IN THE NEWS: New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, Florida
Buffalo, NY: Archbishop Michael visits historic SS. Peter and Paul parish
Priest Volodymyr Zablotskyy and the faithful of Saints Peter and Paul Church, Buffalo, NY, welcomed His Eminence, Archbishop Michael as he began his archpastoral visit on August 1-2, 2015. Founded in 1894, the parish is one of the oldest—and most likely the oldest!—in the Diocese of New York and New Jersey.
The weekend began on Saturday with the celebration of Great Vespers by Priests Jason Vansuch, Rector of Buffalo’s Saint George Church [OCA], and Yuriy Kasyanov, Rector of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church [Ecumenical Patriarchate]. During his homily, Archbishop Michael stressed the importance of focusing on Christ during difficult and trying times in our lives. Referencing the Gospel reading for Sunday’s Divine Liturgy, he pointed out that the moment Peter began to focus on the problem—the storm—he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to drown. Peter completed his struggle by putting his hand and trust in the awaiting hands of Jesus.
On Sunday, August 2, the parish faithful were joined by members of Buffalo’s Saint George Church for the celebration of the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy. In addition to Fathers Volodymyr and Jason, Priest Peter Irfan of Saint Theodore Church [ROCOR] concelebrated. The parish’s newly appointed director, Zachariah Mandell, conducted the choir. Dinner and fellowship followed in the parish hall.
In his sermon, Archbishop Michael continued the theme of maintaining faith while working through difficult times, stressing the importance of communal participation in projects and embracing new personal challenges that often force us to leave our personal “comfort zones.” Like Peter, focusing on Jesus, enduring first steps, and maintaining faith can produce great things.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, gramotas were presented to Eugenie Nechaev, Nancy Krull, Mary Denis, Ija Demjanenko, Steven and Mary Moskaluk, Irine Zinter and Emily Karpuk for their dedicate service to the parish.
Cranberry Township, PA: Archdiocese of Pittsburgh to host Family Day
The Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania will host its Family Day at its Diocesan Center, 8641 Peters Road, Cranberry Township, PA on Sunday, August 16, 2015.
The day will begin at 3:30 p.m. with the celebration of a Service of Thanksgiving by His Eminence, Archbishop Melchisedek. Music, a variety of activities and special events, games and delicious food will follow. A Chinese Auction and chance to win a Samsung Galaxy Pro Tablet will also be held. Participants may also bring food items for distribution through the Saint Cyril of White Lake Food Pantry, a ministry of Pittsburgh’s Holy Assumption of Saint Mary Parish, which aids the poor and homeless throughout the city.
For more information contact Lory Nescott at 412-367-8264 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Poulsbo, WA: Parish engages wider community through presentation on faith and ecology
With global warming and the ongoing drought and fires plaguing the western states dominating many public discussions, Saint Elizabeth Church, Poulsbo, WA hosted a presentation titled “Faith and Ecology in the Shadow of Climate Change” by Priest John Kaleeg Hainsworth from the OCA Archdiocese of Canada. Author of Altar in the Wilderness, a book that looks at a variety of important environmental issues from the Orthodox Christian perspective, Father John shared his insights into what he calls “spiritual ecology” for the gathering, which specifically targeted non-Orthodox and even non-Christian members of the Puget Sound community.
The presentation—made possible by a donation from a parishioner—was designed as an act of evangelical outreach in light of the perennial interest the topic of ecology holds among the region’s largely unchurched population. Significantly, a recent decision to use the port of Seattle as a way station for ships bound for oil drilling operations in Alaska provided the context to engage the surrounding community with the teaching of the Orthodox Christian Church. To increase impact on this segment of the public, the presentation was intentionally located off-site from the church at one of Poulsbo’s most symbolic public venues—the Norway Building on Liberty Bay. Against the breathtaking backdrop of this Puget Sound inlet and the forested mountains, Father John challenged his audience to consider the specifically Christian revelation about man’s relationship to the created cosmos and the ways in which it illuminates contemporary ecological debate.
About half of those in attendance were non-parishioners, many of whom had learned of the presentation from posters that had been placed by parish members in local shopfronts and on the Puget Sound ferries. Archpriest John Strickland, Rector, and the faithful of Saint Elizabeth parish look forward to hosting other visiting Orthodox speakers on matters of public interest in the future.
St. Petersburg, FL: 2015 Orthodox Church Musicians’ Conference to be held October 7-11
Registration is now open for the Orthodox Church Musicians’ Conference at Saint Andrew Church, Saint Petersburg, FL October 7-11, 2015. The annual conference is sponsored by the Synodal Liturgical Music Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Developing and Strengthening the Musical Tradition of Your Church Choir.” Focus will be on the choral tradition in the Russian Orthodox Church—“developing it where it is just starting to bloom and strengthening it where it is already blossoming.” Throughout the three-day program, an exciting blend of historical, theoretical and practical considerations will assist Orthodox Christian conductors and singers in examining, learning about, and putting into action what ought to be one of the main concerns of every parish choir. Participation by clergy is especially encouraged and welcomed.
The program also will include daily rehearsals, seminars on various musical topics, and a closing Hierarchal Divine Liturgy with combined choirs, followed by a banquet lunch. Informative lectures will be given by noted experts in the field of Russian Orthodox Church music, including Peter Jermihov, D.Mus.A.
The registration fee includes all conference materials, including a bound choir music book containing all music sung during the All-Night Vigil, and all meals, except Friday dinner, when participants will be free to sample local cuisine. Early registration before September 1 is encouraged; the fee after that date will be $35.00 higher. Register on-line. Additional information is available here. For further information contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).