Zain
On Tuesday, June 20, 2006, His Eminence, Metropolitan PHILIP, accompanied by His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN of Miami and the Southeast and Archpriest Thomas Zain, Dean of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral of Brooklyn, visited St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral in New York. The invitation to visit was extended by His Grace, Bishop MERCURIUS, the representative of the Moscow Patriarchate in the United States. Bishop MERCURIUS and Father Alexander Abramov, the secretary of the Representation of the Moscow Patriarchate in the USA warmly and graciously received the delegation. Father Alexander also served as translator. During a traditional Russian lunch served by the resident nuns, His Eminence and His Grace discussed many issues related to the current problems facing the Orthodox world in general and the Church in America in particular. Such things included, but were not limited to the recent steps toward reunification with ROCOR, the new wave of Russian immigration to the United States, the problem of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s presence in North America and ways of further cooperation on other matters relating to the Orthodox Church in North America. In a toast to His Holiness, Patriarch ALEXY II of Moscow and all Russia, His Eminence recalled the long tradition of cooperation and help between the Patriarchate of Moscow and the Patriarchate of Antioch throughout history. As Metropolitan PHILIP and Bishop MERCURIUS exchanged toasts and gifts, they assured each other of cooperating in the future for the benefit of the of the Orthodox people in America. After the lunch and meeting, Metropolitan PHILIP, Bishop ANTOUN and Father Thomas were given a tour of the historic Cathedral by Bishop MERCURIUS and Father Alexander. This was the first time Metropolitan PHILIP visited the Cathedral, which had been newly renovated leading up to the 100th anniversary of the Cathedral in 2003. The same iconographers who completed the magnificent Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow also did the renovations at St. Nicholas. St. Tikhon and St. Raphael of Brooklyn originally consecrated the Cathedral in 1903.
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Nov 7, 2006 : Metropolitan PHILIP hosts the 2006 Seminarian Dinner
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On Tuesday Nov. 7th, 2006, His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP hosted all of the Antiochian seminarians for a Vesper Service and dinner at the Archdiocese headquarters in Englewood, New Jersey. This is an annual event that brings our seminarians and their wives together from St. Vladimir (Crestwood, NY), St. Tikhon (South Canaan, PA), and Holy Cross (Brookline, MA) seminaries for an evening of fellowship and important discussion. The evening began with the Vesper Service held in the Chapel of St. John Chrysostom, followed by a dinner in the large dining room. His Eminence addressed the seminarians, stressing the importance of their theological education, and the need for their ministries to touch people in their every day lives. In addition, His Eminence also met privately with each of the third-year seminarians to discuss important issues related to their futures. This year, the Archdiocese has 27 seminarians (11 of whom are married) attending the three seminaries. Ten of these seminarians are completing their third year, and will graduate in 2007.
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OCF Growth Surges: First Full-time Executive Director in 30 years and Charlotte Area Chaplain Hired
Cloned pages are still being worked on
ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN HIERARCHS IN AMERICA PREPARE FOR SIGNIFICANT MEETING IN CHICAGO
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Visit the Official SCOBA Website ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN HIERARCHS IN AMERICA PREPARE FOR SIGNIFICANT MEETING IN CHICAGO Hierarchs representing all Orthodox Christian jurisdictions in America are preparing for a significant meeting that will take place in Chicago, IL on October 3-6, 2006. The gathering is sponsored by the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) and is the third such meeting of its kind (1994; 2001). His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Chairman of SCOBA, noted that, “Exemplifying the bond of brotherhood that exists among canonical Orthodox Churches in America, this Chicago meeting will provide the opportunity to all Canonical Orthodox hierarchs to review the work of SCOBA.” Reports will be offered by its agencies, commissions and endorsed groups whose personnel total nearly 200 individuals, with a combined annual budget of approximately $30 million. The SCOBA agencies implement programs concerned with foreign missions, emergency disaster relief, Christian education, campus ministry, scouting, communications, and prison ministry. The hierarchs will also participate in workshop sessions on establishing new parishes, keeping young people connected to the Church, the Diaconate, sexual misconduct in the Church, internal ecclesiastical issues and witness in society. Founded in 1960, SCOBA brings together the canonical hierarchs of Orthodox jurisdictions in the Americas for the purpose of fostering ties of common action among the canonical Orthodox Churches for a stronger and more visible witness of the Orthodox Christian Faith.
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Orthodox Youth Outreach Hires New Program Director
The purpose of the program is to encourage our youth to live out their faith through service to others. OYO provides opportunities for youth to get involved with outreach at different levels and help them grow into positions of student leadership.
Henderson comes to OYO after serving over three and a half years as the Associate Mission Teams Director and Health Care Coordinator at the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC).
“It has truly been a blessing to serve at the Mission Center ,” says new director Henderson. “I hope to take the experience and knowledge I’ve gained over the last few years to build up a program that will instill a heart for proclaiming the Gospel and reaching out to the poor in today’s Orthodox youth.”
“Mr. Henderson brings a wealth of experience to OYO,” adds Father Kevin Scherer, Executive Director of Orthodox Youth Outreach. “We hope through his involvement to create amongst Orthodox youth a passion for reaching out to others, so that in the future, groups like the Orthodox Christian Mission Center, International Orthodox Christian Charities, and the Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry will have a pool of workers to draw from, whose hearts and minds have been shaped, from their youth, to live out their faith through service to others.”
Henderson ’s work at the Mission Center has involved coordinating short-term mission teams and developing the health care ministries of the Mission Center . Since 2002, he has helped train and coordinate over 25 mission teams, sending over 200 people to work on short-term projects in various countries throughout the world. He has also participated on numerous mission teams to and rural Alaska , as well as OYO trips to South Central Los Angeles, San Francisco , and Houston .
A graduate of the University of Memphis holding an undergraduate degree in History, Henderson is currently enrolled in the St. Stephen’s Course in Orthodox Theology, hoping to attain a Master’s of Arts degree in Applied Orthodox Theology from Balamand University in in the spring of 2008.
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Repose of Fr. Antony Bell
The following services will be held at St. Mary's; the public is invited to all. The church is located on State Road 5 at County Road 615 S (7 miles south of US 20 and 7 miles north of US 6).
Schedule
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Service
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Time
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Day
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Date
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Vigil begins (prayer services and Scripture readings) with procession into church and Trisagion Prayers for the departed (and continues through the night)
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3:00 p.m.
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Monday
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June 19th
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| Order of the Burial of a Priest (Vigil continues afterward) |
7:00 p.m.
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Monday
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June 19th
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Divine Liturgy (Eucharist) and Funeral Service
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9:00 a.m.
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Tuesday
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June 20th
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