GATHERINGS: Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts
Chicago, IL: St. George Cathedral to celebrate Centennial October 24-25
Archimandrite Vladimir [Wendling] and the faithful of Chicago’s historic Saint George Cathedral will welcome His Grace, Bishop Paul on Sunday, October 25, 2015, as he presides at the Divine Liturgy marking the community’s 100th Anniversary.
The Divine Liturgy will begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by a banquet in the cathedral’s main hall. The Centennial weekend will open on Saturday, October 24, with the celebration of a Service of Thanksgiving at 3:00 p.m., followed by a Memorial Service honoring all departed members of the community and Great Vespers, after which a complimentary reception will be held at the Erie Café.
The community was incorporated and moved to its present location in 1914. The current temple, a fine example of classic Russian church architecture, was completed and consecrated in 1935, replacing a much smaller wooden structure. It was designated a cathedral during the residence of His Eminence, Metropolitan Benjamin and His Grace, Bishop Theodore in 1943-1946 of the Russian Orthodox Church. Later, the cathedral parish brought itself under the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church in America.
The cathedral’s exquisite iconostasis, completed and blessed in 1955, is unique in that the icons thereon are faithful reproductions of prototypes found in Kyiv’s 19th century Saint Vladimir’s Cathedral, which had been painted by the noted icongrapher and artist, Victor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov—an early proponent of the “neo-Byzantine school” of iconography.
In recent years, under the leadership of Archimandrite Vladimir, the community has witnessed steady growth, attracting many recent immigrants from central and eastern Europe while continuing its ministry to descendants of the original founders and a substantial number of converts.
Parma, Ohio: ZOE for Life! to sponsor retreat “What does God have to do with sex?” October 24
“What does God have to do with sex?” will be the subject of a spiritual retreat sponsored by ZOE for Life! on Saturday, October 24, 2015 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Holy Trinity Church, 6822 Broadview Road, Parma, OH.
The retreat—designed especially for those in their teens and 20s—will provide a scriptural, Orthodox Christian understanding of sexuality and will enable participants to share their faith and understanding of sexuality. There will be morning sessions specific to each age group and an afternoon discussion forum and question-and-answer session. Speakers include Archpriest Mark Hodges, Rector of Saint Stephen Mission, Lima, OH and an Adjunct Professor at Tiffin University, and Melissa McCutcheon of Saint Innocent Church, Olmsted Falls, OH, a life coach and retired counselor.
To register for the retreat contact Lea Khoury at 216-551-7650 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Participants are asked to bring a nonperishable food item to donate to Saint Herman’s House of Hospitality, a shelter for homeless men in Cleveland.
ZOE for Life! is a non-profit Christ-centered support organization that helps women who need confidential emotional and spiritual support during crisis pregnancies, assists Orthodox Christians seeking to adopt, and provides an education for pure living and other resources. For further information, visit their web site.
Scranton, Pennsylvania: Iconography Exhibition to open October 25
Archpriest John Kowalczyk, Rector of Saint Michael Church, Jermyn, PA and Professor at Saint Tikhon’s Seminary, South Canaan, PA will deliver the opening lecture for an exhibition of icons, “The Mother of God and the Saints,” slated to open on October 25, 2015 at Marywood College, Scranton, PA. The 4:00 p.m. lecture, which is open to the public, is titled “Witnessing the Mother of God and Her Intercessory Role in the Lives of the Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church.”
The exhibition, which will run through December 6, features numerous icons and relics on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of the Orthodox Church in America at Saint Tikhon’s Monastery. Organized by Archpriest John Perich, the museum’s curator, and the Rev. Richard G. Cannuli, OSA, of Villanova University, the exhibit will be open for viewing daily.
Brookline, Massachusetts: “Speaking to Secular America” theme of October 28-30 conference
Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Brookline, MA, will be the site of a conference titled “Speaking to Secular America: How the Church is Reaching Out to the Non-Religious in Our Society” October 28-30, 2015.
Sponsored by HC/HC’s Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity, the conference is being held in conjunction with the inauguration of HC/HC’s 21st President, the Very Rev. Christopher T. Metropulos, D.Min, slated to be held on the second day of the gathering. The keynote address will be delivered by His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
Among the growing number of speakers slated to address participants are Archpriest Stephen Freeman, Rector of the OCA’s Saint Anne Church, Oak Ridge, TN and author of the “Glory to God for All Things” blog and the book, Everywhere Present: Christianity in a One-Story Universe, and Priest John Parker, Rector of Holy Ascension Church, Charleston, SC and Chair of the OCA’s Department of Evangelization.
An updated listing of speakers and events and registration information may be accessed here.
Chicago, Illinois: Martha and Mary Maternity House to celebrate opening November 10
Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, 2350 East Dempster St., Des Plaines, IL will be the site of a celebratory fundraising dinner marking the grand opening of the Martha and Mary Maternity House on Tuesday, November 10, 2015.
A ministry of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago, the Maternity House enjoys broad pan-Orthodox support. Priest Andrew Bartek, Rector of Saint Panteleimon Church, Summit, IL and Spiritual Director of Orthodox Christians for Life Chicago, serves as a member of the Board of Directors.
The celebration will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a social hour, followed by dinner. A silent auction also will be held throughout the evening. Reservations may be made before November 3 by calling 317-709-0168.
“The idea of the home was conceived as a ‘pro-life ministry of the Holy Orthodox Church, promoting the sanctity of life by providing for the spiritual, physical and emotional needs of the mother and child,” said Michael Gill, MD, PhD, President of the Board of Directors, which consists of physicians, lawyers, social workers, psychologists, clergy and laity. “Since April 2013, we have been working on locating a suitable home and house mother. After exploring many different possibilities, we are thrilled to say that a home has been found, a lease is being signed, and we have selected a house mother. God willing, we have set a target opening date of November 1 of this year.”
Additional information on the Martha and Mary Maternity House may be found here.