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The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America held its Eighth Annual General Assembly Meeting October 3-5, 2017 in Garfield, NJ. Thirty-Two Hierarchs from across the country gathered to prayerfully consider ways to enhance their Orthodox witness to the world and to address their common concerns for youth and emerging adults.
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Recognizing the blessing that it is to gather in peace in order prayerfully to reflect upon the life of the Church, we express our deep gratitude to all those who planned and prepared for this year’s Assembly. It is our common conviction that, in coming together in fraternity to address common issues of pastoral concern, welfare and mission, we are strengthened in our witness and work in this God-preserved land.
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Through God’s grace and providence, we have all been brought together to this one place and we have been called to walk in unison toward a common goal, albeit, one that is still unfolding and which will be fully revealed in the eschaton. While our sights are ultimately set on the 'things to come and longed for,' as long as we call ourselves co-laborers in God’s vineyard, it is our sacred obligation to work together to realize this goal by drawing ever-closer to one another.
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OCA News
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Lazarevac, Serbia:  OCA Military Chaplain concelebrates with Serbian Military Bishop Fr. James receives blessing from Bishop Jovan.

During a recent visit to Serbia, Father James Sizemore, CH (LTC), a US Army Reserve chaplain based in Ohio, concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with His Grace, Bishop Jovan, the Serbian Orthodox Church’s Military Hierarch, and Serbian military chaplains at the Church of the Great Martyr Dimitri in Lazarevac, Serbia in conjunction with the State Partnership Program the Ohio National Guard [ONG] maintains with Serbia.

“The Chaplain Corps has offered guidance to the Serbian Armed Forces [SAF] since 2010 on the development of a chaplain corps within the SAF,” explained Father James.  “There were no chaplains in the SAF during the communist era.  In 2013, the SAF military academy graduated its first class of chaplains.  The ONG was present for this occasion.  Since then, the ONG has traveled to Serbia twice to offer assistance and the SAF chaplains have traveled to Ohio once.”

Father James went on to explain that “during these times, training is offered to the SAF chaplains on functions of the chaplains and chaplain assistants within the military.

“During the Liturgy, members of the American military and Serbian soldiers who served during the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia worshiped together,” Father James added.  “This is another sign of the strengthening partnership between the two nations.”

Overland Park, KS:  Holy Trinity Parish celebrates 100th anniversary

On the weekend of October 7-8, 2017, His Grace, Bishop Paul presided at the 100th anniversary celebration of Holy Trinity Church, Overland Park, KS.

Bishop Paul was welcomed by Archpriest Timothy Sawchak, Rector, on Saturday, October 7.  A meeting with parish teens and a Memorial Service for the founders, benefactors and clergy of the parish followed.  In the evening, Great Vespers was celebrated; a reception followed.

Serving with Bishop Paul and Father Timothy at the Sunday morning Divine Liturgy were Archpriest John Zdinak, Chancellor of the Diocese of the Midwest; Priests Christopher Rowe, Michael Medis, and Joshua Lollar; and Deacon Brent Beasley.  During the Liturgy, Fathers Christopher and Michael were elevated to the dignity of Archpriest, while Father Timothy was awarded the jeweled cross.  A Synodal Gramota was presented to the parish at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy.

A gala celebration was held on Sunday evening, which featured a special video presentation on the theme of 100 years of Faith and Witness.

Lawrence, KS:  Parish celebrates annual blessing of vineyard St. Nicholas faithful help with grape harvest.

For several years, Priest Joshua Lollar and the faithful of Saint Nicholas Church, Lawrence, KS, have gathered at Blue Jacket Crossing Vineyard and Winery to help with the grape harvest.

“Blue Jacket is a vineyard just outside Lawrence where the parish gets wine for Liturgy,” explains Father Joshua.  “Our participation in the harvest each year presents us with a different experience and a different grape, depending upon the weather, and this year we helped harvest the chambourcin vines, a variety that is used in the wine we use at Liturgy.”

This, Father Joshua added, was a record-setting year for production at the vineyard.

Fr. Joshua blesses vineyard.

“We. along with dozens of other local volunteers, harvested 17,000 pounds of grapes during the morning work session,” Father Joshua said.  “After the harvest and lunch with the other volunteers and vineyard staff, we blessed the vines as we do every year: ‘O God our Savior, who wast well-pleased that thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ should be called a Vine, and who didst show the fruit of this Vine bringing forth immortality by the grace of thy Spirit: do Thou Thyself now bless this fruit of the vine, O Master, and grant sanctification and prosperity of soul to all of us who shall partake of it.’”

Princeton, NJ:  Archbishop Michael addresses Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black annual conference St. Moses Conference participants after Divine Liturgy.

His Eminence, Archbishop Michael of New York and New Jersey was one of two hierarchs addressing participants in the 24th annual Ancient Christianity Conference sponsored by the Brotherhood of Saint Moses the Black. October 6-8, 2017.

Also addressing the 100-plus participants was His Grace, Bishop Thomas of the Antiochian Orthodox Diocese of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid-Atlantic.

“Growing Closer to Christ, Growing Closer Together” was the theme of the conference, which was held at the Mother of God, Joy of All Who Sorrow Church, Princeton, NJ.  Over a dozen other presenters—among them Archpriests Moses Berry and John Kowalczyk, Priest Jerome Sanderson, Hieromonk Alexii [Altschul], Prof. Al Raboteau, and Mother Katherine—further developed the conference theme.

A highlight of the conference was the annual Young Preachers’ Panel, moderated by Hieromonk Alexii.

The Brotherhood of Saint Moses the Black is a Pan-Orthodox organization which has desired through its efforts to make the Orthodox faith available to the African American community and help the Church itself in realizing this goal.

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As reported last week, communities of the Orthodox Church in America in California’s Napa and Sonoma Counties remained in a precarious position as fire fighters continued to battle flames that claimed some 37,000 acres, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes and businesses.

Prayers had been requested specifically for Santa Rosa’s Saint Seraphim Cathedral community, as well as Our Lady of Kazan Skete, also in Santa Rosa, and Holy Assumption Monastery, Calistoga, CA.  As a precaution, the nuns from both monastic communities had been evacuated several days ago.

As of Wednesday evening, October 18, 2017, Cal Fire had reported that, while new fires had broken out in the northern part of the state, the fire between Calistoga and Santa Rosa had been 91% contained.

“The cathedral in Santa Rosa, the Kazan Skete and the Assumption Monastery in Calistoga all have been spared,” reports His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West.  “The nuns have returned to their corresponding monasteries.  I was particularly concerned about Calistoga’s Holy Assumption Monastery, as it is the oldest women’s monastery in the Western Hemisphere and its buildings—including its chapel, a replica of the chapel at Fort Ross, CA—are made of wood.  But all is well.

“A couple of families suffered the loss of their homes and, of course, there are thousands of their neighbors who suffered the same fate,” Archbishop Benjamin adds.  “I expect it will take a long time for the city to recover and for the parish to be a point of contact where people seek help.”

Ongoing prayers are requested for those personally affected by the wild fires.

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Saint Vladimir’s Seminary will host its annual Missions Weekend October 20-21, 2017, during which two fascinating speakers will share their missionary experiences in South Korea and Albania.  The event is being sponsored by a campus student interest group, the Saint Innocent Society.

His Eminence, Metropolitan Ambrosios [Zographos] of the Orthodox Metropolis of Korea will deliver his free and public presentation in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family Building at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, October 20.  An open reception will follow.

“I look forward to seeing your seminary President, Father Chad Hatfield, face-to-face, and to the conversations with your students,” replied Metropolitan Ambrosios in response to the invitation he received from the Saint Innocent Society.

Metropolitan Ambrosios was born on March 15, 1960 on the island of Aegina in Greece.  He was educated at theological institutions in Greece, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and Princeton Theological Seminary.  He pursued postgraduate work at Princeton University, earning a Master’s Degree in Church History and Art History.  On December 21, 1998, he was awarded a Doctorate Degree with distinction by the School of Theology of the University of Athens.  Two days later, he departed to Korea to begin serving the Church there as Dean of Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Seoul and as Chancellor of the Holy Metropolis of Korea.  On December 21, 2006, he was elevated to the Episcopacy as Bishop of Zela by the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.  [See related article by Metropolitan Ambrosios titled Orthodox Witness in the Korean Peninsula: A Historical Approach.]

In addition to many articles in various magazines, Metropolitan Ambrosios is also the author of numerous major studies and books, including The Social Teachings of Saint Gregory Palamas, Based on His Sixty-Three Homilies; The Contribution of Saint Basil the Great on the Formation of the Monastic Ideal; and Iconography in the Liturgical life of the Medieval Greek Church.

Nathan Hoppe, long-time missionary to Albania, will be speaking in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 21.

Nathan and his wife Gabriela are working to inspire, train, equip, and lead Albanians to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples.  Their ministry is focused on seminary and university students and children.  Nathan teaches the early Church Fathers at the Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy and leads the ministry to students at the University of Tirana.  He also directs the Central Children’s Office of the Orthodox Church of Albania, a ministry in which he works closely with Gabriela.

Nathan also represents the Orthodox Church of Albania at a number of international gatherings and serves on the steering committee of the Lausanne-Orthodox.  He is a member of the Advisory Council for World Vision Albania and is on the board of the Inter-Confessional Bible Society.  Together Nathan and Gabriela lead a team of 25 Albanian Orthodox youth to Kosovo each year where they hold friendship camps for about 1,500 Muslim Albanian children as part of the social and philanthropic work of the Orthodox Church of Albania.

Born and raised in Colombia, South America, Nathan is a graduate of Wheaton College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.  He has served in Albania for more than 16 years.  Gabriela, a native of Albania, is a graduate of the Resurrection of Christ Theological Academy and the University of Tirana.  She holds a Master’s Degree in Children’s and Family Ministry from Bethel Seminary.  The Hoppes have three children.  Podcasts with Nathan may be accessed on Ancient Faith’s “Speaking the Truth in Love.”

Both presentations are free and open to the public.

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