Work Begins on New Building for St. Patrick Church + Warrenton, VA
Fr. Patrick Cardine of St. Patrick Church in Warrenton, Virginia writes:
Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!
Work on the new building has commenced, the foundation trench has been dug and we are proceeding onto the next phase. Also the Fauquier Times Democrat ran a nice article in the paper today. Part of the article may be viewed at www.fauquier.com/news/article/fauquier_parish_breaks_ground_for_new_church.
Below are some pictures of the site blessing. It was a wonderful day and we missed all who could not be with us.
God Bless you,
Fr. Patrick
St. Patrick Church's original building was burnt to the ground in July 2012 in a fire set by an arsonist. For more information on the parish's building project or to make a donation, please visit the St. Patrick Orthodox Church Building Project web page.
Construction Progress at St. Mary Church + Hunt Valley, MD
Construction is underway on a new Byzantine-style temple for St. Mary Church in Hunt Valley (Baltimore), Maryland. From the St. Mary Church website:
There is soon to be a new light of Orthodox Christianity in Hunt Valley, Maryland. The parish family of St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church are struggling to build a church that will be connected to the existing hall in which they currently celebrate all Liturgical services and social events. The new St. Mary’s Church will be fashioned in ancient Byzantine style and will be endowed with emblematical notions all carefully crafted to glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. All aspects of the architectural design are deeply and religiously symbolic, inspired by a desire to create a spiritually tangible testament to the beauty of our Lord and His creation.
2013 Paschal Greetings from Bishop Thomas
His Grace Bishop Thomas writes:
GREAT AND HOLY PASCHA 2013
Beloved brother Hierarchs, Reverend Clergy, God-fearing Monastics, and all my Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ our True God:
Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen!
When Christ had risen from the dead on the third day and had shown Himself alive to His disciples, He ascended into heaven. He remained immortal and bestowed on us, with complete assurance, resurrection, immortality and truly blessed, eternal, incorruptible life in heaven. By means of the one death and resurrection of His flesh, He healed our twofold death and freed us from the double captivity of soul and body.
~St. Gregory Palamas, “On Holy and Great Saturday”
The feast of Christ’s glorious resurrection is now finally here, and we experience the greatest of joy possible for human persons not only because the Founder of our faith has risen from the dead, but because of what the resurrection means in terms of His incarnation. Because He is man, He was able to die. And because He is God, He rises from the dead.
Save the Date: Anniversary Celebrations at Holy Cross Church in Linthicum, MD
Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church in Linthicum, Maryland will celebrate its 20th Anniversary on its Patronal Feast Day, September 14, 2013, and you are cordially invited to join us. AND, in addition, we are honored and privileged to be hosting the Celebration of His Grace, Bishop Thomas' 25th Ordination Anniversary at the same time!
We are very excited about this and know you will be also. Both events will be rolled into one celebration, including Saturday morning Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, followed by a Celebratory Banquet at a local hotel. Rooms will be available at both the Ramada, near BWI airport, and the Pier Five (Inner Harbor) Hotel, in Baltimore. Details regarding the full schedule, banquet tickets and hotel reservations will soon follow, but we know you will want to make note of the date of this important observance now!
We hope you will be able to join us in these wonderful celebrations!
In Christ,
Fr. Gregory Mathewes-Green, the Parishioners of Holy Cross Church, and the 20/25 Committee
Assembly of Bishops Committee For Youth Report
Bishop Thomas, ChairAssembly of Bishops.org reports:
New relationships and unity among Orthodox Christian youth workers are the result of diligent efforts by the Committee for Youth, one of the very active committees of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America.
The committee’s members are Bishop Thomas (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese), Metropolitan Alexios (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese) and Bishop Irineu (Orthodox Church in America). As with all of the Assembly’s committees, clergy and lay consultants support the work of the committee. The Committee for Youth has more than sixty consultants with extensive experience and knowledge of Orthodox youth and youth programs.
One of the fruits of the committee’s efforts has been new relationships and increased collaboration among jurisdictional youth directors. “Prior to the committee’s formation, a handful of jurisdictional youth directors would meet occasionally,” says His Grace Bishop Thomas, the chairman of the committee. “Now there are 17 who meet in person and by phone, representing every jurisdiction in the Assembly.
St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary Opens Search for New Dean
March 22, 2013
South Canaan, PA: The Board of Trustees of Saint Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, South Canaan, PA announces a vacancy in the office of Dean, to be filled effective July 1, 2013. Applications, nominations, and expressions of interest for the position of Dean are now being accepted.
Saint Tikhon’s Seminary is an institution of professional Orthodox Christian theological education, affiliated with the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), chartered by the Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and nationally accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. St. Tikhon’s Seminary offers the Master of Divinity degree, as well as the Bachelor of Arts in Theology degree, and a certificate in diaconal formation studies.
The primary purpose of the Seminary is to provide the necessary theological, spiritual, and moral foundation for Orthodox men to become good shepherds of Christ’s Holy Orthodox Church and for others to pursue advanced theological study and personal enrichment.
St. Seraphim Center Serves the Needy of Chambersburg, PA
Sprucing up the St. Seraphim Center in Chambersburg, PA(Adapted from The Word, March 2013)
Last fall, the Antiochian parish of St. Mary in Chambersburg, PA, began its fourth year of service to the surrounding community through the St. Seraphim Orthodox Center (SS OC). Affiliated with the Fellowship of Orthodox Christians United to Serve (FOCUS), the ministry serves lunch to some 35 to 45 guests on Thursdays and Saturdays, complimenting the lunch schedule of the local Salvation Army.
During his August 2012 visit to St. Mary Orthodox Church, His Grace Bishop Thomas repeatedly stressed the importance of the parish’s work at the Center in the downtown area, and urged parishioners to continue and extend this ministry to the wider community.
St. George in New Kensington PA Hosts 100th Anniversary Weekend
By Helen Murray
“Our Roots Run Deep” was the theme for St. George Orthodox Church’s 100th Anniversary Celebration which was celebrated with much joy and enthusiasm on the weekend of November 3, 2012.
The 100th anniversary celebration actually had kicked off a year prior, on November 5, 2011, with our Fourth Annual Sacred Arts Festival (see article on p. 28 in May 2012 issue of The Word magazine). It was a successful event and a great opportunity to share our Orthodox faith and Syrian heritage with the local community. The event included speakers, iconographers, vendors, our own bookstore, and a Byzantine choir concert.
Next, we remembered our heritage at our annual St. George Day Brunch held on May 12, 2012. At this annual feast day celebration, we recognize church school students, altar servers and high school seniors. Additionally, we recognized a couple of parishioners who were nominated for having admirably served the church.
Bishop Thomas Visits St. Raphael of Brooklyn Church + Chantilly, VA
“Wherever the bishop is, let the people be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Church.” -St. Ignatius of Antioch
His Grace Bishop Thomas came to visit St. Raphael of Brooklyn Church in Chantilly, Virginia on the weekend of December 15-16, 2012, and presided at Vespers on Saturday evening, as well as Orthros and Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Sunday.
This was the culmination of another successful year for the mission, which was established in 2006 and located 20 miles west of our nation’s capital. The mission has grown from 20 members to its present 140 under the leadership of Fr. Thomas Palke. The congregation has made the transition from setting up for Sunday liturgies in an established location that offers a sizable sanctuary, nave, and narthex, plus classrooms and a social area. During the past two years the parish has built an iconostasis that can be expanded as the congregation grows. A lovely platytera icon adorns the wall behind the altar, and the nave is surrounded with a complete set of festal icons.
Register Now for Your Parish Life Conference!
Now is the time to register online for your diocese's "family reunion" this summer, your regional Parish Life Conference (PLC)! The theme for this year, "The End of History...The Last Judgment," will be the focus of the Creative Festivals, a highlight of the conferences. Youth and organizational meetings, spiritually edifying speakers and services, and social events for kids and adults alike, all make the PLCs one of the Archdiocese's most established and popular traditions. Visit the Conventions and Conference Planning page for full information.
The 2013 PLC schedule begins June 5 in Kansas City and ends July 3 in Montreal:
Diocese of Wichita, June 5-8: St. Basil Orthodox Church hosts the PLC at the Westin Kansas City Hotel in downtown Kansas City, "one of America's Best downtowns" according to Forbes magazine.
Diocese of Miami, June 12–16: St. Basil Antiochian Orthodox Church hosts the PLC at the Hilton New Orleans, where guests will sample the history and cuisine of this historic city.