Source: The National Herald By Nikolaos Piperis When our forefathers immigrated here near the turn of the 20th century, they generally desired to maintain their Hellenism in America. Like people everywhere, Greeks hold fast to their inherited traditions, having protected them through centuries of inordinate persecutions in the Ottoman Empire. Understandably, these immigrants intended to perpetuate their culture and religion in their new country and accordingly established, in nearly every locality they stepped foot, local societies devoted to that task. These societies, which sponsored Greek schools, community centers, and churches, later transformed themselves into parishes, creating the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese…
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Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Report from the Patriarchate of Antioch (بيان باللغة العربية) On Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at 11:00 a.m., His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, arrived at the Beirut Archbishopric. His Eminence Elias Audi, the Metropolitan of Beirut and its Dependencies, received him with the priests of the Archdiocese. After the prayer, a closed meeting took place between His Beatitude the Patriarch and His Eminence Metropolitan Elias, followed by lunch. His Beatitude answered journalists’ questions as follows: “I address you, my beloved ones, from this honorable residence in Beirut,…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA On Wednesday, October 11, the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate met at the Danilov Monastery in Moscow. The meeting had not been previously announced. The minutes of the meeting can be read at (link). Changes were made in three important positions of the Moscow Patriarchate. The first change is that Metropolitan Lazar of Simferopol and Crimea is retired by the Holy Synod. See Journal entry 92. The retirement of Metropolitan Lazar is not a surprise. He was born in 1939 (thus 84 years old) and has served as the head of the Simferopol and Crimea diocese…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA There have been several reports in the last few days that enough deputies in the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) have pledged their support for the passage for Draft Law 8371. Draft Law 8371 has been pending in the Rada for more than nine months but had not been submitted to the Rada for the first reading because of lack of majority support in the Rada. However, Oleg Dunda, a deputy in the Rada, stated on October 6: “The appeal of the People’s Deputies to ban the UOC-MP has already collected about 240 signatures, and in…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA Among the Local Orthodox Churches, it is common for one Local Orthodox Church to have a representation church (more properly called a podvorie or metochion) at the seat of another Local Orthodox Church. This is true of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Bulgarian Patriarchate. The Bulgarian Patriarchate has a representation church in Moscow. Conversely, the Moscow Patriarchate has a representation church in Sofia. The church in Sofia is the Church of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Worker, located in central Sofia. It is also known as the “Russian Church.” (link) Many come to pray here because the church is the location of…
Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA On September 14th, Foreign Affairs, the influential magazine of the Council on Foreign Relations, published an article entitled, “Putin’s Useful Priests.” The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America hereby expresses its objection and concern with the inaccurate manner with which Orthodox Christians in the United States are stereotyped by the authors. First, the article contains significant factual errors that are surprising for the renowned Foreign Affairs and disrespectful to a vital Christian community whose roots in America date over three centuries. Orthodox Christians in America – representing a plethora…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA On Sunday, September 25, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ issued a decree initiating canonical proceedings in the diocesan court of the Moscow Diocese against Archimandrite Cyril Hovorun. Pending a canonical trial, the decree imposed severe limitations on the priestly service of Archimandrite Cyril. The full text of the decree is posted at (link). A Google translation of the full decree is as follows: Decree No. U-02/152 of 25 September 2023 // to Archimandrite Kirill (Hovorun) The written commitment of fidelity to the Russian Orthodox Church given by you was repeatedly violated, which was expressed,…
Source: Orthodox History by MATTHEW NAMEE The following remarkable letter appeared in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on March 18, 1915. It offers a well-informed but obviously partisan perspective on the Orthodox reality in America and globally in 1915 — in the midst of World War I. There’s so much happening in this letter, so many layers. It has to be one of the most fascinating historical records I’ve ever stumbled upon. I only wish I knew the identity of the author — all we can tell here is that he’s a Greek-American who knows a great deal about the entire Orthodox world. Read…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity Download the Event Flyer here. The OCL Board will hold the 36th Annual Meeting and Conference in Chicago, Illinois, at Sts. Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church, 1401 Wagner Road, Glenview, IL 60025 (https://ssppglenview.org/) the weekend of October 20-21, 2023. Mark your calendar! Join us for what promises to be a unique and enlightening program. Friday, October 20, 2023 Annual Board Meeting Saturday, October 21, 2023 8:00 am – Continental Breakfast and Fellowship 9:00 am – 11:15 am V. Rev. Archpriest Bohdan Hladio, an Orthodox priest and former Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada…
Source: The National Herald NEW YORK – His Royal Highness Crown Prince Pavlos, Vice President of Prince’s Trust International and the eldest son of the late King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, will accept the 2023 Athenagoras Human Rights Award on behalf of the Prince’s Trust. The Award will be presented on Saturday, October 21, 2023 at the annual Athenagoras Human Rights Award banquet of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which will be held at the New York Hilton Hotel in New York City. The Founder and President of the Prince’s Trust, His Majesty King Charles III, is…
Source: The National Herald CLEVELAND – Presvytera Nikki Stephanopoulos, passed away at her home in Beachwood, Ohio on September 29, 2023 at the age of 90. Her husband, the Rev. Dr. Robert G. Stephanopoulos was by her side. Born in Minnesota, Presbytera Nikki was a public relations dynamo and a mentor to many women, and men, who served the Church alongside of her. The daughter of Andrew and Margaret Chafos from Rochester, Minnesota, Presvytera Nikki graduated from Rochester High School and the University of Minnesota before moving to New York City with the Campus Crusade for Freedom. She met her…
Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – The number of incoming male and female students at the Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Boston has increased, according to an announcement issued by the School. Specifically, 97 new students were admitted, which is the highest number in recent years. It is emphasized that “the College hopes for a similar increase next year, as many applications have been received. Likewise, the entry of new students into the Theological School of the Holy Cross has increased by 71%, with 53 full-time students added, leading to a…