Hartford, CT hosts ninth Town Hall Meeting

On July 23, 2008, approximately seventy-five laypeople and clergy from the Diocese of New England gathered at All Saints Church in Hartford CT, for the OCA Town Hall meeting. His Grace, Bishop Nikon of Boston, New England and the Albanian Archdiocese, along with OCA secretary, Archpriest Eric G. Tosi and Archpriest Andrew Jarmus the Director of Ministries and Communications for the OCA were present. Fr. Tosi served as facilitator for the meeting which lasted close to three hours. A number of people stood before the microphone to offer honest and open reflections on the situation facing the OCA; how it has affected them personally; what they feel is the best case scenario for the OCA; and to offer concrete suggestions for what should be addressed at the upcoming All American Council.

The opinions, reflections and suggestions that were offered included heartfelt expressions of anguish and frustration; pleas for conciliarity and forgiveness; and concrete suggestions for action that the OCA should take in order to once again be faithful to its mission of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and building up His Holy Church. Several times people expressed a desire that Metropolitan Herman retire so that the Church can regain credibility in its hierarchical leadership. A number of suggestions were made regarding the AAC including: establishing a concrete vision for action in the OCA; developing a goal driven budget; reexamining and modifying the Statutes; and investigating more deeply the role and function of the episcopacy in the Church. Some speakers lamented the bitterness and vengeful nature of discourse within the OCA, while others called for total disclosure of past wrongdoing. Yet, while there was some disagreement as to the best path forward, all seemed to agree that the OCA is in a perilous situation, each speaker conveyed a fervent desire for true healing, reconciliation and honesty, for the good of the Church.

Bishop Nikon and Frs. Tosi and Jarmus listened to everyone who spoke, and occasionally Fr. Tosi asked for clarification from speakers as he wrote down key points from every presentation. Finally, at about 9:45, after repeated requests from Fr. Tosi for additional speakers—having taken every care to ensure that everyone present who wished to speak had an opportunity to do so—Bishop Nikon offered closing remarks in which he confessed that the Church faces a serious crisis, and that it has not been addressed as well as it could have been, or should have been. Yet he stated that he has great hope for the faithful of the Diocese of New England and for the OCA because even in the darkest moments Christ is always alive and active in the hearts of the faithful. His Grace offered profound thanks to everyone who attended the meeting, some of whom had driven considerable distance, and he was especially grateful for the honesty, candor and charity expressed by all who spoke and who attended the meeting.