On May 26-28, an historic event took place in the convening of the first Episcopal Assembly of the Canonical Orthodox Hierarchs of North and Central America. Among other statements written in the document, especially pertinent to OCMC is that this assembly regards itself “as being the successors of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), assuming its agencies, dialogues, and other ministries.” The full text of this message can be read below:
Episcopal Assembly Of the Canonical Orthodox Hierarchs of North and Central America
May 26-28, 2010
MESSAGE
We glorify the name of the Triune God for gathering us at this first Episcopal Assembly of this region in New York City on May 26-28, 2010 in response to the decisions of the Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference held at the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, Switzerland, from June 6-12, 2009, at the invitation of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
Gathered together in the joy of the Feast of Pentecost, we humbly recognize our calling, in our unworthiness, to serve as instruments and disciples of the Paraclete, who “holds together the whole institution of the Church” (Hymn of Vespers of Pentecost).
We honor and express gratitude to the Primates and Representatives of the Orthodox Autocephalous Churches who assembled at the Ecumenical Patriarchate from October 10-12, 2008 to affirm their “unswerving position and obligation to safeguard the unity of the Orthodox Church” (Chambésy Rules of Operation, Article 5.1a) and emphasized their will and “desire for the swift healing of every canonical anomaly that has arisen from historical circumstances and pastoral requirements” (Message of the Primates 13.1-2)
We call to mind those who envisioned this unity in this region and strove to transcend the canonical irregularities resulting for many reasons, including geographically overlapping jurisdictions. For, just as the Lord in the Divine Eucharist is “broken and distributed, but not divided” (Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom), so also His Body comprises many members, while constituting His One Church.
We are grateful for the gift of the doctrinal and liturgical unity that we already share, and we are inspired by our leaders, the Heads of all the Orthodox Churches throughout the world, who proposed that which we painfully yearn for in this region, i.e., the “swift healing of every canonical anomaly” (Message of the Primates 13.2). We are also grateful that they established a fundamental process toward a canonical direction and resolution.
We are thankful to almighty God for the growth of Orthodoxy, for the preservation of our traditions, and for the influence of our communities in this region. This is indeed a miracle and a mystery.
During our gathering, and in accordance with the rules of operation of Episcopal Assemblies promulgated by the Fourth Pan-Orthodox Pre-Conciliar Conference, we established:
1. A registry of canonical bishops (Article 6.1)
2. A committee to determine the canonical status of local communities in the region that have no reference to the Most Holy Autocephalous Churches (Article 6.2)
3. A registry of canonical clergy (Article 6.3)
4. Committees to undertake the work of the Assembly, among others including liturgical, pastoral, financial, educational, ecumenical, and legal issues (Articles 11 and 12)
5. A committee to plan for the organization of the Orthodox of the region on a canonical basis (Article 5.1).
In addition to the above, we agreed that a directory would be created and maintained by the Assembly of all canonical congregations in our region.
We as Episcopal Assembly understand ourselves as being the successors of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), assuming its agencies, dialogues, and other ministries.
Moreover, at the formal request of the Hierarchs who have jurisdiction in Canada, the Assembly will submit to the Ecumenical Patriarch, in accordance with the rules of operation (Article 13), a request to partition the present region of North and Central America into two distinct regions of the United States and Canada. Additionally, at the request of the Hierarchs who have jurisdiction in Mexico and Central America, the Assembly will likewise request to merge Mexico and Central America with the Assembly of South America.
As Orthodox Hierarchs in this blessed region, we express our resolve to adhere to and adopt the regulations proposed by the Pan-Orthodox Conferences and approved by the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches, and to do everything in our power by the grace of God to advance actions that facilitate canonical order in our region.
We confess our fidelity to the Apostolic Orthodox faith and pledge to promote “common action to address the pastoral needs of Orthodox living in our region” (Chambésy, Decision 2c). We call upon our clergy and faithful to join us in these efforts “to safeguard and contribute to the unity of the Orthodox Church of the region in its theological, ecclesiological, canonical, spiritual, philanthropic, educational and missionary obligations” (Article 5.1) as we eagerly anticipate the Holy and Great Council.
The Assembly concluded with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on Friday, May 28, 2010 at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral in New York City. During the Liturgy prayers were offered for the repose of the eleven victims of the current ecological disaster in the Gulf Coast, for the consolation of their families, for all those adversely affected by this catastrophe, as well as for all people living under conditions of war, persecution, violence, and oppression.
Of the sixty-six Hierarchs in the region, the following 55 were present at this Assembly:
Archbishop Demetrios, Chairman
Metropolitan Philip, Vice Chairman
Archbishop Justinian, Vice Chairman
Bishop Basil, Secretary
Archbishop Antony,Treasurer
Metropolitan Iakovos
Metropolitan Constantine
Metropolitan Athenagoras
Metropolitan Methodios
Metropolitan Isaiah
Metropolitan Nicholas
Metropolitan Alexios
Metropolitan Nikitas
Metropolitan Nicholas
Metropolitan Gerasimos
Metropolitan Evangelos
Metropolitan Paisios
Archbishop Yurij
Bishop Christopher
Bishop Vikentios
Bishop Savas
Bishop Andonios
Bishop Ilia
Bishop Ilarion
Bishop Andriy
Bishop Demetrios
Bishop Daniel
Bishop Antoun
Bishop Joseph
Bishop Thomas
Bishop Mark
Bishop Alexander
Metropolitan Hilarion
Bishop Iov
Bishop Gabriel
Bishop Peter
Bishop Theodosius
Bishop George
Bishop Ieronim
Metropolitan Christopher
Bishop Maxim
Archbishop Nicolae
Bishop Ioan Casian
Metropolitan Joseph
Metropolitan Jonah
Archbishop Nathaniel
Archbishop Seraphim
Bishop Nikon
Bishop Tikhon
Bishop Benjamin
Bishop Melchisedek
Bishop Irineu
Bishop Irinee
Bishop Michael
Friday, May 28, 2010
Historic Team Arrives in Albania
Following classes and orientation led by Fr. Luke Veronis, Missionary Nathan Hoppe, and Fr. David Rucker, a Team of 2 priests and 11 seminarians arrived in Albania for two very full weeks of ministry and learning on Tuesday, May 25th. This Team is historic in several ways: It is the first joint Team of the newly inaugurated Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity and OCMC. It is also the first Team jointly made up of students from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and Holy Cross School of Theology. This is also the first fully accredited Team, offering three hours of seminary credit for the class work and time in Albania. The course will study in depth the life, missiology and writings of Archbishop Anastasios of Albania and examine how he has practically lived out this missiology through his ministry in the Church of Albania. The course will look at the foundation and calling of missions. The practicum includes the Team traveling to Albania, witnessing the resurrection of the Church of Albania, meeting missionaries and the indigenous leaders, and participating in an evangelism program within the country.
Please join OCMC and The Mission Institute of Orthodox Christianity in prayer for this historic Team to Albania. Support for this effort and the work of missions can be made on-line at www.ocmc.org. Also we ask for your prayers for the other 14 Teams involving over 121 Team members being sent this year to ten different countries and the state of Alaska. Will YOU be joining an OCMC Mission Team next year?
Please join OCMC and The Mission Institute of Orthodox Christianity in prayer for this historic Team to Albania. Support for this effort and the work of missions can be made on-line at www.ocmc.org. Also we ask for your prayers for the other 14 Teams involving over 121 Team members being sent this year to ten different countries and the state of Alaska. Will YOU be joining an OCMC Mission Team next year?
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tanzania and James - Pentecost 2010 Update
Dear Friends,
Siku kuu njema! Blessed feast!
And greetings once again from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. I have been here for a month now, and am beginning to settle into life and language. I am living at a hostel in Kurasini, the southernmost of this city's three regions. It's an ideal place for language learning-- secure and comfortable, but not many English-speakers. Every morning I have class for four hours, and the afternoon is spent practicing what I've learned that day. Sometimes I feel like I'm not doing enough, not yet involved in "ministry"; but at the end of every day I find myself quite worn out. If you've ever learned language in an immersion environment this may sound familiar: just to function minute-to-minute, the brain is constantly working in overdrive.
Thank God, my comprehension seems to be improving. Every day, the conversation of others sounds a little more like language and a little less like meaningless babble. I'm often able to get the gist of what folks are talking about, if not the particulars. At this point, my emphasis is NOT on "speaking like a native" or producing grammatically sophisticated language. My goal for the time being is to learn how to listen to people and identify with them. As this becomes possible, speaking ability will follow. But if I could somehow force my mouth to speak perfectly without first learning to hear others, that would be of no use. Perhaps I'd be able to show off and impress people, but I wouldn't be able to love anybody. So... slowly and slowly.
If you've ever moved to a foreign country (or even a new city) you may remember the phases of culture shock. There are a lot of extremes-- at some moments, the new place seems practically perfect in every way. And then moments later, you might feel like every person in the land has it in for you. It takes time for life to just become life, neither ecstatic nor despondent. So, cultural adjustment has had some very high ups and some very low downs. I thank God for your prayers and encouragement, as the joys of Tanzanian life greatly outweigh the difficulties. I'd like to tell you about some of those joys.
The hostel is on the same compound as my language school and a nursery school as well as the headquarters and seminary of a Protestant denomination. Almost everyone except me is a local Tanzanian, and they're eager to help with language. One of the guards at the gate has particularly become a friend. He invited me to his home last week, where I visited with his wife, his brother, and his brother's family. My Swahili was taxed to its limits, but it was a real delight to spend time with locals and see what ordinary city life is like.
Very few people in the hilly suburbs of Dar es Salaam own cars, which means that many homes are accessible only by narrow footpaths winding between gardens, fruit trees and buildings. Living quarters are VERY cramped, as many families occupy just a single room. Cooking and washing are done outdoors using charcoal stoves and water spigots. People spend almost all their time out of doors. Children play together in the gardens, and adults relax on sisal mats or play board games under mango trees. Inside a family's tiny quarters, you might pity them for how little they have. But in their real home-- the open air-- you would surely envy them for the paradise they inhabit.
While living in Dar es Salaam I attend St. Paraskevi Cathedral, which is the seat of the Archdiocese of Irinoupolis (my long-term assignment will be farther northwest, in the Archdiocese of Mwanza). The local bishop, Metropolitan Dimitrios, has welcomed me warmly. This Pentecost Sunday we had two ordinations and a tonsuring. Deacon Joseph was ordained to the priesthood to serve congregations of his own Hehe tribe in southwest Tanzania. And Reader Simon Peter was ordained to the diaconate, to serve here at the cathedral as well as at his home in London. With the blessing of my own bishop, Metropolitan Jeronymos, His Eminence Dimitrios also tonsured me as a reader. So as befits Pentecost, three continents were represented in the day's events. It was a delight to be part of this, and I'm especially encouraged by the warm cooperation between Tanzania's two Orthodox Christian hierarchs.
Thank you for your financial support, your encouragement, and especially your holy prayers. It's been a joy to hear from many of you. Knowing that my study and work here are on behalf of so many people back in North America is a real encouragement that helps ease the tougher parts of life, and makes the best times shine even brighter. Please stay in touch!
By your prayers,
James Hargrave
PS This small story may give you a different window into Tanzanian life and culture. Enjoy!
On Thursday afternoon, my friend C invited me to his home. Our second “bus” was a minivan outfitted to climb the steep and narrow dirt roads of Dar es Salaam’s hilly suburbs. C and I sat up front, beside the driver who was eager to chat. He had visited the United States once, and had much to say. I think that his observations about American life may give you a glimpse of what things are like here.
“America has such good roads,” said the driver as we eased up a hill. “In some places, there are seven roads together, all going the same direction. And on the other side, seven roads for the other direction!” He pulled over to let a car going downhill get around him.
“And in America, there are big sidewalks on the side of the road. On both sides of the road, there are big beautiful sidewalks. But nobody is walking on them! Here,” he leaned on the horn, “you see we have many people walking. But they are walking on the road, because there are no sidewalks.
“My favorite thing in America,” the driver continued, “was Wal-Mart. Anything you want, you just walk, and you take it. Everything is there! It is all there for you to take.” We passed a small boy selling oranges from a basin balanced on his head. “I was very surprised, because nobody was watching to catch me if I was stealing. But then my friend told me, people they are watching. They are watching on their computers, and if I steal they will catch me.”
As she boarded the bus, a woman passed her small child up to the front to sit on C’s lap. The little girl bounced happily on his knee. The driver continued his observations, “People in America--they don’t trust anybody. I saw a baby, and I said to it, ‘Hi baby! How are you, baby!’ and the mother she was angry. She said to me, ‘Who are you? What are you doing to my child?’ Then she took the baby and went away. I was very surprised. Here in Tanzania, we all take care of everybody’s children. We do not fear each other. In America, people they fear. Oh, they fear very much.”
We reached our stop, passed the baby back to her mother, and said farewell to the driver. We climbed a dirt lane past gardens and houses towards C’s home as the city bus continued on its way, bumping along the narrow and dusty road.
Siku kuu njema! Blessed feast!
And greetings once again from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. I have been here for a month now, and am beginning to settle into life and language. I am living at a hostel in Kurasini, the southernmost of this city's three regions. It's an ideal place for language learning-- secure and comfortable, but not many English-speakers. Every morning I have class for four hours, and the afternoon is spent practicing what I've learned that day. Sometimes I feel like I'm not doing enough, not yet involved in "ministry"; but at the end of every day I find myself quite worn out. If you've ever learned language in an immersion environment this may sound familiar: just to function minute-to-minute, the brain is constantly working in overdrive.
Thank God, my comprehension seems to be improving. Every day, the conversation of others sounds a little more like language and a little less like meaningless babble. I'm often able to get the gist of what folks are talking about, if not the particulars. At this point, my emphasis is NOT on "speaking like a native" or producing grammatically sophisticated language. My goal for the time being is to learn how to listen to people and identify with them. As this becomes possible, speaking ability will follow. But if I could somehow force my mouth to speak perfectly without first learning to hear others, that would be of no use. Perhaps I'd be able to show off and impress people, but I wouldn't be able to love anybody. So... slowly and slowly.
If you've ever moved to a foreign country (or even a new city) you may remember the phases of culture shock. There are a lot of extremes-- at some moments, the new place seems practically perfect in every way. And then moments later, you might feel like every person in the land has it in for you. It takes time for life to just become life, neither ecstatic nor despondent. So, cultural adjustment has had some very high ups and some very low downs. I thank God for your prayers and encouragement, as the joys of Tanzanian life greatly outweigh the difficulties. I'd like to tell you about some of those joys.
The hostel is on the same compound as my language school and a nursery school as well as the headquarters and seminary of a Protestant denomination. Almost everyone except me is a local Tanzanian, and they're eager to help with language. One of the guards at the gate has particularly become a friend. He invited me to his home last week, where I visited with his wife, his brother, and his brother's family. My Swahili was taxed to its limits, but it was a real delight to spend time with locals and see what ordinary city life is like.
Very few people in the hilly suburbs of Dar es Salaam own cars, which means that many homes are accessible only by narrow footpaths winding between gardens, fruit trees and buildings. Living quarters are VERY cramped, as many families occupy just a single room. Cooking and washing are done outdoors using charcoal stoves and water spigots. People spend almost all their time out of doors. Children play together in the gardens, and adults relax on sisal mats or play board games under mango trees. Inside a family's tiny quarters, you might pity them for how little they have. But in their real home-- the open air-- you would surely envy them for the paradise they inhabit.
While living in Dar es Salaam I attend St. Paraskevi Cathedral, which is the seat of the Archdiocese of Irinoupolis (my long-term assignment will be farther northwest, in the Archdiocese of Mwanza). The local bishop, Metropolitan Dimitrios, has welcomed me warmly. This Pentecost Sunday we had two ordinations and a tonsuring. Deacon Joseph was ordained to the priesthood to serve congregations of his own Hehe tribe in southwest Tanzania. And Reader Simon Peter was ordained to the diaconate, to serve here at the cathedral as well as at his home in London. With the blessing of my own bishop, Metropolitan Jeronymos, His Eminence Dimitrios also tonsured me as a reader. So as befits Pentecost, three continents were represented in the day's events. It was a delight to be part of this, and I'm especially encouraged by the warm cooperation between Tanzania's two Orthodox Christian hierarchs.
Thank you for your financial support, your encouragement, and especially your holy prayers. It's been a joy to hear from many of you. Knowing that my study and work here are on behalf of so many people back in North America is a real encouragement that helps ease the tougher parts of life, and makes the best times shine even brighter. Please stay in touch!
By your prayers,
James Hargrave
PS This small story may give you a different window into Tanzanian life and culture. Enjoy!
On Thursday afternoon, my friend C invited me to his home. Our second “bus” was a minivan outfitted to climb the steep and narrow dirt roads of Dar es Salaam’s hilly suburbs. C and I sat up front, beside the driver who was eager to chat. He had visited the United States once, and had much to say. I think that his observations about American life may give you a glimpse of what things are like here.
“America has such good roads,” said the driver as we eased up a hill. “In some places, there are seven roads together, all going the same direction. And on the other side, seven roads for the other direction!” He pulled over to let a car going downhill get around him.
“And in America, there are big sidewalks on the side of the road. On both sides of the road, there are big beautiful sidewalks. But nobody is walking on them! Here,” he leaned on the horn, “you see we have many people walking. But they are walking on the road, because there are no sidewalks.
“My favorite thing in America,” the driver continued, “was Wal-Mart. Anything you want, you just walk, and you take it. Everything is there! It is all there for you to take.” We passed a small boy selling oranges from a basin balanced on his head. “I was very surprised, because nobody was watching to catch me if I was stealing. But then my friend told me, people they are watching. They are watching on their computers, and if I steal they will catch me.”
As she boarded the bus, a woman passed her small child up to the front to sit on C’s lap. The little girl bounced happily on his knee. The driver continued his observations, “People in America--they don’t trust anybody. I saw a baby, and I said to it, ‘Hi baby! How are you, baby!’ and the mother she was angry. She said to me, ‘Who are you? What are you doing to my child?’ Then she took the baby and went away. I was very surprised. Here in Tanzania, we all take care of everybody’s children. We do not fear each other. In America, people they fear. Oh, they fear very much.”
We reached our stop, passed the baby back to her mother, and said farewell to the driver. We climbed a dirt lane past gardens and houses towards C’s home as the city bus continued on its way, bumping along the narrow and dusty road.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Fraudulent E-mail Sent in Christina Semon's Name
A fraudulent e-mail has been sent in OCMC Missionary Christina Semon’s name stating that she is stranded in the United Kingdom. Please be assured Christina is safe and sound in Romania and doing quite well. Please do not respond to this e-mail in any way. This was a computer virus which infected her personal computer in Romania. Thank you for your continued prayers for Christina, for the OCMC, and for the people of Romania.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Spring Newsletter--Katie Wilcoxson
Greetings from Austin, TX
The past few months have been busy while I continue to fundraise, work in the emergency room full time, and finish up the OCMC check list before my departure. Since my Nativity newsletter, I have spoken in Dallas at St. Seraphim’s OCA Cathedral and in New York City at Holy Protection OCA Cathedral. Both trips were special for different reasons. Let me tell you about them.
In December, I spoke at St. Seraphim Cathedral in Dallas, TX. This parish is special to me because my grandparents, aunt, and cousins attend this parish. They all were received into the Church in the last 4 years. So I can now say I am a second generation Orthodox Christian. His Grace Dmitri, Fr. Joseph Fester, and the parish were all very welcoming. I was honored to give the homily that Sunday.
In April, I returned to New York City after an 11 year absence. In 1999, I was blessed to attend St. Vladimir's Seminary Orthodox Institute; that was the first year the Institute was opened to high school seniors. I had just become Orthodox one and a half years earlier, and it was then that I first met Orthodox Christians who were my age. Meeting other teens that were Orthodox changed my life. Prior to New York, I was just following my parents into the Orthodox Church; after New York, I made the decision to truly live as an Orthodox Christian. During the Institute, we visited different churches; one of them was Holy Protection OCA Cathedral. So, this spring, I was returning to the same parish to speak about the new ministry in Tanzania. It was a huge blessing to return to New York.
The following weekend, I had my commissioning at my home parish. Fr. David Rucker came for the event. Then a week after that, OCMC held a week long Pre-Field Training for our team. This was the first time I had seen the new OCMC building. The accommodations were just amazing. During this training we talked about what we needed to do before deployment and about language training that would begin immediately when we arrived in country and which would continue for the rest of our stay.
I had a rash when I left for Florida, and it became worse as the days passed. I ended up going to the emergency room in Florida because I realized my rash wasn't just a rash--it was shingles. Shingles are really painful, but, thankfully, I was treated quickly and was able to stay for the rest of the training.
I am still not sure when my departure date will be--God willing, by the end of summer, but I ask for your continued prayers and support since I am still about $10,000 short of my goal. But lots of little things keep me going--like a woman in my home parish named LaVerne. LaVerne is 80 and was diagnosed with shingles this past December. She is still recovering and also has other health issues. But LaVerne is flying to California this month to attend a reunion and several family gatherings. She has been a great resource for all of my ‘shingles questions’, and, I have decided that if she can continue to function and live with shingles at her age, I certainly can.
"We cannot ask God and His holy saints that they remove all the difficulties from our missionary road and everything that causes us moral suffering. We can only pray that He help us carry the cross, and enable us to survive the difficulties and sufferings that await us on our missionary road. Our service is giving birth to spiritual children for God; and what birth is not accompanied by pain? And for this we must be prepared in advance. But we have a source of great consolation. To serve with energy and success we must have confidence beforehand that our labor is not in vain and that our work will be crowned with success."
I have that quote at the end of all my emails; but in one of the notes, I exchanged with LaVerne, she wrote: "And I agree with St Nicholas of Japan -- however, I do wonder if he ever had shingles?" I don’t know if he ever did either, but I know that the same grace that kept him going and that keeps LaVerne going will keep me going as well.
The past few months have been busy while I continue to fundraise, work in the emergency room full time, and finish up the OCMC check list before my departure. Since my Nativity newsletter, I have spoken in Dallas at St. Seraphim’s OCA Cathedral and in New York City at Holy Protection OCA Cathedral. Both trips were special for different reasons. Let me tell you about them.
In December, I spoke at St. Seraphim Cathedral in Dallas, TX. This parish is special to me because my grandparents, aunt, and cousins attend this parish. They all were received into the Church in the last 4 years. So I can now say I am a second generation Orthodox Christian. His Grace Dmitri, Fr. Joseph Fester, and the parish were all very welcoming. I was honored to give the homily that Sunday.
In April, I returned to New York City after an 11 year absence. In 1999, I was blessed to attend St. Vladimir's Seminary Orthodox Institute; that was the first year the Institute was opened to high school seniors. I had just become Orthodox one and a half years earlier, and it was then that I first met Orthodox Christians who were my age. Meeting other teens that were Orthodox changed my life. Prior to New York, I was just following my parents into the Orthodox Church; after New York, I made the decision to truly live as an Orthodox Christian. During the Institute, we visited different churches; one of them was Holy Protection OCA Cathedral. So, this spring, I was returning to the same parish to speak about the new ministry in Tanzania. It was a huge blessing to return to New York.
The following weekend, I had my commissioning at my home parish. Fr. David Rucker came for the event. Then a week after that, OCMC held a week long Pre-Field Training for our team. This was the first time I had seen the new OCMC building. The accommodations were just amazing. During this training we talked about what we needed to do before deployment and about language training that would begin immediately when we arrived in country and which would continue for the rest of our stay.
I had a rash when I left for Florida, and it became worse as the days passed. I ended up going to the emergency room in Florida because I realized my rash wasn't just a rash--it was shingles. Shingles are really painful, but, thankfully, I was treated quickly and was able to stay for the rest of the training.
I am still not sure when my departure date will be--God willing, by the end of summer, but I ask for your continued prayers and support since I am still about $10,000 short of my goal. But lots of little things keep me going--like a woman in my home parish named LaVerne. LaVerne is 80 and was diagnosed with shingles this past December. She is still recovering and also has other health issues. But LaVerne is flying to California this month to attend a reunion and several family gatherings. She has been a great resource for all of my ‘shingles questions’, and, I have decided that if she can continue to function and live with shingles at her age, I certainly can.
"We cannot ask God and His holy saints that they remove all the difficulties from our missionary road and everything that causes us moral suffering. We can only pray that He help us carry the cross, and enable us to survive the difficulties and sufferings that await us on our missionary road. Our service is giving birth to spiritual children for God; and what birth is not accompanied by pain? And for this we must be prepared in advance. But we have a source of great consolation. To serve with energy and success we must have confidence beforehand that our labor is not in vain and that our work will be crowned with success."
I have that quote at the end of all my emails; but in one of the notes, I exchanged with LaVerne, she wrote: "And I agree with St Nicholas of Japan -- however, I do wonder if he ever had shingles?" I don’t know if he ever did either, but I know that the same grace that kept him going and that keeps LaVerne going will keep me going as well.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
OCMC 2009 Annual Report Now Available Online
The OCMC 2009 Annual Report is now available at www.ocmc.org. The Annual Report highlights the work of each of OCMC's departments and gives a financial summary for the year. You can access it under "About OCMC" or "Resources," or go directly to http://ocmc.org/resources/annual_reports.aspx.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Greetings from Tanzania!
Dear friends,
Kristo amefufuka! Christ is risen!
After ten eventful days of travel, I arrived safely in Tanzania on the feast of St. George-- Friday April 23rd. This was one week later than planned, as ash from the eruption of the volcano Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland shut down British airspace moments after the first leg of my trip arrived in London on April 15th. I was well cared for in the UK by friends of friends. A highlight of my unexpected sojourn there was the opportunity to venerate St. Frideswide of Oxford at her reliquary in Christ Church Cathedral.
Because of the delay, I was not able to spend a week in Mwanza as planned but instead headed directly to Dar es Salaam, where I have begun Kiswahili language study. God willing, I hope to continue language study here for several months, and begin work in Mwanza in late summer. Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's commercial hub, its largest city on the coast of the Indian Ocean, and the seat of the Archdiocese of Irinoupolis headed by His Eminence Metropolitan Dimitrios. Mwanza, where I will be serving, is the country's largest city on the coast of Lake Victoria, about 1,000 km northwest of Dar es Salaam-- an eighteen hour journey by bus. Mwanza is the seat of the Archdiocese of Mwanza, headed by His Eminence Metropolitan Jeronymos. Both dioceses, like all Eastern Orthodoxy in Africa, are part of the Church of Alexandria and all Africa, headed by His Beatitude Pope Theodoros II.
I have some internet connectivity now, as well as a phone number: +255 782 356 817. It's free for me to receive phone calls (you can get a very good rate via Skype), so please feel free to be in touch! Tanzania is seven hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time in the US.
Thank you for your friendship, encouragement, financial support and especially for your prayers as I traveled. Thousands of people were stranded by the volcano, and some suffered greatly. By God's mercy through your prayers, I was well cared for every step of the way.
All is well here. I am only just beginning my studies of language and culture, so I will report more news when there is more news to report!
By your prayers,
James
Kristo amefufuka! Christ is risen!
After ten eventful days of travel, I arrived safely in Tanzania on the feast of St. George-- Friday April 23rd. This was one week later than planned, as ash from the eruption of the volcano Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland shut down British airspace moments after the first leg of my trip arrived in London on April 15th. I was well cared for in the UK by friends of friends. A highlight of my unexpected sojourn there was the opportunity to venerate St. Frideswide of Oxford at her reliquary in Christ Church Cathedral.
Because of the delay, I was not able to spend a week in Mwanza as planned but instead headed directly to Dar es Salaam, where I have begun Kiswahili language study. God willing, I hope to continue language study here for several months, and begin work in Mwanza in late summer. Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's commercial hub, its largest city on the coast of the Indian Ocean, and the seat of the Archdiocese of Irinoupolis headed by His Eminence Metropolitan Dimitrios. Mwanza, where I will be serving, is the country's largest city on the coast of Lake Victoria, about 1,000 km northwest of Dar es Salaam-- an eighteen hour journey by bus. Mwanza is the seat of the Archdiocese of Mwanza, headed by His Eminence Metropolitan Jeronymos. Both dioceses, like all Eastern Orthodoxy in Africa, are part of the Church of Alexandria and all Africa, headed by His Beatitude Pope Theodoros II.
I have some internet connectivity now, as well as a phone number: +255 782 356 817. It's free for me to receive phone calls (you can get a very good rate via Skype), so please feel free to be in touch! Tanzania is seven hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time in the US.
Thank you for your friendship, encouragement, financial support and especially for your prayers as I traveled. Thousands of people were stranded by the volcano, and some suffered greatly. By God's mercy through your prayers, I was well cared for every step of the way.
All is well here. I am only just beginning my studies of language and culture, so I will report more news when there is more news to report!
By your prayers,
James
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Fr. Luke Veronis Heads Missions Institute
Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) Board Member Father Luke A. Veronis, formerly of Lancaster, recently became Director of the newly established “Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity” at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA. The appointment was made by Fr. Nicholas Triantafilou, President of Holy Cross. Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announced the appointment at a special dinner for the occasion in Brookline on April 29.
The Missions Institute was inaugurated with an initial endowed gift of one million dollars from EFOM (Endowment Fund for Orthodox Missions), a Lancaster based charity connected with the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Lancaster. EFOM was created in 1981 by friends of OCMC Board Member Fr. Alexander and Pearl Veronis in honor of their ministry. Mr. Lou and Mrs. Helen Nicozisis (also an OCMC Board Member) of Lancaster, presented the one million dollar check to Holy Cross.
In addition to endowing the Missions Institute, EFOM has promoted missions
1) by sponsoring an Annual Missions Lectureship at Holy Cross for 25 years,
2) by granting annual scholarships to mission-minded seminarians,
3) by financially underwriting noteworthy mission projects.
As Director of the Missions Institute, Veronis will continue to teach courses in world missions and evangelism at Holy Cross, as he has been doing for the past five years.
Prior to his present position, Fr. Luke and his wife Faith (Stathis) Veronis, also of Lancaster, served as OCMC missionaries in Kenya and Albania for twelve years. Veronis was Dean of the Resurrection of Christ Orthodox Theological Academy in Durres, Albania where he taught courses in theology.
Veronis is the author of three books related to Orthodox Christian missions: Go Forth: Stories of Missions and Resurrection in Albania (Conciliar Press), Lynette’s Hope: The Witness of Lynette Katherine Hoppe’s Life and Death (Conciliar Press), and Missionaries, Monks and Martyrs: Making Disciples of All Nations (Light and Life Publishing).
Fr. Luke is the son of Fr. Alexander & Pearl Veronis, who have been serving the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Lancaster for the past 49 years.
He is a graduate of McCaskey High School (1983), Pennsylvania State University, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, and Fuller Theological Seminary’s School of World Missions.
The Missions Institute was inaugurated with an initial endowed gift of one million dollars from EFOM (Endowment Fund for Orthodox Missions), a Lancaster based charity connected with the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Lancaster. EFOM was created in 1981 by friends of OCMC Board Member Fr. Alexander and Pearl Veronis in honor of their ministry. Mr. Lou and Mrs. Helen Nicozisis (also an OCMC Board Member) of Lancaster, presented the one million dollar check to Holy Cross.
In addition to endowing the Missions Institute, EFOM has promoted missions
1) by sponsoring an Annual Missions Lectureship at Holy Cross for 25 years,
2) by granting annual scholarships to mission-minded seminarians,
3) by financially underwriting noteworthy mission projects.
As Director of the Missions Institute, Veronis will continue to teach courses in world missions and evangelism at Holy Cross, as he has been doing for the past five years.
Prior to his present position, Fr. Luke and his wife Faith (Stathis) Veronis, also of Lancaster, served as OCMC missionaries in Kenya and Albania for twelve years. Veronis was Dean of the Resurrection of Christ Orthodox Theological Academy in Durres, Albania where he taught courses in theology.
Veronis is the author of three books related to Orthodox Christian missions: Go Forth: Stories of Missions and Resurrection in Albania (Conciliar Press), Lynette’s Hope: The Witness of Lynette Katherine Hoppe’s Life and Death (Conciliar Press), and Missionaries, Monks and Martyrs: Making Disciples of All Nations (Light and Life Publishing).
Fr. Luke is the son of Fr. Alexander & Pearl Veronis, who have been serving the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Lancaster for the past 49 years.
He is a graduate of McCaskey High School (1983), Pennsylvania State University, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, and Fuller Theological Seminary’s School of World Missions.
Monday, May 10, 2010
My Closer Look at Great Lent and Pascha in Romania
by Christina Semon
During this Great Lent I was faced with new struggles; yet, at the same time, I was given new ways to take on the pains. Living in Romania, I would like to share with you more of my Great Lent and Pascha experiences.
I had a tremendous spiritual blessing in that a monk who I became acquainted with shared with me some spiritual advice when I needed it the most. He suggested I ask myself reflection questions during my day to day life. From this suggestion I received a lot of encouragement to try the best I can during Great Lent. To provide me with spiritual reading, he also surprised me by having borrowed books written in English to share with me. I found it very beneficial to do some spiritual reading each night. I could feel how much he cares about the work of the soul and his gift warmed my heart.
I also want to share with you the importance and frequency of the Healing Service, called Maslu, in the liturgical life of the Romania Orthodox Church. In the US, I was not used to the healing service. In America, Holy Unction was something I participated in only once or twice during the year. However, here, there is a maslu service once a week in almost every parish that I know of in Cluj. I personally had to warm up to this service because the priest reads seven Gospels and then all the prayers that follow after each of the Gospels. On top of that, at first I could not fully participate in the service because of my minimal understanding of the language. Now, however, through the grace of God, my language skills have been enhanced and I can understand most of the Gospels.
As my ability with the language continues to develop I have become able to participate more and more in the healing service with my heart, mind, and soul. The significance of the healing service for me is unity and a sense of community with the faithful that come to participate. During the week, if I was sad and suffering from many things, participating in this service helped me to know that I was not alone. Others were also suffering. They wanted to receive healing, and so did I. Each of us, petitioning God for healing, came together with all our problems, pains, and struggles, and we gave them to Christ. The Gospels that the priest reads out loud as the faithful gather around him to make contact with his vestments are words of life. They are regenerated strength for our needs and struggles.
Another conflict for me was how to balance my prayer life with my work life. For me, attending services during Great Lent is very important. However, even while I was able to participate in the maslu service, I found my work schedule often prohibited me from attending many of the services during the week. So, I remembered, as the Fathers of the Church have said, we can pray while we do our work. This spiritual advice was what I tried to put into practice in order to bring balance to my life. It was not an easy thing and I did not do a good job. But, I did what I was capable of with my prayer life at home and also while doing my ministry work; and God took over when I could not sustain.
Another experience that I found to be a significant help during Great Lent was the sharing of Lenten food and recipes amongst my friends. Most of my friends, at one point or another, talked to me about Lenten recipes. They told me how tasty their food was and how healthy it was for their bodies. God also provided these friends for me because they feed me on their leftovers! In God’s providence, most of the time someone came and gave me food when I didn’t have any food prepared for myself. I was blessed by their openness, encouragement, and love which carried me through, one day to the next, as we all were preparing together to meet the Resurrected Christ.
As Pascha approached, I learned that Romanians start to clean up their apartments. But, not only do they clean, they also begin to prepare food for Pascha. They do all of this labor while continuing to work at their jobs. For me it became very busy very quickly. I panicked because I did not expect the chaos of getting the material things ready for Pascha while at the same time my ministry work also increased. All of this chaos paralyzed me from making good decisions on how to balance my time. As a result, it seemed to me I was walking through water with a heavy dense fog during Holy Week. My life line to get me through the week was that I knew that Christ will be victorious over death and His light will shine on all.
I began preparing for my trip to the Twelve Apostles Skete where I would celebrate Pascha. My material preparation was finished and I had to accept that I had done the best that I could under the circumstances. Now, I began waiting for the Light of Christ to shine so that His Light would evaporate the fog. As soon as I entered my car and started driving, I could feel all of the chaos decreasing within me and the anticipation of Christ’s Resurrection increasing.
The thing that impressed me the most at the Paschal Liturgy was receiving the Light of Christ from the priest monk. Everybody had candles in their hands waiting for the single flame that changes the darkness into light. We all receive from this single flame the same exact flame with our candles, signifying the Light of Christ. His Light encompassed us so that with His Divine Light destroyed our darkness. In the Pascha baskets of the faithful, people had brought lanterns to carry the flame home. They were taking the light home so that it would be the first light to enter in their houses. I was grateful that my soul and body participated in the Paschal Liturgy to receive strength and healing to walk with the Resurrected Christ in my day to day life.
Christ is Risen!
Indeed He is Risen!
Hristos a inviat!
Adevarat a inviat!
During this Great Lent I was faced with new struggles; yet, at the same time, I was given new ways to take on the pains. Living in Romania, I would like to share with you more of my Great Lent and Pascha experiences.
I had a tremendous spiritual blessing in that a monk who I became acquainted with shared with me some spiritual advice when I needed it the most. He suggested I ask myself reflection questions during my day to day life. From this suggestion I received a lot of encouragement to try the best I can during Great Lent. To provide me with spiritual reading, he also surprised me by having borrowed books written in English to share with me. I found it very beneficial to do some spiritual reading each night. I could feel how much he cares about the work of the soul and his gift warmed my heart.
I also want to share with you the importance and frequency of the Healing Service, called Maslu, in the liturgical life of the Romania Orthodox Church. In the US, I was not used to the healing service. In America, Holy Unction was something I participated in only once or twice during the year. However, here, there is a maslu service once a week in almost every parish that I know of in Cluj. I personally had to warm up to this service because the priest reads seven Gospels and then all the prayers that follow after each of the Gospels. On top of that, at first I could not fully participate in the service because of my minimal understanding of the language. Now, however, through the grace of God, my language skills have been enhanced and I can understand most of the Gospels.
As my ability with the language continues to develop I have become able to participate more and more in the healing service with my heart, mind, and soul. The significance of the healing service for me is unity and a sense of community with the faithful that come to participate. During the week, if I was sad and suffering from many things, participating in this service helped me to know that I was not alone. Others were also suffering. They wanted to receive healing, and so did I. Each of us, petitioning God for healing, came together with all our problems, pains, and struggles, and we gave them to Christ. The Gospels that the priest reads out loud as the faithful gather around him to make contact with his vestments are words of life. They are regenerated strength for our needs and struggles.
Another conflict for me was how to balance my prayer life with my work life. For me, attending services during Great Lent is very important. However, even while I was able to participate in the maslu service, I found my work schedule often prohibited me from attending many of the services during the week. So, I remembered, as the Fathers of the Church have said, we can pray while we do our work. This spiritual advice was what I tried to put into practice in order to bring balance to my life. It was not an easy thing and I did not do a good job. But, I did what I was capable of with my prayer life at home and also while doing my ministry work; and God took over when I could not sustain.
Another experience that I found to be a significant help during Great Lent was the sharing of Lenten food and recipes amongst my friends. Most of my friends, at one point or another, talked to me about Lenten recipes. They told me how tasty their food was and how healthy it was for their bodies. God also provided these friends for me because they feed me on their leftovers! In God’s providence, most of the time someone came and gave me food when I didn’t have any food prepared for myself. I was blessed by their openness, encouragement, and love which carried me through, one day to the next, as we all were preparing together to meet the Resurrected Christ.
As Pascha approached, I learned that Romanians start to clean up their apartments. But, not only do they clean, they also begin to prepare food for Pascha. They do all of this labor while continuing to work at their jobs. For me it became very busy very quickly. I panicked because I did not expect the chaos of getting the material things ready for Pascha while at the same time my ministry work also increased. All of this chaos paralyzed me from making good decisions on how to balance my time. As a result, it seemed to me I was walking through water with a heavy dense fog during Holy Week. My life line to get me through the week was that I knew that Christ will be victorious over death and His light will shine on all.
I began preparing for my trip to the Twelve Apostles Skete where I would celebrate Pascha. My material preparation was finished and I had to accept that I had done the best that I could under the circumstances. Now, I began waiting for the Light of Christ to shine so that His Light would evaporate the fog. As soon as I entered my car and started driving, I could feel all of the chaos decreasing within me and the anticipation of Christ’s Resurrection increasing.
The thing that impressed me the most at the Paschal Liturgy was receiving the Light of Christ from the priest monk. Everybody had candles in their hands waiting for the single flame that changes the darkness into light. We all receive from this single flame the same exact flame with our candles, signifying the Light of Christ. His Light encompassed us so that with His Divine Light destroyed our darkness. In the Pascha baskets of the faithful, people had brought lanterns to carry the flame home. They were taking the light home so that it would be the first light to enter in their houses. I was grateful that my soul and body participated in the Paschal Liturgy to receive strength and healing to walk with the Resurrected Christ in my day to day life.
Christ is Risen!
Indeed He is Risen!
Hristos a inviat!
Adevarat a inviat!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
