News

The teens of the Diocese of Miami and the Southeast ended up their recent Parish Life Conference saying, "Thank you Bishop Anthony!"

The Diocese teens were blessed to have His Grace Bishop Anthony from the Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest visit them in Fort Lauderdale during their Parish Life Conference starting June 13. Members of teen SOYO joined His Grace for a Teen Workshop on Saturday (6/16). SOYO captured the audio and key points from this workshop as well as the audio and key points from his keynote during the Grand Banquet Saturday evening, and audio from his sermon during Sunday's liturgy.

His Grace's words of wisdom included these thoughts:

Find pleasure in your purpose. If you pursue pleasure without purpose, your pleasure will become your pain. "Pursue your purpose, and you'll find your person."

Attach yourself to the church so you will be attracted to the right people and the right things.

Do your best at everything so you can find the one thing you are really good at. "That's how you find your balance and your bliss."

Read about, and listen to, all the workshops.

The Summer 2012 issue of DIAKONIA is now available online. This issue highlights the Diocese of Miami and the Southeast, and contains:

• A message from His Eminence Archbishop Joseph
• A message from His Grace Bishop Antoun
• The Living Waters of Mid-Pentecost by Diocesan Spiritual Advisor Fr. Stephen Rogers
• A message from Diocese of Miami Antiochian Women President Dorothy Tampary

...and more! Click here to download (PDF)

From the March 2012 edition of The Word:

St. Andrew – Intercessor for the Orthodox in America

St. Andrew the First-called Apostle began work as a fisherman and, as proclaimed by our Lord Jesus Christ, he became a fisher of men particularly through his missionary journeys along the Black Sea. Not only did he work during his life here on earth, but he continued to pray and nurture the seeds he had planted in small villages such as Byzantium and Kiev to such a degree that these areas flourished over the centuries and became glorious and mighty centers of the Orthodox Faith. Thus St. Andrew is recognized as the patron saint of Constantinople, Ukraine, Russia, and Romania, as well as several other places. But to what degree does St. Andrew care for the Orthodox Faith here in America?

God revealed St. Andrew as a powerful intercessor for the Orthodox Church in America on the weekend of December 3–4, 2011, when two church temples dedicated to St. Andrew were consecrated in our Archdiocese – one in Riverside, California, and one in Pensacola, Florida. Both of these consecrations share in the blessings of God’s grace through St. Andrew, overcoming earthly hardships with a heavenly respite; temporary sickness with an eternal hospital; demonic despair with divine glory; and murky sin with the light of salvation. Having an incarnate location in these communities in which to bring such cares to God mercifully provides the spiritual nourishment the body requires.

His Grace Bishop Antoun inducts new St. George's Order membersFr. John E. Hamatie reports:

"His Grace, Bishop Antoun arrived in Orlando on Friday, February 10th 2012, to Bless and visit the faithful of St. George’s. His Grace was met at the airport by Fr. John E. Hamatie and Sub Deacon Charles P. Hill. After checking in at the hotel, His Grace was driven to St. George’s to attend the weekly Church feeding of homeless people. Fr. John gave his weekly homily/address to the 300 people gathered for the feeding, after which His Grace addressed the assembly. Father John explained to Bishop Antoun that St. George’s has expanded its homeless feeding ministry to include daily breakfast and lunch to approximately 200 people. In addition to the Friday dinner put on by the Ephraim Project and Saint George’s; other organizations hold an evening meal every night in the Church’s parking lot.

After the feeding, Sayidna asked to be taken to the Holy Altar to prepare his vestments and such for the Sunday Hierarchal Divine Liturgy. Sub Deacon Charles had previously taken the suitcase with Sayidna’s things to the Holy Altar. After venerating the Holy Altar, Sayidna looked to see if everything was properly laid out – to his surprise his green vestments were not on the table-but rather a new gold and white bishop’s vestment!