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| February 16, 2012
In January, a 10' x 8' icon of the Ascension of the Lord was installed at Saint Anthony Church. This completes the set of icons - Scenes from the Life of Christ - adorning the upper walls of the nave. Additionally, icons of the Soldier Saints George and Demetrius were hung to begin the beautification of the lower wall panels. In 2008, the Pantocrator and Platytera icons were hung on the ceiling. The iconographer is Cveta Marinova of Sofia, Bulgaria, who is completing the work of her first husband, +George Goutsev, who fell asleep in the Lord in May 2011. The icons are executed in the traditional Byzantine style as found in the ancient churches in the Balkans.
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| January 15, 2012
Please see this article about this wonderful ministry being done at St Athanasius in Nicholasville, KY.
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| January 11, 2010
Fr Ernesto and Mat Marta Rios, and Fr. Antonio Perdomo attend the celelbration of 40 years of ministry with the Diocese of Mexico (see OCA article here). They attended in honor of and upholding Vladika Dmitri's long tradition of being in Mexico for the blessing of the waters and a pastoral visit during the Theophany season. A photo gallery of Sunday’s celebration may be found here, and an archival photo gallery may be found here. Visit the diocese’s web site at http://ocamexico.org. Additional background information on the Diocese of Mexico may be found here and here.
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| January 10, 2012
Local Dallas and Ft. Worth Orthodox Christian Churches are pleased to announce an area first: the convocation of a Regional Orthodox Conference on Missions & Evangelism, Friday evening, January 20, and Saturday, January 21. The overall theme for the Conference will be: Communicating the Good News of Jesus Christ. It will examine how the Church of the past evangelized the world, and how ancient models of evangelism are employed in the 21st century. The Friday session will be held 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm at St. Barbara Orthodox Church in southwest Ft. Worth. Saturday events will take place from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Dallas. More information may be obtained at the Churches' respective websites: saintbarbarafw.org and holytrinity.info, and by calling (817) 294-0325 and (972) 991-1166. Conference admission is free, but seating is limited. Online registration is strongly encouraged by Wednesday, January 18 at ntom.org. Refreshments will be offered, but no child care will be provided. Attendees may take part in all, or part, of the weekend's activities. Jointly sponsored by the Department of Missions and Evangelism of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese and the NTOM (North Texas Orthodox Missions), the Conference will include noted authors, pastors and evangelists: Fr. Peter Gillquist, Fr. Joseph Huneycutt, and Fr. Evan Armatas. Fr. Peter Gillquist is known to many for his powerful, inspirational, yet down to earth style of preaching. He is the author of several books including: Love is Now; The Physical Side of Being Spiritual; Designed for Holiness; Becoming Orthodox, and he was the Project Director for the Orthodox Study Bible. No stranger to the area, Fr. Peter did graduate studies at Dallas Theological Seminary, as well as at Wheaton College Graduate School. Gillquist, a highly sought after speaker, was a friend of the late Archbishop Dmitri (Royster) of Dallas, a local missionary and beloved pastor to whom this Conference is dedicated. Fr. Joseph Huneycutt brings, as well, an accomplished and varied background to this year's event. He is graduate of Nashotah House Episcopal Seminary in Wisconsin, and received a Doctor of Ministry in the Eastern Christian Context from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Reared a Southern Baptist, and after more than ten years as an Episcopalian, Fr. Joseph converted to Orthodoxy in 1993. Fr. Huneycutt brings a note of humor to the weekend's sessions. He hosts an award winning blog, "Orthodixie," and his works include: One Flew Over the Onion Dome: American Orthodox Converts, Retreads and Reverts as well as, We Came, We Saw, We Converted; The Lighter Side of Orthodoxy in America. He also authored: Defeating Sin: Overcoming our Passions and Changing Forever. Fr. Evan Armatas is the priest of St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church in Loveland, CO. He received a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Boston College and earned a Master of Divinity Degree from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary. Fr. Evan founded the St. Nektarios Education Fund, a non-profit student education program that has helped to establish three Orthodox Schools in Africa, provided over 430 student scholarships, and has delivered over $330,000 in student aide. Fr. Evan is also the director of Camp Emmanuel for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Denver, its summer youth camping program. Local Orthodox Christians invite Ft. Worth and Dallas residents to attend this unique conference. Again, registration is being sought for what promises to be a most rewarding experience. For more information see the flyer for this event.
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| December 20, 2011
On Wednesday, December 28th, during the 7th Annual Winter Service Retreat for older teens and young adults hosted by St. George Orthodox Church, St. George Food Pantry will, in addition to holiday food boxes, be distributing special items to our neighbors who are in need. Among the items needed for this distribution are new and lightly used blankets, coats and jackets, baby and children's clothing, new and lightly used toys and diapers of all sizes.
If you live in this area, please make arrangements to drop off any of these items at St. George Orthodox Church located at 704 W. Sam Houston in Pharr between now and Tuesday, December 27th. Please call 956-781-2388 first so someone can meet you and receive your donations. Cash donations to support St. George Food Pantry are also very much needed, as the Food Pantry feeds over 125 families on a regular basis.
Although we no longer take our Service Retreat participants across the border to Reynosa, we still also try to support the Casa Amparo Orphanage for girls which is located there and which is operated by a dedicated group of Roman Catholic nuns. Rather than going there, the nuns come and pick up our donations here. If you would like to make donations to the orphanage, they need items such as toiletries, girl's socks, bulk food items and cash donations.
For more information, call Fr. Antonio Perdomo at 956-781-2388 or at 781-6114 or email mateliza@aol.com. If you would like to make an online donation either to St. George Food Pantry or to Casa Amparo Orphanage, please do so at: http://www.stgeorgepantry.org/foodpantry.html. Send an email specifying to which ministry you prefer your donation to be credited. Many thanks!
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| December 19, 2011
Two missions in the DOS were awarded the 2012 Mission Planting grant this year. Holy Resurrection in Augusta, GA/Aiken, SC, was awarded a second year, and Nativity of the Lord in Shreveport, LA was awarded a full grant this year. Please support them in your prayers as they are working to grow into parishes. For more information on the 2012 Mission Planting grants please see the OCA article.
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| December 13, 2011
See: http://www.stgeorgepantry.org/winteryouthretreat.html
Amazing Opportunity for Older Teens & Young Adults! Seventh Annual Winter Service Retreat
This December, we will host our Seventh Annual Winter Service Retreat for Older Teens and Young Adults. Each year, we schedule this during the week after Nativity, when students are out of school for their winter break in studies. Our parish of St. George Orthodox Church (OCA) is located right on the Texas border with Mexico. In year's past, the week included a visit and work project in an orphanage for girls just across the border in Mexico. However, because of increased border violence in recent years, we no longer cross into Mexico. Thanks be to God, this year, we will have a Brand New Church Hall to help accommodate both our Retreat Participants and our Service Projects! Our Retreat Master will be Fr. Melitios Webber, Abbot of St. John of Shanghai Monastery in Manton, California.
Some retreat highlights include:
* A Speaker/Retreat Master Sharing Talks on Topics the Participants Themselves Have Requested
* Hands-On Orthodox Service Projects, including Preparing For and Staffing a special Nativity Season Distribution at our St. George Food Pantry - which has fed over 50,000 people in the last few years.
* Working as Teams to Actively Help with Retreat Functions
* Praying Together: Actively Participating in Reading, Singing, Praying & Participating in Liturgical Services
* Time for Fun, Christian Fellowship, including a South Padre Island Beach Trip and Talent Show
Who: Geared for Older Teens, College Students & Young Adults plus Adult Chaperones & Orthodox Clergy. Orthodox Christians, Catechumins, Inquirers and their Friends from All Jurisdictions are WELCOME
Retreat Master: Fr. Melitios Webber, Abbot of St. John of Shanghai Monastery in Manton, California will be this year's Retreat Master. Participants from past year's events requested that the following be our 2011-12 Winter Service Retreat topic:
SPIRITUAL TOPIC: Why Become (or Remain) Orthodox? How Do We Stand Up for & Live the Faith?
Expanded Version: Why become or remain Orthodox rather than simply following the "easier" more populated versions of Christianity practiced by friends and society in general? Why would/should we choose or continue on the more narrow path, which often includes isolation since most parishes are smaller and within which we have few if any peers? How are we to become knowledgeable "apologists" and stand on a firm foundation in the faith? In everyday life? In times when we face special challenges and/or temptations? How do we stand with our heads held high knowing that our beliefs are right and true? How do we do this without being prideful or thinking "low" of our brothers and sisters in Christ outside of the Orthodox Church? What are the real dividing lines which separate our Orthodox beliefs from those held by other Christians?
Dates: This year's actual activities will begin on the morning of December 27th. People will travel, arrive and get settled in on the evening of December 26th. The event will end after Divine Liturgy and a meal on Sunday, January 1st, but anyone is welcome to stay until the following day before returning home.
Cost: $225.00 Per Participant - Includes all Food, Lodging, Local Transportation and Fees. Note: If Adult Chaperones prefer an on-site Motel-type room, we can reserve one for an additional fee.We try to keep our registration fees as low as possible so as many students and other young people (who often are financially challenged and/or do not have wealthy parents) can attend. To help with this, we even cook most of the food and the retreat staff do not receive salaries. We do this for the love of Christ and in hopes that this experience will touch the lives of the young people who attend.
Where: St. George Orthodox Church; Pharr, Texas - Rio Grande Valley of South Texas near the Texas-Mexico Border. See Driving Directions: http://www.stgeorgetx.org/directions.html The church is located at 704 W. Sam Houston in Pharr, Texas and overnight lodgings will be at the Valley Baptist Retreat Center in Mission, Texas. See the retreat center's website at: http://www.valleybaptistretreat.org/
What: A week of hands-on Service Work, Spiritual Talks & Sessions & Prayers, Christian Fellowship, & Fun. Reunite with your friends and make new friends in a wholesome and spirtually-profitable atmoshere.
Special Dietary Needs: We do make and have available vegetarian and vegan food for our retreat participants, especially those who are still observing the OS Nativity Fast. Let us know if you have additional special dietary requirements or needs!
To learn more or to see photos from previous year's Winter Service Retreats, see links at:
http://www.stgeorgepantry.org/winteryouthretreat.html
Please let me know if you have additional questions at mateliza@aol.com or by phone at 956-781-2388.
In Christ, Matushka Elizabeth Perdomo
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| December 7, 2011
Please click here to read this inspiring story of the work going on in the Diocese of the South on the OCA website.
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| November 28, 2011
On Saturday, December, 10th St George the Greatmartyr Church in Pharr, TX will be holding its annual International Festival. For more information, please visit the parish website.
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| November 28, 2011
[From "One Thing Needful"] Over this last quarter, we took a serious look at what is happening to the economy, noted the amount we have in our Building Fund, and decided to ask our contractor what portion of the monastery building could be built with what we had. His response was two-thirds of the building, i.e., finished exterior with roughed-in interior. (Remember, this is a sizable building which has to conform to the National Building Regulations for a monastery -- Aiken County’s rules, not ours.) Of course, there is much in the way of infrastructure, like a well, septic system, grease trap, etc. We know it is expensive to build a truly energy efficient building which is as fire proof and earthquake resistant as possible. Investing up front for well thought out good workmanship more than pays for itself in the long run, as well as the short run. It is important to us to build well so that the next generation can add to it rather than have to rebuild. Too often, we have seen the sad results of the attitude, “Oh, just slap something up and leave the problem to the next generation.”
Our contractor stated that is would be April 2012 before he could begin. Having looked at our calendar, April is already filled with Holy Week, Pascha, Bright Week, and our Pilgrimage. May or June will, more than likely, be the time we begin building, if all the paper work is done by then. Once the exterior of this portion of the building is finished, we will finish the interior of the Chapel and one working bathroom. Then, as God wills, we will finish off the other rooms striving not to go into debt.
This said, we tried to contact our original architect to no avail. His office building was empty and up for sale. It has been twelve years since he drew the original plans. Over that time, we have made many changes as the result of our living monastic life here, and the suggestions of other professionals and friends who have shared their own experiences and ideas with us. Nothing has gone to waste. Now we have engaged the services of another architect and are working through the many changes and additions that have been made to the old plans. Of course, every time we hear the word “additions”, we hear the old time cash register go “chi-ching”.
To have a Chapel that is separate from the double wide trailer we now live in would truly be a blessing for us as well as our visitors. Over the years, many of you have contributed to our Building Fund, which is currently at around $400,000. For more information on the monastery, and their building plans, please visit their website.
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| November 21, 2011
This year's Retreat Master is Fr. Melitios Webber, Abbot of St. John of Shanghai Monastery in Manton, California. This retreat is open to Orthodox teens, college students, young adults, catechumens, inquirers and their friends of any Orthodox jurisdiction. We prepare food for those who are feasting and those who are still within the Nativity Fast. Hands-on Orthodox Service Activities, Spiritual Talks/Sessions, Working Together, Fellowship & More! Please publicize and share with others about this wonderful and life-changing event for Orthodox young people and their friends! See this link for more information, as well as for application forms. Many Thanks!
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| November 17, 2011
On November 16th we fed over 170 families at our St. George Food Pantry. Families were given food boxes and in addition, shared special vouchers for the purchase of Thanksgiving dinner turkeys. Thanks be to God!
About half of our participants are children and others include a number who are elderly and/or handicapped. Since the St. George Food Pantry opened several years back, over 70,000 individuals have been served through this Orthodox outreach effort. Most regular food distributed is purchased at a very reasonable rate from the local Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley. We do another larger distribution during the Nativity Season, during our annual Winter Service Retreat for older teens and young adults. At that time, besides food boxes, we also share blankets, coats, jackets, children's clothing and toys and diapers with the many families who come to us in need. For information or to participate in the Winter Service Retreat, please see: http://www.stgeorgepantry.org/winteryouthretreat.html)
St. George Orthodox Church is the only Orthodox Parish in all of the Rio Grande Valley which is located along the border of Texas and Mexico. Situated in one of the poorest counties in the USA, we have no nearby Orthodox "neighbors" to help us serve the poor in this region, either as volunteers or to share resources or to share the financial burden of this program.
St. George Food Pantry is not financially supported by the OCA, DOS nor by our Deanery, but rather by financial contributions made by individuals and the occasional Parish from around the country. Especially in these financially-challenged times, we could use one-time or ongoing commitments of financial support from individuals or from Parishes for this important ministry, especially during the holiday season - and most especially to off-set the cost of these turkeys. During this holy season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, please consider supporting this Orthodox effort done here in the Rio Grande Valley on behalf of all.
Many thanks for your ongoing prayers and support!
Donations Can Be Made Online Through PayPal At:
http://www.stgeorgepantry.org/foodpantry.html
Donations Can Be Mailed To:
St. George Food Pantry
St. George Orthodox Church
PO Box 667
Pharr, TX 78577
In Christ, Matushka Elizabeth Perdomo
www.stgeorgetx.org
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| November 14, 2011
Fr John Parker is the newly appointed Chair of the OCA Dept of Evangelization and there is a new podcast interviewing him about this position. Please click here to listen to this podcast. Also, for more information on the Orthodox understanding of life and death, especially in connection with Halloween, please see this article which was recently published in the Post and Courier.
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| November 14, 2011
"And maybe it is in America that God wants us to heal the multi-secular national isolation of Orthodox Churches, one from another, and this not by abandoning all that made the spiritual beauty and meaning of Greek, Russian, Serbian and all other "Orthodoxies," but by giving each of them finally their catholic and universal significance. It is here that we can all share and consider as truly ours the spiritual legacies of the Greek Fathers, the paschal joy of St. Seraphim of Sarov, the warm piety hidden for centuries in the Carpathian mountains... . Then and only then Orthodoxy will be ready for a real encounter with America, for its mission to America..."The Canonical Problem...Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann
In an effort to make these words of Father Alexander a reality these visionary men and women will be gathering together in The Woodlands, TX for two days during the Nativity Fast. Anticipate inspiration coupled with the current reality touched by the Holy Spirit to move America forward to Orthodoxy!!Please see our flyer for more information.
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| October 26, 2011
On Saturday, October 22nd, St. Innocent Orthodox Church in Macon, GA held its first annual open house event called "A Taste of St. Innocent Orthodox Church." This event was not a fundraiser but rather an opportunity for the surrounding community to come and learn about Orthodoxy and experience our hospitality. Being that we are in the South, and it has been said that Macon is the "buckle" of the "Bible Belt", we decided to offer two irresistible treats to our surrounding community. We offered free, home made, real, southern style smoked barbeque and a talk given by Bp. Mark Maymon, on the History and formation of the Canon of Scripture. In short, "Barbecue and the Bible." We also gave educational church tours. We ended up serving over over 200 people. By God's grace, strength and direction we hope to build off of this first event so that we can begin to help people in our local community experience the beauty of our Orthodox faith and most importantly, the love and hospitality of our Lord. For more information on St Innocent Orthodox Church please visit their website.
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| Oct 24, 2011
On October 23 Floyd and Ancuta Franz visited St. John of the Ladder Orthodox Church in Greenville, SC, and gave a presentation on their work in Romania. Floyd is a professional counselor and went to Romania in 2000 to help people recover from alcoholism, which is prevalent in Romania. In the past 12 years his program has grown from one center to over 14 treatment centers across the country and has been recognized by the Patriarch of Romania. Ancuta works with single mothers and their children providing childcare and food to enable the parents to further their education and get jobs to help them stabilize their lives and provide a better future for the children. To learn more or to donate to help this worthy cause please visit OCMC's website.
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| Oct 24, 2011
St Jonah the Wonderworker of Moscow mission is holding a Wednesday inquirers class entitled 'Christianity from Square One.' For more information please visit the parish website.
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| Oct 17, 2011
From October 14 - 16 members of St John of the Ladder, Holy Apostles, and St Timothy Orthodox Church gathered at Hot Springs, NC for the annual church camp out. Campers participated in hikes, football games, campfires and daily services. On the final day, Sunday the 16th, Fr. Jacob Kulp was awarded the Gold Cross by Fr. Marcus Burch, Chancellor of the DOS. For more pictures please click here.
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| Aug 15, 2011
[Updated on Aug 18th] On Saturday the 20th at 2:00 p.m. our priest Fr. Andrew Davis will offer the opening prayers & closing prayers for the dedication of the grave markers in Camden County for the heroic Revolutionary General Isaac Gregory of the Edenton District Militia.
The event is sponsored by our local Albemarle Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, of which the president is our own St. George's catechumen Scott Perry and the secretary is our own faithful webmaster Steve Avent. The welcoming and introductory remarks will be given by Peter Rascoe, Esq., a friend & supporter of our Orthodox Mission Station in Edenton since its organizing 9½ years ago.
The dedication of the historical marker will take place at the Sawyer Cemetery,
on General Gregory's plantation "Fairfield" in Camden County; and the public is invited. Extra driving time should be allowed on account of the present road construction approaching the Elizabeth City drawbridge project.
From downtown Elizabeth City, take Route 158 East about four miles northeastwardly to Camden C.H., turn right and follow Route 343 southeastwardly toward Shiloh for about four miles (passing Ivy Neck Road, Sand Hills Road, and Mill Dam Road twice), and turn left (about 300 yards before a county water tower) onto Palmer Road.
Follow Palmer Road eastwardly about 600 yards or 1/3 mile to the intersection
of McKimmey Road from the left, and continue following Palmer Road eastwardly about 300 yards or 1/6 mile farther to the intersection of a farm lane from the left and, immediately beyond that intersection, to the Sawyer Cemetery on the right, thus about 1/2 mile total from Route 343.
Born in 1737, Isaac Gregory served in North Carolina's final Colonial Assembly in 1775, in the independent Provincial Assemblies in 1775 and 1776, in the State Senate annually from 1778 through 1789, and in the State Constitutional Conventions of 1788 and 1789.
In 1779 the General Assembly appointed him Brigadier General of the Edenton District Militia, which he led (including its Regiments of Currituck, Pasquotank, Bertie, & Hertford Counties) with extraordinary valor in the Battle of Camden, South Carolina, against the British General Lord Cornwallis, on August 16, 1780.
Later in 1780, after the British General Alexander Leslie was sent from New York to Tidewater Virginia (in October to South Quay, on the Blackwater River
in Nansemond County, and in November to Portsmouth), General Gregory organized for the Edenton District Militia a mounted company which, deployed around the Dismal Swamp (in early November by the North River's Bridge and, advancing northwardly, in late November by the Northwest River's Bridge), succeeded in thwarting the British plan for General Leslie's army in Portsmouth to attack & capture Edenton by land and so invade & subdue North Carolina from the northeast.
General Leslie and his forces abandoned Tidewater in late November and sailed south to Wilmington; but in January of 1781 the British sent instead General Benedict Arnold with his army to Portsmouth, so that from January through July, General Gregory with his Militia, having returned to the Northwest River Bridge, again successfully guarded & defended the Edenton Military District (the counties bordering the Albemarle Sound or Chowan River), this time through repeated engagements around the Dismal Swamp against the army from Norfolk (commanded by the traitor until May when replaced by Lord Cornwallis), until the British retreated from Portsmouth to Yorktown in August of 1781.
The British next in March of 1782 sent four ships sailing from Charleston to plunder & burn New Bern and Edenton by sea, so that in April General Gregory mustered his soldiers again, along with cannon and vessels from Edenton and sailors to man them, for the defense of Edenton from the planned naval assault, until the British army in Charleston, along with their navy that had kept New Bern and Edenton in terror for months, finally in December of 1782 set sail in retreat to England.
Following the Treaty of Paris in 1783, General Gregory returned to peacetime service to his State and died in 1800 at his home Fairfield Hall on his plantation. Among his numerous descendants in the Albemarle has been his great‑great‑grandson J. C. Blucher Ehringhaus, of Elizabeth City, who served from 1933 to 1937 as Governor of North Carolina [and who was in 1922 the first president of the Elizabeth City Rotary Club, which sponsored in 1926 the establishment of the Rotary Club of Edenton].
General Gregory's existing tombstone, erected before 1920 by the D.A.R., marked his grave in the field between Fairfield Hall and the Palmer Road about 200 yards south of the home; but it fell in the 1970's, was stolen and then shortly recovered by the sheriff, and finally was garaged for three decades by a family member. The stone has been erected again now in front of the Sawyer Cemetery, directly across the Palmer Road from the site of Fairfield Hall and the grave, by Edenton's S.A.R. chapter which has attached to it bronze plaques reciting further details of the General's life & career.
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| Aug 15, 2011
Please follow the link to read an article highlighting St Luke Mission in Anniston, AL.
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| Aug 10, 2011
Dear St. Basil's Friends and Family,
Greetings on the Feast of Transfiguration!
Upcoming dates to place on your calendars / remember:
1. We will celebrate the feast of Dormition of the Theotokos on the evening of the Sunday 14th of September with Great Vespers at 6:30pm, and on the Feast itself (Monday at 9:30am) with Divine Liturgy. Please arrange your schedules to celebrate this great feast as you are able.
2. As noted, we were trying to coordinate a special guest speaker for the fall - the details of this have been finalized. Author and poet Scott Cairns will be hosted by St. Basil's on Saturday, September 17, at 7:00pm (at the NHEDC in Landfall - see attached flyer). We will move Great Vespers to 4:45 this evening in order to host the public at this gathering.
In Christ,
Fr. Peter
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| July 30, 2011
TO: All Reverend Pastors and Parish Members Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, By the grace of God and after lots of praying, planning and hard work our new temple will be consecrated on Saturday, September 10, 2011. We would like to have as many of you that can attend this joyous occasion to come, pray and celebrate this most important milestone in our parish life and growth. Please RSVP by Friday, August 5th, how many of you will come and be with us. The Banquet tickets will be $35.00 for adults and $15.00 for youth 14 years old and under. All tickets must be paid for by Friday, August 26th. Consecration Schedule Greeting of Metropolitan - 9:30 AM Hierarchal Divine Liturgy - 10:00 AM Banquet at Elks Club, 440 NW Peacock Ave., St Lucie West, FL Across from Dominion Field (Old Mets Stadium) - 1:00 PM You many make your reservations by e-mail to frernie@earthlink.net or call 772-878-0338 and leave a message on the voicemail. Information on lodging will be forthcoming. Your brother in Christ, Fr. Ernesto |
| July 26, 2011
The Alpine Mission-Station, St. Jonah the Wonderworker of Moscow is in its new building. We had our first service in the building at the beginning of December 2010. While there are still projects to be done, the Temple is coming together rather nicely. As a community, we are making a very conscious effort to make the building 'look' Orthodox yet 'speak the language' of Southwest Texas.
In order to bring Orthodoxy to members of the Alpine community, we have recently hosted Dr Herman Engelhardt. He gave a brilliant lecture, and we had about 25 non-Orthodox in attendance. We are looking forward to hosting additional guest speakers to provided avenues to others in the area to hear about Orthodoxy. We also have plans to begin a Catechism/Inquirer's Class and a Book Club in the fall.
As a new community, there are still many liturgical items that we need, including but not limited to, an Iconostasis, censer, chalice set, and a Gospel Book. If your parish has any of these items, please contact Fr John Filipovich at johnf@bigbend.net to see if what you have might meet their needs.
We have included pictures of our new sign and facility, which recently received a new roof and fresh paint. Please continue to pray for us, and all who live in this area of TX, as we have not had measurable rain in over a year.
 Out side of church, with new paint, roof, and sign. | Out side of church, with new paint, roof, and sign. |
|  View of the nave from the back. | View of the nave from the back. |
|  Icon of our patron saint, and the Royal Doors on the temporary Iconostasis. | Icon of our patron saint, and the Royal Doors on the temporary Iconostasis. |
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| June 21, 2011
St Mary Magdalene Church, located in Rincon, GA, has just completed their renovations from a hailstorm. They have resided and reroofed their church building and residence, and have also completed a new sign for the parish. Other exciting news is that one of the families from their community is going to attend St Vladimir’s Seminary in the fall, in order for them to become more immersed in the ministerial life of the Church. Glory to God for all things!
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| June 20, 2011
On Friday, June 3, St. Basil the Great Mission in Wilmington, NC welcomed His Grace, Bishop Mark to the Port City of North Carolina for an Archpastoral visit. This was the first visit of a hierarch to this mission community which was founded several years ago, and welcomed its first resident priest, Father Peter Robichau, in June of 2010. The community gathered for Great Vespers and a banquet on Saturday evening, June 4; an enjoyable time of fellowship was had by all. His Grace, Bishop Mark, presided at the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, June 5. With the blessing of His Grace, Protodeacon Lawrence Daniels of Greensburg, PA, Deacon John Crook (attached to St. Basil's) and Deacon David Keim, of All Saints (Antiochian) in Raleigh, NC assisted in the service of the Divine Liturgy. For photos and more information, please visit St Basil's website.
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| June 13, 2011
St Athanaius Church in Nicholasville, KY is hosting a summer study focused on deepening our understanding of the Scriptures. This class is not only available to everyone in their area, but the sessions are recorded and put online. Please visit their website for an schedule of the classes and to listen to the recordings.
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| June 13, 2011
Greetings in the Lord! My wife and I would like to announce that we have just recently opened an entirely online Orthodox Christian bookstore – Metamorphosis Bookseller. We have undertaken this as an extension of our ministry in the Church [it is neither Diocesan nor parish supported]. Our goal is to put wonderful Orthodox books into the hands of the faithful at reasonable prices. We are primarily importing books (in English) from Greece – the books we bring in are typically very hard to find and very expensive in the US. Another part of this ministry is our desire to make these books available to parish bookstores around the country at wholesale prices. If you have any interest in this, please send us an email and we will gladly share with you our process. As a note, we offer many more books to wholesalers than we currently have listed on the website. Website: http://www.orthodox-books.com/page/page/8083066.htm Email: metamorphosisbookseller@yahoo.com Fr. Matthew and Mat. Xenia Jackson Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church Clinton, MS
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| Father Philip Kontos, a member of the Treasure Coast community. This story is neither endorsed by nor affiliated with this site. Originally published 10:53 a.m., March 14, 2011 Updated 10:53 a.m., March 14, 2011 JUPITER — From the largest Cathedral in Russia or Jerusalem to the smallest mission, throughout the Orthodox Christian world, this Sunday will see the celebration of the restoration of icons in the 9th Century undivided Church. St. Peter the Apostle Orthodox Mission in Jupiter will be among them adding her small voice to the choir of the over 250 million Orthodox Christians worldwide. These days, when one hears the word icon one thinks of either the computer images that serve as shortcuts to programs or to Hollywood Celebrities. For the Orthodox Christian, though, icons serve as windows into heaven. In the same way that the flag of a country stands for that country, so the icons also serve as a symbol of that which it represents. If one burns or desecrates a flag, the citizens of that country rightly feel attacked or offended. When the flag is honored the people are honored; even so with the Orthodox icons. For the Orthodox Christian the honor given to the image passes on to the prototype. An icon of Christ is not Christ Himself, but by venerating His icon the veneration is shown to Christ Himself. The celebration this Sunday, held on the first Sunday of Lent, was begun in the year 842 a.d. when the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empress Theodora restored their use ending a long period, over 100 years, of iconoclasm (image-smashing. “Icon” means “image.”). The 7th Ecumenical Council had long settled the theological arguments for the use of icons in worship. Some Byzantine Emperors, though, influenced by Islam and worried by military defeats, thought that their problems were due to the use of images and had them banned. Churches were looted, icons smashed, and many people lost their lives in defense of the icons. When Empress Theodora restored their use she did so by taking an icon of the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos (Birth-giver of God) and of Christ with her son the Emperor Michael and held a procession with the clergy and people of Constantinople (now modern day Istanbul) around the city and adorned the Church Agia Sophia with Icons once more. The Church declared this Sunday the Sunday of Orthodoxy and has become a universal celebration in the Orthodox Churches throughout the world. Parishioners young and old will walk in procession around their Churches with their favorite icons, many of them antiques passed on from generation to generation. In their evening, Vespers, worship they will sing: As the Ark of the Covenant did hold the presence of God, so now the icons reveal the presence of the One we adore. By honoring them we will never go astray. It is our glory to fall down and worship Christ in the flesh. Come, O faithful, venerate His image and cry out:// “O Lord, save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance!” St. Peter the Apostle Orthodox Mission meets at 10am for Divine Liturgy on Sundays at Lighthouse Elementary School, 4750 Dakota Drive, Jupiter Florida. For other services places and times, please call Father Philip Kontos at 561-452-4876 or e-mail him at FrPhilip@StPeterJupiter.org.
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/mar/14/local-church-celebrates-sunday-of-orthodoxy-11901/# | |
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