Chancellor’s Memo concerning Sanctity of Life Sunday
January 26, 2005
To the Very Reverend and Reverend Clergy of the Orthodox Church in America
From Protopresbyter Robert S. Kondratick, Chancellor
In many of our parishes across the East Coast and the Midwest, adverse weather conditions precluded many of our faithful from attending services on the weekend of January 22-23, 2005. As such, many were unable to join in prayer for the millions of innocent victims of abortion on Sunday, January 23, designated as “Sanctity of Life Sunday.”
At the same time, it has come to our attention that in some parishes, the Sitka Icon of the Mother of God, sent by His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman to all parishes to mark Sanctity of Life Sunday and to underscore the Church’s tradition that human life begins at conception and is created in the image and likeness of God, was not placed for veneration in the church. Similarly, in some parishes, neither the prayers nor the litany petitions sent to all parishes before Sanctity of Life Sunday were chanted at the appointed times, nor was the pastoral letter of Metropolitan Herman on the sanctity of life read or distributed.
Please be advised that those parishes in which, for whatever reason, the Church’s tradition concerning the sanctity of life was not highlighted on Sunday, January 23, are requested to do so on Sunday, January 30. Please read or distribute His Beatitude’s message and include the petition and prayers in the appropriate places of the Liturgy if you have not already done so, and make the icon of the Sitka Mother of God available for veneration. Much time and preparation on the part of the chancery staff of the Orthodox Church in America goes into preparing such resources for use in our parishes and missions, and it is the responsibility of parish clergy to ensure that they are shared with and used among our faithful.
I trust that you will proclaim the sanctity of life to your faithful, not only during this month but at all times, and that you will make wise use of the resources sent to you.
In Christ,
Protopresbyter Robert S. Kondratick
Chancellor, Orthodox Church in America