Source: Orthodox Christian Laity (West Palm Beach, FL) On September 22, 2023, The Hellenic Foundation of Chicago notified Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) that it awarded a grant of up to $37,500 to fund the DePaul University Special Collections – OCL Archival Project. The project aims to update OCL’s archive collection housed at DePaul University. The John T. Richardson Library Special Collections has housed the OCL Archive since 2006. This work will make OCL’s archive collection more accessible to scholars and patrons worldwide by arranging and describing the archives, digitizing obsolete content, and preserving website and digital media. OCL developed the…
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Source: Orthodox Christian Laity View the PDF of the Letter here Orthodox Christian Laity (OCL) launched several important initiatives in 2023. “Orthodoxy In Action” Presentations OCL sponsored four Orthodoxy In Action presentations via Zoom which may be viewed on OCL’s YouTube Channel (https://bit.ly/OCL-Youtube). (1) At the first presentation on January 29, George Matsoukas (OCL Executive Director Emeritus and Board Member) represented OCL and related his experiences at the International Orthodox Theological Association (IOTA) Mega Conference held in Volos, Greece, from January 12-14, 2023. (2) On February 26, Ken Liu, Executive Director of Orthodox Youth and Young Adult Ministries (OYM)(https://theoym.org/), focused…
Source: Legacy.com You could not keep up with Lyn Coupounas. She was a gifted multitasker, and you never felt rushed. She made you feel comfortable. She accomplished and balanced so many aspects of life in each day. She always picked up just where you left off the last time you talked to her. Wow! We now learn that she was a trailblazer in the field of hematology. She was a researcher and scholar. She was an accomplished professional. We knew she was a respected teacher, mentor, and leader. But we did not know and understand what a difference she made…
O All-Holy Trinity, Father Son, and Holy Spirit, we, your faithful children beseech you to forgive us the sin of divisiveness, which is rooted in our hearts, our dioceses, and our land. Implant in our lives the holy vine of unity which only you can bestow on those who have come together in your name. Enlighten us with your grace so that we may come to the knowledge of your truth, and move our hearts to respond with trust and total obedience to your divine will. Through the intercessions of the God-inspired Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council at…
In Support of “A Declaration for Orthodox Christian Unity in America,” No. 1 To the Orthodox Christian Faithful in America: On July 5, 2022, A Declaration for Orthodox Christian Unity in America was published and widely distributed. It addresses the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America and solicits the signatures and support of all Orthodox Christians to reassure the Hierarchy of the rectitude of the call for a united, autocephalous American Orthodox Church. This paper will address concerns raised by those who are still uncertain whether to support the Declaration and the action it promotes.…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity Orthodox Christian Laity features a presentation by Ken Liu, Executive Director of Orthodox Youth and Young Adult Ministries (OYM), on its monthly Orthodoxy in Action Call (click here to sign up for notifications of future presentations). OYM (https://theoym.org/) is the official youth agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America. OYM empowers, partners, and walks with parents and lay and ordained ministry leaders – at a jurisdictional, regional, and local level – as they seek to bring young people into an ever-deepening sense of who they are in Christ. Join OYM’s…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity During OCL’s Orthodoxy in Action Call on January 29, 2023, George Matsoukas (OCL Executive Director Emeritus & Board Member) relates his experience during the International Orthodox Theological Association (IOTA) Mega Conference held in Volos, Greece from January 12-14, 2023. Dr Teva Regule and George Nassos, who also participated in the Conference, offered their perspectives also. NOTES FROM GEORGE MATSOUKAS Basic Overview IOTA International Orthodox Theological Association Conference January 11-15, 2023 Volos, Greece Major Supporters and Co-Laborers sponsored the conference. The mission of IOTA is a community of scholars and professionals dedicated to the worldwide exchange of…
Source: International Orthodox Theological Association (IOTA) On January 11, 2023, the second Mega-Conference of the International Orthodox Theological Association (IOTA) held its formal opening at the Volos Academy for Theological Studies. His Eminence Metropolitan Ignatius (Georgakopoulos) of Demetrias presided over Vespers at the Saints Constantine and Helen Church. In his welcome to the conference participants, he said he was grateful that each day would begin with prayer, a sign of the ecclesial significance of the conference. Following Vespers, the approximately 400 participants traveled to the Academy and filled its Great Hall for the opening ceremony. There, the audience received a…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity 2022 YEAR-END LETTER Pan-Orthodox Unity in Action: Orthodox Christian Laity Concludes Annual Conference in Atlanta Your contributions, whether spiritual or financial, continue to make OCL’s activities possible. We appreciate your year-end, tax-deductible donation. Orthodox Christian Laity successfully completed its first in-person annual board meeting and conference since the beginning of the pandemic, in the Atlanta metropolitan area on October 14-15, 2022. This 35th Annual Conference brought together board members, presenters and participants from New Jersey, Texas, Utah, Illinois, Florida, Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, California and Georgia. Thursday, October 13 Board members arrived in Atlanta on Thursday evening,…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity Orthodox Christian Laity successfully completed its first in-person annual board meeting and conference, since the beginning of the pandemic, in the Atlanta metropolitan area on October 14-15, 2022. This 35th Annual Conference brought together board members, presenters and participants from New Jersey, Texas, Utah, Illinois, Florida, Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, California and Georgia. Thursday, October 13 Board members arrived in Atlanta on Thursday evening, October 13, and enjoyed an evening dinner together prior to the annual program. With the blessing of His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel, an OCL Advisory Board Member, the Sts. Constantine & Helen Romanian Orthodox…
ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY 35TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE “Pan-Orthodoxy in Action” October 13-16, 2022 EVENT FLYER – PDF / PNG Join us to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of Orthodox Christian Laity in the Metro Atlanta area where we will feature the impressive progress of the Atlanta Inter-Orthodox Parish Association (AIOPA), an initiative of the Committee for Canonical Regional Planning of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA (AOB). AIOPA consists of clergy and laity representatives from all Orthodox parishes in the Atlanta area whose purpose is to effectively facilitate and maintain pan-Orthodox parish-to-parish communications, activities and cooperation (the “One Church Initiative”). Since the…
Joanne Nikides fell asleep in the Lord on May 12, 2022, surrounded by family. She had just celebrated her 73rd birthday on May 2. She was an amazing woman. She was compassionate, empathetic, intelligent and gentle. She just loved humanity. She saw the best in everyone. She served Orthodox Christian Laity for 16 years as our bookkeeper, accountant and membership manager. Her reports were exemplary. She kept us on target. She enjoyed working with us. She helped us grow and shared our mission. She was a retired accounting professor who taught at Palm Beach Community College. She was raised in…