[ditty_news_ticker id="27897"] January, 2014 - Orthodox Christian Laity - Page 3
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Monthly Archives: January, 2014

Source: St Peter Orthodox Church, Ft. Myers FL DECEMBER 23, 2013 I held off talking about this miracle by Elder Paisios publicly until the miracle was complete, which it nearly is. I was asked to write an account of the miracle to be included in the papers sent to the Ecumenical Patriarchate where a decision will be made soon on the canonization of Elder Paisios as a Saint. I offer it here for the glory of God and the edification of the reader. December 18, 2013 Naples, Florida USA Early morning on April 2, 2013 I looked down at my…

Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America MEMORY ETERNAL! Your prayers are requested for the repose of the soul of the newly-departed servant of God Dr. George J. Farha of St. George Cathedral in Wichita, KS, immediate past Vice Chairman of the Antiochian Archdiocese Board of Trustees and the Antiochian Heritage Foundation’s “Man of the Year” for 2013. Dr. Farha quietly fell asleep in Christ surrounded by his family at his home, shortly before nine o’clock on January 7, 2013. Condolences may be sent to his wife Brenda and their daughters Gayle (Mrs. Douglas) Malone, Joan (Mrs. David) Farha, Laura Farha, and…

Source: The Globe and Mail by TOM HENEGHAN [LONDON — Reuters] Reported cases of Christians killed for their faith around the world doubled in 2013 from the year before, with Syria accounting for more than the whole global total in 2012, according to an annual survey. Open Doors, a non-denominational group supporting persecuted Christians worldwide, said on Wednesday it had documented 2,123 “martyr” killings, compared with 1,201 in 2012. There were 1,213 such deaths in Syria alone last year, it said. “This is a very minimal count based on what has been reported in the media and we can confirm,”…

Source: Ma’an News Agency BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Orthodox, Assyrian, Coptic, and Ethiopian patriarchs arrived in Bethlehem on Monday to commence the celebration of Eastern Orthodox Christmas, which takes place on Tuesday. The Assyrian patriarch was first to arrive, followed by the Coptic Patriarch and Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, while the Ethiopian patriarch is expected to arrive later. Most Eastern Orthodox Christian denominations celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on January 7th, in contrast to the Western Christian tradition of celebrating on December 25. Armenian denominations, meanwhile, celebrate Christmas on January 6th. The Eastern Orthodox date is in accordance…

Source: ABC News January 5, 2014 (Associated Press – VATICAN CITY) — Pope Francis says his upcoming trip to the Holy Land aims to boost relations with Orthodox Christians. But the three-day visit in May also underscores Francis’ close ties to the Jewish community, his outreach to Muslims and the Vatican’s longstanding call for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The announcement was made Sunday just as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry wrapped up three days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in a new U.S. bid for peace. Francis told thousands gathered in the rain for his…

In Egypt, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, survival is greatest gift they can hope for this Christmas Source: Our Sunday Visitor Newsweekly by Judith Sudilovsky In years past, Christmas was a time of festive decorations, warm family gatherings and traditional worship services, but now, the only hope for many Christians in the Middle East this season is that they may be remembered in the Christmas prayers of Christians around the world; that they pray for peace and an end to the violence that has racked the region for several years. In places such as Egypt, Syria and Iraq, many churches have…