December, 2013 - Orthodox Christian Laity

Monthly Archives: December, 2013

Ecumenical Patriarchate Proclaimed Two New Saints

By Webmaster on December 16, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America NEW YORK – The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announces to all the Orthodox faithful in America the decision of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Nov. 27, 2013. The Holy and Sacred Synod, in which His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America participated, entered in the registry of the Saints of the Orthodox Church hieromonk Porphyrios Kafsokalyvitis (1906-1991) whose memory will be celebrated December 2, and hieromonk Meletios of Ypseni, Rhodes, born at the end of the 18th century and his memory will be celebrated February 12. Following is the official…

Orthodox US Armed Forces Chaplaincy celebrates 70th Anniversary

By Webmaster on December 14, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA] – December 2013 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Orthodox Christian military chaplaincy to serve the spiritual needs of Orthodox personnel in the United States Armed Forces. At the time of America’s entry in World War II, there were no Orthodox Chaplains in the US Armed Forces. Father Vladimir Borichevsky became the first Orthodox priest to enter the US Armed Forces in December 1943. By then, America had been at war for two years, but no one knew how long the war would last. He was soon joined by Fathers Michael…

The 30th Anniversary of the Repose of Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann

By Webmaster on December 13, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA] – Friday, December 13, 2013, the Feast of Saint Herman of Alaska, marks the 30th anniversary of the repose of Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann, Dean of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary and a leading 20th century Orthodox Christian theologian. Father Alexander was born in Estonia in 1921 to a family of Russian emigres. He spent his youth in France, where he received his secondary and university educations. He also completed theological studies at the Orthodox Theological Institute of Saint Sergius in Paris, which at that time was the center of Russian Orthodox scholarship after the…

DOUBLE the IMPACT of your YEAR END GIFT to OCL!

By Webmaster on December 13, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Dear Readers, OCL Members and Supporters, A friend of OCL has offered to match – dollar for dollar – every contribution to OCL, up to and including $500 each, made between now and December 27th. If you have already made a contribution this year, consider an additional one to take advantage of this matching opportunity. Make your tax-deductible contribution by credit card or Pay Pal if possible. If you mail a check, please send it in time for us to receive it by the 27th. (Mail checks to: OCL, PO Box 6954, West Palm Beach, FL 233405-6954). Questions? Call 877-585-0245. Please help us take advantage…

Archons Conference on Religious Freedom

By Webmaster on December 10, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: The National Herald BERLIN – The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate hosted the 2nd Archon International Conference on Religious Freedom December 4-5, 2013 in Berlin, Germany. The conference was held at the historic Adlon Hotel and was presented in cooperation with the Patriarchal Liaison Office to the European Union and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Germany. Apropos of the conference taking place in the shadow of the Brandenburg Gate, the theme was, ”Tearing Down Walls: Achieving Religious Equality in Turkey.” According to a press release “The Conference focused on religious freedom issues affecting minorities…

Nativity, Theophany educational resources available from DCE

By Webmaster on December 10, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA] The Orthodox Church in America’s Department of Christian Education [DCE] has several resources available for individual and group study that focus on the upcoming Great Feasts of Nativity and Theophany. In addition to over a dozen scripts and resources that provide ideas for Nativity Pageants and “yolkas” at dce.oca.org/resources/plays, several new resources are now available. Among them are the following. Calling All Ancestors of Christ to the Feast of His Nativity: A rhyming poem written by Father Daniel Kovalak, in the style of “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” this charming piece reviews the Ancestors of Christ,…

Metropolitan Philip’s Letter to President Obama

By Webmaster on December 10, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America December 7, 2013 The President and Mrs. Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President and Mrs. Obama, Greetings and best wishes to you and to your two precious daughters in the spirit of this Holy Christmas season. I was honored to receive your invitation to attend a White House holiday reception on Friday, December 6th, 2013. I remember fondly my attendance at the White House reception two years ago. The photograph which we took together on that auspicious occasion continues to adorn my office. Unfortunately…

Ransom A Syrian Christian For $200K

By Webmaster on December 8, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories, Uncategorized

Source: The American Conservative By ROD DREHER NCR’s John Allen reports on the kidnapping of the Syrian Orthodox nuns by rebel forces: The monastery’s mother superior, Sr. Pelagia Sayyaf, and 11 other Orthodox nuns were taken away to the nearby rebel stronghold of Yabrud. Though some rebel sources insisted that the sisters had been evacuated for their own safety, most observers regard it as a kidnapping, something that’s become a sad fact of life for the country’s Christian minority. Last February, the website Ora pro Siria [1], operated by Italian missionaries in Syria, launched an emergency fundraising appeal it called “Ransom a Christian.”…

Bishop: Christians should take up arms

By Webmaster on December 8, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: The Daily Star BEIRUT: A senior Orthodox Church official has urged Christians to take up arms to defend themselves and their holy places in the wake of the seizure of a group of nuns from the ancient village of Maaloula. Speaking to the Iraqi newspaper Az-Zaman, Bishop Luca al-Khoury said “we have many young men who are asking us [to take action], and there are those demanding that we take immediate action.” “I call on every young man who can take up arms to come forward,” Khoury said, adding that the initiative was meant to allow the community’s members to engage…

PM vows to defend Christians after pro-IDF family attacked

By Webmaster on December 8, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: Israel Hayom Son of the Rev. Gabriel Nadaf attacked, apparently in response to his father’s call to Christian Arabs to join Israeli military • Netanyahu: I will not tolerate this. We will use every mean at our disposal to stop these thugs so that Christians can enlist. by Danny Brenner, Daniel Siryoti and Gideon Allon The Rev. Gabriel Nadaf, a Greek Orthodox priest and one of the leaders of the Christian Arab community in Israel, has had to sustain a barrage of criticism — including threats and slurs — over his efforts to convince Arab youth to enlist in…

In Memoriam: James Paffhausen

By Webmaster on December 5, 2013 Orthodox News, Orthodox News Top Stories, Uncategorized

Source: Orthodox Church in America SILVER SPRING, MD [OCA] – Funeral services for Mr. James Paffhausen, 88, father of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, will be held at Philip D. Rinaldi Funeral Service, 9241 Columbia Blvd., Silver Spring, MD at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, December 6, 2013. Mr. Paffhausen fell asleep in the Lord on Wednesday, December 4. He had recently undergone surgery.