Orthodox ChurchThe

VOLUME 43/NUMBER 5 VOLUME 43/NUMBER 5 VOLUME 43/NUMBER 5 VOLUME 43/NUMBER 5 VOLUME 43/NUMBER 5 NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007 NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007 NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007 NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007 NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007 THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA

Born again... of water and the Spirit

OfficialNo. 482 SEPTEMBER 2007

RECEPTIONSIANCU, The Rev. Ion is canonically receivedinto the ranks of clergy of the Orthodox Church inAmerica by Metropolitan Herman from the Roma-nian Orthodox Church. He is under the omopho-rion of Archbishop Nathaniel and attached to theRomanian Episcopate/ June 28, 2007.NICOLAU, The Rev. Dan is canonically receivedinto the ranks of clergy of the Orthodox Church inAmerica by Metropolitan Herman from the Roma-nian Orthodox Church. He is under the omopho-rion of Archbishop Nathaniel and attached to theRomanian Episcopate/ May 20, 2007.REVENCU, The Rev. Eduard Eugen is canoni-cally received into the ranks of clergy of the Or-thodox Church in America by Metropolitan Hermanfrom the Romanian Orthodox Church. He is un-der the omophorion of Archbishop Nathaniel andattached to the Romanian Episcopate/ June 28,2007.

ORDINATIONSBALANEAN, Deacon Horatiu Cristian was or-dained to the Holy Priesthood by ArchbishopNathaniel of Detroit and the Romanian Episco-pate at SS. Peter and Paul Church, DearbornHeights, MI. He is under the omophorion of Arch-bishop Nathaniel and attached to the RomanianEpiscopate/ September 9, 2007.BEAL, Deacon John was ordained to the HolyPriesthood by Bishop Benjamin of San Franciscoand the West at St. Nicholas Church, San Anselmo,CA. He is under the omophorion of Bishop Ben-jamin and attached to the Diocese of the West/September 23, 2007.RIVERS, Deacon Paul was ordained to the HolyPriesthood by Metropolitan Herman at Three Hi-erarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir's Seminary, Crest-wood, NY. He is under the omophorion of Metro-politan Herman/ September 14, 2007.WASSEN, Gregory was ordained to the HolyDiaconate by Archbishop Seraphim of Ottawa andCanada on behalf of Metropolitan Herman atThree Hierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir's Seminary,Crestwood, NY. He is under the omophorion ofMetropolitan Herman/ September 14, 2007.WILLIAMS, Deacon Jeffrey Ireneaus was or-dained to the Holy Priesthood by Bishop Ben-jamin of San Francisco and the West at Holy Trin-ity/Holy Resurrection Church, Wilkeson/Tacoma,WA. He is under the omophorion of Bishop Ben-jamin and attached to the Diocese of the West/September 9, 2007.

ASSIGNMENTSBALANEAN, The Rev. Horatiu Cristian is ap-pointed assistant priest of SS. Peter and Paul

2 VOLUME 43 5

Church, Dearborn Heights, MI/ September 9,2007.BEAL, The Rev. John is attached to Holy TrinityCathedral, San Francisco, CA/ September 23,2007.IANCU, The Rev. Ion is appointed pastor of theNativity of the Birthgiver of God Church, Laval,QC, Canada/ July 28, 2007.LISENKO, The V. Rev. Alexander is releasedfrom duties at St. Barbara Monastery, Santa Paula,CA and attached to the Monastic Brotherhood andAltar of the Monastery of St. John of Shanghaiand San Francisco, Manton, CA/ September 17,2007.NICOLAU, The Rev. Dan A. is appointed pastorof St. Andrew the Apostle Church, Laval, QC,Canada/ November 10, 2007.PAGE, The V. Rev. Spero, who is retired, is re-leased from attachment to Assumption of the VirginMary Church, Worcester, MA and attached to St.George Cathedral, Boston, MA/ September 14,2007.REVENCU, The Rev. Eduard Eugen is ap-pointed pastor of Holy Confessors of TransylvaniaChurch, Oakville, ON, Canada/ June 1, 2007.RIVERS, The Rev. Paul is attached to ThreeHierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir's Seminary, Crest-wood, NY/ September 14, 2007.ROBICHAU, Deacon B. Peter is released fromduties at Holy Apostles Church, Columbia, SCand from the omophorion of Archbishop Dmitri ofDallas and the South; transferred to the omopho-rion of Metropolitan Herman; and attached to ThreeHierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir's Seminary, Crest-wood, NY/ September 19, 2007.SCHAPLOWSKY, The Rev. Michael is releasedfrom duties at St. Athanasius Mission, SherwoodPark, AB, Canada, and attached to the Bishop’sChapel of St. Silouan the Athonite, Rawdon, QC,Canada/ September 1, 2007.WASSEN, Deacon Gregory is attached to ThreeHierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir's Seminary, Crest-wood, NY/ September 14, 2007.WILLIAMS, The Rev. Jeffrey Ireneaus is at-tached to Holy Trinity/Holy Resurrection Church,Wilkeson/Tacoma, WA/ September 9, 2007.

PARISHESDIOCESE OF THE WEST/ New Name. TheOrthodox Mission, Kona, HI, is renamed St.Juvenal Mission/ September 17, 2007.

Church in America by Metropolitan Herman fromthe Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese of the USA,Canada, and Australia; transferred to the omo-phorion of Bishop Benjamin of San Francisco;and attached to the Diocese of the West/ October25, 2007.TASSOS, The Rev. Michael is canonically re-ceived into the ranks of clergy of the OrthodoxChurch in America by Metropolitan Herman fromthe Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese.He is under the omophorion of MetropolitanHerman/ October 24, 2007.

ORDINATIONSCOATS, Deacon Paul D. was ordained to theHoly Priesthood by Archbishop Nathaniel of De-troit and the Romanian Episcopate on behalf ofMetropolitan Herman at Three Hierarchs Chapel,St. Vladimir's Seminary, Crestwood, NY. He isunder the omophorion of Metropolitan Herman/October 26, 2007.[MENDOZA SEGUNDO], Monk Serafin wasordained to the Holy Diaconate by Bishop Alejo ofMexico City on behalf of Metropolitan Herman atCathedral of the Ascension, Mexico City, Mexico.He is under the omophorion of MetropolitanHerman and attached to the Exarchate of Mexico/May 20, 2007.

ASSIGNMENTSCOATS, Rev. Paul D. is attached to Three Hier-archs Chapel, St. Vladimir's Seminary, Crestwood,NY/ October 28, 2007.GARKLAVS, Deacon Nicholas is released fromduties at Three Hierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir'sSeminary, Crestwood, NY; transferred to the Dio-cese of Washington and New York; and attachedto St. Nicholas Church, Whitestone, NY/ October9, 2007.[MENDOZA SEGUNDO], Hierodeacon Serafinis attached to Mision de la Santa Cruz, Pisaflores,Veracruz, Mexico/ May 20, 2007.SCHETTIG, The Rev. John is attached to theProtection of the Holy Virgin Church, Santa Rosa,CA/ October 27, 2007.TASSOS, The Rev. Michael is appointed trea-surer of the Orthodox Church in America. Healso is attached to St. Sergius of RadonezhChapel, Oyster Bay Cove, NY/ October 24,2007.

RELEASEDTYAPKO, The Rev. George, who was awaitingassignment under the omophorion of Metropoli-tan Herman, is granted a canonical release fromthe ranks of clergy of the Orthodox Church inAmerica to the Russian Orthodox Church Outsideof Russia/ October 18, 2007.

Official to 28

No. 483 OCTOBER 2007

RECEPTIONSSCHETTIG, The Rev. John is canonically re-ceived into the ranks of clergy of the Orthodox

“As many ashave beenbaptizedinto Christ,have put onChrist!”First steps ina life ofmission andministry.

TOPICS

22 Stewardship23 Outreach Ministries24 Exploring Scripture25 Christian Ed26 Chaplaincies

FEATURES

2 Official4 Editorial5 Wisdom11 Chancellor’s Desk30 Communities

Orthodox ChurchThe Orthodox Church [ISSN 0048-2269] ispublished bimonthly by the Orthodox Church inAmerica, PO Box 675, Syosset, NY 11791-0675.

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His Beatitude, the Most Blessed HERMANArchbishop of Washington and New YorkMetropolitan of All America and Canada

Primate of the Orthodox Church in America

Archpriest John MatusiakManaging Editor

Archpriest Leonid KishkovskyEditor

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The InThisIssueVOLUME 43VOLUME 43VOLUME 43VOLUME 43VOLUME 43 55555 NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007

Our Cover

NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007 3

Christ is born! Glorify Him!Christ is born! Glorify Him!Christ is born! Glorify Him!Christ is born! Glorify Him!Christ is born! Glorify Him!5 Attributes of priesthood

Stirring up the gift of God

6 Contemporary Christian ClassicsMetropolitan George Khodr: Even if the world ignores its own heart

7 TheophanyBaptism, mission, ministry

8 The IncarnationThe paradox of God taking on our human nature is at the heart of ourfaith as Orthodox Christians

10 An evening with...The “Gospel of Prosperity” is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

12 OCA News, Notes, Notices• Holy Synod of Bishops, Metropolitan Council, meet• Holy Synod, Metropolitan Council establish special investigative

committee• Preconciliar Commission holds first meeting• Holy Synod issues statement on former chancellor’s appeal• Primate’s announcement of the 15th All-American Council• The convocation of the 15th All-American Council• Fr. Michael Tassos begins treasurer’s duties• Updated diptychs now available on OCA web site• Archbishop Peter of NY/NJ falls asleep in the Lord• Bishop Benjamin installed as ruling hierarch of Diocese of the West• Relics of St. Maxim Sandowicz enshrined at St. Tikhon’s

Monastery

18 Pages from our pastSt. John Kochurov: Missionary and Martyr

27 North America• OCA archivist speaks at celebration marking centennial of the

First All-American Sobor• Participants sought for parish life study• Oriental, Eastern Orthodox hierarchs celebrate 7th annual UN

prayer service

29 World Briefs• Relics thought to be those of St. Olga discovered by archeologists• Primacy focus of Catholic-Orthodox dialogue• Rusyn Society seeks parish histories

Father Leonid Kishkovsky

4 VOLUME 43 5

Editorial

n the aftermath of a high-level and official Catholic-Ortho-dox theological dialogue held in Ravenna, Italy, OctoberI 8-14, 2007, news reports and commentaries described the

results of the meeting as a common agreement that the bishop ofRome has primacy in the universal Church, both East and West.This led some to conclude that the Orthodox participants in theJoint International Commission for Theological Dialogue betweenthe Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church had agreed thatthe Orthodox Churches had submitted to the rule of the Pope. The reality is different – at the same time simpler and morecomplicated. There is, and always has been, an Orthodox consen-sus that the bishop of Rome holds a primacy of honor among allthe patriarchs and bishops of the Christian West and the ChristianEast – when there is no schism between Rome and the OrthodoxChurches. When the unity of the Christian West and the Chris-tian East was lost (approximately in the 11th century), the pri-macy of honor among the Orthodox Churches passed on toConstantinople, where it remains.

Thus, from the Orthodox point of view, the primacy which thebishop of Rome has depends on the full unity of the CatholicChurch and the Orthodox Church. For the Orthodox, unity comesbefore primacy.

Another dimension of the discussion of primacy is the under-standing and definition of the nature of primacy. During thecenturies preceding the separation of the Church of Rome and theEastern Churches, there was not much clarity about the natureand content of the primacy of the bishop of Rome. This lack ofdefinition and clarity was evident both in the Christian East andin the Christian West. One of the causes of the separation be-

tween Rome and the Eastern Churches was the emergence of in-creasingly precise claims and teachings about the authority of thebishop of Rome. The more definite the claims for papal authoritybecame, the less inclined were the Eastern Churches to acceptthese claims. The depth and extent of the claims of papal powersand authority continued to increase after the schism of the 11thcentury, making the restoration of unity more and more difficult.

The title of the Joint Catholic-Orthodox Commission’s state-ment at Ravenna is “Ecclesial Communion, Conciliarity and Au-thority.” It is a good and meaningful development that theolo-gians representing the Catholic and Orthodox churches are re-flecting together on the nature of the Church. Two points havebeen rightly made about the Ravenna meeting. The first point –it is a good and hopeful sign that the Catholic and Orthodoxchurches are able today to affirm together the principle of univer-sal primacy. The second point – the Ravenna statement is a mod-est step, and much remains to be done.

At Ravenna, a dispute between the Churches of Constantinopleand Moscow led to the withdrawal of the Moscow delegationfrom the Ravenna meeting. The occasion for the dispute was thepresence of a delegation from the Estonian Orthodox Church,which is associated with the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Thereis a larger Orthodox Church in Estonia which is associatedwith the Patriarchate of Moscow. Before the Russian Revolutionand after the end of World War II, the Orthodox Church in Estoniawas fully within the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. Theacute dispute over Orthodoxy in Estonia emerged in the 1990s,when part of the Orthodox community in Estonia was acceptedby Constantinople. For a relatively short time, the Patriarchate ofMoscow stopped commemorating the Ecumenical Patriarch, sig-naling a temporary break in communion. What emerged eventu-ally was a tacit peace, with two Orthodox Churches in Estoniaexisting in parallel. From the Moscow point of view,Constantinople’s invitation to one of the Churches in Estoniatransgressed against the status quo.

The withdrawal of the Moscow Patriarchate from the Catho-lic-Orthodox meeting in Ravenna causes awkward complicationsfor the Catholic-Orthodox theological dialogue process. On theone hand, the procedures of this dialogue have acknowledgedthat the absence of one or several Orthodox Churches does notstop the process or invalidate its results. On the other hand, theabsence of the Moscow Patriarchate – the largest Orthodox Church,with many millions of adherents – puts into question the effec-tiveness and practical results of the Catholic-Orthodox dialogue.

Another dimension of the withdrawal of the Moscow Patri-archate from the Ravenna meeting – ironically – shows again thatthere are significant unresolved questions within the OrthodoxChurch. Even as the Catholic-Orthodox statement on “EcclesialCommunion, Conciliarity and Authority” was being composedat Ravenna, the dispute between Constantinople and Moscowdemonstrated that the balance between conciliarity and primacyarticulated in the Orthodox teaching on the nature of the Churchis not easily found in practice.

Primacy theme of Catholic-Orthodox dialogue

Fr. Leonid Kiskhovsky attendsGlobal Christian Forum

The Very Rev.Leonid Kishkovsky[first row, secondfrom left], OCAdirector of externalaffairs, was theOrthodox presenter atthe Global ChristianForum held in Limuru,near Nairobi, Kenya, November 6-9, 2007.

Over 200 representatives of the Orthodox Christian,Roman Catholic, Protestant, evangelical, and othertraditions from over 70 countries attended the forum.

Participants issued a statement in which theypledged to "develop a new awareness and understand-ing of one another” while acknowledging that "differingviews on substantive issues, such as ecclesiology, thescope of evangelism, and mission" still exist.

That’stheSpirit Father Vladimir Berzonsky

I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is inyou.... For God has not given us a spirit of fear,

but of power and of love and of a sound mind.2 Timothy 1:6

Attributes of priesthood

Saint Justin MartyrFormerly He appeared to Moses and tothe other prophets in the form of fire or asa bodiless being; but now, by a Virgin andthe will of the Father, He has become man.

Saint Clement of RomeJesus Christ, for the sake of the lovewhich He had for us and by the will ofGod, gave His blood for us, His flesh forour flesh, and His life for our lives.

Saint AthanasiusHe became man and dwelt bodily in theflesh.... In the body, He experiencedhunger, thirst, suffering, weariness, andthe like.... He bears our sins, so that itmight be revealed that He has becomeman for the sake of us [sinners]....

Saint Cyril of JerusalemMen abandoned God and fashionedimages carved after the human form.Since an image of men was falselyworshipped as God, God became trulyman, so the falsehood might bedestroyed.... The Lord took on our like-ness so that He might give us an evengreater grace, so that sinful mankindmight become a partaker of God.

Saint Ireneaus of LyonsYou will follow the only true and reliableTeacher, the Word of God, Jesus Christ,Our Lord, Who, because of His great love,became what we are so that He mightbring us to be what He Himself is.

NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007 5

ur Church is passing through a crisis of Spirit that has affected so manyfaithful Orthodox Christians. It’s natural to look to our hierarchy andOpriests for leadership and guidance. They might find comfort and inspira-

tion from Saint Paul as he encouraged his disciple Timothy, to the degree that hecalled him his son by adoption. Note the way Saint Paul begins his second letterto Timothy, reminding him of who he is by ordination and the gifts imparted tohim when he had been set apart for the ministry of Christ.

“Stir up the gift of God.” Ignite the fire that brought you to ordination. Recallwhat it felt like to experience the glorious work of the Holy Spirit at that time. It’sstill there; it only needs some poking at the ember of your soul. To be set asidefor a special purpose in the priesthood means that you cannot slip backward intoan ordinary way of life. It’s there, and prayer will revive it. And when the feelingcomes back into your heart, these are the attributes you will rediscover.

• Courage. “God has not given us a spirit of fear.” So many priests have agreat deal to communicate, and they write full of fury and conviction, only tosign their reflections “Anonymous.” They fear exposure, loss of their parish,maybe even their priesthood. Or they grumble in close quarters with trustedcolleagues but do nothing else for the good of the Church. Consider the bravepriests in Russia during the Soviet era of oppression – men who risked their verylives for daring to speak the truth to the tyrants who ruled the nation.

• Power. A real Christian, especially one who has been set apart for sacredoffice, is blessed with the strength to stand tall in the face of any storm ofabuse or threat, not like lobsters in a tub of flour, as the proverb has it. They havebowed their heads and welcomed the yoke of Christ, so that they can shoulderany burden and thank the loving Lord for the confidence He placed in them todo His work here on earth. They have the energy to deal with the sorrows ofthose entrusted to their care. They lead those overwhelmed by grief to hopeand confidence, that God’s plan is being worked out regardless of our inabilityto comprehend and cope with it. The priest can never break down or breakapart.

• Love is the cure for all suffering, anguish, pain, and confusion. Love healsevery wound, alleviates every distress, solves every problem, and wipes awayevery tear. Everyone should be aware that the priest has in his spiritual posses-sion a plentiful and unlimited source of empathy, understanding, comfort, andaffection at his disposal, because the constant supply is renewed by his ongoingaccess to Jesus Christ through his prayers.

• Sound mind. It’s the sensible and sensitive attribute of a true priest whohas self-control never to indulge in anger or panic. Kipling described it thus:“If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming iton you; if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, yet give allowancefor their doubting, too....” We are so fortunate to have as the role model forthese virtues Christ Himself, Who never asked of us something that He was notable to do.

W I S D O Mfrom the Fathers

Metropolitan George Khodr

Even if theworld ignoresits own heartThis article was originally published inSyndesmos News in 1973.

he unity of the Church is not set overT against the unity of the world becausethe Church is not in a relationship of op-position to the created world. She is theicon of what humanity will become. TheChurch is in this respect the meaning ofthe world, its intelligibility, or in the verysignificant expression of Origen in ConraCelsum, the “cosmos of the cosmos.” TheChurch is still the heart of the world, evenif the world ignores its heart. For this rea-son, her life is symbolic in the strongestsense of the term. She recognizes the unityof the world by her own unity, revealedthrough the Spirit until the parousia [“thepresence,” designating the second Com-ing of Christ], when the world and theChurch will be the one spouse of the Lordof glory.

Certainly the world and the Church canbest be seen in an identical destiny of in-volvement, in an historic will to build upthe earth. But the Church, through themysterious bond which ties her to Christ,through the Spirit, Who reveals His plansto her and Who judges history, lives in apermanent tension with the world. Sheherself is the tension of the world. Forthis reason, she is always a thorn in theflesh of history. She proclaims a lightwhich is to come, a Kingdom which is notof this world. She proclaims the hope ofa salvation which is given to her, whichshe awaits in prayer, which she tastes inthe Sacrament, and which is not purely andsimply identified with the energy of menbuilding their own city. The Church isplunged in a bath of eternity which nocommon work of humanity could fullymanifest. Her relation with the end is not a

simple, ascending linear history. Thereis in her a catastrophic dimension, for inthe world of nature a split has appearedwhich only the peace of the Kingdom willheal.

Hence, the quest of the Christian is notultimately identifiable with any otherquest. The Christian is a disturbing ele-ment who questions every settled order,who is more at home in movement than in“establishment.” He demands a constantacceleration of achievement and is, for thisreason, regarded as a corrosive element.This is why he is never accepted by hisown people, by those who have trans-formed struggle into a left-wing or right-wing legalistic system. At the very heartof this theology of communion betweenthe Church and the world there exists anethic of rupture, or at least an ethic of dis-

tance. The Christian has done well to leavethe temple to live out the mediation ofChrist in work, art, and politics. To him, apresence of Christ is revealed in the worldof man, and it is through this cosmicpriesthood, with which the Christian isendued, that all human aspirations to jus-tice and beauty ascend towards the heav-enly temple. He knows that by taking theBody of the Lord, he hears within the wholebody of humanity. He pledges an infinitecompassion for this humanity. And he isready to lose his soul, so that this human-ity may recover its freedom. In this ges-ture, he shakes off from the body of theChurch the dust of the synagogue, its ritu-alistic lethargy, but he is simultaneouslycrucified by the companions of his earthlyloyalty on the Cross of an irremediablesolitude.

VOLUME 43 5

etropolitan George [Khodr] ofM Mt. Lebanon in Lebanon, is a wellknown theologian and one of the inspirersof the renewal of the Orthodox Church inthe Middle East.

Metropolitan George was born inTripoli, Lebanon, in 1923. While studyinglaw in the early 1940s, he was one of thefounders of the Orthodox Youth Move-ment MJO – Mouvement de la JeunesseOrthodoxe – which was active in theestablishment of study groups, outreachto the working class, the opening ofChristian hostels, the renewal of parishlife, and the rebirth of monasticism in theregion. To this day, despite the radicallydifferent political and religious climate inthe Middle east, he and his writingscontinue to inspire a multitude of Orthodox young people. MJO remainsone of the most active movements in Syndesmos, the Athens-based worldfellowship of Orthodox Youth.

In 1952, he completed studies at St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Insti-tute in Paris. Two years later, he was ordained to the priesthood, after whichhe served a parish in Tripoli. He was consecrated to the episcopacy in 1970.

In addition to his pastoral and episcopal ministry, he served as professorof pastoral theology at the University of Balamand’s St. John of DamascusInstitute of Theology and as professor of Arab culture at the LebaneseUniversity. He has been active in the ecumenical movement and in thedialogue with Islam, representing the Patriarchate of Antioch at many pan-Orthodox and ecumenical gatherings.

In 1968, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from St. Vladimir’sSeminary, Crestwood, NY. He also received an honorary doctorate from theFaculty of Protestant Theology in Paris in 1988.

Metropolitan George’s numerous books, articles, and lectures have beenwidely published in many languages.

ContemporaryChristianClassics

How did the early Churchcome to such a conclusion?The foundation of this beliefis found in the Gospels. Ofthe four Gospels, SaintMark’s is considered to bethe first, a sort of “catech-ism” of the faith. Saint Markdoes not mention the birthof Jesus; he presumes thatpeople already knew aboutit. Instead, he begins by de-scribing the preaching ofSaint John the Baptist andby offering an account ofJesus’ baptism. At once,Saint Mark begins to relateJesus’ public ministry – Hisworking many signs andwonders, His healing ofthe sick, and His proclama-tion of good news to thepoor.

For hundreds of years, theChurch continued to cel-ebrate Christ’s baptism asthe feast; only later did thecelebration of His birth over-take it in popular importance,and this occurred more in theWest than in the East. Even today, in the Orthodox Christianliturgical cycle, Theophany is extremely important. Water isblessed. The homes of the faithful are sanctified, manifesting ourconviction that Christ is the Lord and Master of our homes andfamilies. In earlier times, baptism of new members of the Churchtook place on this feast – to this day we sing, “As many as havebeen baptized into Christ have put on Christ” at the festal DivineLiturgy as a reminder of the relationship of Christ’s baptism

InSitesNATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007 7

THEOPHANYBaptism, mission, ministry

n the early Church, the Great Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord – Theophany – was moreimportant than the Great Feast of the Nativity, if for only one reason: the Church thoughtI in terms of Christ’s mission to the world, and that mission obviously began after Jesus’

baptism in the Jordan. His birth was presumed as an historical fact, but what was crucial for theChurch in those early years was the concrete, visible mission of Christ in and to the world, andthis was always associated with His baptism.

to that of each individualChristian. Now, some may ask,what does all this have to dowith our lives? The answeris quite simple: Everything!Remember that, after Jesus’baptism and the manifesta-tion of the Holy Trinity at theJordan River, Our Lord be-gan His mission to the world.Baptism and mission are soclosely related that, in fact,we cannot separate them inJesus’ life. His public minis-try began after He freelychose to be baptized, not asa sinner, but with sinners, inperfect humility. His will-ingness to accept a trulyhumble role suited Christ forHis mission as the Savior. Inthe same way, our Christianbaptism and mission are in-separable. Every baptism isa “little theophany” becausethe priest chrismates oranoints the person with HolyChrism, the “Seal of the Giftof the Holy Spirit.” Con-

firmed as a beloved child of the Father, the newly baptizedindividual’s mission begins, taking on a concrete form in embrac-ing the fullness of truth, in living the life of the Church, in cel-ebrating and accepting the grace of the sacraments and feasts andfasts, and in putting his or her faith into action through works ofmercy and love for others, especially “the least of the brethren.”

In Saint Mark’s Gospel, Jesus’ works relate to specific histori-Theophany to 8

mmediately after His baptism, Jesus Christ initiated HisI mission and ministry. In the Rites of Holy Illumination,we are prepared, in word and action, for our own missionand ministry to and in the world.

In the opening exorcisms, we renounce Satan “and allof his angels, works, service, and pride,” acknowledging our

conviction to turn away from all that is evil and to confessand accept Jesus Christ “as King and God.”

By being anointed with the Oil of Gladness, we openourselves to “the healing of soul and body” and “for thehearing of the faith,” so that we may “walk in Thy command-ments.”

Immersion in the waters of baptism is our personalparticipation in the burial of Christ, after which we are raisedup to begin our new life as members of His Body, theChurch.

Having been clothed in the “robe of righteousness,”we are anointed with Holy Chrism, the “Seal of the Gift ofthe Holy Spirit” – our “personal Pentecost” – and then led inprocession around the font, taking our first steps as “newlyenlisted warriors” of Christ.

In a final ablution, the Holy Chrism is wiped away aswe are reminded that we have been “baptized, chrismated,sanctified, and washed” in the name of Our Lord and God.

We are then tonsured – in a sense “branded” with thesign of the life-giving Cross – as an external sign that webelong to Christ and as a first offering of ourselves to God ina final commitment to living our faith and pursuing ourmission all the days of our lives.

Finally, in the reception of the Holy Body and Bloodof Christ in the Eucharist, we become one with Him in Hisdivine Spirit, as beloved and adopted children of our heav-enly Father, and one with the entire People of God.

Holy Illumination: “Equipping the saints” for mission and ministry

Theophany from 7

cal people: Simon’s mother-in-law, a paralytic, a demoniac, thedaughter of Jairus. But He did not perform His works and wondersfor their own sake; He also taught by word and example throughHis works and wonders, as well as through parables, discourses,and the answers he offered the scribes and pharisees. The Chris-tian mission is likewise twofold, for good works and teaching byexample are two sides of the same coin. One complements andfulfills the other. Both are essential, as Jesus demonstrated in theGospel: He was baptized, then He began to teach, preach, andheal. While none of us can accomplish the will of God in theperfect way Jesus did, each of us do, by virtue of the grace ofbaptism and chrismation, assume the responsibility to manifestChrist’s mission to and in the world. Because everybody pos-sesses different talents and gifts and temperaments, that missionmay take on various forms, but the idea of committed life, ofmission, is still central to Christian existence. As it defined Jesus’Messiahship, so too it defines our lives as His witnesses.

The Great Feast of Theophany, then, is central from the view-point of the concrete Christian life. Indeed, it is easy to under-stand why the early Church considered it so important. There isno such thing as a Christian life dedicated to “principles” if theseare not related to the here and now, to practical action and minis-try, to the recognition of our calling as co-workers and fellowministers in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Father Stephen Kostoff

The IncarnationThe paradox of God taking onour human nature is at the heart ofour faith as Orthodox Christians

he birth of Jesus of Nazareth has always been understoodwithin the Church to be the fulfillment of the prophecyT found in the book of Isaiah: “Behold, a virgin shall con-

ceive and bear a son, and His name shall be Emmanuel – whichmeans God with us” [Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23].

Combined with his clear affirmation of the “virginal concep-tion” of Christ [Matthew 1:20], this title – Emmanuel – is SaintMatthew’s way of revealing the total and utter uniqueness ofJesus of Nazareth: God in our midst. Saint Matthew is point-ing toward what, in theological language, is called the Incarna-tion. This rich and decisive word could be translated as“enfleshment” or “embodiment” in direct reference to God be-ing enfleshed as Jesus of Nazareth. In other words, God was“humanized” when He was conceived and born as the Messiahof Israel – Jesus [the] Christ. The classical biblical text is, of

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course, found in the prologue of the Gospel of Saint John: “Andthe Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us, full of grace andtruth” [John 1:14].

Earlier in that magnificent prologue to his Gospel, Saint Johnrevealed to us that “in the beginning was the Word, and the Wordwas with God, and the Word was God” [John 1:1]. Therefore, theWord of God, Who was “in the beginning” and Who “was God”began to live a human life as Jesus of Nazareth when He was bornor became incarnate in what Saint Paul called “the fullness oftime” [Galatians 4:4]. “Flesh” in this context means “the fullnessof human nature in its totality and completeness.” This is pre-cisely why we sing in the beautiful Nativity kontakion: “Todaythe Virgin gives birth to the Transcendent One, and the earthoffers a cave to the Unapproachable One... since for our sake theeternal God was born as a little child!”

We need to be perfectly clear about what we are claimingabout the Incarnation, and thus what we actually celebrate onChristmas. The Word of God is also called “the Son andWisdom of God.” He is what God (the Father) is by nature, butHe is distinct as One of the Persons of the Holy Trinity. He hasno beginning, since He is eternally “begotten/born” of the Father.He is eternal – “begotten of the Father before all ages,” the “Lightof Light, true God of true God” – as we profess in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. He is the One Who was conceived inthe womb of the Virgin Mary when she was “overshadowed” bythe Holy Spirit according to the will of the Father [Luke 1:35].When the Virgin Mary freely consented to her role in the Incar-nation, the Word of God entered her womb and was conceivedwithout seed. Thus, Saint Joseph the Betrothed was not involvedin the conception of Jesus. For this reason, he is not showntogether with the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child in the cavein the Nativity icons. This “seedless conception” was absolutelyessential.

From among many examples, Saint Gregory Palamas ex-presses it this way: “If she had conceived by seed, He wouldhave been neither a new man nor the sinless Savior of sin-ners... nor the beginning of the new life which is without anydeterioration whatever. If He were of the old portion and an in-heritor of the fall, He would not have been capable of bearing inHimself the fullness of pure divinity and of making His flesh aninexhaustible fountain of sanctification” [Homily 14: On theAnnunciation].

The Person in the womb of the Virgin Mary is the eternalWord, Son, and Wisdom of God. And this is why it is perfectlylogical – or rather THEO-logical – that she is called and vener-ated as the Theotokos. Although loosely translated as “the Motherof God,” it actually means “the one who bore or gave birth toGod.” Jesus Christ is not a human person somehow united withthe Word of God after He was born. Rather, He is the Word ofGod Who is born as a unique human being, in a particular placeand time. Yet, does this diminish His true humanity? Is theresomething less real about Our Lord’s human nature, as if His hu-manity was an illusion of sorts, an “incognito” for God to walkamong us? Many early heresies succumbed to that false conclu-sion drawn from the Incarnation. They even rejected the whole“birthing process.” But, as Saint Germanos, Patriarch of Constan-

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tinople, wrote: “God came forth from her as a complete humanbeing, the Son of a real mother who was subject to the natural lawsof childbearing” [First Homily on the Dormition]. If we empha-size the divinity of Christ at the expense of His humanity, then wefall into a one-sidedness that is always a characteristic of heresy –which is why the Incarnation is a divine-human mystery with theTheotokos as the “highly favored one” who gives the Lord Hishumanity in all of its fullness and integrity.

We confess the Incarnation while preserving the mystery:“A mystery took place which remains a mystery to this day, andit shall never cease to be a mystery,” wrote Basil of Seleucia. Itis this paradox of God becoming human that is at the center ofour Orthodox Christian faith. In the face of the Son of Man,Jesus Christ, we see and encounter God incarnate. We want tohold onto this mystery as we parepare to celebrate the Feast. Wewill hear it sung and chanted in endless variations as we partici-pate in the liturgical services. If we are moved by “baby Jesus,”we want to remember that He is actually Emmanuel – “God withus.”

Fr. Stephen Kostoff is rector of Christ the Savior/HolySpirit Church, Cincinnati, OH, and a regular contributor toThe Orthodox Church.

NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007 9

Mary Ann Bulko

An evening with...The “Gospel of Prosperity” is notthe Gospel of Jesus Christ

ecently, I was invited to an event at New York City’sMadison Square Garden featuring a very popular, charis-R matic televangelist. Accompanied by his wife, his mother,

and other family members, the 40-ish preacher shared the stagewith an array of singers and musicians who presented what mightbest be described as a spiritual rock concert – a lively, get on yourfeet, clap your hands, sing along celebration with simple, rep-etitious, “I am a friend of God” lyrics. The audience – a report-ed sellout –was swept up in the momentum and the simplemessage. After all, who doesn’t need a friend, especially if thatfriend is God?

My curiosity to discover why so many people turn to this typeof ministry is what drew me to attend the event. Over and abovethe price of the admission ticket, collection baskets were passed,to the delight of the crowd. Why, I wondered, do thousands,perhaps millions, flock to experience this type of ministry, inperson or on TV, while traditional churches appear to be losingmembers and interest?

Laying aside the obvious reasons – religious communities,including Orthodox Christianity, have been affected by all sortsof scandals in recent years – it was evident that the draw is the“feel good, feel loved” message. The focus, clearly, was on “me,”rather than God. Contributing to the ministry’s cause could in-deed make one feel good without requiring a commitment to any-thing other than the quest to feel good and to receiving blessings– including material blessings.

The preacher’s message, as I understood it, reminded me of the“power of positive thinking” theme made popular years ago byNorman Vincent Peale. “Think positively, and positive thingswill happen to you!” In fact, a brochure distributed at the eventread, “Instead of focusing on how big your problems are, beginright now to focus on how big your God is! We believe that whenyou do, you will know and experience the abundant life that Hehas in store for you.”

While the preacher quoted Scripture, offered personal testi-mony, and made a brief comment about forgiveness, little, if any-thing, was said about following the example of Jesus Christ. Therewas no mention of the sacraments whatsoever, although he didencourage members of his audience to support their local faithcommunities in the New York City area.

The vision of this type of evangelism, according to the bro-chure, is achieved via “ministry, missions, and media,” not tomention the other “m” word, money – and lots of it! During abrief pause in the program, the preacher’s sister challenged every-one to “pray for financial favor!” I cynically thought, “Oh, here itcomes.” Sure enough, she set the tone as collection baskets weredistributed after her remarks. Money helps the mission, whatever

it might be – and God knows people offer a great deal to thesetype of ministries. While images of children in need, medicalclinics, and other ministries in faraway places were projected ontoa huge screen, with appropriate background music, members ofthe audience were invited to write a check or give cash anony-mously, with no strings attached, providing the “good feeling” ofinstant gratification.

The peacher went on to highlight the joy one acquires throughthe attainment of “life goals,” which yields prosperity and happi-ness. “You’ve got to choose to be happy!” the preacher stressed.“Have a vision of your faith. He can heal your toe. He can buyyour gas, a car,” he explained to the receptive audience. So what’swrong with that, you ask, for indeed, as Orthodox Christians webelieve that all things are possible. What’s wrong is that theessence of Christian life – “If anyone desires to follow Me, let himdeny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me” [Luke 9:23] –was never once proclaimed, or even casually mentioned. Neitherwas Our Lord’s maxim, “For what profit is it to a man if he gainsthe whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?” Sin was notmentioned, much less repentance and forgiveness and long-suf-fering. Neither was the synergy of working out one’s salvationwith God’s help, nor mercy and compassion, nor the gifts of theHoly Spirit. And, while the preacher’s scriptural references wereinspiring, they were but pieces of a larger mosaic that, for Ortho-dox Christians, includes the life of the Church as lived and expe-rienced through Scripture and Holy Tradition and the affirmationand celebration of the apostolic faith in Father, Son, and HolySpirit, and the central act of giving thanks to God by offering Himall that properly belongs to Him in the first place.

This is not to say that everything the preacher said was lack-ing. He did challenge his audience by saying, “Thank God forwhat you have!” and “start every service with songs of praise.”Thanksgiving is at the very center of every Eucharistic Liturgy,as are songs of praise. He did remind his hearers to “stay faithfulwhere you are, and God will help you.” As Orthodox Christians,we believe and trust in God for everything, even to our last breath,for He knows our needs before we even ask. But it was anotherremark – “Do you ever go to your church and feel like God isdead?” – that really struck me light a bolt of lightening. At first Ithought, “he’s right!” But then I found myself offering a resound-ing “no,” thinking to myself, “This man has never attended aPaschal service! God is alive! Christ is risen! Indeed, He isrisen!”

It is possible that human hearts can grow cold. Our Lord ob-served as much in many who surrounded Him. We easily canbecome creatures of habit and take both our faith for granted,focusing on the externals while denying the power of the Spiritthe externals express. The intense joy of Christ’s incarnation andresurrection permeates – or, at least, it should permeate – everycelebration of the Divine Liturgy, filling us with enthusiasm andfervor, with exuberance and exhilaration, even though I have wit-nessed the celebration of services in Orthodox Christian parishesthat hardly invite one to “taste and see how good the Lord is.”

Prosperity and financial comfort are not the goals. In fact,they can – and are – obstacles to attaining the only goal of our

Evening to 28

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14

NOTES

Father Alexander Garklavs

Homecomingomecoming! The word conjuresH countless images. Most of them are

pleasant ones that we all can relate to inone way or another. For many, cominghome for the holidays is a cultural fixturethat resonates in art, poetry, stories, andmovies. There is excitement in just think-ing about coming home. Young and oldalike relish the thought of seeing familyand friends that have been absent oraway. Embraces and kisses lead to joyfultears and smiles. Lighthearted laughtergives way to tables laden with speciallyprepared foods. Evenings may be spentby a fireplace, where memories are re-counted and new stories are shared. Evensleeping “back at home” has its specialcharm.

For someone who comes home afterbeing away in a distant land, like a per-son in the military after a difficult assign-ment, homecoming is as powerful anemotional event as any. Knowing thatwhen you return you will be welcomedwith unconditional love and acceptanceis an essential component of ourwellbeing. As a psychological event,homecoming has a certain sequence ofmoments. Preparation and anticipationare followed by an instant of exultationand concluded by feelings of gratitudeand fulfillment. This is as meaningful forthe giver as for the recipient. Grandpar-ents and parents, who wait impatientlyfor that son or daughter to come home,will be just as joyful and fulfilled in giv-ing love and acceptance as those who arewelcomed. Grace, holiness, peace, andcomfort will be felt by all. Homecomingis a communal experience, uniting thesouls and bodies of loving family andfriends in a moment of transcendent joy.

Of course, when we think about ourearthly homes, where our biological par-ents brought us into being, there can some-times be unpleasant features. Thoseearthly homes can be places of resentment,

indifference, and anger. There are thehomes where painful conditions are suchthat we cannot wait to leave and neverwant to return. But while these homes aretragic and do cause great damage topeople’s lives, their harmful effects canbe overcome. This is possible in severalways, whether by creating a new, lovinghome or by being welcomed into a com-forting home by benevolent hosts.

Homecoming also has several reli-gious and spiritual dimensions. Formany, the holiday homecomings includea visit to the church. For some, it may bethe only time they do go to church, tomake the folks happy or for old time’ssake. The full churches we see on HolyPascha and the Great Feast of the Nativityare a phenomenon that we have come toaccept as “normal.” These are true home-comings and, as such, they are good.Sometimes, that annual religious obser-vance can become a needed stimulus forthe renewal of a dormant spiritual life.

The Church is very much a home. Itis as loving, embracing, and comfortingas any home can be. Being baptized andnurtured from youth on, we grow up inparish churches that we forever claim asour “home church.” Or perhaps it is theparish we discover as converts, where weworship and have friends. The church fam-

ily often will become as close as, or evencloser than, a biological family. Home-coming in church has mystical qualities.The religious homecoming is multidimen-sional and spans centuries of time. Com-ing home to church is not only a unitingof souls and bodies of living relatives.Dearly departed ones and the communityof saints throughout the ages are there towelcome us. In the religious sense, home-coming is a regular feature of sacramentalworship. Every liturgical service, withtheir processions and entrances, is a home-coming event. The Divine Liturgy ful-fills every such homecoming with a fes-

tive mystical supper. Here too, there areelements of preparation and anticipation,embraces and kisses, thanksgiving andfulfillment.

Homecoming is an important biblicalimage with spiritual implications. Thestory of Zacchaeus is a moving accountof welcoming a special stranger. JesusChrist comes into a home, bringing sanc-tification and announcing that “salvationhas come” to the house. Just before GreatLent, we hear the parable of the ProdigalSon. Throughout the lenten season, theimage of the Prodigal Son will reappearfrequently in liturgical hymns. The storyis the moving account of a young manwho squanders his inheritance and, aftera time of destitution, returns in repentanceto his father’s loving and forgiving arms.It is the theme of returning to the homethat is our state of purity acquired in bap-tism. Repentance – the experience of asincere confession followed by forgive-ness – is the return to that state of purity.

The same theme – returning to theloving embrace of the Father – is presentin the liturgical service of the monastictonsure. Monastics are men and womenwho totally embrace the teachings andexample of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, andgive up all aspects of material and secu-lar life. In this way, they “come home” to

that condition of original holiness thatour first-formed ancestors Adam and Evepossessed in the Garden of Eden. Mo-nastic life, as indeed all Christian life, ishome-oriented, in that it directs us towhere we truly belong, where we are trulyloved and accepted, and where the Di-vine Giver rejoices in welcoming us wearytravelers, whose difficult journeys end inthe fulfillment of our heart’s desire. Thepoet T. S. Eliot said, “Home is where onestarts from.” For humankind, that meansthe Garden of Eden, and for us individu-als, it is the baptismal font. Spiritually,

Chancellor to 30

from theChancellor’s desk

omecoming is a communalH experience, uniting the souls and

bodies of loving family and friends

in a moment of transcendent joy.

11

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OCANewsNotesNotices

he Holy Synod of Bishops of theOrthodox Church in America andT the Metropolitan Council met in

joint session at the Chancery, Syosset, NY,on Wednesday, October 17, 2007.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman,opened the six-our meeting with brief com-ments.

Report from the Holy Synod.His Eminence, Archbishop Seraphim, re-ported that the Holy Synod, which met onTuesday, October 16, heard and will de-cide on the appeal of Robert S. Kondratick,former OCA chancellor. In response, mem-bers of the Metropolitan Council empha-sized that a decision on the appeal shouldbe rendered as soon as possible.

In other matters, it was reported that themembers of the Holy Synod• clarified that the removal of a memberfrom the original special investigative com-mittee was an action taken by the HolySynod of Bishops as a whole.• determined that the Best Practice Poli-cies and Procedures for Financial Ac-countability document needs revision toconform to the OCA Statute and wider Or-thodox polity. The hierarchs clarified thatthe OCA will continue to operate underthe current draft while revisions are beingconsidered and incorporated.• clarified in writing that the OrthodoxChurch in America was itself the client ofthe law firm of Proskauer Rose.• declared that, with the repose of HisEminence, Archbishop Kyrill of Pittsburgh,the episcopal see of the Diocese of West-ern Pennsylvania is vacant. The process offinding a successor to the late ArchbishopKyrill has been initiated.

The special investigativecommittee. Metropolitan Councilmembers presented and explained the reso-lution it passed on October 16, calling forthe establishment of a committee chargedwith reporting to the Metropolitan Coun-cil and the Holy Synod, with specificprovisions to protect against infringementson its independence. After discussion, the

members of the Holy Synod blessed theestablishment of a joint Holy Synod/Met-ropolitan Council special investigativecommittee with seven specific guidelinesoutlining the committee’s scope, opera-tions, and reporting procedures.

OCA treasurer. The MetropolitanCouncil endorsed the recommendation ofthe organizational task force to appoint theRev. Michael Tassos as the new OCA trea-surer. The Holy Synod approved theCouncil's nomination of Father Michael.[See related article on page 15 of this is-sue.]

The 15th All-American Coun-cil. The Holy Synod of Bishops approvedthe recommendation of the MetropolitanCouncil to convene the 15th All-Ameri-can Council in Pittsburgh, PA, November10-13, 2008.

Accountant’s update. Mr.Frank Sluter from the accounting firm Satty,Levine and Ciacco summarized the OCA'sDecember 31, 2006 audit report and sur-

Holy Synod of Bishops,Metropolitan Council, meet

veyed progress for the first half of 2007.He reported that the Church is complyingwith generally accepted accounting pro-cedures.

Financial reports. The HolySynod and Metropolitan Council heard re-ports from the OCA's acting treasurer, theVery Rev. Paul Kucynda, on outstandinginvoices for accounting work. Invoicesfrom the accounting firm Lambrides,Lamos, and Moulthrop, LLP, total$11,522.00, with a total of $214,710.25billed by the firm. Outstanding invoicesfrom the law firm Proskauer Rose, LLP, to-tal $105,624.97. The firm’s total bill was$337,455.48, which includes a 10% reduc-tion granted by Proskauer Rose.

2007 and 2008 budgets. TheVery Rev. Matthew Tate, chairman of theMetropolitan Council financial committee,discussed budgets for 2007 and 2008. Hereported that further measures will be takento meet budgetary restrictions resultingfrom an approximate $250,000.00 loss ofincome in 2007 due to assessmentwithholdings. He presented a 2008 bud-get with a projected surplus of approxi-mately $179,000.00. The 2008 budgetpassed unanimously.

Members of the Holy Synod at meeting with the Metropolitan Council.From left, Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern PA; Bishop Nikolai ofSitka, Anchorage, and Alaska; Archbishop Job of Chicago and the Midwest;Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas the South; Metropolitan Herman; ArchbishopNathaniel of Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate; Archbishop Seraphim ofOttawa and Canada; Bishop Nikon of Boston, New England, and the AlbanianArchdiocese; and Bishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West.

Holy Synod, Metropolitan Councilestablish special investigativecommittee n response to the October 17, 2007 joint decision of the Holy Synod of BishopsI and the Metropolitan Council, a special investigative committee was estab-lished “to conclude the work begun under the prior chairmanship of His Eminence,Archbishop Job of Chicago and the Midwest,” according to the Very Rev. AndrewJarmus, OCA director of ministries and communications.

“The decision was made one day after the Metropolitan Council passed a reso-lution to establish the committee in conjunction with the Holy Synod of Bish-ops,” Father Andrew added. “The resolution listed seven points concerning thework of the proposed Holy Synod/Metropolitan Council special investigative com-mittee.”

His Grace, Bishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West, was appointed chair-man of the committee by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman.

“Bishop Benjamin sought individuals to serve from among the membership ofthe Metropolitan Council,” Father Andrew noted. “The committee will begin itswork immediately and report its conclusions and recommendations to the HolySynod and the Metropolitan Council when its work is completed.”

The seven aforementioned points that will guide the committee’s work are asfollow.“1. Determine what tasks need to be concluded in order to determine what hap-pened in the financial affairs from 1998–2007, what were the root causes that al-lowed inappropriate financial transactions, and what corrective actions are neces-sary to prevent recurrence of such inappropriate financial transactions.“2. Conduct all necessary interviews of persons that in the committee's judgmentmay have information germane to the matters in issue, considering no witnesses offlimits.“3. Make written recommendations to the Metropolitan Council and the Holy Synodregarding implementation of the corrective actions necessary to prevent recurrenceof inappropriate transactions.“4. Recommend such other actions as the committee may feel appropriate.“5. Provide quarterly reports to the Metropolitan Council and the Holy Synodregarding the progress of the committee.“6. Make decisions within the committee by majority vote of the committee, withthe chair voting to resolve tie votes.“7. Conclude the investigation and provide a written report to the MetropolitanCouncil and the Holy Synod of the committee's complete findings.”

In response to the Metropolitan Council’s resolution, the Holy Synod issued thefollowing statement.

“Having on October 16, 2007, established a second special investigativecommittee, and having recognized the request of the Metropolitan Council thata Holy Synod/Metropolitan Council special investigative committee be estab-lished; and, accepting the seven points of the Metropolitan Council's resolution ofOctober 16, 2007; the Holy Synod blesses the work of the special investigativecommittee.”

In addition to Bishop Benjamin, other members of the committee include theVery Revs. Philip Reese and John Tkachuk, Dr. Faith Skordinski, and Dr. DmitriSolodow. Mrs. Alexandra Makosky has been asked to continue to serve as thecommittee’s legal counsel.

OCANewsNotesNoticesNATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007 13

Committee reports. The HolySynod and Metropolitan Council heardother reports from the Council's newlyformed committees.

In a written report, Ms. Mary Caetta,chair of the internal audit committee, statedthat her committee is still in the process offormation. She also reported that one mem-ber of the Holy Synod of Bishops and onemember of the Metropolitan Council hadyet to sign the Best Practices compliancedocuments. A new chair will be appointedupon completion of Ms. Caetta’s term as amember of the Metropolitan Council.

The Very Rev. Mark Sherman, ethicscommittee chair, reported that his commit-tee continues its work on developing a poli-cies and procedures document to guide itswork. The document will be shared withthe Metropolitan Council when com-pleted.

The Very Rev. John Reeves, charitiescommittee chair, reported on the distribu-tion of 9/11 funds forwarded to New YorkDisaster Interfaith Services, which is pro-viding the OCA with regular updates de-tailing their relief allocations. The Metro-politan Council approved the committee'sguidelines for the allocation of other ap-peal monies.

Other business. Members of theHoly Synod and Metropolitan Council re-viewed plans for the selection of a law firmto serve as the OCA’s general counsel. Agroup of legal professionals will be broughttogether to review the credentials of theeight applicants for the position and to drafta “short list,” from which the MetropolitanCouncil will make its final decision.

Metropolitan Councilmembers listen to a variety ofreports during their joint meeting withthe Holy Synod of Bishops.

PreconciliarCommission holdsfirst meeting

he Preconciliar Commission, chargedT with organizing the 15th All-Ameri-can Council slated to convene in Pitts-burgh, PA November 10-13, 2007, held itsinaugural meeting at the OCA Chancery,Syosset, NY, on Friday, November 16,2007.

At the meeting, chaired by His Grace,Bishop Nikon of Boston, New England,and the Albanian Archdiocese, commis-sion members reviewed possible AACthemes and scheduling options. Futuremeetings will be held to refine and finalizeplans for the gathering.

Other members include the Very Rev.Alexander Garklavs, chancellor; the Rev.Michael Tassos, treasurer; the Very Rev.Andrew Jarmus, ministries and communi-cations director; the Very Rev. Myron Man-zuk, council manager; the Very Rev. JohnJillions; Prof. David Drillock; Mrs. Mi-chelle Jannakos; Mrs. Eugenia Skuby; andMs. Lisa Morris, recording secretary.

Holy Synod issuesstatement on formerchancellor’s appeal

t their regular fall session held on Oct-A ober 16, 2007, the members of the HolySynod of Bishops issued the followingstatement concerning the appeal of RobertS. Kondratick, former chancellor of theOrthodox Church in America.

“The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Or-thodox Church in America, meeting at itsregular session on October 16, 2007, at theChancery in Oyster Bay Cove, NY, heardthe written appeal, orally presented byRobert S. Kondratick, concerning the con-clusions of the diocesan court of the Dio-cese of Washington and New York. Theseconclusions were received by the HolySynod of Bishops at its special session onJuly 31-August 1, 2007. The Holy Synodof Bishops is considering this appeal, inaccordance with the Statute of the Ortho-dox Church in America. The decision willbe communicated to Robert S. Kondratickin due time.”

14 Primate’s announcement ofPrimate’s announcement ofPrimate’s announcement ofPrimate’s announcement ofPrimate’s announcement ofthe 15th All-American Councilthe 15th All-American Councilthe 15th All-American Councilthe 15th All-American Councilthe 15th All-American Council

October 25, 2007

Beloved clergy, monastics, and faithful,

It is with great joy and anticipation that I announce that the 15th All-AmericanCouncil of the Orthodox Church in America will be convened in Pittsburgh, PA onNovember 10-13, 2008. Delegates and observers from throughout our Church will begiven the opportunity to participate in the four key components of an All-AmericanCouncil: worship, fellowship, learning, and decision making.

Under the guidance of His Grace, Bishop Nikon of Boston, chairman of thePreconciliar Commission, the members of the Preconciliar Commission will be work-ing to set a theme, an agenda, and a format which will encourage active participationby the parish delegates and observers in a way that will benefit the parishes they havebeen chosen to represent.

Parishes will begin to receive resource materials later in this year to assist in theirpreparation for the All-American Council. These mailings will include documentsthat will focus on the topics that will be discussed at the Council. Parishes are askedto begin the delegate selection process in a timely manner so that their elected del-egates may prepare themselves for significant and meaningful participation in theCouncil. Election of parish delegates is to be in conformity with The Statute of theOrthodox Church in America, Article III, Section 6.

The 15th All-American Council will take place at the Hilton Hotel, currentlyundergoing extensive renovations. The first plenary session will begin on the morn-ing of Tuesday, November 10, 2008. We have made arrangements with the hotel tohonor conference rates for three days before and three days after the Council for anydelegates interested in extending their stay.

It is my sincere prayer that the Holy Spirit will continue to inspire and guide us aswe prepare ourselves, corporately and personally, for this significant event in the lifeof Christ’s Holy Church in North America.

With love in Christ+ HermanArchbishop of Washington and New YorkMetropolitan of All America and Canada

The convocation ofThe convocation ofThe convocation ofThe convocation ofThe convocation ofthe 15th All-American Councilthe 15th All-American Councilthe 15th All-American Councilthe 15th All-American Councilthe 15th All-American Council

October 25, 2007

Dear clergy and faithful,

This letter serves as the first notice for the 15th All-American Council, scheduledto convene November 10-13, 2008 at the Hilton Hotel, Pittsburgh, PA. Our gatheringwill bring together hierarchs, clergy, and faithful of our Church in worship, fellow-ship, and administrative duty. It will allow us the opportunity to deliberate importantissues for the ongoing ministry of the Orthodox Church in America.

Plans and preparation for this historic event are already underway. A PreconciliarCommission has been established by the Holy Synod at the request of the Metropoli-tan Council. A local committee has been activated.

Past experience shows us that a Council of this importance requires a workingbudget, traditionally supported through an assessment of the member parishes. At therecent joint meeting of the Holy Synod and Metropolitan Council, it was decidedthat the rate of $8.00 per member in each parish would be the assessment for this 15th

Council to 20

OCANews

15

OCANewsNotesNoticesNATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007

READ the minutes of the fall2007 session of the Holy Synodof Bishops at www.oca.org/news.asp?ID=1368&SID=19.READ the opening address ofMetropolitan Herman to theHoly Synod and MetropolitanCouncil at www.oca.org/news.asp?ID=1350&SID=19.READ the minutes of theOctober 2007 joint meeting ofthe Holy Synod and Metropoli-tan Council at www.oca.org/news.asp?ID=1365&SID=19.READ the report of the October2007 Metropolitan Councilmeeting at www.oca.org/news.asp?ID=1357&SID=19.READ the letter of Metropoli-tan Herman appointing BishopBenjamin chair of the reconsti-tuted special investigative com-mittee at www.oca.org/news.asp?ID=1345&SID=19.VIEW the OCA organizationaltask force’s PowerPoint reportto the Holy Synod and Metropoli-tan Council and a PDF file withadditional notes at www.oca.org/News. asp?ID=1378&SID=19.READ the memorandum of Fr.Michael Tassos, OCA treasurer,at www.oca.org/News.asp?ID=1382&SID=19.

I N D E P T H

w w w . o c a . o r g

he Rev. Michael Tassos, newly ap-pointed treasurer of the OrthodoxT Church in America, began his du-

ties at the Chancery on November 12,2007.

Father Michael, who has been a priestfor 10 years, has 20 years of accountingexperience, working as a certified publicaccountant for 11 years.

Father Michael, who grew up in the Rus-sian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia,served as a tonsured reader and assistantchoir director at Protection of the Theoto-kos Church, Los Angeles, CA, for severalyears. He started his accounting career withPrice Waterhouse in Los Angeles. In 1991,he left a position as accounting managerwith Capitol Records to attend SaintVladimir’s Seminary, Crestwood, NY.

In 1995, Father Michael and his familymoved to Charleston, WV, where he servedSaint Nicholas Antiochian OrthodoxChurch, Beckley, WV. He worked as chieffinancial officer for one of the state’s larg-est medical practices and served as a boardmember and finance committee chairmanfor Covenant House, West Virginia.

In 2002, the Tassoses returned to Cali-fornia, where Father Michael worked as thebusiness manager for another large medi-cal practice for three years, and for twoyears as the chief financial officer for apublicly traded company specializing inambulatory surgery centers. He also servedas pastor of Holy Cross Antiochian Ortho-dox Church, Palmdale, CA.

In addition to his parish ministry andsecular work, Father Michael has been afinancial advisor and member of the boardof directors of Conciliar Press Ministries.He possesses a comprehensive knowledgeof accounting and financial reporting fornot-for-profit organizations and has servedas a consultant to numerous medical prac-tices and not-for-profit organizations.

Father Michael met his wife Christinaat Saint Vladimir’s Seminary. They havethree children.

In a memorandum issued on November13 and posted on the OCA web site, FatherMichael offered initial remarks and obser-

vations on the OCA's financial situation.“I arrived in New York this past Thurs-

day and had the opportunity to sit withFather Alexander Garklavs, Father AndrewJarmus, Deacon John Zarras, and Mr. PaulBodnar and received an update on variousissues,” the memorandum reads. “I amvery sorry to bombard you with so muchdetail about the current financial affairs,however I feel that it is imperative thatyou understand what is actually going onand what are we doing. In the near future itis my intention to focus on four main is-sues: a. meet with the accountants that havebeen providing ongoing assistance and de-termine their future involvement, and withthe accounting firm that performed the au-dit for 2006; b. meet with the ProskauerRose law firm that we still owe money toand try to work out some sort of paymentplan; c. begin to make some sense of thecurrent financial reporting; and d. thor-oughly review the financial report that wasprepared for the period ending June 30,2007.”

The full text of Father Michael’s memo-randum is posted on the OCA web site athttp://www.oca.org/News.asp?ID=1382&SID=19.

“We are pleased to welcome FatherMichael as the new treasurer of the OCA,and pray that the Lord will grant him manyyears of fruitful service in this ministry,”said Deacon John Zarras, OCA transitionofficer.

Fr. Michael Tassosbegins treasurer’s duties

Updated diptychsnow available on OCAweb site

he updated diptychs, listing the Pri-T mates of the world’s 15 autocephalousOrthodox Churches are available on theOCA web site in PDF format atwww.oca.org/PDF/official/2007-1029-dyptichs.pdf.

“These diptychs are used liturgicallyonly at a hierarchical Divine Liturgy cel-ebrated by the Metropolitan,” explains theVery Rev. Andrew Jarmus, OCA directorof ministries and communications. “Theyare sung immediately before the chantingof the Trisagion.”

Fr. Michael Tassos begantreasurer’s duties November 13.

uneral services for His Eminence,Archbishop Peter, former ArchbishopF of New York and New Jersey, were

celebrated at Holy Virgin Protection Ca-thedral, New York, NY, on Tuesday andWednesday, November 27-28, 2007, withinterment at Saint Tikhon’s MonasteryCemetery, South Canaan, PA.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman,presided, assisted by members of the HolySynod of Bishops of the Orthodox Churchin America.

Archbishop Peter fell asleep in the Lordafter a lengthy illness on Monday, Novem-ber 19, 2007, at 11:25 a.m.

Born Paul L’Huillier in Paris, France onDecember 3, 1926, he embraced the Ortho-dox faith in 1945 while enrolled at theSaint Denys Institute in Paris. Subse-quently, he pursued graduate studies at theUniversity of Paris. He received a licenti-ate of theology from the Moscow Theo-logical Academy in 1962 and a doctoratein canon law in 1985.

Tonsured to monastic rank with thename Peter on August 30, 1954, he wasordained to the diaconate on September 4,1954, and to the priesthood the following

day by His Eminence, Archbishop Boris,Exarch of the Moscow Patriarchate in Eu-rope. After his ordination, he served twoparishes, Three Hierarchs Church and theChurch of our Lady the Joy of Those whoSorrow, in Paris.

In 1960, he was elevated to the rank ofarchimandrite. On September 12, 1968, hewas consecrated to the episcopacy by HisEminence, Metropolitan Nikodim [Rotov]of Leningrad and His Eminence, Metro-politan Anthony [Bloom] of Sourozh at theformer Saint Alexander Nevsky Lavra,Leningrad [now St. Petersburg].

In 1979, he was invited by His Beati-tude, Metropolitan Theodosius, to serve theOrthodox Church in America as an auxil-iary bishop with the title of Bishop ofBrooklyn.

In 1981, when the Holy Synod of Bish-ops established the Diocese of Washing-ton, DC, as the seat of the Primate, he wasinstalled as bishop of the remaining part ofthe Metropolitan’s former local diocesewith the title Bishop of New York and NewJersey.

In 1989, he was elevated by the HolySynod of Bishops to the rank of arch-

Archbishop Peter of NY/NJfalls asleep in the Lord

bishop.Archbishop Peter’s linguistic fluency

in four languages, his academic and colle-gial contacts, his extensive background inOrthodox Christian canonical traditions,and his knowledge of the varieties of eth-nic and local customs and traditions, madehim one of the most qualified and astutehierarchs worldwide. He chaired the OCA’sDepartment of External Affairs for manyyears. His dealings within the interna-tional Orthodox community often broughthim face-to-face with other notable hier-archs and Church leaders, many of whomhe knew personally. He also served as ca-nonical advisor for the Standing Confer-ence of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in theAmericas and was active in promotingOrthodox unity and presence in NorthAmerica.

No less important was ArchbishopPeter's academic career. He lectured at theInstitute of Saint Denys, Paris, from 1949to 1950. From 1952 to 1962, he taught atthe Three Hierarchs Seminary, Ville-moisson, France. He was a professor at theCatholic University in Paris from 1966 to1978. He served as adjunct professor ofcanon law at Saint Vladimir's Seminary,Crestwood, NY, since 1979. His criticallyacclaimed doctoral dissertation – “TheChurch of the Ancient Councils: The Dis-ciplinary Work of the First Four Ecumeni-cal Councils” – was published by SaintVladimir's Seminary Press in 1996. He wasoften sought as an expert in this field byother Orthodox jurisdictions and invited

Archbishop to 20

His All-Holiness, Patriarch Bartholomew receives His Eminence,Archbishop Peter [second from right]; the Very Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky;His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius; and Prof. John Erickson at theEcumenical Patriarchate in Phanar, Constantinople, in 1992.

OCANewsNotesNotices16

Diocesan faithfulreceive blessing fromnewly installed BIshopBenjamin of SanFrancisco and theWest after the DivineLiturgy [above]. Atleft, MetropolitanHerman addressesBishop Benjamin attheconclusion of theinstallation Liturgy asArchbishop Seraphimlooks on.

OCANewsNotesNoticesNATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007 17

is Grace, Bishop Benjamin of SanFrancisco, was installed as rulingHhierarch of the Diocese of the West

at Holy Trinity Cathedral, San Francisco,CA, on Saturday, October 2, 2007.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman,presided at the installation, which tookplace in conjunction with the diocese’sannual assembly.

Concelebrating with MetropolitanHerman and Bishop Benjamin at the in-stallation Divine Liturgy were His Emi-nence, Archbishop Seraphim of Ottawa andCanada, who read the proclamation issuedby the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Or-thodox Church in America; His Grace,Bishop Joseph of Los Angeles and theWest of the Antiochian Orthodox Chris-tian Archdiocese of North America; HisGrace, Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphiaand Eastern Pennsylvania; and His Grace,Bishop Maxim of Western America of theSerbian Orthodox Church in the USA andCanada.

Bishop Benjamin was elected candi-date for the office at a special diocesanassembly held in Las Vegas, NV, on Janu-ary 31, 2007.

Following the installation, a banquetwas held at Castagnolas Restaurant onFisherman’s Wharf.

Assembly delegates sent greetings toHis Grace, Bishop Tikhon, retired Bishopof San Francisco, Los Angeles, and theWest, acknowledging his wise and lovingguidance and assuring him of their prayers.Bishop Tikhon retired in 2006.

Bishop Benjamin was born VincentPeterson in Pasadena, CA on June 1, 1954and was baptized and chrismated at HolyVirgin Mary Cathedral, Los Angeles, CAon April 27, 1972. In 1982 he was awardeda master of divinity degree and certificatein liturgical music from Saint VladimirSeminary, Crestwood, NY.

A prolific musician, he served as choir-master at parishes in Detroit, MI, and LosAngeles, and as chairman of the OCA's De-partment of Liturgical Music. He was or-dained to the diaconate on November 15,

1987 by Bishop Tikhon at his home par-ish, to which he was assigned and atwhich he served as deacon and youth andeducation director for 10 years. The fol-lowing year, he was tonsured a riasophoremonk by Bishop Tikhon and further ton-sured to the lesser schema by Archbishop[now Metropolitan] Herman at SaintTikhon Monastery, South Canaan, PA. In1991 he was elevated to the rank of arch-deacon.

On July 19, 1997, he was ordained tothe priesthood by Bishop Tikhon. In 1999,Igumen Benjamin was transferred to the

Bishop Benjamin installed as ruling

hierarch of Diocese of the West

Diocese of Alaska, where he served as deanof Saint Innocent Cathedral, Anchorage,AK, and later as administrative dean ofSaint Herman Seminary, Kodiak, AK. Hewas elevated to the rank of archimandritein 2002. In January 2004, he was reas-signed to Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral, LosAngeles, and appointed chancellor of theDiocese of the West. He was consecratedto the episcopacy by Metropolitan Herman,Bishop Tikhon of the West, and His Grace,Bishop Nikolai of Sitka, Anchorage, andAlaska at San Francisco’s Holy TrinityCathedral on May 1, 2004.

VIEW photos of Bishop Benja-min’s installation at www.oca.org/PHOTOindex.asp?formMonth=October&formYear=2007&SID=11&section=searchsearch&x=23&y=10.

I N D E P T H

PAGESfrom our past

Alexis Liberovsky

St. John Kochurov:Missionary andmartyr

ctober 31, 2007, marked 90 yearssince the martyrdom of Saint JohnO Kochurov, a missionary in America

for a dozen years before he became the firstclergy martyr under the communist yokein Russia.

Saint John was born on July 13, 1871in the village of Bigildino-Surky inRussia’s Ryazan province, where his fatherwas a priest. Having graduated from theRyazan Seminary in 1891, he was admit-ted for advanced studies to the Saint Pe-tersburg Theological Academy where,along with his close friend and classmate,Saint Alexander Hotovitzky, he was re-cruited for missionary work in NorthAmerica by Bishop Nicholas [Ziorov] ofthe Aleutians and Alaska.

After marrying Alexandra Chernishevain July 1895, Saint John was ordained tothe priesthood on August 27, 1895 and as-

signed to serve in Chicago, IL. In 1903,he undertook the construction of the city’sHoly Trinity Cathedral, designed by re-nowned architect Louis Sullivan. Duringthis time, Saint John made numerous mis-sionary journeys and established parishesin several states. He was also a key partici-pant in the First All-American Sobor [Coun-cil] which was convened in Mayfield, PAin 1907.

On the 10th anniversary of his priestlyservice, Saint John was honored at a spe-cial gathering of his fellow clergy of theNorth American Diocese. In gratitude fortheir congratulations and the gift of thepectoral cross he had received from hisbrother priests, Saint John concluded hisextensive remarks that day with the fol-lowing words which poignantly foreshad-owed his future martyrdon: “I bow to theground before you and ask you to forgetmy mistakes and unworthiness. I kiss thisholy cross, which is a gift of your brotherlylove for me. May it be my support duringdifficult moments. I will not make strongassertions to say that I will not part with itin the grave. These could be powerfulwords, but they would not be wise. It doesnot belong in the grave. It must remainhere on earth for my children and their de-scendants as a sacred family relic and asclear proof that brotherhood and friendshipare the most sacred things on earth, with-

out which life would not be beautiful.”Four of the six Kochurov children were

born in the US. As the eldest were reach-ing high school age, Saint John was con-cerned that they be educated in their an-cestral homeland. At that time, it was quitenormal for a young priest to serve as a mis-sionary abroad for a decade and then re-turn to Russia to continue his priestly ser-vice. Hence, in 1907, Saint John petitionedfor reassignment in Russia. He was sent toNarva [now in Estonia], an area with a popu-lation of diverse faiths, where he wouldlabor for almost a decade, primarily teach-ing religion classes to the Orthodox stu-dents in the public schools. He also orga-nized various activities for his students toinstill in them a profound sense of Churchlife. As World War I began, he involvedthe youth and their families in severalcharitable initiatives.

However, Saint John missed pastoralwork as a parish priest. Therefore, on No-vember 16, 1916, Saint John assumed du-ties as assistant pastor of Saint Catherine’sCathedral in Tsarskoe Selo near Petrograd[today Saint Petersburg], then the capitalof the Russian Empire. Located on thetown’s main square, the cathedral was thetown’s principal church and dominantstructure. Less than a year later, on Octo-ber 30, 1917, as Bolshevik forces were at-tacking Tsarskoe Selo, the cathedral clergy

The 90th anniversary of the martyrdom of St. John KochurovAs a newly ordained priest [below, left], St. John and his wife Alexandra were assigned to serve in Chicago, IL, in1895. In 1903, he undertook the construction of Holy Trinity Cathedral, working with the renowned architect Louis Sullivan,a mentor of Frank Lloyd Wright. In a rare photo that appeared in a Chicago newspaper in 1905 [below, right], St. Johnis seen preaching in the completed cathedral, which still serves as the see of the OCA Diocese of Chicago and the Midwest.

VOLUME 43 5

From Chicago to Tsarskoe Selo Photos of St. John showhim during his pastorate in Chicago [above, left] and in TsarskoeSelo [above, right]. A contemporary biographical icon [right] showsSt. John preaching to the angry mob of revolutionaries that put himto death.

organized a decorous procession throughthe town with special prayers for peace andan end to fratricidal conflict. Saint Johndelivered an inspiring sermon during theservice, appealing for serenity in the faceof upcoming turmoil. The following day,the Bolsheviks took over the town and im-mediately arrested the clergy. Saint Johntried to reason calmly with the oppressors.An enraged mob of Bolshevik soldiers tookhim to the outskirts of town and brutallyshot him to death, as his teenaged sonwatched helplessly. He was solemnly bur-ied in the crypt beneath the cathedral onNovember 4. On the ninth day after hisdeath, a solemn hierarchical memorial ser-vice with scores of clergy participating wascelebrated at the Cathedral of Our Lady ofKazan in Petrograd. At the same time, thenewly elected Patriarch Tikhon addresseda touching letter to Saint John’s family,expressing condolences on behalf of theAll-Russian Church Council, then meet-ing in Moscow. Council delegates issueda resolution to provide aid to Saint John’sfamily and the families of other victims.

Two decades later, in April 1938, un-der difficult conditions at the peak ofStalin’s oppression, the parish communityof Saint Catherine Cathedral ceased to func-tion, and on June 5, 1939, the cathedralwas blown up and demolished. In 1960, alarge bronze statue of Lenin was erected

MORE INFO on St. JohnKochurov may be found by loggingon to the OCA web site at www.oca.org/FS.NA-Saint.asp?SID=4$Saint=John. Information in theEnglish language on the recon-struction of St. Catherine Cathedralin Pushkin is available at www.sobor-ekaterina.ru/raboty_vossozdanie/Reconstruction%20Program_english.php.

I N D E P T H

w w w . o c a . o r g

where the cathedral had once stood. Withthe advent of glasnost and perestroika inthe waning days of the Soviet Union, theRussian Church began to regain her free-dom. Many churches which had beenclosed for decades began to reopen at that

On December 4, 1994, upon the pro-posal of the Orthodox Church in America,Saint John and Saint Alexander Hotovitzkywere officially glorified among the saintsas missionaries to America and new mar-tyrs and confessors of Russia. His Beati-tude, Metropolitan Theodosius, at that timePrimate of the Orthodox Church inAmerica, traveled to Moscow with a groupof pilgrims from North America to partici-pate in the glorification services.

Two months later, a large cross (morethan 20 feet high) was erected in the squarenear where Saint Catherine Cathedral hadonce stood. The same year, governmentauthorities adopted a decision to removeLenin’s statue from the cathedral square.In 1998, preliminary government approvalwas given for the reconstruction of SaintCatherine Cathedral, but in the years thatfollowed, permission was not granted forany concrete actions towards removal ofthe statue or reconstruction of the cathe-dral in Pushkin. In the early hours of themorning of April 6, 2004 – Holy Tuesdayand the eve of the feast of the Annuncia-tion on the old calendar – this apparentstalemate was resolved. Lenin’s statue andits concrete pedestal were unceremoni-ously removed from the square while thetown slept. A few hours later, police cameto the home of the rector of Saint Sophia

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time, and a parish community was formedin 1989 in Pushkin (formerly TsarskoeSelo), a town that did not have a function-ing church for many years under commu-nist rule. Led by a dynamic priest, youngvolunteers among the faithful were re-cruited to restore Saint Sophia Cathedral,an historic church building in town, whichby then had fallen into ruins. It was herethat the legacy and veneration of Saint Johnalso began to grow.

NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007 19

20

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St. John KochurovCathedral, a dedicated priest and well-known activist, to ask if he knew anythingabout the removal of the statue. The priestwas surprised to learn of this from the po-lice and honestly assured them that he hadnothing to do with it. The statue’s removaland destruction was officially labeledcriminal vandalism, but no perpetratorswere ever found. In the Church, it soonbecame known that the statue was removedby an Orthodox construction worker, whosurreptitiously used a heavy constructionvehicle to yank Lenin’s statue from thesquare as a special personal act of lentenspiritual effort.

In early 2006, archeologists began toexcavate the cathedral’s foundation, which

Pilgrims visit site of St. John’s martyrdomTSARSKOE SELO, RUSSIA – A cross marks the site of St. JohnKochurov’s martyrdom in 1917. Archimandrite Zacchaeus, dean of theOrthodox Church in America’s Representation Church of the Great MartyrCatherine in Moscow, Russia, and several of the parish’s members visitedthe site and attended services marking the 90th anniversary of St. John’sdeath.

had remained largely intact, as a raised plat-form above ground level had been builtaround the statue where the cathedral hadpreviously stood. Human remains wereuncovered there, but there has yet to bebeen any confirmed forensic identificationof the relics of Saint John Kochurov. InDecember 2006, ground breaking for thenew cathedral took place, and its consecra-tion is planned for 2010, the town’s 300thanniversary.

Saint John – gifted missionary in Ameri-ca, dynamic teacher in Narva, and selflesspastor in Tsarskoe Selo – made the ulti-mate sacrifice as a witness to Christ.

Holy Father John, missionary, teacherand martyr, pray to God for us!

Alexis Liberovsky is the archivistof the Orthodox Church in America.

Archbishop from 16

The repose ofArchbishop Peterto represent the Orthodox Church at vari-ous conferences, meetings, and ecumeni-cal dialogues.

Archbishop Peter’s three decades ofepiscopal service coincided with manyimportant events in the history of theChurch in the 20th century.

In March 2005, the members of the HolySynod of Bishops accepted ArchbishopPeter's request for retirement. Due to fail-ing health, he had been on a leave of ab-sence since the spring 2004 session of theHoly Synod. His retirement became effec-tive April 30, 2005. May Archbishop Peter’s memory beeternal!

Council from 14

Convocation of the 15thAll-American CouncilAll-American Council. An adjustment wasmade from previous years in order to en-courage the participation of smaller, mis-sion parishes. This Council will be on amore modest scale, and every effort will bemade to keep costs to a minimum.

Assessments will be based upon yourparish census figures submitted for the year2007. Invoices are currently being pre-pared and will be sent out shortly. We re-quest that parishes make an effort to remitassessment funds to the Chancery officesby December 31, 2007.

Thank you for your remittance in ad-vance. Your support will provide the Or-thodox Church in America with the meansto plan and implement the 15th All-Ameri-can Council next November.

With love in Christ,Archpriest Alexander GarklavsChancellor

Visit the Fellowship ofOrthodox Stewards link atwww.oca.org to learn howyou and your parish cansupport and expand the workof the OCA’s departments!

elics of Saint Maxim Sandowicz,an early 20th century martyr forR the Orthodox Christian faith

from the Lemko region of what is todayPoland, were enshrined at SaintTikhon’s Monastery, South Canaan, PAon September 19, 2007.

Receiving the relics on behalf of HisBeatitude, Metropolitan Herman, wereHis Grace, Bishop Tikhon of Philadel-phia and Eastern Pennsylvania; theVery Rev. Michael Dahulich, dean ofSaint Tikhon’s Seminary; members ofthe monastic community; and seminar-ians.

The relics were presented to the mon-astery by the Very Rev. Daniel Ressetar,pastor emeritus of Christ the SaviourChurch, Harrisburg, PA, a great nephewof Saint Maxim.

Earlier in the month, Father Danielparticipated in the celebration of thetranslation of Saint Maxim’s relics inGorlice, Poland, where he was martyred

by firing squad in 1914. The saint’s rel-ics were transferred from the parish cem-etery in Zdynia, and enshrined on theright side of the iconostasis in Gorlice’sHoly Trinity Church. Hundreds of faith-ful attended the services, at which HisBeatitude, Metropolitan Sawa of War-saw and All Poland presided, assistedby eight other hierarchs and dozens ofpriests and deacons.

During the celebration, Father Danielwas presented with a golden vessel con-taining Saint Maxim’s relics. Upon hisreturn to the US, he concelebrated anAkathistos in the saint’s honor at Christthe Saviour Church with the Rev.Steven Vernak, rector, and the Rev.Srboljub Jackovic.

“The translation of Saint Maxim’srelics was an emotional, unforgettablespiritual event,” Father Daniel said. “Inthe future, portions of his relics will bedistributed to parishes and Church in-stitutions.”

Relics of St. Maxim Sandowiczenshrined at St. Tikhon’s Monastery

NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007

St. Maxim SandowiczSt. Maxim Sandowicz was born on Janu-ary 31, 1886 in Zdynia, Austrian Galicia,Poland. After completing his basic edu-cation, he entered a Greek Catholicmonastery. Soon thereafter, he be-came estranged from Greek Catholicismin general, and entered the PochaivMonastery, at that time in the RussianEmpire, in 1904. After completing stud-ies at the Orthodox seminary inZhytomyr, he was ordained to the priest-hood in 1911, after which he returnedto the Lemko region. As the first Ortho-dox priest to serve in the area since itembraced uniatism in the early 18thcentury, he served under the watchfuleye of the Austrian authorities, whofeared the spread of Russian influencethrough the growing Orthodox presence.

In March 1912, he and three associ-ates, were arrested and put on trial twoyears later in Lviv. They were accusedof being spies for the Russian Empire.The four were acquitted, after which SaintMaxim returned to his native village.

On August 28, 1914, he and hisentire family were arrested and impris-oned in Gorlice. World War I had al-ready begun, and as Russian troops in-vaded the region in September 1914, hewas summarily shot by the Austrians.

His relics were returned to Zdyniain 1922.

In 1994, he was glorified by theOrthodox Church of Poland in Gorlice.His son, a priest also named Maxim,continued to serve the region’s Ortho-dox faithful until his death in 1991.

Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphiaand Eastern Pennsylvania withFrs. Michael Dahulich and DanielRessetar and several members ofthe monastery and seminarycommunities, receive the relics ofSt. Maxim Sandowicz at St. Tikhonof Zadonsk Monastery Church,South Canaan, PA [below].Fr. Daniel, the great nephew ofSt. Maxim, prays before the saint’srelics, enshrined in Holy TrinityChurch, Gorlice, Poland, in earlySeptember [right].

22 VOLUME 43 5

Stewardship

hen addressing the question of the relationship ofmoney to the Church, one immediately comes to theW realization that, while the Church does not exist to

make money, the Church – as an organism living and growing inthis world – needs money to exist. In saying this, one does notdiminish the importance of God’s presence for the existence andcontinuation of thelife of the Church. In-deed, even if we hadall of the money in theworld but lacked theabiding presence ofChrist, the Churchwould not, nor couldnot, exist.

At first glance, itmay appear thatmoney and theChurch have verylittle to do with oneanother, except forthe fact that money isused to “pay thebills.” While it is truethat God, and notmoney, is the truecontent of our faith,we must seek to un-derstand the theologi-cal vision of giving that is presented to us within the Tradition ofthe Church.

By taking flesh from the Virgin Mary, Our Lord entered intothe fullness of the material world – a world which He created andcalled “good.” By His incarnation, Jesus united heaven andearth, abolishing once and for all the dichotomy between the“spiritual” and the “material.” The myth – or, rather, the heresyof dualism – that holds that while the spiritual is “good,” thematerial is “evil,” is nothing more than a denial of the true impli-cations of the incarnation. In Jesus Christ, heaven and earth areunited. By entering the material world and taking on our physi-cal human nature in its fullness, He sanctifies matter, returningit to its original purpose and function. Hence, matter – evenmoney – can be used for the glory of God and the building up ofHis Body, the Church.

Offering our first fruits. When we give money to theChurch, we are offering back to the Lord something of ourselves.All things ultimately are from God, and belong to Him. We have

been given the task of being faithful stewards, or managers, ofthat which belongs to Him and entrusted to our care.

As a way of giving thanks for all that God has given us, weare called to set aside our “first fruits” for God: “Honor the Lordwith your substance and with the first fruits of your produce; thenyour barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be burst-ing with wine” [Proverbs 3:9-10]. We are called by Scripture tooffer back to the Lord something of what He has allowed us toearn. Notice that Scripture emphasizes the first fruits of our labor.Many times we present our offerings to the Lord only after every-thing else has been taken care of – food, clothing, entertainment,utility bills, etc. – leaving, like Cain, the “leftovers” for God. ButGod does not honor our leftovers!

A common temptation. “All mortal things are vanityand exist not after death,” we sing at the funeral service. “Riches

do not endure, neitherdoes glory accompanyus on the way, forwhen death comes,all things vanish ut-terly.” These wordsremind us that we can-not selfishly claimanything “just for our-selves,” precisely be-cause we are mortalbeings. When we die,riches, wealth, prop-erty, and even pov-erty mean nothing tous. As the old sayinggoes, “you can’t takeit with you,” regard-less of what that “it”might be.

Christ reveals thatselfishness is a sin be-cause it is a lie about

our ability to possess anything for eternity. Hence, we are chal-lenged not to ascribe excessive devotion to our material posses-sions, nor to yield to the temptation of selfishness. To do so is toenslave ourselves to the life of the devil and to separate ourselvesfrom the Christian vision of life, property, and death. The pointhere is that Christians should never refuse to give to the Churchbecause they delight in their material possessions and wealth.

How much should I give? While, time and time again,we may ask, “How much should I give,” the real question is,“How much have I been given?”

Ask, “What has Our Lord accomplished for me?” and “Howmuch does the work of Christ and His Church mean to me?” Andthen give in a consistent, responsible way, whether by tith-ing – offering 10% of our income – or by setting aside the “firstportion” of our income for the Lord before setting aside a por-tion for ourselves. Either way, our giving should be sacrificial,offered as a sign of thanks for the blessings the Lord has bestowedupon us.

Cheerful givingThe question is not “how much shouldI give,” but “how much have I beengiven?”

Scripture provides uswith guidelines forgiving to the Church.• Whatever we give, we shouldnever boast about it, as we seein Matthew 6:1-4.

• We should give regularly andconsistently. St. Paul tells thefaithful of Corinth to “put some-thing aside... on the first day ofevery week” for the Church[1 Corinthians 16:2].

• We should give cheerfully.St. Paul keenly illustrates thispoint when he writes, “The point is this: he who sows bountifully willalso reap bountifully. Each one must do as he has made up his mind,not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” [2Corinthians 9:6-7].

In this section22 Stewardship

23 Outreach Ministries

24 Exploring Scripture

25 Christian Ed

26 Chaplaincies

NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007

Outreach Ministries

Antonia Godbold

ost anyone will tell you that lifeis a series of peaks and valleys. IMwas in a small valley when I re-

ceived an issue of International OrthodoxChristian Charities’ newsletter that high-lighted the need for volunteers to work fora week in the Katrina-devastated areas ofthe Gulf coast.

As a busy homeschooling mother offour, I found that I had become far too self-focused. I needed an outreach opportu-nity so I could feel that I was “giving back.”This seemed to be the perfect solution – ashort vacation from the little people and achance to fulfill my need to reach out.

A group from our parish, Holy Apostles,Columbia, SC, and our parish priest, theRev. Thomas Moore, departed for the coast.

remained in the countless trailers that dot-ted the landscape along the interstates ap-proaching the city. It was clear that, twoyears after Katrina, there was so much to bedone.

A bright spot in our tour was Holy Trin-ity Greek Orthodox Church, establishedin the mid-1800s. The church, built on asmall hill, was seriously damaged. Newflooring had been installed in the altarshortly before the hurricane. Miraculously,the extra quarter inch of flooring preventedthe flood waters from entering the altar.

For the next five days, our team workedwith volunteers from Habitat for Human-ity, one of whom had given nine monthsto rehabilitation efforts. Some of the homeowners visited us as we worked. Onewoman, a single mother who had lost herjob, tearfully shared her fear that she wouldlose her house. It was encouraging to watchone of the Habitat volunteers offer her ahug while encouraging her to “just keeppraying.” He explained that Habitat iscommitted to offering “a hand up, not ahand out,” as he outlined the responsibili-ties home recipients must meet.

During our week in New Orleans, therewas one scene I will never forget. Therewas one site among the weedy lots and con-crete slabs of the Lower Ninth Ward onwhich someone had planted brightly col-ored flowers. There, in the pouring rain,amongst amazing devastation, was a splashof cheerful red and yellow along the frontand side of the slab on the otherwise emptylot. The flowers grew in stark contrast totheir surroundings. I wondered if it was amemorial to someone who had lost his orher life, or a display of hope for the future –perhaps both. Either way, it reminded meof Christ – His death and His Resurrectionand the hope of new life He so graciouslyoffers – and the need to turn our focus awayfrom ourselves to reach out to the “least ofthe brethren.” I, and the other members ofour team, were truly blessed to receive somuch more than we had given during ourweek in New Orleans.

We were housed in a community church,complete with showers! Each morning,before we left to begin the day’s work, Fa-ther Thomas led morning prayers. The firstday, our IOCC contact led us on a tour ofthe area north of Lake Pontchartrain, wherewe would be working, and New Orleans.Some neighborhoods resembled ghosttowns. We saw street after street with emptyhouses – broken windows, rooftops askew,weedy lots – all with mysterious grids andnumbers painted on their exteriors. It wasa very stark reminder of the immediate af-termath of Katrina, when houses were sys-tematically searched for survivors. TheNinth Ward was a collection of concretefoundations set in overgrown lots, with dirtand gravel pockmarked streets. A few resi-dents had returned and were attempting torebuild their homes and lives, while others

Giving... and receiving! Faithful from Holy Apostles Church, Columbia,SC, spent a week last summer rebuilding homes in Katrina-devastated NewOrleans. Pictured in the first row are Marty Cipolla, Antonia Godbold, andValerie Hook, behind whom are Bret Barnard, George Moore, and Kreg, thegroup’s supervisor. Fr. Thomas Moore stands to the right.

Signs of new lifeSharing Christ’s love with Katrina’s forgotten victims

4: Did Jesus tellBible stories?

Father Theodore Bobosh

esus spoke all these things to the crowd“J in parables; He did not say anythingto them without using a parable. So wasfulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: ‘I will open mymouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation ofthe world’” [Matthew 13:34-35]. While this text gives us anotherexample of the New Testament treatment of an Old Testamenttext as prophecy (in this case Psalm 78:2), it also gives ajustification for Jesus’ own teaching method – namely the use ofparables.

A parable is a story that, while purely fictitious, teaches alesson. The story does not have to be “true,” in the sense of literalor historical fact. A parable is also different from an allegory, inwhich the story may indeed be factual and historical, even thoughit is used to lead to some understanding beyond the mere literalfacts. In allegories, the words of the text are each treated as “sym-bols” or tokens referring to other realities. The literal meaning ofthe text and the coherence of the story can be totally ignored, oreven destroyed, since each element or word in the story refers tosome greater reality. In allegories, the text is really a “code” to becracked, or simply a pretext for some other “hidden meaning.” Aparable, on the other hand, presents a story that, in and of itself,makes sense, yet requires the listener to think about the story’spossible meanings, implications, and parallels.

The use of parables was common in Jewish tradition; hence, inusing parables, Jesus spoke in a manner familiar to His hearers.And, while the New Testament makes it clear that Jesus usedparables constantly in His teaching [Matthew 13:34], it does notclaim that He spoke allegorically.

The parable requires the hearer to give meaning to the story.Thus, the disciples were troubled as to why Jesus continuallyspoke in parables, since the parables’ meanings had then to bediscerned. While they wanted a more direct, literal form of teach-ing, Jesus did not accommodate them [Matthew 13:34-35]. Rather,He taught in parables, and only later did He explain their mean-ing. When asked why He did this, Jesus said, “The knowledge ofthe secrets of the Kingdom of God has been given to you, but toothers I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may notsee; though hearing, they may not understand’” [Luke 8:10].Further, we see in this text that the prophecy of Isaiah 6:9 is ful-filled in the life of Jesus. He apparently wanted people to think,to be creative, to discern meaning in His stories – and this wouldbe the very reason He used parables in the first place!

What is fascinating is that, though the chief priests, elders, andpharisees are not taught the meaning of the parables (as are thedisciples) and seem not to understand their meaning in general,they do perceive that “He was talking about them” [Matthew21:45] – or, more precisely, that He was talking against them.But their eyes remained closed to the meaning of the parables, forthey had no faith in Him or His message. In the same way that oneneeds faith to see a miracle, one needs faith to have one’s mind or

heart enlightened by a parable.Beyond using the parables, did Jesus

tell Bible stories? If we are looking forHim to narrate stories which are so popu-larly recognized – Adam and Eve, Josephand his brothers, David and Goliath, Noah,or Jonah – the answer is no. It may be thatHe didn’t tell these stories because theywere readily known and available to Hishearers. It is also possible that, as with His

parables, Jesus intended people to discern the deeper meanings ofthese stories, so He used them in such a way as to require aninterpretation.

In Matthew 24:37-42 , Jesus refers to Noah: “As were the daysof Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. For as in thosedays before the flood they were eating and drinking, marryingand giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,and they did not know until the flood came and swept them allaway, so will be the coming of the Son of man. Then two men willbe in the field; one is taken and one is left. Two women will begrinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left. Watch therefore,for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”

Instead of narrating the story, Jesus He makes particular use ofthe story. The hermeneutic He uses is what the patristic writerstermed pragmatica – the implication of the text. Here, Jesus usesthe story of Noah, a lesson from the past, to teach His hearers howto understand their – and our – current situation and to take ap-propriate action. Ultimately, Jesus is calling His hearers to vigi-lance. The future – His Second Coming – will occur in a mannersimilar to the flood of Noah’s day, by complete surprise as thepeople were going about their business.

Jesus makes reference to the story of Jonah in Matthew 12:38-41: “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, ‘Teacher,we wish to see a sign from You.’ But He answered them, ‘An eviland adulterous generation seeks for a sign; but no sign shall begiven to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah wasthree days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will theSon of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.The men of Nin’eveh will arise at the judgment with this genera-tion and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah,and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.’”

While Jesus seems to accept the literal details of Jonah’s tale,what is more significant is that He sees the events of Jonah’s lifeas a sign and prophecy of His own resurrection. Thus, the story ofJonah finds its ultimate purpose in Christ, as a sign and prophecy.The key to the story is not found in its historical context, but inhow it serves to reveal Christ’s own life as that which the prophetsanticipated. Again, Christ is both the hermeneutic for under-standing God’s word, as well as the Interpreter of God’s Word.

In John 5:39, Christ challenges the Jews: “You search thescriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life;and it is they that testify on my behalf.” Here, Christ is clear: thevery purpose of the Old Testament is to witness to Christ, so thatall might recognize Him. The Jewish Tanakh as understood byChristians is a treasury of God’s riches and wisdom and revela-tion, but it remains locked in its vault until the Key – Jesus Christ– is given to open the vault. Hence, the Key to understanding the

Scripture to 30

S C R I P T U R E

24 VOLUME 43 5

E X P L O R I N G

Christian Ed

Valerie Zahirsky

good teacher will always strive to relate new information,attitudes, and concepts to his or her student’s experience.A Since science, as taught in public schools, is devoid of any

connection with faith, much less Scripture, here’s an example ofhow to intergrate study of the Word of God with basic scientificconcepts.Lesson theme.

“What does God see in us?”What you’ll need.

For this activity, you will need a black non-permanent marker,water, scissors, large coffee filters (either one per student, one perpair of students, or one for the whole class – your choice).Procedure.

1. Cut the round bottom center from the coffee filter[s]. Youwill be using only the round center piece.

2. Use the marker to color a penny-sized black dot in themiddle of the round piece of filter.

3. Ask the students, “What do you think would happen if wedropped some water on the black dot?” Let them offer guessesand ideas.

4. Drop 10 drops of water onto the dot. Students may besurprised to see a rainbow of colors appear. Share with studentsthe scientific explanation: The ink in the black marker is made ofmixed colored pigments. The drops of water made the pigmentsdissolve and spread through the filter, showing the individualcolors.

5. Tell the students that the Old Testament tells us how Godsent Samuel to anoint His chosen king. (Make sure the studentsunderstand that anointing with oil marks a person with the sign ofGod’s Holy Spirit – that person belongs to God, and has a specialresponsibility to fulfill.) In the Old Testament story, God toldSamuel that the one to be anointed was one of the sons of Jesse,but Samuel did not know which son it was.

6. Read together 1 Samuel 16: 6-13. (Note: “They” in verse6 refers to Jesse’s sons, who passed before Samuel one by one.)

7. Ask the students, “How was Samuel surprised?” (He as-sumed that one of the strong, capable older brothers would beGod’s chosen one, not smaller David.)

8. Ask, “How is this like our experiment?” Let the studentsgive answers. Through discussion, help them see that God lookeddeeper than the outward appearance of the brothers, and that Helooks beyond our external appearance. We had to “look deeper”to see the rainbow hidden in the black dot. And, as followers ofGod, we are called to “look deeper” into people than their out-ward appearance.

Not-so-weird scienceHands-on classroom activities exploreScripture and the wonders of God’screation

Looking for an introductorytext on Holy Scripture?Look no further!Called to Serve is a Bible survey in 20 short lessons.Its author, Fr. John Peck, says it is intended for thosewho want to learn more about Scripture or who want tohave a text from which to teach others about Scripture. Called to Serve consists of two black-and-whitevolumes – one for students and one for the teacher orgroup leader, with answers provided. Each book is 65pages in length. Despite its brevity, Called to Serve is thorough,guiding students well in looking at Scripture from anOrthodox Christian perspective. Fr. John has the gift ofsaying memorable and useful things in a succinct way.For example, he writes, “For the Orthodox Christian,the Old and New Testaments form a unified whole ofGod’s revelation.... We see that the Old Testamentprophets were receiving instruction from, and witness-ing to, the same Christ that the New Testamentapostles were.” [The text is “in sync” with the Discov-ering Scripture series written by Fr. Theodore Boboshand published in The Orthodox Church.] To the question of why we should bother with theOld Testament if it has already been fulfilled by Christ,the book gives a good answer: It is Christ Whocreated the world, Who spoke to Moses in the burningbush, and Who sent the prophets. The Old Testamentsets the New Testament experience in context for us,since we did not live in that time and culture. The lessons are varied – always a plus in a text-book. They offer map work, word devices to memorizedata, discussion guides, diagrams, and illustrations.An effort is made to give students, with their diverselearning styles, opportunities to learn in the ways theydo best. Called to Serve is a useful and attractive surveycourse. Fr. John has even offered readers a way ofsending him feedback on the book – the mark of awriter who truly wants to make his work the best, andmost useful, that it can be. Order on-line at www.interiorstrength.com orlulu.com/interiorstrength. – Valerie Zahirsky

NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007 25

For a wealth of educationalresources, supplements, and

creative ideas,visit the Department of Christian

Education web site athttp://dce.oca.org.

R E S O U R C E S

Christian Ed

DCE holds Christian edconference in Ft. Worth, TX

n the Beginning” was the theme of a one-day conference for“I teachers, parents, youth leaders, and others interested inChristian education sponsored by the Orthodox Church inAmerica’s Department of Christian Education on September 29,2007.

Fifty-three participants from seven OCA and Antiochian par-ishes attended the conference, which was held at Saint BarbaraChurch, Fort Worth, TX.

The theme utilized the book of Genesis as an example of whatteachers and parents can do to instruct children and Church schoolstudents of various age and grade levels.

His Eminence, Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas and the South,delivered the opening keynote address, titled “The Church’s Use

of Scripture in Her Services.” Matushka Valerie Zahirsky, DCEcochair, spoke on “How Genesis Can Help Our Kids NavigateTheir World” in the second keynote address.

Three workshops were offered by DCE members. Mrs. DariaPetrykowski presented “What? Who? When?” in which she ex-plored a variety of issues related to lesson content. Mrs. VeronicaBilas led a workshop on “Creative Ideas for Home and ChurchSchool,” which offered hands-on examples of activities and re-sources for all age levels. Matushka Christine Zebrun, DCE co-chair, presented “The Welcoming Classroom,” which surveyedinstructional, functional, and creative ideas and solutions to gen-erate a more inviting learning environment.

Displays and free resource materials from various OrthodoxChristian vendors were available to participants.

For more information about future conferences and workshops,or to host a conference in your area, contact the Department ofChristian Education at christianeducation@oca.org.

Chaplaincies

Orthodox chaplainsembrace all branchesof service

or nearly seven decades, Orthodox Christian chaplains haveF faithfully ministered to the needs of US military personnelF stateside and around the world.Currently, the Rev. Eugene Lahue celebrates the Divine Litur-

gy and other services at Travis Air Force Base near Fairfield, CA.The Very Rev. Jerome Cwiklinski, a Navy chaplain assigned tothe Coast Guard near Oakland, CA, recently transferred

from the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base to take over Ortho-dox services on Travis AFB for Father Eugene, who was deployedto Afghanistan to serve as a chaplain with coalition forces thatinclude all branches of the US military and partners from Ortho-dox nations, including Bulgaria, Georgia, and Romania.

US Army chaplain, the Very Rev. Peter Baktis, and the Rev.Eugene Wozniak, a US Navy chaplain assigned to the Marines,are also deployed in and around Iraq.

During deployment, Orthodox Chaplains minister not only intheir assigned units, but provide circuit-riding outreach to Ortho-dox Christian service members, regardless of branch.

“If you have a spiritual child, fellow parishioner, or loved onedeployed to Iraq or Afghanistan or searching for Orthodox chapelservices stateside, please communicate with any of our listed Or-thodox chaplains,” said Father Jerome. “Orthodox service mem-bers deployed or serving overseas may also request a visit by anOrthodox chaplain through their own unit chaplain.”

Celebrating the Liturgy at Travis Air Force Baseare Frs. Jerome Cwiklinski and Eugene Lahue.

Weekly liturgies have been celebrated for years forcadettes at the US Military Academy at West Point byFr. Joseph Frawley.

26 VOLUME 43 5

NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007 27

NorthAmericaOCA archivist speaks atcelebration marking centennialof the First All-American Sobor

r. Alexis Liberovsky, archivist ofthe Orthodox Church in Ameri-M ca and director of the OCA De-

partment of History and Archives, was theguest speaker at the celebration of the cen-tennial of the First All-American Sobor[Council] at Saint John the Baptist Rus-sian Orthodox Cathedral, Mayfield, PA,on Sunday, October 28, 2007.

Saint Tikhon, Archbishop of NorthAmerica and later Patriarch of Moscow andAll Rus, presided at the sobor, which washeld in Mayfield in 1907.

His Eminence, Metropolitan Laurus,First Hierarch of the Russian OrthodoxChurch Outside of Russia [ROCOR], pre-sided at the Divine Liturgy that openedthe event. Earlier this year, ROCOR rees-tablished Eucharistic Communion with theMoscow Patriarchate after decades of es-trangement.

In his keynote address at the banquetheld at Saint John parish center after theDivine Liturgy, Mr. Liberovsky offered adetailed historical presentation of theMayfield Sobor in 1907 and reflected onits importance for all Orthodox Christianstoday.

“The Church is fortified by her Coun-cils and, through the prayers of all the saintsof North America, strives to be faithful toChrist and the Holy Tradition of the uni-versal Orthodox Church,” Mr. Liberovskyobserved after offering a detailed historyof the Sobor. “She must seek to worthilyserve and witness in the difficult circum-stances of a non-Orthodox culture and theincreasingly anti-Christian spirit of thecontemporary world. As the Church inNorth America faces new challenges in the21st century and the new millennium, fu-

Mayfield to 28

Participants soughtfor parish life study

s a follow-up to its recent study,A “Evolving Visions of the Ortho-dox Priesthood in America,” whichsurveyed the lives of Orthodox Chris-tian clergy in North America, the Pa-triarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute[PAOI], Berkeley, CA, is seeking vol-unteers to participate in a new “ParishLife” study.

The “Parish Life” project is the firstnational study of the realities of day-to-day life in American parishes.

While the parish stands at the heartof Church life, there have been few se-rious efforts to study it in a realistic,honest, and triumphalism-free manner.The study is attempts to provide a firststep toward a better understanding ofthe numerous challenges and issuesthat American Orthodox parishes facein their daily lives. A particular goalof the project is to look at these chal-lenges and issues through the eyes ofparishioners – young and old, cradleOrthodox and converts to Orthodoxy,and persons regularly participating inparish life and those who attend onlyoccasionally.

The project is being supported bya grant from the Louisville Institute, aLilly Endowment-funded program.

All members of OCA parishes in-terested in participating in the “ParishLife” study are invited to contactPAOI’s research director, Mr. AlexeiD. Krindatch, at ParishProject@gmail.com.

READ the results of PatriarchAthenagoras Orthodox Institute’slandmark study, Evolving Visionsof the Orthodox Priesthood inAmerica, on the institute’s site atwww.orthodoxinstitute.org/files/evolvvisstudrepwebpost.pdf.Hundreds of clergy from the OCAand various jurisdictions partici-pated in the survey. For moreinformation on the work of the pan-Orthodox institute atwww.orthodoxinstitute.org.

w w w . o c a . o r g

St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Mayfield, PA hosted the celebrationof the centennial of the First All-American Sobor, held in Mayfield in 1907. Mr.Alexis Liberovsky delivered the keynote address at the festive banquet thatfollowed the anniversary Divine Liturgy.

Photo courtesy of St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Mayfield, PA

I N D E P T H

NorthAmerica28 VOLUME 43 5

READ thecomplete text of Mr.Liberovsky’s address on theFirst All-American Sobor inPDF format at www.oca.org/PDF/NEWS/2007/2007-1028-mayfield/mayfield_sobor_anniv_10282007.pdf.

I N D E P T H

w w w . o c a . o r g

Mayfieldfrom 27

Centennial of First AACture All-American Councils should derivewise unspiration from the historical legacyand rich experience of the Councils of thepast, beginning with the first one here inMayfield, for discerning the Church’scourse for the future.

“I would like to end with another quotefrom Fr. Leonid Turkevich,” Mr.Liberovsky concluded. “These are the fi-nal words of his concluding remarks at theMayfield Council, which are today perhapseven more timely and meaningful for allOrthodox Christians in North America thanthey were a century ago: ‘Renewed in spirit,with faith and hope in God, may ourChurch grow and be courageous, pure, lov-ing, and strong in her unity; may she drawunto her bosom not only the Uniates, whoare our brothers by blood, but advancingbeyond the Russian race, may all those wholive in America be drawn to the Holy Ap-ostolic Church, so that here, there wouldbe one flock and one Shepherd, JesusChrist, to Whom be glory and majesty withthe Father and the Holy Spirit unto ages ofages.’”

Oriental, Eastern Orthodox hierarchscelebrate 7th annual UN prayer service

is Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman,Hwas among the hierarchs represent-ing the Standing Conference of Canoni-cal Orthodox Bishops in the Americas[SCOBA] and of the Standing Confer-ence of Oriental Orthodox Churches[SCOOCH] who attended the seventhannual Prayer Service for the UnitedNations at Holy Trinity Greek OrthodoxArchdiocesan Cathedral, New York, NY,on Tuesday, November 13, 2007.

His Eminence Archbishop Demetri-os of the Greek Orthodox Archdioceseof America, SCOBA chairman, wel-comed the hierarchs, clergy, ambassa-dors and members of the UN diplomaticcorps, and laity to the Vesper service, atwhich His Eminence, ArchbishopNicolae of the Romanian OrthodoxArchdiocese in the Americas, presided.

UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-Moonoffered greetings, delivered by Dr.Emmanuel Kattan of the UN Office ofthe Alliance. Archbishop Nicolae re-sponded by speaking on mankind’s sa-cred responsibility for creation.

“Every form of matter which passesthrough the hand of a Christian is har-monious with the natural environment,and is transformed into a means of com-

munion with one another and with God,”said Archbishop Nicolae. “In our time,however, the meaning of Creation andthe holy responsibility of each humanperson towards our world has been for-gotten.”

Other SCOBA hierarchs in atten-dance included His Eminence, Metro-politan Joseph, Bulgarian OrthodoxChurch; His Eminence, Archbishop An-thony, Ukrainian Orthodox Church ofthe USA; His Grace, Bishop Antoun,Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese ofNorth America; and His Grace, BishopIoan Casian, Romanian Orthodox Arch-diocese.

Among the SCOOCH hierarchspresent were His Eminence, ArchbishopKhajag Barsamian, Primate of the Arme-nian Orthodox Church and SCOOCHchairman; His Eminence, ArchbishopMor Cyril Aphrem Karim, Syrian Ortho-dox Church; His Eminence, ArchbishopMor Titus Yeldho Pathickal, MalankaraSyrian Orthodox Archdiocese; and HisGrace, Bishop Makarios, Coptic Ortho-dox Church.

Ambassadors from Armenia, Alba-nia, Greece, Ukraine, and other countriesalso attended.

Evening from 10

An evening with...faith: eternal life. As I witnessed thosearound me hanging on to the preacher’severy word, I wondered if perhaps it is we,as Orthodox Christians, who have failed toproclaim, much less share, the fullness ofthe faith sorely lacking in the preacher’swords and vision of prosperity. And I won-dered what would happen if the true pros-perity which Christ promises – the pros-perity that is “not of this world,” the pros-perity which Orthodox Christianity pro-claims in word but too often fails to revealin deed – were to be made manifest in ourown parishes and communities with thesame intensity that clearly marked thepreacher’s message. How wonderful itwould be if we could pack Madison SquareGarden – or even our own parish churches– in a genuine effort to share with one andall the one thing needful!

Mary Ann Bulko is a frequentcontributor to The Orthodox Church.

LIGHT UPYOUR LIFE!Log on to www.receive.orgto access 24/7 OrthodoxChristian programming andmusic – including “ComeReceive the Light,” “TheArk,” and “The Rudder” –brought to you by the OrthodoxChristian Network.

Official from 2 SUSPENDED

[BURKE], Archdeacon Gregory, who was at-tached to Christ the Savior Cathedral, Miami, FL,is suspended/ October 19, 2007.HECKMAN, The V. Rev. Theodore, who wasrector of St. Mark Church, Wrightstown, PA, issuspended/ October 18, 2007.

PARISHESARCHDIOCESE OF CANADA/ Church closed.Mar Elias Church, New Westminster, BC, is closed/October 1, 2007.DIOCESE OF THE WEST/ Status and Dean-ery change. St. Innocent Mission, Fremont, CAis granted parish status and is now known as St.Innocent Church. The parish is transferred fromthe Missionary District Deanery to the Pacific Cen-tral Deanery/ October 24, 2007.

WorldBriefsU K R A I N E

Relics thought to be those of St. Olgadiscovered by archeologists

rcheologists carrying out excava-tions at the 10th century ChurchA of the Tithe in Kyiv, Ukraine, con-

cluded in early August 2007 that remainsdiscovered there in 1939 are probably thoseof Saint Olga, Equal to the Apostles andgrandmother of Saint Vladimir.

The Church of the Tithe, the first stonechurch in Kyivan Rus, was dedicated tothe Mother of God. It was erected byKyivan and Byzantine workers during theyears 988-996. It was known as the “TitheChurch” because Saint Vladimir appropri-ated one-tenth of his income for its con-struction.

The Church of the Tithe was burnedduring the Mongol-Tatar invasion in 1240.All that remains of the church today areits foundations, which indicate that itwas somewhat smaller than Kyiv’s Cathe-dral of the Holy Wisdom, the stone master-piece that was built in 1037 by Yaroslavthe Wise and that still graces the city’s sky-line.

“In the 10th century, the Church of theTithe was one of the largest churches inthe Christian world,” explained Dr. OlegIoannisyan, a specialist in the region’sancient architecture. The church mea-sured 44 meters in length and 30 meters inwidth.

Among the archeological finds on thechurch’s site were jewelry and coins dat-ing to the 10th century and what are be-lieved to be the oldest Slavonic inscrip-tions ever discovered on the territory ofKyiv.

In 1939, an expedition lead by Lenin-grad scientist Mikhail Karger discoveredsome hidden recesses on the church’s site.Within these recesses, tombs were discov-ered. One, that of a woman, contained nu-merous gold ornaments.

“Today, we are close to confirming thatthis is the tomb of Princess Olga,” Dr.Ioannisyan said.

Saint Olga has been the subject of at-tention of historians and writers through-

NATIVITY/THEOPHANY 2007 29

out the centuries. Prior to embracingChristianity, she avenged the death ofher murdered husband, Prince Igor, by theDrevlyany tribe. She ruled Kyivan Rus’while her son Svyatoslav was a minor andduring his countless campaigns.

I T A L Y

Primacy focus ofCatholic-Orthodoxdialogue

alks between Roman Catholic and Or-T thodox Christian theologians held inRavenna, Italy, in October 2007 centeredon the primacy of the Pope. But Vatican’stop representative at the Ravenna talks,Cardinal Walter Kasper, cautioned that theapproved 46-paragraph final document re-leased on November 15 should not be seenas a dramatic step toward Orthodox accep-tance of the Pope’s authority, since it doesnot resolve questions about the nature ofpapal authority.

The final document refers to thebishop of Rome as the “first among thepatriarchs,” while recognizing the histori-cal “pentarchy” that included theChurches of Constantinople, Alexandria,Antioch, and Jerusalem, as affirmed in the

fourth century.However, the Ravenna document does

not settle questions about the authority ofthe Pope, especially after the 11th century.In fact, the members of the Joint Interna-tional Commission for Theological Dia-logue noted in their statement that Catho-lic and Orthodox theologians disagree “onthe interpretation of the historical evidencefrom this era regarding the prerogatives ofthe bishop of Rome as protos,” or firstamong the patriarchs. “There are differ-ences of understanding with regard to themanner in which it [primacy] is to be exer-cised, and also with regard to its scripturaland theological foundations.”

Cardinal Kasper told Vatican Radiothat the Ravenna document will be the fo-cus of future talks, during which “we haveto go on to clarify the details.”

The Ravenna meeting was the 10thplenary session of the joint theologicalcommission, established in 1979 by PopeJohn Paul II and His All-Holiness, Ecu-menical Patriarch Dimitrios I.

The Ravenna meeting was conductedunder a cloud because the Russian Ortho-dox delegation – representing by far thelargest Orthodox Church in the world – leftthe meeting at the beginning of the discus-sions because it objected to the seating ofa delegation from the Estonian ApostolicOrthodox Church, under the jurisdictionof the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which Mos-cow does not recognize.

The Joint International Commissionfor Theological Dialogue includes 30 Or-thodox and 30 Catholic theologians.

For related information, read the edi-torial on page 4 of this issue.

Rusyn Society seeks parish historiesor 35 years, the Carpatho-Rusyn Society has been collecting histories of Ortho-F dox and Byzantine Catholic parishes established by Rusyn immigrants. The

collection is believed to be the largest of its kind in the world.“The histories, often written by parishioners, provide a unique chronicle, often

enriched by old photographs and advertisements illustrating the formative experi-ences of the over 400 US Rusyn communities founded before 1950,” said Mr. JohnSchweich, president of the society’s Washington, DC chapter. “The collection isavailable to scholars and individuals doing research on immigrant life in the US.”

Parishes and individuals wishing to donate related materials may send them toMr. John Schweich, 11900 Moss Point Lane, Reston, VA 20194.

30 VOLUME 43 5

CommunitiesSend photos and news to TOC Communities, OneWheaton Center 912, Wheaton, IL 60187 or toinfo@oca.org.

Chancellor from 11

Homecominghomecoming is the return to that holiness, honor, and joy that we are allmeant to enjoy by virtue of our being created in God’s image and likeness.

The beauty of homecoming depends on the nature of that place we callhome. Ideally, it is a glorious place, holy and comforting, a place of virtue.Home is where dignity reigns and acceptance is assured. We know that wewill not be rejected or dishonored at home. It is where we are alwayswelcome, always loved, always forgiven. Home can never be underesti-mated, its value can never be overstated, and its significance cannot beignored. Therefore, being home naturally leads one to be mindful andgrateful of its existence. In a way, homecoming itself is an act of givingthanks for home. Gratitude can also be combined with humility, as in thecase of the Prodigal Son. The sacredness of the home is ensured by ourdevotion to it.

Of course, all of this is supremely applicable to the Church. Eachparish church is a treasure. Throughout the ages, even in the pre-Christianand non-Christian context, the sacred place of worship was always treatedwith special care and respect. Christian churches are similarly cared for.We cannot imagine a church that is unkempt or disordered. Every effort ismade to ensure that, when we come and pray, we do so in a place that is asclean and beautiful as it possibly can be. The attention to detail, cleanlinessand order that we direct to a parish church should also be passed on to ourselves and to our spiritual lives. The honor that we bestow upon our churchbuildings should also be accorded to monastic communities, diocesan insti-tutions, Church administration facilities, seminaries, and other Church agen-cies.

If we agree that home and homecoming are crucial parts of the humanpsyche, then we also must accept the need to give the place and the eventspecial recognition. We will not usually consciously think about our Churchas our home, but if we did, we would come to appreciate the Church evenmore. We would also come to see the need to preserve and honor all levelsof Church life.

Ultimately, our final journey is the last and best homecoming. Wemean, of course, our passing from this life into the next. Our only real andlasting home is other-worldly. Saint Paul says, “if the earthly tent we livein is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made withhands, eternal in the heavens” [2 Corinthians 5:1].

Our Lord Himself assures His disciples that in “my Father’s house aremany rooms” [John 14:2], to which the faithful can come home. TheOrthodox Church reiterates that image in its Funeral Service: “To the onedeparted, grant repose, O Lord, where a home is prepared and where heartsare filled with gladness.” Every Orthodox priest, in several of his hundredsof delivered eulogies, will use that comforting expression about a departedloved one, “this noble and faithful servant of God has finally come home!”

So homecoming is indeed something to look forward to. In fact, thereis nothing else we can look forward to! That final homecoming will haveall of the makings of those many memorable earthly homecomings – prepa-ration, anticipation, a moment of exultation, and then gratitude and appre-ciation. And yes, it also will be a coming home to the “banqueting house”where the table will be laden with food that does not perish.

FOCA hosts NJ youth at Six FlagsJACKSON, NJ – The New Jersey District of the Fellowshipof Orthodox Christians in America [FOCA] hosted a day atSix Flags Great Adventure here September 23, 2007. Youth from over 10 parishes of the New Jersey Deaneryenjoyed the day of fun and fellowship. Established as the Federated Russian Orthodox Clubsin 1927, the FOCA maintains junior and senior chapters indozens of parishes across the US. Among its nationalyouth activities are its annual basketball tournament andsummer Olympics program.

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Did Jesus tell Bible stories?Old Testament, including the Ten Commandments, all of the Torah’s 613laws, the history, the psalms, and the prophecies, is Jesus Christ.

Some want to read the Old Testament and proclaim the Law of Godwithout Christ. But for those who follow Christ and His interpretation ofScripture, the Old Testament can only be understood and interpreted inChrist and through Christ and by Christ, for the Old Covenant speaksabout Him, not just literally, but in symbols, shadows, prophesy, poetry,history, allegory, typology, and foreshadowing. To do otherwise consti-

tutes a denial of His role in salvation. The Old Testament can be readliterally, but in doing so, we may be missing, or even denying, Christ’spresence in them while failing to read and understand them as Christ under-stood and taught them.

Christ opened our hearts and minds to the Jewish scriptures, revealinghow they witnessed to Him. And they witness to Him not just literally, forsome of what Christ claimed the Old Testament says about Him cannot befound literally in any precise verse of the Old Testament. One must be ableto read the Old Testament in a particular way – in Christ – to understand itsmeaning. Christ opened us to the new revelation – that which God hadhidden previously in the scriptures. As we read in Matthew 13:35, “Thiswas to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet: ‘I will open mymouth to speak in parables; I will proclaim what has been hidden from thefoundation of the world.’” Similarly, Saint Paul writes, we read the scrip-tures “so that [we] may have all the riches of assured understanding andhave the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in Whomare hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” [Colossians 2:2-3].All that God had hidden in the Old Testament is fully and perfectly revealedin Christ Jesus.

Fr. Theodore Bobosh is rector of St. Paul the ApostleChurch, Dayton, OH.

For more info on the FOCA log on towww.orthodoxfellowship.org

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CT scouts receive A-O awardMERIDEN, CT –Christina and ThomasCraig of SS. Peterand Paul Church hererecently received theAlpha-Omega Ortho-dox scouting award. The siblings spentnearly six monthsstudying the faith indetail under the direc-tion of Fr. JoshuaMosher, pictured pre-senting the awards,and his wife Jenny. Tom, a boy scout from Troop One, Wallingford, CT, iscurrently pursuing his Eagle Scout project. Christina, asenior girl scout from Troop 85, Wallingford, CT, is currentlypursuing the Gold Award.

Chicago’s Holy Trinity Cathedralreceives $75,000 Partners inPreservation grantCHICAGO, IL – His-toric Holy TrinityCathedral here wasone of a handful ofChicago-area historicsites to be awardeda grant from Partnersin Preservationrecently. The cathedralserves as the see ofthe Orthodox Churchin America’s Dioceseof the Midwest. Partners inPreservation is analliance between theAmerican ExpressCorporation and theNational Trust forHistoric Places. Atthe beginning ofSeptember 2007, itinitiated a specialcompetition allowing the public to vote for favorite historicsites in need of preservation. The cathedral placed among the top 25 finalists se-lected from a field of over 150 applicants. Voting ended onOctober 10, with judging taking place two weeks later. At a gala reception on November 10, Partners in Preser-vation announced that the cathedral would receive a$75,000 grant for restoration of the decorative metalwork onthe cathedral’s exterior. Fr. John Adamcio, dean, attendedon behalf of the cathedral community. Walker Johnson of Johnson and Laskey Architects willserve as lead architect for the restoration, with support fromAnne Sullivan, who has assisted in discerning a number ofnecessary restoration projects on the cathedral. The cathedral, one of only two churches designed byrenowned Midwest architect and Frank Lloyd Wright mentorLouis Sullivan – the other Sullivan church, built onChicago’s south side, was recently destroyed by fire – wasbuilt in the early 1900s during the pastorate of St. JohnKochurov. It was consecrated in 1904 by St. Tikhon, duringhis tenure as bishop of North America. According to parish council president, Peter Rosi, andcathedral building and restoration committee chairman,Nicholas Yurschak, the grant, while very generous, fallsshort of covering the entire restoration project. Plans forsecuring additional funds to complete the project are beingexplored.

Holy Trinity Cathedralboasts a unique blend ofclassic Russian, Prairie School,and Art Noveau elements.

Fr. Nicholas Timpko retiresANSONIA, CT – Fr. Nicholas and Matushka AnastasiaTimpko were honored by the faithful of Three Saints Churchhere September 8-9, 2007 on the occasion of FatherNicholas’ retirement after serving the parish for 27 years. Metropolitan Herman and Bishop Nikon of Boston, NewEngland, and the Albanian Archdiocese, concelebrated withFr. Nicholas; Fr. Michael Roshak, rector; and visiting clergyat the celebration. Prior to his assignment to the Ansonia parish, Fr. Nicho-las served Archangel Michael Church, Burbank, IL, andSaint Mary Cathedral, Minneapolis, MN. In addition to hisparish ministry, he also served as dean of the MinneapolisDeanery and chancellor of the Diocese of New England. A testimonial banquet followed at Grassy Hill Lodge,Derby, CT.

Communities

Fr. Nicholas and Matushka Anastasis Timpkowith Metropolitan Herman, Bishop Nikon, and familymembers.

Communities32

NJ parish reflects on past, futureBAYONNE, NJ – Fr. Arkady Mironko and the faithful ofSS. Peter and Paul Church here welcomed MetropolitanHerman on the celebration of their parish’s 85th anniversaryon October 28, 2007. “The celebration provided an opportunity to reflect on theparish’s many accomplishments and to give thanks for thegrace which God has so richly poured upon us,” said Fr.Arkady. “While the parish was founded in 1922, an evenlonger history may be claimed by our cherished iconosta-sis, once a fixture at St. Platon Seminary in Tenafly, NJ.” When the seminary closed in 1923, the iconostasis wasgiven to the parish.

“The iconostasis had enriched our parish’s countlessservices, both by its aesthetic beauty and the many bless-ings imparted by those who over time have prayed before it,including St. Raphael of Brooklyn and St. Alexis Toth,”Fr. Arkady added. “While the cherished memories of those present at thecelebration were happily shared, the true focus of theanniversary event was on the parish’s future,” Fr. Arkady noted.“His Beatitude’s words reminded everyone of the importanceof cultivating an authentic Orthodox identity through prayerand commitment to the Church, as well accepting the call toevangelize through hospitality and openness to others.”

– Chris Bygonaise

PA parish hosts Valaamchildren’s choirGRADYVILLE, PA – The children’s choir of Russia’sValaam Monastery visited St. Herman of Alaska Churchhere recently. The choir sang the responses at Great Vespers andthe Divine LIturgy and performed concerts after eachservice. Parishioners and friends of the parish presenteda check for $4,000.00 to the choir for the needs of themonastery, which was reopened in the 1990s afterdecades of closure at the hands of the former Sovietregime.

Faithful of Bayonne’s SS. Peter and Paul Churchwith Metropolitan Herman and Fr. Arkady Mironko at thecelebration of the parish’s 85th anniversary.