Source: City Weekly (Salt Lake City, UT) by Stephen Dark The Metropolitian Isaiah, head of the Greek Orthodox Church of Greater Salt Lake City (which is a single parish with two churches — the Holy Trinity Cathedral in downtown Salt Lake City and Prophet Elias Church in Holladay) has ordered that both churches discontinue offering sacrament, liturgy, weddings and baptisms indefinitely as of Sunday, August 4, 2013. The surprise decision marks a bitter climax in a power struggle for the future of the Salt Lake City-area’s Greek Orthodox parish. A call seeking comment from Rev. Matthew Gilbert of the Holy…
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“After this I will pour out my spirit on all humanity….Your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions.” Joel 2:28 Since the imposition of a Charter on the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America without the input and approval of the Clergy and Laity within that particular Orthodox grouping in the United States, the consequences have been chaotic. There is no accountability within the Archdiocese. The Metropolitans each report directly to the Patriarch in Istanbul. They see the Archbishop as a figurehead. Each Metropolis sees itself as an independent entity. The Metropolitans in these geographic areas…
Source: Orthodox Evangelist Newsletter By Joseph Abbate Vice President of the Brotherhood of St Symeon the New Theologian For those of you who may have just discovered St. Symeon’s Ministry, you might have found the word Renewal in many of the Ministry’s publications. For those of us who have been involved in this Ministry through the years, it is important to refresh our memories on the meaning of this word. First of all, Renewal does not bring any additions to doctrines or theology. It does not involve new teachings or motives other than what our Church Fathers have taught.…
Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America On Thursday, July 25, the General Assembly was convened by His Eminence Metropolitan Philip at the 51st Antiochian Archdiocese Convention being hosted by St. George Church in Houston, Texas. The Assembly was graced by the welcome presence of His Eminence Metropolitan Paul of Australia, and His Eminence Metropolitan Silouan of Argentina. The meeting opened at 10:30, and it was announced that a quorum of delegates was present. Much productive business was accomplished, and many reports and videos were presented. (See below for updates from the conclusion of the Assembly.) Highlights from the…
Source: ForUm Ukrainian Orthodox Churches of Kyiv and Moscow Patriarchates will merge into a single local Orthodox church, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate Filaret said, ForUm correspondent reports. “We believe and are convinced that the Kyiv and Moscow Patriarchates will unite in a local Orthodox church. The reasons for this are – we are not enemies, and those kisses that were (at the time of greetings at the opening ceremony of the exhibition “The Great and Majestic. – Ed.) are a sign of the future union. Time will come when we will minister together, and belong…
Source: Orthodox Church in America [MOSCOW, RUSSIA – OCA] At an unprecedented gathering in the Moscow Kremlin on July 24, 2013, the Primates and Representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, after which a statement was issued on the occasion of the 1025th Anniversary of Rus’. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, was among those who signed the statement, the text of which reads as follows. “We, heads and representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches, who have come to Moscow on the occasion of the celebration of the 1025th anniversary…
Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America The city of Houston, and Fr. James Shadid and the parish of St. George Orthodox Christian Church, are hosting the Antiochian Archdiocese Convention this week at the Hilton Americas hotel. The largest legislative body of the Archdiocese, the General Assembly meets in convention biennially. In addition to the business meetings, liturgical celebrations, exhibits, youth activities, and department meetings are central to each convention as well. There will also be special events that emphasize the uniquely Southern character of this year’s gathering. Families will enjoy the Country Western Dinner and Dance on Thursday evening, while on Friday…
Source: Orthodox Observer Originally published in the June 2013 issue on page 26 under the heading “Church History.” by William H. Samonides, Ph.D As the Church in America grew, the need for hierarchs to oversee the ever-increasing number of parishes became more acute. Hierarchs of the Church had visited the United States since 1892, but most returned to Greece after only a brief stay. Before the arrival of Archbishop Athenagoras in 1931, only one hierarch, Bishop Alexander, remained for more than a decade. When the Archdiocese of North and South America was created in 1922, he became its first Archbishop…
Source: Ancient Faith Radio One Bishop per city or region is what the canons call for. Yet, here in North America we have multiple Bishops in one location. The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops are working to correct that and today we speak with Proto-Deacon Peter Danilchick who is the liaison for the Canonical Regional Planning Committee. Learn about the importance of this task and how long it will take to get it done. For more information on this issue, we refer to you our documentary section -Unravelling Chambesy. Direct link Play in Popup Download [subscribe2]
Pentecost 2013 As we take leave of the Paschal Liturgical Cycle of Lent through Pentecost, I want to take this opportunity to reflect upon a book I re-read during this period: Christ in Our Midst by Father Theodore Stylianopoulos. The book was written in 1980, and I was familiar with it when I was putting together the Chapter on “Spiritual Renewal” in the OCL publication “Project for Orthodox Renewal”. You can read this work online on our website. The discussion and insights presented in Christ In Our Midst, which was written by Father Ted as he worked on the Commission…
Source: The National Herald by Theodore Kalmoukos, Special to The National Herald The preservation of small Greek Orthodox parishes, and their ability to continue to exist in the United States, is very serious matter which should concern all of us as members of both the Church and the Greek American Community. Some of our small parishes have already gone down on a withering path. Among them are parishes which flourished in the past, especially during the early decades after their establishment by Greek immigrant pioneers. With the passing of time and changing of demographic circumstances, and the loss of jobs…
Source: Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church The following is the statement made by Fr. Stephen Mathewes to the parish on Sunday, June 9th: To my most beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, Christ is risen! Holy Resurrection has had a long history. A convoluted one, shall we say. For 15 years, faithful and tremendously dedicated people have labored in this humble little vineyard to make it a true Orthodox community—a part of the great worldwide Church. There have been many struggles, many crises, many ups and downs. More than once, the end was thought to be near, only for this plucky…