Welcoem to posts!!
in the future - u will be able to do some more stuff here,,,!! like pat catgirl- i mean um yeah... for now u can only see others's posts :c
ORDINATION IN SEATTLE
On Sunday of Seven Ecumenical Councils, at Saint Nectarios Orthodox Cathedral in Seattle, Father David Frank was ordained to the holy Diaconate by His Eminence Ignatius, Metropolitan of Seattle.
Axios! Axios! Axios!
10 - 0
✢ Tonsure of Mother Joanna ✢
Christ is Risen!
I would like to share something very moving.
Yesterday, I came to San Francisco to tonsure into monasticism one faithful soul. Her name used to be Vassiliki and she lived alone here in San Francisco for many years. She has been a faithful member of our Church for decades, and almost every day she used to walk to the Russian Cathedral, venerate the relics of Saint John Maximovich and pray for our whole Church. Here, unbeknownst to most of us, was a person praying everyday to Saint John for all of us!
About a month ago, she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and now she is in a rehab after undergoing a surgery. Faced with this reality, she asked to be tonsured into monasticism. So yesterday, I flew to San Francisco after finishing my pastoral tour in Canada, visited her in her rehab, and tonsured her.
In accordance with the monastic custom, we put several names to be drawn for the tonsure: Vassiliki, Macrina and Emilia (all names related to Saint Basil the Great because of she was named after him in baptism). But at the last minute I remembered our beloved Saint John Maximovich, and Vassiliki’s love for her, and decided to put the name Joanna too. Well, lo and behold, Joanna it was! And so, our dear Vassiliki became Mother Joanna, nun.
But here is the most beautiful part of the story. Before the service, I had messaged our Father Isaac, asking him if he wanted to put a name too. He didn’t reply for some time, so I decided to started the service. When the service was done, I checked, and there was Father Isaac’s answer: “Joanna”!
So, it seems that Saint John Maximovich was very adamant on putting this faithful soul under his protection, whispering hos name both to me and to Father Isaac, and making sure that my hand grabbed that piece of paper that had Joanna written on it. Just as Mother Joanna showed her great love for him by visiting his tomb day after day for so many years and praying to him for our whole Church, so also Saint John made sure that she knew that her love was well accepted by him, and that she was loved by him in return.
When I told Mother Joanna about what had happened between Father Isaac and I in the choosing of her name, she wept.
I thank our Father James Bockman, who first informed me about Mother Joanna’s illness, and who flew out immediately to give her Holy Communion. I thank Matushka Seraphima and the sisters of the Holy Nativity Convent who helped so readily with the monastic clothing. By the prayers and the effort of so many, this lonely soul does not feel alone and abandoned by her church!
We will be visiting Mother Joanna regularly to give her Holy Communion. Please keep her in your prayers. May our Saviour strengthen her in her new, monastic life, grant her strength in her illness and when the hour comes, a grant her a peaceful end. Amen.
Truly He is Risen!
+ Gregory, Metropolitan.
13 - 4
✢ Pastoral Visit to Calgary ✢
Christ is Risen!
With the visit to the Church of the Portaitissa Icon of the Mother of God in Calgary, I completed the annual pastoral tour of our parishes in Canada.
On the Sunday of the Blind Man, I celebrated the Divine Liturgy with Father Anthony Avdicos, the Deacon of the Parish. The divine service was followed by the traditional brotherly trapeza and a customary Question & Answer session.
The Calgary parish occupies a special place in my heart, because it was here where I spent my first Holy Week and Pascha as a bishop, over a decade ago.
Truly He is Risen!
+ Gregory, Metropolitan.
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✢ Pastoral Visit to Ispas ✢
Christ is Risen!
The next stop on the trip through Western Canada was Ispas, near Edmonton, Alberta.
On the Thursday of the Fifth Week of Pascha, I concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with Father Bohdan Borody in the Chapel of the Holy Apostles located on his farm.
It is always a joy to visit the Borody family farm, to serve in their beautiful little chapel, and to enjoy their warm hospitality.
Truly He is Risen!
12 - 0
✢ Pastoral Visit to Saskatoon ✢
Christ is Risen!
The Monday of the Fifth Week of Pascha, after concluding my visit to Toronto, I continued my trip to Western Canada, accompanied by Father George of Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Boston.
The first stop of the voyage was Saskatchewan, where I visited our Church of the Holy Apostle Andrew in Saskatoon.
On Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Pascha, I concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with Father Demjan Hohol, the Rector of the Parish.
After the divine service we had a customary brotherly trapeza with the faithful of the Parish.
Truly He is Risen!
9 - 4
✢ Pastoral Visit to Toronto ✢
Christ is Risen!
The weekend of the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman, Bishop John of Woodside and I, visited our parishes in Toronto, Canada.
On Saturday we celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Chapel of Saint Seraphim of Sarov. On Sunday we concelebrated the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy with Protopresbyter Anthony Rout, Presbyter Sergey Zhukov and Protodeacon George Janchev, at Saint Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral of Toronto.
Truly He is Risen!
+ Gregory, Metropolitan.
8 - 0
✢ Pastoral Visit to Virginia ✢
Christ is Risen!
On the Feast of Mid Pentecost, I visited the Church of Holy Wisdom in Catlett, Virginia, where I concelebrated the Divine Liturgy for the patronal feast of the parish together with Bishop John of Woodside, Father James Bockman, the Rector, and Father Alexander Pavpertov of Boston. Abbess Irene and the sisters of the Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene, who take care of the church, extended to us, to the faithful and to the guests from other parishes, their customary hospitality.
Truly He is Risen!
+ Gregory, Metropolitan.
11 - 1
✢ Pastoral Visit to Maryland ✢
Christ is Risen!
Fourth Sunday of Pascha I visited our Parish of Saint Cosmas of Aitolia, in Lanham, Maryland, where I concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with Father Stephen Johnson, the Rector of the Parish, and Father Alexander Pavpertov, who accompanied me from Boston.
On my visit to Saint Cosmas, I met the Catechumens of the Parish, two wonderful young men, Stephen and Diego.
Truly He is Risen!
+ Gregory, Metropolitan.
9 - 0
✢ Fazenda Athos ✢
On a land purchased thanks to a generous donation of one almsgiving family of our Church in North America, Father Joaquim and his family established a successful small farm called Athos and dedicated it to the Mother of God.
The farm produces dairy products of exceptional quality. Their butter tastes like nothing I have tasted anywhere else!
The next project is to build on the farm a basilica dedicated to the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple.
Fazenda Athos: youtube.com/@fazendaathos?si=Em0XThz4vZ-NmiDs
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✢ Pastoral Visit to Brazil ✢
Christ is Risen!
The weekend of the Third Sunday of Pascha, I visited our Mission in Brazil.
Our Mission Chapel in Brazil is located near the capital city, Brasilia, in a small town called Luziania, and is dedicated to the Entry of the Mother of God in the Temple.
The presbyter of the Mission, Father Joaquim Sena, and I, concelebrated the Divine Liturgy on the Sunday of the Myrrhbearers.
Father Joaquim and his family live on a farm not far from the Chapel, and so do some of the parishioners. Other faithful of the Mission live in more distant places and try to attend the services as frequently as possible.
Besides taking care of the needs of the Mission, Father Joaquim also runs a dairy farm with the help of his presbytera and all his six kids except for the youngest one. I will post photos and videos of his farm in the next posting.
Truly He is Risen!
+ Gregory, Metropolitan.
14 - 0
Holy Orthodox Metropolis of Boston, Holy Synod of the Holy Orthodox Church in North America