Latest News and Articles
Board Announces 2009-2010 Project: Convent of St. Thekla
Mother Alexandra and Cindy Nimey"We are all very excited about our new North American Board project—contributing to the building of St. Thekla Convent—and the arrival of Mother Alexandra to the Antiochian Village," NAB President Cindy Nimey said. “Mother Alexandra is a dynamic person and we will all learn very much from her.”
Five elected officers, the immediate past president, and six appointed coordinators comprise the NAB. “We have all been elected or appointed to positions to be leaders and provide programs and information about our projects to the seven Dioceses of our Archdiocese,” Cindy wrote in a encouraging letter to the board and to officers and coordinators of the Dioceses.
“We had a wonderful meeting this summer (at Archdiocese convention in Palm Desert, CA); thanks to the hard work and love from all the Antiochian Women chapters we were able to give Metropolitan PHILIP a check in the amount of $112,800.00 for the support of the Al K'afaat Foundation in Lebanon.
Northern California Women's Retreat, November 2009
Antiochian Diocese of Los Angeles and the West
Northern California Diocesan Women’s Retreat
November 6 -8, 2009
At Vallambrosa Center, Menlo Park, California
Theme:
Rediscovering the Joyful Path: Building an Orthodox Personal Life, Home and Parish.
Retreat Speaker:
The Very Reverend David Hovik
St. Andrew Church, Arlington, Washington
Diocesan Spiritual Advisor of Antiochian Women
More Information or to register
Antiochian Women Scholarship Winners
The Winners of the Antiochian Women Scholarships are as follows:
Kh. Kathryn Rogers
Holly Anne Brees
Aksana Kunkle
Anne Emmons
Margaret Emsais
Chris Holland
Roula Hasbani
Theodosia O'Hara
A Report from the Antiochian Women Annual Meeting
The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Women of North America held their annual meeting at the 49th Archdiocese Convention in Palm Desert, California, on Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The meeting was well attended by the Diocesan Presidents, their Spiritual Advisors, and their delegates, along with the Officers and Coordinators of the North American Board of the Antiochian Women. The meeting was presided over by NAB President, Cindy Nimey. The Antiochian Women’s Hierarchical Overseer, Bishop JOSEPH, was also present. The meeting opened with a message from Bishop JOSEPH which revolved around the work of the Antiochian Women and that they must always stay the course of service and spirituality. The Antiochian Women not only worked through their business agenda, but networked and shared their successes at the Diocesan and Local levels.
Click here to listen to audio from the assembly on Ancient Faith Radio.
Audio Available of Antiochian Women Presentation at Archdiocese Convention
Click here to listen to Dept. Chair Mrs. Cindy Nimey's presentation at the general assembly of the 2009 Archdiocese Convention.
More audio from the 2009 Convention is available from Ancient Faith Radio.
Antiochian Women General Assembly Audio Available
Audio from Wednesday's general assembly of the Antiochian Women at the 2009 Archdiocese Convention is now available on Ancient Faith Radio.
Antiochian Women Releases CD Collection of Orthodox Saints
“HOLY WOMEN OF THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH” contains:
Over 500 women saints, with icons & troparia & kontakia for each
Major feast days devoted to Our Most Holy Theotokos & Ever-Virgin Mary
Miracle-working icons to the Theotokos
Compiled & Edited by Dianne O’Regan, 2007-2009 NAB Religious Coordinator
Download order form: PDF format - Microsoft Word format
For two thousand years, the Orthodox Christian Church has been blessed with a plethora of materials on women who have been called by God to a life of holiness. Now, for the first time, the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America has compiled this information into one, easily accessible resource – Holy Women of the Orthodox Christian Church. Each copy is priced at $5.00 to cover reproduction and postage costs.
Message from the Diocesan Spiritual Advisor
by Fr. Edward Hughes
from DIAKONIA Summer 2009
The Ladies are the very foundation of the Orthodox Christian Church. There is no doubt that this has been true from the very, very beginning. When our Lord was about his public ministry, traveling and preaching all over the Eastern shore of the Mediterranean, the Scriptures tell us that there were "Many women… which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto Him." (Mt. 27, 55). At the Cross, besides these women from Galilee, there were "Many other women which came up with Him unto Jerusalem." (Mk 15:41) Among these women were those blessed women who were the first to know of the glorious Resurrection. It was they who evangelized the Apostles, telling them the good news which they had learned first from the Angels.
Report from the Midwest Antiochian Women 4th Annual Retreat
Roberta Royhab writes:
Dormition of the Mother of God Orthodox Monastery, in Rives Junction, MI, is “a place that serves the spiritual needs of the Orthodox Christian community in the United States,” their website reads.
Dormition was a perfect place—a holy place, a “retreat” from the stress of the secular world—for the Midwest Antiochian Women’s retreat that was held there the weekend of May 15-17. The monastery for women is located on 120 acres in a rural area of south central Michigan.
His Grace Bishop MARK of the Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest joined us on Friday and for a half day on Saturday. Fr. John Abdalah of Pittsburgh, PA, Spiritual Advisor for Antiochian Women-North American Board, served as Retreat Master.
Antiochian Women's Month
Please visit our newly-revised Antiochian Women web page!
Sermonette for Antiochian Women's Month
2009 Antiochian Women's Month brochure (PDF)
The month of March has been designated as Antiochian Women’s Month by His Eminence, Metropolitan PHILIP. During the month of March every year, women are encouraged to express the fullness of their ministry in the Church. Sponsored by the Antiochian Women, each local chapter is encouraged to hold activities during the month of March and to participate in the Liturgy by reading the Epistle, delivering the homily, and ministering to the parish, the archdiocese, and the community.
Especially during the month of March, women are encouraged to minister to the needs of the poor, infirm and aged, engage in local charitable and humanitarian works, and raise funds for the Project of the Antiochian Women.
Who Are the Antiochian Women?
by Lucy Hanna, NAB Dir. of Public Relations
The Antiochian Women of North America: Who are they? And what is their Focus and Purpose?
The answer to the first question is simple: Every Orthodox woman 18 years or older who is a member of a parish of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America-- regardless of ethnicity and whether or not her parish has an organized chapter—she belongs to Antiochian Woman!
The answer to the second question, while also simple, is a bit more lengthy. Women have a natural capacity to love and nurture. This is what His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP recognized when he founded the National Organization of Antiochian Women in 1973. Then, to help us in our ministries he established a focus and purpose for our organization as a roadmap to guide us in a spirit of Christian leadership, awareness and commitment, fostering love through charitable acts and creating a sense of fellowship and understanding of our heritage and traditions.
Antiochian Women Project 2009: Children With Special Needs
Our Challenge: $150,000
In the Gospel of Matthew 19:14, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven”, and so with much foresight Metropolitan PHILIP has given us a new challenge, “Children with Special Needs.”
These beautiful children of God require our help. Their needs and disabilities are many. Some were born with it, others became disabled by diseases or accidents. We have all been touched by a child with a disability, whether within our own families, our church family, our friends, or in the community where we live. We see firsthand the effect it has on their loved ones; the patience and hard work it entails; the countless hours spent caring and supporting their special needs child lovingly. Our hearts go out to these children and their families as each day brings new challenges.
This year Metropolitan PHILIP has asked that our project proceeds go to Al-Kafa’at, in Beirut, Lebanon. This organization helps with medical supplies, speech and physical therapy, education, job skills, housing for individuals with the most severe disabilities, and much more.
Please join the North American Board of Antiochian Women in working on this worthwhile project. With faith and love in your hearts, and a determination to reach our goal, please help give these children a better life.
Antiochian Women Raise Funds for Retired Clergy Fund
By Lucy Hanna, Antiochian Women President of Diocese of Los Angeles and the West
The primary areas of focus of the Antiochian Women on all levels are religious programs, humanitarian work and the annual project. The NAB project committee has the responsibility of coordinating the raising of funds from women throughout the Archdiocese to benefit one specific project adopted each year by the Antiochian Women.
Over the last 35 years, the Antiochian Women have raised over two million dollars towards the funding and support of many worthwhile endeavors, some of which are the Antiochian Village, the Seminarians, Continuing Pastoral Education, Missions, Orphanages and for the last three years, the Retired Clergy Fund.