Orthodox ChurchThe

VOL 44/NO 4 VOL 44/NO 4 VOL 44/NO 4 VOL 44/NO 4 VOL 44/NO 4 FALL 2008 FALL 2008 FALL 2008 FALL 2008 FALL 2008 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 www.oca.org www.oca.org www.oca.org www.oca.org www.oca.org

For we, though many, are one bread and one body!

MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER IN CHRIST

OfficialNo. 492 JULY 2008 ORDINATIONS

FINLEY, Nicholas was ordained to the HolyDiaconate by Bishop Nikon of Boston, New En-gland, and the Albanian Archdiocese at SS. Cyriland Methodius Church, Terryville, CT. He is underthe omophorion of Bishop Nikon and attached tothe Diocese of New England/ November 4, 2007.FINLEY, Deacon Nicholas was ordained to theHoly Priesthood by Archbishop Job of Chicagoand the Midwest on behalf of Bishop Nikon ofBoston, New England, and the Albanian Archdio-cese at the Nativity of the Virgin Mary Church,Madison, IL. He is under the omophorion ofBishop Nikon and attached to the Diocese of NewEngland/ February 17, 2008.

ASSIGNMENTSALESSANDRONI, The Rev. Thomas is re-leased from duties at Mission of the Synaxis of theTheotokos, San Francisco, CA, and from theomophorion of Bishop Benjamin of San Franciscoand the West; transferred to the omophorion ofArchbishop Dmitri of Dallas and the South; andattached to St. Mary of Egypt Church, Norcross[Atlanta], GA/ July 17, 2008.* BANU, The Rev. Mircea Daniel is releasedfrom duties at St. Nicholas Mission, Ottawa, ON,Canada, and appointed pastor of the FallingAsleep of the Ever-Virgin Mary Church, Portland,OR/ July 7, 2008.COATS, The Rev. Paul, who was awaiting as-signment, is attached to Nativity of the HolyTheotokos Church, Charlotte, NC/ June 1, 2008.COLE, Protodeacon Raphael, who was on aleave of absence, is returned to active duty. Heremains attached to Holy Trinity Sobor, Winnipeg,MB, Canada/ July 1, 2008.FINLEY, Deacon Nicholas is attached to SS.Cyril and Methodius Church, Terryville, CT/ No-vember 4, 2007.FINLEY, The Rev. Nicholas is attached to SS.Cyril and Methodius Church, Terryville, CT/ Feb-ruary 17, 2008.HOLOWATCH, The Rev. Timothy, who was at-tached, is assigned associate priest of SS. Peterand Paul Church, Endicott, NY/ August 1, 2008.MAYOL, The Rev. Isidor, who was suspended,has his suspension lifted and is returned to activeduty. He is released from the omophorion of BishopBenjamin of San Francisco and the West andtransferred to the omophorion of MetropolitanHerman. He awaits assignment/ July 7, 2008.MILLER, The Rev. Joseph P. is released fromduties at St. Justin Martyr Church, Jacksonville,FL. He awaits assignment/ July 21, 2008.[ROCHON], Igumen Ireney is released fromduties at St. Seraphim Church, Rawdon, QC,Canada. All other duties remain the same/ July14, 2008.

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RUIZ-GOMAR, The Rev. Juan Pablo, who wasattached, is appointed priest-in-charge of St. Sera-phim Church, Rawdon, QC, Canada. All otherduties remain the same/ July 14, 2008.* VINT, The Rev. Cosmin is released from dutiesat the Falling Asleep of the Ever-Virgin MaryChurch, Portland, OR, and appointed pastor ofSt. Nicholas Mission, Ottawa, ON, Canada/ July7, 2008.

RELEASED[BAEYENS)], Igumen Daniel is released fromduties at the Bishop’s Chapel of St. Silouan theAthonite, Johnstown, ON, Canada, and from theomophorion of Archbishop Seraphim of Ottawaand the Archdiocese of Canada; transferred tothe omophorion of Metropolitan Herman; and sub-sequently granted a canonical release to the Ro-manian Orthodox Archdiocese of the Americas/July 1, 2008.CURPENE, The Rev. Gabriel is released fromduties at Holy Resurrection Church, Hayward,CA, and from the omophorion of ArchbishopNathaniel of Detroit and the Romanian Episco-pate; transferred to the omophorion of Metropoli-tan Herman; and subsequently granted a canoni-cal release to the Romanian Orthodox Archdio-cese of the Americas/ July 16, 2008.

NAME CHANGESEMENOV, Deacon Roman has legallychanged his family name to Pavlov and is nowknown as Deacon Roman Pavlov/ July 1, 2008.

SUSPENDEDCARRIGAN, The V. Rev. Neal, who was at-tached to Christ the Saviour Church, Harrisburg,PA, is suspended from all priestly functions/ July10, 2008.

DEATHSKAPITANOF, The V. Rev. Istefan, who was at-tached to St. George Church, Toronto, ON,Canada, died in retirement on June 29, 2008.May his memory be eternal!VOYTILLA, The V. Rev. John, who was rectorof Holy Transfiguration Church, Steubenville, OH,died on July 21, 2008. May his memory be eter-nal!

PARISHESDIOCESE OF THE SOUTH/ New Mission. St.Basil the Great Mission, Wilmington, NC. Meetingat 16 North 16th St., Wilmington, NC 28401. Mail-ing address: 614 Clarendon Ave., Southport,NC 28461. Serviced by Carolina DeaneryClergy/ July 3, 2008.NOTE: * indicates non-OCA clergy.

No. 493 AUGUST 2008 ORDINATIONS

GAVRILKIN, Deacon Konstantin was ordainedto the Holy Priesthood by Bishop Tikhon of Phila-delphia on behalf of Metropolitan Herman at St.

Tikhon of Zadonsk Monastery Church, SouthCanaan, PA. He is under the omophorion ofMetropolitan Herman and attached to the Dioceseof Washington and New York/ August 3, 2008.SEXTON, Deacon Adam was ordained to theHoly Priesthood by Bishop Tikhon of Philadel-phia at St. Tikhon of Zadonsk Monastery Church,South Canaan, PA. He is under the omophorionof Bishop Tikhon and attached to the Diocese ofEastern PA/ August 10, 2008.

ASSIGNMENTSBALESCU, The Rev. Adrian is released fromduties at St. Anne Church, Jacksonville, FL andappointed pastor of Holy Trinity Church, Miramar,FL/ September 1, 2008.GAVRILKIN, The Rev. Konstantin is appointedacting rector of St. Nicholas Church, Whitestone,NY/ August 10, 2008.GREENDYK, Deacon Jesse 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/ August18, 2008.HOSKING, Deacon Stephen, who was at-tached, is assigned to Holy Annunciation Church,Maynard, MA/ August 1, 2008.KULP, The V. Rev. Jacob Lee is released fromthe status of retired priest and restored to activeduty. He is released from duties at St. John of theLadder Mission, Greenville, SC, and assignedpriest-in-charge of St. Timothy Church, Toccoa,GA/ July 1, 2007.MIRONKO, The V. Rev. Arkadiusz is releasedfrom duties at SS. Peter and Paul Church,Bayonne, NJ. He is granted a one-year leave ofabsence and remains attached to SS. Peter andPaul Church, Bayonne, NJ/ August 18, 2008.NELKO, The V. Rev. Andrew, in addition to du-ties in the military chaplaincy, is placed on loan tothe Diocese of the South to serve the spiritualneeds of the Dormition of the Theotokos Church,Norfolk, VA/ September 1, 2008.PANCHAK, The V. Rev. Theodore is releasedfrom duties at Dormition of the Theotokos Church,Norfolk, VA, and granted retirement/ September1, 2008.ROYER, The Rev. Robert is released from du-ties at St. Mary Magdalene Church, Fenton, MI;from the Bulgarian Diocese; and from theomophorion of Metropolitan Herman. He is trans-ferred to the omophorion of Archbishop Dmitri ofDallas and the Diocese of the South and appointedpriest-in-charge of Holy Resurrection Mission,Aiken, NC/ September 1, 2008.SASU, The V. Rev. Dumitru Viorel is releasedfrom duties at Holy Trinity Church, Miramar, FL,and as dean of the Southern Deanery, and

Official to 18

TOPICS21 Faith in Action22 Books & Resources23 Campus Ministry24 Christian Education26 Liturgy & Life

FEATURES2 Official4 Editorial5 Wisdom18 In Memoriam31 Communities

InThisIssueVOLUME 44VOLUME 44VOLUME 44VOLUME 44VOLUME 44 44444 FALL 2008FALL 2008FALL 2008FALL 2008FALL 2008

FALL 2008 3

5 Discovering TruthEncountering “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

6 Contemporary Christian ClassicsSaint Maria Skobtsova: Two types of love

7 The Spirit of ‘70Recapturing and renewing a 200 year vision

8 Church, or churches?“I believe... in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church”

9 Preparing for PittsburghFr. Alexander Schmemann’s vision for a conciliar Church

9 The Church: The assembly of those who are calledA reflection by Fr. Schmemann

10 The 15th All-American Council: Making things betterA layperson’s observations

11 Point/CounterpointRestoring order: Lessons of 1917’s All-Russian Council

12 OCA News, Notes, Notices• Metropolitan See declared vacant; AAC to elect

successor to Metropolitan Herman• Special Investigating Report released• AAC Bible study available on-line• Fr. John Breck addresses new, returning SVS students• Holy Synod, Metropolitan Council issue apology• Hundreds attend St. Herman pilgrimage• Archimandrite Jonah elected auxiliary to Diocese of the South• Children of war-torn Georgia, MW flood victims, to receive

stockings• Prayers for terrorism victims offered at OCA’s Moscow

representation church16 From the Chancellor’s desk

The Cross and the Council27 North America

• Icons from Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery on display October throughMay 2009

• IOCC responds to needs of Ike victims• Romanian unity dialogue continues• FOCA plans youth creative arts rally in Minneapolis May 2009

29 World Briefs• Church groups back Russian, Georgian Orthodox peace appeals• In Brief: Constantinople, Ukraine

Members ofone anotherin Christ:For we,though many,are one breadand one body!

Photo byFr. Gregory

Safchuk,Bethedsa, MD

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Father Leonid Kishkovsky

4 VOLUME 44 4

Editorial

t this writing, six weeks remain until the convening of the15th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in Ame-A rica. In the wake of the administrative and financial tur-

moil of the last several years, and in the aftermath of the release ofthe report of the Special Investigating Committee, the Councilfaces numerous challenges. Morale in our Church has been seri-ously damaged. There are demands for repentance, for renewal,for vision. The recent decision of Metropolitan Herman to retire– a decision made by him in the context of a process of discern-ment within the Holy Synod – has introduced the election of anew Primate into the agenda of the Council.

To address and correct the deeply troubled condition of ourChurch does not imply dealing with the sum total of administra-tive and financial issues and questions of morale. While signifi-cant elements of the administrative and financial issues have beenaddressed, much remains to be done. Step by step, we move for-ward toward the restoration of morale, toward the renewal ofvision. Yet we are realizing that the real challenge is spiritual.

The Church at its core is a community of repentance. This isso not only at the time of a crisis such as the one we have facedand are facing. We are a community of repentant sinners at alltimes and in every place. “Open to me the doors of repentance” isa prayer we sing each year as part of the journey of Great Lent.Our preparation for the Council should bring this prayer from ourhearts to our lips.

One of the spiritual temptations we face daily as repentantsinners is to become so focused on repentance that repentancebecomes an end in itself. We are not called to approach the opendoors of repentance in order to become paralyzed there. Our call-ing is to enter the open doors of repentance, and then to go be-yond repentance – toward forgiveness, reconciliation, and thejoy of Christ. In other terms, the doors of repentance open theway to new life, new vision, and new hope.

Another way of reflecting on the spiritual temptation we faceis offered by a thought expressed by Patriarch Ignatius of Antiochsome years ago in a little book on the Resurrection of Christ. ThePatriarch pointed out that the Risen Christ does not lead us to thepast, but walks ahead of us, inviting us to follow Him to the fu-ture. Applying this thought to our present condition, we discoverthat our task is not to rehearse the “bad” past again and again. Ourtask is to be liberated by repentance and to follow the Risen Christto God’s future.

As we turn our eyes to the Council at the beginning of Novem-ber, it is not too early to reflect on the vision of the OrthodoxChurch in America. During the past months, Town Hall Meetingshave demonstrated that there is a yearning for a convincing vi-sion for our Church, a vision that could give energy and dyna-mism to our mission in America. The forcefulness with which thedemand for vision has been expressed clearly puts the questionsquarely before us at the Council, and beyond the Council.

The vision of the Orthodox Church in America cannot be takenup in isolation from the condition of the whole of Orthodoxy,both in America and around the world. Any honest account of the

condition of the whole of Orthodoxy brings to our attention pro-foundly contradictory realities. In America, we see the buildingof churches and parish centers, the creation of monastic commu-nities, the strengthening of theological schools, the publicationof books and educational materials, and the work of Orthodoxorganizations bringing the Orthodox jurisdictions and Orthodoxpeople together for common ministries in several areas, includingcharities and mission. We see also division among the Orthodox“jurisdictions,” with no coherent movement toward overcomingthese divisions. We see, most tragically, the weakness of Ortho-dox outreach in mission in North America. We console ourselveswith the stories of the many conversions to the Orthodox faith,while ignoring our virtual invisibility in the societies of the USand Canada.

The collapse of communism in Eastern Europe has liberatedthe churches, and we see the vigorous rebuilding of parish andmonastic life and the reentry of Orthodox churches into the pub-lic arena. This is accompanied by an energetic revival of nationaland cultural priorities in the Orthodox churches and among Or-thodox people. Thus, the rebuilding of Church life has also deep-ened national, cultural, and ecclesiastical confrontations – Esto-nia, Ukraine, and Moldova are examples. As a result, the Churchesof Constantinople, Moscow, and Romania are at times in tenserelationships which spill into the public arena, exposing the divi-sions for the whole world to see.

Against this background, we have witnessed the revival of theconcept of “diaspora” as immigrants from Eastern Europe in largenumbers settle in Western Europe, North America, and Australia.Orthodox churches see themselves as global churches throughtheir diasporas, but the Orthodox communities spread around theglobe live in parallel Orthodox universes.

The core vision of the Orthodox Church in America for Ortho-doxy in North America is a united Orthodoxy. Within this unitedOrthodox Church in North America, Canadians and Americansand members of the various cultural and national diasporas willdevelop their life and mission in the spirit of diversity withinunity.

At the present time, there will be many in the Orthodox Churchin America, as well as many of our brothers and sisters in other“jurisdictions,” who will say that this vision is too great and de-manding for us, and cannot be carried forward by the OrthodoxChurch in America in view of our disarray. Yet it could be thatour current difficulties and disarray will purify us and make usstronger spiritually.

For example, over the years I have sometimes learned fromOrthodox friends in other “jurisdictions” that they have heard thecore message of the Orthodox Church in America conveyed intones and terms of arrogance. The present state of the OrthodoxChurch in America can bring us either to despair and confusion,or to the overcoming of arrogance in humility and faithfulness.

It is humility and faithfulness we need for healing within ourChurch and for our witness to Orthodox unity and mission inAmerica and around the world.

Overcoming arrogance through humility and faithfulness

That’stheSpirit Father Vladimir Berzonsky

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”John 14:6

Discovering Truth

St. Polycarp of SmyrnaThese, then, are the things in which youmust stand firm and follow the Lord’sexample: be steadfast and immovable inthe faith; love the brotherhood; cherishone another; be united in the truth; withthe meekness of the Lord give prece-dence to one another; despise no one.When able to do a work of charity, do notput it off, for almsgiving delivers fromdeath. One and all, submit to eachother’s rights, for life among the gentilesmust be beyond reproach. Thus, by yourgood example, you will win praise foryourselves, and the Lord will not beblasphemed on your account.

St. John of KronstadtTruth is the foundation of everything thathas been created. Let Truth be also thefoundation of all your works (both inwardand outward), and especially the founda-tion of your prayers. Let all your life, allyour works, all your thoughts, and allyour desires be founded upon Truth.

St. Justin PopovichThroughout his entire history, manappears as a unique type of creature whohas laboriously sought the fundamentaland essential truth upon which thefoundation of the cosmos rests. Man hasattempted to answer the quest for truth invarious ways – mythologically, philo-sophically, atheistically, spiritually, andmaterialistically. However, he has notbeen able to solve the problem since hehas tried to solve it with the categories ofpure, autonomous, and atheistic human-ism. Only in the miraculous Person ofthe God-man Christ is the entire eternalTruth revealed, without any defects.Further, the search for eternal Truth iscompleted in the revelation of the absolutedivine Truth within the boundaries of humannature. Thus, from the mouth of the God-man Christ came the most courageousdeclaration that a human being couldpossibly give: “I am the Truth” [John 14:6].This means that the God-man Christ, asa Person, is the Truth in all His theanthropicperfection and reality.

FALL 2008 5

hen we do as the apostles by giving our lives meaning by acceptingthe invitation of Jesus to “follow Me,” we learn why the early Church’sW first title was “The Way” [Acts 9:19, 24].

Learning is a process, not just a goal. We measure our intelligence andwisdom not by a diploma or a degree, but by what we’ve been discovering andassimilating along the pathway through life. We realize that our salvation camethrough the cross and resurrection of Christ, yet we find ourselves growing inunderstanding as we follow Him from the incarnation through His ascent andreturn to the “right hand of the Father.” In that way we learn what Truth is – orbetter put, Who is Truth. He teaches, by example, the variant meanings oftruth.

For the Jews, truth is the Law, and to abide by it is to be right with God. “Youshall honor the Sabbath.” No exceptions accepted. And yet we find Him break-ing that law. He heals on the Sabbath. Was that wrong? Following Him, weremember that He is also the Truth. So Truth transcends Law.

As we wend our way through this life, we are trained to be law-abiding citi-zens of our country and to keep the traditions and rules of the Church; however,we realize that at times, situations in which we find ourselves may create condi-tions that cause us to reflect on our values and consider what would be the bestway to resolve a given situation.

Truth can be understood as reason. The Greek term aletheia carries thismeaning. The proper way to act is to do what is logical. In following Christ, werealize that He isn’t always rational in the world’s understanding of the term.When Saint Peter chastises the Lord for dropping hints that His way of redeem-ing humanity has to do with suffering, rejection, and ultimately crucifixion, Herebukes the apostle in strongest terms, calling him Satan for realizing that theevil one is speaking through him. Later, when He announced His intention to goup to Jerusalem, Saint Thomas made a similar observation.

Through the centuries, Christians who had acted in accordance with theirfaith, not their instinct for self-preservation, and gave their bodies to be torturedand put to death for the sake of Christ, have been considered holy martyrs andhonored by the Church. We, as members of The Way, following the living Way,Jesus Christ, find meaning each hour of the days of our lives as we are challengedby the constant question, “What is the right way to reply to another person, to actin a manner fitting as a Christian, or to do what the Lord would have me do?”

Truth is that glorious Person Whose life, death, and resurrection give mean-ing to the entire world. Like Him, we obey the Law [Hebrew emet] and live by theTen Commandments. But also, like Him, we find that there are situations whenwe must use our consciences to weigh right and wrong, making the best choicegiven the circumstances.

And we realize that Life is not limited to this present lifetime. Christ, the Lifeof the world, shows us the meaning of His admonition: “He who loves his life inthis world must lose it, but he who hates his life in this world will keep it foreternal life” [John 12:15]. Following His example, we comprehend the greattruth that this present life is but a preparation for what is to come. He will be thereat the end, and I will not only be following Him, but He will turn around to faceme and greet me, welcoming me as a true follower of Him in this world andbeyond.

W I S D O Mfrom the Fathers

Saint Maria Skobtsova

Two typesof love

will now move on to characterize theI evangelical way of spiritual life, whichis as eternal as is the proclamation of theGood News, always alive within thebosom of the Church, shining for us inthe faces of saints, and at times lightingwith the reflection of its fire even righ-teous people outside the Church. (Hereone must immediately introduce a clarifi-

cation so as to prevent well-intentionedor deliberate misinterpretations of theevangelical way of religious life. Obvi-ously, it has no relation to the currentevangelical sectarianism which has ex-tracted only a selected list of moral pre-cepts from the Gospel, adding to this itsown distorted and impoverished doctrineof salvation – about being “born again” –spiced up with hatred of the Church, andthen proclaiming this peculiar hodge-podge as a true understanding of Christ’sGospel teaching.) The evangelical spiritof religious consciousness “blows where itwill,” but woe to those ages and thosepeoples upon which it does not rest. Andat the same time, blessed are they that walkin its paths – even those who know itnot.

What is most characteristic of this path?It is a desire to “Christify” all of life. To acertain degree, this notion can be con-

trasted to that which is understood not onlyby the term “enchurchment,” but also theterm “Christianization.” “Enchurchment”is often taken to mean the placing of lifewithin the framework of a certain rhythmof Church piety, the subordination of one’spersonal life experience to the schedule ofthe cycle of divine services, the incorpora-tion of certain specific elements of“churchliness” into one’s way of life, evenelements of the Church’s ustav [rubrics].“Christianization,” however, is generallyunderstood as nothing more than the cor-rection of the bestial cruelty of man’s his-tory through inoculation with a certain doseof Christian morality. And, in addition tothis, it also includes the preaching of theGospel to the whole world.

“Christification,” however, is based onthe words, “It is no longer I who live, butChrist Who lives in me” [Galatians 2:20].The image of God, the icon of Christ, whichtruly is my real and actual essence or be-ing, is the only measure of all things, theonly path or way which is given to me.Each movement of my soul, each approachto God, to other people, to the world, isdetermined by the suitability of that actfor reflecting the image of God which iswithin me.

If I am faced with two paths and I am indoubt, then even if all human wisdom, ex-perience, and tradition point to one ofthese, but I feel that Christ would have fol-lowed the other – then all my doubtsshould immediately disappear and I shouldchoose to follow Christ in spite of all theexperience, tradition, and wisdom that areopposed to it. But other than the immedi-ate consciousness that Christ is calling meto a particular path, are there any other ob-jective signs which will tell me that thisdoesn’t just appear this way to me, that it isnot a figment of my imagination or myemotional feeling? Yes, there are objec-tive indications.

Christ gave us two commandments: tolove God and to love our fellow man. Ev-erything else, even the commandmentscontained in the Beatitudes, is merely anelaboration of these two commandments,which contain within themselves the to-tality of Christ’s “Good News.” Further-more, Christ’s earthly life is nothing otherthan the revelation of the mystery of loveof God and love of man. These are, in sum,not only the true, but the only measure of

Classics to 30

VOLUME 44 4

orn Elizabeth Pilenko to a well-to-doB family in Latvia in 1891, MotherMaria embraced atheism as a teenagerand was involved in radical circles in St.Petersburg. At the age of 19, she marrieda Bolshevik, Dimitri Kuzmin-Karavayev, withwhom she parted ways in 1913.

In 1918, she was elected deputy mayorof the southern town of Anapa, only to beput on trial by the White Army for Bolshe-vism. The judge, Daniel Skobtsov, one ofher former teachers, acquitted her. Soonthe two fell in love and were married.

After fleeing Russia, she, Daniel, herdaughter Gaiana, and her mother Sophiasettled in Paris in 1923. Having been drawn back into Christianity, shedevoted herself to theological studies and social work. She subsequentlygave birth to two more children, Anastasia and Yuri.

After a series of heartbreaking family issues – Anastasia died, Gaianawent to boarding school in Belgium, her marriage was deteriorating, and Yuriwent to live with his father – she immersed herself in ministering to Paris’neediest elements. Her bishop encouraged her to become a nun, assuringher that she could minister to the poor and needy. In 1932, with her husband’spermission, she professed monastic vows, taking the name Maria.

Mother Maria made a rented house her “convent,” with Fr. DmitriKlepinin as chaplain. They welcomed refugees, the needy, and the lonely.She encouraged hospitality and love of one’s neighbor in the most uncom-promising ways. The house also became a center for theological discus-sion. In Mother Maria, service to the poor and theology were inseparable. When the Nazis took Paris during World War II, Jews sought help fromMother Maria and Fr. Dmitri, who opened their house to them. Eventually thehouse was closed. Mother Maria, Fr. Dimitri, Yuri, and Sophia were arrested

Mother Maria to 30

ContemporaryChristianClassics

Older priests remi-nisce and tell me, “thosewere the days” – days ofvision, of excitement, ofenergy and optimism. Itseemed to them that thefuture contained unlim-ited possibilities forgrowth and unity, andthat the best days wereyet to come. Father Al-exander Schmemannwas speaking words offire to inspire a genera-tion of priests. TheChurch was rediscover-ing her own liturgicaltheology. And the in-creasing use of Englishin the services was open-ing her treasures to moreand more people.Americans sometimesspeak of “the Spirit of‘76” (i.e. 1776) as a cul-tural code-word for thespirit of liberty. I would suggest “the Spirit of ‘70” as an Ortho-dox Christian code-word denoting this glorious vision of opti-mism and hope.

Some today would say that the vision is lost forever, havingfloundered on the rocks of interjurisdictional politics and thecold reality of living in a secular North America. They would saythat we were naïve then, and that it is about time that we grew upand were disabused of our false hope. I emphatically disagree.

I still believe in the Spirit of ’70. Like the Narnian Puddleglumwho (in C.S. Lewis’s book The Silver Chair) was determined tolive like a Narnian even if the Witch was right and Narnia didn’tactually exist, I am determined to live by that glorious vision andkeep the fire of hope to warm my heart, regardless of the coldnessof our times. And I think that vision, the Spirit of ’70, can berecovered by our Church if we do three things, keeping faith withthose who have labored before us.

InSitesFALL 2008 7

ddly enough, I sometimes wish that I were older than I actually am. (Usually, I wish Iwere younger than I am, or at least less creaky.) That is because, if I were older, I mightO have been a priest in the Orthodox Church in America in the year of our autocephaly.

First of all, we needa return to first prin-ciples. The temptationis to base our theologyand praxis on the imme-diate past, to define Tra-dition as whatever ourgrandmother said orwhatever the MotherChurches in Russia orelsewhere do. Thoughwe must be grateful toboth our grandmotherand to the MotherChurches, we must alsorecognize that Traditionis deeper and richer thanthat. We must ask whatthe consensus of the Fa-thers was and how faith-fully to apply that to ourvery different NorthAmerican life.

This return to firstprinciples has many ap-plications. Take the

matter of liturgical language: in deciding whether to worship ineither Slavonic or ancient Greek or in a modern vernacular (suchas English or Spanish), one asks the question, “What is the Tradi-tion of the Church?” Is it to worship in a language no longerspoken by the people in everyday life, or in a tongue understoodby everyone on the street? A return to patristic first principleswill indicate the latter. The matter is thus not decided by jurisdic-tional politics or by ethnic sentiment, but by adhering to theTradition. Or take the question, “How often should one receiveHoly Communion?” Once a year, or more regularly (such asweekly)? The question once again is answered not by consultingthe immediate past and by asking your grandfather how often hereceived (bless him). It is answered by asking the likes of SaintBasil the Great how often he received and what was his counselfor others. (Saint Basil said he received four times a week; see his

The Spirit of ‘70 to 8

The Spirit of ‘70

Father Lawrence R. Farley

St. Herman of Alaska and his companions not only broughtthe Gospel to North America, but a vision of the Church that sorelyneeds to be recaptured and renewed in our own time.

InSites8 VOLUME 44 4

The Spirit of ‘70 from 7

Epistle 93.) Once again, our praxis should be that of the Fathers.Secondly, we need a holy boldness in following the will of

God. The temptation to be resisted here is that of giving in to thefear of man, which (as Solomon reminds us) always brings a snarefor the soul [Proverbs 29:25]. Since we are an autocephalousChurch, we should act like it. We should prayerfully discern thewill of God for us (having listened humbly to our sister OrthodoxChurches throughout the world), and then make our decisionsregardless of what others say. It is easy for us to be timid andtimorous, to keep looking uneasily over our shoulder to see if theChurch of Russia or Constantinople approves of our actions.While it is true that the Orthodox Church is conciliar in natureand that we must always strive for a godly consensus, it is alsotrue that we are ultimately accountable to God, not to men. TheChurch of Russia did not wait for a consensus before granting theMetropolia her autocephaly in 1970. It discerned this to be thewill of God and courageously acted on it. As an autocephalousChurch, we must have the same boldness as our Mother. Some-times others will agree with our actions, and sometimes they willnot. The example of Saint John Chrysostom dying in disgracedexile (to say nothing of Christ our God dying on the Cross) re-veals that there is always a price to be paid for speaking the truth.Faithfulness to the Spirit of ’70 demands that we not limit our-selves to what may be politically acceptable to otherautocephalous churches – for example, in the matter of adminis-trative unity for all Orthodox in this continent. It demands thatwe walk in the way we believe God has directed us, even if otherswill not follow us as yet.

Finally, we need to focus on our North American mandate,recognizing that a North American Orthodoxy will look some-what different culturally than Orthodoxy as practiced in otherparts of the world. (I say, “North American” and not just “Ameri-can”, since the Orthodox Churches north of the 49th parallel andsouth of the US/Mexico border have their own unique charac-teristics. As one Canadian wag said, “We’re the OCA, eh?”) NorthAmerican Orthodoxy will be the same, but different, even as Rus-sian Orthodoxy is the same as Greek Orthodoxy, but different.The essential Faith is identical, but it will differ in its culturalembodiment, since the culture in which it is planted (and which itis called to transform) differs from the cultures of the Old World.Our aim thus is not to transplant Russia or Byzantium into NorthAmerican soil, as if the Church here were a branch plant of aforeign corporation. We want the Russian Church to be Russian,for that is the only way it can evangelize Russia. We want theGreek Church to be Greek, for that is the only way it can evan-gelize Hellas. And the North American Church must be au-thentically and discernibly North American if it is to be faithfulto the call to be the local Church here in the New World.

Building an authentically North American Orthodoxy willtake time. It will also take a Church confident of its own abilities,its own unique calling, and in the leading of the Holy Spirit. Thatis, it will take maturity. But maturity is what autocephaly is allabout. Mother Russia obviously thought we were up for it.Those imbued with the Spirit of ’70 will think so too.

Whether or not the best years of the Church still lie ahead

depends largely upon us. We can, if we wish, sink into a kind ofmalaise, lamenting human failure and the coldness of the age, andbe satisfied with simply keeping the ecclesiastical machinery run-ning. Or we can lift up our heads as other men faint with fear [seeLuke 21:28] and let the darkness of the age be our incentive toburn more brightly. The former option is a betrayal of those work-ers who have lately gone before us, of our autocephaly, and ofGod. The latter is our challenge and our calling. It is what beingthe Orthodox Church in America is all about.

Fr. Lawrence R. Farley is rector of St. Herman ofAlaska Church, Langley, BC, Canada.

Ezekiel Wolfe

Church, or churches?“I believe... in one, holy, catholic, andapostolic Church.”

any years ago, well over a decade and a half, I was wres-tling with the fact of the many denominations that areM found in our country, and now around the world. At that

point, I (erroneously) tried to reason that God reached somethrough this group, others through that group, etc., etc. This think-ing is pretty easy, for one justifies all kinds of things.

I remember one congregational meeting years back, when onegentleman said, “Pastor, let’s just release these folks that don’tcome so the other denominations can have a crack at them!”

And how many times have we wrestled with the fact that friendsand relatives are divided six ways from the middle in their own“churches?” What does one say?

Of course, the easy way, and the way that I’ve heard often, isthat it doesn’t really matter! Now this I hear from Orthodox, also!Part of it comes from those raised in the Faith and who have chil-dren who have departed the Faith for “other pastures.” It is a wayof “dealing” with the pain. Just excuse it!

And there are those who just push it all aside,suggesting that one “church” is as good as an-other.

Father William Mills

Preparing for PittsburghFr. Alexander Schmemann’s visionfor a conciliar Church

n November 2008, clergy and lay delegates from across theUS, Canada, and Mexico will gather in Pittsburgh, PA, forI the 15th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in

America. While this will be a shorter gathering than in years past,it faces a monumental volume of work. The various problems andissues regarding the Church’s administration will certainly be atopic of discussion. Different opinions, debates, and discussionswill certainly take place as we gather together as the local Churchto come to terms with healing, forgiveness, and most importantly,

repentance and reconciliation.As we prepare for this historic meeting, it might help to take a

brief look at the work of the late Protopresbyter AlexanderSchmemann, the 25th anniversary of whose repose we will cel-ebrate in December of this year. After suffering from a long boutwith cancer, Father Alexander fell asleep in the Lord peacefullyon December 13, 1983. As an Orthodox priest, pastor, professor,seminary dean, theologian, and author, he worked tirelessly to-wards inspiring a liturgical renewal and revival within the Ortho-dox Church. One theme which is consistently found in his writ-ings is the importance of a conciliar Church. While there aresome people in the Church who are ordained or “set apart” for

Schmemann to 10

The Church: The assemblyof those who are calledFr. Alexander Schmemann

n the Greek original of the Symbol of faith, we find theI word ekklesia which may be translated as: “theassembly of those who are called,” or in other words, thepeople called to this assembly, the people agreeing to thiscall. To put it another way, it is not simply an assembly,which might be accidental and have no particular meaningor task whatsoever. No, it is first an assembly with aparticular purpose, and secondly, it is the assembly ofpeople who are called to and capable of fulfilling thatpurpose, of realizing it. Thus, in order to understand thecentral place of the Church in Christian faith, we mustask ourselves: who gathers this assembly, and for whatpurpose? To the first question Christ Himself gives theanswer in the Gospel: “I will build my Church...” [Matthew16:18]. Christ builds the Church. It is the assembly, theunion of those whom Christ has called and continues tocall. Christ founds the Church even before approaching

the people withHis preaching.Indeed, Christbegins Histask precisely bycalling to Himselftwelve men towhom He says:“You did notchoose Me, but Ichose you...”[John 15:16]. Andafter His departureit is these verytwelve who remainas the Church,and they in turn“call” people tojoin them.

– Celebration ofFaith: Sermons,

Volume 1

InSitesFALL 2008

Fr. Alexander Schmemann

But these approaches raise serious questions.What of the “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church” con-

fessed each Sunday? And, if “it doesn’t matter,” why have manycome to Orthodoxy at no small cost?

The Truth is that there is one, holy, catholic, and apostolicChurch, the very Body of Christ, the pillar and ground of Truth,that has lived throughout the ages. There are not many truths, butOne Truth, not many christs, but One Christ. And it does make adifference where you go, what you do, and whom you believe.

We sing this marvelous hymn in the Divine Liturgy: “We haveseen the true Light. We have received the Heavenly Spirit. Wehave found the true Faith, worshipping the undivided Trinity,Who has saved us.” And we pray: “Those who depart from theOrthodox Faith, dazzled by destroying heresies, enlighten by thelight of Thy holy wisdom, and unite them to Thy Holy, Apostolic,Catholic Church.”

In the midst of all the “churches” out there stands The Church,the pillar and ground of Truth, the very Bride of Christ. Throughall the ages, she guards the deposit of Truth, and in her and throughher men and women and children are saved and strengthened asthey look to Christ’s return. But in her, they experience now Hispresence, His love and forgiveness, heaven on earth.

We must be wary of compromising this Faith as we wrestle inlove with those whom we love. Only the Holy Spirit gives strengthand wisdom to speak the Truth in all Love, as we pray for thesalvation of friends and relatives – living in such a way as to say“Come and see! Come and see Jesus! Come and join us in receiv-ing the True Light, the Heavenly Spirit! Come and rejoice in theTrue Faith, worshiping the undivided Trinity, Who has savedus!”

Not many churches, dear friends. One!

Ezekiel Wolf was received into the Orthodox Christianfaith in February 2006, after serving as a Lutheran pastorfor 33 years. He and his wife are members ofSS. Constantine and Helen Church, Swansea, IL.

living and experiencing the Gospel of love and to edify and en-courage one another. A conciliar Church is one that can engageopenly in debate and discussion in brotherly love, yet with fullrespect and freedom in Christ.

Father Alexander always fought for freedom against clerical-ism and power, envisioning a Church in which clergy and laitygather together to make important choices for the body of Christ.If both the clergy and laity are truly seeking to live according tothe will of God, even within a fallen humanity with its sinfulnessand arrogance, there must be an expression of love based on theexample of Christ Himself. Jesus gave us the supreme example oflove through His passion and death on the cross, freely offeringHis life for others. His life was an example of loving and servingothers, refusing to use power and authority over His disciples,saints and sinners alike, or anyone else He encountered. Theclergy are not called to have power and authority over the laity,nor are the laity called to increase their power or authority overand against the clergy; rather, all are called to work together forthe common good of the Church’s entire membership.

As we prepare for the 15th All-American Council and lookahead to remembering our beloved Father Alexander, perhaps weshould seriously consider his vision of a conciliar Church. Doingso surely will assist us in making the landmark decisions thatwill chart the course of the future for the Orthodox Church inAmerica.

Fr. William Mills is priest-in-charge of the Nativity of theHoly Theotokos Church, Charlotte, NC.

InSites10 VOLUME 44 4

Schmemann from 9

specific ministry – preaching, teaching, and leading worship –everyone in the Church is ordained through his or her baptismand chrismation to offer common prayer and praise to God, tostudy the Word of God, to give alms, and to serve others, espe-cially the “least of the brethren.” As members of the royal priest-hood, we all have special and unique functions and ministries –singing, praying, leading and serving in outreach programs, serv-ing on the parish council, reading the epistle, teaching educa-tional programs, and so forth. The parish priest should help everymember of his flock to discern his or her God-given talents for thebuilding up of the Body of Christ in the local worshipping com-munity.

We experience conciliarity on Sunday mornings as we cel-ebrate the Divine Liturgy. The liturgical prayers and hymns arewritten in the plural – we praise, we bless, we give thanks. Like-wise, the services include cantor or choir director together withchoir members and readers who chant and sing the services. Thereis usually a person who takes up the collection, while others leadwith Church school programs and youth group activities. Stillothers greet and welcome newcomers or engage in the ministry ofhospitality by serving at the coffee hour. So, when we look at the“big picture,” there are a multitude of tasks to be accomplishedon a Sunday morning as the People of God gather as a communityof faith and share in worship and fellowship with one another.

According to the Tradition, the bishop is called to maintainthe unity of the Church while, at the same time, encouragingthose under his care to realize their common baptismal calling by

Michael Strelka

pproximately two and a half years ago, I first learned thenews of the financial mismanagement in the OCA’s cen-A tral administration. I can remember my stunned reac-

tion as I read more and more about the scandal. How could thisbe? People in whom we should have the ultimate confidenceand trust were stealing from widows and orphans? Surely theseare acts that cry out to God!

And now, as more and more information has been madepublic, it turns out that, apparently, similar events occurredpreviously, with the same stern warning, to forget what hashappened and move on, “for the good of the Church.” How cancovering up the theft of money intended for the victims ofterrorism and natural disasters possibly be good? Is this thekind of behavior we expect from the successors to the Apostles?

As I write this, in the week before Labor Day 2008, thewhole OCA – indeed possibly all Orthodox in North America –anxiously wait to see if the report of the second investigativecommittee will be released to the Church at large. Will wefinally learn how our precious resources were squandered, orwill we again be denied the truth? Will we be able to go to theAll-American Council in November in a spirit of forgiveness

and reconciliation, or will we have to ask ourselves the samequestion Archbishop Job asked: “Is this the kind of Church towhich we want to belong?” Will we see a Council marked by aspirit of love and conciliarity, where both bishops and laityalike realize that we need each other, a Council in which weactually move toward instead of away from Christ’s great com-mission, or will this Council be the first step toward the demiseof the Orthodox Church in America?

There are those, I suppose, who wish the latter, if only to say“See, I told you so.” But is this the outcome most of us seek?Do we really wish to give the devil his victory? I submit no, athousand times no.

Countless quotations from Scripture have been used to jus-tify positions taken during the past two-plus years. I offer ahumble, non-scriptural one. I have a needlepoint in my officewith the words of the late Pittsburgh Hall of Fame right fielderRoberto Clemente: “If you have an opportunity to make thingsbetter, and you don’t do that, you are wasting your time on thisearth.” Can we make things better? Yes, and with the help ofour Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we will.

Michael Strelka, a Certified Public Accountant, ischoir director at Holy Resurrection Church, Palatine, IL.

The 15th All-American Council: Making things better

C O U N T E R P O I N TFALL 2008 11

P O I N T

PROPOSAL Dr. Paul Meyendorff

s a member of the last six Preconciliar Commissions, Isympathize with your current dilemma – you face theA nearly impossible task of restoring peace and order within

the Church. Trust on all levels has broken down, and restoringtrust must be at the top of the Church’s agenda at the present time.

I have been following the OCA situation for some time, keep-ing in touch with large numbers of concerned clergy and laity onall sides. I have up until now avoided making any public state-ments or internet postings. But I have come to believe strongly inthe following solution which, although it may sound radical, hasclear historical precedent, and may now be the only way to restoreintegrity and trust.

The Metropolitan and the entire Synod of Bishops need tosubmit their resignations, in humility acknowledging their indi-vidual and corporate responsibility and guilt for what has hap-pened on their watch. These resignations are to be effective at theAAC, at which each bishop will stand for (re-)election by theclergy and lay representatives of his diocese. If the bishop is notreelected in a straight up-or-down vote by secret ballot, he willimmediately retire. If elected, he will immediately assume hispost and a new Synod will be constituted. The senior bishop willassume the presidency of the Synod, and the election of a newMetropolitan will follow immediately. These steps will give usthe opportunity to start with a clean slate.

Such was the process adopted by the 1917 Council of theRussian Orthodox Church in its effort to restore trust in the Churchat a critical juncture in its history. Each diocese was given theright to elect its own bishop, and sitting bishops had to stand forreelection. A number of bishops, including, for example, Metro-politan Pitirim of Petrograd (modern-day St. Petersburg), werevoted out.

The second task of the AAC will be to begin discussion of anew statute for the OCA, one that will contain appropriate checksand balances and restore true conciliarity to the Church. There isnot sufficient time to do much before November 2008, and theatmosphere is currently too polluted for significant progress to bemade. But the AAC could certainly elect a representative body ofbishops, clergy, and laity to address this task over the next fewyears.

RESPONSE Fr. Victor Gorodenchuk

decided to write in response to some suggestions that wererecently made as to how our Orthodox Church in AmericaI should handle the recent scandal that engulfed us. We all

know that many faithful of our Church are concerned with thecurrent state of affairs in the OCA and would like to see resolutionto the ongoing scandal in the way that best corresponds to theGospel. Yet, considering the very young age of our Church, in-fluence from pluralistic society and non-Orthodox Christianmovements under which our faithful find themselves (whether

Restoring order: Lessons of the All-Russian Council of 1917

they realize it or not), and general confusion that resulted fromobvious lack of clear understanding of Orthodox ecclesiology, Iam afraid that the ongoing discussion can lead our Church to thepath of self-destruction. The only way our Church in America canbe preserved as an Orthodox Church is if we follow the traditionalway of governing our Church, the same way that we find in allother local Autocephalous Churches. To look for a unique “Ameri-can way” of understanding the hierarchical nature of the Churchat this time of total chaos of opinions would simply mean a disso-lution of our Church which will be torn apart by different factionsthat believe that their “solution” is better than the “solutions”suggested by others.

To put it simply, we don’t have the luxury of trying to rein-vent a more efficient wheel. I think what is most important for usis to have firm trust in that not only the doctrinal statements of theOrthodox Church and her liturgical worship, but also the Canonsand the established tradition of governing the Church by a Soborof Bishops, are all part of what makes our Church Orthodox. Bydeparting from a traditional understanding of the relationshipbetween bishops, priests, and laity, we are in danger of damagingthe Orthodoxy of our Church, even though it will look like weserve the same services and proclaim the same Creed.

I think it is in this light that we should look at the proposalmade by Dr. Paul Meyendorff, which seems to be getting endorse-ment even from some hierarchs. The relevant question is: do wereally have a precedent in Church history when all the bishops ofa local Church made a decision to step down and be replaced withthose elected by the people?

Dr. Meyendorff refers to the precedent that took place before(not during) the All-Russian Sobor of 1917. As with everything,any event has to be understood in its proper context, and then ithas to be considered whether the solution for that context can beapplied to our situation right now.

To begin with, it is important for us to remember that when werefer to the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Russian Church, itcannot be properly compared to the Holy Synod of Bishops of theOCA. While in the OCA every ruling hierarch of a diocese isautomatically a member of the Holy Synod, in the Russian Church,the Holy Synod represents only a small fraction of the total num-ber of bishops. While there are over 200 bishops in the whole ofthe Russian Church, the OCA Holy Synod consists of less than 20hierarchs. A Patriarch presides over the Russian Holy Synod,which is charged with overseeing the life of the Church betweengatherings of the All-Russian Sobor of Bishops.

Here I have to correct Dr. Meyendorff’s statement that theRussian Sobor of 1917 adopted a process in which “each diocesewas given the right to elect its own bishop, and sitting bishopshad to stand for reelection.” In reality, there were no definitionsof the Sobor itself that specified this as a way of how the Soborshould begin. There were cases of reelection of bishops in manydioceses throughout the Russian Church, but it was all done priorto the Sobor, and after the results of each election became known

Point/Counterpoint to 28

12 VOLUME 44 4

OCANewsNotesNotices

n a brief statement issued by the HolySynod of Bishops on September 11,I 2008, the hierarchs announced that

the election of a successor to His Beati-tude, Metropolitan Herman would takeplace at the 15th All-American Council,slated to be convened in Pittsburgh, PA,November 10-13.

One day after he had requested of theHoly Synod to be granted a six month medi-cal leave of absence, Metropolitan Her-man, citing “the best interests of the Or-thodox Church in America and taking intoconsideration the current condition of myhealth,” requested and was granted retire-ment on September 4, the second day ofthe joint Holy Synod/Metropolitan Coun-cil meeting. [Metropolitan Herman wasto undergo major back surgery on Septem-ber 9. The surgery subsequently was re-scheduled until September 16.] Concur-rently, the Holy Synod declared the Met-ropolitan See vacant. His Eminence, Arch-bishop Dmitri of Dallas and the South, thesenior member of the Holy Synod, was ap-pointed Locum Tenens, while His Emi-nence, Archbishop Seraphim of Ottawaand Canada, was named Temporary Ad-ministrator.

Metropolitan Herman’s request cameone day after the release of the lengthy re-port of the Special Investigating Commit-tee, which called for his “retirement, resig-nation, or removal [and] discipline beforethe 15th All-American Council” in lightof the committee’s findings.

The announcement of the election,slated to take place at the All-AmericanCouncil, ended speculation as to whethera successor to Metropolitan Herman wouldbe selected at the forthcoming AAC or at aspecial AAC called for this purpose at alater date. As this issue of The OrthodoxChurch goes to press, details of the elec-tion had not been revealed.

In related news, the Holy Synodresolved to authorize His Grace, Bishop

Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Penn-sylvania to supervise all daily operationsof the stavropegial institutions of SaintTikhon’s Seminary and Monastery, includ-ing their bookstore, and to supervise theexternal audit for 2008 of the monastery

Metropolitan See declared vacant;AAC to elect successor toMetropolitan Herman

READ the guidelines for theelection of Metropolitan andprayers in preparation for the15th AAC at www.oca.org/news/1653.VIEW the AAC agenda atwww.oca.org/news/1650.FIND general AAC informationat www.oca.org/news/1646.READ the OCA treasurer’s six-month 2008 financial report atwww.oca.org/news/1649.

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and bookstore. [As stavropegial institu-tions, the monastery and seminary are un-der the omophorion of the Primate of theChurch rather than the ruling bishop ofthe diocese in which they are geographi-cally located.]

The September 3 joint meet-ing opened with the report of the SpecialInvestigating Committee [SIC], headed byHis Grace, Bishop Bejmanin of San Fran-cisco and the West, appointed in October2007 to investigate a host of allegationssurrounding the OCA’s administration.[See the related article on page 13.]

“What we find in this report is an in-credible failure at many levels to act re-sponsibly,” Bishop Benjamin said in open-ing remarks. “Many flags went up andpeople failed to, or chose not to, addressthem.” Noting that the report is titled “pre-liminary” because footnotes citing at-tached documentation had yet to be added,he stated that “the text will remain thesame; we will only be adding footnotes.”He also stressed that SIC members, whounanimously approved the final report,experienced no interference in the courseof their investigations.

“The full extent of administrative vio-lations and transgressions is unknown,”the report stated. “Some placed their per-

Election to 15

Hierarchs commune at Liturgy opening joint Holy Synod, MetropolitanCouncil sessions.

OCANewsNotesNotices

fter nearly a full year interviewing44 individuals and mining throughA over 10,000 pages of documents, the

Special Investigating Committee [SIC], es-tablished in October 2007 by a joint reso-lution of the Holy Synod of Bishops andthe Metropolitan Council, released its fi-nal report concerning the financial scan-dal affecting the Orthodox Church inAmerica.

The report, coupled with appendicesthat include the former SpecialCommission’s unabridged report, whichhad never been fully released to theChurch at large, were posted on the OCAweb site immediately after they were delivered at a joint sessionof the Holy Synod and Metropolitan Council at the OCA Chan-cery on September 3, 2008.

His Grace, Bishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West,headed the committee, which consisted of the Very Revs. JohnTkachuk and Philip Reese; Dr. Faith Skordinski; and Dr. DmitriRobert Solodow. The SIC selected Bernard J. Wilson, the retiredchief of the Los Angeles Airport Police Department, and JuliaAzrael, Esq., to assist as investigative consultant and legal con-sultant respectively.

While the text of the report and numerous appendices may beread in their entirety on the OCA web site at www.oca.org, thereport’s executive summary is printed below.

Executive Summary of the Preliminary Reportof the Special Investigating Committee

he Special Investigating Committee [“SIC”] established by aT joint resolution of the Holy Synod [“HS”] and the Metropoli-tan Council [“MC”] in October 2007 concluded its sevenfoldcharge concerning the financial affairs of the Orthodox Church inAmerica [“OCA”]. The SIC’s work resulted in specific conclu-sions concerning the financial affairs of the OCA, specific recom-mendations to correct the mistakes, and specific recommenda-tions to help protect financial affairs of the OCA from wrongdo-ing.

The body of the report provides the details that lead to theSIC’s conclusions regarding Metropolitans Theodosius [“+MT”]and Herman [“+MH”], the HS, the MC, the OCA Treasurers, theOCA Comptroller, and the former OCA Chancellor RobertKondratick [Kondratick]. In addition, this report contains spe-cific recommendations concerning actions that should be takenby the HS as “the supreme canonical authority in the Church”[The Statute of the Orthodox Church in America, Article II, Sec-tion 1] and MC as “the permanent executive body of the ChurchAdministration” [The Statute of the Orthodox Church in America,Article V, Section 1].

The SIC’s work is based upon 44 interviews, more than 10,000pages of documents, and more than 4,000 hours of collectivework. Additionally, the SIC acknowledges the groundbreaking

Special Investigating Committee report releasedwork of the former Special Commission[SC]. The SC’s work provided the SIC afoundation from which to begin and thisin turn assisted the SIC in completing itswork in a timely manner. The SIC’s execu-tive summary of conclusions and recom-mendations concerning the financial affairsof the OCA from 1988 to 2008 follow:1. Metropolitan Theodosius [Lazor]

(a) failed to exercise his moral, finan-cial, and fiduciary responsibilities;

(b) abdicated his management re-sponsibilities, thus allowing Kondratick toassume control;

(c) created and used “discretionaryaccounts” from external funds donated for other purposes andfailed to provide documentation;

(d) withheld the magnitude of the “discretionary accounts”from the HS;

(e) actively prevented the auditing of the “discretionary ac-counts;”

(f) permitted and participated in the extra-statutory use ofthe Administrative Committee;

(g) allowed Kondratick to live rent-free in a house owned bythe OCA while approving paying him an annual housing allow-ance; and

(h) entered into an unauthorized agreement reimbursing theKondraticks for $250,000 for alleged expenses plus interest theyincurred on the OCA-owned Chancellor’s residence.2. Metropolitan Herman [Swaiko]

(a) failed to exercise his moral, financial, and fiduciary re-sponsibilities as Acting Treasurer and Metropolitan by not tak-ing action in response to evidence provided to him of financialimproprieties at the Chancery and by the Chancellor as early asSeptember 1999;

(b) appointed Kondratick as Chancellor in 2002 and again in2005 with no investigation of allegations made against him forwrongdoing;

(c) attempted, with initial success, to suppress any investiga-tion into these reported improprieties;

(d) actively silenced priests and condemned laity seeking tolearn the truth of these allegations;

(e) specifically denied allegations which he knew to be true;and

(f) blocked the release of the SC report, supposedly on theadvice of legal counsel.3. The HS

(a) acceded to +MT’s position that the “discretionary ac-counts” did not need to be audited, without apparent inquiry intothe size, nature, and sources of those accounts;

(b) failed to demand of the former Chancellor timely, full,and accurate financial reports and audits, and accepted compila-tion reports in their stead;

Report to 14

FALL 2008 13

READ the complete text of thePreliminary report of the Spe-cial Investigating Committeeat www.oca.org/PDF/SIC/2008-0903-1-sicreport.pdf.READ the report’s appendicesand the unabridged text of theformer Special Commission atwww.oca.org/PDF/SIC/2008-0903-2-sicappendices.pdf.

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Report from 13

Executive summary of SIC report(c) failed in their fiduciary responsibilities to demand an in-

vestigation into reports of financial and other improprieties at theChancery of which they were made aware;

(d) failed to hold each other mutually accountable on issuespertaining to the entire Church; and

(e) shortly before the release of this report, “affirmed theirconfidence in the leadership of +MH” and thanked him for his“perseverance,” thereby giving the impression to some of pre-judging their response to this report.4. The MC

(a) failed in its fiduciary responsibilities to demand timely,full, and accurate financial reports and audits, and accepted com-pilation reports instead;

(b) permitted the exclusion of John Kozey [“Kozey”], Chairof the OCA Audit Committee, from reporting his concerns aboutfinancial improprieties to the MC;

(c) allowed critical responsibilities to be usurped by the Ad-ministrative Committee, and failed to require regular reports onAdministrative Committee decisions; and

(d) allowed certain MC members to enforce and encourage aculture of silence and loyalty to the former Chancellor by failingto investigate the emerging grievances raised by some MC mem-bers and others.5. The Treasurers

(a) In the years between Lee Galiotis [“Galiotis”] and FatherMichael Tassos [“Tassos”], 1989 through 2007, all Treasurerswere clergy who lacked requisite financial education and experi-ence, and were all part-time, with the exception of ProtodeaconEric A. Wheeler [“Wheeler”];

(b) none instituted written policies, procedures, processes, andpractices; and

(c) after 1989 until Father Tassos took office, Treasurers fol-lowed the unwise policy of pre-signing up to 50 checks at a time,which facilitated financial abuse.6. The Comptroller

(a) Fr. Steven Strikis [“Strikis”] lacked the competencies re-quired of a professional Comptroller. The SIC received testi-mony that he took pride in his idiosyncratic accounting systemwhich stymied others who relied upon his performance. WhileStrikis tried, from time to time, to obtain documentation of ex-penses from Kondratick, he met with overall failure during histenure as Comptroller.

(b) Kondratick typically failed to provide Strikis with receiptsof his spending. He sometimes presented his personal expenses,passing them off as “charity” or “external affairs.” Strikis failedto report Kondratick’s fiscal wrongdoings and questionable, im-proper monetary disbursements.7. The Former Chancellor Robert Kondratick

(a) misused hundreds of thousands of dollars from OCA ac-counts;

(b) created unauthorized and unaudited “discretionary ac-counts,” funds from which are either undocumented or untrace-able and apparently were used for the payment of personal ex-

penses;(c) submitted and received reimbursement for unauthorized

personal and family expenses from the OCA;(d) lived rent-free in a home owned by the OCA while receiv-

ing a housing allowance;(e) willfully ignored OCA procedures by seeking and receiv-

ing reimbursement for undocumented credit card expenses;(f) created a culture of deception, deceit, and covertness,

which permeated the Chancery;(g) used OCA resources to develop personal loyalty, depen-

dence, and silence on the part of the hierarchy, clergy, and laitythrough gifts, which included cash, jewelry, meals, travel, lodg-ing, and incidentals;

(h) authorized numerous undocumented cash withdrawals justunder the $10,000 United States Treasury reporting limit; and

(i) imported religious and other articles for resale withoutproper documentation and accounting.

Recommendations

The SIC’s recommendations resulting from the conclusionsreached about the financial affairs of the OCA are categorized asimmediate and long-term. The immediate recommendations aremade to begin the process of holding accountable those respon-sible for wrongdoing. The responsible individuals must be heldaccountable. The long-term recommendations are to help protectthe financial affairs of the OCA.

Immediate Recommendations

1. The retirement, resignation, or removal of +MH and hisreferral to the HS for discipline prior to the 15th All-AmericanCouncil [AAC].

2. The referral of +MT to the HS for discipline prior to the15th AAC.

3. The referral of the former part-time Treasurers Father PaulKucynda [“Kucynda”], and Father Dimitri Oselinsky [“Oselinsky”]and the former Comptroller Strikis to the HS for discipline prior tothe 15th AAC. Given his role in bringing the financial impropri-eties to the attention of the Church and his dedication in bringingthem to an end, the SIC makes no recommendation regardingWheeler.

4. A joint HS and MC resolution of apology and repentanceto the Church prior to the 15th AAC and a joint resolution ofapology to and commendation for John Kozey acknowledginghis vigilance and dedication to his fiduciary responsibilities inlight of the opposition he encountered.

5. A joint HS and MC resolution of commitment to imple-ment the SIC’s recommendations prior to the 15th AAC.

6. To seek the recovery of funds from +MT and Kondratickimmediately after receiving this report during the HS and MCjoint session, September 3-5, 2008.

7. The OCA Legal Committee and legal counsel to reviewthis report for possible referral to the Nassau County District At-torney and other appropriate authorities no later than September30, 2008, and report back to the HS and MC on that date.

8. The -publication of the unabridged 13-page SC report onReport to 30

OCANewsNotesNotices14 VOLUME 44 4

OCANewsNotesNoticesFALL 2008 15

Thirty-eight new seminarians joined returning students for SVS’s Orien-tation 2008. Twenty-nine students represent the Orthodox Church in America.

Deborah Belonick

he Very Rev. John Breck, Professorof New Testament and Ethics atT Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theo-

logical Seminary here from 1984 until1996, returned to campus as a guest lec-turer at Orientation 2008, August 21–24.He focused his remarks to the incomingclass of 38 students, fourteen of whom arefrom the Orthodox Church in America, onthe priestly vocation of Christ. In particu-lar, he defined priestly ministry as offeringoneself and others in community to God,and used the example of Jesus’ priesthoodas the model for ordained and lay ministry.

In his talks, which were interspersedamong other activities related to orientingthe new class, Father John concentrated onthree deeply interconnected themes: “OurCall to Ministry: Self-giving and Others,”“Dysfunctional Family Systems: Personaland Corporate,” and “Spiritual Growth:Life in Prayer.” Throughout, he addressed

practical and pastoral concerns taken fromhis experience as a parish priest and fromthe classrooms of the three seminaries atwhich he has taught – Saint Vladimir’s,Saint Herman’s, Kodiak, AK, and presently,Saint Sergius Institute, Paris, France.

The new and returning students repre-sent a multi-jurisdictional, multi-nationalpresence, and statistically break down asfollows: Orthodox Church in America, 29;Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdio-cese of North America, 19; Greek Ortho-dox Archdiocese of America, 13; ArmenianApostolic Church, 6; Serbian OrthodoxChurch, 5; Malankara Orthodox SyrianChurch, 3; Malankara Syrian OrthodoxChurch, 2; Russian Orthodox Church Out-side of Russia, 2; Romanian OrthodoxArchdiocese of America and Canada, 2;Bulgarian Patriarchal Orthodox Church, 1;and the Patriarchate of Moscow, 1. Addi-tionally, three non-Orthodox students, ofthe Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Evan-gelical faiths, attend the seminary.

Fr. John Breck addresses new,returning SVS students

AAC Bible study available on-linefour-part Bible study, prepared at the direction of the Preconciliar CommissionA in preparation for the 15th All-American Council, is now available for down-

loading on the OCA web site at www.oca.org/news/1622.The text focuses on Ephesians 4:25-32, the verses from which the 15th All-

American Council theme – “Members of One Another in Christ” – was drawn. “Thesewords from Ephesians... seemed to be a ‘word’ addressed to our OCA and the turmoilit has faced in recent years,” reads the study’s introduction.

Election from 12

Synod, Council meetsonal gain above their Christian duties.Others failed in their fiduciary respon-siblity to bring these matters to light andcorrect them.”

Accepted unanimously by Holy Synodand Metropolitan Council members, thereport concluded that “to restore thehealth, the openness, and the honesty ex-pected in the OCA and required by civillaw,” the Holy Synod and MetropolitanCouncil “must take immediate actions.”The report’s 13 immediate and six long-term recommendations were accepted byboth bodies.

Besides addressing the role of Metro-politan Herman, the report recommendedthat His Beatitude, the retired Metropoli-tan Theodosius, be referred to the HolySynod “for discipline prior to the 15thAAC.” On the day following the report’srelease, September 4, the hierarchs issueda statement restricting him to “attendingand celebrating the divine services, wheninvited, at the Church of Saint John theBaptist, Canonsburg, PA, henceforth.”

On September 5, after a day of separatesessions, the Holy Synod and Metropoli-tan Council reconvened in joint sessionand issued a joint statement in response tothe SIC’s report. [The statement may befound on page 17 of this issue.]

ACCESS proposed AACresolutions at www.oca.org/news/1652.

ACCESS proposed amend-ments to the OCA Statuteconcerning the process forelecting a Metropolitan andthe Auditing Committee atwww.oca.org/news/1641.The Commission submitted theproposed amendments with norecommendations, noting thatthe issues under considerationtherein will have to be consid-ered in the near future in thecontext of a complete revisionof the Statute.

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NOTES

Father Alexander Garklavs

The Cross andthe Council

am writing these notes during theweekend of the Great Feast of the Exal-I tation of the Holy Cross. The weekend

began with meetings of the PreconciliarCommission planning the 15th All-Ameri-can Council, at which a new Primate of theOrthodox Church in America will be se-lected. The Preconciliar meetings werelong and intense.

Later, during the liturgical services forthe Feast, my mind kept returning to thosemeetings, during which various aspects ofthe upcoming Council were debated anddiscussed. As the Orthodox Church inAmerica prepares for this All-AmericanCouncil, the election of a new Metropoli-tan is only one of many important tasks.We are facing unprecedented, complicatedissues that need to be resolved. Those whowill gather in Pittsburgh will be seekingexplanations and solutions, raising ques-tions and seeking answers, and looking fornew agendas that will steer the OrthodoxChurch in America on a fresh, revitalizedroad into a brighter future. But contem-plating the Cross, I could not help but feelthat any future of our Church that does notinclude a deep and fervent love for theCross will be fruitless.

For Orthodox Christians, the Cross isubiquitous. It is everywhere: on churches,in churches, on the walls of our homes, asdecoration, as symbol, on books, on cards,as jewelry, and as good-luck charm. It ap-pears on clothes, on billboards, everywhere!We rely on the Cross whenever we need tothink about God, as we cross ourselves overand over, both during and outside of litur-gical services. We teach our children tofollow in the same way we were taught,holding the two bottom fingers of the righthand against the palm, joining the thumbto the second and middle fingers, touchingthe forehead, chest, right, and left shoul-ders; and this we do in the morning during

prayers after we awaken, during the day,before and after meals, and again at nightbefore sleep. The Cross is the way we blesseach other; bishops and priests do so sev-eral times during divine services, and par-ents likewise bless their children. We evenbless “things” – homes, cars, boats, barns,wells, beehives, etc. – with or without holywater, by making the sign of the Cross.Within the liturgical calendar of the Or-thodox Church, the Cross receives specialcommemoration on several dates through-out the year, and twice during the weeklycycle – Wednesdays and Fridays. EverySunday Divine Liturgy ends with our ven-eration of the Cross.

We kiss it, we venerate it, we use it, butits power and its majesty, so gloriously pro-claimed by the Church, is somehow absentfrom our lives. Why? One reason is sim-ply that the Cross is so much a part of ourlife that we simply take it for granted. Be-ing so common, it ceases to have real mean-ing. True, we may take up our cross as ahabitual “support” during times of personaltrials, but we are unwilling to acknowledgeit as a command to face up to spiritual

struggles. In general, we fail to accept thefact that the Cross is, first and foremost, asymbol of suffering and self-denial. Yet itis precisely the call for self-denial and theacceptance of suffering that Our Lord hadin mind when He said, “If any man wouldcome after me, let him deny himself andtake up his cross and follow me” [Mark8.34].

The Cross can be said to embody theentire message of Christ. This is not onlybecause the Cross represents Our Lord’s fi-nal, glorious moments on earth. The “Crossis the whole of Christ’s teaching,” wroteSaint Ignatius Brianchaninov. The invita-

tion to “take up our cross,” is a command-ment through which we obtain access tothe Kingdom of God. The Cross is the “lad-der most divine, whereby we ascend untoheaven’s heights” [Matins Praises at theFeast of the Exaltation]. Through the Crosswe, sinful descendents of Adam and Eve,are able to return to “our full inheritance.”The hymns sung for the Feast of the Exal-tation employ this theme constantly: theCross is the “restoration,” it “reconcilespeople to Christ,” it overcomes the “flam-ing sword that guards Eden,” through it“faith spreads to the ends of the earth,” itshows that “salvation” is now possible forall. But this restoration can only take placeif we, like Jesus Christ Himself, take up ourcross and follow Him.

Following Christ means following Himon the way to Golgotha; in other words, itis the way of suffering and self-denial. It isa way so unpleasant and undesirable, thatno sensible person would ever deliberatelyembark on it. Yet, it is the only way tofollow the teachings of Jesus Christ andthe teachings of the saints of the Church.Self-denial and suffering are not difficult

concepts to understand, but they are verydifficult to put into practice. We are apeople conditioned by fear of pain and loveof self. Natural impulses in themselves,rather than the ascetic struggle, are exaltedby our culture. We prefer easy answers,few problems, and above all to feel goodabout ourselves. With those inclinationsever present, a willingness to suffer and de-nial of self are unwelcome. But the volun-tary suffering of Jesus Christ is the momentof His glory and the source of our salva-tion. This is the very heart of our faith.Christians are people who recognize the

Chancellor to 20

from theChancellor’s desk

Cross of the Lord! Through you mankind has beenO delivered from the curse. Shattering the enemy byyour Exaltation, O Cross all-honorable, you are a sign oftrue joy! You are our help, you are the strength of kings,the power of righteous men, the majesty of priests! Allwho sign themselves with you are freed from peril! Youare the rod of strength under which we like sheep aretended! You are a weapon of peace round which theangels stand in fear. You are the divine glory of Christ,Who grants the world great mercy!

Holy Synod, Metropolitan Council issue apologyembers of the Holy Synod of Bishops and the Metropolitan Council unani-M mously approved a joint apology in response to the SIC report.

The text of the statement, dated September 5, 2008, reads as follows.“The Holy Synod and Metropolitan Council, acknowledging the report of the

Special Investigating Committee and the facts made clear therein, humbly apolo-gize to the Church and all those who were harmed by these events.

“We recognize our failure to act upon information provided to us, and to de-mand accountability and openness from each other and from those in our employ.

“We commit ourselves to building a culture within the Church which fosterscommunication, transparency, and personal responsibility.

“We also wish to offer our profound apology to Mr. John Kozey, former Chair ofthe OCA Audit Committee. We commend his tireless attempts to bring the facts ofthis matter to light. For his efforts, he was rebuffed, marginalized, and mistreated.We are deeply sorry for this mistreatment.

“We know that trust must be rebuilt, and pray you will be encouraged by ouractions from now as we move decisively to correct the mistakes of the past andensure they do not take place again.”

Hundreds attend St. Herman pilgrimageundreds of faithful traveled by boat from Kodiak, AK, to Monk’s Lagoon onH Spruce Island for the annual pilgrimage honoring Saint Herman of Alaska on Satur-

day, August 9, 2008.One of eight missionaries who arrived in Kodiak in 1794, Saint Herman lived on the

island from 1808 to 1818.Concelebrating the pilgrimage Liturgy with His Grace, Bishop Benjamin of San

Francisco and the West, temporary administrator of the Diocese of Alaska, was HisGrace, Bishop Maxim of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Western America. During hissermon, Bishop Maxim spoke about becoming a person of love and compassion, readyto bear others’ burdens. Other concelebrating guest clergy included the Very Rev.Robert Arida, Boston, MA, who taught at Saint Herman’s Seminary, Kodiak, in the late1970s; the Very Rev. Chad Hatfield, chancellor of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary and formerdean of SHS; and the Very Rev. Joseph Kreta, SHS founder and former rector of Kodiak’sHoly Resurrection Cathedral. Marilyn Kreta directed the pilgrimage choir.

Members of Holy Resurrection Cathedral hosted pilgrims for dinner after their returnfrom Spruce Island and served a grand banquet the following afternoon.

Bishop Benjamin greets faithful at annual pilgrimage to Spruce Island.

Archimandrite Jonahelected auxiliary toDiocese of the South

s this issue of The Orthodox ChurchA went to press in mid-September, planswere being finalized for the consecrationof Archimandrite Jonah [Paffhausen] to theepiscopacy at Saint Seraphim Cathedral,Dallas, TX, Saturday, November 1, 2008.

Archimandrite Jonah was electedBishop of Forth Worth, Auxiliary of theDiocese of the South, by the Holy Synodof Bishops on September 4.

In late June, the unanimous decision ofthe Diocese of the South’s diocesan coun-cil to support the nomination of Archi-mandrite Jonah was presented to delegatesat the diocese’s annual assembly, who af-firmed the diocesan council’s decision.Subsequently, His Eminence, ArchbishopDmitri of Dallas and the South, informedHis Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman andHis Eminence, Archbishop Seraphim ofOttawa and Canada, secretary of the HolySynod, of the council’s decision.

A graduate of Saint Vladimir’s Semi-nary, Crestwood, NY, Bishop-elect Jonahserved for many years as abbot of Saint Johnthe Wonderworker Monastery, Manton,CA. He is also well known for his schol-arly writings and as a speaker. He arrivedin Dallas on September 11, taking up du-ties as chancellor of the Diocese of theSouth – a position he will retain after his

Episcopacy to 20

Bishop-elect Jonah

OCANewsNotesNoticesFALL 2008

Editorial request: Please inform the TOC editorial of-fice at 630/668-3071 or info@oca.org when a deathoccurs so announcements may be made on the OCAweb site and in TOC in a timely manner.

The Very Rev. John VoytillaSTEUBENVILLE, OH – TheArchpriest John Voytilla, 71,rector of Holy TransfigurationChurch here, fell asleep in theLord on Monday, July 21,2008.

Born on January 1, 1937 inCampbell, OH, he graduatedfrom Saint Tikhon’s Seminary,South Canaan, PA in May1959 and was married to theformer Anna Timpko the fol-lowing month. He was or-dained by His Eminence, Arch-bishop Dimitry [Magan] ofPhiladelphia and Pennsylvania, to the diaconate at Saint BarbaraChurch, Cassville, NJ, on August 26, 1959, and to the priesthoodat the Nativity of the Theotokos Church, Cassville, NJ, the fol-lowing day. He served several parishes in Ohio and Pennsylvaniabefore assignment to Christ the Saviour Church, Byesville, OH,in 1968. In 1984, he was assigned rector of Holy TransfigurationChurch, Steubenville, OH, where he served until of his repose.

Father John was active in numerous community ministries andorganizations. For many years he served as a member of the boardof directors for the Salvation Army. A genuine “people person,”he constantly pursued helping others and was well known forbring humor into their lives, whether it be in working at a soupkitchen, socializing with heart patients, or visiting friends at lo-cal restaurants or businesses – always wearing his “signature”kamilavka. He left an indelible stamp on everyone he met. Pas-sionate about his faith and the Church, he was never afraid tospeak up on controversial issues. He supported the pro-life move-ment and attended numerous local and national pro-life celebra-tions. He was a leader in the pan-Orthodox community, placingthe faith above ethnicity. He revealed his passion for life throughsinging, traveling, gardening, cooking, and grandparenting. Hislove for people, however, was obvious to all who knew him.

For his years of faithful pastoral service, Father John receivednumerous clerical awards, including the right to wear thenabedrenik, skufia, kamilavka, and gold cross; elevation to therank of archpriest; and the right to wear the jeweled cross andpalitza.

Father John is survived by his wife, Matushka Anna; his sonJohn and his wife Enid and his grandsons Jonathan and Alexander,St. Charles, IL; and his son Nicholas and his wife Cindy, MingoJunction, OH. His third son, Andrew, fell asleep in the Lord in1983. He is also survived by his sister Olga and sister-in-lawJoann, both of the Youngstown, OH, area. He also leaves manygodchildren, nieces, nephews, friends, and faithful parishioners.

His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Penn-

InMemoriam sylvania, locum tenens of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and WesternPennsylvania, celebrated funeral services and the Divine Liturgyon July 25 and 26. Interment followed at Saint John the BaptistCemetery, Campbell, OH.

May Father John’s memory be eternal!

Matushka Patricia SlimakCANTON, OH – Matushka Patricia Slimak, 69, wife of the VeryRev. Basil Slimak, fell asleep in the Lord at home here after anextended battle with cancer on Saturday, August 9, 2008.

Born on September 24, 1938 in Detroit, MI, the daughter ofVincent and Ann Stop, she grew up in Detroit, where she was aparishioner of Holy Trinity Church, which her family helped build.She graduated from Girls Commerce High School.

A faithful member of Saint Nicholas Church, Mogadore, OH,she retired from the Ohio Industrial Commission in 2006. Sheand Father Basil celebrated their 46th wedding anniversary inJune 2008.

Matushka Patricia was a kind, thoughtful, and loving wife,mother, and grandmother, and a good friend to all who knew her.Mere words cannot capture her spirit, her grace, or her family’slove for her. She will be sorely missed by all.

She was predeceased by her parents and a sister, Penny. She issurvived by her husband and children Samuel [Bonnie] Slimak,Julie Diamond of Canton, and Nadine Slimak [Kevin Lollar] ofPine Island, FL; brothers Jerry [Marilyn] Stop of Kentucky andWally Stop of Texas; and four granddaughters.

His Eminence, Archbishop Job of Chicago and the Midwestpresided at funeral services at Saint Nicholas Church, Mogadore,OH, on August 12-13. Interment followed in Saint Nicholas Cem-etery.

May Matushka Patricia’s memory be eternal!

Official from 2granted retirement/ September 1, 2008.SCRATCH, Deacon Gregory, who was attached, is assigned to Annuncia-tion Cathedral, Ottawa, ON, Canada/ April 27, 2008.SEXTON, The Rev. Adam is appointed acting rector of St. John the BaptistChurch, Nanticoke, PA/ August 10, 2008.WEREMEDIC, The Rev. James is released from duties at Holy Annuncia-tion Church, Berwick, PA, and attached to St. Michael Church, Mount Carmel,PA/ July 28, 2008.WHEELER, Protodeacon Eric is released from duties at St. Andrew Church,Dix Hills, NY, and from the Diocese of Washington and New York, andattached to St. Sergius of Radonezh Chapel, Oyster Bay Cove, NY/ August18, 2008.

LEAVES OF ABSENCEMIRONKO, The V. Rev. Arkadiusz is granted a one-year leave of ab-sence, effective August 18, 2008. He is attached to SS. Peter and PaulChurch, Bayonne, NJ.

RETIREDPANCHAK, The V. Rev. Theodore is granted retirement. He is attached toSt. Anne Mission, Knoxville/Oak Ridge, TN/ September 1, 2008.SASU, The V. Rev. Dumitru Viorel is granted retirement/ September 1,2008. He is attached to Holy Trinity Church, Miramar, FL/ September 2,2008.

SUSPENDED[NAJERA-FUENTES], Priestmonk Ephraim, who was Rector of Trans-figuration Chapel, Dallas, TX, is suspended/ August 1, 2008.

18 VOLUME 44 4

OCANewsNotesNoticesFALL 2008 19

Prayers for terrorism victims offered atOCA’s Moscow representation church

Children of war-torn Georgia, MW flood victims, to receive stockingsor the 15th consecutive year, theF Orthodox Church in America’s

Christmas Stocking Project willagain brighten the holidays for chil-dren in many regions of the worldwho have suffered due to circum-stances beyond their control.

“Children in war-torn Georgia andchildren whose families are recover-ing from the devastating early sum-mer floods in the US Midwest willreceive stockings,” says Mrs. ArleneKallaur, project director. “Stockingswill also be sent to children in east-ern Europe and Mexico, especially or-phans, children of needy and disabledfamilies, and children in pediatrichospitals and clinics.

“In 2007, thanks to the many parish fundraisers undertakenby our youth and the generosity of hundred of donors, 10,500stockings or equivalent gifts were distributed,” Mrs. Kallauradds. “The thank you letters and photos that come in expressgreat appreciation for our efforts. Their words are humbling

ike many parishes, the OrthodoxL Church in America’s RepresentationChurch of the Great Martyr Catherine incentral Moscow annually remembers thevictims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks inprayer. Given the parish’s unique circum-stances, however, the commemoration al-ways takes on a special international fla-vor, under the guidance of ArchimandriteZacchaeus, dean and OCA representativeto the Russian Orthodox Church.

This year, Mr. John Beyrle, Plenipoten-tiary and Ambassador of the United Statesof America to the Russian Federation, spokeat services marking the seventh anniver-sary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Sep-tember 11, 2008.

“Today we remember the nearly 3,000innocent victims of the terrorist attacks onthe United States on September 11, 2001,”Ambassador Beyrle said. “And as we doso, we remember thousands of others wholost their lives through acts of terror aroundthe world: the innocent children of Beslan,the mothers and fathers in the DubrovkaTheater, and other innocent lives cut short

Ambassador Beyrle – far right – at 9/11 memorial at St. Catherine’s.

in London, Madrid, Bali, Nairobi, and agrowing list of other cities across the world.All of them, like the victims of September11, were killed by fanatics who were ruledby hatred and intolerance.

“The children of America and the chil-

dren of Russia deserve a world where thereis hope rather than fear, and tolerance ratherthan hatred,” he concluded. “Let us reflecton the value of life, here in this house ofGod, and rededicate ourselves to work to-gether to build a world in which there is noplace for terror, fear and hatred.”

In addition to Ambassador Beyrle, sev-eral representatives of Russian state agen-cies attended the service.

and affirm each year the value in con-tinuing the project.”

Workers at Freeport, NY’s Associa-tion for the Help of Retarded Chil-dren Vocational Training Center willagain assemble the stockings, saysMrs. Kallaur, adding that the cost ofeach stocking or equivalent gift is amere $5.00.

“Once again, Church schools, FOCAchapters, and youth groups are invitedto fire up their skillets or ovens andtreat their parishes to some tastyfundraising efforts or other creativeventures for this year’s project,” saysMrs. Kallaur. “Parish and individualdonations are also very important.Every gift, large or small, will con-

vey a message of love and delight to those who have little.”Checks made payable to the Orthodox Church in America

may be sent to the OCA Christmas Stocking Project, c/o ArleneKallaur, PO Box 675, Syosset, NY 11791. Donations will begratefully accepted through the end of the year.

‘Tis the season. 2007 stockingrecipients enjoy their gifts.

Chancellor from 16

The Cross and the Councilprofound insight which is “taken up by the apostles, that Christwent voluntarily to the Cross, as innocent as a lamb, and that inthis way He has taken upon himself all of our iniquities, our sins,our evil, making intercession for the transgressors” [The Mysteryof Christ by Fr. John Behr].

Our collective life as brothers and sisters and friends of Christis bound by the mystery of the Holy Cross. This is made accessiblein visible form through the Holy Eucharist, which is intrinsicallyconnected to the Cross. If the meaning and power of the Cross/Eucharist is no longer a real presence in our minds and souls, welose balance, we stumble, fall, and often end up in serious trouble.That happens to us individually, and it happens to peoplecollectively. It can happen to one person, to a family, to a group,even to an entire segment of population within certain boundariesor as members of an institution. Where it cannot happen is withinthe Church, within a community where the faithful gather toproclaim, “Before Thy Cross, we bow down in worship, O Master,and Thy holy Resurrection, we glorify.” Whenever we are able tohonestly accept that the Cross of Christ is also the means and endof our existence, we partake of the Paschal grace of redemption.Without the Cross, we flounder, partake of misery, and eventuallydie. With the Cross, we rise, become communicants of grace andlive forever.

We all have different crosses to bear, depending on a varietyof circumstances – age, profession, job situation, family situation,health, etc. But we also share in the same Cross. We are allmembers of the one Body, the one Church, and all of us gatheraround the one holy table of the Mystical Supper. We also alladore the one Cross of Christ and in this way, bear the commoncross of communal life in the Church. That cross is you and I, andall faithful brothers and sisters put together. That is, we are eachother’s cross! Whether we stand side by side in communal worship,or are engaged in personal devotion, we inevitably reside withina group of people, whom we accept and are commanded to love.

Love for each other cannot be accomplished unless we acceptthe task like a cross. Are you unhappy and disappointed with thepeople with whom you must live? Accept it like a cross. Does itbother you that not everyone thinks and feels like you do? Acceptit like a cross. Are you upset that God does not answer yourprayers but others, less deserving, are happy and content? Acceptit like a cross. Does it anger you that some people areirresponsible? Accept it like a cross. Are you dissatisfied becausepeople do not listen to what you have to say? Accept it like across. Are you worried that you are not appreciated for yourtalents? Accept it like a cross. Do you feel that your hard workand efforts are for naught? Accept it like a cross.

The tragic events in the life of the Orthodox Church in Americaover the past several years have certainly been very divisive.Clergy and people have confronted and debated each other. Long-time friends find themselves on opposite sides of issues. Theseunfortunate circumstances have also made it necessary for us todeal with each other more directly. Paradoxically, we have becomea closer and more intimate Church. It may be that we disagree, butwe are compelled to take each other seriously. As members of oneChurch, we also are required to accept the fact that even brothersand sisters can have differences that do not destroy their kinship.

20 VOLUME 44 4

The cross that we have to bear is the recognition that we mustaccept each other as equal children of God, who may have seriousdisagreements but who, in the long run, will hopefully all find aroom in the “Father’s house” [John 14.2].

To be sure, we have a long way to go, even if comprehensivesteps have been taken to correct past wrongs. More questions willarise, more answers and more solutions will be required.Perfection, however, will be elusive. This is not because we donot want perfection, but because we think that we can achieve itby our wits and wills. When Our Lord told His disciples to “beperfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” He was speaking inthe context of loving and praying for our enemies [Matthew 5.48].In other words, He was speaking about self-denial, overcomingthe ego to the point that one’s enemies become like kin. Thisagain points to the Cross. The Cross, that unusual symbol that isa “stumbling block” and “folly” for so many, is the only realmeans of perfection. This is because only the Cross leads to theResurrection and beyond, to the Kingdom of God. The martyredGerman pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it this way: “The peculiarfeature of Christian life is precisely this Cross, a Cross enablingChristians to be beyond the world... thereby granting them victoryover the world. Suffering encountered in the love of the one whois crucified – that is the “extraordinary” in Christian existence.”

Our Lord Himself prayed for deliverance from the Cross. Yet itbecame the ultimate revelation of God’s majesty! Our cross –yours, mine, and ours – is undesirable and yet it is, for us, the onlyway to recover sanity and stability. In the last issues of TheOrthodox Church, I wrote that this 15th All-American Councilbrings us to a crossroads in history. More precisely, it brings us tothe Cross. Resistance to accept the Cross is formidable, we needto overcome fear and flight, weeping and dread. But dawn willcome and with it the light of a glorious new day.

“Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of thisworld be cast out; and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, willdraw all men to myself” [John 12.30-32]. “In the world you shallhave tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”[John 16.33].

Episcopacy from 17

Archimandrite Jonahconsecration to the episcopacy.

Consecration ceremonies will begin on Friday evening,October 31, with the celebration of Great Vespers and the Rite ofElection. The consecration Liturgy will be celebrated the follow-ing morning. A reception will follow. Vigil will be celebratedthe same evening. On Sunday, the new bishop will celebratethe Liturgy at the cathedral, after which a reception honoringArchbishop Dmitri on the occasion of his 85th birthday will beheld.

LOG ON to www.oca.org/news/1650 for the 15thAll-American Council agenda as posted on andcurrent through September 22.

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Faith in Action

cluded an all-afternoon sports tournamentand evening campfire,” Valerie adds.

While some of the young men living atthe orphanage had assisted in the homebuilding program in the past, this year arecord number were able to participate inOBT.

“This not only provided OBT partici-pants with an opportunity to get to knowthe boys from the orphanage by workingalongside them each day at the work sites,but it enabled these young men to see first-hand the mission of Project Mexico in ac-tion,” Valerie says. “It also gave them thesame opportunity that it has given count-less Project Mexico volunteers over the past20 years: a chance to live out the Gospeland respond to Christ’s directive in Mat-thew 25: ‘For I was hungry and you gaveMe food; I was thirsty and you gave Medrink; I was a stranger and you took Mein... Inasmuch as you did it to one of theleast of these My brethren, you did it toMe.’ The experience had a profound im-pact on these young men.”

“It was a great experience, and welearned how to build a house, not for ourbenefit, but for the benefit of other peoplethat needed us,” said Luis, a teen from theorphanage. “We met people from all overthe United States. We don’t always get thechance to speak Spanish with Americans,but every day as we worked, we were ableto converse in Spanish about the experi-ence with many of the volunteers.”

Father Michael Nasser, full-time priestat Saint Innocent Orphanage and Chapel,was also deeply moved. “What a miracle –what a set of miracles – dozens of Ortho-dox youth giving of their summer vaca-tion to serve the poor, people from our vari-ous Orthodox jurisdictions who might haveotherwise never met, working together insuch a great act of mercy!”

Father Michael was delighted to seehow seven families who “went from hav-ing no homes to having keys handed tothem seven days later. And most impactfulfor me was seeing our boys at the orphan-age passing on the love they have receivedto others in need. It was a fantastic week!”

Robert Kindell, a member of SaintStephen the First Martyr Church [OCA],Longwood/Orlando, FL, was equally en-thusiastic about his experience. “Missionwork at our parish is now like the phoenix.It has, because of the Holy Spirit, risen upfrom this and other past trips, but with anew and refreshing passion to do God’s willand work!”

Project Mexico plans to continue of-fering Orthodox Basic Training as an op-tion for summer mission teams and hopesto expand the program over the next sev-eral years.

uring the week of July 22, 2008,180 volunteers from 15 states andD 25 parishes built houses for seven

impoverished Mexican families as a partof Project Mexico’s Orthodox Basic Train-ing [OBT] program.

“OBT is part of Project Mexico’s homebuilding ministry, now in its 20th year,”explains Stephanie Yova, whose husbandGregory founded Project Mexico 20 yearsago. “A more rustic and more spirituallyrigorous experience than the usual homebuilding program, OBT participantscamped in tents, took cold-water bucketshowers, and ate meals and prayed togetherin huge mess tents on the Saint InnocentOrphanage property.”

Mornings provided time for meditationand journaling, while several speakers, in-cluding the Revs. Michael Nasser, JohnBraun, and Luke Veronis and Archiman-drite Joseph [Morris] offered evening talkson a variety of subjects.

“Sunday was a day for worship, fun andfellowship, if not necessarily rest, and in-

Building faith, one house at a timeVolunteers from across the US join young men ofSt. Innocent Orphanage in helping Mexico’s poor

In this section21 Faith in Action

22 Books & Resources

23 Campus Ministry

24 Christian Education

26 Liturgy & Life

Boys from St. InnocentOrphanage worked alongsidevolunteers from 25 US parishes

to build seven homes.

FOR MORE INFO on ProjectMexico and opportunities toserve others, visit www.projectmexico.org.

I N D E P T H

Books & Resources

Fascinating readsNew books explore largely unexplored themes

22 VOLUME 44 4

Conflict-ing Land-s c a p e s :A m e r i c a nSchooling,Alaska Na-tives offers afascinating lookat the history ofAlaskan educa-tion, startingwith Saint Her-man and continuing with Saints InnocentVeniaminov and Jacob Netsvetov. AuthorsClifton Bates and the Very Rev. MichaelOleksa provide a wealth of information onOrthodox Christian missionary-teachers, sooften overlooked by historians, and someof the Orthodox school system’s remark-able alumni. The authors contrast the Or-thodox schools with the dismal, destruc-tive system introduced by Dr. Sheldon Jack-son, which suppressed native languagesand cultures as inherently pagan and evil. The book highlights the heroic educa-tional efforts of Orthodox Christian saintsand their disciples and their respectful ap-proach to indigenous peoples. For 50 yearsafter Alaska’s transfer to American rule, theOrthodox mission provided free educationto more native Alaskans than the US fed-eral government schools, which introducedconfusion, frustration, anxiety, and lateranger, bitterness, and guilt into entire com-munities, providing the matrix for the anti-social and self-destructive behaviors nowafflicting Alaska natives and native Ameri-cans. The Orthodox approach historicallysucceeded, indicating that a return to itsmethods and philosophy may reverse thedestructive trends of the last 100 years. Order from the Kuskokwim Corpora-tion, 4300 B Street, Anchorage, AK99503; 907/243-2944 for $19.15 plus$4.00 shipping.

Surprised By Christ: My Jour-ney From Judaism To OrthodoxChristianity, is a first, inasmuch as ittraces the spiritual journey of its author,

Father A. JamesBernstein – apriest of theAntiochian Or-thodox Archdio-cese of NorthAmerica – fromJudaism to Ortho-dox Christianity.Raised by for-merly OrthodoxJewish parents,

Arnold Bernstein went on a quest for theGod he instinctively felt was there. Butperceiving discrepancies in the variousforms of Protestant belief that surroundedhim, he ultimately concluded that the faithof his forefathers was brought to comple-tion in the Orthodox Christian Church.

Order from www.conciliarpress.com.

R u s s i a nOr thodoxyResurgent:Faith andPower in theNew Russia,is the first book tofully explore theexpansive andi l l -understoodrole that Russia’sancient Christianfaith has played in the fall of communismand in the rise of Russian nationalism to-day. John and Carol Garrard relate howthe Church’s moral weight helped defeatthe 1991 coup against Gorbachevlaunched by communist party hardliners.The Soviet Union disintegrated, leavingRussians searching for a usable past. Published by Princeton University Press,the book offers a perspective of the Rus-sian Orthodox Church’s spectacular rebirthand the role played by Patriarch Aleksy inplanting the Church and its teachings onceagain into the hearts of the Russian People. Order on-line from http://press.princeton, edu/titles/8817.html.

Royal Mo-nastic: Prin-cess Ileanaof Romania,The Story ofMother Al-exandra, byBev Cooke isthe first fulllength biogra-phy of MotherAlexandra, bestknown to readers of The Orthodox Churchfor founding the Monastery of the Trans-figuration in Ellwood City, PA, as NorthAmerica’s first English speaking women’smonastery for all American women, regard-less of jurisdiction.

Princess Ileana’s royal birth to KingFerdinand and Queen Marie was an-nounced by a 21-gun salute, and MotherAlexandra was laid to rest by the repeatedsinging of the Trisagion and the tolling ofthe bells of the monastery which shefounded. In between, her life includedliving through two world wars and thecommunist takeover of her country, mar-rying an archduke and bearing six chil-dren, being exiled from her country, a di-vorce, and relocation to Boston. After rais-ing her children, she fulfilled a long-stand-ing wish and became a nun in Bussy,France. She discerned that the Lord wantedher to start a monastery in America, whichshe faithfully carried out. At her repose in1991, she was buried in the monastery cem-etery.

In the book’s epilogue, the current nunsat her monastery write, “She acquired adeep compassion for human frailty and aboundless trust in the mercy of God.... Wethank God for the extraordinary exampleshe has set for us by the way she lived a lifefull of heartbreaks, illnesses, and trials, aswell as the presence and joy of her Lord.”

Mother Abbess Christophora writesabout the new book, “Royal Monastic is acomprehensive and enjoyable read for anyage.... Readers will learn to appreciate thewoman who lived on three continents dur-ing the most troubled time in modern his-tory.”

Order from Transfiguration Monas-tery Bookstore by calling 724/758-4002or on-line from www.conciliarpress.com.

Campus Ministry

A home away from homeSix simple rules for reaching out to college students

FALL 2008 23

Andrew Boyd

hether reaching out to Orthodoxcollege students through a formalW campus organization, such as Or-

thodox Christian Fellowship, or as part-and-parcel of a parish’s program, there aresix simple rules that should be observedby everyone engaging in campus ministry.

1. Don’t guilt trip. If we expectyoung adults to come to church and par-ticipate in liturgical life, we must be gentlein our approach. Guilt-tripping, bribing,and complaining are not useful techniques.By the time college rolls around, our youthshould be making decisions for themselves.It’s a time for them to decide on their ownwhether they want a life in the Church ornot. There are some things we can do tohelp them with this decision.

For youth from your parish that are go-ing off to college, research the local par-ishes, and contact the national OCF officeto see if there is a local chapter. Whenhonoring your high school graduates,present them with information on parishes

near their schools and on local OCF chap-ters where they exist. Also ask if the stu-dents would mind if you contacted the lo-cal parishes and OCF chapter on their be-half. When students from your parish re-turn during winter or spring break, gentlyask them if they have found a parish neartheir school. Again, it is important to betemperate when approaching them, and notto seem over-bearing or angry. Youth needto make the faith their own, and shouldn’tfeel coerced or pushed into it.

If you have local college students whoattending your parish, make it known thatthey are always welcome, and let them knowthat they are missed when they are not there.Don’t make them feel guilty if they’re not

there every Sunday. And don’t pressurethem to attend services and events; simplyextend an invitation, and understand ifthey cannot participate in everything onthe weekly schedule.

2. Don’t judge. It’s not our job.Be ready and willing to accept whoevercomes through our parishes’ doors. If col-lege students visit, be ready to accept them,regardless of stereotypes or personal ap-pearance. It’s the priests’ ministry to pro-vide spiritual guidance and correction. Ouropinions should only be offered if asked.Condemning people because his or her eye-brow is pierced may not be an effectivemodel of Church growth, not to mentionthat it can be downright pharisaical.

3. Involve and incorporatethem. Youth are not the future of ourChurch, any more than 90-year-old parish-ioners are the Church’s past. Everyone isthe Church in the present.

Give young adults responsibilities inthe Church, a state stake in the parish orcampus group. Find out what they arestudying. Are those skills transferable tothe parish? Can the music major help withthe choir? Can the art major give presenta-tions on iconography? Could the educa-tion major help teach Sunday School? Youwon’t know unless you ask.

Giving college students responsibili-ties, even small ones, like reading theHours or Epistle, taking the collection, orhelping serve at the coffee hour, is a greatway to incorporate them and to encouragethem to attend regularly. It’s also a greatway for them to hone skills that will proveuseful both in future jobs and future parishlife.

4. Be yourself. There is a trend inyouth ministry to act youthful, to appearto be “in touch.” You don’t need to haveFacebook, or an encyclopedic knowledgeof pop culture, to talk to college students.By no means do you have to be “cool” tointeract with young adults. Just be your-self! Be kind and approachable. Clergydon’t need to undo their collars and sit inchairs backwards to talk to college stu-dents. In fact, such behavior can turn youngadults off precisely because it’s often seenfor what it is – artificial or disingenuous,forced and labored, rather than loving orgenuine. Attempting to “be cool” often

Campus Ministry to 24

CHECK OUT the countlessresources for parishes andOrthodox campus groups onthe OCF’s web site at www.ocf.org.

I N D E P T H

24 Making mosaics is a greatway to illustrate a lesson on thesaints, liturgical art, or the nature ofthe Church – just as a mosaic ismade up of countless different andunique pieces of glass or tile which,when each is in its proper place, forma unified whole, so too the Church ismade up of countless different andunique persons who form a unifiedwhole, the Body of Christ.

To make mosaics you’ll needphoto magazines, white chalk, aheavy black marker, scissors,glue sticks, and large black posteror foam board. Begin by sketch-ing the outline of an icon with chalk on the black poster or foam board [Figure1]. Ask everyone to cut out small pieces, no larger than a half-inch square,from magazine photos, and arrange the pieces in piles by color. Fill in thedifferent sections of theoutline by gluing thecolor pieces in place[Figure 2]. After all ofthe pieces are in place,outline the majorsections of the mosaicwith a heavy blackmarker and add facialdetails – eyes, nose,mouth, hair, etc.[Figure 3]. The finished icon[Figure 4] may beframed and displayed inthe church or parishhall, carried in proces-sions, or placed in aspecial place in theclassroom.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 4Figure 3

Campus Ministry from 23

A home away from homedraws attention to the age gap instead ofreinforcing the faith we have in common.

5. Remember them. Do you re-member parishioners who are away at col-lege in your prayers? I can’t tell you howmany times a parish or an individual hastouched me personally by just a simple ges-ture. Both my home parish and the parishI now attend at school e-mailed me the bul-letin every week.

A simple effort to send your college stu-dents gift-packages or cards at school is agreat way to keep connected to them. Arethere local college students at your par-ish? Make them “survival kits” for finalsand mid-terms. The parish I attended atschool always makes an effort to pray forall the college students by name duringexam time. In addition, the priest was al-ways diligent in keeping contact with thestudents during the week.

College can be a lonely and isolatedplace and time, so let your students knowthat you are thinking of – and praying for– them.

6. Think service. It’s an oddlyamazing thing, but community service –outreach to the poor and needy – has be-come somewhat trendy in college commu-nities. Membership in social justice orga-nizations has become popular in the cam-pus setting. Likewise, an OCF chapter is atits most active and energized when it isundertaking a community service project.Help your college students plan and orga-nize a service project. Something as simpleas a food pantry or soup kitchen is alwaysa good idea. A parish could also get themto help cook and serve a fundraising din-ner for a worthy cause – perhaps helpingother parishioners who have hit on hardtimes given the current economy. Capital-ize on the popularity of community ser-vice, and it’s importance in living an Or-thodox Christian life-style.

Andrew Boyd is a member of St.Alexis of Wilkes-Barre Church,Clinton, CT. During the summer of2008, he served as an intern for theOCA Department of Youth, YoungAdult, and Campus Ministry summerunder the guidance of Deacon JosephMatusiak, department director.

offer more than two.For example, students could choose to

express an idea by writing a story or anessay, composing a poem, fashioningsomething out of clay, or drawing or paint-ing. In the lessons written by members ofthe OCA Department of Christian Educa-tion posted at dce.oca.org, you’ll find awide variety of activities with suggestedchoices.

Don’t frustrate students by showingthem a flawless, adult-created sample of thecraft project. Many of them won’t be ableto replicate it, and they should not feel theyhave to – and keep in mind that artisticexcellence is not the goal of the craft projectin the first place. And, by the same token,free yourself from the stress of feeling thatevery student must create something wor-thy of display on the family fireplace man-tel. Crafts can be very simple, so long asthey have an element of learning.

Consider having older students learn astory (from the Bible, about a historicalevent, or telling the life of a saint) to teachto younger students, perhaps with pup-pets, the flannel board, repetitive gesturesand refrains, a song, a poem, or someother method. Then they can help theyounger students complete a related simplecraft.

Make allowances for the differenttypes of students you have. While your“visual learners” may be able to give pro-longed attention to a craft project, seatedat a table, others may have trouble sittingstill and will need to move around a bit.Let them stand at the table and be mobileas they complete the project. Still othersmay finish quickly, unwilling to give muchtime to the project. Have something elseready for them to do; it need not be any-thing complicated – perhaps they couldread a passage related to the topic the classis studying, or answer prepared questionsabout it.

Encourage all your students in thework they are doing. Even those who areless skilled at a particular project will ben-efit from your interest. And next time, witha different kind of craft, the student whoseemed unenthusiastic may be the one whoshines!

Valerie Zahirsky is co-chairpersonof the OCA Department of ChristianEducation.

Christian EducationFALL 2008 25

simple fishermen being revealed as “mostwise.” Again, we might go in a differentdirection by looking at the icon, which canreinforce older students’ understandingthat Jesus Christ is co-Creator of everythingin the universe with His Father and the HolySpirit. This could lead to a craft based onthe Praises, which we sing during Matinsand which include so many of the elementsof God’s creation.

Similarly, there are many crafts basedon Jesus’ life with Mary, the Theotokos,and Joseph. We can take these kinds ofactivities further by presenting Joachimand Anna, whose names our studentshear often in the liturgical services. Forexample, there is a beautiful icon showingthem as a loving couple, and seeing thisdepiction helps students understand thatMary was the daughter of two people wholoved each other, rather than the almostother-worldly creature she might otherwiseseem to be. A craft activity involving writ-ing or creating another kind of “thank you”to people who love us would follow nicelyfrom this.

These are just a few of the numerousexamples of crafts that will add to a lessonrather than merely filling time.

Keeping differences in mind.Students will vary in their enthusiasm forany given craft project, just as they vary intheir abilities, attention spans, and inter-ests. Here are some tips for “meeting” ourstudents where they are.

Whenever possible, offer choices – inmaterials, format, colors, etc. With youngerchildren, just two choices are usuallyenough. But with older students, you might

Valerie Zahirsky

ome Church school teachers dismisscraft activities as being merely “busyS work.” Others feel uncomfortable

with crafts because they “just aren’t goodat that artsy, hands-on stuff,” as one teacherput it. And there are a still a few teacherswho genuinely believe that if it can’t bememorized, it isn’t worth learning!

While it’s true that some crafts don’tqualify as much more than time-fillers, anddo little to enhance a lesson, consideringthe limited number of hours we have toteach our students, we need to be especiallycareful to avoid these. We always need toask: Will the time spent on a craft be worth-while for the students? Will they learnsomething, or experience something, in away they’re likely to remember? If the an-swer is no, the craft isn’t worth doing.(Teachers who aren’t sure whether a craftidea is worth the time might consult a moreexperienced teacher, especially one whoteaches or has taught students in the sameage group.)

Crafts can enhance lessons.Many crafts really can deepen students’learning experiences – especially becauseour Orthodox faith is so rich that it offersus several directions in which a craft activ-ity might go.

For example, craft books frequently of-fer ideas for activities that involve fish,based on Christ’s invitation to His disciplesto become “fishers of men.” With youngerstudents, we can take such an activity fur-ther by teaching the troparion for thefeast of Pentecost. Or we can take it in aslightly different direction by looking withstudents at the icon of Christ blessing thesea and its creatures, and perhaps havingstudents create sea creatures out of clay orsome other material. This will help implantin younger children the comforting reas-surance that Jesus loves everyone and ev-erything.

With older students, we can discuss inmore depth the words of the Pentecosttroparion, which present the paradox of the

Be not afraid to get creative!“Artsy, hands-on stuff” to perk up any lesson

DISCOVER a wealth ofeducational resources,creative ideas, and study unitsfor all ages on the OCA’sDepartment of ChristianEducation web site athttp://dce.oca.org.

I N D E P T H

Liturgy & Life

Liturgy, for example, some litanies use atriple “Lord, have mercy” as a response toeach petition, while others use the simpleprayer “Grant it, O Lord.” Despite thesedifferences, there is a common element toall litanies that is difficult to ignore: all ofthem take the form of a dialogue betweenthe clergy, who preside at our divine ser-vices, and the people, who can be thoughtof as co-celebrants.

As in any good and healthy conversa-tion, a few things are necessary. Foremost,there must be at least two parties; one can-not engage in dialogue by oneself. Lita-nies are a liturgical dialogue between theclergy and the people. In order for this in-teraction to work appropriately, this con-versation must consist not only of the priestor deacon chanting petitions, but of thepeople responding. In fact, a large portionof the Divine Liturgy involves dialoguebetween the celebrating clergy and thepeople who have gathered in worship. Prob-ably the most poignant example of such adialogue is the anaphora. The content ofthese prayers implies and rests upon thevery fact that the congregation is presentand that it actively participates, prayingeach petition as a single body. Thecelebrant exclaims, “Let us lift up ourhearts to the Lord,” and thecongregants respond, “We lift themup to the Lord.” Then, continuing thedialogue, the celebrant intones, “Let usgive thanks unto the Lord.” The peoplereply with an emphatic yes – “It is meetand right!”

So, from the Great Litany at the begin-ning of the Divine Liturgy to

the very end, when thepriest says “Glory to

Thee, O

Christ our God and our Hope, glory toThee!” we have many different streams ofdialogue between the clergy and people,each affording us an opportunity to unifyas a community, as the Body of Christ.

The Psalter is sometimes called “theprayer book of the Church.” At the begin-ning of the typical Sunday Divine Liturgy,immediately after the Great Litany, we singthese words from the 103rd Psalm: “Blessthe Lord, O my soul! Blessed art Thou, OLord.” These are the words of the firstphrase of what is essentially a long liturgi-cal poem, which we refer to as the FirstAntiphon. These liturgical poems – orpsalmody – played an integral part in Chris-tian worship as early as the first century.Psalmody (or psalm inspired) texts arefound throughout the entire Divine Lit-urgy. Even the simple prayer, “Lord, havemercy,” is most likely derived frompsalmody (quite possibly inspired byPsalm 136). With the use of psalmody atliturgical gatherings so deeply imbeddedin the conscience of Christian worshipers,it is not surprising to see Psalm 103 at thevery beginning of the Divine Liturgy.

So, if psalmody is so important to andprevalent in worship, why do we call Psalm103 the First Antiphon? The word “anti-phon” refers to a unique style of liturgicalsinging involving two choirs, each led by

a cantor or psalmreader. In addi-tion to this, eachchoir has itsown refrainthat it sings inresponse tothe cantor.Each cantorwith its choir

takes itsLiturgy

to 28

Gregory Ealy

n the liturgical life of the Church, thedeacon plays an important role in-I structing both the priest and people

when and how things ought to be done. Atthe very beginning of the Divine Liturgy,after the priest announces “Blessed is theKingdom of Father and of the Son and ofthe Holy Spirit,” we immediately hear thedeacon instruct everyone present to prayto the Lord: “In peace, let us pray to theLord!” This instruction is the first of elevenprayers, or petitions, which the deacon in-tones.

Almost all of these petitions end withthe words, “let us pray to the Lord.” And,as we all know, the people respond with“Lord, have mercy!” This act of prayingthat the deacon instructs the entire congre-gation to do – clergy and laity alike – is avery important one. Everyone present atthe Liturgy had to prepare himself or her-self in some shape or form to come. Every-one had to wake up, get dressed, travel, andfinally enter the church building. In a way,we can think of the deacon as saying,“Okay, now that everyone has traveled fromnear and far and has made it to the church,let us begin doing what we are supposed todo at church: Let us pray to the Lord!”

On Sunday mornings we travel tochurch because we believe certain thingsabout Jesus Christ – that He is God andthat He died on a cross and rose from thedead, saving us all. We want to be part ofthis believing body of Orthodox Christians.These first petitions that the deacon an-nounces invites everyone present to bepart of this believing body of Christians.They enable us to respond with one voiceand become the One Church. And, byresponding to these petitions, we forma unique part of the Church throughthe act of prayer.

Prayerful dialogue. Lita-nies are an integral part of worship inthe Orthodox Church. They come inmany different forms and bear severaldifferent titles. During the Divine

A worshipping peopleGathered in worship, we become the Church

26 VOLUME 44 4

NorthAmericaIcons from Moscow’s TretyakovGallery on display Octoberthrough May 2009

or the first time, icons from Moscow’sTretyakov Gallery will be on displayF at the Museum of Russian Icons, 203

Union Street, Clinton, MA October 16,2008 through May 1, 2009.

Sixteen of the Tretyakov’s most pre-cious icons will be exhibited, together withover 150 of the museum’s permanent col-lection of 340 icons that date back to the14th century.

The exhibition, titled “Two Museums,One Culture,” marks the first time some ofthese Tretyakov masterpieces have ever leftMoscow. Those familiar with iconogra-phy will recognize many of the works fromany number of books on the subject.

The Museum of Russian Icons boaststhe largest collection of its kind in the US.Opened in October 2006, it celebrates itssecond anniversary with the opening of anexpanded facility and with this prestigiousinternational exhibition.

A full array of public programming ac-companies the exhibition, including regu-lar monthly shuttle service from Boston

Romanian unitydialogue continues

he Joint Dialogue Commission of theT Romanian Orthodox Episcopate ofAmerica [ROEA] and the Romanian Ortho-dox Archdiocese in the Americas [ROAA]met at Saint George Cathedral, Southfield,MI, August 12, 2008.

With the blessing of the hierarchs andas directed by their respective congresses,Commission members met to continue itswork on the proposal to establish a Roma-nian Orthodox Metropolitanate in NorthAmerica.

Commission members, following thedirection of the congresses, made furtherrefinements to the text of the proposal onunity. This, along with the findings of vari-ous working committees appointed by theROEA and ROAA hierarchs, will form thebasis for expanding discussion on the prac-tical aspects of unity.

Commission members also noted thatboth congresses took an historic step byapproving the proposal as a basis for con-tinued dialogue. Commission membersregretted the hasty pronouncements of vari-ous officials and the media immediatelyafter the congresses ended in early July2008, in which the congresses’ decisionswere misrepresented as final decisions onunity. ROEA and ROAA representativesacknowledged that a difficult road remainsahead in addressing the concerns, past andpresent, regarding unity, and that the pro-cess of discussion and possible union is inthe competence of the two eparchies alone.Recent speculation and public commen-tary by individuals outside the eparchies,noted Commission members, have onlycomplicated the delicate nature of this pro-cess and threatened its ultimate success,said Commission members, who called forpatience and discretion as the process takesits course.

Commission members emphasized thatthe healing of the decades-long divisionwithin North America’s Romanian Ortho-dox community should be seen as part ofthe greater task of Orthodox Christianunity, and asked that their continuing ef-forts be understood within this larger con-text.

The Commission will meet again afterdiscussing its work with ROEA and ROAAhierarchs.

FALL 2008 27

and Brookline, MA.For more information and a calendar

of museum events, please call 978/598.5000 or visit the museum’s web site atwww.museumofrussianicons.org.

The Transfiguration is one of16 icons from Moscow’s TretyakovGallery on display at the Museum ofRussian Icons through May 2009.

IOCC responds to needs of Ike victimss residents began returning to their damaged or destroyed homes in Texas,A facing warnings of secondary health crises due to the lack of water, power, and

running sewers, International Orthodox Christian Charities [IOCC] completed aninitial assessment from its emergency response network team.

IOCC delivered 20 pallets of hygiene kits and medical supplies to area hospitalsand shelters, along with its “Frontline” – a team of Orthodox clergy trained incritical incident stress management, a form of trauma counseling and evaluation,sent at the invitation of the American Red Cross.

In late September, IOCC issued an emergency appeal for its ongoing response tothe Gulf Coast hurricanes. Orthodox Christian faithful are urged to continue pro-viding emergency clean-up buckets and health kits for shipment to the Gulf Coast.For information on assembling the kits visit http://iocc.org/emergencykits.aspx.IOCC distributed 1,000 such kits in New Orleans and Baton Rouge immediatelyfollowing Hurricane Gustav.

Donations may be made by calling IOCC’s hotline toll-free at 877/803-4622, bymaking a gift on-line at www.iocc.org, or by mailing a check or money order toIOCC, PO Box 630225, Baltimore, MD 21263-0225.

28 VOLUME 44 4

Point/Counterpoint from 11

Restoring orderit was still up to the Holy Synod of Bishops, that was current atthe time, to decide whether or not a particular bishop remained asthe ruling hierarch of his diocese. The very fact that the finaldecision rested with the Holy Synod of Bishops is crucial, sincethe integrity of the local Church always rests on the integrity ofthe local Synod of Bishops, and in that case this integrity waspreserved.

It is also important for us to remember that the year 1917,when the Sobor started its work, was a time of great disturbance ofpolitical and social life of Russian people. There were manycases of direct or indirect influence of the political upheaval inRussia on the Synod of the Russian Church at that time. For someof the examples, one merely needs to read details of what tran-spired in Russia during the year 1917 and how all this affected theOrthodox Church there. Can we consider the decisions of theSynod that was acting in those circumstances as a precedent forus? I believe that the age, size, and the position of our OrthodoxChurch in America in relation to other Orthodox Churches in thisland make it unreasonable for us to use this as a precedent forguiding us out of our current problems.

So what can be done? Can all the members of the Synod re-sign and be replaced with new ones, or be reelected? I would say,theoretically, it is possible, but only if our Church were notautocephalous. If we depended on our Mother Church for ourhierarchs, then we could request that the hierarchs be replacedwith new ones that would be taught, consecrated, and supervisedby the Mother Church, where the tradition of hierarchical gover-nance of the Church has been preserved in the unbroken succes-sion from the apostolic times. But if we consider ourselves anautocephalous Church, we cannot do it. At the very momentwhen all our bishops resign, our Church will proclaim to the wholeOrthodox world that we could not hold to the gift of autocephalythat was given to us in 1970. We would admit to ourselves andeveryone else that we could not govern our Church in Americathrough the traditional Orthodox way of hierarchical leadership.And we will lose the apostolic succession and the right to becalled a canonical Church.

So the solution to our current problem, I believe, is not inreelecting all the ruling bishops quickly, before other Churchescould realize what has happened. Like everything in theChurch, the episcopal governance can only be properly main-tained when the previous generation of bishops teaches a newgeneration of bishops how to “rightly divide the word of Truth.”It is impossible to learn how to be an Orthodox Christian or howto serve services by just reading a book. I am sure that the sameapplies to the episcopate; it is impossible to learn how to be abishop unless one sees how previous generations of bishops ful-fill their work in the Church, even though they might have hadmany shortcomings.

Ultimately, the question that lies before us is: do we trust theTradition of the Church? Do we trust that the Church is a livingorganism, nourished by the Holy Spirit and living by laws differ-ent from the laws of the world? Do we have faith that the HolySpirit will be able to lead us out of this crisis without changingthe traditional way of Church governance? And lastly, do we

want our will to be done, or do we want the will of our Lord, Whois the Head of the Church, to be done in His Body?

I hope our Church will consider the implications of what willhappen if we will go down the path suggested by Dr. Meyendorff.I also hope that the members of our Orthodox Church in Americawill be able to see clearly what ways of dealing with the currentproblems are acceptable within the context of Orthodox Tradi-tion. I pray that we will be able to have a real and honest discus-sion on the questions of Church life that are so urgent today, butmost importantly, that our Holy Synod of Bishops will be able toeffectively lead us from the current time of great turmoil to a timeof peace in our Orthodox Church in America.

Dr. Paul Meyendorff is the Fr. Alexander SchmemannProfessor of Liturgical Theology at St. Vladimir’s Seminary,Crestwood, NY, while Fr. Victor Gorodenchuk is deanof St. Stephen Cathedral, Philadelphia, PA.

Liturgy from 26

A worshipping peopleturn, chanting first a verse, after which the entire choir chimes inwith its refrain. This is a common structure used for psalmody atliturgical worship and is referred to as antiphonal singing.

A unique quality in the structure of antiphonal singing is itsinclusiveness. Antiphonal singing does not allow passivity, noris it an entertaining element of worship. To not participate in itwould be like training months in advance for a race and thenarriving on the day of the race, prepared to run, only to decide atthe last second before the gun fires, “Oh, I’ll run the race at myown leisure. I don’t have to run with anyone else; I’ll get to thefinish line when I get there.” To get to the Liturgy, we had toprepare ourselves through prayer, fasting, and reflecting on life’spractical concerns. At the Divine Liturgy, we run the race andreach the finish line – communion with Jesus Christ in the King-dom of God. So, next time we hear, “Bless the Lord, O my soul!Blessed art Thou, O Lord!” let us all begin our liturgical racetogether, lifting up our voices to the Lord.

Gregory Ealy, a graduate of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, ischoirmaster at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Chicago, IL.

FOCA plans youth creative artsrally in Minneapolis May 2009

n conjunction with its annual national basketball tourna-I ment at Saint Mary Cathedral, Minneapolis, MN, May 8-10, 2009, the Fellowship of Orthodox Christians in America[FOCA] will host a creative arts rally for youth in grades sixthrough 12.

“The weekend will feature programs exposing youth tochoral and instrumental music, iconography and Church ar-chitecture, photography, and literature,” according to Dea-con Benjamin Tucci, cathedral youth director.

Further information and registration forms may be foundon the FOCA’s web site at www.orthodoxfellowship.org.

InterNationalFALL 2008

R U S S I A • G E O R G I A

Church groups back Russian,Georgian Orthodox peace appealsSophia Kishkovsky

he patriarchs of the Russian andGeorgian Orthodox Churches haveT issued calls for peace as military con-

flict between Russia and Georgia over thepro-Russian separatist enclaves of SouthOssetia and Abkhazia escalated into thefirst war between countries with OrthodoxChristian majorities in modern history.

“Today blood is being shed and peopleare perishing in South Ossetia, and my heartdeeply grieves over it. Orthodox Chris-tians are among those who have raised theirhands against each other. Orthodoxpeoples called by the Lord to live in frater-nity and love are in conflict,” Russian Or-thodox Patriarch Aleksy II said in a state-ment on patriarchia.ru, his official web site.

The Georgian authorities were reportedas saying on August 12 that Russian troopswere continuing to attack the town of Gori,

although Russian President Dmitry Med-vedev earlier in the day said he had or-dered troops to stop military operations inGeorgia. Russia has denied attacking thetown and has denied any incursions out-side the disputed region of South Ossetia.

The web site of the Georgian Ortho-dox Church, patriarchate.ge, reports thatin a sermon on August 10, Patriarch Ilia IIcalled for prayers to end the conflict.

Backing for the patriarchs’ appealscame from two international church group-ings that said the United Nations must “en-sure the territorial integrity and politicalindependence of Georgia.”

In an August 12 joint statement, theWorld Council of Churches and theConference of European Churches warn-ed, “The use of force in the dispute overSouth Ossetia and Abkhazia has cost theprecious lives of civilians and soldiers,risks destabilizing a fragile region, and

reawakens deep fears there and far be-yond.”

In his statement, Patriarch Aleksycalled for negotiations that would “respectthe traditions, views and hopes of the Geor-gian and Ossetian peoples,” and said thatthe Russian Orthodox Church was readyto work with the Georgian OrthodoxChurch in a peace effort.

Georgian Patriarch Ilia said in his ser-mon, “God is with us and the Virgin Maryis protecting us but one thing concerns usvery deeply: that Orthodox Russians arebombing Orthodox Georgians.” He added,“Reinforce your prayer and God will saveGeorgia.”

Patriarch Ilia had earlier called on theGeorgian and South Ossetian authorities“to spare no effort to cease fire and solvedisputes peacefully.”

Georgia became Orthodox in the fourthcentury, more than 600 years before thebaptism of Rus in the Dnieper river in Kyivin 988. Russia annexed Georgia, whichwas seeking protection from Persia, in1801, and abolished the Georgian Patri-archate. It was reinstated after the Bolshe-vik revolution in 1917. Relations betweenthe Russian and Georgian Churches in re-cent years have been amicable.

Sophia Kishkovsky is a correspon-dent for Ecumenical News International/www.eni.ch.

International Orthodox Christian Charities, through its Tbilisi andMoscow offices and with the help of the Russian and Georgian OrthodoxChurches, supplied thousands in the war-torn region with emergency food andhygiene items.

CONSTANTINOPLE Ecumeni-cal Patriarch Bartholomew I willattend the 12th General Assemblyof Roman Catholicism’s Synod ofBishops in Rome in October 2008.In March, Pope Benedict XVIextended an invitation to the Patri-arch in light of the Vatican II deci-sion to welcome “fraternal delega-tions” to Synod assemblies.

UKRAINE The possibility of glo-rifying Father Gabriel Kostelnik, anearly 20th century confessor forOrthodox Christianity in westernUkraine during communist times, isbeing considered by the UkrainianOrthodox Church, said ArchbishopAugustine of Lviv and Galicia. TheLviv Diocese celebrated the 60thanniversary of Father Gabriel’s mur-der in mid-September. The study isexpected to last up to one year.

I N B R I E F

30 VOLUME 44 4

Classics from 6

Two types of loveall things. And it is remarkable that their truth is found only in the way theyare linked together. Love for man alone leads us into the blind alley of ananti-Christian humanism, out of which the only exit is, at times, the rejec-tion of the individual human being and love toward him in the name of allmankind. Love for God without love for man, however, is condemned:“You hypocrite, how can you love God Whom you have not seen, if youhate your brother whom you have seen” [1 John 4:20]. Their linkage is notsimply a combination of two great truths taken from two spiritual worlds.Their linkage is the union of two parts of a single whole.

These two commandments are two aspects of a single truth. Destroyeither one of them and you destroy truth as a whole. In fact, if you takeaway love for man then you destroy man (because by not loving him youreject him, you reduce him to non-being) and no longer have a path towardthe knowledge of God. God then becomes truly apophatic, having onlynegative attributes, and even these can be expressed only in the humanlanguage which you have rejected. He becomes inaccessible to your hu-man soul because, in rejecting man, you have also rejected humanity, youhave also rejected what is human in your own soul, though your humanitywas the image of God within you and your only way to see the Prototypeas well.

This is to say nothing of the fact that man taught you in his own humanlanguage, describing in human words God’s truth, nor of the fact that Godreveals himself through human concepts. By not loving, by not havingcontact with humanity we condemn ourselves to a kind of a deaf-muteblindness with respect to the divine as well. In this sense, not only did theLogos-Word-Son of God assume human nature to complete his work ofredemption and by this sanctified it once and for all, destining it for deifica-tion, but the Word of God, as the “Good News,” as the Gospel, as revela-tion and enlightenment likewise needed to become incarnate in the flesh ofinsignificant human words. For it is with words that people express theirfeelings, their doubts, their thoughts, their good deeds and their sins. Andin this way human speech, which is the symbol of man’s interior life, waslikewise sanctified and filled with grace – and through it the whole of man’sinner life.

On the other hand, one cannot truly love man without loving God. Asa matter of fact, what can we love in man if we do not discern God’s imagewithin him? Without that image, on what is such love based? It becomessome kind of peculiar, monstrous, towering egoism in which every “other”becomes only a particular facet of my own self. I love that in the otherwhich is compatible with me, which broadens me, which explains me —and at times simply entertains and charms me. If, however, this is not thecase, if indeed there is desire for a selfless but non-religious love towardman, then it will move inevitably from a specific person of flesh and bloodand turn toward the abstract man, toward humanity, even to the idea ofhumanity, and will almost always result in the sacrifice of the concreteindividual upon the altar of this abstract idea – the common good, an earthlyparadise, etc.

This essay originally appeared in In Communion, the journalof the Orthodox Peace Fellowship.

Mother Maria from 6by the Gestapo. Fr. Dimitri and Yuri both died at the prisoncamp in Dora. Mother Maria was incarcerated inRavensbrück, Germany where, on Holy Saturday 1945,she was taken to the gas chamber, having taken the placeof another who had been selected for death that day.

Mother Maria, Fr. Dmitri, Yuri, and Ilya Fondaminsky,were glorified by an act of the Holy Synod of the Ecu-menical Patriarchate at Paris’ St. Alexander NevskyCathedral in May 2004. Their feastday is July 20.

Report from 14

Executive summary of SIC reportthe OCA’s web site no later than September 5, 2008.

9. A report by the OCA’s external auditors to the HS and the MCregarding the adequacy of the newly established internal financial controlsand the release of the same on the OCA’s web site at the 15th AAC.

10. The establishment by the HS and MC of a committee to overseeand report on the progress of the SIC’s recommendations. This committeeshall consist of one hierarch chosen by the HS, the three OCA corporateofficers, and three MC members selected by the MC during their meetingof September 3-5, 2008.

11. The designation of the MC’s Ethics Committee as the OCA’sombudsman, a place for whistleblowers and others to bring concerns with-out fear of retribution, beginning at the joint session, September 3-5, 2008.

12. The establishment of a presentation by the OCA’s legal counsel tothe HS and MC concerning their fiduciary and other legal responsibilitiesas members of their respective bodies during the 15th AAC and annuallythereafter.

13. The MC’s selection of a committee during its September 3-5,2008 meeting to develop a comprehensive crisis management plan, devel-oping and adopting a policy of immediate action within the Church, and acommitment to provide effective communications with members of theChurch, while problems, issues, and crises are being addressed. The com-mittee will present a progress report to the HS and MC no later than theSpring 2009 HS and MC sessions.

Long-Term Recommendations

1. Beginning with calendar year 2008, annual external audits of allOCA bodies and institutions (including Stavropegial institutions) are to bemandated. Additionally, the financial records of the former Diocese ofNew York/New Jersey shall be audited. The results of these audits will bepresented to the HS and MC and published on the OCA’s web site within30 days of their presentation.

2. The establishment of qualifications for election as a member of theOCA’s Audit Committee during the 15th AAC.

3. The OCA’s Annual Audit Committee reports shall be presented tothe HS and MC and published on the OCA’s web site within 30 days oftheir presentation.

4. The publication of the OCA’s annual budget and monthly financialreports on the OCA’s web site, beginning October 1, 2008.

5. Implement changes to ensure the OCA’s web site is current withthe goal of its becoming a reliable source of Church information, and onewhich answers readers’ questions submitted to the OCA, beginning nolater than January 1, 2009.

6. The establishment at the 15th AAC of a long-term strategic plan-ning committee to review

(a) the relationship of the dioceses to the Central Church;(b) the appropriate division of responsibilities and funding between

the dioceses and the Central Church;(c) the separate and joint roles and responsibilities of the HS and MC

in the governance of the Church;(d) the role, functions, structure, and funding of the Central Church

Administration and its geographic location; and(e) the development, documentation, and implementation of sound

business policies, procedures, processes, and practices. The committeewill conduct a comprehensive review of The Statute of the Orthodox Churchin America and all HS, MC, and Chancery policies to ensure account-ability, openness, and communication to the Church-at-large. The commit-tee will report to the HS and MC during their Spring and Fall sessions,beginning no later than the Spring 2009 sessions, and semi-annually there-after.

Send photos and news to TOC Communities,One Wheaton Center 912, Wheaton, IL 60187 orto info@oca.org.

31

Communities

KY Bluegrass mission completesland campaignNICHOLASVILLE, KY – Capping off a two year campaign,St. Athanasius Parish – the first OCA mission in Kentucky– sprinted toward the finish in August, completing its$100,000.00 campaign six months earlier than expected. “We realized at Pascha that, if we pushed ourselves, wecould pay our land off by the Feast of Transfiguration,” Fr.Justin Patterson noted. “We decided as a community toaccept the challenge to pay off our 17 acres of hilltop land.” In the three months between Pascha and Transfigura-tion, St. Athanasius communicated not only with membersof the parish, but also with friends who have shown supportover the six years of the mission’s history. “The parish needed to raise the over $40,000.00 tocomplete the campaign,” Fr. Justin added. “The resultswere amazing. Support came from within the parish, fromfriends of the parish, and from the Appalachian Deanery ofthe Diocese of the South.” Over half the money raised in this last phase of the cam-paign came from a deanery matching grant, Fr. Justin said. On the eve of the Great Feast of the Transfiguration, theparish’s faithful celebrated Vigil on the land, starting a newphase in the life of the mission. “We will now undertake the task of transitioning from aland campaign to a building campaign as we begin theprocess of selecting an architect for both the temple andthe 17 acre-campus,” Fr. Justin said.

Fr. Justin Patterson and St. Athanasius memberscelebrate Transfiguration Vigil on their new 17-acre site.

Diocesan grant makes liturgicalarts workshop possibleMILWAUKEE, WI – A grant from the Diocese of theMidwest’s Parish Health Ministry made it possible for youthaged 11 to 17 at SS. Cyril and Methodius parish here tolearn more about liturgical singing and iconography. “The workshop challenged the youth to become moredeeply involved in the Church’s worship while opening topursue liturgical vocations,” said Fr. Thomas Mueller, rector.“Skilled instructors equipped the participants to learn tosing, direct, chant, and paint icons. “An improvement in singing and directing at Liturgy wasimmediately apparent,” Fr. Thomas added. “The workshopcreated a real esprit de corps among the young singers –and budding iconographers!”

Illinois scout receives awardsMADISON, IL – David Lecko, son of Peter and PatriciaLecko and a member of the Nativity of the Virgin MaryChurch here, recently received the Alpha-Omega Orthodoxscouting award. Fr. Thomas Succarotte, rector, presentedthe award in the presence of David’s grandfather, Fr.Vladimir Lecko, and other clergy who mentored him. David also received an Eagle Scout award and the EagleBronze Palm. A 2008 graduate of Melville High School, St. Louis, MO,David is active in the life of his parish as an altar server,

reader, and member of the folk dance group. He alsoserved as president of the parish’s Junior O Club.

Scout David Lecko with Frs. Succarotte, Lecko,Kuzara and Herbel, who served as his mentors.

Budding iconographers learn the finer points ofpainting the Icon of Christ Not Made By Hands duringliturgical arts workshop.

Communities32

“The Joy of Canada”

Pilgrimage marks Canadianmonastery’s 35th anniversaryDEWDNEY, BC, CANADA – Hundreds of faithful participatedin the 35th anniversary pilgrimage to All Saints of NorthAmerica Monastery here in August. Presiding for the first time at the pilgrimage Divine Liturgywas Archbishop Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada, who wasassisted by ArchbishopLazar and Bishop Var-laam, who reside at themonastery. Area dignitaries,including Mayor JamesAtebbe of Mission, BC,also participated andoffered congratulationsto the monastery broth-erhood for their manyyears of service to theglory of God. The pilgrimagecoincided with the feastof the icon of the Theo-tokos, “The Joy ofCanada,” which ishoused at the monas-tery.

Girl scout builds playgroundfor Texas parishPHARR, TX – When Joanna Schiefelbein reflected on whattype of project she wanted to undertake in pursuit of a GirlScout Gold Award, she thought big – real big! As a result,a new playground graces the grounds of St. George Churchas a testimony to her vision. “With the help of family and friends, Joanna undertookthe project, which took an estimated 150 people hours tocomplete,” said Fr. Antonio Perdomo, rector. “This play-ground is being used by children whose families rely on ourchurch’s food pantry, parish children and visitors, andchildren whose parents attend various meetings and eventsheld at St. George’s.” The bulk of the project’s funding was made possiblethrough a $1,600.00 grant from the McAllen Junior League,with additional donations provided by the Home Depot Corp.and private sponsors.

Fr. Antonio Perdomo with Joanna Schiefelbein,who received $1,600 grant to build a new playground atSt. George Church, Pharr, TX.