Diocese of Los Angeles News
Memory Eternal! + Fr. Thomas O'Dea
MEMORY ETERNAL!
From the Diocese of Los Angeles:
It is with extreme sadness that we inform you that our beloved brother in Christ, Father Thomas O'Dea, fell asleep in the Lord on Sunday, July 10, 2011. His Grace, Bishop Joseph has asked the parishes to remember him in your prayers for the departed for the next 40 days and to hold a special Trisagion for his eternal life. May God receive him in His Heavenly Kingdom and may his memory be eternal. The funeral information will be announced once it has been determined.
Please join in praying for his repose and remembering his dear family: Khouirye Marcia, Sean & Robin, Dillon, Kiera and Brian O'Dea.
St. Katherine College Holds Inaugural Open House May 21
Saint Katherine College issues an invitation to their Inaugural Open House on Saturday, May 21, 2011 from 2:00 pm until 5:00 pm.
The afternoon will include a full schedule of mini- lectures from members of the faculty, performances from choirs and folk-dance troupes of local Orthodox Churchs, informational booths from Project Mexico/Saint Innocent Orphanage, FOCUS San Diego, tours of our campus and student housing, plus a catered reception.
RSVP to event@stkath.org, and go to the website to read all the latest news and information about St. Katherine College.
Creative Festival 2010: Diocese of Los Angeles
Take a moment for an audio visual meditation on the theme, "The earth is the Lord's and its fullness, the world and all who dwell therein," Psalm 23. This presentation of the photos, artwork, and words of the children in the Diocese of Los Angeles from the Creative Festivals 2010 is brought to you by the Department of Christian Education, and the Fellowship of St. John the Divine.
Lenten Seminar with Frederica Mathewes-Green, Phoenix, AZ: April 9
From Arizona Orthodox: "The Jesus Prayer: A Pan Orthodox Lenten Seminar with guest speaker Khouria Frederica Mathewes-Green, will take place this April 9, sponsored by the Arizona Council of Eastern Orthodox Churches.
Kh. Frederica is a wide‐ ranging author, whose work has appeared in such diverse publications as the Washington Post, Christianity Today, Smithsonian, the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal. She writes regularly for the multi‐faith web magazine Beliefnet.com, and movie reviews for National Review Online and Christianity Today Movies.
She has published 9 books, including Facing East: A Pilgrim’s Journey into the Mysteries of Orthodoxy (HarperCollins, 1997) and The Illumined Heart: The Ancient Christian Path of Transformation (Paraclete, 2001). In the past, her commentaries have been heard on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered and Morning Edition."
St. Michael Oblates Host Lenten Retreat
St. BenedictOn behalf of the Orthodox Oblates of St. Benedict from St. Michael Orthodox Church in Whittier, we cordially invite you to attend our annual Lenten Retreat on Saturday, March 19, 2011, at the church property - 3333 Workman Mill Rd. Whittier, CA. 90601. The Retreat Conductor will be Rev. Fr. Paul Olson from St. Nicholas Cathedral in L.A. Fr. Paul will speak on the topic: "COMMUNION DEVOTIONS - What Do They Teach Us."
The retreat will be held from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., and it will include the Office of Oblates, Western Rite Liturgy, several sessions with our speaker, time for question and answers, quiet time to reflect and read, and time to meet with clergy if you so desire. In keeping with the Western Rite, this retreat will be in silence, so please be prepared for that. Snacks and lunch will be served, and there is no charge for the day.
In order to be properly prepared for the day, please RSVP to the church, (562) 692-6121. Please spread the word and invite your friends and family to join us for this special day. Fliers will be mailed this week to the local parishes. We encourage everyone to take time away from their busy lives so that this Lenten Season will bring you much peace and joy.
The Oblates support the Whittier Pregnancy Crisis Center, which assists mothers in crisis pregnancies and helps them to either keep their babies or find adoptive families for them. We are collecting newborn diapers, and if you would like to contribute some, that would be most appreciated.
Opening of the Doors at Holy Resurrection Church + Tucson, AZ
On Tuesday and Wednesday, February 1-2, 2011, His Grace Bishop Joseph visited the newly-constructed temple of Holy Resurrection Church in Tucson, Arizona. Following the service for the opening of the doors of the temple, His Grace celebrated a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Presentation. His Grace remained in Tucson on Wednesday to meet with the faithful and the parish council of Holy Resurrection.
Click here to view more photos of Bishop Joseph's visit and of Holy Resurrection's new church building on the Diocese of Los Angeles web site.
2011 Creative Festivals Information
Below are the deadlines and contact information for the 2011 Creative Arts Festivals, Oratorical Festival and Bible Bowl for the Dioceses of Los Angeles and Eagle River. For more information and resources pertaining to the Creative Festivals, please visit www.antiochian.org/festivals.
Second Annual Pan-Orthodox Clergy Retreat + Dunlap, California
On December 7-9, clergy from all over the west gathered for their second annual retreat at the Holy Monastery of the Theotokos, the Life Giving Spring, in Dunlap, California. Led by four bishops, His Eminence, Metropolitan Gerasimos [Greek Archdiocese]; His Grace, Bishop Joseph [Antiochian Archdiocese]; His Grace, Bishop Benjamin [OCA]; and His Grace, Bishop Maxim [Serbian Patriarchate], clergy of all jurisdictions enjoyed the beautiful facilities of the St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center, listened to speakers, and worshipped together. Clergy came back to their parishes refreshed and edified by the teaching on the topic "Physician Heal Thyself--Orthodox steps of spiritual transformation" with Retreat Master Archimandrite Meletios (Webber), Abbot of the St. John the Wonderworker Monastery in Manton, CA.
 Bishops Leading Worship |
 His Grace Bishop Joseph addresses clergy |
 Clergy worshipping in monastery church |
 Retreat Participants |
Antiochian Priest Launches Patristic Nectar Publications
Fr. Josiah Trenham, priest at St. Andrew Orthodox Church of Riverside, California, recently launched a website "dedicated to sharing the sweet teachings and timeless traditions of the early Christian writers." States the site' introduction, "Patristic Nectar Publications is a non-profit California business created to advance the cause of the Orthodox Christian faith by the publication of materials for catechesis designed both for the edification of Orthodox believers and the illumination of a wide array of non-Orthodox inquirers. Our publications are marked by zealous fidelity to the mind of the Orthodox Church as expressed in the writings of the Holy Fathers and produces a wide range of patristic audio books in order to bring the wealth of Sacred Tradition to a generation attuned to listening rather than reading."
At Patristic Nectar Publications, browsers can listen to audio presentations of timely topics such as "An Address on Vainglory and the Proper Upbringing of Children" by St. John Chrysostom, and "The Soul After Death," by St. John Maximovitch of San Francisco. The site also hosts sacred music selections, Fr. Josiah's Arena blog, the Arena podcasts, and information about St. Andrew parish.
St. Nicholas Cathedral of Los Angeles Profiled in LA Times
St. Nicholas CathedralOn December 4, an article in the esteemed Los Angeles Times featured St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Christian Cathedral, see of His Grace Bishop Joseph. The piece, titled "At 60, a church blends Arabic, English and Spanish," described the Cathedral's outreach into the community of Latino families that live in the parish's neighborhood, and the adaptive liturgical schedule that includes an 8 a.m. Spanish liturgy, followed by the 10 a.m. Arabic and English liturgy.
"We are in this neighborhood, we want to do outreach to our neighbors," Father Michel Najim, Cathedral Dean, explained to the Times reporter. "When you live in a community that has a cultural background, [we] need to open up to other cultures and other denominations."
The article describes how at the Cathedral's Mediterranean festival in June, tacos are sold alongside the traditional Middle Eastern foods of falafel, shawarma and kebabs. About 1,500 families are members at St. Nicholas.