Spring 2004 Orthodox Vision Newsletter, Diocese of the West

8/8/2019 Spring 2004 Orthodox Vision Newsletter, Diocese of the West

1/24His Grace, Bishop BENJAMIN, of Berkeley

Spring, 2004


2/24

the O R T H O D O X

FROM HIS GRACE:FROM HIS GRACE: In lieu of

What charitable activities have taken place in your parish

this past year?

Every growing parish seems to have something to share

about charitable activities they have sponsored in recent

months. Some are one-time projects. Others are annual

events. Starting with this issue of The Orthodox Vision, we

will report on charitable work in our parishes and

missions.Either write an article or send a simple note withthe details of your parish activity, and well include it along

with stories and anecdotes from other parishes.

Here is a sampling of whats going on in the Diocese now:

Saint Seraphims Church In Santa Rosa, California has a

tradition of donating a portion of the receipts from its annual

Glendi food fair to charity. Even though the parish has had

to raise a lot of money to pay for the construction of their

new Church Temple (and, more recently, to pay for the repair

of a leaking dome), the parish members have always taken

the view that part of the beauty of the Church is charity,

itself. Fr. Lawrence Margitich says the parish also supports

a seminarian from their parish with quarterly donations inaddition to responding generously to special appeals for

mission and outreach. According to Margaret Hoffman,

President, the Sisterhood also donates 10% of all money it

raises each year to charities like the Martha and Mary House,

Raphael House Family Shelter, and local charities.

Archpriest Basil Rhodes reports that St. Nicholas

Orthodox Church in Saratoga held a gourmet dinner during

the fast free week in February to raise money for the Martha

and Mary House. The Martha and Mary House provides

counseling for women who need spiritual healing after the

experience of abortion, as well as providing temporary

shelter for young women who choose not to have an abortion,

but to bring the baby to birth. President of the Sisterhood of

St. Nicholas, Natasha Brown and parishioners organized the

dinner which was able to raise nearly $2,000.00.

The St. Nicholas Church in San Anselmo, California

always makes charity a part of their feast day celebration on

December 6th. Fr. Stephan Meholick, Rector, says the parishhas made a commitment to include charity in everything it

does. The discussion came up when we were raising money

for our new iconostasis, which was a very expensive project.

This led our parish members to make a decision we still

abide by - to make charitable giving a part of every aspect

of the churchs fundraising and financial planning. Elizabeth

Frey is the current president of the parish Sisterhood, and

shares in the coordination of their annual bazaar. In addition

to their goal of purchasing vestments and beautifying the

temple, the bazaar contibutes scholarships for summer camp,

the St. Vladimirs Institute, International Orthodox Christian

Charities, and other community projects.The Sisterhood and Fellowship at Holy Trinity Cathedral

in San Francisco has had a special Mothers Day Brunch

for the past two years, raising money for Raphael House.

Many of our Orthodox staff at Raphael House are members

of Holy Trinity. Sisterhood President Kathleen Conlogue

has organized the brunches for the past two years, each one

raising over $2,000 for Raphael House.

Charity is not just a matter of contributing money. Most

parishes are not rich; very often they struggle to make ends

meet. We have a number of small parishes and new missions

my customary essay in the Vision, and in the interest of saving space,

I would like to only recommend that the beloved Faithful clergy and

Laity of the Diocese would give careful attention to this issue, particu-

larly the article on Charities. I would also like to express my deepest

appreciation and gratitude to all in the Diocese who supported me in

obtaining as Auxiliary Bishop of Berkeley, His Grace, Right Reverend

Bishop Benjamin, now the Chancellor of the Diocese, who is alreadyenergetically applying himself to the Lords work here. Perhaps most

importantly, I beseech you all to keep in your prayers the suffering Serbian

people, who continue to loose their lives, homes, livelihoods, religious

and historical monuments, churches, and institutions. I also beseech you

all to keep in mind our own country and pray that the Lord will guide her

onto a path beneficial to that mankind which the Lord loves and to look

with favor on our prayers at the litiya, to protect this city and land and

every city and landfromforeign invasion!

+Tikhon

Report on Diocesan Charitiesby Fr. David Lowell


3/241

From His Grace

Inside Cover

Charity ReportInside Cover

Word from a Chaplain

2

Archimandrite Benjamin Consecrated Bishop of

Berkeley

3

BENJAMINs Path to See

5

An Interview with the New Auxilliary Bishop

5

Historical Perspective: Orthodoxy in Seattle

6

In Blessed Memory,

Leroy von Schottenstein

11

Something Old, Something New: Hymns from History

14

Ask Fr. Joseph

15

Denver Ethnic Cultural Food Festival

17

Life Giving Spring Retreat Center Expands Role

18

Summer Camps19

The Internet and the Diocese of the West

20

Announcements

21

In This IssueVolume 10, Number 1

V I S I O N S p r i n g , 2 0 0 4

in the Diocese who pay their priest little or nothing beyond

living accommodations (and in some cases not even that!).

Were glad to report, though, that charity is evident in even

our smallest missions.

Weve also noticed that some parish members who have

helped in the recent construction of their church temples

(such as St. Herman of Alaska Mission in Port Townsend,

WA and SS Constantine and Helen Orthodox Church in

Colorado Springs) also have shared their skills with ourmonasteries and the St. Herman of Alaska Seminary in

Kodiak, Alaska, as well as making repairs for some of our

elderly and disabled parishioners.

When His Grace Bishop TIKHON became Hierarch, he

stated that growth in charity was one of his goals for the

Diocese. Many of our clergy and laity share this goal, as

was evident at our last Diocesan Assembly. Fr. Lawrence

Gaudreau asked all present to make pledges for our annual

Stewards of the West campaign. These donations help

support our student seminarians preparing to serve in the

Diocese as clergy, provide funds for expansion of new

mission parishes, and give charitable contributions to the

Raphael Houses in Portland and San Francisco, the Martha

and Mary House, and other projects. In the space of only a

few minutes, pledges were made which totaled $14,000.

The fact that the clergy were so generous in giving is a

good sign. Mary Caetta, Diocesan Treasurer, says the number

of new donors to various Diocesan appeals has grown

phenomenally. When it comes to giving, its not only the

bottom line that matters; its also the number of people. It

boosts morale even in tight times.

Whenever your Sisterhood, or youth group, or parish as a

whole does a special project, send us a note and picture witha caption. Include names when possible. Well put your

information to use here!

As the Director of Raphael House in San Francisco, I have

plenty to tell about our work here, and I will. But I stress

again, the charitable activities within our Diocese arent all

about being big. They dont always involve money. What

they do involve is people. The events, projects and charitable

activities within the fabric of our parish life together are

profoundly interesting and reveal much about who we are.

Lets hear from you. Please send reports to: Rev. David

Lowell, 1065 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94109,

[email protected], or V. Rev. Lawrence Russell, 733Fairmont Ave., Santa Maria, CA 93455,

[email protected].

Martha and Mary House

Orthodox Christian Maternity Home

P.O. Box 1680

Escondido, CA 92033

Phone: (760)741-7050

[email protected]

The Cover Photo and other consecrateion photos are by John

Mindala II, Assistant to the Chancellor for Communications and

Graphic Design, Syosset.


4/24

The Official Publication of the

Diocese of the West of the

Orthodox Church in America

Diocese of the West

650 Micheltorena Street

Los Angeles, CA 90026-3612

Publisher

His Grace Bishop TIKHON

Bishop of San Francisco and

the Diocese of the West

650 Micheltorena Street

Los Angeles, CA 90026-3612

Phone: (323)666-4977

Fax: (323)913-0316

Address all stories & comments:

Editor-in-ChiefPriest Isaac Skidmore

475 N Laurel St.

Ashland, OR 97520-1112

Phone: (541)488-3748

Fax (establish voice contact first): (541)488-3748

Email: [email protected]

Send All Address Changes to:

Mary Caetta

25 Captains Cove

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The Orthodox Vision is published three times a year by the Dio-

cese of the West. It is free to all parish members and outreach

within the Diocese.

The articles contained herein do not necessarily reflect the views

or policies of the Diocese or the editors. The advertisements con-

tained herein are not necessarily endorsed by the Diocese or Edi-

torial Staff.

2

the O R T H O D O X

Word From a ChaplainPriest Paul Schellbach

Serving as an Orthodox chaplain in Iraq is both chal-

lenging and rewarding. I have been able to minister

and give the Eucharist to a few soldiers while here. I

perform the services in a chapel tent without air con-

ditioner and wearing vestments is a challenge in this

environment. I recently moved my services to a build-

ing with amenities of temperature control.

The Paschal service was very moving and we all

felt the joy of Christ even in the midst of combat

around us. There have been casualties of non-ortho-

dox soldiers that we have

mourned. We just put our

faith in Christ and move

on. The best way I can put

it is Through the Cross joy has come into the

world. The Akathist of

Thanksgiving Glory to

God for all things has

been very inspirational to

me in my personal prayer

while here. Please pray

for the Orthodox soldiers

and non-orthodox soldiers

and their families.

Christ is Risen! In-deed He is Risen!

Fr, Pauls orders for service began Jan. 22nd, 2004.

He is stationed in Balad, a large military air force base,

about an hour north of Baghdad. His e-mail is

[email protected]. Wife, Matushka Patty,

remains in Victorville, CA, and may be contacted at

[email protected].

In a recent letter to his family, Fr. Paul said, Every-

one always asks, where is the chapel or church? Well,

like the preachers of the 1800s, church is whereverChaplain Paul Schellbach pulls out his bible!


5/243

Archimandrite Benjamin Consecrated

Bishop of BerkeleyThis is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.

1 Timothy 3:1

On May 1, 2004, the Diocese of the West joyously

celebrated the consecration of Archimandrite Benjamin

to the episcopacy. This consecration brought to frui-

tion the long held desire of His Grace Bishop TIKHON

to have an auxiliary bishop for the Diocese. After many

years of hope and planning, His Grace was able to pre-

side with His Beatitude Metro-

politan HERMAN and His

Grace Bishop NIKOLAI at this

seminal event. And with athankful heart, Archimandrite

Benjamin was given the

omophor of the Bishop of Ber-

keley. Bishop BENJAMIN will

continue to serve as the Chan-

cellor for the Diocese of the

West.

The event was unique in that

all of the consecrating bishops

had a connection with the Dio-

cese. Obviously His Grace

TIKHON is the ruling bishop,

but His Beatitude served as ad-

ministrator for the Diocese for

a short while years ago and His

Grace NIKOLAI served as

Chancellor of the Diocese prior

to his election to the see in

Alaska. It also marked the re-

turn of Bishop BENJAMIN to

his home Diocese after an ab-sence of five years in the Diocese of Alaska. Bishop

BENJAMIN served for many years as choir director,

deacon and priest at Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral in

Los Angeles before being reassigned to Anchorage and

then to Kodiak.

The consecration took place at Holy Trinity Cathe-

dral in San Francisco, the seat of the Diocese of the

West. Clergy and faithful from around the country gath-

ered for the celebration and to witness this historic

event. The first service was the celebration of Great

Vespers on Friday evening by the Bishop-Elect in the

presence of the consecrating hierarchs. Preceding the

service, the official election of the Bishop-Elect took

place. This including the reading of the proclamation

of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America,

the blessing by the bishops and

reading of the formal accep-

tance by the Bishop-Elect. In

his acceptance, the Bishop-Elect thanked all those people

who have been vital in his

maturation as a person and a

clergyman. He also stressed

the importance of love and how

the bishop should always be an

image of love to his flock

which has been entrusted to

him. Following his accep-

tance, the Bishop-Elect cel-

ebrated the Great Vespers. A

great joy to Archimandrite

Benjamin was the presence of

his family for the weekend, in-

cluding his father, step-mother,

uncle and nephew.

The following morning gath-

ered the faithful and clergy

from around the country and

the Diocese. Besides the three

hierarchs present, close to fortyclergy and hundreds of faithful crowded into the Ca-

thedral. A procession of the clergy preceded the for-

mal Three Declarations of Faith by the Bishop- Elect.

The glorious Hierarchical Liturgy was sung by two

choirs, the Cathedral Choir of Holy Trinity and the

Choir of St. Nicholas Church in San Anselmo. The

antiphonal music truly added to the resplendent cel-

ebration. Others present included representatives from

V I S I O N S p r i n g , 2 0 0 4

(Contd. on next page.)


6/24

the Antiochian Archdiocese, the Moscow Patriarchate

and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

It was after the Little Entrance, that the Bishop-Elect

was lead into the altar for his consecration. The laying

on of the hands by the other hierarchs, prayers and vest-

ing elevated the Bishop-Elect to be the new Bishop of

Berkeley. As he was vested, each piece of vestment

was held before the assembled to the cry of Axios

(worthy) to

be enthusias-

tically re-

peated back

by the faith-

ful. The new

bishop then

took his place

beside the

other bishopsof the Ortho-

dox Church

in America.

F o l l o w i n g

the Liturgy,

Bishop BEN-

JAMIN was

vested in his

mantya and

p r e s e n t e d

with thearchpastoral

staff as a sign of his new authority and responsibility.

The people flocked to his person to receive his bless-

ing to complete the services.

Following the Liturgy, a banquet was held and

McCormick and Kuletos Restaurant in Ghirardelli

Square overlooking Fishermans Wharf on the San

Francisco Bay. Archpriest Viktor Sokolov, Dean of

Holy Trinity Cathedral mastered the event. Among the

speakers were His Beatitude HERMAN, His GraceTIKHON, His Grace NIKOLAI, Protopresbyter Rob-

ert Kondratick (Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in

America), and Professor John Erickson, Dean of St.

Vladimirs Seminary. Dear friends of Bishop BEN-

JAMIN were also among the speakers. At the end of

the banquet, members of the Diocese presented His

Grace with new vestments, miters and other liturgical

items as a welcome to his new position. His Grace was

humbled and thankful for the outpouring of love and

support.

The following day, Sunday, Bishop BENJAMIN cel-

ebrated his first Hierarchical Liturgy at Holy Trinity

Cathedral. During the service he awarded the platisa

on behalf of the Holy Synod to Archpriest Viktor

Sokolov and the nabedrennik to Priest David Lowell

in honor of their service to the Church. Following the

Liturgy, there was again a joyous celebration in the

parish hall (including the music of bagpipes to the de-

light of

B i s h o p

BENJAMINs

S c o t t i s h

heritage).

The Dio-

cese would

like to ex-

press

thanks toArchpriest

Viktor and

all of Holy

Trinity Ca-

thedral for

the gracious

hospitality it

showed dur-

ing this

time. Their

hard work, joy

dedication permeated the spirit of the weekend. And

there was much gratitude for the long hours they spent

in preparation and operation throughout the time. The

Diocese also expresses their thanks to the choirs, the

clergy, those who served, those who traveled and those

who prayed during this consecration of the new Bishop

of Berkeley. And we pray for a long and fruitful epis-

copate of Bishop BENJAMIN. Eis Pollai Eti Despota!

Clergy in sancturary with newly consecrated bishop

the O R T H O D O X

4

(Consecration, contd. from previous page.)

$7.00 per lb.


7/24

Bishop BENJAMIN was born Vincent Peterson in

Pasadena, CA on June 1, 1954 and was baptized and

chrismated at Holy VirginMary Cathedral, Los Angeles,

CA on April 27, 1972. In 1978

he was awarded a Master of

Divinity degree and Certificate

in Liturgical Music from Saint

Vladimir Seminary.

A prolific musician, he

served as choirmaster at par-

ishes in Detroit, MI and Los

Angeles and as chairman of the

Orthodox Church in AmericasDepartment of Liturgical Mu-

sic. He was ordained to the

Holy Diaconate on November

15, 1987 by Bishop Tikhon at

his home parish, which he

served for 10 years as deacon

and youth and education direc-

tor. The following year he was

tonsured a riasophore monk by

Bishop Tikhon and further ton-sured to the lesser schema by

Archbishop [now Metropoli-

tan] Herman at Saint Tikhon

Monastery, South Canaan, PA.

In 1991 he was elevated to the

rank of archdeacon.

BENJAMINs Path to Seeby V. Rev. Victor Sokolov

On July 19, 1997, he was ordained to the Holy Priest-

hood by Bishop Tikhon. In 1999, Igumen Benjamin

was was transferred to the Dio-cese of Alaska. In addition to

other responsibilities, he served

as dean of Saint Innocent Cathe-

dral and later as administrative

dean of Saint Herman Seminary,

Kodiak, AK. He was elevated to

the rank of archimandrite in

2002. In January 2004 he was re-

assigned to Holy Virgin Mary

Cathedral, Los Angeles, and ap-

pointed Chancellor of the Dio-cese of the West.

Upon consecration to the epis-

copacy, BENJAMIN continues

to serve as Auxiliary to Bishop

Tikhon of San Francisco and

will continue to serve as Dioc-

esan Chancellor.

Historic Holy Trinity Cathe-

dral, the site of the consecration,

is the oldest Orthodox commu-nity in the contiguous United

States. The cathedral, estab-

lished in 1857, is the seat of the

Bishop Tikhon of San Francisco

and the Diocese of the West of

the Orthodox Church in America.

"Especially for our most holy, most pure, most

blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos

and ever-virgin Mary."

V I S I O N S p r i n g , 2 0 0 4

An Interview with the New Auxilliary Bishop

Vision: Your Grace, what would you like to say tothe faithful of the diocese at the outset of your episco-

pal service?

Bishop BENJAMIN: I suppose, I would first like to

say how grateful to God I am to be back home in this

diocese. And, I would ask for their prayers as I begin

my new ministry. I have been so very pleased with

the support and encouragement I have received since

returning in January.

Vision: Do you have particular goals?

Bishop BENJAMIN: At this point in time, I am hop-

ing to visit every parish and institution of our diocese

before the end of the year. I has been almost five years

since I was last in the diocese. We have several new

parishes and new clergy that have become a part of our

diocese in that time. I want to get to know them. Then,

I would hope I could continue to visit the parishes on

an annual basis.

5

(Contd on pg. 12.)


8/24

Historical Perspective

Orthodoxy in SeattleThe following, to be printed in several parts, was prepared in 1985, on the occasion of Seattles St. Spiridons

Cathedrals 90th anniversary.

the O R T H O D O X

6

United States.

After 1867, the condition of the Orthodox Church in

Alaska declined significantly. The main cause of this

can be attributed to the administrative change which

altered considerably the status of the Orthodox Church

in Alaska. Before 1867, the Orthodox Church of Alaska

was a Russian Mission within the borders of the Rus-

sian Empire, but now this

Russian Mission was on

the territory of a differentsovereign state. The sec-

ond and third clauses of the

bill of sale of Alaska stated

that the United States

would recognize the prop-

erty and the rights of the

Russian Orthodox Church.

The Orthodox population

remaining on the territory

that had been purchased

would automatically enjoy

all the rights and privileges

of the citizens of the

United States.

The absence of an eco-

nomic base during the first

years following the 1867

transaction should be

counted among the conse-

quences detrimental to the growth of the Orthodox

Church. The Russian-American Company which wasthe main source of financial support for the Orthodox

Church in Alaska ceased to exist in 1863. A certain de-

crease of missionary activity in Alaska and concurrent

increase of it in the United States proper were two im-

mediate factors which influenced the further develop-

ment of Orthodoxy in America.

Orthodox services were conducted in California long

before the official establishment of a parish. The first

Orthodox Church in California was built in 1812, at Fort

In the history of the Orthodox Church in America,

the period between 1867 and 1872 was one of transi-

tion. The Orthodox Church in America entered a new

stage of development at the time of the purchase of

Alaska by the United States. The Church gained a new

field of action within the borders of a new sovereign

state. It acquired the potential to become the National

Orthodox Church of

North America. New

conditions of existencein a new state with dif-

ferent economic, admin-

istrative, and political

systems called for new

methods of administra-

tion in the Church.

This period in the life

of the Orthodox Church

in America can be com-

pared with the situation

of the Russian Church at

the time of its depen-

dence on the Patriarchate

of Constantinople. In

1867, the Orthodox

Church in America had

property in a country

completely independent

of Russia, but the Church

v/as hierarchically dependent on the Russian Orthodox

Church.There were three major factors which determined the

course of development of the Orthodox Church in

America between 1867 and 1887: 1) the positive and

negative consequences of the purchase of Alaska by

the United States; 2) the organization of an Orthodox

parish in San Francisco; this parish was a first step for

missionary activity within the United States; 3) the es-

tablishment by the Holy Synod of the Russian Ortho-

dox Church of an independent episcopal see in the

St. Spiridons Cathedral today


9/24

V I S I O N S p r i n g , 2 0 0 4

7

Ross, an outpost of the Russian-American Company,

about one hundred miles north of San Francisco. The

Orthodox population of the Fort was, until 1842 and

the sale of the Fort, the first Orthodox community in

California

In the 1850s, attracted by the Gold Rush, Orthodox

Serbians, Greeks, and Syrians began to arrive in San

Francisco. From 1859 to 1864, Orthodox services were

performed at irregular intervals by priests aboard the

warships of the Russian Imperial Navy visiting the port

of San Francisco. In 1864, thanks to the efforts of the

Russian Orthodox Church and the local Orthodox popu-

lation, the establishment of a permanent parish in San

Francisco became a reality.

The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church was

concerned about the needs of the Orthodox populationin San Francisco and at the same time aware of the grow-

ing interest of the American Episcopal Church in Or-

thodoxy. The building of a church in San Francisco,

according to the Ober-Procurator of the Holy Synod,

would express "our sympathy toward this remarkable

religious movement." In the effort to help the Orthodox

of San Francisco, the Russian Naval Ministry contrib-

uted the equipment of one of its field churches.

In 1864, the Orthodox people of San Francisco orga-

nized an Orthodox Society with sixteen Russian,

Serbian, and Greek members. In 1867, the Society was

registered at the City Hall under the name of Greek-

Russian-Slavonic Church and Philanthropic Society.

The Russian and Greek consuls were members of the

Society. Funds were collected for a priest's salary and

church; by 1868, the church, known as the Prayer House

of the Eastern Orthodox Church, at 504 GreenwichStreet, held regular Sunday and feast day services. The

establishment of the parish in San Francisco was the

first painless and natural step toward Orthodoxy in the

United States of America. The next important event in

the history of Orthodoxy in this country was the estab-

lishment of an independent episcopal see in San Fran-

cisco.

In 1868, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox

Church announced its plan for the establishment in the

United States of an independent episcopal see taking

the place of the vicariate which was located in Sitka,Alaska, and whose chief concern v/as the administra-

tion of the churches and missions in Alaska and on the

Aleutian Islands. The Russian Imperial Government

approached this proposal with great caution, consider-

ing the establishment of an episcopal see on the terri-

tory of the United States but subordinated to the Holy

Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church to be almost

an interference in the internal affairs of another state.

The establishment of an episcopal see was finally ap-

proved on June 10, 1870, the date which marks the be-

ginning of the new ecclesiastical administration of the

Orthodox Church in the U.S.A., which was to be car-

ried out "taking into the account the distinctive fea-

tures of the state."

Archimandrite John (Mitropolsky) was appointed

Bishop of the newly-established Episcopal See in

America from 1870 to 1876. He was followed by Bish-

ops Nestor, Vladimir, and Nicholas.

Upon the arrival of the first Bishop in San Francisco,

the Greek consul (George Fischer) addressed him as

"the head of the Holy Orthodox Eastern Church on theWest Coast of the United States of America." This sums

up the significance of the establishment of the episco-

pal see in San Francisco.

By establishing an episcopal see in the United States

in place of a Vicariate for the Aleutian Islands and

Alaska, the Russian Orthodox Church assured the pos-

sibility of a successful continuation of missionary ac-

tivity both in Alaska and in the United States proper.

Fort Ross



10/24

the O R T H O D O X

8

Both the Holy Synod of the Russian Church and the

Imperial State Council approached this problem with

great caution. Nowhere in their decrees is there even a

hint of a desire to establish a Church "colony" with

purely nationalistic aims. On the contrary, they insist

on speaking of the Orthodox Church of America and

of the Orthodox people on the territory of America;

they speak of financial aid to the Orthodox parishes.

"Russian" Orthodoxy is not mentioned; this attitude

reflected and reflects the true essence of the unity of

the Orthodox Churches. This first Orthodox Diocese

in the United States, which grew out of the Orthodox

community of San Francisco, took in all Orthodox

people living in the United States irrespective of their

national origin. 1

Shortly after his consecration as Bishop of the Aleu-

tian Islands and Alaska on September 29, 1891, Bishop

Nicholas (Ziorov) undertook a mission to get the Or-

thodox people on the West Coast of America back into

their church. He sent Father Hieromonk Sebastian

Dabovich to the Pacific Northwest to organize the lo-

cal Orthodox populations into parishes. In Washing-

ton, Seattle parishioners began to organize in 1892,

while in Wilkeson, parishioners began building a

church in 1894 and finished construction in 1896. Saint

Savva's Mission opened on October 4, 1895, in

Johnson, Washington.

Saint Spiridon's parish was founded in 1892 by Rus-sian and Greek immigrants in a joint effort, prompted

by an offer from the Russian government to provide a

bilingual priest. George and Mary Nicholas, a Greek

couple, donated land for the first parish church at 817

Lakeview Avenue (presently known as Lakeview Bou-

levard, about four blocks north of the present Saint

Spiridon's Cathedral). While Father Dabovich traveled

around North America (substituting for Father Alexis

Toth who has been sent to San Francisco), the Seattle

community rushed to build a church, and thus "earn"their assigned priest. The church, known as the Greek

Catholic Mission, was completed in 1895, but was

poorly constructed. Its location on the outskirts of the

city center, then around Marion Street and Third Av-

enue, was also inconvenient. Built on the edge of Capi-

tol Hill, the property was actually a twenty-foot-deep

hole. Since the property faced west, the altar was placed

on the street side, and entrance into the church was

around the south side along a narrow wooden scaf-

folding. The church building was constructed on tall,

wooden pillars rather than on a foundation. An icon ofSaint Sebastian, donated by Father Sebastian, still hangs

in the current Saint Spiridon's.

Father Amvrosius Vretta, the first priest, and Mr.

Alexander Kapustin, the first choir director, arrived in

1895. In the fall of that year, the first set of liturgical,

metrical, and financial books arrived in Seattle by boat

from New York City.

The first recorded activity of parish life, a Divine

Liturgy, was on November 19, 1895. The collection

plate yielded $1.70, and $1.70 worth of candles were

sold. The first recorded expense for the parish was

$1.50 for the freight charge for the metrical books and

for the candles. The first sacrament performed in the

church was the marriage of Nicholas George Vasilianos

and Vassiliki Nicholas (aka Vasilissa Nikolaeva), of

Port Townsend, on November 22, 1895. The prevail-

ing custom at the time was to hold baptisms, weddings,

and the like in private homes.

The parishioners soon became unhappy and disap-

pointed. The church was too far away; there was no

1 Robert and Olga Hughes, The One-Hundredth Anniversary

of the First Eastern Orthodox Parish in San Francisco, One Hun-

dred Years of the First Orthodox Parish in San Francisco, 1968,

pp.14-15.

(Seatlle, contd. from previous page.)


11/24

of the building. Entrance to the church was now from

the street side of the building. A bell tower, complete

with inscribed bell donated by Tsar Nicholas II, was

built. The building was painted inside and outside; new

icon frames and an iconostasis were designed.

On August 12, 1901, Bishop Tikhon paid a visit and

placed the Holy Antimension on the Altar. The follow-

ing is a synopsis of the recorded account of the visit:

The Bishop, accompanied by Hierodeacon Elias, was

met at the train station by a delegation from the parish

and escorted in a carriage to the church, where His

Grace was greeted by Father Vladimir. The bishop was

so pleased with the renovation that he donated $25 to

the building fund and agreed to give the church a full

blessing. Matushka Alexandrov greeted him with the

traditional bread and salt, and the bishop then rested

after his two day journey from San Francisco. He served

Vigil at 7:00 P.M. and Divine Liturgy at 9:30 A.M. the

next morning.

Father Vladimir received a nabedrennik. A children's

choir sang in Slavonic, Greek, and English, and the ser-

mon was delivered in English. After the four-hour ser-

vice, everyone rested and returned in the evening for

the vigil for the feast of Saint Tikhon, the bishop'snameday. Members from Holy Trinity Church in

Wilkeson and Church of the Resurrection in Cle Elem

came to Seattle for the festivities. The Bishop prom-

ised to serve in Wilkeson, on his return trip from

Canada. 2

V I S I O N S p r i n g , 2 0 0 4

9

street from downtown directly to the church. The build-

ing also began to settle; the wooden pillars placed di-

rectly into the ground had begun to rot. In December

1895, scaffolding was erected along the north side of

the building to lend additional support.

Mr. Vladimir Alexandrov, the second choir director,

arrived in May 1896. Bishop Nicholas visited Seattle

on October 20. He refused to consecrate the church fullybecause of its structural unsoundness and conducted a

lesser blessing of the church. Father Amvrosius was

transferred in December, and from 1897 to 1898, Fa-

ther Dimitry Kamnev served the parish, whose name

was changed to Greek Orthodox Church of Saint

Spiridon, in 1897, and to Greeco-Russian Orthodox

Church of Saint Spiridon in 1898. Under his and Mr.

Alexandrov's guidance, Serbs, Ruthenians, Bulgarians,

Syrians, and gypsies were brought into the church.

Bishop Nicholas returned to Russia in 1899, and be-

came Bishop of Warsaw. He was replaced by BishopTikhon (who became Patriarch of Russia after the Revo-

lution), who paid a visit to Seattle on June 20, 1899. He

was aggrieved by the condition of the church building

and parish house. A special collection was held for the

full remodeling of the house, redesign of the church yard,

addition of a wooden veranda and staircase down to the

street and renovation of the windows and doors. Father

Kamnev returned to Russia, and Mr. Alexandrov was

ordained and assigned to Saint Spiridon's. Mr. Paul

Alexandrov, Father Alexander's nineteen year old

brother, became the new choir director. At the end of

1900, there were 107 men and 50 women recorded as

members of the parish, along with 26 households.

Seattle continued to grow. Lakeview Avenue was con-

nected to Eastlake Avenue. People became accustomed

to the church's location, but the building was in imme-

diate need of extensive repairs. The scaffolding and pil-

lars became more and more fragile. The church shook

under a strong wind from Lake Union and was ready to

tumble down.

In April 1901, the parishioners requested and receivedpermission to move the altar to the western side of the

church. Serious remodeling began. Ranko and Dimitri

Petkovich donated $40. Mr. V.V. Stafeev from Kodiak

donated $20. A small loan and the $50 from previous

collections financed the remodeling. The church was

closed from June to August. The building was raised 18

inches, a brick foundation was inserted, a semi-circular

sanctuary and a vestry were added to the western side

2 V. Rev. Vasily A. Kuvshinoff , Saint Spiridons Russian Or-

thodox Cathedral Parish in Seattle, Washington, Anniversary

Collection in Remembrance of the One Hundred fiftieth year of

the Russian Orthodox Church in North America, 1945, pp. 127-

128. (Contd. on next page.)


12/24

fully and quietly. Father Mitrofan Poplavsky replaced

Father Michael in 1915 and was rector until 1916. He

was replaced in 1917 by Father Alexander

Vyacheslavov. Parish records for 1916 mention a par-

ish library with books in Slavonic, Greek, and Arabic.

Even before World War I, Seattle enjoyed a reputa-

tion as a shipping center for Kamchatka, the Amur

River, and Anadyr. During World War I, many goodswere shipped to Russia.

In 1916, the first Russian consul, Nicholas

Bogoyavlensky, was appointed to Seattle. He and his

wife Anna, and sons Boris and Gleb attended Saint

Spiridon's parish; after the Russian revolution, the fam-

ily remained in Seattle. The consul general donated to

the parish an icon in memory of his wife. Upon his

death, he was interred in the Russian cemetery at

Washelli.

The initial effects of the Russian revolution were felt

in Seattle. Father Vasily Kuvshinoff, in his parish his-tory, wrote that during the revolutionary years 1917 to

1920, the parish membership decreased as a direct re-

sult of the revolutionary Zeitgeist. Many of the old im-

migrants left the church, removed the icons from their

homes, ceased to participate in church life. Even in

1944, there was a segment of this group of the Seattle

Russian colony who had never been baptized.

Beginning in 1920, but especially in 1923 and 1924,

waves of new Russian migrs arrived in Seattle, and

they joined the poverty-stricken little church on

Lakeview Boulevard. Under the spiritual leadership of

Father Alexander Vyacheslavov, they began to care

about their spiritual habitation in a new homeland. Up-

wards of 6,000

people pass

through Saint

Spiridon's parish in

1923 alone; gradu-

ally they dispersed

across America to

look for permanentemployment.

Father Alexander

was very much re-

vered by his flock.

The young people

of the parish peti-

tioned Metropoli-

tan Platon to award

10

the O R T H O D O X

Father Alexander also visited the Portland parish from

time to time. Services were conducted in English for

the approximately fifty parishioners of mixed national

background.

The fourth priest to serve Saint Spiridon's was Father

Michael Andreades (1901- 1915). Born in

Constantinople, he received his education in Simferepol,Crimea, and at the patriarchal school in Constantinople.

Equally at home in Russian and Greek culture, Father

Michael was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Nicho-

las in Russia, and moved to San Francisco to begin his

work for the Orthodox church in America. Archbishop

Tikhon ordained him to the priesthood in Saint

Spiridon's in 1905. He was appointed dean for the Rus-

sian-Serbian parishes on the Pacific Coast from 1909

to 1912, and added the deanery of Alaska to his respon-sibilities from 1912 to 1916 (his administrative region

extended from San Diego, California, north to Sitka,

Alaska). He kept voluminous records and reports about

the state of the Orthodox churches in the Russian Mis-

sion. He prepared a report on the Greek parishes in 1915,

and outlined the existing relations between the estab-

lished Russian Mission and the increasing number of

Greek parishes not under a resident bishop.

Parish life in Seattle during this time flowed peace-

(Seattle, contd. from previous page.)


13/24

(To be continued in next edition . . . )

Father Alexander a gold cross in honor of the sacri-

fices he had made on their behalf. A segment of their

petition reads:

...we ask for your blessing for us to give Father

Alexander Matveevich Vyacheslavov a gold pectoral

cross for his nameday, 30 August [O.S.] 1923, and for

your blessing for him to have permission to wear thiscross...as a holy symbol of our love for him...

...For us, Russian people arriving in Seattle...so far

from our native land, it was a great comfort and moral

support to find our beloved Church preserving its com-

mandments in such a different culture.

And our Batiushka, Father Alexander, through his life

and works is truly an expression of the ideal of an Or-

thodox priest of our Holy Russia, from time immemo-

rial.

Without limiting his liturgical activities as a servant

of the church, Father Alexander, ruled by his good heart,

sacrificed his personal life in order to help us in our

varied daily needs... as a counselor, a defender whom

we understand and who understands us in a way in which

the most kind-hearted and humane foreigner cannot.

And so, as a sign of our gratitude to dear Father

Alexander, as a symbol of his strong faith in the mis-

sion of the Russian Orthodox Church, as a remembrance

of the people who cannot forget the good of which we

continue to take advantage, we the organizations

somehow under the protection of the canopy of the

church the Russian National Student Society, the

"Russian House", and equally the parishioners, have

planned to give him on his Nameday a gold pectoral

cross and ask Your Eminence to bless our endeavor and

his wearing [of this cross]. Always remembering that

we cannot fully or worthily thank him, let this small

sign of our gratitude tell him that what he tirelesslyaccomplished and accomplishes, bears fruit a hundred-

fold.

Please share with us, even in. absentia, this spiritual

joy of our love and unity with our shepherd... 3

11

3 Petition from the parishioners and students of Saint Spiridons

parish to His Eminence, Metropolitan Platon, n.d. (memo dated

17 October 1923 written on letter), (letter on file at Archives Cen-

ter, Orthodox Church in America, Syosset, New York).

V I S I O N S p r i n g , 2 0 0 4

St. Spiridon Orthodox Cathedral

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(206)624-5341

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Leroy von Schottenstein fell asleep on the beach in

Florida and died, early in March.

Leroy, whose Orthodox name was HERMAN, was

a key member of the Diocesan Council in the West in

the 70s, being an attorney. Being received into the

Church, he married Lillian Ratkovich (the sister of

Matushka Anita Boldireff), and became an active mem-

ber of St. Innocent Church at Holy Trinity Cathedral,

and then helped found the mission (then in Walnut

Creek) now in Concord, California, over which Fa-

ther Michael Regan now presides.He was the main architect of our dioceses incorpo-

ration as a non-profit corporation, replacing the cor-

poration sole of Archbishop John, and the change of

the name to Diocese of the West, rather than Dio-

cese of San Francisco and the West.

He is survived by his wife, Lillian, a son and two

daughters.

May prayers be offered for his loved-ones, and

MEMORY ETERNAL!

In Blessed Memory,

Leroy von Schottenstein

Subscriptions:

P.O. Box 16021

Portland, Oregon 97292-0021

[email protected]


14/24

the O R T H O D O X

12

Vision: How will your work coordinate with His

Grace Bishop TIKHONs?

Bishop BENJAMIN: Bishop Tikhon is our ruling hi-

erarch. Everything I do, I must do with his consent

and blessing. We communicate via the phone and email

frequently.

Vision: Where were you raised?

Bishop BENJAMIN: I was born in Pasadena, CA and

lived for most of my childhood in Sierra Madre, CA.

So, I am a native Californian.

Vision: What

people and expe-

riences from the

past have espe-cially shaped

you, and will in-

fluence your min-

istry as bishop?

Bishop BEN-

JAMIN: Of

course, one's

family and espe-

cially one's par-

ents are a major

force in shaping

one's life. My

mother and father

faced some real challenges in their lives. I have three

siblings and all three are handicapped. My brother,

Dale, was, for one reason or another, unable to breathe

after birth and suffered brain damage. He was my con-

stant companion for years and I developed a sense of

responsibility for him at a very early age. Perhaps, the

greatest disappointment in my life is that, due to hisneeds, I am unable to care for him in my own home.

My sisters and brother were also epileptics. So, there

seemed to be one medical emergency after another in

my household when I was growing up. My parents

took up their cross and bore it with courage and deter-

mination.

I suppose the greatest influence, after my parents, has

to be Bishop Tikhon who I have known for more than

thirty years. He has given me an appreciation for the

beauty of the divine services and consistency. To a great

extent he has shaped my priesthood.

I would also have to add the people of Holy Virgin

Mary Cathedral in Los Angeles. When I first came to

the Church, they welcomed me and allowed me to be-

come a part of their world. It can be very daunting to

integrate oneself into a large and very different group

of people. When I first came to the cathedral I was sortof herded to the choir, which was a very good thing. I

enabled me to have a smaller group with in the parish

to which I could relate and it helped me stay focused

on the Liturgy.

Most recently, the students of St. Herman Seminary

and the native people of Alaska have helped to shape

my life. I went to

Alaska five years

ago at the request

of Metropolitan

Theodosius re-

ally not knowing

anyone but Fr.

Michael Oleksa

and his wife. I

have been and

am impressed

with the generos-

ity, gentleness,

and openness of

the Alaskanpeople.

Vision: Were

you born into the Orthodox faith?

Bishop BENJAMIN: No, my family is primarily Prot-

estant. My mother was a soloist for various choirs and

we did a lot of "church hopping", depending on where

my mother was currently singing. My paternal grand-

father was a minister in the Swedish Evangelical Cov-

enant Church whose ministry was directed toward sup-

porting Protestant pastors in Eastern Europe. He and

my grand mother lived in Riga, Latvia between the two

world wars. My grandmother spoke fondly of the Pas-

chal services at the cathedral in Riga. There were al-

ways people from other countries in their house. I sup-

pose they are responsible in part for my interest in other

languages and cultures. My maternal grandparents were

from Scotland and were Plymouth Brethren, a rather

(Interview: contd from pg. 5.)


15/24

V I S I O N S p r i n g , 2 0 0 4

13

strict Calvinist group. They had no ministers, nothing

on the walls in their chapel, but had a love for God and

the Holy Scriptures.

Vision: How did you come to embrace Orthodoxy?

Bishop BENJAMIN: I was studying Russian at our

local high school and our class visited Holy Virgin MaryCathedral. It was different from any other church I had

visited and so I asked the priest, Fr. Michael Koblosh,

if there was a book I might be able to read about the

church. He gave me The Orthodox Church, by Timo-

thy Ware. I devoured it and resolved to go to that

church as soon as I was able to drive (I was only 16

then). I always

came at 11:00

not realizing

there was a ser-

vice in Englishat 9:00! I was

overwhelmed at

seeing my first

Liturgy. It sud-

denly occurred

to me that this is

what real wor-

ship was. I also

discovered the

father of a friendon mine ran the

bookstore. So,

there was some

to speak with

and he also showed me various books on the Orthodox

Faith. After about a year, I finally got the courage to

speak with the priest, now Fr. Nicolas Boldireff. He

encouraged me to join the choir and after several

months, I was baptized.

Vision: You have a fondness for music and food. Doesthis give us insight into who you are?

Bishop BENJAMIN: I do love opera and foods from

all sorts of different cultures. I suppose they are re-

lated in a way. I love to cook for others and, like op-

era, cooking requires and audience in order to be fully

enjoyed.

Vision: What other hobbies and interests do you

have?

Bishop BENJAMIN: I have worked in the field of

church music for years. I love directing choirs and set-

ting music. Sadly, since I became I priest, I have had

less and less time for music. But some of the happiest

times of my life were when I was a choir director. It

also enabled me to travel a bit. I was asked to directthe services for Syndesmos at festivals in Greece. It

opened a whole new world for me. I do love to travel

and have been to Russia and Greece twice, Ghana, Scot-

land, England and Italy.

Vision: What lessons have you learned in your previ-

ous ministry that

you carry with

you into your new

role?

Bishop BEN-

JAMIN: I will al-

ways treasure the

time I spent in

Alaska, espe-

cially the time at

the seminary.

Kodiak has a

rather difficult

climate, verydamp and dark

for much of the

year. I have

come to appreciate the sun of Boulder City. But, I have

the feeling Kodiak will look a lot better when August

arrives. I suppose the main lesson learned in my pre-

vious ministry is simply to go slowly. Orthodox people

are resistant to change almost by definition. But we

live in time of great and rapid change. Sometimes,

clergy are insensitive to waves they great when they

make arbitrary changes. Of course, the Church is not a

lifeless fossil and does respond to different places, cul-

tures and times. But, I have learned to be a little more

cautious.

Vision: What do you think will be most challenging?

Bishop BENJAMIN: I don't know quite yet. There

are exciting things happening in our diocese. Our mo-

(Contd. on pg. 15.)


16/24

the O R T H O D O X

14

On January 23 and 24 of this year, the parish of

Saints Constantine & Helen/Holy Theophany in Colo-

rado Springs hosted a choir retreat open to all Colo-

rado parishes. As a choir member from SaintsConstantine & Helen, I was pleased to find myself in

the company of about 35 others who had traveled from

Littleton (St. Hermans), Calhan (St. Marys

Dormition), and Pueblo (St. Michaels), as well as

singers from our own parish. For two days we had

the undivided attention of Fr. Lawrence Margitich

from Santa Rosa,

California, our di-

ocesan music direc-

tor who graciously

agreed to donate

his time to us. I

couldnt have been

more thrilled at

such an opportunity

in our own back

yard.

We began the Fri-

day night session

with a full choir

rendition of OHeavenly King in

tone 6. It was a glo-

rious experience to

hear so many

voices resound

within the walls of our temple. Fr. Lawrence then

began the night with an academic lesson. He taught

about the history of certain Greek words, which have

musical relevance for us today. For example, some

melodies - called idiomelons - are unique and can only

be used during specific services at certain times ofthe year. A good example of this type of melody is

Christ is Risen From the Dead, the Paschal troparion

sung only during the Paschal season.

Other melodies - called avtomelons - are original

melodies. Rejoice, O Life-Bearing Cross (sung

mostly for consecrations) is an avtomelon. Further, a

song that is based on an avtomelon melody is called a

podoben. A podoben is a metrically identical melody.

Fr. Lawrence used the melody of Rejoice, O Life-

Bearing Cross (the avtomelon) to compose a podoben

of Psalm 22. This was interesting to us because our

choir had long enjoyed singing this version of Psalm

22, but we never knew where the melody had comefrom. In other words, we found out that Psalm 22 is

sung to the same tune as Rejoice, O Life-Bearing

Cross.

A non-Orthodox example of a podoben is Our Coun-

try Tis of Thee, which is sung to the same tune as its

avtomelon, God Save the Queen. Further explana-

tions of these musi-

cal terms can be

found at

www.orthodoxpsalm.org.

As Fr. Lawrence

pointed out, these

historic melodies are

significant because

many of the hymns

that we sing from

the Menaion are

written specifically

to be sung to such

podobens. While

the majority of ourOrthodox parishes

sing them to the tra-

ditional 8 tones,

these hymns were,

in fact, written to be

sung to these other original melodies. Fr. Lawrence

took us through some examples straight out of the

Menaion and showed us how we could incorporate

these new (old) melodies into our liturgical singing.

So, for example, instead of singing one of the Lord I

Have Cried verses to say, tone 2, we could insteadsing it to its original melody. Rejoice, O Life-Bear-

ing Cross is one of these original melodies - one of

these avtomelons that can easily become a podoben.

Beginning Saturday morning at 10:00 AM, Fr.

Lawrence started taking a closer look at how we per-

formed musically, and began to graciously advise us

of things we could do to enable ourselves to sound both

more prayerful (the goal of traditional Orthodox litur-

gical singing) and polished. For example, as Fr.

Something Old, Something New: Hymns From HistoryChoir Retreat In Colorado Springs Brings New Focus to Singing

By Elizabeth Brinegar

Priest Lawrence Maestro Margitich conducts music workshop


17/24

V I S I O N S p r i n g , 2 0 0 4

15

Lawrence would give a pitch, some of us (perhaps

even unknowingly) had the habit of humming the pitch

after him before the song started. He corrected us by

indicating that this is distracting and unnecessary. Fur-

ther, he helped us blend our voices by pointing out

when one of us (or a section of us) was flat or sharp,

thereby enabling us to unite as one voice. Another

useful tip Fr. Lawrence gave us was that when sing-

ing, it is customary to not sing an r sound, such as

in our Orthodox musics Lord Have Mercy. He said

that the r becomes too dominant when it is sung,

and that, interestingly, even when it is not pronounced

the listeners can still hear it.

We also practiced an arrangement of some Lord I

Have Cried verses that Fr. Lawrence set to their

podobens. St. Gregory the Theologian happened to

be the saint of the day, so we venerated him by prac-

ticing these beautiful and prayerful arrangements in

their intended podoben melody, which we sang thatnight during Vespers. In these verses, Fr. Lawrence

also emphasized to us the importance of not follow-

ing the musical beats tit for tattle, but rather to sing

so as to be understood by everyone present. Espe-

cially important, he said, was not to take long pauses

when we came across half and whole notes in our

music, but to pause just long enough to put a distinc-

tion on the word or phrase. In this way, Orthodox

music takes some liberties from ordinary music in its

timing, since Orthodox music in no way follows the

letter of the law in its practice of music theory.One last helpful resource Fr. Lawrence mentioned

was our diocesan webpage: www.ocadow.org. For

the benefit of the entire Diocese of the West, he has

put some music online at this site under Liturgical

music and he promised he will continue to increase

the online musical selections in the future.

Our choir retreat was extraordinarily helpful to the

Rocky Mountain Deanery, for as I found out, there is

so much order and purpose behind the hymns that we

sing. Our music is not a random compilation ofsomeones favorite melodies sung at a particular

time, but rather it stands as a testament to our Tradi-

tion that spans hundreds of years. The retreat opened

my eyes to see how God has blessed our music by

guiding the order of the services and the choice of

music within those services. Every tone, every Lord

Have Mercy, and even every unique melody has its

place to lift our souls upward in prayer. Here on the

front range of Colorado, our gratitude goes to Fr.

Lawrence for volunteering to lead us into a correct

musical production - and historically accurate under-

standing - of the hymns of the True Faith.

nastic communities appear to be growing and I have

witnessed growth in almost every corner of the dio-

cese. So, the task at hand is simply to get up to speed

and develop a good sense of what is happening and

where I can be of the most use.

Vision: Thank you, Your Grace. Many years!

(Interview: contd fron page 13.)

Ask Fr. JosephThe Rector of Denvers Transfiguration Cathedral and

dean of the Rocky Mountain District, Fr. Joseph Hirsch,

answers your questions.

Dear Fr. Joseph,

Ive noticed that while we sing the creed during the

divine liturgy, the priest waves a piece of cloth over the

gifts. Whats going on there? Ive heard that it was done

at one time to keep flies from landing on the altar. Is

this true? Does this mean it shouldnt be done anymore?

Also, why does the deacon say The doors! The

doors! and Let all catechumens depart! Ive noticed

that no one leaves at this time.

Beloved in Christ,

These are not silly questions but are the very kinds of

things that come up regularly in catechumen classes.

There were many practices of the primitive Church,

such as the way in which the Holy Gospel was brought

forth with torches from its safe hiding place or the way

in which the people offered gifts of food and the

Deacons prepared the Lytia meal and the Holy Gifts

from among these offerings, which, while rich intradition and significance, were gestures which were

difficult to transfer into a liturgical context in which

hundreds and even thousands of worshippers were

gathered in one place.

Thus, the simple torchlight procession of the Gospel,

after several intermediate stages, among which was one

in which the entire congregation remained outside of

the Temple until the entrance of the Hierarch



18/24

the O R T H O D O X

16

accompanied by the Clergy and the Holy Gospel,

became what we now have as the Little Entrance.

Anyway, the effort was not one of trying to make the

Divine Liturgy snazzier and innovative but rather of

how to draw the entire congregation into what had once

been a more or less intimate act of corporate worship.

In developing a liturgical milieu appropriate to the

mysteries of Christ, the Church applied three elements:

the original ritualistically elaborate but less ceremonial

worship of the 1st-3rd century catacomb and domestic

Church gathering, elements of Jewish Temple and

Synagogue worship which had been the core of prayer

life at the time Our Lords advent, and, finally, certain

elements of public and civic life which were

Transfigured by the Christianization of the

population.It was only reasonable, for example, that the simple

peasant clothing of the early Christian Clergy, the Tunic,

Phelonian, Dalmatic shirt and various kinds of servile

Stoles, should come to be bordered and adorned with

embroidered crosses and rich decoration and to imitate

more and more the apparel of the Imperial Court. After

all, Christ is the True King, His Holy Table is the True

Throne and His Temple, (Basilica) is the True Heavenly

Imperial Court on Earth.

Now, we know that ritual fans, usually of large

plumes, were used at royal courts from Egypt and Persia

to China and Rome itself. These fans had the triple

purpose of honoring the person over whom they were

waved, of discouraging the lighting of insect pests upon

his or her honored personage and, of course, of cooling

that person. When these fans were made of Peacock

tail feathers, they also resembled the Firey Seraphim,Covered with eyes, within and without, who

surrounded the throne of God in Heaven and, whose

images had overshadowed the ark in the Jerusalem

Temple. Fanning the Gifts at the Divine Liturgy became

so much a part of the Deacons office that presentation

of the liturgical fan, now usually made of metal and

emblazoned with the images of Cherubim and

Seraphim, and his use of that fan to Fan the Holy Gifts

is an important part of the ordination of Deacons to

this day.

The Veil, however, is a different matter. Rather thanhaving developed, it seems to have been used by

Christians in those places where they had permanent

worship spaces, from the earliest times. The aer or large

chalice veil to which you refer, developed in its present

form over time but seems to be simply a smaller form

of the Altar Veil or curtain. Like the Altar veil, it is

drawn back as was the stone from the already empty

tomb to reveal the mystery that is taking place. (It is

important to note that in this context and every other

context in which veiling is practiced in our liturgicaltradition it is to honor the thing which is veiled, not to

Hide it.)

Now, the idea that the priest waves the aer over the

holy gifts to Keep away insects is not terribly likely

in as much as the Creed itself (The Symbol of Faith)

while part of the Baptismal Service was not a part of

the Divine Liturgy until much later and, by that time,

the fanning of the Holy Gifts with the aer seems to

have been a gesture understood primarily as honoring

them and as a type or image of the Holy Spirit of God

Who, like a dove, hovered over and sanctified them aswell as of the Holy Angels who overshadowed them

and of the Contrite Christian Soul trembling before

them.

This is especially represented and common

celebrations of the Divine Liturgy at which the

concelebrants with great ceremony share in waving the

aer over the gifts and especially in Hierarchical

celebrations where the veil is waved not only over the

Holy Gifts but over the bowed head of the hierarch.

(Fr. Joseph: contd. fromprevious page.)

Fr. Joseph blesses the waters of the Continental Divide

atop Monarch Pass (elevation 11,000ft), an annual event.


19/24

V I S I O N S p r i n g , 2 0 0 4

17

This is a clear type of the descent of the Spirit.

Much more could be said but suffice it to say that

there are two dangers in explaining the actions and

ceremonies of the Divine Liturgy. Some are tempted

to allegorize and to interpret every minute action in a

symbolic way which transfers the meaning from

mystery to its component actions. On the other hand,

some practice a kind of deconstructionist reductionismin which they deny altogether the action of Gods Holy

Spirit it bringing our Orthodox Liturgical tradition to

its present state of perfection. Neither of the positions:

the cultic or the quasi-Protestant, are very productive

for the life of the Church. I remember having heard Fr.

Alexander Schmemann ask a young priest why he was

serving the Divine Liturgy in an unusual way. Oh!

said the neophyte, But Father Alexander, you taught

us that this practice is very ancient. Yes! said the

Professor, And did it occur to you that the Holy Spirit

had some reason to get rid of it?The point is that what is alive and practiced is what

God and the Church have found sacred and edifying.

For us to take it upon our selves to add to or subtract

from this deposit because it, doesnt seem to have

meaning for us is the height of arrogance and

presumption.

Now, very briefly, to your question about the

dismissal of catechumens: While we do not usually

require the actual departure of catechumens, we

continue to dismiss them with prayer as a sign to themthat their entrance into a rightful place in the Eucharistic

synaxis yet awaits them. Many of our Catechumens

over the decades here in Denver, have expressed

gratitude both for the prayer and for the implied

invitation which the dismissal bespeaks: an invitation

to persevere in their training. When I think about this

question, I recall a sermon preached by St. Tikhon of

Moscow in answer to those who asked, Why cant we

drop the catechumen Litany and dismissal from the

Liturgy? You want to omit the catechumen prayers.

You say that they take time and that we, after all, haveno catechumens anymore. Well, how much time do

these prayers really take? Also, I suggest that if you do

not pray for the catechumens you will not ever have

them.

When the Deacon says The doors, the doors! we

may no longer expect the Pagans to try to burst through

and disrupt our services but it has only been for a very

brief time and in a very few places that this security is

felt by large numbers of Orthodox believers. We must

not forget that we are all called upon even today to be

stewards and defenders of the Mysteries of Christ and

that we may very soon find ourselves once more under

attack from those to whom we should not communicate

Christs Mysteries.

In Christ,

Archpriest Joseph

Denver Ethnic

Cultural Food FestivalThe 106 year old Holy Transfiguration of Christ Ortho-

dox Parish in the historic North Denver Globeville Neigh-

borhood announces a new annual public cultural and culi-

nary event to honor the many Eastern European immi-

grants and ethnic groups which have played a part in the

life of the Parish and of Colorado. On Saturday, 24 July,

from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, 25 July, from

11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., they will open their beautiful

grounds for a celebration of good food, arts and entertain-

ment from at least a half dozen cultures represented in the

Congregation.

Serbian roast lamb, Greek Souvlaki (kabobs) and roast

chicken, Romanian meat patties, everybodys favorite

sarmali (cabbage rolls), Ukrainian Piroshki, Russian

Pelmini, sausages and around a dozen more meat, soup,

pastry and desert items will be available at a half dozen

ethnic booths, together with exotic handicrafts for sale anddisplays of the art, culture, history and religion of the re-

spective nationalities.

All of this will be accompanied by the lively authentic

song and dance of such local groups as the World Famous

Planina Singers, the Boulder Romanian Dance Ensemble,

an internationally traveled Balkan Band and authentic re-

corded music from Russia, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, and

Bulgaria.

Festivities will include games and entertainment for chil-

dren as well as folk dance lessons for those who are inter-

ested. Also, Church tours will be offered regularly through-

out the two days and those attending will have the oppor-tunity to hear sacred music rendered by the English and

Slavonic Church Choirs.

Those who are interested will also have the opportunity

to purchase a copy of the newly publish full color coffee

table book, The Art & Architecture of Holy Transfigura-

tion Cathedral, written and illustrated by, well known Colo-

rado graphic artist, Anna-Marie Kuczun.

For information, contact Fr. Joseph Hirsch or Mrs.

Paulette Hirsch, 303-294 0938, or see online at http://

www.holytransfigcathedral.org.


20/24

the O R T H O D O X

18

The Life-Giving Spring Retreat Center has become

the home of the newly Consecrated Bishop and Dioc-

esan Chancellor, BENJAMIN. Arriving on Jan 9, (then)

Archimandrite Benjamin, along with his two cats, hequickly became an important presence and participant

in the activities of the Center. He has also become a

member of the Centers Board of Directors. As he trav-

els the Diocese as Chancellor, Bishop BENJAMIN will

also be an ambassador for the Center, helping make its

mission and availability better known throughout the

West.

Located in

Boulder City,

NV, the Centerwas purchased

in June of 2000

from the Epis-

copal Sisters of

Charity. Sig-

nificant funding

assistance was

made available

by a loan from

the Russian

W o m e n sHome of

Mercy. The

mission of the

Center is to pro-

vide, in an Or-

thodox environ-

ment, a place for parish, Diocesan and National OCA

bodies to hold retreats, meetings and seminars; while

also providing retreat space for public groups and in-

dividuals.

Since its beginning as an Orthodox facility, the Cen-

ter has hosted meetings of the DOW Deans, clergy and

matushki; of the OCA Department of Evangelism and

of the OCA Summer Camp Directors. Other groups

holding retreats at the Center have ranged from the

Greek Orthodox Youth Organization to the different

church groups in Las Vegas.

The Centers first full-time Director, Fr. Lawrence

Gaudreau, worked diligently to build up the awareness

of the Centers presence in the Diocese and in the com-

munity-at-large. This led to an increase in the number

retreats held in 2003 over 2002. Fr. Lawrence, who

was reassigned as parish priest in Calhan, CO, has been

replaced by Rassophore Monk Andrew, of the Mon-

astery of St. John of San Francisco and Shanghai in

Point Reyes, CA. Fr. Andrew brings experience in the

business world and a great deal of energy and excite-

ment to this assignment, and has already begun to

tackle what needs to be done to keep the Center mov-

ing forward.

The Centers

brief history in

the Diocese

has not beenwithout con-

troversy. It has

needed impor-

tant financial

support from

the Diocese.

After making a

number of

e m e r g e n c y

cash infusions

in 2002 and2003, the Dio-

cese estab-

lished a budget

line for its on-

going contri-

bution to the

Center, providing $12,000 in this year to help the Cen-

ter get on a more stable financial footing. Making clear

its position that the Center must become self-support-

ing, the Diocesan Council reported to the 2003 Dioc-esan Assembly an 18-month plan to carefully monitor

the Centers progress and make the decision about its

future on its success in meeting the requirements of

that plan

Specifically, the Center must:

* have a marketing plan in place by Jan.1, 2004.

This will ensure that the potential market for the Cen-

ter is identified, communicated with and attracted.

Completion of this task has been delayed by the ne-

cessity to plan for Bp. BENJAMINS accommoda-

Life Giving Spring Retreat Center Expands RoleBy Subdeacon Dmitri Solodow, LGS Board Chairman


21/24

V I S I O N S p r i n g , 2 0 0 4

19

tions, for the transition in Directors and by the holi-

day-related obligations of the person helping the Board

with this task.

* complete and implement an operations review by

Feb. 1, 2004. Now completed, this will make the

Centers operations as efficient as possible, beyond

the already-accomplished 20% reduction in expenses

in 2003.

* complete Board of Directors membership by Jan.

1, 2003. The Board of Directors, which had been meet-

ing quarterly, now meets monthly, so it can more

closely review the Centers activities and finances. The

Board is made up of Subdeacon Dmitri Solodow,

Chairman; Fr. Eric Tosi, Vice Chairman; Peter

Schwalbenberg, Secretary; and BP. BENJAMIN, Fr.

Gabriel Cooke, Dr. Robert Goodman, James

Campbell, Joseph Vranich and James Monoyudis.

* generate fundraising and non-retreat income of at

least $50,000 by June 30, 2004. Through the effortsof Board, the Center has to date raised almost $66,000,

much of which goes to pay the mortgage.

* have an Advisory Committee in place by April 1,

2004. This group will comprise people of affluence

and influence whose names, reputations and assis-

tance will add significantly to the Centers presence

in the community.

* generate retreat income in 2004 sufficient to cover

operating expenses, exclusive of the mortgage. The

budget adopted by the Board for 2004 meets this re-

quirement, and will be carefully monitored to ensurethe condition is met. In addition, the Board is looking

into securing a private-placement loan at current in-

terest rates to enable it to pay off the Sisters of Char-

ity loan, which carries an 8% interest rate.

* reduce its 2005 request for support from the Dio-

cese to a level below that provided in 2004. The Board

recognizes that the Dioceses financial commitment

is limited, and will plan for and adopt a budget in 2005

which meets this requirement.

* begin to significantly repay its loan from the Rus-

sian Womens Home of Mercy by July 1, 2005. This

loan was critical to the initial financing of the purchase

of the Center and, although no repayment schedule was

contained in the original transaction, the Center recog-

nizes its responsibility to reimburse its major creditor

in a timely fashion.

While attending to the business aspects of the Centers

operations, the Board notes that the Center remains an

important Diocesan asset, providing an Orthodox set-

ting for meetings, retreats, spiritual development and

as a home and office for the Diocesan Chancellor. It

must be operated so that both aspects are balanced.

You can see the Center by logging on to

www.lasvegasorthodox.org/retreatcenter. The Center is

located at 701 Park Place, Boulder City, NV 89005. Fr.

Andrew would love to hear from you at 702-293-7208.

Where are you holding your retreat?

Kids from the Pacific Southwest Deanery will join

with the Pacific Central Deanery this summer at St

Eugenes Camp at St. Nicholas Ranch, Dunlap, CA for

a week of fun and faith. Campers will benefit from

contact with the Theotokos the Life Giving Spring

womens monastery which exists at the same location.

Camp directors are Archpriest Basil Rhodes and

Summer Camps Archpriest Michael Senyo. Camp Dates: July 4-10,2004. Contact Info: Kathy Pieracci: 209-931-0584.Rocky Mountain Deanery: July 25-28, at Glacier

View Ranch in the Rocky Mountains. Contact: Fr. An-

thony Karbo, 719-632-7385. Applications and fees due

July 17th.

Las Vegas: August 15-18 at Camp Lee Canyon, Mt.

Charleston Recreation Area. Contact: Nadine Wood,

(Contd. on pg. 21.)

Fr. Lawrence Gaudreau

19485 N. Calhan Hwy.

Calhan, CO 80808-9529

tel. 719-347-2526

Orthodox Stewardsof the West


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the O R T H O D O X

20

The Internet and the Diocese of the WestAdvice on the use of modern communications and information technology

by Priest Peter Tobias

There is no doubt that the Internet has become the

means by which much of the communication in ourworld takes place. Whether it be personal or financial,

informative or entertaining, communication of many

kinds takes place online. E-Mail, Web pages, news

groups, instant messaging (IM), Internet Relay Chat

(IRC similar to IM), video, and audio communica-

tion are examples of the ways people communicate

online about whatever they want and for an audience

as large as the world itself.

While it is unfortunate that the Internet is used to

propagate material we know to be unedifying and self-

destructive, to not make proper use of it would be amistake as well. To begin with, the Internet transforms

great geographical distances into ones that are a click

away. Consider for example the remoteness and isola-

tion of some of our clergy and parishes. The Internet

can be used to help our people in these situations re-

main connected to the diocese at large, the national

Church, and even the entire Orthodox world. A spiri-

tual child may live very far from his or her spiritual

father, or mother, and while using caution when com-

municating private matters, can acquire some degree

of comfort, or instruction. Others may be shut-ins, or

too infirm to keep close contact with others. Commu-

nication over the Internet, along with the telephone of

course, can help fill in the gaps between visits. In one

example, the Internet was used to begin communicat-

ing the Orthodox faith to a Protestant missionary fam-

ily in Guatemala, who later returned to the States to

complete instruction and be received into the Holy

Church.

Another element of the Internet worth emphasizing

is the speed at which it can provide materials to peopleand parishes anywhere. Liturgical music, periodicals,

diocesan news, homilies, directories, educational and

evangelical material, pastoral messages, appeals, min-

utes and reports, and even requests for prayer can be

shared throughout the Diocese. Our own diocesan Web-

site (www.ocadow.org) is an example of how these ma-

terials can be provided quickly, easily, and very inex-

pensively.

A final example is in the area of resale. Our monas-

teries, bookstores, iconographers, and liturgical sup-

ply houses can and do provide the kinds of merchan-dise we all know Wal-Mart does not carry (unless you

are very creative and do not tell the Bishop). Consider

how much benefit the new mission parish with its newly

ordained priest can derive from a centralized deposi-

tory of music, rubrics, policies, bi-laws, supplies, and

the like that is quickly and easily accessible.

The value of any tool, as we know, is determined

according to what end it is used. The Internet is no

exception. There are plenty of examples of its use that

make it appear as though the Evil One invented it. As

one person put it, The Internet is the intellectualequivalent of a machine gun. Just point and click,

and you can rapidly assail any audience with an array

of content that does more harm than good. Therefore,

here are some fundamental dos and donts we should

consider when trying to make positive use of the

Internet:

1) Anonymity is often the root of a false sense of

bravado.

Do not communicate something to someone that you

would not say to them in person. We tend to be more

kind when face to face with others.

2) Remember that 80% of communication is encoded

with non-verbal cues:

Neither posture, hand gestures, tone of voice, facial

expression, etc. can be perceived in any electronic mes-

sage.

3) Read aloud everything you write before sending

it.

4) Avoid sarcasm and knee jerk reactions.

5) Make good use of the Drafts folder in your E-mail

program.Sleep on your responses to things that upset you so

that you are not responding when you should be pray-

ing.

6) Reserve Internet communication for non-personal

communication as often as possible.

NOTHING that is communicated over the Internet is

private.

Reconciliation and forgiveness between each other

should be done in person, or at least over the phone


23/24

Meetings were held on May 4th and 25th to arrange

for services in Redding, CA, where a mission is to be

established. Plans are underway for obtaining worship

space and establishing a budget. The mission is tem-

porarily overseen by Fr. Michael Rome, with area

priests helping to fill the liturgical schedule. For infor-

mation, contact Fr. Rome, 530-895-8116, or Fr. Ian

MacKinnon, 530-758-2255.

A mission is also to begin in Kona, Hawaii in late

July. Contact: Steven Montany, 808-937-8407.

Another mission has formally begun in Freemont/

San Jose, California. Contact: Erik Worth, 408-942-

1575.

V I S I O N S p r i n g , 2 0 0 4

21

whenever possible.

Criticism (hopefully always constructive) must be

given in person (though again, this is not always pos-

sible).

In conclusion, the Internet is a product of this life.

We may choose to make use of it according to the lower

nature, or in a manner consistent with the Churchs role

in the fallen world. Either God is glorified, His loveand salvation communicated, and thus, the Internet

sanctified, or we forfeit the realm of cyberspace to the

sole dominion of the Evil One. Even if we forego this

admittedly black and white conclusion, we cannot sim-

ply ignore the Internet. We have not ignored electric-

ity, the telephone, the automobile, nor air travel (or do

we want to go back to kayaks and gut skin parkas?).

While we agree that these, along with the Internet, only

have the appearance of progress, we can still make

proper use of them within the context of the revelation

of God and His will for mankind and all His creation.

WWW.OCADOW.ORGWWW.OCADOW.ORG

For the latest information on the Diocese of the West

Information on all parishes, institutions and depart-

ments

Archived issues ofThe Orthodox Vision

Complete letters of instruction from His GraceAnd much, much more

&

WWW.OCA.ORGWWW.OCA.ORG

Official website of the Orthodox Church in America

A multitude of resources and links

Fr. Peter is rector at St. Anthony the Great Orthodox Mis-

sion in Bozeman, MT, along with Matushka Maria and chil-

dren. He also oversees the diocesan website.

The Priest John Mancantelli, released by His Emi-

nence, Very Most Reverend Archbishop NATHANIEL,

effective December 31, 2003, and received under

Omophorion of His Grace Bishop TIKHON and as-

signed as rector of St. Nicholas of South Canaan Church

of Billings, Montana, effe

Documents

Spring 2004 Orthodox Vision Newsletter, Diocese of the West