Go Forth: Stories of Mission and Resurrection in Albania by Fr. Luke Veronis

Of all the stories of the resurrection of the Orthodox Church in formerly communist lands, Albania’s may be the most dramatic. Having been almost exterminated by the atheistic government, the Church of Albania has arisen, under the leadership of Archbishop Anastasios, to become a vibrant and growing member of the world Orthodox community.

Fr. Luke A. Veronis and his family served as OCMC missionaries to Albania for more than 10 years, during some of the most crucial years of this resurrection. Following are excerpts from his book “Go Forth” which shares stories of those years – stories of desperate poverty and heroism, of setbacks and triumphs, of heartbreak and miracles – and call us all to answer the Lord’s Great Commission: Go Forth!

“The heroism of missionaries and their spirit of sacrifice and love always tend to give back to the old churches a new vigor of life,” notes Archbishop Anastasios of Albania. These words summarize why I want to share stories from a decade-long journal of cross-cultural missionary work. The amazing miracle that has occurred in Albania since 1991, inspired by the Holy Spirit and under the vision and direction of Archbishop Anastasios, offers a glimpse of vitality, renewal, and vigor that will motivate and encourage our contemporary Church.

How does one proclaim the Good News of our Lord in the only country in recent history that absolutely forbade and persecuted any and every expression of religion for 24 years? The lands of Albania claim Christian heritage from the first century, yet endured the advance of Islam from the fourteenth century onward, followed by the most extreme totalitarian form of communism. Militant atheists crucified the Church and thought they had abolished it.

With the fall of communism in 1991, Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos arrived in Albania to see what, if anything, remained of this ancient Christian community. He faced the daunting task of proclaiming the Gospel and reviving a historic church while confronting the many challenges of a post-communist setting: an enduring atheistic mentality, a broken societal infrastructure, rampant poverty, prevalent corruption, and ongoing religious prejudice. Go Forth offers glimpses of how God has resurrected this Church, granting new hope to so many living in despair.

In my years in Albania, I learned that love and freedom exemplify the path of Orthodox Christian missions. We incarnate the Gospel of love, while respecting the freedom and dignity of every listener to respond as he or she feels touched by God. Authentic mission has nothing to do with coercion, trickery, or superficiality but doing all things “in love, for love, and by love.” Proclaiming the Good News implies revealing the love of God’s Kingdom in word and deed, and inviting others to join the community of faith on a journey of salvation.

This missionary journal will help all Christians understand their role in the overall drama of sacred history, and draw each person into a deeper relationship with God along the way. I believe the stories and anecdotes found here will inspire you. You may find gems of wisdom offered by “living saints” whose faith survived the horrors of communism. New believers discovering the pearl of great price will share their spiritual journeys. You will see the struggles and successes of the servants who have tried to offer a witness of God’s love under difficult conditions.

For example, there are stories about the three holy sisters from Korca – Marika, Demetra and Elizabeta – who described their house during communism as “a little underground church. Even during the most dangerous years, we would invite Fr. Kosma to come several times a year and celebrate the Divine Liturgy in a back room during the middle of the night,” explained Demetra. “We would cover the windows with thick blankets, so no one could see light from outside. We spoke in whispered voices, so as not to awaken the children. We never celebrated a liturgy with the children around, because we didn’t know if they might slip up and say something at school. One person would keep watch at the front door of the house, to warn us if anyone was coming. We felt like the early Christians worshipping in the catacombs.”

“Several times the police took us into their office and questioned us, but thank God, they never imprisoned us or physically hurt us. They weren’t sure of what we were doing, so they just tried to intimidate us. But this did not hinder our devotion to God. Even when Fr. Kosma couldn’t come, and we didn’t have a priest to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, we would do something else. I would bake the prosphoro [the holy bread used in the Eucharist], and place the bread and wine on top of our radio. Since we live so close to Greece, we could pick up a Greek station and listen to a live broadcast of the Divine Liturgy. Hoxha strictly forbade anyone to listen to foreign radio, so we realized the great risk we were taking. We would keep the volume very low and pray to God with the radio. At the end, we would eat the bread and wine as our Holy Communion.”

Resurrecting faith in post-communist Albania entails many fascinating stories, including humorous accounts about “Monasteries, Snakes and Christ’s Resurrection,” “Lobsters, Termites or Lamb’s Brain,” and “Cigarettes, Chaos and Christ is Risen.” The book describes the Church’s heroic outreach during the 1997 anarchy of Albania and the 1999 Kosovo War. One story narrates the journey of a Muslim girl’s reaction to a Church camp, where she goes from the negative attitude of “I can’t stay anywhere where they make the sign of the cross. Where I come from, the cross is associated with violence and death.” to the point of saying, “I have never experienced such love as I did at this camp. I will never forget this experience! It has given me an entirely new understanding of Christianity.”

Archbishop Anastasios of Albania, of course, represents a unique voice in the contemporary missionary movement of the Orthodox Church, as well as in worldwide Christianity. He describes himself as a candle before the icon of Christ, but he represents one of the brightest lights leading people to our Lord.

Throughout the book, we hear his charismatic personality witnessed in the midst of persecution, slander and struggle. “We have to be thankful for life and all that life brings, whether good or bad. Gratitude is a primary virtue in the Christian life,” the Archbishop shared. “We have to sacrifice and be ready to risk our lives for Christ. We don't want to be people who simply keep the status quo. An authentic Christian is one who will give his life to Christ with selfless abandonment! A life without persecution means that the devil doesn’t take you too seriously. We also need to understand what it means to share in the life of Christ—in His Cross as well as His Resurrection. Walking with Christ means to joyfully accept the sufferings, persecutions, and struggles of life. By doing this, we not only participate in Christ's own passion, but we unite with Him in His glorious resurrection… Despite all these struggles, I can say that I am experiencing the ‘freedom of the cross.’ One can find amazing freedom when we learn to say, ‘Your will be done.’”

Along with his words, Go Forth shares stories from throughout the life of the Archbishop. For example when the Archbishop was a young deacon back in the 1960s, he faced the serious dilemma of whether to become a missionary, or stay in his home country. Archbishop Anastasios describes this critical moment: “I remember a young cleric who was on a prolonged retreat on the island of Patmos. Sitting in front of the open sea, he faced a challenging dilemma—to stay in his beautiful European country, within an environment he loved, and in which he was loved, or to obey the final command of the Lord, ‘Go ye,’ and to depart for Africa. No guarantee was offered for this latter course and its future. Gazing from his simple, ascetic cell, the horizon of the open sea called within him, seeking a satisfactory response for this major decision in relation to the will of God.

The answer finally came in the form of a critical question: ‘Is God enough for you? If so, then go. If not, then stay where you are.’ A follow-up question, however, reinforced the first. ‘But if God is not enough for you, in which God do you believe?’ A peaceful decision followed, directing him on an innovative course into new missionary frontiers.”

The same night of his ordination, the newly ordained Fr. Anastasios flew to Africa and celebrated his first Divine Liturgy at the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Kampala, Uganda. His cross-cultural missionary journey had begun.

These are only a few of the captivating stories that will inspire all. The ultimate purpose of Go Forth is to help each reader see the wonders of God’s miracle in the mission field and be ready to say, “Here I am Lord. Send me.”

Seminarians Have Life-Changing Experience as Part of an OCMC Mission Team

Eleven seminarians from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and St. Vladmir Seminary joined Fr. Luke Veronis, OCMC Missionary Nathan Hoppe, and Fr. Paisius Altschul on a short-term trip to Albania. This mission practicum was combined with a three credit academic course entitled “The Missiology of Archbishop Anastasios of Albania,” where seminarians studied the missiological writings of the one of the greatest contemporary Orthodox missionaries, and then visited and participated in the actual mission occurring in Albania.

This inaugural mission class and practicum reflected a cooperative effort between the newly established Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity and the OCMC. The Missions Institute is a new entity which has a specific mandate to create and offer inspiring and educational programs for theological students studying at the Orthodox seminaries in the United States. “Our hope is that through the programs and courses this Missions Institute will offer,” noted its director, Fr. Luke Veronis, “No student will graduate from our Orthodox seminaries without having some knowledge of a missions-minded ministry. Simultaneously, we hope to challenge some students to seriously consider dedicating part or all of their lives to cross-cultural missionary ministry.”

The course ran from May 19 - June 6, 2010, and included one week of class work at Holy Cross, followed by two weeks of a mission practicum in Albania. The experience created an incredible enthusiasm and enlightenment for all the participants. “This was the greatest experience in my life,” emphasized Holy Cross seminarian Kosta Kollias. “It has opened up my eyes in ways I’ve never dreamed of before. My mission experience has helped me to understand the Church in a much healthier, more universal manner.”

Not only did the course readings challenge the students to understand the imperative nature and need of cross-cultural missions, but the practical experience of witnessing one of the most vibrant mission fields in the contemporary Orthodox Church, meeting Archbishop Anastasios and his indigenous co-workers and leaders of the Church of Albania, while also participating in the mission itself through outreach projects at the University of Tirana, at the Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy, at a Student Conference, and at the Children’s Home of Hope inspired the seminarians to understand missions in an unforgettably refreshing and even life-changing way.

A highlight of the trip was a pilgrimage with Metropolitan John of Korca. The group spent the first night in the Monastery of St. John the Forerunner in Voskopoja, and walked 12 miles to the Monastery of St. Peter and Paul in Vithkuq. Throughout the pilgrimage, Metropolitan John shared stories about life under communism, faith and persecution, life in America as an immigrant, his time as a seminarian at Holy Cross, and then his return and service back in Albania. Throughout all the stories the Metropolitan challenged the students to dedicate their lives in radical ways to serving Christ. The personal interaction and wisdom offered by His Eminence impacted all of the seminarians.

During the two week trip in Albania, as well as in the follow-up, six of the eleven seminarians expressed serious interest in possibly pursuing cross-cultural missionary service following their graduation from seminary, while the others affirmed that the entire experience solidified their understanding of missions and strengthened their commitment to creating Church communities that will support the missionary work of the Church.

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.

New Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity to Send Seminary Students on an OCMC Mission Team

The newly established Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity and the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) present The Missiology of Archbishop Anastasios (Yannoulatos) of Albania and Practical Evangelism in Albania. This 3-credit graduate level summer course will combine in-class study with an exciting mission practicum and on-field team experience.

The course will study in depth the life, missiology and writings of Archbishop Anastasios (Yannoulatos) of Albania and examine how he has practically lived out this missiology through his ministry in the Church of Albania. The course will be devoted to a mission practicum where the students will travel to Albania for two weeks, witnessing the resurrection of the Church of Albania, meeting OCMC missionaries and the indigenous leaders of the Church, and participating in an evangelism program within the country.

Course leader, Fr. Luke Veronis, who was an OCMC missionary to Albania for more than a decade, was able to secure a grant to organize a mission team in conjunction with a new missions course. Fr. Luke states, “This grant allows us to offer to a group of seminarians from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and St. Vladimir’s Seminary an exciting course in Orthodox missiology, combined with an inspiring cross-cultural mission experience at minimal cost. This type of event can truly be a life-transforming moment in the lives of these students.”

The course will look at the foundation and calling of missions. It will focus on the resurrection of the Church of Albania over the past 20 years, examining and analyzing the successes of how the church has succeeded in living out the missiology of Archbishop Anastasios, and where the church still faces difficult challenges.

The course will include at least ten Orthodox seminary students, who will participate in 25 hours of in-class time at Holy Cross, and then go on a two week OCMC mission team practicum from May 23 - June 5, 2010. In Albania, the students will have classes with Archbishop Anastasios and other leaders, while also participating with Albanian students in some aspect of practical evangelism. Specific readings, with response papers, will include the books Facing the World: Orthodox Christian Essays on Global Concerns and Missions: Footsteps in Christ’s Way by Archbishop Anastasios, as well as Go Forth: Stories of Missions and Resurrection from Albania by Fr. Luke A. Veronis, and The Resurrection of the Church of Albania by Jim Forest.

The grant given to the Mission Institute of Orthodoxy Christianity will subsidize the cost of the trip, so that students will be required to contribute only $500 towards the overall cost of the class and trip.

For additional information on the Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity and the upcominig OCMC team, please visit the OCMC website, http://teams.ocmc.org.

OCMC Board Gathers for its Annual Spring Meeting in St. Augustine, FL

St. Augustine, FL – The OCMC Board of Directors gathered at the Renaissance Resort at the World Golf Village on May 19 and 20 for their annual Spring Board Meeting. The occasion for this meeting, however, was of tremendous significance, as it immediately preceded the dedication of the new Archbishop Anastasios and Archbishop Demetrios Missionary Training and Administration Building.

On the evening of May 19, OCMC Board President Clifford Argue and OCMC Executive Director Fr. Martin Ritsi updated the board on the progress of OCMC’s current strategic plan and emerging mission fields in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Former Board members Bob Gremley and Dr. Spero Kinnas were also recognized for their contributions to the organization over the years.

As chairperson of the new building Dedication Committee, Helen Nicozisis reported that preparations for the dedication event had been completed. She offered sincere thanks to her fellow committee members, Board Members, and staff for their tireless efforts in welcoming the many hierarchs and guests from around the world who would share in the joy of the new building’s completion.

On the morning of the 20th, the Board received presentations from two of the Mission Center’s longest serving Missionary families, Nathan and Gabriela Hoppe and Floyd and Ancuta Frantz. They arrived from Albania and Romania to represent all OCMC Missionaries and Missionary Candidates during the dedication events.

Nathan shared that two of his former students at the seminary in Tirana, Albania have been elevated to serve as bishops. He also reported that the summer youth camps he and his wife Gabriela coordinate in Kosovo are enjoying increasing popularity. These camps are a ministry of love to children who suffered terribly during the war. These camps are part of the humanitarian and philanthropic work of the church and are not religious in nature.

Floyd reminded the board that alcoholism remains a significant issue in Romania and that the St. Dimitrie program that he directs has intervened in the lives of thousands of people who struggle with this debilitating disease. He also shared that the Protection of the Theotokos Day Center, which is directed by his wife Ancuta, maintains its wonderful record in preventing child abandonment by offering unwed mothers daycare, counseling, and employment services. Following his talk, Floyd presented the Board with a hand painted icon from the Church in Romania.

The OCMC staff was also given the opportunity to introduce themselves and offer presentations that detailed many of the Mission Center’s programs. The staff was honored to meet the Board they serve.

An afternoon session led by OCMC Board Treasurer Bill Birchfield revealed that, in spite of a difficult economic climate, support for the work of missions continues to grow among the Orthodox faithful of North America. Although the faithful have been generous so far, the need for increased development effort was stressed to insure adequate resources are provided to OCMC and it many programs throughout the rest of the year. One new initiative underway by the board is a “Friends of Missions” appeal.

The Board also welcomed its two newest members, former Missionary to Albania and Professor of Missions at Holy Cross Seminary, Fr. Luke Veronis of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and Dn. Andrew Rubis of the Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America.

As the annual Spring Board Meeting drew to a close, events for the dedication of the new building began – an occasion that represented an answer to prayer shared by all the Board Members, staff, and Missionaries who were in attendance.

The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) is the official missions agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) dedicated to fulfilling Christ’s last command to make disciples of all nations.