Parish News
Is your parish wrapping up a successful fund raising campaign or festival? Did your bishop come for a visit? Are you beginning a new Sunday School program? Please let us know, so we can publish your good news. Entries and photos can generally be published within three working days, and can be e-mailed to: editor@antiochian.org.
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.
30 Years of Priesthood for Fr. Timothy Baclig of St. Michael Church in Van Nuys, CA
Fr. Timothy BacligPsalms 99:2 commands us to “Serve the Lord with gladness, come before Him with great joy.” St. Michael Church in Van Nuys, California did just that when it came together on the weekend of January 12-13, 2013 to honor and celebrate the 30 years of joyous service in the holy priesthood of their pastor, the Very Rev. Timothy Baclig.
The festivities began with the celebration of Great Vespers, presided by Archbishop Joseph with several clergy from throughout southern California in attendance. We then proceeded to our community center ballroom that was decorated with an elegant Hawaiian theme in honor of Fr. Timothy’s birthplace.
It was a joy for our parish to have Fr. Timothy’s son Michael, daughter-in- law Rebekah, and his grandchildren “home” with us for the weekend. Additionally, we were delighted to welcome several members of the Baclig family, many who came from Hawaii, including his brother and sister-in-law Andy & Rosemary Baclig, Jr., his sister Carol Bissen, along with Father’s nieces, nephews and cousins.
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
New Church Home for a Kansas Western Rite Parish
Preparing the new temple for St. Michael, Park City, KSSaint Michael the Archangel Orthodox Christian Church, a Western Rite congregation in the Antiochian Archdiocese, hosted The Right Rev. Bishop Basil (Essey), Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America, for its first Divine Liturgy in its new church temple in Park City, KS, on April 7, 2013. This service on the third Sunday in Lent was a significant milestone in the life of the parish which has experienced many challenges and successes in the nine years of its existence.
St. Michael’s began when Fr. John Flora and a group of his former Episcopal parishioners sought to become members of the Orthodox Church. Father John and 37 members were accepted as catechumens by Bishop Basil in the narthex of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral in Wichita on Dec. 31, 2003.
During the time St. Michael's parishioners were catechumens, they attended services in the Cathedral and later held morning prayer services in the chapel at St. George. Father John was ordained on Pascha, 2004, and St. Michael’s then celebrated Divine Liturgy in the cathedral chapel until it moved into a rented space of its own in March 2010.
Abilene, TX Parish Hosts Retreat with Dr. Paul Meyendorff
Dr. Paul MeyendorffOn March 23, 2013, Dr. Paul Meyendorff, The Fr. Alexander Schmemann professor of Liturgical Theology at St. Vladimir's Seminary, led a parish retreat on the theme of the Sacrament of Confession at St. Luke Orthodox Christian Church in Abilene, Texas. The community gathered to hear Dr. Meyendorff's first address at 4 p.m., and a community meal and Vespers followed, after which he presented the second part of the retreat at 7:15.
The parish priest Fr. Philip LeMasters is the Corporate Secretary for the Board of Trustees at St. Vladimir's, and is also professor of Religion, director of the Honors Program, and dean of the School of Social Sciences and Religion at McMurry University in Abilene. After the retreat, he commented that "Professor Meyendorff unfolded for us the historical development of the practice of confession, and then responded to questions from parishioners during a lively discussion time. Those who attended learned a great deal and were most appreciative for the spiritual encouragement provided by his presentation, coming as it did at the beginning of Great Lent."
