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Diocese of Toledo Adds Mission

The Diocese of Toledo is in the process of starting a new mission in Evansville, Indiana. Fr. Daniel Hackney and his family have moved to the area, and a regular schedule of services is beginning. For information, go to: evansvilleorthodox.org

Fr. Daniel Hackney writes:

My wife Carole, our three boys, and I are privileged to come to Evansville in order to share in the founding of a Mission in the largest city in the United States without an Orthodox Church. This effort is actually a fruit of the many years that Fr. Nabil Hanna and others labored for in the late nineties and early years of this decade, as they did Liturgies when they could for those in this area. Many seeds were planted during that era. Last September, Fr. Peter Gilquist asked me if I might be open to coming to Evansville for this work. Later that month with the blessing of His Grace Bishop MARK, Fr. Peter, and Fr Nabil, my wife and I traveled to this city to scout out the feasibility of planting this mission. 

Originally blessed by His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP to serve on Active Duty in the U.S. Army, an ankle injury precluded this possiblity. Therefore having complete a course of studies at Saint Tikhon's from 2008-2009 along with five months as an Assistant Priest at St. George Cathedral and Saint Elias Orthodox Church in the Toledo area, I look forward to sharing in God's work in this new evangelistic field. As the troparion speaks regarding the Gospel proclamation of the Apostles: "Their sounds have gone out throughout the heavens, and their glory throughout all the earth". We are sharers in carrying these glad tidings, and this holy glory of the Incarnation to the ends of the earth in order that mankind might be saved.

Who we are is the result of all that we have done and experienced in the past. My twelve years of service as a pastor in the Lutheran Church (LCMS) prior to my chrismation was rich in experience; may God bless all who are in that denomination and guide them. But chiefly I am grateful to have the blessing of his Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP and HIs Grace Bishop MARK to undertake this endeavor; and am also thankful for the sage advice given me by His Grace Bishop ANTOUN, who kindly met with our family in November. Also I am indebted to all my many firiends and mentors who have made possible this journey thus far; they are too inumerable to name. Finally, I give thanks to my wife Carole whose vocation as an ICU Nurse will help fund this work.

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers Lord Jesus Christ our God have mercy upon us and save us.