Browsing: Governance & Unity News

Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Prot. no.: 255/2024 June 10, 2024 Venerable Hierarchs, Reverend Clergy, and Christ-loving Faithful of our Archdiocese,Christ is risen! Since my arrival as your Metropolitan, I have been concerned that two dioceses of our vast archdiocese are without a bishop to oversee them: Los Angeles and the West, and Wichita and Mid-America. Although we are not yet ready for an election of new bishops, I want to ensure that these dioceses have the attention and care they need. In particular, during my recent travels in the West, I saw firsthand that our clergy…

Source: Orthodox Church in America SPRINGFIELD, VA [OCA] The documentary video “Recollections of Saintly Matushka Olga” is now available for viewing. This video gives an important window into the place Matushka Olga continues to hold in the lives of the Alaskan faithful. It also explains the decision of the Holy Synod of Bishops to keep her relics in her home village of Kwethluk, making it a place of pilgrimage for Orthodox peoples around the world. You can help the efforts of the faithful Orthodox people of Kwethluk and all of Alaska in setting up this pilgrimage center through your generous donations. They…

Source: Orthodox Church in America ROMANIA [OCA]  The delegation of the Orthodox Church in America, led by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, visited Romania from June 4 to June 7, 2024. The delegation includes Archpriest Alexander Rentel, OCA Chancellor, Archpriest Nazari Polataiko, and Deacon Vitaly Permiakov. Their visit strengthened the OCA’s ties and friendship with the Romanian Orthodox Church and included engagements at the Putna Monastery and an audience at the Patriarchal Palace. Visit to Putna Monastery On Tuesday, June 4, His Beatitude arrived at Putna Monastery, where he was warmly welcomed by Archimandrite Melchisedec (Velnic), the abbot of Putna Monastery, the clergy…

Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA NEW JERSEY – The Assembly of Bishops Executive Committee was held at the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America on June 4, 2024. The meeting began with a financial report followed by the approval of new board members for Orthodox Christian Prison Ministries (“OCPM”), Orthodox Christian Fellowship (“OCF”), and Orthodox Volunteer Corps (“OVC”). The Executive Committee then agreed to designate Sunday of Orthodoxy as “Assembly of Bishops Sunday” in order to celebrate the good work of the Assembly with Orthodox Christians nationwide. Each year there will be a Pan-Orthodox encyclical…

Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America From the Department of Sacred Music For the second year, the Archdiocese Department of Sacred Music has entered into its audition season for the National Antiochian Orthodox Choir of North America. It is the Department’s vision that this auditioned choir will sing specially selected Orthodox hymns that require significant preparation and rehearsal. The Choir’s first public performance will be hosted by St. George Orthodox Cathedral in Pittsburgh, Penn. on Sunday, July 14 at 6:00 p.m. The concert will be the culmination of a series of rehearsals to be held at the 2024 Summer Sacred Music Institute (SMI) on July 10-14 at the Antiochian Village. “I am so very excited at…

Source: The National Herald Analysis by Theodore Kalmoukos We have occasionally dealt with the issue of the financial contributions of the parishes to the Archdiocese, either indirectly, when the ‘taxation’ increases periodically – because that’s essentially what it is – or when problems arise from parishes that struggle financially and cannot keep up with the ever-increasing demands from the Archdiocese. These demands are passed down to the Metropolises and then to the communities. There is a chain system that ultimately ends with the faithful, who are bombarded with requests for donations week after week. This week’s Analysis is prompted by…

Source: Orthodox Times On the afternoon of May 30, 2024, the Third Meeting of the XVIII Plenary Session of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Lutheran World Federation concluded successfully at the centuries-old Patriarchal Monastery of Saint George in Old Cairo. The session ended with messages from the Co-Presidents of the Commission, Metropolitan Kyrillos of Krini, a Professor at the University of Athens, and Lutheran Bishop John Schneider. They read statements from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Dr. Anne Burghardt, Secretary General of the World Lutheran Federation, addressing the Orthodox and Lutheran participants, including…

Source: Orthodox Times The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church has decided to sever communion with specific hierarchs of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. This decision follows the recent co-liturgy of Bulgarian hierarchs with Ukrainian Metropolitans in Constantinople. Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk presented a detailed report on this matter, highlighting the participation of Bulgarian hierarchs in a co-liturgy with the Ecumenical Patriarch and Metropolitans of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine at the Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of Valoukli. The event was initially reported in an exclusive article by orthodoxtimes.com, emphasizing the arrival and significance of the Bulgarian and Ukrainian hierarchs’ co-liturgy. During…

Source: Orthodox Church in America St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (SVOTS) and St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (STOTS) have concluded their respective 2024 commencement exercises. The commencement of the Class of 2024 at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary took place on Saturday, May 18, 2024. That morning, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon presided at the celebration of the hierarchical Divine Liturgy. Concelebrating with His Beatitude were His Grace Bishop Nikodhim of Boston and the Albanian Archdiocese and His Grace Bishop Benedict of Hartford and New England. During the Divine Liturgy, 2nd year seminarian Justin Taylor was ordained to the holy diaconate. The commencement exercises began with a prayer of thanksgiving…

Source: Orthodox Times On the eve of Mid-Pentecost, May 29, the Agia Sophia Cathedral in Warsaw hosted a solemn Divine Liturgy. Presiding over the service was Archbishop Sawa of Warsaw and Metropolitan of All Poland, with Archbishop Gregory of Bielsk delivering the homily. In his address, Metropolitan Sawa emphasized the divine purpose of humanity, created by God to partake in the Kingdom of Heaven and to perpetually glorify the Lord. He acknowledged the presence of evil in today’s world and underscored the responsibility of every Christian to spread the Easter joy of the Resurrection to those around them. Metropolitan Sawa…

Source: American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of North America JOHNSTOWN PA, [Diocesan Chancery] — Calling all servers and brothers of the Altar! We want you to join us at Christ the Saviour  Seminary for the annual Altar Boy’s Retreat from June 30 – July 3! We have a bunch of great stuff planned, so get fired up! Speaking of which, that will help you with our theme of being “On Fire with the Spirit!” Keep the fire and excitement as we go to Windber, to a monastery, and to a Pirates game! Parents can register online by following this link. Cost for…

Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – On Saturday, May 18, the 82nd graduation ceremonies of the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and of Hellenic College took place at the Maliotis Cultural Center, attended by Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Metropolitan Methodios of Boston, Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco, Bishops Joachim of Amissos and Antonios of Synada, and the Consul General of Greece in Boston, Symeon Tegos. Eleven students graduated from Hellenic College, receiving Bachelor of Arts degrees, and thirteen graduated from the School of Theology, receiving Master of Divinity degrees. Several others received theological degrees intended…