Volume 51 No. 1 January 2007

2 The Word

contents

The Most ReverendMetropolitan PHILIP, D.H.L., D.D.Primate

The Right ReverendBishop ANTOUN

The Right ReverendBishop JOSEPH

The Right ReverendBishop BASIL

The Right ReverendBishop THOMAS

The Right ReverendBishop MARK

The Right ReverendBishop ALEXANDER

Founded in Arabic asAl Kalimat in 1905by Saint Raphael (Hawaweeny)Founded in English asThe WORD in 1957by Metropolitan ANTONY (Bashir)

Editor in Chief The Very Rev. John P. Abdalah, D.Min.

Assistant Editor Joanne M. Abdalah, MSW

Editorial Board The Very Rev. Joseph J. Allen, Th.D.Anthony Bashir, Ph.D.The Very Rev. Antony Gabriel, Th.M.The Very Rev. Peter GillquistRonald NicolaNajib E. Saliba, Ph.D.The Very Rev. Paul Schneirla, M.Div.

Design Director Donna Griffin Albert

MemberThe Associated Church PressConciliar PressEcumenical News InternationalOrthodox Press ServiceEditorial Office:

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THE WORD (USPS626-260), published monthly except July and August,by the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America at358 Mountain Road, PO Box 5238, periodicals postage paid atEnglewood, New Jersey 07631-5238 and at additional mailing offices.Postmaster send address changes to: THE WORD, 358 Mountain Road,PO Box 5238, Englewood, NJ 07631-5238ISSN 0043-7964 www.antiochian.org.

Letters to the editor are welcome and should include the author’s fullname and parish. Submissions for “Communities in Action” must beapproved by the local pastor. Both may be edited for purposes of clar-ity and space. All submissions, in hard copy, on disk or e-mailed, shouldbe double-spaced for editing purposes.

VOLUME 51 NO. 1 JANUARY 2007

COVERTHE HOLY NAPKINwritten by Fr. George J. Ellis, Toledo, OH

3 EDITORIALby Very Rev. John Abdalah

4 COMMUNION OF THE APOSTLESby Philip Tamoush

6 WHEN FACING EAST LOOKS WESTby Fr. Joseph Huneycutt

8 THE SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR:A GUIDE AND MENTORby Khalil Samara

14 ARCHDIOCESAN OFFICE

15 ORATORICAL FESTIVAL

24 NAVIGATING THROUGH AFRICAAND LED BY THE CROSSby Tom Saba

27 DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT

29 COMMUNITIES IN ACTION

The Word 3

To fulfill Metropolitan PHILIP’s prophetic call to bring Orthodoxy to America, the Orthodox laity andclergy in America must be genuine Christians, well educated in the ways of God, and fervent in our witness ofJesus Christ. We must be Christians who love God and all those that God Himself loves. We must be servants;obedient to God and willing to do all that God calls us to do, even if He calls us to change or to grow. Anythingshort of this would make us disingenuous, and if America discerns us to be less than genuine, He will justifi-ably reject us. To be authentic, we must be obedient to God and to each other, modeling relationships thatreveal the living God in our midst. We must not live our hierarchical relationships in a secular or business way,but in the way God revealed them. Obedience in the Church is based on respect, service and love.

To bring Orthodoxy to America, we need to be American in our embrace of freedom, and Orthodox in ourcorrect apostolic faith and worship. Our worship must be expressive of that which God has revealed thoughthe ages, while palatable to the now indigenous American population. We must be able to distinguish betweenthat which is of the faith and that which belongs to cultures of other countries where Orthodoxy has takenroot. America has her own culture, deserving of our study and embrace.

If you understand me to say that the Orthodox laity and clergy in the United States have much work todo in order to be really prepared to bring Orthodoxy to America or America to Orthodoxy, you understand mecorrectly. We have a sacred responsibility that calls us to personal maturity and growth in our faith and spir-ituality. We must embark on a journey that will begin with our loving God and each other, and then calls us towitness to America, changing and transforming this land as leaven in bread dough. While we Orthodox inAmerica have had trouble loving each other, we are called by God to grow past our short sightedness and tolove everyone. That love from God will transform us, allowing us to share His love. When America sees our loveand how God abides in us, America will notice. Americans are known for wanting the best of everything. Thosethings that are flashy or don’t last sometimes fool Americans, but when given the opportunity, Americans wantand find the best. We need to give America the opportunity to know God as He has revealed Himself and iscalling her.

After loving one another, we need to learn real obedience. Such obedience cannot be reduced to blindadherences to every whim of authority figures. Christian obedience involves church leaders and faithful alikeseeking to understand God, and then in a loving and trusting relationship, relate that which will bring theother into a better understanding of God’s presence and will. All in the Church must be accountable to eachother. Spiritual gifts are not reserved for clergy. God works in all who put Christ on and embrace God. WeChristians must always be first obedient to God, and then seek God’s direction for each other. This is a sacredresponsibility shared by the shepherds and the reason-endowed Christians together.

I am not an advocate of reform for the sake of reform. I even oppose reform for the sake of relevancy; how-ever, we must be sure that our worship and preaching make sense to those that we seek to lead to Christ. Our

editor’s letter

To bring Orthodoxy to Americawe need more than Rhetoric

4 The Word

“Flashing brilliantly with the beams of the Spirit’s enlightenment, ye wentthrough the whole world, O Saints supremely wise, and ye enlightened thefaithful, while abating the heavy gloom of the depth of ignorance as Apostles ofGod the Word; wherefore, on this day we now joyously celebrate your holy andillustrious rememberance, while gaining holiness for ourselves.” (Stichera ofVespers to the Apostles)

“Take, eat; this is My body. Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood ofthe new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

“‘But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now until thatday when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.’ And when they hadsung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (Matthew 26:26-30). (theform of the 1st Liturgy)

(NOTE: Iconographers will take some “poetic license” by including certainsaints in icons that may not be there historically. In our case, the twelve on theicon are not all the original Disciples called by Christ. Our Iconographer, JohnKalentzis, of Adelaide, Australia, chose to include Paul, because of his signifi-

Monumental Icon of Christ, The High Priest and 12 Apostles at St. MatthewOrthodox Church, Torrance, California(Not the Last Supper, sometimes called the First Supper or Mystical Supper)

Communion ofthe apostles”

“language and delivery of worship andGod’s message must be understandableto the ears that we preach it to. Our mes-sage must be God’s message, and not oneof an institution or group. Our languagemust not only be in English, but in under-standable English, read, spoken andprayed in understandable ways.

In America, we who seek to bringOrthodoxy to our neighbors face manyobstacles from outside our community.America is rooted in a history rich withher own neurotic fears; including a fearof ritual, foreigners, icons and symbols.She is also proud, thinking that as thegreatest nation in this world, she is self-sufficient and without need of anything.

If we Orthodox are to have achance in meeting these real obstacles,we need to get our own house in order.We need to mature to the point of relat-ing to each other, clergy and laity, in sym-phony. We also need to know and recog-nize Orthodox from other jurisdictionsas authentic Orthodox with the samemandate from our Savior Jesus Christ topreach the Good News to the entireworld. We Orthodox worship and honorthe same God, regardless of ethnic originor preference of typicon. We Orthodox inAmerica at every level of Church lifeneed to be even better educated, and weneed to be generous, sharing the abun-dance of gifts and grace that our God hasblessed us.

by Fr. John Abdalah

The Word 5

cance in the early history of the Church, and Luke and Mark,the Gospel writers. Excluded from the original twelve on ouricon are Bartholemew, James the son of Zebedee, andMatthias. Thus, a Communion of the Apostles icon couldinclude, for example, only American Saints or Saints of theChurch of Antioch, etc.

Christ, the High Priest: Adorned in Bishop’s robes, JesusSavior, Son of God, is depicted as the First Bishop of theChurch, administering the Holy Mystery of the Eucharist(Thanksgiving) to His Apostles.

Peter: June 29. AKA Cephas, Simon. Chief of the Apostles.Brother of St. Andrew the Apostle. Writer of two epistles. Co-founder of the Church in Antioch.

Paul: of Tarsus; June 29. Formerly known as Saul, perse-cutor of Christians, writer of fifteen Epistles. The “13thApostle.” Co-founder of the Church in Antioch, “where theywere first called Christians.”

Matthew: November 16. AKA Levi; a Publican (tax collec-tor). Author of the first of the four Gospels. Apostle toEthiopia.

Luke: October 18. The Evangelist. Physician; Icon Painter(painted first icons of Theotokos with Christ, one of which isat Saidnaya Convent, near Damascus). One of the four Gospel

writers, not one of the original twelve Apostles. Included herein order to include all four Gospel writers.

Mark: April 25. The Evangelist. Not one of the originaltwelve Apostles. Founded the Church in Alexandria. Writer ofthe earliest Gospel.

James, son of Alphaeus: June 3/October 9. AKA James theLess. Stoned in Jerusalem.Apostle to Syria.

Thomas: July 3. Didymus,the Twin. Doubting Thomas.Apostle to India.

Simon: October 28. TheZealot. Preached in Egypt andMesopotamia.

Jude: June 19. Thaddeus.Apostle. Writer of Epistle.Preached in Syria and Persia.

John: May 8. The Evangelist,the Beloved, Apostle. Writer ofGospel and Book of Revelation(dictated at age 93 to his disci-ple, Prochurus). Took theTheotokos into his care at theorder of Christ at His crucifixion.

Philip: November 14.Apostle. Preached in Greece andAsia Minor.

Andrew: November 30. Thefirst-called Apostle. Brother of

Simon Peter the Apostle. Preached in Greece and Asia Minor.Patron of Europe, especially Russia. The Slavic 3-barredcross is known as “St. Andrew” because of the bottom crossbar in the shape of ‘x’, signifying his crucifixion on a cross ofthat shape.

O Holy Apostles, Intercede With The Merciful GodThat He Grant Unto Our Souls

Forgiveness Of Offenses.

Subdeacon Philip TamoushNovember, 2006

Christ, Chief High Priest

Peter Paul(Simon)

Matthew Simon(Levi)

Luke Jude (Thaddaeus)

Mark JohnJames Philipson of Alphaeus

Thomas Andrew(Didymus)

On Sunday, November 12th, Subdeacon Richard Petranek wasordained to the diaconate at St. Joseph Church, Houston, Texas. The

following week, on November 19th, he was ordained to the priest-hood at St. George Church, Houston. Father Richard has been

assigned to the pastorate at St. Paul Church in west Houston.The following interview with Fr. Richard was conducted by Fr.Joseph Huneycutt in the spring of 2006, just after his leaving

the Episcopal Church.With a surname like Petranek, you don’t immediatelythink Anglican. But if people can look Anglican,

Richard Petranek used to. Maybe that’sbecause the first time I met him he was inthe clerical dress of an Episcopal priest.

These days he comes to church dressed in asuit and tie. Since renouncing his orders in the

Episcopal Church, especially now that he is enrolled as anOrthodox catechumen, I’d have to say he looks merely distin-

guished. Soon, God willing, he’ll once again be dressed as a priest — onlythis time he’ll be Orthodox. Doesn’t “Petranek” sound Orthodox? He will serve as the

founding priest of Houston’s new Western Rite Orthodox mission.I sat down with Richard Petranek [a few months ago] and the following interview is presented

in hopes of introducing him and his vision to those in the Houston area and the Antiochian Archdioceseat large. Petranek, who served as an Episcopal priest for nearly 33 years, is well aware that the Western Rite

might not be everyone’s cup of tea. But, what I came away with more than anything else is that RichardPetranek is a pastor. He cares about people, the flock. He believes he is on a journey through Faith, within the True

Church, to Christ and His Kingdom.When did you first encounter Orthodoxy?

“I began reading about Orthodoxy in seminary. In 1974, Fr. Alexander Schmemann had an article in TIME magazine. Itcaught my attention and I wrote to him. What impressed me most was … humility. This great man, who did not know

me at all, wrote back. Not only that, but it was a hand-written letter! I’ve been searching for that old correspon-dence recently – but, I remember it dealt with ‘realizing Theology by Communion.’”

Why did it take you so long to come home to Orthodoxy?“Politics. I’ll be honest, I got into the politics of the church. It was only later — much later — that

I came to the realization that I was so involved in politics that I’d lost my soul.”I’m sure there are some that would name their favorite ecclesiastical “ill” and say, “Dick,

why on earth did it take you so long?”“For me, the issue was order. In almost 35 years I’d witnessed a complete turn-around

in the established order of the church. The role of the Bishop had changed from Chief

When Facing EastLooks West

6 The Word

The Word 7

Pastor to Chief Administrator. This, I believed, was a tragedybecause, historically, Anglicanism was orthodox. Yet, in theUS, the church seems to have lost its roots. I was but a fewyears away from retirement. But, in the end, I asked my wife:‘What are we fighting for? We don’t believe this way.’”

When did you begin this journey? Where are you now?“I’d been meeting, off and on, with Fr. John Salem for the

past five years. A few months ago I renounced my Orders inthe Episcopal Church. Since that time, my wife, Elaine, and Ihave been on an incredible journey! We’ve traveled to severalWestern Rite parishes and worshiped regularly with theHouston Antiochian parishes, St. George & St. Joseph. Wehave about 40 souls making the journey with us. Elaine and I,along with many others, were enrolled as Catechumens at St.Joseph’s earlier this month.”

How does your wife feel about all this?“She loves it! Our first meeting with Bishop BASIL was so

refreshing for her. It was such a change to talk solely aboutspiritual health as opposed to social issues. The bishop wasconcerned about her soul! She’s loving it. I say all this withthe understanding that by leaving PECUSA I’ve forfeitedmany benefits; we’ve sold our home, our car, our boat ... Andwe are in a better place, spiritually, than we’ve ever been.”

Why the Western Rite?“My culture. I’d served as a priest for so long … it makes

sense to me. It makes sense to my people. To my mind, thepurpose of the Western Rite is to reach out to those who arefamiliar with Western practice — seeking the True Faith ofthe Apostolic Church as found in Orthodoxy.”

What sort of folks do you believe are attracted to theWestern Rite mission?

“Those who appreciate the historicity of the Church —who know the struggles of the early Church and how She wasreconciled when there were differences. I mean, there’s noth-ing new under the sun. All the problems we see plaguing var-ious Christian groups today have been around from thebeginning.”

What version of the Western Rite will you be using?Music, etc?

“We will use the St. Tikhon’s Liturgy and that of St.Gregory, along with the St. Ambrose Hymnal.”

Is it true that key figures in the Orthodox Church, pastand present, are opposed to the Western Rite?

“Yes!”

How do proponents of the Western Rite respond?“My Bishop, my Metropolitan, and my Patriarch support

it — that’s good enough for me. Antioch was always the cen-ter of missionary outreach. The Western Rite is part of themissionary outreach of Orthodoxy. It was in Antioch that St.Paul began his three missionary journeys. He didn’t let cul-tural differences change the essence of the Faith. We see ourmission in the same light.”

Someone posed the question: “If ten years from now –for any reason or no reason – the Western Rite was abol-ished or folded into the Eastern Rite, where do you thinkthat would leave your parish and long-term faithful?”

“They’d go to the Eastern Rite. I can’t see myself con-vincing someone to be Western Rite as opposed to EasternRite. The theology is the same, the expression is different. Ialso can’t tell you how freeing it is to be under a bishop whois concerned for the salvation of souls. The person isextremely important in Orthodoxy — that’s where the empha-sis is … not primarily in getting bogged down in social issues,agendas, and debates. I know what my bishop believes. It’swhat I believe!”

In conclusion: The worship of Western Rite Orthodoxparishes may look and sound a whole lot different than themore common Eastern Rite of the Church. At first glance, itmay even resemble Anglican worship. Then again, one couldask: What does Orthodoxy look like? What does it sound like?

by Fr. Joseph Huneycutt

Fr. Joseph Huneycutt, Associate Pastor of St. George, Houston, is theauthor of “One Flew Over the Onion Dome —American OrthodoxConverts, Retreads & Reverts,” (Regina Orthodox Press).

“A brother asked Abba Poemen, ‘Some

brothers live with me; do you want me to be in

charge of them?’ The old man said to him, ‘No,

just work first and foremost, and if they want

to live like you, they will see to it themselves.’

The brother said to him, ‘But it is they them-

selves, Father, who want me to be in charge of

them.’ The old man said to him, ‘No, be their

example, not their legislator.’”1

The Spiritual Director:

A Guide and Mentor

8 The Word

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This anecdote from the Sayings of the Desert Fathersspeaks about the relationship between the spiritual child andthe spiritual director. Abba Poemen tells his brother that heshould not be the legislator for others but rather lead them byexample. He suggests that the brother will teach and guidehis disciples through his own actions and how he leads hisown life. This is a model that spiritual directors in society,outside of a monastic setting, could also employ to guide andteach their spiritual children.

This paper will examine the role of the spiritual directorin relation to the spiritual child by examining the function ofobedience for the laity, the authority of the Church and itsleaders, and finally, various types of spiritual guidance.Throughout the paper, the term “spiritual director” will beused to refer to either a spiritual father or a spiritual mother.In cases where a source is quoted, the term that the quotedauthor uses will be kept.

Obedience is not something that is readily accepted inAmerican society of the twenty-first century. While societyencourages one to be free, personally independent, financial-ly stable and dependent only on oneself and one’s achieve-ments, our Church takes the opposite stand. The Churchsays that one should be obedient to the teachings of theChurch and its leaders, and therefore obedient to the onetrue God, our Father in heaven. In John 14:15, Christ says, “Ifyou love me, keep My commandments.” (NKJV) Through ourlove for Christ, we follow the commandments and teachingsthat He gave us, and by following those commandments andteachings we show the love that we have for God. SaintPaisios Velichkovsky said, “The keeping of God’s command-ments and His words is nothing else than perfect obediencetoward Christ the Lord.”2 Christ’s command is, above all, toput God first, then serve others, then lastly ourselves. WhenChrist said to deny oneself, take up one’s cross, and followHim, He meant that one must put aside one’s own will and fol-low the example of Christ’s love for others and obedience tothe will of His Father in heaven (Matthew 16:24, NKJV).Christ emphasizes this even more in Mark 12:30-31, when Hereminds us of the two greatest commandments: to love Godand to love one’s neighbor. St. John Climacus says, in stepfour of his famous treatise, “Obedience is absolute renuncia-tion of our own life...”3 To be obedient to someone, one firstmust choose to freely deny his own life and accept the guid-ance of another.

As humans we are created in the image and likeness ofGod (Gen 1:26-27). Jesus Christ’s entire ministry on earth is

an example of obedience and humility. Beginning with Hisincarnation, we see an act of obedience toward the Father.Jesus Christ was obedient to His mother at the wedding ofCana (John 2:3-5), to his cousin, St. John the Baptist(Matthew 3:13-15), to the Roman authorities (Mark 12:13-17), never wishing harm towards them (John 18:11). WhenSt. Paul speaks of spiritual warfare, he says that we mustbring every thought “into captivity to the obedience ofChrist...” (2 Cor 10:5, NKJV) We are called to lead a life of obe-dience, just as Christ did while He was on earth.

Staretz Silouan tells us that when one gives oneself up inobedience to the will of God, the Lord alone dwells in one’ssoul. “When the soul is entirely given over to the will of Godthe Lord Himself takes her in hand and the soul learns direct-ly from God.”4 Being obedient to God’s commandments andthe Church’s teaching will help the lay person lead a morefruitful life, because he will be guided by the Holy Spirit in allthat he does. Through obedience to God’s commandmentsone will experience freedom from the worries, temptations,and cares of the world. St. Symeon the New Theologian says,“He who gives himself in the hand of a good teacher will haveno such worries, but will live without anxiety and be saved inChrist Jesus our Lord …”5 Obedience is necessary because itis a denial of our self-will, and acceptance of the other, pri-marily God. If the “other” that we accept is leading us on thepath toward Christ, then we are following God’s command-ment to deny oneself. St. John Climacus says that, withoutobedience, “no one subject to passions will see the Lord.”6

The institution of the Church is set up with clergy in hier-archichal positions of church governance. This authority isthrough the laying on of hands that has been passed on insuccessive generations from the Apostles and from ChristHimself. The laity are called to be obedient to the clergy andleaders of the Church that have been appointed and elected;likewise, clergy are called to be obedient to the hierarchy ofclergy above them. “Let every soul be subject to the govern-ing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, andthe authorities that exist are appointed by God” (Romans13:1, NKJV). Ultimately, all humans, laity and clergy alike, arecalled to be obedient to God’s commandments and His Word.St. Paul says that one must “be obedient to those who areyour masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling,in sincerity of heart, as to Christ” (Ephesians 6:5, NKJV) Theleaders of the Church are representatives of Christ, andtherefore require our obedience to them.

Christ always invited people and never insisted, using the

10 The Word

The

Spir

itual

Dir

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OR

D M

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INE simple words, “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19, 8:22, 9:9, 16:24,

19:21, NKJV). Obedience to the Church is a voluntary obedi-ence that one chooses using his free will. One is never forcedor required to believe in Christ or to follow the teachings ofthe Church. It is a voluntary choice. Once the choice to followChrist is made, the path is set forth for each Christian by theChurch and its leaders, but the daily choices required to livea Christian life are up to the individual person. One will neverbe forced into acting a certain way to be a Christian.

The obedience we are called to follow is not to the personspecifically, but rather to the teachings of Christ that theseleaders model in their lives. If we are to be obedient to the per-son more than to Christ and His commandments, we riskmaking an idol of the person and taking the place of God. Thisauthority, however, was not meant to be a controlling forcethat limited what one was allowed to do. The obedience thatwe learn from the hierarchy of the Church and from our spir-itual directors must be obedience to Christ, and not to a spe-cific person.

The spiritual director should assist the laity on their jour-ney by helping to provide discernment and guidance. Thespiritual director is never meant to be a commanding forcethat gives permission or restricts the laity from doing whatthey choose. There is a difference between the authority thatthe clergy have to lead the Church, and the responsibility ofthe spiritual director to mentor and guide his spiritual child.“The spiritual Father does not coerce, he does not give orders;rather, he takes the spiritual child by the hand and leads theway, gently but firmly.”7 While the clergy have the responsibil-ity to administer the sacraments according to the canons andTradition of the Church, the spiritual director serves as aguide for the spiritual child and mentors him along hisChristian journey.

The relationship of the spiritual director and child mustbe in the context of love and a close personal relationship,similar to the relationship of a biological parent and child. St.John Climacus describes the spiritual director as “anado-chos,” which is the term used for the sponsor or godparent atBaptism and which signifies one who assumes responsibilityfor another.8 Those entrusted to be spiritual fathers andmothers are to lead by example, and not by command. Thecaution here is not to create an idol out of the spiritual direc-tor, even those that have been recognized as saints. “ ‘Call noone father’ means that all fatherhood shares in the father-hood of God, that all obedience is obedience to the Father’swill …”9 One must remember that both the spiritual director

and child are on the path towards God, and “are subject tothe same conditions and commandments, both accountablebefore the living God,” though the spiritual director would befurther along the path than the child.10 When a spiritual direc-tor becomes commanding and forgets to lead with love and byexample, the director ceases to follow the commandments ofGod. According to Abba Mius of Belos, “Obedience respondsto obedience,” not to authority.11

A spiritual director is not necessarily one who is ordainedto the Holy Orders. Any person, ordained, monastic, or laity,male or female, can be a spiritual director. The one key is thatthe person is living a Christian life and has been recognizedby others as doing so. Fr. Alexander Elchaninov said, “Youcannot cure the soul of others or ‘help people,’ without hav-ing changed yourself. You cannot put in order the spiritualeconomy of others, so long as there is chaos in your own soul.You cannot bring peace to others if you do not have it your-self.”12 One must first achieve the virtues of the Christian life,before one can guide others on that path. There is no certainrequirement to determine when the spiritual director hasattained a certain state, except for when others recognizethat person as leading a holy life. St. Seraphim of Sarovteaches, “Acquire a peaceful spirit and then thousands of oth-ers around you will be saved.”13 Once a person has success-fully traveled the path of spiritual achievement, then otherswill recognize his holiness and want to follow in his footsteps.“Thus it is his spiritual children who reveal the elder tohimself.”14

In the monastic setting, the abbot or abbess of themonastery is the spiritual director for that community. Inmost parish settings, the parish priest assumes the role of thespiritual director because of a lack of other spiritual leadersin local parish communities. There is also the problem thatsometimes a spiritual director who is not the parish priestwill give direction that contradicts the direction given bythe parish priest. One must remember that the parish priestis the leader of the community, and if one is a member ofthat community then that person can not be disobedient tothe leader of the parish. However, there are some that seekout other spiritual directors who are not their own parishpriest, and they must be aware of the potential conflict thatcould arise.

There is also a difference between the father confessorand the spiritual director. Again, if the spiritual director is anordained clergyman, he may also serve as the father confes-sor, but the two are not dependent on each other. The

The Word 11

Sacrament of Confession is essentially a retrospective actwhere one confesses sins that have already been committed.In contrast, spiritual direction is a preventative act where thefocus is on future decision making.15 The spiritual child dis-cusses his thoughts (logismoi) and ideas with the spiritualdirector, and the director will “discern secret dangers or sig-nificant signs” that the spiritual child has unknowinglyrevealed to his spiritual director.16 While one could say thatthis is part of the confession process, it is not necessarilypart of the Sacrament of Confession, where one receivesabsolution.

A healthy relationship of guidance and advice of the spir-itual director with the spiritual child is necessary for everyChristian. St. Basil the Great encourages each person to finda spiritual director “who may serve you as a sure guide in thework of leading a holy life” and warns that “to believe that onedoes not need counsel is great pride.”17 Dorotheos of Gaza,who agrees with St. Basil, says, “I know of no falling away ofa monk which did not come from his reliance on his own sen-timents. Nothing is more pitiful, nothing more disastrousthan to be one’s own [spiritual] director.”18 It is very hard forone to lead a Christian life if he does not have a guide to helphim along the way.

The sacrament of confession and absolution can not bereduced to a “magical act” that does not require any work.True repentance (metanoia) requires a change of directionand a change in future actions. The discussions that onewould have with one’s spiritual director help him fight histhoughts (logismoi) and discern how to make better choicesin the future to lead a more holy life. Spiritual guidance is anongoing process that takes place throughout one’s life. Onecan never reach a state of godliness, and therefore one wouldalways be striving to attain that stage until one’s death.

Through a trusting relationship, the spiritual child ismentored and guided by the spiritual director in both wordand action. In question 43 of the Longer Rules, St. Basilencourages the spiritual leader to lead by example, “makinghis own life a shining example for the fulfillment of every com-mandment of the Lord, so as to leave no cause for his disci-ples to believe that the Lord’s commandment is unattainableor contemptible.”19 St. Basil continues by saying that it is ofprimary importance for the spiritual director to lead with loveand humility for Christ that, “even when he is silent, theexample of his actions may be more effective instruction thanany words.”20 St. Paul also gives us this example of leading byexample when he says “Imitate me, just as I also imitate

Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1, NKJV). It is of primary impor-tance for the spiritual director to lead by example because,not only is it the best way to teach something, but alsobecause both the spiritual child and director are on the samepath of growing closer to God.

One is not forced into a relationship or in decision mak-ing. The spiritual child engages in a relationship with thespiritual director voluntarily. A spiritual director never longsto give someone advice, but rather recognizes his own inade-quacies and only offers advice to others when asked. St.Ignatios Brianchaninov of the 19th century says, “The volun-tary giving of advice is a sign that we regard ourselves as pos-sessed of spiritual knowledge and worth, which is a clear signof pride and self deception.”21 In addition, the spiritual direc-tor is not necessarily always right. St. Basil says “...it is nec-essary for the other brothers to admonish him [the superior]if the superior is suspected of any offense.”22 Of course, thismust be done with respect and love, but it shows that thespiritual director is in no way infallible. St. Ephraim theSyrian also warns, “If you are not yet in a great measureinflamed with the Holy Spirit, do not aspire to hear anotherman’s thoughts.”23

Just as the laity, or the royal priesthood, cannot existwithout the ordained priesthood, the spiritual director andthe spiritual child have a relationship that is dependent oneach other. The spiritual child has the free will to choosewhatever he wants to do. Within the context of a lovingChristian relationship with the spiritual director, the spiritu-al child is guided along the path. The spiritual director helpsthe spiritual child discern this path, but the ultimate decisionis up to the spiritual child.24 If the spiritual child is not giventhe freedom to make his own decisions, “it reduces the disci-ple to an infantile and even subhuman level, depriving him ofall power and judgment and moral choice; and it encouragesthe teacher to claim an authority which belongs to Godalone.”25 As stated earlier, the spiritual children are the oneswho go to the spiritual director and recognize him as a spiri-tual director.

A personal relationship is necessary between the spiritu-al director and child. There is no replacement for this type ofrelationship. Each person and each situation that that per-son is in is different, and must be carefully understood by thespiritual director. Advice given to one spiritual child for a cer-tain situation may be completely different than the advicegiven to a different spiritual child for a similar situation.While the situations may be similar, the person and the par-

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ticular circumstance are completely different. This is why apersonal relationship is necessary. “Many things cannot besaid in words, but can only be conveyed through a direct per-sonal encounter.”26 Each spiritual child is different, andneeds different guidance and encouragement along his jour-ney. Having a unique personal relationship with each spiritu-al child protects against legalism and strict adherence to theletter of the law. The relationship must be customized for thespecific persons and situations involved so that the spiritualchild can learn how to discover the truth for himself. Thespiritual director’s role is to guide the spiritual child, not toforce his will.

There are six gifts that the spiritual guide possesses.27

This is a compilation of Bishop Kallistos’ three gifts of thespiritual guide and Alan Jones’ five qualifications of the spir-itual director. The first gift is insight and discernment(diakrisis), which is a spiritual attribute, not a psychic one.The use of silence and carefully chosen words with which tospeak is necessary, but also listening that is done very atten-tively. The second gift is the ability to love others and to havecompassion on them. It is the spiritual director’s “task topray for them, and his constant intercession on their behalfis more important to them than any words of counsel.”28 Thethird gift is the ability to transform the human environment.This refers to helping the spiritual child see the world as Godcreated it, and as God wants it to be once again. The fourthgift is patience. One must not try to change a person tooquickly, but be patient with him and move with him at thepace at which he is able to move. The fifth gift is franknessand honesty. Honesty is necessary on both sides of the rela-tionship to allow for deep, sincere discussion and analysis ofthoughts. Without honesty, the conversation and, moreimportantly, the relationship between the spiritual directorand child, will stay at a cursory level. The sixth gift is detach-ment, so that the spiritual director is guided only by the willof God and the Holy Spirit and not by any other forces ortemptations. These gifts are necessary for the spiritual direc-tor to be able to function in his role. For language purposes ofthis paper, the term “spiritual director” was used, but in reallife one would refer to his director as either a spiritual fatheror spiritual mother, as appropriate. It is very important to rec-ognize the full meaning of the word “father” or “mother” inthe spiritual context.

Jordan Aumann, a contemporary writer who focuses onthe topic of spiritual direction, suggests seven duties that thedirector must do or know. They are 1) excellent knowledge of

the spiritual child’s character, personality, and person; 2)ability to offer instruction whenever possible; 3) ability tooffer encouragement and confidence in God; 4) ability to exer-cise control in directing the spiritual child; 5) ability to cor-rect the spiritual child’s faults without being offensive; 6)ability to maintain a progression in the spiritual life of thechild; and 7) ability to observe confidentiality. He also sug-gests that the spiritual child must exercise sincerity, obedi-ence, perseverance, and discretion.29

All human beings have been given the gift of free will fromGod. In one’s daily struggle to be a Christian, one must beable to make the appropriate decisions using one’s free-will tofollow Christ. The role of the spiritual director is to help guidethe spiritual child learn how to make those decisions. BishopIgnatios Brianchaninov warns, “Conceited and self-opinion-ated people love to teach and give directions. … It does notoccur to them that they can cause irreparable damage totheir neighbor by their misguided advice … they want tomake an impression on the beginner, and subject him moral-ly to themselves. They want human praise.”30 The advice andguidance that the spiritual director offers the spiritual childmust be simply that, advice and guidance. For each person,the advice which is given and received will be differentbecause everyone is at a different place on the journey, but allare on the same journey toward Christ. St. Mark the Asceticsays, “one who gives orders so as to secretly fulfill his ownwill is an adulterer!”31

Bishop Ignatios Brianchaninov reminds us that one mustalways follow the will of God, and not the will of a fallenhuman, whether it is one’s own fallen will or that of the spir-itual director. Elder Macarius encourages his spiritual childto, “Pray that God may grant me [Macarius] the ability to saythe right words which will bring you [the spiritual child]help.”32 Here we clearly see the fact that the spiritual childmust always follow the will of God, and it is the spiritualdirector who merely helps the child to discern and find thewill of God. One cannot offer one’s own prideful knowledge tothe spiritual child. Clergy who think that they are superior toothers are “a delusion” and lack humility.33

The spiritual director cannot claim that the spiritual childshould follow him with “blind obedience,” for this belongs toGod alone. Thomas Merton suggests the terms “uncritical” or“unquestioning” to better describe the obedience for the spir-itual child to the spiritual director. This is based on the spir-itual child truly believing that the spiritual director knows thebest way for the spiritual child to grow closer to Christ.34

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However, even if the spiritual child freely chooses to acceptthis type of obedience, and even if the spiritual director trulyknows the way in which the child will walk, the spiritual childis unable to make decisions on his own. The role of the spiri-tual director is to help the child learn how to make sounddecisions regarding his Christian life.

St. Symeon the New Theologian, who comes from amonastic setting, is strongly in favor of a spiritual directorand child relationship. He says one must obey the spiritualdirector “as though he were God Himself, whose instructionyou carry out without hesitation, even if what he enjoins onyou appears to you to be repugnant and harmful.”35 Thisadvice that he offers is meant for the monastic setting, wherethe abbot or abbess is completely responsible for the spiritu-al and physical care of the community. His advice is not appli-cable to the laity or clergy living in the world. However, hedoes continue and say that it is better to “be called a discipleof a disciple rather than to live by your own devices and gath-er the worthless fruits of your own will.”36 St. Symeon recog-nizes that even for the laity, a spiritual director is needed, andthat nothing is worse than a Christian who is on his ownwithout a guide.

Monastic communities are communities specifically setapart from society as places of continuous and advancedprayer and devotion to God. Each monk there has taken vowsof commitment to the abbot or superior of the monastery andto a certain way of life. The abbot is responsible for the mem-bers of his community both physically and spiritually. ElderEphraim of Katounakia says, “Without the blessing of theelder, don’t take a step. Don’t go anywhere without a blessing,so that God will be with you.”37 Those in the laity, however,have not committed to this advanced lifestyle of prayer andcommitment towards God. The spiritual director must nottreat the spiritual child as if he is in a monastic setting, orexpect him to act in such a way. Fr. Alexander Men, a twenti-eth century Russian priest, says that this model is not appli-cable in the setting of a parish priest and parishioner.38 Parishpriests should not mimic services, attitudes, and disciplinesas observed in monastic communities when they are in aparish setting.

When a suitable spiritual director cannot be found forwhatever reason, the fathers of the Church encourage us tolook at the Holy Scripture and the words of the Lord Himself.Other options include making pilgrimage visits to holy sitessuch as Jerusalem, Mount Athos, monasteries, or shrines ofsaints.39 While these other options do not take the place of a

personal relationship with a spiritual director, they do offersomething until a director is found.

There is also extreme flexibility with the relationship ofthe spiritual director. One may see one’s spiritual directorevery day and live with him or her, or one may only see himonce a month, or even once a year. There is no specific guide-line, and for each person it will be different. Many people failto find a spiritual guide because they are looking for a certaintype. The spiritual director will be a unique type for each per-son, and the relationship that they have will certainly beunique.40

As pointed out in this paper, there is a necessity for eachChristian to have a personal relationship with a spiritualdirector. One is called to be obedient to the Church, whichthrough Christ has been established to have authority onearth. Through one’s free will one will voluntarily choose toparticipate in a loving, caring relationship with an experi-enced spiritual director who will guide and advise one alongone’s daily struggle to Christ.

by Khalil Samara

Khalil Samara is Program Director of the Antiochian Village,Ligonier, PA.

1 Ward, Benedicta. The Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The AlphabeticalCollection. Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1975, p. 191.

2 Chrysostomos, Hieromonk Amrosios, Alexey Young, and VladimirDerugin. Obedience. Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1984,p. 43.

3 Climacus, John. The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Boston, MA: HolyTransfiguration Monastery, 2001, p. 21.

4 Sophrony. Wisdom from Mount Athos: The Writings of Staretz Silouan1866-1938. Translated by Rosemary Edmonds. Crestwood, NY: St.Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1974, p. 68.

5 Symeon the New Theologian. Symeon the New Theologian: TheDiscourses. Translated by C. J. deCatanzaro. Mahwah, NJ: PaulistPress, 1980, p. 237.

6 Climacus, p. 23.7 Chrysostomos, p. 45.8 Chryssavgis, John. Soul Mending: The Art of Spiritual Direction.

Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 2000, p. 53.9 Evdokimov, Paul. The Struggle with God. Translated by Sister

Gertrude, S.P. Glen Rock, NJ: Paulist Press, 1966, p. 128.10 Chryssavgis, p. 79.11 Ward, p. 150.12 Elchaninov, Alexander. The Diary of a Russian Priest. Translated by

Helen Iswolsky. London: Faber and Faber Limited, 1967, p. 218.13 Ware, Kallistos. The Inner Kingdom: Volume 1 of the Collected Works.

Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2000, p. 133.14 Ware, p. 130.15 Allen, Joseph J. Inner Way: Toward a Rebirth of Eastern Christian

Spiritual Direction. Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 2000,p. 21.

16 Ware, p. 136.17 Allen, p. 35.18 Dorotheos of Gaza. Dorotheos of Gaza: Discourses and Sayings.

Translated by Eric P. Wheeler. Cistercian Studies 33. Kalamazoo, MI:Cistercian Publications, 1977, p. 253.

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19 Chryssavgis, p. 160.20 Chryssavgis, p. 160.21 Brianchaninov, Ignatius. The Arena: An Offering to Contemporary

Monasticism. Translated by Archmandrite Lazarus. Jordarnville, NY:Holy Trinity Monastery, 1982, p. 49.

22 Chryssavgis, p. 158.23 Allen, p. 36.24 Chryssavgis, p. 102.25 Ware, p. 142.26 Ware, p. 146.27 Based on Ware’s three gifts of the spiritual guide (Ware 2000, pp. 135-

140) and Alan Jones’ five qualifications of the spiritual director (Allen2000, pp. 53-54)

28 Ware, p. 138.29 Allen, p. 55.30 Brianchaninov, p. 49.31 Chryssavgis, p. 125.32 Macarius, Starets of Optino. Russian Letters of Direction, 1834-

1860.Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1975, p. 26.33 Chryssavgis, p. 124.34 Allen, p. 45.35 Symeon, p. 232.36 Symeon, p. 232.37 Joseph of Vatopaidi. Obedience is Life: Elder Ephraim of Katounakia.

Mount Athos, Greece: Holy Great Monastery of Vatopaidi, 2003, p. 86.38 Ware, p. 142.39 Ware, p. 147.40 Ware, pp. 148-149.

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Very Rev. George Alberts

F E B R U A R Y , 2 0 0 71. 1 JOHN 1:8-2:6; MARK 13:31-14:22. HEBREWS 7:7-17; LUKE 2:22-40

MEETING OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE3. 2 TIMOTHY 3:1-9; LUKE 20:46-21:44. 1 CORINTHIANS 6:12-20; LUKE 15:11-325. 1 JOHN 2:18-3:10; MARK 11:1-116. 1 JOHN 3:11-20; MARK 14:10-427. 1 JOHN 3:21-4:6; MARK 14:43-15:1 (fast)8. 1 JOHN 4:20-5:21; MARK 15:1-159. 2 JOHN 1:1-13; MARK 15:22-25, 33-41 (fast)

10. 2 TIMOTHY 2:1-10; JOHN 15:17-16:211. 1 CORINTHIANS 8:8-9:2; MATTHEW 25:31-4612. 3 JOHN 1:1-15; LUKE 19:29-40, 22-7:39 (fast)13. JUDE 1:1-10; LUKE 22:39-42, 45-23:1 (fast)14. JOEL 2:12-26; JOEL 3:12-21 (fast)15. JUDE 1:11-25; LUKE 23:2-34, 44-56 (fast)16. ZACHARIAH 8:7-17; ZACHARIAH 8:19-23 (fast)17. ROMANS 14:19-23, 16:25-27; MATTHEW 6:1-13

(fast)18. ROMANS 13:11-14:4; MATTHEW 6:14-21 (fast)19. ISAIAH 1:1-20; GENESIS 1:1-13; PROVERBS

1:1-20 (fast)20. ISAIAH 1:19-2:4; GENESIS 1:14-23; PROVERBS

1:20-33 (fast)21. ISAIAH 2:3-11; GENESIS 1:24-2:3; PROVERBS

2:1-22 (fast)22. ISAIAH 2:11-21; GENESIS 2:4-19; PROVERBS

3:1-18 (fast)23. ISAIAH 3:1-15; GENESIS 2:20-3:20; PROVERBS

3:19-34 (fast)24. HEBREWS 1:1-2; MARK 2:23-3:5 (fast)25. HEBREWS 11:24-26, 32:12:2; JOHN 1:43-51

(fast)26. ISAIAH 4:2-5:7; GENESIS 3:21-4:7; PROVERBS

3:34-4:22 (fast)27. ISAIAH 5:7-16; GENESIS 4:8-15; PROVERBS

5:1-15 (fast)28. ISAIAH 5:16-25; GENESIS 4:16-26; PROVERBS

5:15-6:4 (fast)

archdiocesanoffice

ORDAINED

LeMASTERS, Philip by Bishop BASIL to the holy diaconateat St. George Cathedral in Wichita, KS, on November 5,2006. He is assigned to St. Luke Church in Abilene, TX.

PRIESTON, Evangelos, by Bishop THOMAS to the holydiaconate at St. John Chrysostom Church, York, PA onNovember 12, 2006. He is attached to St. Mary Church inChambersburg, PA.

PETRANEK, Richard by Bishop BASIL to the holy dia-conate at St. Joseph Church in Houston, TX, on November12, 2006 and to the holy priesthood at St. George Churchin Houston, TX, on November 19, 2006. He is assigned tothe new St. Paul Church in West Houston, TX.

MARX, Meletios by Bishop BASIL to the holy diaconate atSt. George Church in Houston, TX, on November 19, 2006.He is assigned to St. Joseph Church in Houston, TX.

SHAHEEN, Stephen by Bishop THOMAS to the holy dia-conate at St. Elias Church in New Castle, PA, on December3, 2006. He is assigned to St. George Church in NewKensington, PA.

SUSPENDED

SAYAF, Archpriest George, effective November 28, 2006.

The Word 15

There was a knock at the front door. “Flowers for the new-born child,” Judy declared, holding out the bag. The motherwelcomed her friend and accepted the package. There was nosign of any flowers, but she said “thank you” anyway.

Judy has always been full of surprises. If she said shebrought flowers, then sooner or later, flowers would appear.She has always approached things differently, danced to herown tune. At seventy-six, she still considered such practicalthings as umbrellas or raincoats unnecessary on rainy days.She would simply stride out into any weather, defying rain orsnow. “I’ve yet to hear of a person dissolving because of a lit-tle extra moisture in the air,” she’d say.

“Where is the little darling?” she asked. The mother led theway to the sky-blue door at the end of the narrow hall. Judygazed intently at the child.

“I’ve brought flowers for you, Alissaundre,” Judy said,“Your mother has them, dear, in that plastic bag she’s holding.But these flowers are the kind that will last forever.”

The mother opened the bag and peered into it, then lookedup, confused. “I’ve made her a blanket, dear,” Judy continued,“I used the wool from my sheep. I searched until I found a vari-ety of plants and organic materials to create the brightest pig-ment dyes. Then I matched the first letters of the natural col-ors with the 12 letters in Alissaundre’s name.”

“Aloe, Lichen, Iris, Sage, Sweet Violet, Alum, Ultramarine,Nasturtium, Dandelion, Red iron oxide and English marigold.Alissaundre.”

Judy spread her worn hand over the rainbow. “With time,the weave will stretch and the blanket will grow, just as

Alissaundre will.”Years later, the same small blanket that fit the wicker bas-

ket grew with the girl as she became a woman. Even thoughJudy had passed away, her gift had continued to be passed onto future generations.

Orthodoxy is the beloved blanket which nurtures each ofus as we grow up and live our lives through the faith.“If shesaid she brought flowers, then sooner or later, flowers wouldappear.” Joel had prophesied to the future generations thecoming of the Christ and of the Pentecost. Although thingswere not as expected, the once-hesitant disciples were filledwith the Holy Spirit and become bold. Thus, the OrthodoxChurch is the blanket, of which its origins are still the twelvemost influential flowers, “the kind that will last forever.”

One cannot turn their head in today’s society withoutbeing flooded with pressure to look, act, dress, or behave a cer-tain way. Unfortunately, it has become increasingly easier,especially for a teenager, to stray from the morals which wehave been raised with through our faith, even, as I will admit,to sometimes be hesitant in embracing our faith outside thechurch setting. In chapter 7 of the book of Acts, St. Stephentells the chief priests and Sadducees about all the tribulationsthat the prophets experienced. Because of the teachings of theprophets, St. Stephen the martyr, and the many other heroesof the Orthodox Church, I can take these influences and, likeJudy, “stride out into any weather, defying rain or snow.” Thisis only so because as disciples, we are all filled with the HolySpirit and can do our own wonders.

When Judy wanted to present her gift to the child, the

Judges’ Choice—Hala Sawalha

Diocese of Ottawa, Eastern Canada and Upstate NY

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future of the Orthodox Church, “the mother led the way downto the sky blue door at the end of the narrow hall.” This is sym-bolic of what St. Matthew instructs us in chapter 7, verse 13,“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is theway that leads to destruction, because narrow is the gate anddifficult is the way which leads to life.”

Throughout my life, the Orthodox Church has played anintegral role in my upbringing and lifestyle. A few years ago,one of my closest friends with whom I had shared many greatmemories and classes in school, had told me he no longerbelieved in God, and that he was experiencing emotions andacting in ways not accepted by the Church. This was very hardfor me to deal with, knowing that I am in no place to judgeanother person, but wanting to help him so badly, because Iknow that he will only be happier if he is close to the Church.I immediately turned to Orthodoxy to help guide me and helpme deal with this change. Even though he and I are no longerthe closest of friends anymore due to our differences, thanksto this experience, I have learned ways to deal with everybump in the road that I am faced with. Barbara Johnson oncewrote, “We all go through pain and sorrow, but the presence ofGod, like a warm comforting blanket, can shield us and protectus, and allow the deep inner joy to surface, even in the mostdevastating circumstances.” This past November, one of myfriends from school lost his life in a car accident. He was wear-ing his seatbelt, it wasn’t too late, he hadn’t been drinking, theroads were wet. Had it not been for the Orthodox Church, Iwould not have had a place to pray for him and his family, norwould I have had friends to support me when I felt like I could-n’t attend another day of school because it just hurt too much.

Every time I am faced with a decision in my life, I wasalways taught to look at every possible outlook, and use myfaith and better judgment in each situation. I am now, alwaysdetermined with whichever path I choose to follow, that it bethe right way. The Orthodox Church is my parent that hasshown me the true faith and guided me towards the right pathin all my endeavors and tribulations. The Church has been myanchor in time of need, my support in time of sorrow, my lightin time of darkness, and my celebration in time of rejoicing.

I am at a critical time in my life right now, having just grad-uated high school, and preparing myself for my years to comeat college. Here I am, just barely a legal adult, and I am decid-ing my future, what I will be doing the rest of my life, where Iwill be living, and what kinds of people I will surround myselfwith. In the year 312, before his victory at the Milvian Bridgebattle, the Emperor Constantine had a vision. He saw a cross

with the inscription, “In this sign you shall conquer.” Movingout of the house, living away from free laundry service andhome-cooked meals, and having all this new freedom is over-whelming, and at times I wonder how capable and prepared Iam. Every time I am about to go out with friends, or attend asocial function at school or otherwise, my mother always tellsme, “I know I don’t have to remind you what you can and can-not do, because it’s not me you’ll be dealing with in the end,it’s God.” Luckily, I know that the Orthodox Church is there forme, to be my constant home away from home and to watchover me when my own mother isn’t there to protect me as shealways has been. I know that, in order to be accomplished andhappy, I will only be successful and conquer my goals with theconstant support of the Orthodox Church.

Even though it was the twelve plants and organic materi-als that made the blanket special and unique, the basis for theblanket, the substance that held it together, was the wool fromJudy’s sheep. Likewise, the Twelve Disciples were the wit-nesses who first experienced and spread the faith. As timeprogresses, the weave is Orthodoxy, which we, Christ theShepherd’s flock, help form and shape so that it can grow, andwe can spread the faith. “And it shall come to pass afterwardthat I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daugh-ters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, andyour young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28).

Hala Sawalha is a member of St. Elias Church, Syracuse, NY.

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Sacred Gift of Life Sunday – January 21, 2007There are many events of the past that impact life for

years to come. On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Courtrendered a ruling that has had a profound influence on soci-ety ever since. The value of life has been devalued. Thetragic Supreme Court Decision on Roe v. Wade, which legal-ized abortion in the United States, overturned all moral andlogical reasoning that most citizens of our society held andpracticed. Since 1973, nearly 50 million lives have beenaborted. Approximately 93% of the women who have hadabortions cited they did so for social reasons (i.e. unreadyfor responsibility, can’t afford the baby, concern over howbaby would change her life, etc) as opposed to issuesregarding the mother’s health, the baby’s health, rape orincest. These few facts are very alarming for us as OrthodoxChristians, who hold all life as sacred and holy.

The teens of our archdiocese are very concerned aboutthis issue and desire to do whatever is in their ability to helpbring about change that leads to godliness and holiness.The members of the North American Council (NAC) ofSOYO, with the blessing of His Eminence MetropolitanPhilip, will lead our Archdiocese in observing Sunday,January 21, 2007, as the “Sacred Gift of Life Sunday:

Protecting the Life of the Unborn.” Our teens, as part ofthe celebration of January as Orthodox Education Month,will be furthering their education, understanding and com-mitment regarding the Orthodox Church’s teaching on thesacred gift of life and abortion. In turn, they will help tobring a greater awareness to the faithful of our parishes andthroughout their local communities.

The teens are putting together a list of readings for fur-ther study that may be found on the Teen SOYO website(www.teensoyo.org). In addition, the teens are researchingthe various Orthodox agencies that support alternatives toabortions. A list of these agencies and links to their web-sites may also be found on the Teen SOYO website. Variousresources will be posted to the Teen SOYO website that willfurther our education and understanding. Local Teen SOYO

chapters and High School Christian Education classes areencouraged to check out our resources page for materials.Some of the materials include a case study on abortion andthe sacred gift of life that was developed by Dr. H. TristramEngelhardt, an Orthodox Christian and leading bio-ethicist.

The teens, under the leadership of the pastors and advisors,will have the material necessary to have discussions andfurther their belief and commitment to the sacred gift of life.

Please join our teens as we recognize the sacred gift oflife on Sunday, January 21, 2007 throughout the parishes ofthe Antiochian Archdiocese.

Reflections on the Sacred Gift of Life“The strong belief in the

sanctity and sacredness oflife, based on Scripture andHoly Tradition, obliges us toteach that abortion is thekilling of a human life. Sincethe earliest of times, thesacred canons of our Churchand the writings of the

Church Fathers have taught that both those who administerabortion and those who have abortions are committing seri-ous sins, thereby separating themselves from God and jeop-ardizing their salvation. Therefore, it is of vital importancethat you stand for life by your example.”

— Metropolitan Philip, in a letter to the teens of theAntiochian Archdiocese, January 2006

“From his conception until his death, the child is a per-son, a bearer of the divine image, whose primary vocation isto conform increasingly to the ‘likeness’ of God. This voca-tion consists in a long and difficult quest to acquire virtues,which are nothing other than divine ‘energies,’ such as jus-tice, wisdom, beauty, compassion, and love. Human life issacred from its origin because it is created in the imago Deiand called to assume the ascetic struggle that leads towarddivine perfection. It is this exalted vocation that transformsevery individual existence into personal life. This is ‘sacred’life, since it originates from an act of the Father’s creativelove, and its ultimate end is to glorify and share eternally inthe personal, communal Life of the Holy Trinity.”

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— An excerpt from “The Sacredness of Newborn Life,” alecture given by Fr. John Breck at the Orthodox Peace

Fellowship conference at St. Tikhon’s Monastery, SouthCanaan, Pennsylvania, in June 2002. The complete text may

be found online at http://incommunion.org/articles/confer-ences-lectures/the-sacredness-of-newborn-life.

“We acknowledge, therefore, that life begins with concep-tion, because we contend that the soul begins at conception.Life begins when the soul begins.”

— Tertullian (c. 223) “Human life is always precious and sacred. This is a fun-

damental tenet of the Orthodox Christian tradition. Each andevery human being is created in the image of God the Creator,and can never cease to be loved by God. The highest measureof a quality of life is our personal relationship with God … Asa gift, life is always to be respected, nurtured and defended byOrthodox Christians. It is not an abstract principle to bedebated. We affirm that we are called to be wise stewards ofthis gift. This prohibits the conscious destruction of life atany stage in the human life cycle, and demands loving care atevery stage, for ourselves and especially for the livesof others.”

— Statement from the Greek Orthodox Metropolis ofChicago

2007 Bible Bowl and Oratorical FestivalHis Eminence Metropolitan Philip has stated on numer-

ous occasions that one of the highlights of our Parish LifeConferences and Archdiocese Conventions are the Bible Bowland Oratorical Festival. The Bible Bowl this year will be onthe Gospel of St. Luke and the Oratorical Festival theme is“The Unity of Faith.” Complete rules for the festivals may befound online: http://www.antiochian.org/festivals.

These events are wonderful opportunities for our youngpeople to learn more about their faith and then offer them theopportunity to share it with others. Our hierarchs expect tosee each parish represented in these festivals. The OratoricalFestival has two divisions based on age: Junior (13-15) andSenior (16-18). The Bible Bowl teams are comprised of threeteens each. There is also an adult division of the Bible Bowl.The first place team in the Bible Bowl from each diocese aswell as the judge’s choice in the senior division of theOratorical Festival are expected to travel to Montreal to rep-resent their respective diocese at the archdiocesan level ofthe festivals. As a reminder, if you are traveling from theUnited States, you must have a passport to re-enter the US.

We encourage all of our young people to consider being a partof these meaningful events.

Youth Worker Scholarship FundOne of the most precious resources that we have is our

youth. They are not only our future but they are very muchour present. If we want a bright future for our parishes andthe Church as a whole we need to equip our young peoplewith a solid foundation in the faith. To give them this foun-dation we need to educate them in the faith by a variety ofmeans (SOYO, Sunday School, camping, etc). In most of ourparishes it is the youth group, SOYO, which provides the mostfrequent opportunities for facilitating the spiritual growth ofour teens. To best accomplish this, we need youth workerswho are well educated in the faith.

The teens of our Archdiocese a number of years ago rec-ognized this basic fact. The SOYO chapters that have youthworkers with a theological education are better able to serveand meet the needs of the teens than many of their counter-parts without the education. To that end, with the blessing ofMetropolitan Philip, SOYO established the St JohnChrysostom Youth Worker Scholarship Fund. The goal is toraise at least $250,000 in this fund that will provide scholar-ships for youth workers that desire to further their educationin the faith. These scholarships may be used to study youthministry at one of the Orthodox seminaries or for enrollmentin the Youth Ministry track of the St. Stephen’s Course. Formore information on the scholarship fund, visit the web page:http://www.antiochian.org/youth_worker_fund. Donationsmay be made online as well or you may mail your contributionto :NAC Teen SOYO Youth Worker Fund, Department of Youth,P.O. Box 389, Westwood, MA 02090

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Complete topics, rules, and recommended reading listare available online at: http://www.antiochian.org/festivals

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Crestwood, NY – St. Vladimir’s Orthodox TheologicalSeminary is pleased to announce our selection of two leadersto guide us in our mission to serve the Orthodox Churchthrough theological scholarship and the training of futurepriests and church leaders.

Fr. John Behr and Fr. Chad Hatfield have been elected bythe seminary Board of Trustees to share in the seminary lead-ership – Fr. John as Dean and Fr. Chad as Provost (ChiefExecutive Officer). As Dean, Fr. Behr will preside over theecclesial and educational life of the seminary, while Fr.Hatfield, in his role of Provost, will head the organizationalrunning of the school. Both will report to the Board ofTrustees presided over by its President, The Most BlessedHerman, Metropolitan of All America and Canada andPrimate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).

Fr. Chad Hatfield comes to St. Vladimir’s from St. HermanSeminary in Kodiak, Alaska, where he has served with greatdistinction as Dean since 2002. Fr. Hatfield holds a Doctor ofMinistry from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, where histhesis was “An Examination of the Pastoral Rites for Ministryto the Sick as Found in the Orthodox Christian Euchologia.”He received his Master of Divinity in 1978 and Master ofSacred Theology in 1988 from Nashotah House Seminary inWisconsin. Ordained as Priest by Bishop Basil (Essey) of theAntiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North Americain 1994, he is Vice President of the Orthodox ChristianMission Center (OCMC) Board, Co-Chair of the OCADepartment of Evangelization, and member of the OCA Boardof Theological Education, the Editorial Advisory Board forChristian Bioethics journal and the Kodiak College AdvisoryCouncil. Fr. Hatfield and his wife, Matushka Thekla, will bemoving to St. Vladimir’s campus at the completion of the cur-rent academic year.

Fr. John Behr is the current Professor of Patristics at St.Vladimir’s and is widely regarded as one of the eminent the-ologians of our time. Having studied under Bishop Kallistos(Ware), Fr. Behr earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Theology

from Oxford University and a Master of Theology from St.Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. A prolific author,his most recently published books include The Mystery ofChrist: Life in Death (Crestwood, NY: SVS Press, 2006) andThe Nicene Faith, vol. 2 of The Formation of ChristianTheology (Crestwood, NY: SVS Press, 2004). He has also pub-lished numerous articles and papers and speaks throughoutthe world on Orthodox theology. Ordained to the priesthood in2001, Fr. Behr is the current editor of St. Vladimir’sTheological Quarterly and the Popular Patristics Series andis the faculty supervisor for the Inter-Seminary Dialogue. Helives with his wife Kate and their two sons and daughter onSt. Vladimir’s campus.

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, located inCrestwood, NY, is a graduate school of theology whose pro-grams are registered by the New York State EducationDepartment. It is accredited by the Association of TheologicalSchools in the United States and Canada.

In speaking on the new appointments, MetropolitanHerman said, “To address the challenges of theological edu-cation today and to fulfill its mission in the fullest possiblesense, we could not be more pleased to have two such shin-ing stars of the Orthodox world, and brothers in Christ, lead-ing St. Vladimir’s.” As they embark on their new roles, a keyobjective for Fr. John and Fr. Chad will be the implementationof the new faculty-developed, Board-approved “Good Pastor”curriculum. This curriculum integrates, in an innovative way,academic seminars and coursework with practical training,especially in Homiletics and Teaching. Fr. Chad and Fr. Johnwill officially start their terms upon the completion of the cur-rent term of Fr. John Erickson in June 2007. We thank allthose who participated in the selection process and ask foryour prayers that the Holy Spirit might guide St. Vladimir’sas we enter into a new era.

St. Vladimir’s SeminaryTrustees Elect NewSeminary Leadership

On Tuesday, November 7, 2006, His Eminence

Metropolitan PHILIP hosted all of the Antiochian

seminarians for a Vesper Service and dinner at the

Archdiocese headquarters in Englewood, New Jersey.

This is an annual event that brings our seminarians

and their wives together from St. Vladimir

(Crestwood, NY), St. Tikhon (South Canaan, PA),

and Holy Cross (Brookline, MA) seminaries for an

evening of fellowship and important discussion. The

evening began with the Vesper Service held in the

Chapel of St. John Chrysostom, followed by a dinner

in the large dining room. His Eminence addressed

the seminarians, stressing the importance of their

theological education, and the need for their min-

istries to touch people in their everyday lives. In

addition, His Eminence also met privately with each

of the third-year seminarians to discuss important

issues related to their futures. This year, the

Archdiocese has 27 seminarians (11 of whom are

married) attending the three seminaries. Ten of

these seminarians are completing their third year,

and will graduate in 2007.

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Navigating through Africaand led by the Cross

“Khooo eees dis?” asked the man on the other line.It was both comforting and somewhat disorienting tohear the thick Greek accent on the other line of thephone. I introduced myself and explained that I wasa medical student from Canada, working in centralGhana for the summer and would love to celebratethe Liturgy with him on Sunday morning. I hadheard many good things about him and his ministryin West Africa.

The Word 25

His Grace Damaskinos, Bishop of Ghana and West Africa,was incredibly warm and helpful, but would be out of the dis-trict on the Sunday I would be visiting the Cathedral in Accra.He told me where the church was and I said goodbye, feelingclosely connected to this man on the other line by our com-mon Orthodox brotherhood, even though we were separatedby continents and would unlikely ever meet in person.

The roots of Orthodoxy in Ghana date as far back as the1920’s, when a man by the name of Bresi-Ando left theMethodist Church to seek out the true apostolic faith. Duringthe next thirty years, Bresi-Ando founded the “AfricanUniversal Orthodox-Catholic Church” and suffered much crit-icism against his claim that this was truly an ancient churchdescended from the Apostles. Orthodoxy was viewed as a fab-ricated ideology. Although not a canonically recognizedchurch, and isolated from the Orthodox world outside ofGhana, Bresi-Ando taught many non-Christians about thefaith and directed them to a righteous way of life. When Bresi-Ando died, growth slowed down until a youth movement cameacross a book titled “The Orthodox Church,” by BishopKallistos Ware. The claims of Bresi-Ando were accurate: theOrthodox Church existed. With the help of some of our cher-ished church leaders, such as Fr. Meyendorff and Fr. Hopko,the Orthodox faithful of Ghana were welcomed into canonicalOrthodox Tradition in 1982. Several Ghanaians were ordainedand thousands more were baptized.

At 4:00 am the next day, I was enroute to the Cathedral, try-ing to sleep under the bright lights and loud music on the bus.

I arrived in Accra, weary and exhausted by the heavy heat,and somewhat disoriented, but managed to find the students’hostel despite some sketchy directions. It would have beenamusing that every young Ghanaian man pointed in totallyopposite directions when I asked where the hostel was, but Iwas lost and needed a place to sleep! Finally, after severalwrong turns, I found a bed at the students’ hostel and openedmy suitcase. Much to my dismay, I realized that a bottle ofsunscreen had exploded in my bag. This would not have beena problem … had the plumbing been working. Oh well, Ithought, this was the Ghana experience.

On Sunday morning, I awakened unable to contain myexcitement! Eagerly, I flagged down a taxi in my “put on a seri-ous face and pretend you know what you’re doing so theydon’t rip you off” best performance. We agreed on a price,both thinking about how clever we were to have bargained sowell. We drove for over an hour, twisting and turning, jostlingand plodding on dirt roads and places not meant for cars or

anything with wheels. The sun was rising higher and higherin the sky and I was starting to get anxious. The Bishop toldme vaguely in which part of town the church would be found,but none of his markers came into view. The taxi driver wasgrowing impatient and began increasing his price. My bar-gaining skills were eroding with each new bump and twist inthe road. “Go to Newmarket in the Legon district and youshould see the church” … or was it Newtown … or Newman?There was no church in view.

Furthermore, not one person in the vicinity seemed tohave any idea what I was talking about. The driver insisted Icall someone to get directions, but the Bishop was in Nigeriaand my phone had expired. I was worried I was going to bestranded in Newmarket, or was it Newtown or Newman? Justas all hope seemed to be lost, and I was about to ask him infutile resignation to take me back to the bus station, I saw abeacon in the distance — a gold, commanding OrthodoxCross peaking over the low buildings, reflecting the early morn-ing sun. I couldn’t contain my joy — “THERE IT IS!” I yelled.

I swung my oversized bag off my shoulders and walkedaround the church, enjoying the serenity, a far cry from thenoisy dormitories and crowded market in Kumasi. A glance atmy watch proved that I was perhaps over-eager in my attemptto make it to church — it was only 8:00 am. Liturgy wouldn’tstart for another few hours, so I decided to walk around towna little. When I walked back to the church I was followed bytwo young girls, maybe four years old, who came runningafter me and tugged at my backpack. The two little girlsskipped back down the dirt road and I, in my Sunday best,skipped right alongside them.

Back at church, I found myself a nice cool place betweentwo windows; the early morning breeze was refreshing. Idecided to sit at the rear to get a better view of the priest andcongregation. The men all wore white shirts and black pants,whereas women wore festive, colorful outfits and matchingheaddresses. Father Daniel, an African-born priest, wasreplacing the regular priest and the Bishop, who were bothout of town.

As he opened the Royal Doors to start the service, twobirds flew into the window next to my pew — a welcomingfrom the Holy Spirit, I thought. The entire service was in Twi,the native language of the Ashanti region of Ghana. Thehymns were sung with rich African harmonies and one couldhear the passion and devotion in their voices. I tried to singalong, but my emotions got the best of me. My ear-to-ear grin,which was maintained throughout the entire service,

26 The Word

revealed my sheer joy. I had never had so much fun at church.It was an emotional service for several reasons. First, I

had dreamt about what the Orthodox Church would be inAfrica for a very long time and I was finally there. It was asbeautiful and poignant as I had imagined. The deeply rootedtraditions of Orthodoxy were being celebrated by a vibrant,musical, rhythmic people. The Ghanaian Orthodox service isthe same as the one we celebrate in North America, althoughthe chanting had a unique and richly Afro-Byzantine twist. Aslong as one knows the meaning of the chants, the language isnot a problem. I eagerly participated.

Despite the uniquely African style, the service was peace-ful and calm. The people of Ghana love to dance, they lovemusic, and they love it LOUD! However, this did not detractfrom the fact that they were deeply involved in the service. Ittakes a patient and wise person to realize the joy there is inOrthodoxy. I looked around the church and beamed with pride.

Meanwhile, the Evangelical pastor at the church nextdoor was giving a dynamic homily, including sound effects,dance music and a commanding message which nearly shookthe walls of our small Orthodox church. In spite of this, theOrthodox faithful of Holy Transfiguration Cathedral main-tained focus during the service, which is more than I can sayfor myself!

As the service came to a close, and we venerated the crossto the accompaniment of bongo drums, I danced back to myseat, thinking about the sense of community I got from thisparish. At the time of the Offering of Peace, the women’s sideof the church greeted each other, then the men’s side greetedeach other, then both sides faced each other and waved.

Deacon Daniel gave a very interesting homily (in Twi), butwhen he saw me in the pews, he repeated the entire sermon inEnglish, with the rest of the congregation listening patiently.

When I left the church, I looked up at the cross one lasttime. Despite the fact that I was thousands of miles awayfrom my friends and family, in a culture completely differentfrom any I had ever known, it was the beacon that called outto me on the African continent, guided me to my destination,and led me home.

by Tom Saba

Tom Saba is a parishioner of St. George Church in Montreal,Canada, and a third-year medical student from McGill University. Hespent the summer at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi,Ghana, in Western Africa.

Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in Ghana

The Word 27

“[Jesus] looked up and saw the rich putting their giftsinto the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow put-ting in two mites. So He said, ‘Truly I say to you that this poorwidow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abun-dance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her pover-ty put in all the livelihood that she had’” (Luke 21:1-4).

This teaching of our Lord applies to all of us. The value ofa gift depends on the spirit in which it is given, and we are allcalled to give as this poor widow gave — regardless of thewealth we possess. I thought of this when I learned of anoth-er faithful old woman whose sacramental giving inspired me.Let me tell you about the dearly departed Rosel Tempelmeyerof St. Nicholas Orthodox Church of Springdale, Arkansas,who fell asleep in the Lord last year at the age of 74.

Like the poor widow in the Gospel, Rosel’s giving flowedfrom love. Rosel converted to Orthodoxy ten years ago, andwas still serving on her parish council at the time of herdeath. Her pastor, Fr. John Atchison, remembers her fondly. “Iwas not aware of her having any money, as she lived frugallyin a modest farm house that was in need of repair,” recalls Fr.John. “She raised free-range chickens and often brought theeggs to give to our members. Her final Sunday in church shehad baked the prosphora for Divine Liturgy and also a loaffor our Wednesday evening Liturgy. She had been at a saleand bought toys for our nursery, and gave several dozen eggsto the church. She didn’t know I was in the hallway watchingher distribute these tokens of her love for the church. As Iwatched her leave, I smiled.”

“The next day she had a stroke and died days later,” con-tinues Fr. John. “Her final church blessing was the prospho-ra and as I prepared her bread for the Wednesday nightDiving Liturgy she had already departed this life. She fed thechurch with the prosphora as her last tangible act of love. Itis a very positive event when someone is well prepared to dieand makes such an exclamation point at the end. It was verysad for me personally, as she was always encouraging me as

her pastor by saying and doing nice things. I miss her; mayher memory be eternal.”

Rosel’s sacrificial outpouring for others reached acrescendo as her earthly life ended. Later, the parish of St.Nicholas discovered that Rosel’s giving spirit had one moregift for them, a gift that will sustain them for many years. Sheleft the church a significant bequest — a gift of over$400,000. Over the years, she had steadily added to theamount without telling anyone, even Fr. John. St. Nicholas’sestablished a building fund with Rosel’s bequest, and is cur-rently seeking property in northwest Arkansas. “God willing,in the near future we’ll have a permanent structure,” says Fr.John, “that will proclaim Orthodoxy to the tri-state area weare serving: Northwest Arkansas, Northeast Oklahoma, andsouthwest Missouri.”

I pray that you too will consider Leaving a LastingLegacy for Orthodoxy. Like Rosel, may her memory be eter-nal, and so many others who have fallen asleep in the Lord,share your love of the Holy Orthodox Church with future gen-erations by remembering the Church in your will, trust orestate plan. The impact of your bequest gift will endure fordecades by providing vibrant religious, educational andhumanitarian programs and ministries in North America, andanchor the current and future generations of our preciousOrthodox youth. Along with your local parish activities, hereis a partial list of Archdiocesan programs that vigorouslyadvance Orthodoxy in the 21st century:

Mission and EvangelismChristian EducationYouth MinistryClergy Retirement FundHeritage and Learning Center at Antiochian VillageYouth Camping ProgramsThe Order of St. IgnatiusAntiochian Orthodox Christian Women of North America

(AOCWNA)

Department of Development and

Future PlanningFAITHFUL TO THE ENDA Lasting Legacy for Orthodoxy

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Fellowship of St. John the DivineEach and every gift, no matter the size, is received with

love and prayers of gratitude. The average parishioner ofmodest assets can leave a gift of:

CashReal estate (home, farm, business or other property)Life insurance (by making the Archdiocese a full or par-

tial beneficiary)Stocks and mutual fundsOther appreciated propertyOne of Rosel’s fellow parishioners offered her this tribute:

“She was a great lady with a loving heart. What I remember isher giving spirit, frugal life, and her love for her faith and herfamily.” I pray that all of us are remembered as such by notonly our companions in this world, but by our Lord andSavior Jesus Christ.

Ruth Ann Skaff is Director of the Department of Planning andFuture Development of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox ChristianArchdiocese. To contact the department, please call 866-765-7001, e-mailher development@antiochian.org, or write her at 10620 River Road,Potomac, MD 20854. Rosel Tempelmeyer fed her St. Nicholas parish family physically and

spiritually. She baked the prosphora for what turned out to be her lastearthly Sunday, and distributed fresh farm eggs and toys. Unbeknownstto her parish priest and family, she had arranged a $400,000 bequestfor the church. This legacy gift established a building fund to acquireland and build a permanent church in northwestern Arkansas toadvance Orthodoxy in the tri-state area. Memory eternal!

Seeking:All Orthodox Christian

Financial Advisors

We Orthodox Christians can remember our localparishes and the Archdiocese in our wills, living trusts,

and estate plans. I welcome all financial advisors,attorneys, accountants, realtors, estate planners,

insurance agents, and related professions to form anational volunteer resource network. I’d like to informyou about Leave a Lasting Legacy for Orthodoxy,

so that you can counsel your Orthodox clients,and assist the archdiocese on an as-needed basis.

Please contact me:Ruth Ann Skaff

Director of Planning and Future Development10620 River Road

Potomac, MD 20854Phone: 301-765-7001

Fax: 301-765-6267E-mail: development@antiochian.org

The Word 29

“I am Going to Become Orthodox.”

In a small quiet place in the back ofmy brain, I said this to my Anglican selfas I stood in a chilly St. Helen’sOrthodox Church in Colchester,England, in October 2005.

As we sat atlunch with Fr.Alexander Haigand Kh. Hilary,we explained that we were in Englandfor the third year in a row, so that myhusband Robert, an Anglican bishop,could attend a worldwide conference ontraditional Anglicanism. Each yearseemed to attract fewer participantsand pointed to the reality that the rock(of western orthodox faith and practice)from which we were hewn had fallen offthe cliff … There was no authoritativetouchstone any longer. It resembled thesame tragedy that was the EpiscopalChurch we had left so many years ago.At various times we had consideredOrthodoxy; my husband has beendeeply attracted since his weekly meet-ings with Bishop BASIL (Rodzianko), ofblessed memory, in Washington, D.C.twenty-five years ago. On this trip wehad planned to visit other Orthodox folk(the Monastery of St. John the Baptist,in Tolleshunt Knights and Fr. Michael

and Kh. Jeanne Harper in Cambridge),but now these meetings took on addedsignificance: Can a bishop lead hisparish and his (albeit small) diocese ofclergy and laity into Orthodoxy? Willthey follow or will that bishop end upmaking a solo journey?

Back at home in Lynchburg, Virginia,we were experiencing a convergence ofOrthodox influence. After years of tryingto locate a high school friend, Robertfinally found him … and he is anOrthodox priest. Fr. Justin was able toput us in touch with a Skete just ninetyminutes away from us as a possibleresource for retreat and spiritual direc-tion. This was so obviously the Lord’stiming. This suggestion “from out of theblue” has led us to friendships with Fr.Mefodii and Fr. Kyrill that have becomevital to our spiritual formation as wellas to our whole parish. So enthusiasticand helpful have they been! Twice theyhave visited, offering day-long seminarson icons and St. Maximos theConfessor. They were present for ourChrismations (Fr. Mefodii having hearddozens of confessions before the serv-ice), traveled to Antiochian Village for

Fr. Alban’s ordination to the holyPriesthood, as well as being present forhis first Divine Liturgy.

Our very young-up-to-this-pointAnglican parish was interested inOrthodoxy, but we also lost a few. As wegathered in a local funeral chapel forservices, we also attracted a few morewho came precisely because they heardwe were pursuing Orthodoxy. Fr.Michael Keiser came to introduce us tothe Antiochians, generally, and theirWestern Rite specifically. He answeredour questions and described “theprocess” of becoming Orthodox. On theother hand, the clergy of our dioceseclammed up after reading the bishop’sevaluation of the sunset of Anglicanismand his suggestion to explore Antioch’sWestern Rite. The usual breezy colle-

giality ceased as theystrategized amongthemselves.

In February, at ourFlorida synod, the clergy positionbecame official. Apart from one priest,there was no support for the bishop’sleading. That being the case, my hus-band resigned. We exchanged fondfarewells. We could now pursueOrthodoxy openly, enthusiastically, andfinally. We marked the sea change byattending Divine Liturgy at St. Andrew’sin Eustis. We were on our way.

In March, Fr. Michael Keiser returnedto receive Christ Church as catechu-mens (twenty-five of us). Soon after, thetwo of us traveled to Beckley, WV, tomeet His Grace Bishop THOMAS and toenjoy Lenten hospitality from Fr.Samuel Haddad, Kh. Loretta, and theparish of St. Nicholas. Bishop THOMASreviewed my husband’s progress withthe St. Stephen’s Course and assignedFr. Nicholas Alford of St. Gregory, DC, asour catechist, while Khouriye Becky

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Once our parish was able to advertiseas “an Orthodox mission-in-formation,”we were stunned and delighted to bejoined by a dozen Orthodox folk alreadyin Lynchburg. So, when we hosted HisGrace in the spring (along with Fr. DonShadid and Deacon Gregg Roeber) witha picnic, our numbers were somewhatlarger. A few of us also took BishopTHOMAS to a minor league baseballgame (we know the way to this Bishop’sheart!).

Locally, Robert had introduced him-self at St. George Greek OrthodoxChurch to inform them of our journey.They have been very supportive andeven allowed us the use of their Templefor our Chrismations and Sundayevening catechesis.

Pentecost was the setting for ourBaptisms (4), Chrismations (17), andMarriage (1 — ours! … a necessitysince Robert had been approved forordination). It was a joyous evening thatwent on forever and yet, was over in aninstant. We were re-joined with long-time friends who had preceded us intoOrthodoxy (Fr. Gregory and Kh.Frederica Mathewes-Green, Fr. Johnand Kh. Photini Bethancourt, as well asother friends from our days at St. Paul’s,K Street, Washington, DC who have con-verted). There was also the beauty ofbeing mystically joined to the Churchtogether as a community. We had justmade our belief “in One, Holy, Catholic,and Apostolic Church” move from ourlips to our lives. Our new reality.

Bishop THOMAS assigned Deaconsto administer to us the BlessedSacrament opposite those Sundays thatFr. Nicholas catechized us and servedthe Liturgy. The summer also broughtus to the Parish Life Conference inPittsburgh, which put so many smiling

faces to the welcoming e-mails we havereceived. And what fun it was to enjoythe Bible Bowl and Talent Show (nextyear we absolutely must stay longenough to experience Hufli!). During alull at the conference, we met up withFr. Gregory Jensen (the Greek priest weknew from days in Redding, CA, now inPittsburgh, and known to many in theDiocese of the East). In mid-sip of cof-fee, around the corner came BishopTHOMAS and announced Robert’s ordi-nation to the Subdiaconate the next dayat Liturgy. Pointing to Fr. Jensen, headded, “And you’ll be there to help too,okay?” (along with Fr. GregoryMathewes-Green and Fr. NicholasAlford). In August, His Grace ordainedhim as Deacon Alban (sponsored by Fr.Anthony Hughes and Fr. Joel Gillam) inthe presence of hundreds of respectful-ly responsive (and modestly dressed!)campers at Antiochian Village. And inSeptember at the Pilgrimage, His Graceordained him Priest. By God’s grace, myhusband’s longing has been granted.

There’s precious little time to sitback. The new Father Alban continueswith St. Stephen’s Course, works full-time at a local bookstore, and shep-herds the flock at the newly-namedChurch of the Holy Trinity. Plus, wehave had two moreBaptisms/Chrismations, four Chrisma-tions, and one Blessing of a Marriage,and Fr. Nicholas and Kh. Becky are offon another catechetical adventure.

We are blessed to be part of theOrthodox faithful … a conclusion of atwenty-five-year pilgrimage for my hus-band in particular … and yet only thebeginning as Orthodox Christians. Welook forward to growing in the faith withthe community here, where Our Lordhas fitly joined us. Now that you knowwe are here, please visit when you trav-

el through central Virginia!As I close I now sympathize with

time-pressed actors nervously wringinglittle bits of paper as they receive theirOscars. Whom have I forgotten to men-tion? Who has offered me a refreshingcup of Orthodoxy over the years that Iprobably just smiled at and replaced onthe saucer? (Oh, wait! That would be Fr.Gordon and Kh. Mary Sue Walker, noteven two years ago!).

“Compassed about with so great acloud of witnesses.”

In a small, quiet place in the back of mybrain, I say this to my Orthodox self as Iworship at the Church of the Holy Trinity,Lynchburg, Virginia, October 2006.

Submitted byMatushka Helen Waggenernmwaggener@verizon.net

St. George Church Honors

its Veterans

St. George Church, Danbury, CT, hon-ored its war veterans on Sunday,November 12, Veterans Day weekend.Following the Divine Liturgy, the VeryRev. George Alberts, Pastor, held aTrisagion for the departed Veterans ofForeign Wars from our parish. This wasfollowed by a special ThanksgivingService (Molieben) for the survivingWar Veterans of our Church.

Following these services, Fr. Georgecalled forward our living Veterans ofWorld War II. He spoke of how theOrthodox Church remembers the mem-bers of the Armed Forces at each serv-ice that we hold in its Great Petitionsand during the Divine Liturgy at theGreat Entrance. Then, on behalf of theParish Council, the parishioners andhimself, he presented an icon of the sol-dier saints and patrons of soldiers,Saints Theodore the Recruit andTheodore the General, to Mr. Michael

Aberisk, Mr. Norman Hanna, Mr. PaulJaber and Mr. George Massoud. Theentire congregation joined in singingthe Many Years to these four World WarII Veterans and to all of the Veterans ofForeign Wars from our parish of St.George.Saints Theodore the Recruitand Theodore the General, to Mr.Michael Aberisk, Mr. Norman Hanna,Mr. Paul Jaber and Mr. George Massoud.The entire congregation joined insinging the Many Years to these fourWorld War II Veterans and to all of theVeterans of Foreign Wars from ourparish of St. George.

The Day Our Church

Became a Cathedral

I recall the announcement made oneSunday after Divine Liturgy: St. GeorgeOrthodox Church in Charleston will beproclaimed a cathedral! The congrega-tion flurried with whispers of excite-ment—how wonderful! My immediatethoughts of the news alternatedbetween how great an honor this mustbe, and what it means to become acathedral. Having converted to Ortho-doxy only four years ago, I presumedthat I was among the few that did notpossess the full meaning of this won-derful news.

Over the next few weeks, I made apoint to pay close attention when thetopic of our church becoming a cathe-

dral was discussed among some of ourparishioners. A cathedral is a church,and St. George is a church, so what willchange? What will it mean for us?Perhaps there were more than just a fewthat had questions after all. This led meto read a few articles on the internet,which explained a cathedral “serves asthe central church of a Bishop’s dio-cese,” or it is “where the Bishop makeshis headquarters.” Indeed, this is anhonor. Our congregation voted andapproved the purchase of a chanceryfor His Grace Bishop THOMAS, andplans were made for a special weekendto commemorate the upcoming event.

A banquet and hafli were planned forthe weekend, as well as a special recep-tion after the Hierarchical DivineLiturgy. Many people worked diligentlybehind the scenes to make it a memo-rable and beautiful weekend (and they

deserve many thanks!). At last, thearrival of His Eminence MetropolitanPHILIP and His Grace Bishop THOMASwas upon us, and the events were aboutto unfold.

Orthodox Christians, friends, guests,local clergy, and even our local media,filled the sanctuary Sunday, October 29,to observe the proclamation of St.George parish of Charleston, WV, as aCathedral. I felt nervous and humbledas I closely watched His Eminence, HisGrace, our priest, the deacons and sub-deacons, uniformly and gloriously wor-ship our God the Father during DivineLiturgy.

After His Eminence MetropolitanPHILIP read the official proclamation,he stated that it is the people that makea cathedral, not the building or thestone. It was the first Bishop of theArchdiocese, St. Raphael, who foundedSt. George Church over 100 years ago,and His Eminence is proud of all thosethat have followed and helped it grow.

His Grace Bishop THOMAS spoke tothe congregation during Liturgy, leavingme with the best explanation of our newcathedral. He told us although it is agreat honor, not to feel proud, and not tocongratulate ourselves, as this is ourbiggest challenge yet. Others will look tous as an example. We should not only

Metropolitan PHILIP, Archdeacon Hans, Bishop THOMAS and Fr. Olof Scott, pastor, during DivineLiturgy at St. George Cathedral, Charleston, WV.

32 The Word

worship, but also live and serve theOrthodox Faith, and proclaim it to theworld.

The induction of ten new members tothe Order of St. Ignatius by HisEminence followed the Divine Liturgy.God grant them many years!

Consecration of

St. John the Baptist Church

The consecration ceremonies of thenew Temple of St. John the BaptistChurch in Levittown, NY, were crownedby the presence and presiding of theMost Reverend Metropolitan PHILIP.Prior to his arrival, His Eminenceaddressed the faithful in a written mes-sage with the following essentialremarks:

“On this blessed occasion of the con-secration of your new church, weexpress to you our joy in your excel-lent achievement. This is indeed amilestone in the history of your parishand a great testimony to your perse-verance and commitment to the eter-nal ideals and principles of our HolyOrthodox Church.”

The humble beginning of St. JohnChurch took place forty years ago in theattic of Fr. Richard Tinker’s home inWest Hempstead, where the first DivineLiturgy was celebrated. For severalyears the community did not own a tem-

ple and had to rent a place from otherlocal churches. The first acquiredchurch building, in Uniondale, NY, wasconsecrated by His Eminence inJanuary 1980 and served as the firsthome church until 2006. The new prop-erty in Levittown was purchased, pre-pared, and consecrated in the course offour short months in 2006. This mile-stone, which His Eminence mentionedin his letter, would not have come tofruition without the arduous labor andsincere commitment of all the dedicatedmembers of St. John Church. TheParish Council Chairman, Nick Zaybak,through his unselfish and untiring laborand sacrifice, was indeed a role model

for all the members of the parish. The majority of St. John Church’s

faithful are from Palestine, the landwhich was blessed by the presence,preaching, and resurrection fromamong the dead of our Lord and SaviorJesus Christ. It is the land where theLord Himself, as well as His Church,was born.

The consecration ceremonies beganon Friday night (October 20) with GreatVespers. On Saturday morning, HisEminence commenced the consecra-tion service, assisted by the Pastor V.Rev. George Makhlouf, as well as the fol-lowing clergy: V. Rev. Michael Ellias, V.Rev. Demetri Darwich, Rev. HishamNimri, Rev. David Bleam, Rev. PhilipRogers, Rev. Mousa Haddad, in additionto visiting clergy from the Greek andOCA jurisdictions. Our AntiochianSeminarians from St. Vladimir’sSeminary were present, and Rev.Archdeacon Joseph Harb traveled fromFlorida in order to participate in theceremonies. His Eminence was well-pleased with the attendance during theservice, and at the conclusion of theDivine Liturgy, he inducted five addi-

Metropolitan PHILIP and Fr. George Makhlouf, Pastor

Metropolitan PHLIP and Fr. Richard Tinker

Com

mun

ities

in A

ctio

n W

OR

D M

AG

AZ

INE

The Word 33

tional members from the parish to theOrder of St. Ignatius of Antioch: EliasJaghab (Life Member), Mark Zarou,Raed Shami, Ilham Shatara, and HusamJaghab. The church was blessed by thepresence of its first pastor, Fr. RichardTinker, who attended the consecrationin his wheelchair, and clergy from otherdenominations were present for the fes-tivities as well.

The Grand Banquet concluded thefestive mood of the whole weekend. HisEminence was impressed with theorganization of the events, and he espe-cially enjoyed the Dabkeh performanceof both the children and the teengroups. In his address that evening,while Sayedna rejoiced at the formationof Teen SOYO and the active participa-tion of the Ladies’ Society, he called onall the organizations of the church toelevate their participation and enthusi-asm to the Archdiocesan level. HisEminence emphasized Fr. GeorgeMaklouf’s message by reminding thefaithful that the Church is not simply“stone and mortar.” Instead, as St. Paulteaches, the Church is the Body of

Christ, which is made up of its mem-bers, as the Apostle states: “Know yenot that ye are the temple of God, andthat the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”(I Corinthians 3:16)

The entire weekend was a successdue to two main elements: the presenceand blessing of His Eminence, ourFather and Chief Shepherd in Christ,and the unselfish work and sacrifice ofall the faithful. May God grant himmany years!

St. John the Theologian OrthodoxMission, Rapid City, South DakotaSt. John the Theologian Orthodox

Mission, Rapid City, South Dakota,hosted the Great Plains Deanery meet-ing on October 12 and 13 at the church.This was the first time the Deanery had

met at the South Dakota mission, theonly Orthodox Church in western SouthDakota.

In addition to the usual businessmeeting and parish reports, the agendaincluded presentations and clergytraining by Kh. Maggie Hock, director ofthe Archdiocesan Department ofMarriage and Parish Family Ministries,on the newly-developed FOCCUS Pre-Marital Inventory.

Vespers were served at the end of thefirst day’s business, and parishionersserved an evening meal, after which theDean, Archpriest Donald Hock, pastorof St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, Omaha,NE, led an informational session,“Welcome to the Diocese of Wichita andMid-America.”

Exterior of St. John the Baptist AntiochianOrthodox Church in Levittown, NY

Meeting of the Great Plains Deanery at St. John the Theologian Mission, Rapid City, SD.

34 The Word

Yes, I want more information about The Order.

Name: ________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Phone:___________________________________________________

E-mail: ___________________________________________________

1/07

New Year is a great time to join The Order ofSt. Ignatius. We are involved in many wonderfulprojects. Be a part of an organization that spreads thegiving around. With God as our strength, there is nolimit to what we can achieve. Join The Order andresolve to help your archdiocese, your parish, yourcommunity and the world.

Learn more about The Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch.Call 201-871-1355, e-mail: theorder@antiochian.orgor return this slip to:

The Order 358 Mountain RoadEnglewood, NJ 07631

This new year,make a resolution worth keeping.

Join the Order of St. Ignatius.

TTHHEE WWOORRDD358 Mountain Road

PO Box 5238Englewood, NJ 07631-5238

Periodical postage paid atPittsburgh, Pennsylvania

St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church

Montreal, Canada

Welcomes You To The

48th Antiochian OrthodoxArchdiocese Convention

July 23-29, 2007www.stnicholasmtl.org

Convention and accommodations at Le Centre Sheraton Hotel, located in the heart ofdowntown Montreal, 20 minutes from the Montreal Trudeau International Airport.

IS YOUR NEW YEARS RESOLUTION TO TRAVEL MORE, SPEND MORETIME WITH FAMILY OR DO SOMETHING YOU’VE NEVER DONE BEFORE?

Live an unforgettable experience with your family in beautiful Montrealat the Archdiocese Convention!

CONVENTION REGISTRATION FORM now available on St. Nicholas website!Easy, convenient, fast and safe — register for convention events online at

www.stnicholasmtl.org

Check out the Ticket Book for great savings and Early Bird discounts!

Travel tip of the month: Please note that United States law requires a passport for airtravel between the United States and Canada.

Be sure to check The WORD magazine next month for more travel tips.

Hotel reservations can be made through St-Nicholas website (www.stnicholasmtl.org)or by calling the Sheraton at 1-800-325-3535.

© Tourisme Montréal, Stéphan Poulin