Browsing: Orthodox News Top Stories

Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America On June 29, 2013, the Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul, the patron saints of the Holy See of Antioch, His Eminence Metropolitan Philip traveled to Glenville, Pennsylvania in York County to bless the property and house which will be the home of the nuns of the Convent of St. Thekla in America. His Eminence was accompanied by His Grace Bishop Antoun, and several clergy from the area, including Fr. Peter Pier, the host pastor from St. John Chrysostom Antiochian Orthodox Church in York, Pennsylvania. Approximately 50 people attended the blessing ceremony, many…

Source: Assyrian International News Agency (AINA) (AINA) – This morning masked men gunned down Father Mina Cheroubim, pastor of the Coptic Orthodox church, as he left his church building in el-Arish North Sinai, 344 kilometers northeast of Cairo. Yesterday Muslims attacked Coptic inhabitants in the village of Nag Hassan, Dabayaa, in Luxor province. This attack was prompted by news that allegedly four Copts killed 45-year-old Muslim H. Hefny, whose body was found near the river. The attack killed four and wounded three. 16 homes and shops were torched, including the home of a Coptic family who are accused of being…

Source: Ecumenical News Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II has xpressed his support for the ousting by the military of Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi this week and was joined by a leading Muslim cleric. Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II expressed his support for the ousting by the military of Egypt’s Islamist President Mohamed Morsi this week and was joined by a leading Muslim cleric. A statement by the new administration said that Grand Imam of al-Azhar Ahmed el-Tayyib, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of Saint Mark Diocese Pope Tawadros II and Leader of the Constitution Party Mohamed el-Baradei have expressed their…

Source: Orthodox Church in America ANCHORAGE, AK [OCA] – On Tuesday, July 2, 2013, the Rasmuson Foundation’s Board of Directors announced that it had allocated $8.6 million in awards to support non-profit programs and activities around Alaska. [See original release.] Among the two dozen grant recipients was Russian Orthodox Sacred Sites in Alaska, Inc. [ROSSIA], which received $495,000.00 to complete renovations of historic Orthodox Christian church buildings in Juneau, Kenai, Karluk and Unalaska. On Sunday, June 30, Archimandrite David [Mahaffey], Chancellor and Administrator of the Diocese of Alaska, presided at the groundbreaking of a new structure at Kenai’s Holy Assumption, one…

Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA]- On Tuesday, July 2, 2013, the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America released an “Affirmation of the Mystery of Marriage.” The complete text appears below. SYNODAL AFFIRMATION OF THE MYSTERY OF MARRIAGE The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America July 2, 2013 At the Tenth All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America, held in Miami, Florida in July 1992, the Holy Synod of Bishops issued a document titled, “Synodal Affirmations on Marriage, Family, Sexuality, and the Sanctity of Life.” The Affirmations were…

Source: Orthodox Church in America YONKERS, NY [SVOTS Communications] – Deacons and diaconal candidates received focused training during the Seventh Annual Diaconal Practicum held at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary here in June 2013. Led by Archdeacon Kirill Sokolov, director of the Diaconal Vocations Program for the Orthodox Church in America, the intensive workshop offered instruction in liturgical celebration, public speaking and vocal training, and practical ministry. Archpriest Dr. Chad Hatfield, Chancellor/CEO of the seminary, welcomed participants to the campus and spoke on pastoral issues facing clergy. Each day of practicum began early, with students gathering in the chapel for hands-on preparation for the…

Source: Solia – The Herald by Psa. Nicole Mitescu I remember when I was newly married and had just started attending an Orthodox church. People would complain about how their children were refusing to come to church any more, and how when they left the family home, they often left the church entirely. So this is far from a new problem, and there must be hundreds if not thousands of articles written not only by Orthodox authors, but also by writers in many other religious groups, who are facing the same problem: children are not following their parents’ footsteps in…

Source: San Francisco Chronicle By ALBERT AJI, Associated Press DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A suicide bomber blew himself up near the headquarters of Syria’s Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus’ Old City, killing at least four people Thursday, minutes after the patriarch had entered the cathedral, state-run TV and a church official said. The blast in the ancient quarter of narrow streets and historic buildings was the first reported suicide attack of the Syrian civil war inside the Old City, although other such bombs have struck the capital of Damascus during the conflict. The blast struck in the vicinity of the Virgin Mary Cathedral in the…

Source: CNN From Errol Barnett, CNN Lalibela, Ethiopia (CNN) — It’s 4 o’clock on a Sunday morning when a trail of figures dressed in white emerges from the deep darkness. Quietly, the summoned crowd makes its way down a cluster of ancient structures as the slow beat from traditional skin drums beckons. It’s a common scene here in Lalibela, a small town in northern Ethiopia that’s home to 11 spectacular churches carved both inside and out from a single rock some 900 years ago. The chiseled creations have turned this mountain town into a place of pride and pilgrimage for worshipers…

Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA] – The Orthodox Church in America is accepting applications for the position of Executive Assistant. A detailed job description may be found in PDF format. The Executive Assistant serves as the personal secretary to the Metropolitan with responsibility for all matters of correspondence to and from the Office of the Metropolitan, including the logging in of mail and the preparation of responses for review to both postal and electronic correspondence, the drafting of letters, scheduling and calendar maintenance, and follow-up work on Primatial visits. The Executive Assistant also serves the Chancery office as…

Source: News Channel 5 NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Flames destroyed a Donelson Church just hours after the congregation wrapped up Sunday services. Firefighters were called out to St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, in the 1900 block of Dabbs Avenue, around 3 p.m. The first crews arrived to find flames shooting from the building, and a huge plume of smoke was visible for miles around. Fire officials said the blaze started in the kitchen, and spread quickly. There were people inside the church when the fire broke out, but no one was hurt. High temperatures Sunday afternoon created serious challenges for firefighters. More…

Source: Patheos Press Blog By Peter Enns I came across this blog post, now over 3 years old, while meandering through the internet this morning. The point is made so succinctly  and expresses so well my own thinking, I wanted to post it to see what you think. The author is Fr. Ted Bobosh, a priest at St. Paul the Apostle Church, Dayton, OH (Orthodox Church in America). He has degrees from the Ohio State University, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and Fordham University, and was for 12 years an adjunct professor at the University of Dayton, Religious Studies Department. The title…