On the eve of the opening of the Diocese of the South’s Clergy Pastoral Conference, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon celebrated the Divine Liturgy with Archpriest Alexander Fecanin and the clergy and faithful of Saint Symeon the New Theologian Church, Birmingham, AL.
Faithful filled the parish church for the Liturgy, at which the parish choir, under the direction of Alex Fecanin, sang the responses.
After the Liturgy, the parish children—and adults!—enjoyed a question and answer session with Metropolitan Tikhon, who offered a detailed explanation of the meaning, purpose and use of the antimension. All were delighted to engage with him informally. A festive banquet followed.
According to the parish web site, Saint Symeon’s was planted as a mission in 1977 by second and third generation Greek and Russian-Americans and converts to Orthodoxy who wanted to offer English language services and an active Orthodox Christian spiritual life to their children and grandchildren. The late Archpriest George Gladky, then Chancellor of the Diocese of the South, was unselfish and untiring in his care for the new flock which, at first, met in members’ homes, bank meeting rooms, and eventually rented churches. Under the archpastoral guidance of His Eminence, the late Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas and the South, the mission prospered and now permanently occupies a large church recently built in traditional style. Over half of the parish’s members are converts to Orthodoxy. Many members regularly drive from 30 to 60 miles away to attend services several times a week. The average age in the parish is quite young, as the children often outnumber the adults at services.
The Diocese of the South’s Clergy Pastoral Conference, at which Metropolitan Tikhon is slated to speak, opened on Monday, February 8 and concludes on Thursday, February 11.
