February, 2011 Holy Land Pilgrimage Planned
Holy Land Pilgrims Entering the Church of the Nativity in BethlehemFr. Constantine Nasr and Chehadeh Hamra of St. Elijah Church in Oklahoma City, OK, announce a pilgrimage to the Holy Land from February 19th to March 1st, 2011. The price, including the round trip airfare from Oklahoma City or Chicago, is $3395.00 based on double occupancy, and an additional $495.00 for single occupancy. See the attached itinerary for details. Questions? Please contact Mr. Hamra at: hamratours@netzero.com. Please note that the updated deadline for the final payment is December 15, 2010 and not January 31, 2010. Also note that the deadline for the $500.00 deposit is November 15, 2010.
Memory Eternal! + Mary Helen Massad
Fr. Antony Bahou writes:
Beloved in Christ,
It is with great regret and extreme sadness that I announce to you the passing of our dear sister in Christ Mary Helen Massad. She fell asleep in the Lord tonight at 6:30. Mary had "suffered many things of many physicians" as we hear in Scripture, and is now committed to the mercy of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whom she loved most of all. Mary was an example of the Christian woman, and her love and faith have brought joy and peace to so many whose lives hers touched. May her memory be eternal, and may the Lord place her soul where the just repose.
The schedule of Services is as follows:
All Services except for the Burial will be held at our church.
Friday, October 22nd, Trisagion Service at 6 PM, followed by viewing until 9 PM.
Saturday, October 23rd, Funeral Service at 1 PM, followed by a procession to the burial site for the Burial Service at Restland in Coppell, 400 S. Freeport Parkway, 75019. Following the Burial, we will return to the church for the Mercy Meal.
The Family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations should be made to and/or sent to Saints Constantine & Helen Orthodox Church, 3755 Walnut Hill Lane, Dallas, TX 75229, and earmarked "Mary Helen Massad Memorial Fund."
Memory Eternal! + Fr. Donald David Wallace Lloyd
Father Donald David Lloyd, 1912-2010At 12:20 a.m. on Sunday, October 17th, word was received that the eldest brother in the Diocese of Wichita, Father Donald David Wallace Lloyd, D.D., reposed at the age of ninety-seven.
The casket with Father Donald David will arrive at St. Mark Church in Denver, CO on Thursday, October 21st at 5:00 p.m., where he will lie in state until after the Requiem Mass which will be served at 7:00 p.m. He will then be taken to the St. Laurence Center in Tallahassee Creek, CO where, upon arrival, a brief low Mass of Requiem will be served followed by interment in the specially-prepared sepulchre just west of the Basilica of St Laurence. Then, this Saturday, October 23rd, the final Requiem Mass will be served at the Center at 11:00 a.m.. Condolences may be sent c/o Father John Connely (john.connely@gmail.com) of St. Mark Church in Denver.
Fr. John Connelly writes:
Following his Chrismation and Ordination, Father Donald David Wallace Lloyd, D.D. told me very sincerely that never in his life had he felt so uplifted, blessed, (he used a vocabulary to explain this that I cannot entirely remember), and that his joy was beyond anything of merely earthly happiness. He was delivered from all the sorrow of 93 years (the age at which he received into Holy Orthodoxy) and then continued his earthly life as the most powerful intercessor that I have ever known. If your retired Priests want to see Paradise, let them follow this example. Father Donald was given names for prayer in restaurants and everywhere we traveled. He normally rose at 5.00 o'clock so to complete his Morning Prayers by 8:00 o'clock given his lists of living and departed souls.
Father John
Bishop Basil writes:
90th Anniversary Celebrations at St. Elijah + Oklahoma City
Local Orthodox clergy, and parishioners and friends of St. Elijah Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma gathered on Sunday evening, September 19, 2010, to offer thanks to God and to celebrate a milestone in the life of our parish. For ninety years the vine that was transplanted from Lebanon by immigration and then firmly established by the coming of Fr. Shukrallah Shadid as founding pastor in 1920 has grown and flourished. Today St. Elijah continues to offer the ancient worship, now in a large and modern temple; and she continues to proclaim the Word of God to a world in need of salvation.
A pre-banquet social hour began at 6pm, with attendees renewing acquaintances and reminiscing about old times. At 7pm all were invited to take their seats and hear St. Elijah’s choir perform three beautiful hymns under the direction of longtime choir director Alexander Mamary. They sang “I Leave You My Peace,” “Rejoice, O Virgin,” and “From the Rising of the Sun.”
Fr. Constantine Nasr offered the invocation, then James Farha (Chair of the Ninetieth Anniversary Committee, and Banquet Master of Ceremonies) introduced the evening’s program. While a delicious meal catered by Ned and Stacy Shadid was served, a slide show was screened entitled “Coming to America,” which had been prepared for the parish’s 75th Anniversary by Harvey Homsey and Karla Cohlmia. The historic photos stirred memories and were met with applause, and at times tears.
Consecration of St. Basil the Great Church + Kansas City, KS
Click here to view a photo gallery from the consecration
Bishop Basil writes:
May it be blessed! This past Saturday, October 2nd, 2010, the holy table at the new church temple of St. Basil the Great Church in Kansas City, Kansas was consecrated during divine services celebrated by myself, and assisted by the proistamenos Fr. Elias Issa and sixteen other priests and deacons. The relics of the Holy Hieromartyr Blaise the Bishop of Sebaste were sealed in the cavity in the holy table.
2010 DOWAMA SOYO Basketball Tournament
The 2010 DOWAMA SOYO Basketball Tournament which will be hosted at St. Elijah Church in Oklahoma City, OK, Friday through Sunday, October 15th-17th. The registration for and other paperwork is attached. Please be certain that this information is shared with your youth groups and their adult sponsors/advisors. Questions? Contact DOWAMA Youth Director ERIN LEARNED at erin@stelijahokc.com.
Kursk Root Icon to Visit Wichita
The Wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of Our Lady of the Sign is again scheduled to visit Wichita. The icon will arrive at St. George Cathedral on Tuesday, November 2nd, and the Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos will be chanted before the icon beginning at 6:30 P.M. All clergy and faithful of the Diocese are invited to attend. If you plan to come with or without a delegation from your parish, please inform Fr. James Shadid (fatherjames@stgeorgecathedral.net), second priest at St. George Cathedral. Blue vestments, please.
2010 DOWAMA Fall Gathering and Retreat
The 2010 DOWAMA Fall Gathering and Retreat will be hosted at St. Elijah Church in Oklahoma City, OK on Friday and Saturday, October 22nd & 23rd (ending in the afternoon). The featured speaker will be Khouriya Suzanne Wallace of St. Andrew Church in Oklahoma City. For details, please see the attached flyer or contact DOWAMA Fellowship Spiritual Advisor Fr. Jeremy Davis at frjeremy@stelijahokc.com.
Upcoming DOWAMA Ordinations
Bishop Basil writes:
AXIOS! Deacon Symeon Kees, a DOWAMA vocation from St. George in Houston, TX and a graduate of St Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary in South Canaan, PA, will be ordained to the holy priesthood at Ss. Constantine & Helen in Dallas, TX on Sunday, October 10th and assigned as second priest at St. George in Houston.
WORTHY! Fr. Antony Bahou of Ss. Constantine and Helen Church in Dallas, TX will be elevated to the dignity of Archpriest on Sunday, October 10th.
AXIOS! Subdeacon Peter Aleria, a chaplain with the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX, will be ordained to the holy diaconate at Forty Holy Martyrs in Sugar Land, TX on Sunday, November 7th and to the holy priesthood at St Michael in Beaumont, TX on Monday, November 8th.
MOUSTAHIQ! Deacon Michael Sakran, a DOWAMA vocation from St. George Church in Houston, TX who will graduate from St. Vladimir's Seminary next May, will be ordained to the holy priesthood at his home parish on Thursday, November 11th.
WORTHY! Subdeacon Michael Fulton, a DOWAMA vocation from St. Joseph Church in Houston, TX and a student at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA, will be ordained to the holy diaconate at St. George Church in Houston, TX on Thursday, November 11th.
Bishop Basil and Fellow Episcopal Assembly Officers Received by Ecumenical Patriarch
On the terrace of the Four Seasons Hotel in SultanahmetIn his September 24 Clergy Brotherhood Memo, His Grace Bishop Basil reports:
BY YOUR HOLY PRAYERS, the Chair of the Episcopal Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Hierarchs of North & Central America ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America), the Second Vice Chair ARCHBISHOP JUSTINIAN of Naro-Fominsk (Russian Orthodox Church in the USA), the Treasurer ARCHBISHOP ANTONY of Ierapolis (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA) and I (who serve as the EA's Secretary) have all returned from Istanbul where earlier this week (Tuesday, 21 September) we were graciously received at the Patriarchal Headquarters in the Phanar by His All Holiness ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW I. While in Istanbul I stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sultanahmet, right next to Hagia Sophia and Hagia Ireni (site of the 2nd Ecumenical Council in A.D. 381).
Upon arriving at the Patriarchate on Tuesday morning, we immediately visited the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Greatmartyr George where we venerated the holy table and the sacred relics of St John Chrysostom (+403AD), St Gregory the Theologian (+389AD), the Great Virgin-martyr Euphemia the All-praised (+304AD), the Holy Empress Theophano (+893AD), and Righteous Solomoni the mother of the Seven Maccabbean Youths (+168BC).