Browsing: Governance Top Stories

Source: Orthodox Church in America BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, OH [OCA] Registration is now open for the 2024 Parish Development Forum, to be held from 1:00 PM EDT on Tuesday July 9 through noon on Thursday July 11. Host site for the Forum is Archangel Michael Orthodox Church, Broadview Heights, OH.  The Forum is co-sponsored by the Orthodox Church in America’s Archdiocese of Western Pennsylvania, the Diocese of the Midwest, and the Bulgarian Diocese. “The Parish Development Forum is a conference which encourages discussion of timely topics and discovery of practices used by healthy, vibrant Orthodox parishes,” said Joseph Kormos, Forum co-chairperson and Parish Development Ministry Leader for the Archdiocese…

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Source: St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess Harare, Zimbabwe On May 2, 2024, Holy Thursday, Angelic Molen of Harare, Zimbabwe, was ordained Deaconess Angelic in the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa (the Orthodox Church in the continent of Africa) by His Eminence Metropolitan Serafim of Zimbabwe (Kykotis) in St. Nektarios Mission Parish at WaterFall. This historic event would not be possible without the approval and support of the Alexandrian Synod and His Beatitude Theodorus. The ordination of Deaconess Angelis was the culmination of efforts around the world to renew the ancient order of deaconesses in the Orthodox…

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Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Prot. No. 104/2024 Archepiscopal Encyclical on Great and Holy Pascha, 2024 May 5, 2024 Unto the Most Reverend and Right Reverend Hierarchs, Pious Priests and Deacons, Monks and Nuns, Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils, Honorable Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Members of Leadership 100, Day and Afternoon Schools, Philoptochos Societies, Youth, Greek Orthodox Organizations, and entirety of the Christ-loving Plenitude of the Sacred Archdiocese of America: You who fast, and you who fast not, rejoice today! The table is laden; let all fare sumptuously. (Catechetical Oration of the Holy Chrysostom) [i] My beloved…

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Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle  USA As previously reported, Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau and All Moldova wrote a surpisingly strong letter to Patriarch Kirill on September 5, 2023. (https://cubreacovblog.wordpress.com/2023/10/20/mitropolitul-vladimir-cantarean-ne-aflam-intr-o-situatie-de-faliment-institutional-mitropolia-basarabei-a-demonstrat-ca-este-o-forta-care-nu-mai-poate-fi-oprita/ )  The letter contained many grievances including the failure of the Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate to elect Archimandrite Filaret (Kuzmin) as a bishop as requested by the Synod of the Orthodox Church of Moldova (OCM).  Some people speculated that such a strong letter might be the first step in the OCM leaving the Moscow Patriarchate.  The Moscow Patriarchate acted quickly.  At its Synod meeting on October 11, 2023, Archimandrite Filaret…

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Source: Hellenic College / Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (GOARCH.org) On Saturday, April 20, 2024, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America ordained Bishop Anthony of Synada at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. Axios! His Grace’s family, fellow hierarchs, local clergy, and many Greek Orthodox faithful gathered for this special ordination. Hierarchs in attendance include Archbishop Demetrios former of America, Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, Bishop Irinej of the Serbian Orthodox Church of North, Central and South America, Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos, Bishop Theophan of Philomelion, and Bishop Nektarios of Diokleia.  Also attending the ceremony was…

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Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – During the visit of Dimitris Koutsoumpas, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece, on Friday, April 26, at the Archdiocese in New York Archbishop Elpidophoros of America proposed the separation of Church and State in Greece. Specifically, Elpidophoros said the following: “I believe that the secret of the success of our Archdiocese – I consider the Archdiocese of America to be one of the ecclesiastically successful Eparchies of the Ecumenical Throne – is due to the participation of the lay people essentially in decision-making and in all organs of…

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Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America With the blessings of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Rev. Dr. Nicholas G. Louh and Presbytera Dr. Roxanne Louh led the John Halecky, Jr. 20th Annual National Archon Lenten Retreat from April 19 to 21, 2024. The Retreat was held at the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons, hosted by Rev. Protopresbyter Alexander Karloutsos, Archon Spiritual Advisor, and Father Constantine Lazarakis, who served as Retreat Pastors. Fr. Nicholas and Dr. Roxanne, a clinical psychologist, addressed over 100 participants both in person and…

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Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago today released its 2023 Annual Impact Report entitled “Embracing Our Christ-Centered Vision.” First released in 2021, the Annual Impact Report’s original purpose is to share the data, information, and trends related to the sacramental, ministerial, and financial health of the Metropolis of Chicago and its parishes. “The current vitality of the Metropolis of Chicago, as expressed in our Annual Impact Report, flows from many sources but, above all, it comes from our clergy and laity centering Christ in their lives every day. It is my deep-seated belief that…

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Source: National Catholic Reporter Vatican City — The most important outcome of the current Synod of Bishops on synodality is the synodal process itself and not the hot-button topics discussed, Pope Francis said. With the second synod assembly scheduled for October, the pope said the synod process is approaching its “most challenging and important” stage — the point at which it must become “prophetic.” “Now it is a matter of translating the work of the previous stages into choices that will give impetus and new life to the mission of the church in our time,” he told members of the…

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Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Hellenic College Holy Cross will once again recognize a couple for their exemplary vision and leadership in the Church. Helen and Archon Louis Nicozisis will each receive an honorary doctorate from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology at the upcoming 82nd Commencement on May 18, 2024. This highest honor the school can bestow will be granted to them for the impact they have made at Holy Cross and across the Archdiocese in the field of missions and evangelism. Partners in life and service for sixty years, Archon Primikirios Louis and Helen Nicozisis have…

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Source: Orthodox Church in America SPRINGFIELD, VA [OCA]  On April 2-4, 2024, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America met for its Regular Spring 2024 Session in Springfield, VA, under the presidency of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon. The meetings of the Synod were preceded by a special joint meeting in which the Bishops were joined by the Church Officers, the Diocesan Chancellors, the General Counsel, and representatives of the Pension Board. The joint meeting began on Monday, April 1, with an education session led by Mr. David Jarrett, FSA, EA, MAAA, FCA, Principal and Consulting Actuary. This presentation…

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Source: Orthodox Church in America To the Clergy, Monastics, and Faithful of the Orthodox Church in America, My Beloved Children in the Lord, CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN! Now all is filled with light: heaven and earth and the lower regions. Let all creation celebrate the rising of Christ: in him we are established. (St. John of Damascus, Paschal Canon, Ode Three) Today we greet the most radiant feast of feasts, the king and lord of days, the Pascha of Christ our true God. Standing in the light of the Resurrection, we glimpse the true and unfading joy of the…

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