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OROROROROR T H OD OX M I S S I ON S I N T H E WE S T T H OD OX M I S S I ON S I N TH E WE S T T H OD OX M I S S I ON S I N T H E WE S T T H OD OX M I S S I ON S I N TH E WE S T TH OD OX M I S S I ON S I N T H E WE S T
A L ook at the A mazing Growth of the Diocese Over the L ast Ten Y ears
S ummer 1998
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The OfThe OfThe OfThe OfThe Of ficial P ublication of the ficial P ublication of the ficial P ublication of the ficial P ublication of the ficial P ublication of the
Diocese of the WDiocese of the WDiocese of the WDiocese of the W D iocese of the West of theest of theest of theest of theest of the
OrOrOrOrOrthodox Churthodox Churthodox Churthodox Churthodox Church in A mericach in A mericach in A mericach in A mericach in A merica.....
Diocese of the West650 Micheltorena StreetLos Angeles, CA 90026Phone: 1-800-323-6921
PublisherHis Grace Bishop TIKHON
Bishop of San Francisco and
the Diocese of the West
Editor-in-ChiefPriest Eric G. Tosi
Address all stories and
editorial comments to:
14 Shadow Place
Billings, MT 59102Phone and Fax: (406)254-1194
Email: [email protected]
Address all circulation
and advertising to:
Office of the Chancellor
5400 Annie Oakley Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89120
Phone: (702)898-4800
Fax: (702)898-0303
The Orthodox Vision is published three times
a year by the Diocese of the West. It is free to
all parish members and outreach within the
Diocese. Subscriptions outside the Diocese
is available for $10 per year in the United
States and $15 per year in Canada.
The articles contained herein do not neces-
sarily reflect the views or policies of the Dio-
cese or the editors. The advertisements con-
tained herein are not necessarily endorsed
by the Diocese or Editorial Staff.
I n T his I ssueI n T his I ssueI n T his I ssueI n T his I ssueI n T his I ssueVVVVVolume 3, N umber olume 3, N umber olume 3, N umber olume 3, N umber olume 3, N umber
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F rF rF rF rF rom H is Grace B ishop TI K H ONom H is Grace B ishop TI K H ONom H is Grace B ishop TI K H ONom H is Grace B ishop TI K H ONom H is Grace B ishop TI K H ON
I am an Orthodox Fundamentalist
Over the past decade, the volume of public discourse among the
Orthodox, mostly but not only in America and Western Europe, has
risen to such high levels as to become what I call spiritual deafen-
ing. Our fundamental Gospel teachings, our doctrinal definitions,
our ethics and morality, even our liturgical life are rather straightfor-
ward, edifying, in essence: salvific. Our public discourse should be,
given the vision of the Church that has been passed on to us, the
Holy Tradition, a clear proclamation of the Good Tidings and Beati-
tude Commandments, full of the Kingdom and the outpouring of
love based on a life of prayer, fasting, and alms-giving in todays
terms. Within this discourse, the canons and Church discipline, are
clearly the servants of the Churchs mission, not salvific in them-
selves, but insuring the decency and good order that makes the
full proclamation of the Gospel possible.
But in the present climate, the discourse falls far short of what it
should be and too often becomes simply ideological combat a farcry from spiritual warfare. But in this present climate, ideology is
everything, and for ideology to thrive and flourish there must be
ideologues: those skilled in debate, argument, hurtful combat, even
school spirit rather than allegiance to the Holy Spirit the Heav-
enly King.
Decades ago, a group of Protestants drew up a list of a certain
minimum fundamentals of doctrine to which one must subscribe in
order to be considered a real Christian. These fundamentals in-
cluded, among other things, Biblical inerrancy, the Virgin Birth, Bodily
Resurrection of Christ, and seven days of Creation. Those that held
to those fundamentals listed with any degree of strength and tenac-
ity were termed Fundamentalists. Thats the origin of our wordFundamentalist.
What would a fundamentalist be outside that well-defined, tradi-
tional category? It seems to me that a fundamentalist would have to
adhere to some other kind of list of basic teachings by which one
might identify a real member of a given group. What then would
an Orthodox Fundamentalist be?
It seems to me that any list of Orthodox Fundamentals would have
to include the Symbol of Faith, the Holy Gospels, the Ten Com-
mandments, the Doctrinal statements of the Ecumenical and Local
Councils and of the Fathers approved by them. One might find
summaries of these Orthodox Fundamentals in the office of Receiv-ing Heretics in the Orthodox Church as printed in Hapgoods Ser-
vice Book, and also in the Confession of Faith that are made by
Orthodox hierarchs on the eves of their Consecrations. In that
sense, I believe that any hierarch that is zealously and with tenacity
holding to all those points he confessed, must be an Orthodox Fun-
damentalist. However we are not governed so much by such rea-
sonable definitions as we are governed and definedby the media,
and those that consider anyone at all that is more zealous about
religion or anything else as they are as the Enemy.
Thus an Orthodox monas-
tic belonging to a commu-
nity that eschews fasting
from meat year round would
consider other communities
that do fast from meat year
round to be Orthodox Fun-
damentalists, and by that
is meant unreasoning and
unreasonable fanatics,
probably prone to violence.
That, of course, I am not, but
there is no rationality what-
soever in any discourse
that labels those who are unreasoning, unreasonable, irrational, fa
natical and violent as Fundamentalists. I suppose that, with refer
ence to Islam and the idea of Holy War or jihad with which the
Western European crusaders infected it, some violent Islamic sects
are fundamentalist, but only with regard to their fundamental con-
fession of the virtue of violence.
Fundamentalist.this truly innocent term has lost all meaning in
public discourse. It has become a bludgeon with which to bea
down opponents when rational discourse or arguments are want-
ing. Only one word is more misused than Fundamentalist, and
that is Uncanonical. Basically, canonical in terms of real usage
now means I, me, mine, us and ours. Uncanonical in terms o
real usage means they and theirs. The canons themselves in such
discourse are missing or irrelevant. Thus, the discourse (or lack o
it) between ROCOR and OCA over the years has been notable for
this peculiarity: both base their canonicity not on any canon a
all, but on their own interpretation of an official instruction of the
then Patriarch of Moscow, Saint Tikhon!! (And each very notablyrecognizes the canonicity of the others ordinations whether to
Diaconate, Presbytery or Episcopate!)
Often the word canonical is used to disguise something on which
the canons are completely silent: such as the method of transfer of
laity from parish to parish. I have even read a relatively long opin
ion from the canonical point of view on that topic that carefully
managed to avoid mentioning any canons at all! This low level of
discourse is not only a matter of hierarchical conversations and
dialogue/dispute; it has now filtered down to the basic parish level
What young matron or teenage girl that wears a cloth on her head in
Church is not now liable to be labeled a Fundamentalist? WhaPriest that tries to do away with pews is not labeled a Fundamental
ist by those holding to congregationalist ideology? What abou
Fasting? What about going to spoken Confession before a priest?
What about a priest that prays his rule every Saturday night or
Sunday morning? What about a priest that is never off-duty or
never tries to conceal that he is a priest? To do good and to
communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices, God is well
pleased. What sacrifices are we prepared to make with Joy?
@TIKHONBishop of San Francisco and the Wes
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Orthodox Missions in the WestA Look at the Amazing Growth in the Diocese Over the Past Ten Years
by Peter Schwalbenberg
Imagine it this way: It is aSeptember morning in the
gulf of Alaska. A small
boat approaches the shore,
carrying six monks, whose
eyes are scanning the trees
for the school and cells they
had been promised. As the
boat grinds up on the
beach, they put out a hand
to grasp the gunwale and
steady themselves, andtheir eyes are still scanning
the trees. First one leg goes out into the cold water, so
like Valaam, then another, and the monks climb up the
beach towards the trees, grateful to be on ground at last.
They disappear into the trees. They never find the school
and cells they had been promised, for the promoter of
their expedition, the energetic Shelikov, was quite proud
of getting the monks to come at all, and then found that
he had other more important things to do than keep his
glowing promises to them. What did the monks do? Theybuilt the school and cells themselves. They found local
people who heard the good news and gathered with them
into a Eucharistic community. They planted the Ortho-
dox faith in the new world.
This story has been repeated with different faces in dif-
ferent places all over America, and in our days the dedi-
cation and perseverance of missionaries who work with
what they find is still planting the Orthodox faith. Espe-
cially in the Diocese of the West in the past several years,
the dedication of missionaries and the response of peopleto Gods word which they bring has founded many mis-
sions and revived others. More and more of the faithful
are involved in this work all the time.
Just this year a new mission community formed in Bozeman
Montana. Families who made the 2-hour drive to St.
Nicholas in Billings, MT formed a nucleus, and now there
are 20 people in the Bozeman community worshipping
with Fr. Eric Tosi . In Merced, Fr. David Thatcher has
rallied the mission, whichlike too many of our mis-
sions, had lost a pastor to a
sudden illness. Its a hard life
Famous missionaries are no
strangers to the west. St
INNOCENT, Enlightener of
Alaska, came to Fort Ross
and the San Francisco Bay
area in 1836. The only mis-
sions there were run byFranciscans, with whom he
talked at length, using the Latin he had learned in semi-
nary. St. TIKHON, later Patriarch of Russia, was Bishop
in San Francisco until he moved the see to New York in
1905.
In our times, mission work milestones begin with the
founding of the mission in Encino, CA in 1955 by Fr
Sergei Glagolev. Given the Great Russian character o
the Diocese of the West at the time, this mission was adeparture in that it was conceived as community whose
services would be in the English language. This mission
is now a parish of 150 members. Many missions have
followed this pattern. Notable, is St. Paul in Las Vegas
NV which was founded by Archimandrite Nikolai
(Soraich) and is now our largest community at 300 fami
lies. St. Michael in Walnut Creek, CA was founded in
1974 and has grown. The church in Las Vegas was dedi-
cated in 1995, the same year as St. John of Damascus in
Poway, CA which also began as an English language mission.
Mission work in the diocese was organized under Met-
ropolitan Vladimir, who was bishop of San Francisco and
Berkeley,1972-1975. In 1986 a Mission Board was
formed to aid the development of missions. It supported
the work of Fr. Alexander Golitsyn, who in the 80s served
the Diocese as a circuit rider. With his station wagon
packed with a folding iconostasis, he tirelessly criss-
crossed the remote and not so remote parts of the Dio-
cese bringing to fledgling communities the sacraments
Holy Apostles Bookstore in Portland
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and services. This tradition survives. Fr. David Fox, starting
a mission in Ashland, OR still carries the entire church in the
back of his car, until the mission can find a permanent home.
Fr. Jonah (Paffhausen) recently was a circuit priest for sev-
eral years, serving missions from Sonora to Chico to Eu-
reka. No one can keep this exhausting pace for long. Now
that Fr. Jonah is acting head of the monastery at St. Eugenes
in Inverness, CA the position is open once again.
Given the vast area of the Diocese of the West, local deans
must play an important part in the life of the Diocese. In
1994 Bishop TIKHON formed the Mission Deanery, to
fosters and oversee communities in the mission field and is
now the largest of the deaneries. Fr. Ian MacKinnon is the
dean. Fr. Ian served in the mission in Santa Maria, CA and
is now at Exaltation of the Holy Cross Mission in Sacra-mento, CA. In 1995 there were 11 missions in deanery.
Since that time, there have been added 10 new missions,
and four missions have graduated in status and become
members of the local deaneries. The total of missions now
is 17. In November of 1995, Bishop TIKHON called to-
gether a Mission Board to help Fr. Ian in planning and ad-
ministration for the missions. The 10 member board of clergy
and laity brings together years of experience in mission work.
The Orthodox Church in Americas Mission Unit has been
generous in helping missions in the Diocese. St. Innocent in
Fremont, CA and St. Nicholas in Billings, MT received mis-
sion planting grants. These grants are designed to pay part
of the salary for a priest during the critical time in a missions
life when a full time priest can take it to a whole new level.
For both of these missions, the grants were essential in weath-
ering the hardships of losing their pastors and finding a new
one. Both parishes are now financially stable, led by effec-
tive pastors and growing well. The Orthodox Christian Mis-
sion Center, a pan-Orthodox agency supporting foreign mis-
sions, and on which Archimandrite Nikolai serves, has be
gun to take an interest in domestic missions.
The Mission Deanery sponsors an annual retreat, which pre
sents speakers on the Church and the spiritual life, and give
participants a chance to talk about and learn about life in the
missions. Past speakers have been Bishop BASIL
(Rodzianko), Fr. Daniel Sichiu on ministry to the sick, Fr
John Chakas on the spiritual life, Fr. Stephen Meholick on
liturgical life, author Collette Janopolos on converting from
Mormonism. These retreats have been so enthusiastically
received that the deanery wants to invite members of all dean
eries. The next annual retreat will be in Burlingame, CA (20
minutes south of San Francisco) and will feature Fr. Thoma
Hopko as the speaker.
The Mission Deanery has been a host deanery for whole
parishes joining the Diocese, such as Holy Apostles in Port
land and Annunciation in Milwaukie, OR. These two parishes, and Annunciation Mission in Santa Maria, CA and S
George in Hesperia, CA, this year graduated from the Mis
sion Deanery and joined the local deaneries. Fr. Lawrence
Russell from Annunciation in Santa Maria and Fr. Matthew
Tate from Annunciation in Milwaukie have generously agreed
to continue to serve on the Mission Board. Fr Lawrence
has been a leader in the Mission Boards mentoring program.
Hesperia was the last of three missions founded by
Fr. John Schreiber of blessed memory. Fr. John la
bored tirelessly for missions in this and other Diocesesand is greatly missed. The Mission Deanery has also
provided suppor t for Sts . Peter and Paul in
Phoenix,where Archimandrite Gabriel (Cooke) serves
In return, one of the parish leaders serves on the Mis
sion Board. Fr. Rodion Pfieffer is the chaplin at th
Whole Life Foun
dation in Phoenix
a halfway house
Between Phoenix
and Las Vegas lie
Lake Havasu
AZ, a mission tha
now is finishing it
building program
The new missions in
Sonora is served
by Fr. Tom Renfree
Fr. Lawrence Russell in Santa Maria
Bible Study in Fremont With Fr. Leo Arrowsmith
See Missions on p. 1
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MANY THANKS TO O.S.W. MEMBERS!
It is with heartfelt gratitude that we recognize the following individuals and parishes for their kind and generou
support of the Diocese of the West. All those here listed have contributed or pledged $100 or more to assist in th
important work of the Diocese and have therefore been enrolled as members of Orthodox Stewards of the West.
Would you like to join their ranks and help those helped by the Diocese? If so, please complete the form below and retur
it to the Office of the Chancellor as soon as possible. Your charity makes a difference. It enables our Church to expan
and enrich its ministry throughout the western United States and to properly care for those in need. God bless you and a
our stewards for responding to this most important call with faith and with love!
S t. A nnes Orthodox Church A gnes R entz VR EV Gregory S zyrynski M /M Oscar A bdoulah
M /M Jospeh K urowski M /M M ark L innehan R EV Gregory S afchuk K . S akovich
VR EV K irill H artman I rene K oulichkov M arold H omyak L os A ngeles Orthodox Club
M /M Eugene N owik M aha A dranly Jospeh Vranesh L ois H erring
M /M R obert B liss S isterhood H VM C athedral Thomas B orer M /M M ike K aymonacky
N atalie Vasilev M /M Victor Gromadski M /M N icholas P opsuy M ary C aetta
S t. A ndrews Orthodox C hurch M /M K evin D orning M /M C onstantine C hekene M /M J amie C ampbellM /M L eon S nyder M /M Joseph Eurich Vera Wasacz M adeleine de S omov
A lexia P opov M /M D ennis S eitz D . S ekella M /M A nthony D yl
S t. B arabara M onastery M /M N icholas Work M /M A lexander Teshin D N P aul Erickson
J ames Evangeline H oly A postles M ission M /M P eter R adjenovich R EV D avid B rum
M /M P aul K opcha M /M Thomas K vamme C armine D onaruma D N D avid F abula
M arina B eld J oanna F ortnoy Genvieve Essa M /M L eo Gregory
A lexander K haritonoff George K senick M /M J oseph D uncan Edith K aplan
S t. H erman Orthodox C hurch D raginja S urbatovich S vetlana Thompson C arolyn K imberly
M /M J ospeh M erculieff VR EV B oris S ymeonoff M /M R obert H ughes VR EV I an M acK innon
M /M D avid H ooper M /M H ennok S oot M /M P eter S chwalbenburg M /M Johann M orse
George A rtemoff M /M Erik Worth R EV D aniel J ones B arbara Owens
M /M R ichard Jaeger R EV J ohn A nderson VR EV Eugene Tarris I van P ouschine
S t. P aul Orthodox C hurch Theodore L app J ulia A zrael A R C H N ikolai ( S oraich)L illian H asko K ay B uchanan M /M B lair B ody R EV P aul Waisanen
N ina H artwell Our L ady of K azan S kete S arah Oftedal N adine Wood
B ill M acrides H elen K ulina M /M A lex P rescop D aniel S ekella
M /M C arl S echrist N ikola M aslov R EV Eric G. Tosi
O.S.W. MEMBERSHIP FORM
Please enroll me/us in Orthodox Stewards of the West as one of the following:
[ ] Sustaining Member ($100 per year) [ ] Standard Bearer ($500 per year) [ ] Torch Bearer ($1,000 per year)[ ] Lifetime Member ( $10,000 one-time gift or $25,000 bequest by will or trust)
Contribution Plan (Please select one.)
[ ] The full amount of my pledge is enclosed.[ ] I will be sending in the full amount of my pledge by ____/____, 1998.[ ] I will be making monthly installments beginning ____/____, 1998.[ ] I will be making quarterly installments beginning ____/____, 1998.
Please make checks payable to the Diocese of the West and mail to: The Office of the Chancellor, Diocese of the West c/o St. Pau
Orthodox Church, 5400 Annie Oakley, Las Vegas, NV 89120. THANK YOU!
4
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While Barbara took the little children outside I tried to
do something about the fire, but when I kicked open the
door to the room, the smoke and heat were too horrible
I joined my son who was trying to save the sacred items
from the main altar (hemanaged to evacuate
an amazing number of
holy things)...before
the main church was
filled with smoke... We
expected the whole
church and the at-
tached rectory to be
gone. I didnt believe
the fire could be con-
tained and stopped.
See Fire on p. 12 Smoke pours out of Bell Tower
The celebration of the Great and Holy Pascha was tem-
pered at Holy Trinity Cathedral in San Francisco when a
fire broke out that morning. It is reported that the fire
started around 6:00 AM following the Paschal evening
service. A member of the parish was cleaning the kitchen
and bringing items to his car when he noticed flames
shooting out of the basement window. He awoke Fr.
Viktor and his family who called the fire department.
Fire Breaks Out at Holy Trinity CathedralBy Priest Eric G. Tosi
Diocesan Council Holds Spring Meetingby Erik K. Worth
The Diocesan Council met on Monday May 11th, 1998 at
the Diocesan Office in San Francisco for one of its regular
quarterly meetings to conduct Diocesan business. His Grace,Bishop TIKHON presided at the meeting. Bishop TIKHON
reflected that there are several problems being addressed
right now, and that having problems is a sign that we are
moving ahead and making progress. He thanked
Archimandrite Nikolai (Soraich), our Chancellor, for the
many hours spent traveling to over ten different locations in
our Diocese in service the flock over the last few months.
Mrs. Mary Caetta, our Diocesan Treasurer, reported that
the diocese is financially doing very well right now. Sheindicated that in past years the Diocese has had a diffi-
cult time meeting its appeal income objectives, however
due to an increased focus on stewardship this year, we
have already achieved our 1998 objectives.
Mrs. Natalie Teshin and Archpriest Joseph Hirsch re-
ported on the activities of the Metropolitan Council. Mrs.
Teshin reported that work is needed on the Chancery
buildings and that a study was initiated to plan for re-
pairs and the continued maintenance of the OCA facilities
She reported that the next All-American Council meeting is
scheduled for July 1999 in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Shealso indicated that the OCA administration is trying to dea
with a decline in the reported membership of our parishes
It is felt that this decline is merely a paper decline and not
an actual decline in membership, however, it has had a sig-
nificant impact on the income of the OCA administration
Mrs. Teshin also related that St. Valdimirs Seminary has
reported a lower student entry rate and the OCA is experi
encing a clergy shortage (even though the Diocese of the
West is not experiencing this shortage). Fr. Joseph reported
that a study is under way to see how the OCA can increaseenrollment in the clergy life insurance program. The pro-
vider needs a higher participation level to make sure the
plan is secure for the future. Fr. Joseph also reported
that the clergy pension plan is healthy.
Archpriest Ian MacKinnon indicated in his report on the
Las Vegas Mission Deanery that four parishes have trans-
ferred into their geographical deanery: Annunciation inSee Council on p. 12
Fire Trucks at Holy Trinity
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YTD Performance Against the Budget as of May 28, 1998
Jan-Dec 98 Budget % of BudgetOrdinary Income/Expenses
Income
Appeals 16,434.37 15,210.74 108.0%
Chancellor Salary Support 12,500.00 30,000.00 41.7%
DPA 70,662.52 154,000.00 45.9%
HVM Stipend Payments 2,500.00 6,000.00 41.7%
Interest 111.60 130.00 85.8%
Long Beach Parish 10,000.00
Pass Through Income 59,194.39
Saints of America Sales 96.00
Total Income 171,498.88 205,340.74 83.5%
Expenses
Appeal Expenses 1,679.00 1,000.00 167.9%
Bookkeeping 1,250.00 3,000.00 41.7%
Charities 0.00 1,000.00 0.0%
Deaneries 2,500.00 7,200.00 34.7%
Department of Communications 217.41 3,204.00 6.8%
Diocesan Outreach to Refugees 0.00 1,000.00 0.0%
DOW Bishops Cemetery Maintenance 0.00 300.00 0.0%
Employee Benefits 4,386.76 11,939.64 36.7%
Gifts 350.00
History & Archives 0.00 100.00 0.0%
Insurance 2,063.00 2,000.00 103.2%
Late Vocations Program Support 0.00 1,000.00 0.0%
Mission Board Repayment 5,940.00 2,256.00 263.3%
Missions 8,335.00 20,000.00 41.7%
Music Department 0.00 1,000.00 0.0%
OCA Liturgical Donation 200.00 200.00 100.0%
Office Supplies and Expenses 369.75 2,800.00 13.2%
Pass Through Expenses 62,190.20
Patriarch Athenogoras Institute 0.00 1,000.00 0.0%
Payroll Expenses 42,510.80 102,025.84 41.7%
Payroll Taxes 1,836.18 4,223.26 43.5%
Personal Assistance Program 0.00 2,000.00 0.0%
Postage 447.24 1,000.00 44.7%
Property Taxes 251.32 500.00 50.3%
Saints of America Booklets 2,991.15
Secretarial Stipend 5,000.00 12,000.00 41.7%
Telephone 1,284.18 3,592.00 35.8%
Travel 8,481.28 16,250.00 52.2%
Unbudgeted Expenses 1,512.00
Workmans Comp. 0.00 750.00 0.0%
Youth 500.00 4,000.00 12.5%
Total Expenses 154,295.27 205,340.74 75.1%
Net Ordinary Income 17,203.61 0.00 100.0%
Net Income 17,203.61 0.00 100.0%
Diocesan Financial Reportby Mary Caetta, Diocesan Treasurer
I welcome this opportunity to present to you one of the four
monthly reports submitted to the Diocesan Council. This re-
port is called the Year to Date Performance Against Budget.
You will see in the first column the operating income and ex-
pense categories. In the second column, you will see the amount
we have received or spent in these categories from January 1,
1998 through May 28, 1998. The next column lists the bud-
geted amounts that were approved at the last Diocesan As-
sembly. The last column shows how much of the budgeted
amount we have received or spent.
The good news is that we have received more from steward-
ship than was budgeted! It was a great relief to have that
added income, since we were running very low at the begin-
ning of the year. The added appeal expenses were more than
compensated for by additional income. Currently we stil
expect an additional $3,000 in stewardship pledges to be forth-
coming.
Because of income from the Long Beach Parish mortgage
we were able to make a lump sum payment to the Mission
Board. We are making headway in repaying the funds bor-
rowed from the Mission Board to pay for the Patriarchal visit
a few years ago.
The bottom line is that income to date of $171,498.88 versus
expenses of $154,295.27. I wish to thank those parishes who
promptly sent in their 1997 annual report and membership
numbers. This year I even received some via electronic mail
What progress we have made in the last five years.
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Fourteen clergy wives from throughout the Diocese of
the West gathered in Las Vegas, May 1 through 3, for
their first annual retreat. Held
within the context of the Pas-chal season, the retreat provided
the assembled presenters and
women an opportunity to be-
come acquainted and to con-
template their roles in the
Church. Archpriest Ian
MacKinnon and Matushka Joan
Rhodes directed the event. It
was clear to all participants that
it was an inspiring event.
Introductory remarks were made by Fr. Ian concerning
the role of the Matushka in parish life and his observa-
tions from visiting parishes throughout the mission field.
Presentations to the assembled wives were made by
Mother Cassiana of the Protection of the Holy Virgin
Orthodox Monastery in Lake George, Colorado and
Priest Lawrence Russell of Annunciation parish in Santa
Maria, California.
Mother Cassiana provided an inspiring view of the role
of the Matushka. Using the example of the Theotokos,
she highlighted those unique attributes of women in the
spiritual life. Noting that the life of the Matushka is one
of service to God, she provided some suggestions for
deepening our understanding of our role as a support to
our husbands priesthood. She urged the Matushki to
find ten minutes each day for quiet reflection and prayer.
Her presentation was concluded with a discussion of those
aspects of the spiritual life that maintain growth in Christ.
Diocese Holds Clergy Wives Retreat in Las VegasBy Matuska Elizabeth Lien
Fr. Lawrences presentation, Women and the Salvation
of the World, focused upon the role of women through
the example of the Theotokos
Her role as protectress washighlighted through inspiring
readings from various sources
Mother Cassiana further devel-
oped this theme in her subse-
quent talks. She urged retreat
participants to pray the
Paraklesis (a canon to the
Theotokos) at least weekly.
St. Paul the Apostle Orthodox
Church in Las Vegas wasgracious host to the clergy wives. Following Grea
Vespers, Archimandrite Nikolai (Soraich) hosted a dinner
for the retreat participants. Sunday Liturgy was observed a
St. Pauls after which the women of the parish hosted a
brunch. An informal gathering concluded the retreat at the
home of Deacon Paul and Julia Erickson.
Many of the participants commented on the spiritual lift
received as the most outstanding feature of the retreat.
It provided the clergy wives with an opportunity to come
together to learn to support one another and to share
resources, insights and experiences in our calling to serve
God. It was clear that though there are many differences
in our parishes, we all face similar challenges. The in-
sights shared by the seasoned clergy wives were invalu-
able for those less experienced. One participant summa
rized the retreat as a fantastic blessing! A committee
was formed to plan the next retreat and it is hoped that
more clergy wives will attend next year.
Clergy Wives Gather in Las Vegas
Tarzana Mourns Lossof Choir DirectorBy Nina Kirsanoff
It is with deep regret that we
of St. Innocent Orthodox
Church announces the passing
of our beloved parishioner,
Subdeacon Eugene S. Geeza
on May 3, 1998.
Gene was the youngest of six children born to The Very
Reverend Theodore and Mary Geeza. Among his four
surviving siblings is His Grace Bishop BORIS (Geeza)
retired Bishop of Chicago, now residing in Southern
California. He served as a choir director at St. Innocen
for many years. He was adamant about singing in En
glish as the Orthodox Church became more fluent. He
retired as choir director for the third time in 1994, and
despite his failing eyesight, was looking forward to the
possibility of directing again.
May His Memory Be Eternal!
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St. Nicholas Church in Portland Consecratedby Jan Bear
St. Nicholas Celebrates the New Church
Parishioners and friends from around the country gath-
ered here on June 13 for the consecration of the new St.Nicholas Church. His Beatitude Metropolitan
THEODOSIUS celebrated the Liturgy of consecration
in a packed church on Sunday morning, along with 17
priests, 6 deacons, 4 subdeacons and a gaggle of altar
servers. Priest George Gray is the rector of the 150
member parish. Archimandrite Nikolai (Soriach) Chan-
cellor of the Diocese represented His Grace Bishop
TIKHON who was prevented from attending due to
medical problems. He sent His archpastoral blessings.
Protopresbyter Robert Kondratick, Chancellor of theOrthodox Church in America and Priest John Pierce, Dean
of the Northwest Deanery were among the honored
guests of local and visiting clergy. Members of the Port-
land area Orthodox parishes joined in the celebration as
well as delegations from Wikeson, Tacoma and Seattle.
The $400,000 church which was completed in 1996 was
designed by Archpriest Alexis Vinogradov of Wappingers
Falls, N.Y. Built to be faithful to traditional Orthodox
architecture and to fit with the design ethos of the Pa-
cific Northwest, it is the first Orthodox church in the
Portland metropolitan area designed and built with spe-
cifically Orthodox architecture. The new church received
an award of excellence from the Portland chapter of the
American Institute of Architects.
The consecration celebration began with Vespers on Fri-
day after which His Beatitude toured with groups of
people throughout the church explaining the symbolism
of the consecration rite that would take place.
The rite of consecration involved the reception of the saints
relics into the church, completion of the building of the altar
the washing and vesting of the altar and the chrismation of
the walls of the church itself. Immediately following the con-secration there was a hierachical Divine Liturgy as a fullfillment
of the consecration.
Parishioners did most of the handicrafts in preparation
for the event. The altar and iconostasis were built by
wood craftsman Lee Frazier. The altar is made from
alder, a tree that commonly grows along the stream beds
in the Northwest. Irene Humphrey sewed the vestments
for the altar. Heather McKean, a nationally known ico-
nographer who has become a member of the parishthrough her long works on the frescoes of the church,
has written the Communion of the Apostles, the
Theotokos for the sanctuary and Christ Pantocrator which
will be placed in the central dome of the nave. She will
also paint the icons for thr iconostasis and the walls.
St. Nicholas parish originated in 1895 when
Archimandrite Sebastion Dabovich, the first Orthodox
priest born in the contentantal United States passed
through on a mission trip from San Francisco to Seattle
He celebrated the Liturgy for 12 Serbs, Aleuts, Arabsand Russians. Parishioners later built a small church in
what is now southeast Portland. In the 1920s they bought
a church in northeast Portland and placed a cupola on
the steeple. This church is now a landmark in that par
of town. In 1979, the parish bought land in southwes
Portland and prepared to build a new church. The parish
celebrated its first Pascha in the new building in 1996.
His Beatitude Consecrates the Altar of St. Nichola
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St. Innocent MissionarySociety Formedby Priest Lawrence Russell
The Diocese of the West has a new society, one which
focuses on missions and missionary labors. The creationof the St. Innocent Mission Society is the latest in a se-
ries of Diocesan decisions to provide greater focus on
Diocesan missions and missionary labors. The society
invokes as its patron the sainted 19th century Russian
missionary to America, Innocent whose fiery, apos-
tolic love and zeal led him to organize a similar society in
Russia to respond to growing missionary opportunities.
We will come back to the Society later on. Let us first
briefly address some particulars about our growth and
opportunities. There is no doubt that both our Dioceseand our missionary possibilities are growing. Consider
the following. In just eight years, thanks be to God, the
number of missions has grown from nine to twenty one,
with an overall increase in the number of parishes and
institutions in the Diocese of the West of over 25%. This
growth happens to correspond with the fact that during
the last fifteen years the population of the ten states in
our Diocese has grown, on average, by about 20%.
When, however, we consider that the 20% increase means
one in five Americans, roughly 50,000,000 souls, nowlive in our Diocese, we begin to realize the magnitude of
our missionary task and responsibility: The harvest truly
is plenteous (Matt.9:37).
We are now in a historically unique position to gather
the fruits of over two hundred years of apostolic work in
our land. Virtually all objective, preparatory criteria of
St. Innocents program for bringing Orthodoxy to conti-
nental America have been or are now being fulfilled (see
Alaskan Missionary Spirituality, pg. 251-2). Especially
notable is the fact that the Service books (not to mentionthe writings and lives of the Saints) are now available in
their entirety in the English language. While pondering
this spiritually fruitful and arduous accomplishment, the
words of another missionary saint came to mind: Na-
ked, indeed, are all nations without their own books.
Who, being without arms, cannot fight the adversary of
our souls and are ripe for the dungeon of eternal tor-
ments (Prologue to the Gospels, by St. Cyril, Apostle
to the Slavs).
Now, back to the Society. The charter of the Societyis the
same as that of its Russian predecessor: namely, prayer
united effort and financial support, in that order. A contem-
porary Orthodox theologian has observed that preaching
Christ is not a Christian commercial, it implies love for
those to whom the message is directed, and love means
self-giving, not simply giving something (Witness to the
World, pg.188). With the help of God, the St. InnocenMission Society hopes to provide a greater means for self-
giving. We hope to bring together greater participation in
the work of intercessory prayer, a more focused and united
usage of our God-given talents and increased financial re-
sources with which to work. Based on the generous re-
sponse at our inaugural membership drive (held at a recent
Mission Deanery retreat), it appears that many in our Dio-
cese are looking for just such a vehicle for missionary work
Beginning this Fall, members of the Diocesan Mission
Board will be traveling parish to parish with a slide pre-
sentation on the work of the Society. The presentation
will provide you with information about membership
plans for the advancement of the Societys work, and
how membership revenues will be expended. We hope
you will join us in this God-given task. For those of you
who would like to join, please fill out the enclosed card
I would like to join the St. Innocent MissionarySociety and support the works of the Diocese
in the missionary field.
Levels of Support
qCharter Member..................................$2,500qSustaining Member...................$500 per yearqSupporting Member..................$250 per yearqStudent Member.........................$50 per year
Name:____________________________Address:__________________________City:___________State:_____Zip:______Phone:___________________________
Mail to:
St. Innocent Mission Society
P.O. Box 5032Santa Maria, CA 93454
(805)928-7386
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Th e Orthodox V ision
This will seem like a strange way to begin an answer, but,
when my son began Karate lessons, I discovered that there
were a number of ranks in the ancient sport, each of which
was accompanied by its own peculiarly colored belt. Thefirst belt he received was white and these were followed, in
turn, by yellow, green, blue, purple, brown and black. My
son explained that, while the colors might vary from sport to
sport, they derived from the changes in appearance of a
new white belt as it is worn over many years.
The connection with your question is this: the original
church vestments worn by clergy were all white. The
undergarment or STICHARION was and is, simply, The
Robe of Light or baptismal robe. Over this, were worn
the ordinary street clothes of the first through third cen-tury lower social classes. The FELONIAN or PLANETA
was a form of poncho worn over the head. The
DALMATIC or Deacons Sticharion (Named for the
wool of the province of Dalmatia from which it was
woven) was a form of TUNIC or large outer shirt, etc.
We know that special clean clothes of these kinds were
kept at the place of worship, so that the Bishop, Presby-
ters, Deacons and other ministers could be fastidiously
dressed. In time, it seems, these garments would age and
discolor so natural dyes seem to have been used to ren-
der the old gray vestments more seemly. It must be re-
membered that, for most of Church history, most par-
ishes could only afford two or three sets of vestments so,
few if any parishes had all of the possible colors.
The Orthodox service books direct that the brightest
vestments, usually white, should be worn for the highest
festive days and second best sets for lesser feasts. It is
sometimes directed that a dark vestment (dark red, blue,
purple, violet or even brown) should be worn. I under-stand that black did not enter as a liturgical Color until
the reign of Tsar Peter when it may have been imported
from the Roman Catholic color scheme, which had only
become standardized itself after the Reformation. As ar-
tificial dyes made more brilliant colors possible, it was
probably natural that meaning would be attached to the
various colors and that Altar and Analoi covers would
also be made in matched sets.
What Do the Color Changes Mean
In The Church?By Archpriest Joseph Hirsch
Today, most parishes use White for Holy Pascha and the
Pentecost season. Red is normally used for the Holy
Apostles and other Martyrs. Light blue is often used for
feasts of the Holy Theotokos, Green for the Feast of
Pentecost and Sundays following and Dark Blue, Violet
Purple or Black for the Lenten Season. Additionally, Gold
or Red are sometimes used for Autumnal weeks after
Pentecost while many Greek Churches follow the Ro-man practice of wearing Violet for the pre-Christmas fast
and some traditions use Red for the Sunday of the Holy
Cross in Lent and Green for the Sunday of Palms. Bright
Red or Red and White are also not uncommon usage for
Pascha.
In any case, the colors are intended to be evocative of
the theme or mood of the feast or season. White is light
Green is life, Red is blood, Violet is mourning, etc. When
we enter the Temple and see a change in color, it should
be one more lure to draw our attention Godward. I mightadd the note that every Sunday is a Little Pascha and
that White or at least Bright Vestments are always ap-
propriate on Sundays. It is also good to recall that White
is the original color of all vestments. My son reminded
me that the oldest and most venerable teachers of Karate
wear simple white belts. We should also aspire so to pass
through all of the ordeals and trials of this earthly struggle
that, at the end, our garments (Our spiritual robes) may
be White with wear.
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Th e Orthodox V ision
Missions[cont. from p. 3]
an assistant at Holy Cross in Sacramento. Chico now is
served by Fr. Michael Rome. Eureka joined the OCA as
a parish, and Fr. Jonah works with Deacon David Bower
to shepherd the parish. Arcing up from Sonora and Chico
through Eureka brings us to St. Annes in Albany OR,which has been growing solidly for a long time under the
steady care of Fr. Stephen Soot, and to our newest mis-
sion station in Longview, WA. Winner in the farthest
from any other category is Salt Lake City, where Or-
thodox roots go back a surprisingly long way, to Serbian
immigrants in the 1860s. The Salt Lake community is
growing, and is looking for a priest.
The diversity and vitality of our mission communities can
come as somewhat of a surprise to many in the Diocese.
In February of 1998, the Mission Board received Bishop
TIKHONs blessing to found the St. Innocent Mission
Society, which helps our people get more involved in the
work of the missions. Missions mean growing the Dio-
cese and everyone has a stake in this labor and its suc-
cesses. The society aims to keep people aware of what
is happening in the missions so that they can understand,
appreciate and support the work being done. The most
important way to support this work, as St. Innocent him-
self said in founding the prototype mission society in Russia
130 years ago, is to pray for the success of the missions.It is hard and often enough discouraging workOur Lord
himself had surprisingly little success (as St. Innocent
points out)but it is the work the Church is sent to do.
If you would like to know more about the missions,or the St. Innocent Society, please drop a line to St.Innocent Mission Society at P.O. Box 5032, Santa
Maria, CA 93454, or call Fr. Lawrence at (805) 9287386. You can also email Fr. Lawrence [email protected], or Peter Schwalbenberg
at [email protected]. Please do keep the missionsin your prayers daily.
Hesperia Recieves Six Into Churchby Priest Michael Spainhoward
For the new rector, Fr. Michael Spainhoward and the faith-
ful of St. George the Great Martyr Church in Hesparia, CA
Palm Sunday this year was quite special. This small mission
in the high desert of California celebrated not only the Feas
of the Entrance of our Lord into Jerusalem, but also the en-
trance of six people into the Church through the Holy Mys-
teries of Baptism and Chrismation.
Basil and Debra Thomas along with their two daughters
Ann and Bethany first came to St. George out of their
desire to offer to God their familys love and happiness
They wanted to honor the faith of Debras parents who
are Orthodox. Innocent and Irene Campbell, who drivenearly an hour to attend Church, came to Orthodoxy from
a Protestant Evangelical background. They were seek-
ing, as so many have, the faith of the Fathers.
The procession around the baptismal font was a won-
derful experience with the priest, the newly illuminated
and their sponsors forming a complete circle. The words
of the hymn, As many as have been baptized into Chris
have put on Christ. Alleluia. took on a new meaning
for the faithful who witnessed, with many tears in their
eyes, this singular event in the life of a mission. MayGod Grant Them Many Years!
Fr. Michael with the Newly Received Servants of God
The 1998 A nnual D iocesan A ssembly and R etrThe 1998 A nnual D iocesan A ssembly and R etrThe 1998 A nnual D iocesan A ssembly and R etrThe 1998 A nnual D iocesan A ssembly and R etrThe 1998 A nnual D iocesan A ssembly and R etreateateateateatwill be held on Twill be held on Twill be held on Twill be held on Twill be held on Tuesdayuesdayuesdayuesdayuesday , S eptember 22 to F riday , S eptember 22 to F riday , S eptember 22 to F riday , S eptember 22 to F riday , S eptember 22 to F riday , S eptember 25 , S eptember 25 , S eptember 25 , S eptember 25 , S eptember 25
at the M enucha R etrat the M enucha R etrat the M enucha R etrat the M enucha R etrat the M enucha R etreat and Confereat and Confereat and Confereat and Confereat and Conference C enter outside of P orence C enter outside of P orence C enter outside of P orence C enter outside of P orence C enter outside of P ortland, Ortland, Ortland, Ortland, Ortland, Oregonegonegonegonegon
Contact the ChancellorContact the ChancellorContact the ChancellorContact the ChancellorContact the Chancellors Ofs Ofs Ofs Ofs Of fice at ( 702) 898-4800 for details. fice at ( 702) 898-4800 for details. fice at ( 702) 898-4800 for details. fice at ( 702) 898-4800 for details. fice at ( 702) 898-4800 for details.
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Fire[cont. from p. 5]By 7:15 AM the fire department had managed to put the
fire out. In the process they had to break all the doors
and many of the original 1909 stain glass windows. Ap-
parently they came just in time as the old all-wooden
structure was ready to be engulfed in flames. Specialists
have testified that literally 2 minutes later the flames wouldhave covered the remaining structure. If that had happened,
the entire block would have been in jeopardy not just the
church.
Details of the fire are still sketchy. It apparently started
in a small room adjacent to the altar. The room had been
used as a chapel many years ago but was recently con-
verted to a meeting room and storage of liturgical items.
Many of the churchs older and special items were stored
there. Sources confirm that there were neither flammableitems nor electrical cords in the area that could have
started the fire. There is some concern by the authorities
that the fire may have been arson and some one was seen
walking away from the church just before the fire was
noticed. Authorities have called in specialists to investi-
gate.
Initial estimates put the damage at $200,000, however
considering all repair work for the building close to
$500,000 may be needed to spent. The cathedral did
have adequate insurance which may cover a large por-tion of those repairs. In conjunction with this tragedy,
there was a benefit dinner on June 14 at St. Nicholas
Antiochian Orthodox Church in San Francisco to raise
money for the repairs.
Fr. Viktor states thankfully, But God was merciful to
us, and the cathedral survived. We lost the space under
it. Everything is covered with blackness. Our bookstore
is gone and all items in our gift store are uselessBut
we are all alive, as is our beloved cathedralthe next
day we sang the Paschal Vespers and the church was as
full as it is usually on Sundays. With tears we praised the
Resurrection and salvation.
Council [cont. from p. 5]Santa Maria, CA; St. George in Hesperia, CA; Annun-
ciation in Milwaukie, OR; and Holy Apostles in Port-
land, OR. He stated that it is the natural progression for
a mission parish in the Missions Deanery to develop to
the point where it joins its sister parishes in the geographi
cal deanery where it resides. Fr. Ian reported that Mis-sion Deanery held a successful Deanery Retreat in Boul-
der City, NV with over forty-five clergy and faithful in
attendance. In addition, Fr. Ian related the success of
their first Clergy Wives Retreat held in Boulder City, NV
on May 1-3 with fifteen clergy wives in attendance.
Archpriest Michael Regan highlighted two areas of con-
cern in his report on the Pacific Central Deanery: (1) the
Fire at Holy Trinity Cathedral in San Francisco, and (2)
the status of the members of the SS. Peter and PauAntiochian parish (about 350 people) attending at St
Nicholas Orthodox Church in Saratoga, CA.
Fr. Michael reported that the situation at Ben Lomand is
delicate and stressful. His Grace Bishop TIKHON in-
formed the council on measures taken to address this
situation and indicated that it was being resolved at the
highest levels in the OCA and Antiochian Church admin-
istrations. Fr. Gregory Safchuk indicated in his report on
the Pacific Southwest Deanery that the two parishes
brought into the deanery have become a catalyst instill-ing new energy into the deanery.
Fr. John Pierce indicated in his report on the Pacific North-
west Deanery that they are experiencing growth in the
Northwest. The two additional parishes in Oregon (An
nunciation in Milwaukee and Holy Apostles in Portland)
have increased the deanery from three to five parishes
All of the parishes are either renovating, building or land-
scaping. In addition, the deanery parishes are support-
ing a few young missions.
Archpriest Joseph Hirch indicated in his report on the
Rocky Mountain Deanery that the deanery is a healthy
area within the diocese. The deanery has a good sum-
mer camp, holds a series of youth and adult retreats and
activities, and other activities throughout the year. His
Grace Bishop TIKHON encouraged the Diocesan Coun-
cil members to promote the July 4th celebration at Fort
Ross. The next Diocesan Council meeting is scheduled
for August 21st at the Diocesan facility in San Francisco
If you are interested in helping HolyTrinity Cathedral with repairs, please
contact Priest Viktor Sokolov at(415)673-8565
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Th e Orthodox V ision
12
I greet you, beloved brother, on receiving the grace of the priest-
hood. When our souls come in contact with Divine Grace, our usual
hardness is softened, as wax before a flame. Since, I believe, your
soul is also experiencing the same at this sacred and unique moment
in your life, I shall take advantage of this opportunity to exhort youconcerning your new ministry.
....Your flock is composed of Arabs, Greeks and Slavs. For many
years they managed without a priest. Having come here in search of
a living, of their daily bread, perhaps they ponder little over the
Bread of Heaven, the one thing needful (Lk.
10:42). Because of this their hearts have in-
evitably become hardened. And when they
were given spiritual comfort in the person of a
priest, their hearts were perhaps not sufficiently
touched by the sacred flame and did not burn
with love for the Divine. They know that Di-
vine Wisdom has built itself a house amongstthem, too, and sacrificed itself and prepared a
feast, but we must call them by the way and at
the gates and from the tops of the high places
(Prov. 8:2-3); call them to forsake the foolish(Prov. 9:6) and to prefer the knowledge of thedivine to pure gold (Prov. 8:19). Well, shall we
be burdened by this? After all, we are but ser-
vants of Wisdom which sends us out for this
purpose. For this It is sending you now. There-
fore, preach not only to those who thirst, but
try to find those who are not seeking you, re-
veal yourself to those who do not ask for it,
and stretch your arms to the rebellious and dis-obedient (Is. 65:1-2). Others have compassed sea and land to makeone proselyte (Mt. 23:15). Hurry to help, and try to persuade all
those who are cold towards their Mother, the Holy Orthodox Church.
What I have said so far refers to your future external work. But do
not think that you can limit yourself to this. The external may be
sufficient in other vocations, but never in the priesthood, although
there are some pastors who devote themselves wholly to external
works. Beloved brother, did you ever take note of the Saviours
words: Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils?
and...done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto
them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matt.
7:22-23). Is it possible to be a pastor, preach Christ, work wonders
in his Name, and yet not be recognized by the Lord? Yes, it is! Fear
this, lest it be your lot! Remember that the success of ministry de-
pends not so much upon external works as upon spiritual exploits
and the life of grace of the pastor himself. A priest can be a builder
of souls and their guide to Christ only if he builds himself up spiritu-
ally and conscientiously follows the path of Christian self-perfec-
tion. Indeed, it cannot be otherwise, for such is the law of spiritual
life. It is necessary, says St. Gregory Nazianzus, first of all to purify
oneself, and only then purify others; to gain wisdom and then instill
wisdom; to become the light and then illumine. An elder experi-
enced in spiritual life once said: one cannot do more good to an-
other than there is in oneself. Therefore, in order to make you
ministry successful, you must above all see to your own enlighten
ment and purification. The Most Holy Chief Shepherd, Christ Him
self, spent forty days in the desert fasting and praying before begin
ning His ministry to mankind. Thus, looking upon the Chief Shepherd, all true Christian pastors began their ministry with the act o
inner self-perfection.
Now, through the laying on of my unworthy hands, Divine grace
has descended upon you. May it not be in vain (I Cor. 15:10)Quench not the Spirit which you have received
(I Thess. 5:19), but kindle it in every way (ITim. 1:6). I shall tell you in brief some meanto this end. First of all, prayer. As our bodie
cannot live without air, so our souls canno
live without the breath of the Almighty, with
out Divine Grace; and grace is best drawn to
man through fervent prayer to God. St. JohnClimacus, whom we commemorate today, call
prayer the intercession for the gifts of grace
Prayer is the food, power, and strength of the
soul; the air, the light, the life-giving warmth
and heavenly rain which freshens and fertil
izes our souls. In a word, without prayer ther
cannot be real spiritual life, and if prayer is nec
essary for every believer, how much more so i
it for a priest who is there to offer prayers to
God for himself and for the people (Heb. 5:3)
That is why you must pray constantly. Do no
limit yourself to public services, but in the cel
of your home, in quiet and solitude, warm andcleanse your soul with prayer to God.
In order to kindle in yourself Divine Grace make it a practice to read
the Holy Scripture. For the Word of God is a hammer that breaks up
and softens our stony hearts; it is fire that burns out sinful impuri
ties and warms our cold hearts (Jer. 23:29). It is profitable fodoctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteous
ness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished
unto all good works (II Tim. 3:16-17). Therefore study the law o
the Lord...day and night (Ps. 1:2). Make it your rule to read theWord of God daily, and read it with reverent attention. Then wha
seemed to you long ago evident, what earlier did not impress you
greatly, will acquire suddenly a new and great meaning and signifi
cance; it will seem to you that you are hearing it for the first time
your soul will be stirred and your heart will be filled with peace
happiness and compunction.
There is much else I could tell you, but perhaps you are now too
weary to absorb it all. Instead, take the Hierarchical Instructions to
a Newly-Ordained Priest, and by reading it, edify and affirm yoursel
in salvation! And I shall pray to the Lord to make you a good pastor
rightly directing the word of truth.
Translated from R ussian and first published in the H oly Trinity C athedral L I F ETranslated from R ussian and first published in the H oly T rinity C athedral L I F ETranslated from R ussian and first published in the H oly Trinity C athedral L I F ETranslated from R ussian and first published in the H oly T rinity C athedral L I F ETranslated from R ussian and first published in the H oly T rinity C athedral L I F E
Vol. 1, N o. 8, A pril 1994Vol. 1, N o. 8, A pril 1994Vol. 1, N o. 8, A pril 1994Vol. 1, N o. 8, A pril 1994Vol. 1, N o. 8, A pril 1994
ExhorExhorExhorExhorExhortation to a N ew P riest by H is Grace TI K H ON , B ishop of the A leutian I slands and N ortation to a N ew P riest by H is Grace TI K H ON , B ishop of the A leutian I slands and N ortation to a N ew P riest by H is Grace TI K H ON , B ishop of the A leutian I slands and N ortation to a N ew P riest by H is Grace TI K H ON , B ishop of the A leutian I slands and N ortation to a N ew P riest by H is Grace TI K H ON , B ishop of the A leutian I slands and N orth A merica ( the futurth A merica ( the futurth A merica ( the futurth A merica ( the futurth A merica ( the futureeeee
S aint and P atriarS aint and P atriarS aint and P atriarS aint and P atriarS aint and P atriarch of A ll R ussia) at H oly Tch of A ll R ussia) at H oly Tch of A ll R ussia) at H oly Tch of A ll R ussia) at H oly Tch of A ll R ussia) at H oly Trinity Cathedral in S an F rancisco on A pril 9, 1900.rinity C athedral in S an F rancisco on A pril 9, 1900.rinity Cathedral in S an F rancisco on A pril 9, 1900.rinity C athedral in S an F rancisco on A pril 9, 1900.rinity Cathedral in S an Francisco on A pril 9, 1900.
Th e Orthodox V ision
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8/8/2019 Summer 1998 Orthodox Vision Newsletter, Diocese of the West
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