The UOC Primate prayerfully marked his 46th anniversary of consecration

Published July 23, 2012

On July 9, celebration of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine celebrated the 46-th anniversary of his consecration.

On this day, His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of St. Panteleimon of the convent of Theophany in Kyiv.

Concelebrating to His Beatitude were the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv and clergymen of the diocese.

During the Lesser Entrance, His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr elevated Archbishop Phillip of Poltava and Mirgorod to the rank of Metropolitan and elevated Bishop Joasaph of Kirovohrad and Novomirgorod to the rank of Archbishop on the occasion of 20th anniversary of the primatial ministry of His Beatitude and to mark the services to the Church.

At the end of the service Archbishop congratulated the clergy and laity on the occasion of the feast of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God.

REFERENCE: On June 23, 1966, Patriarch Alexy I of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church nominated Archimandrite Volodymyr (Sabodanu) as Bishop of Zvenigorod, Vicar of the Moscow diocese, and endowed him to act as a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church to the World Council of Churches.

On July 9, 1966, remembrance of the icon of Our Lady of Tikhvin, at the Dormition Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra Metropolitan Pimen (Izvekov)of Krutitsy and Kolomna, later Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, conducted the ceremony of consecration of Archimandrite Vladimir ordination as bishops (Sabodan).

Tarpon's Greek Orthodox church reaches needy, homeless, with food and health care

By Terri Bryce Reeves, Tampa Bay Times Correspondent Saturday, July 21, 2012

TARPON SPRINGS, FL

Janella Jones began her Monday morning getting her blood sugar checked. Sitting in a chair, she pulled up her sleeve, then winced in anticipation of a prick to the tip of her finger. Afterward, her smile was back, bright as the strawberry-colored sweatshirt she wore. "Words can't describe what they do for you here," said the 35-year-old unemployed hairdresser/certified nursing assistant. "They have everything you need. They take your blood pressure. Give out clothes. Serve you food."

Jones was one of over 100 to attend the free health fair held on the third Monday of each month in Father Tryfon Hall at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral. It's a one-stop shop for those in need and runs in conjunction with the church's Monday soup kitchen.

Tarpon Springs-based Health Care Ministries, an organization headed up by registered nurse Susan Traylor, has been holding the health fair in the church hall for the last five months. The ministry provides a conduit between the uninsured, the needy, the addicted and the homeless, and area health and social services.

"We operate on donations of time, talent and treasure," Traylor said. "We started two years ago with a card table and blood pressure cuff in a hot hallway in the old food distribution center of the Shepherd Center," she said. The Shepherd Center of Tarpon Springs provides food for this and other soup kitchens in the area.

At the health fair, long tables were stacked with donations of clothes and shoes. A playpen, baby swing, small pieces of furniture, and some cell phones would be given away that day.

Cases of water were available for the taking too.

"There isn't a drinking fountain in this town," Traylor said.

Medical professionals performed blood pressure and blood sugar screenings. Nurses helped people complete medical information for their own personal Vial of Life — a small container to be kept on hand so it can be accessed by medical personnel.

Vicki Ward roamed the hall with her therapy dog Molly, a Yorkshire terrier who loved doling out kisses.

"Oh, she's such a sweetheart," said Carla Drozdowski, giving the tiny dog a hug.

The volunteers made referrals to doctors and dentists and social service agencies.

"Each month we add some new agency or vendor that helps people," Traylor said. Free haircuts are often offered as well.

Charles Stickland, 56, is homeless.

"It's wonderful what they do here," said Stickland, who comes to the soup kitchen every Monday. "Everybody's always welcome."

Hosting a soup kitchen is a natural for a church, said the cathedral's new assistant priest, Father Gregory Trakas.

"That's what the Lord told us to do," he said, "and we have to be obedient to that command."

On this day, kitchen volunteers served up Sloppy Joes and baked beans.

"It was all very good," said John Harris, 49. After he finished eating, he transitioned into the role of volunteer, put on an apron and began carrying out trash and cleaning up the kitchen.

"When everybody pitches in, it all works out," he said.

Janella Jones, the one in the strawberry sweatshirt, also found a way to give back. When one woman couldn't find shoes in her size, Jones took the shoes off her own feet and gave them to her. She then found another pair in the free shoe box.

"They help you and you've got to give back," Jones said.

A priest’s confession: What makes a young man dedicate his life to the church? Three Greek Orthodox priests in Australia confess

19 Jul 2012 DESPINA THEODORIDIS

A place of worship for some, others consider it to be a place of salvation, but why would a young man in 2012 decide that he wants the job of serving the church by becoming a priest? The church has been a sanctuary for people for over 2000 years, but will this safe house become obsolete due to the lack of community participation? I decided that it was time to enhance my spiritual knowledge and to see if this was an accurate assumption. Was the church in a dying state? Speaking with three young priests from Moonee Ponds, St Albans and Thomastown in Victoria, I found that they gave me the insight I was looking for.

Entering each church I was greeted in the same warm manner, the smell of incense and candles burning. Reverend Father Emmanuel from Saint Dimitrios in Moonee Ponds says that his infatuation began at a young age.

"I was actually brought up in the church environment, as my grandfather was a priest." He has always had a fascination with God and started his journey towards priesthood while studying an Accounting Degree at Swinburne University.

"In 1994, after I had finished my degree at Swinburne, I made my way to St. Andrews the Theological College in Sydney and by my second year I knew that this was my place, this was my calling to be part of the priesthood."

The priesthood was established even before Christianity was officially recognised and comes from the Old Testament, which continued after Christ's arrival and his teaching. Reverend Father Demosthenis Nikolaou from Saint Paraskevi, Saint John the Merciful and Saint Barbara in St Albans says, that priests in the older times were depicted to faithful followers as the image and voice of God.

"Priests were seen as someone who was the holy servant of God, someone who always spoke and preached His word."

Father Demosthenis adds that he became a priest because it was his birth right.

"As far as I can remember from birth it was something that I had in me, I had no doubts in my mind that this is the way I wanted to serve God."

Another decision that priests need to make before they are ordained is whether they will marry or remain celibate. Reverend Father Evmenios Vasilopoulos from The Transfiguration of Our Lord, in Thomastown, says that his decision to remain celibate was a spiritual one.

"It's not something you can explain, it's an inner calling that you receive from God Himself, something in your soul that just tells you that this is what is for you."

Innate faith, love for God and hence love for people and a calling is what convinced them to enter priesthood.

Waiting in anticipation to ask another question, my thoughts were fixated on the family life of a priest and how they deal with such a responsibility.

Father Evmenios says: "To my parents, becoming a priest wasn't the issue, it was more the fact that I was remaining celibate, as they had other dreams for their youngest. I'm sure mum wanted to see grandchildren from me."

However, Father Emmanuel's reaction from his parents was quite the opposite.

"I broke the news to my mother first as she was the more religious one in the family. She was a bit shocked because I was leaving accounting behind to pursue priesthood. My father was actually the one who supported me and said, if it's in your heart then do it."

Father Demosthenis was religious from a young boy, though his family wasn't.

"My parents and siblings had little to do with the church but over the years this changed," he tells Neos Kosmos.

"Initially, they assumed that becoming a priest stops you from living your life. They encouraged me to look into different fields as being a priest wasn't something that a young person should do, but maybe I could become one at an older age.

"When I did become a priest, I can say they were standing proudly next to me as they realised how happy I was."

At first the families were not impressed by the young men's decision to become priests, but ultimately it proved to be a great one, making them all very proud.

St Andrew's Theological College, founded in Sydney in 1986, is the only civilly accredited orthodox tertiary institution of its kind in the southern hemisphere. At St Andrews, men develop their knowledge in basic theology, pastoral care, study of the bible, understanding faith and the position of orthodox faith with other faiths.

"Today it is essential that our priests have a theological background, in the olden days there was a great need for priests, so anyone who was pious or who had a bit of a background in the life of the church was ordained as a priest," Father Evmenios says.

Father Demosthenis agrees that there are many qualifications that you need to become a priest but they do not necessarily have to be academic.

"I studied at St Andrews after my VCE, which helped me, in addition to having qualities such as devotion, being able to love, share and live by Gods word. Studying theology or knowing the bible inside out doesn't necessarily qualify you for priesthood. When we don't apply them in our life, especially in our ministry as priests, then really we don't have many attributes."

For Father Emmanuel, St Andrews provided him with the knowledge and insight needed to deal with a variety of situations.

"A lot of people say that the uni course they complete has nothing to do with the job you're going to take on, but at St Andrews what you learn is what helps you to deal with who comes through the door."

To embrace the young generation a priest needs, above and beyond, the qualities of human nature and knowledge of the word of God. Theological education is mandatory in order to deal with the expanding problems that young and old are confronted with today.

The priests position in society remains a strong one, but sometimes this holy job looks easier than it is, especially when you have to reach out to the outer community which is the hardest task of all.

Father Demosthenis tells Neos Kosmos that "the biggest challenge is to be able to deal with people who have their own opinions, personality and ways of thinking. To approach them calmly, lovingly and to understand them because ultimately people want to be understood".

Father Emmanuel tries to help parishioners of St Dimitrios due to the lack of theological knowledge.

"Everyone brought up in the church from my generation does not understand the meaning of God, a challenge for me is to educate."

As a priest you are a role model therefore you have to set a good example.

"Unfortunately you have to watch what you say, do and sometimes what you eat, as that's how you are perceived by people. Eyes are always on a priest so he has to be very careful in his daily life as he will be judged by his actions," Father Evmenios says.

A priests 'job description' is not only conducting a liturgy but also dealing with the challenges each parishioner faces in every day life.

Sitting in the wooden chair I wondered if young men still aspire to becoming a priest or are they sceptical due to the limits involved.

"I think that it's very important to say that we don't do our theological studies in order to become a priest , we do it in order to discover our faith and what it is about. Later we make a decision whether we want to become a priest or not. The good thing is that lately there have been more young priests being ordained who are now bilingual and reach out to the younger generations," Father Demosthenis says.

Father Emmanuel adds that the problem is not about deciding to be a priest, but in finding a wife who will be their soul mate.

"When we finish our theological studies we finish at the age of twenty and a lady at that stage doesn't find the priesthood that attractive. In the four years that I studied at St Andrews there were about 20 of us, now there are 12 or even less therefore the demand is not there."

Father Evmenios says that, "not everyone obtains a degree in theological studies with the ambition of becoming a priest. In Australia, there has never been a shortage of priests as every church has a priest either young or old as everything is managed by God and God is omnipresent".

The demand of becoming a priest subsides as certain issues such as finding a spouse deters them.

So what is the future of spirituality within the institution of the Greek orthodox church? "I think it's a topic that is constantly debated as the majority of parishioners are of an older age. It is said that in a few years churches will be empty and they will close," Father Demosthenis says.

Father Emmanuel thinks the future of the church is also about community involvement.

"We need more volunteers to help the church, so we can bring the community together, without the people the church will struggle. The life of the church will still be there but the social bonding through the church groups, such as the elderly groups and fellowship, will suffer. I think the English language has helped boost the church and there is a future in theology, but I don't have the hands-on help that I wish I could have."

Father Evmenios says that even to this day, the life of our church has survived and will continue surviving.

"In my humble opinion it is blasphemous to say that the church will diminish because we are saying that God himself will give up or not continue on His inspiration and enlightenment, and that's not possible because that's Gods mission, so the church will continue; that's guaranteed."

Spiritual faith does not only thrive from one's inner self, but also relies on family support and community involvement.

First Greek Orthodox secondary school gets go ahead

Saturday, July 14, 2012, 12:14 (BST) Christain Today

Britain’s first Greek Orthodox secondary school has been given the green light from the Department for Education.

St Andrew the Apostle is due to open in September 2013 in the Barnet and Enfield area. It is one of only 28 secondary free schools approved for opening in 2013 by the DfE.

The Russell Education Trust, the group behind the school, is in discussion with the DfE to confirm the exact location of the school, although the Russell Trust has said its preferred choice is Trent Park.

Half the school intake will be on the basis of faith, while the other half will be based on geographical proximity to the school.

The Russell Trust is working with the Classical Education Trust (CET) to establish St Andrew the Apostle.

CET chairman Yiannis Pareas said the school would be based on the Christian faith and the moral principles of the Greek Orthodox Church.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to open a school that serves the community in Barnet and Enfield as well as the wider Greek Orthodox community in North London,” he said.

“The long-term aim of the CET and RET is to ensure that a state funded school can increase the number of students from all back grounds progressing to university, and studying maths, sciences and the classical subjects.”

RET spokesperson, Karen Lynch, said: “We are thrilled with this news because the plans we have for St Andrew the Apostle are so exciting and seem to have captured the imagination of local parents who want another outstanding school in this part of London.

“We are also honoured to be supporting the country’s very first Greek Orthodox Secondary School.”

Russian clergymen granted draft deferment - decree

Moscow, July 13, Interfax

The Russian president has signed a decree, "Granting clergymen the right to obtain a deferment of military service," the Kremlin said on its website.

The right to obtain a deferment of military service will be granted, at the request of religious organizations, to clergymen (up to 150 a year) who have been ordained and hold a position in a religious organization or the post of an aide to commander (chief) in charge of religious soldiers, for the duration of the tenure.

The right to obtain a deferment of military service will be granted, at the request of religious organizations, to clergymen (up to 150 a year) who have been ordained and hold a position in a religious organization or the post of an aide to commander (chief) in charge of religious soldiers, for the duration of the tenure.

The right to obtain draft deferment will be granted to clergymen as of October 1, 2012, provided that such clergymen underwent (or are undergoing) special training required for performing the duties of an aide to commander (chief) in charge of religious soldiers.

The Russian government has been instructed to determine the procedure for granting clergymen the right to draft deferment and the procedure for undergoing special training required for performing the duties of an aide to commander (chief) in charge of religious soldiers.

Monastery advances with multi-million dollar renovation

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Jon-Paul Wimer Elwood City, PA

Several weeks ago, a groundbreaking took place at the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration, just off Portersville Road in Wayne Township, beginning a year-long expansion and renovation project.

“We’ve spent a lot of time planning and preparing for this renovation,” said Mother Barbara, secretary of the Monastery. “It’s all very exciting.”

Construction began on June 18 and will continue for at least a year. Called the 2012 Expansion Project, the construction will focus on making the monastery more available to visitors and allow a more peaceful experience.

“The renovation is not intended to benefit the sisters [of the monastery], but intended to benefit all those who come visit the monastery,” said Mother Barbara.

The 2012 Expansion Project is a $2 million endeavor, with $700,000 being used on the first wave of the project. The first wave, according to Mother Barbara, is fixing the immediate needs of the monastery first, and the second wave will finish the remaining areas if funds are available.

“We are focusing on the important areas first,” said Mother Barbara, “and as more funds become available, we’ll see how much more we can do.”

For the first phase, the football field-size monastery will improve its all-purpose meeting/classroom, enlarge the gift shop and hospitality room, fix the handicap restrooms, build a new garage, improve kitchen storage, and repair sidewalks and parking.

Mother Barbara said that the main goal of the project is to better meet the needs of the people. She said that many people visit, but they often have trouble with the amount of room they have, especially if the visitors must be inside because of weather issues.

The Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration all began in 1967 when Mother Alexandra, former Princess Ileana of Romania, had a dream to provide a place where American Orthodox women from all ethnic backgrounds could come to live the monastic life and benefit from a liturgical cycle in English.

Through the years, the monastery continued to expand and attention of such a holy place began to grow. Mother Alexandra was succeeded by Mother Benedicta who arrived from Varatec Monastery in Romania in 1978.

Under Mother Benedicta’s leadership a complete cycle of liturgical prayer was established and the strong monastic tradition she had lived in her homeland took root as well. Mother Christophora, the current abbess, was elected in 1987, and since then, the monastery has continued to develop, both spiritually and physically.

“We encourage everyone of all faiths and religions to visit the monastery and see the hospitality it has to offer,” said Mother Barbara. “Even the UPS man says how peaceful it is up here; anyone can enjoy this beautiful place.”