Browsing: Governance & Unity News

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity OCL ANNOUCES NEW EXCITING MARKETING MISSION Mosaic of Orthodox Christianity in America OCL is developing a strategic marketing plan with an exciting campaign to mobilize our Orthodox Christian laity community in the United States of America. We believe this can be a powerful way to create positive change and greater unity. WHY?…..To Help Us to Connect and Spread Orthodoxy To make OCL the inspired forward-looking leader of Orthodox Christians in America to provide a common vehicle for the need to belong, regardless of ethnicity or cultural differences. OCL wants to advance and promote a feeling among…

Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America FREEDOM (Faith-based Response to Eradicate Enslavement: Didactic Outreach Ministry)  July 30th is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Yesterday, a Special Intervention was held at the United Nations Church Center in New York City. Rev. Protopresbyter Peter J. Spiro, the Director of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese FREEDOM (Faith-based Response to Eradicate Enslavement: Didactic Outreach Ministry) Ministry, was one of the 5 expert panelists presenting at a hybrid conference that included participants from the United States, Uganda, Nigeria, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Congo, Carribean, Belize, Tanzania, Serbia, Kenya, South Africa, Australia, and Germany. Father Peter was asked to present…

Source: Orthodox History Originally published on May 29, 2024 by MATTHEW NAMEE As you may have seen, Ancient Faith recently published my book, Lost Histories: The Good, the Bad & the Strange in Early American Orthodoxy. If you like this website, you’re the target audience for the book. And while reading it should give you a good handle on the early history of Orthodoxy in America, I wrote it not just to educate but — hopefully — to amaze and surprise you (even if you’re a longtime reader of this website). With that in mind, here are fifteen random, amazing facts from…

Source: Orthodox History by MATTHEW NAMEE Today, relations between the patriarchates of Moscow and Romania are tense: both lay claim to jurisdiction in the Republic of Moldova, which makes up about two-thirds of the historic region known as Bessarabia. The other third of Bessarabia is now in Ukraine, Budjak (Izmail and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi). In the Republic of Moldova, the Russian and Romanian patriarchates have had rival jurisdictions ever since the fall of the USSR, although things didn’t get really tense until very recently, when Russian-affiliated clergy began joining the Romanian jurisdiction (without canonical releases) as part of the fallout from the war…

Source: Public Orthodoxy Katherine Kelaidis National Hellenic Museum (Chicago) While it is fashionable of late to talk about the influx of racist actors into the Orthodox Church via conversion, we should probably admit that Orthodoxy in America has always had a race problem. Early 20th-century urban immigrants from the Eastern Mediterranean and Eastern Europe were not exactly famous for their enlightened attitudes about race. Some of America’s worst racial tensions have been between Black Americans and the very sorts of immigrants who form the core of Orthodox Christian America. Of course, whenever this comes up, people like to deflect by…

Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA The Holy Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate held its summer meeting on July 25, 2024.   Journey Entry 78 of the minutes of the meeting announced an important decision relating to Metropolitan Hilarion of Budapest and Hungary.  http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/6146121.html  A Google translation of the complete text of the entry is as follows: HAD A JUDGMENT on the state of affairs in the Budapest-Hungarian Diocese. RESOLVED: To form a Commission to study the situation in the Budapest-Hungarian Diocese. For the duration of the work of said Commission, temporarily remove Metropolitan Hilarion of Budapest and Hungary from the administration of the…

Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Story and photos by Dn. Peter Samore Photo album “We must examine our ministry in light of this good shepherd, Raphael. He laid down his life for his people, dying young. Do we do the same?” On the night of July 25, and into July 26, the 22nd biennial Clergy Symposium concluded with the celebration of a vigil for St. Raphael, bishop of Brooklyn, at Ss. Peter and Paul Church at the Antiochian Village. It was served in the presence of the saint’s newly exhumed relics. In the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy, His…

Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – Archbishop Elpidophoros of America aims to transform the Hellenic Cultural Center NYC of the Archdiocese which is located in Astoria, even changing its name, including the name of the chapel within it. We reveal today that his plan, which he presented as a proposal at the Executive Committee meeting of the Archdiocesan Council on Sunday, June 30, shortly before the start of the Clergy-Laity Congress in San Diego, involves the renovation and conversion of the interior spaces of the Center into rooms and apartments. This is similar to what he did…

Source: Orthodox Church in America BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, OH [OCA]  The 2024 Parish Development Forum recently welcomed clergy and laity attendees from multiple Orthodox jurisdictions and eight OCA Dioceses to explore the Forum theme of “Our Parish and the Future: Equipping to Serve Christ in a Secular World.” Host parish for the Forum was Archangel Michael Church in Broadview Heights, OH. The Forum was once again sponsored by the OCA’s Archdiocese of Western Pennsylvania, the Diocese of the Midwest and the Bulgarian Diocese. Archpriest Stephen Frase, Rector Saint Gregory of Nyssa Church in Columbus, OH clergy co-chair of the Forum, noted “A significant portion of…

Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America ​View the Adult Camp Vimeo Registration is open for Adult Camp at Antiochian Village, open to anyone over the age of 21 who wants to spend a weekend in the beautiful natural setting of Antiochian Village Camp and grow in the Orthodox Christian Faith. This year’s dates are Sept. 20 – 23, and the featured speaker is Fr. Raphael Daly, pastor of St. Luke Church in Erie, Colo. Whether you are 21, 51, or 101 years old, you’re never too old experience the joy of being a child again! Come and enjoy fellowship with each other: daily services, Christian…

Source: Public Orthodoxy Daria Morozova Visiting Researcher at the University of Exeter (UK) The “Edict” of the World Russian People’s Council caused controversial reactions on the side of theologians. Some were quite unexpected, like the essay by Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis entitled “Casting the First Stone of Heresy.” Together with the corresponding image, this title represents patriarch Kirill as an unfortunate harlot, at whom the bloodthirsty crowd of the Pharisees throws its stones. This cannot but look puzzling for someone who two years ago had to flee from the Russian rockets blessed by the patriarch. For it is not the patriarch on…

Source: St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) has entered a new phase of leadership, following this summer’s retirement of seminary president The Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield. The new leadership team is undertaking steps to ensure a smooth transition and renewed focus on the seminary’s mission during this important stage for SVOTS’ future. Effective July 1, Academic Dean Dr Ionuţ-Alexandru Tudorie has assumed the additional role of interim president and CEO of SVOTS, to which he was unanimously appointed by the seminary’s Board of Trustees. “It is always difficult and challenging when a long-tenured and respected leader, such…