Source: Orthodox Church in America GATINEAU, QUEBEC [OCA] – Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko, Dean Emeritus of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, Yonkers, NY, was presented with the rarely awarded Saint Innocent Award, Gold Class, by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon on behalf of the Holy Synod of Bishops and the Orthodox Church in America. The award, which was presented on August 24, 2013—the 50th anniversary of Father Thomas’ ordination to the priesthood by His Eminence, the late Archbishop [later Metropolitan] Ireney—was given in recognition of Father Thomas’ outstanding service as a priest, teacher, seminary dean and writer who has had a deep influence for good…
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Source: CantonRep.com By Charita Goshay CantonRep.com staff writer CANTON, OH — Talk to him for a bit, and it becomes apparent that the Very Rev. Stacey Richter is passionate about his faith. It wasn’t always the case. Once upon a time, the priest of Holy Assumption Orthodox Church at 2027 18th St. NE, was an atheist. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, in Canada, Richter and his twin brother were raised by a lapsed Catholic mother and an atheist stepfather. Their father, who lived nearby, also was an avowed atheist. “My dad was a militant atheist,” Richter said. “He really did…
Source: Ekathimerini Plans for a new highway threaten Profitis Ilias By Dimitris Rigopoulos Plans for a new highway are threatening one of the last surviving Greek Orthodox churches in the region of Izmir (Smyrna) in Turkey. Profitis Ilias (named after the Prophet Elias/Elijah, a revered figure for both Christians and Muslims) is a three-aisled basilica commissioned in 1846 by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Anthimus VI. Its dimensions are 10 by 19 meters and it has a quadrilateral rooftop. It lies on a prominent spot on the road to the suburb of Budjah, 2 kilometers southeast of the city center,…
Source: The National Herald Sara Polsky – Curbed.com NEW YORK – A Greek-American newspaper (The National Herald) earlier this year reported that Santiago Calatrava was the frontrunner to design the rebuilt Church of St. Nicholas downtown. The Post hears from multiple sources that the rumors are indeed true: out of a dozen finalists, Calatrava has been chosen for the project—though he hasn’t yet signed a contract, so it’s certainly possible that he’ll be out of the Archdiocese’s price range. The rebuilding of the church has been a matter of controversy for years. The original church was destroyed on 9/11 and…
Source: The Wall Street Journal By SAMUEL TADROS No one knows exactly when the Virgin Mary Church was built, but the fourth and fifth centuries are both possible options. In both cases, it was the time of the Byzantines. Egypt’s Coptic Church—to which this church in modern-day Delga belonged—had refused to bow to imperial power and Rome’s leadership over the nature of Christ. Constantinople was adamant it would force its will on the Copts. Two lines of popes claimed the Seat of Alexandria. One with imperial blessing sat in the open; the other, with his people’s support, often hid, moving from…
August 20, 2013 Dear Orthodox Christian Laity Supporters, It is a blessing and responsibility to serve as the twelfth president of Orthodox Christian Laity. August is the time of the year that we invite you to participate in our Annual Angel Fund Program which supports the newly revamped OCL website (https://ocl.org) and the expenses of our Annual Meeting and Program. The focus of this year’s meeting is putting the work of the Assembly of Bishops into a context and perspective. The group has been meeting since 2008 in person as well as regular conference calls by the Committees. On Saturday,…
Source: Orthodox Church in America YONKERS, NY [SVOTS Communications] – “Every ten years Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary is visited by a team that decides whether to renew the seminary’s accreditation, and we are inviting all our constituents to participate in the process,” said Dr. Peter Bouteneff, faculty member at the Seminary and Director of Institutional Assessment. Dr. Bouteneff explained that Saint Vladimir’s Seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the US and Canada (ATS), and that the ATS would be making an on-site campus visit October 21–24, 2013, to interview students, alumni, faculty, staff, and trustees…
Source: Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney As the death toll from recent violent clashes in Egypt continues to climb with 556 now reported dead and thousands more injured Australia’s Egyptian community remains in shock. “We who stand for 80,000 Christian Egyptians in Australia are deeply saddened by events and the tragic loss of life in Egypt on Wednesday. No matter the difference in our political or religious stance, it is unacceptable to see such bloodshed and the destruction of public buildings and churches throughout Egypt,” the leaders of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Australia, Bishop Anba Suriel and Bishop Daniel said…
Source: Assembly of Bishops The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America will hold its annual meeting September 17-19, 2013 at the Chicago Marriott in Schaumburg, Illinois. This is the fourth Annual Meeting of the Assembly. The agenda, which includes discussion of the Assembly’s vision, proposals for canonical restructuring, and an Assembly-sponsored national youth conference, can be found here. The Assembly requests the prayers of all clergy, monastics, and laity. The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops is comprised of all 65 active Orthodox hierarchs serving the United States, Canada, and Mexico. [subscribe2]
Source: Assembly of Bishops The Executive Committee of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America held an official meeting at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan headquarters in New York on Tuesday, August 13. Under the chairmanship of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, the Executive Committee made final preparations for the fourth general Assembly of Bishops meeting in September. The members of the Executive Committee also reviewed the process by which the Assembly would reach consensus, when required. Participating in the meeting were: Archbishop Demetrios (Ecumenical Patriarchate); Metropolitan Philip (Patriarchate of Antioch, by phone); Archbishop Justinian (Patriarchate of Moscow);…
Source: Milwaukee – Wisconsin Journal Sentinel Leaders at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church cite financial discrepancies By John Diedrich of the Journal Sentinel The Milwaukee County district attorney’s office has been asked to investigate possible theft from theAnnunciation Greek Orthodox Church by a former priest. Assistant District Attorney David Feiss confirmed Monday that he was reviewing documents sent to the office by Annunciation’s Parish Council. Feiss declined to comment further. After discovering financial “discrepancies,” the council voted to request the district attorney investigate the matter, according to a news release from the church. “The concerns that have been raised have nothing to do with current church operations…
Source: The Algemeiner The Palestinian Christian Initiative, an anti-Israel Christian group in Israel, said it condemned an Israel Defense Force program aimed at recruiting Christian cadets. While Christians around the world praised the increased Christian enlistment in the Israeli Army, the group, known as Kairos Palestine, denounced the news. A statement from the group was posted by Palestinian site International Middle East Center, and highlighted on Sunday by anonymousblogger Elder of Ziyon. “Those who call for recruiting Christians to the occupation army do not represent us, do not represent our Churches, and do not represent the Christians. It seems that some of those who…