NEW YORK – The video presentation of “Christ is Risen! The Resurrection Service and Divine Liturgy of Pascha,” a program highlighting Orthodox Christian Pascha, or Easter, will air on NBC affiliates nationwide this April.

The program, produced by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and videotaped live at St. Nicholas Church in Flushing, N.Y., highlights the midnight Resurrection Service and the Divine Liturgy.

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OCANews.com reports Metropolitan Jonah’s Opening Address to the 16th All American Council and the news that +Jonah will enter an evaluation at St. Luke’s institute. +Jonah began his address with an apology and announcement. He stated:

“….These last three years have been the three most difficult years of my life. I have been under a relentless barrage of criticism for most of this time for every forum I am meant to oversee: the chancery officers and staff, the Metropolitan Council and most troubling to me, the Holy Synod of Bishops.

I admit that I have very little experience of administration and it was a risk for the 2008 Council to elect me, the newest and most inexperienced of bishops. I have worked very hard to fulfill your expectations. But this is not an excuse.

These three years have been an administrative disaster. And I need to accept full responsibility for that and for my part in it. I did not understand the depths of the breakdown with the bishops. I thought we had a good working relationship but obviously there is something very broken. I need to regain the confidence of my brother bishops and of many others in leadership positions in our Church…”

Read the full article and more about St. Luke’s institute.

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announces today an agreement with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey regarding the rebuilding of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo invited Archbishop Demetrios and the Hierarchs of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, together with leadership of the St. Nicholas Parish and the Archdiocesan Council to his New York City office for the official signing of the agreement by Archdiocesan Council Vice-Chairman Michael Jaharis and Port Authority Executive Director Chris Ward. Archbishop Demetrios and Governor Cuomo signed as the formal witnesses to the agreement.

Archbishop Demetrios expressed particular praise for Governor Cuomo and said, “We are grateful to our esteemed Governor and precious friend Andrew Cuomo for bringing to reality the dream we have nourished for ten long years. St. Nicholas Church, rising again with the help of God at Ground Zero – where it stood spiritually important for 85 years, is an affirmation of the significance of religious freedom and experience for all New Yorkers and all Americans. The covenant stands firm. We will again light many candles in the new St. Nicholas Church and remember those who were lost to us, and those heroes who so nobly sacrificed their lives. Our pledge is to be a witness for all New Yorkers, that freedom of conscience and the fundamental human right of free religious expression will always shine forth in the resurrected St. Nicholas Church.” The Archbishop also expressed deep appreciation to Michael Jaharis and Dennis Mehiel and the other members of the joint committee who had labored so diligently to accomplish this historic agreement.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said, “We lost St. Nicholas Church in the destruction of September 11 and for too long its future has been uncertain. Rebuilding St. Nicholas Church, with a nondenominational bereavement center, is not just good news for the Greek Orthodox community, but for all New Yorkers. With this agreement, we are continuing New York’s collective healing, restoration, and resurgence. Now we are finally returning this treasured place of reflection to where it belongs.”

According to the Port Authority Press Release, “The agreement … permits the rebuilding of the Church with a nondenominational bereavement center at the east end of Liberty Park, at 130 Liberty Street. The agreement follows a four-month independent engineering study commissioned by the Port Authority and the Archdiocese, which found that the Church could be built on the site with minor modifications to the original plan and with no impact on the World Trade Center construction schedule.”

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Contact: PRESS OFFICE
Stavros Papagermanos
pressoffice@goarch.org
(212) 570-3530

GOLDENDALE, Washington (CNN) A wildfire burning in Washington State turned a group of nuns into firefighters. The Monastery Complex Fire came dangerously close to a greek orthodox monastery on Wednesday. A newspaper photographer was covering the fire and caught the nuns on camera fighting flames.

It was a regular wednesday at their bakery when flames shot up across the highway. The sisters grabbed hoses and buckets of water doing their best to put out the flames while they waited for firefighters to arrive.

“It was just like a little brush fire, about a foot high. We started wetting it, but it was just out of control when the big pine trees started.”

Meanwhile another spot fire was burning down the road toward their cemetery and dormitory.

“We’re just praying and waiting and watching and then, these trees right behind this building shot up. And that’s when they told us we had to evacuate.”

The sisters spent an anxious night worried they would lose it all.

Read the full article.

Photos from Dallas pertaining to the falling asleep of Archbishop Dmitri.

On Sunday, August 28, 2011, at 2:00 am, His Eminence, The Most Reverend DMITRI, retired Archbishop of the Diocese of the South, Orthodox Church in America, passsed away. The Archbishop was eighty-seven years old.  Ordained in 1954, then consecrated to the episcopacy in 1969, his ecclesiastical ministry spanned fifty-seven years.

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Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh (GOA) has resigned citing health reasons. Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit has been named Locum Tenens of the Metropolis of Pittsburgh until a new Metropolitan is elected for the See.

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His Eminence, the Most Reverend Dmitri, 87, retired Archbishop of Dallas and the Diocese of the South, fell asleep in the Lord at his home here at 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning, August 28, 2011.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah, and many priests and faithful had kept vigil in Dallas during Archbishop Dmitri’s final days. The Metropolitan was to have traveled to the Czech Republic with a delegation from the Orthodox Church in America, but remained in Dallas to be with the Archbishop.

Funeral services will be celebrated at Dallas’ Saint Seraphim Cathedral — the parish Archbishop Dmitri founded as a mission shortly after his ordination in 1954. Days and times will be posted at oca.org as they are received.

Consecrated to the episcopacy in 1969, Archbishop Dmitri’s ministry spanned 57 remarkable years.

Archbishop Dmitri was born Robert R. Royster into a Baptist family in Teague, TX on November 2, 1923. He often credited his mother with providing him and his sister with a strong, initial faith in Christ. After discovering Orthodox Christianity as teens, he and his sister asked their mother for a blessing to convert, whereupon she asked one basic yet predictive question: “Does the Orthodox Church believe in Christ as Lord and Savior?” As it turned out, a specific emphasis on the person and work of Jesus Christ became the hallmark of the future hierarch’s ministry, profoundly influencing his preaching and writing. The Archbishop would later recall that an Orthodox clergyman and mentor advised him early on in his priesthood to include always the name of Christ in every conversation, to make Him the focus of every sermon.

Having received their desired blessing, and after a period of enquiry and study, he and his sister were received together into Orthodox Christianity at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Dallas, in 1941. It was at that point that the two received the names Dmitri and Dimitra.

Dmitri was drafted into the US Army in 1943, after which he underwent intensive training in Japanese and linguistics in Ann Arbor, MI, and the Military Intelligence Service Language School in Fort Snelling, MN. He later served as a Japanese interpreter at the rank of Second Lieutenant on the staff of General Douglas MacArthur. He was required to undergo the usual training given to all soldiers and was recognized, interestingly enough, as an expert marksman. He was blessed with a strong constitution and good physical abilities; as a teenager, he represented his high school in the state tennis semi-finals. Later, as hierarch, he would comment that good health and physical strength should also be used in service to Christ. Following his own advice, he pushed himself physically, traveling repeatedly by car for years, from one end of his 14-state diocese to the other in the early stages of its inception, visiting parishes and founding missions.

After his military service, he completed his education, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree from the (now) University of North Texas in Denton, and a Master’s Degree in Spanish in 1949 from Southern Methodist University. He completed two years of post graduate studies at Tulane University in New Orleans, whereupon he returned to his home in Dallas.

In 1954, as a subdeacon with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under Constantinople, he worked with the Mexican Orthodox Community of Our Lady of San Juan de Los Lagos, at which time he began translating Orthodox liturgical services into Spanish. In April 1954, Subdeacon Dmitri, his sister Dimitra, and their priest, Father Rangel sought a blessing from His Grace, Bishop Bogdan, to establish an English-language Orthodox mission in Dallas – the future Saint Seraphim Cathedral. He was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood later that year and assigned rector of Saint Seraphim’s.

In 1958, permission was sought and given to bring both Father Dmitri and the parish into the Metropolia, as the Orthodox Church in America was known at that time. During his pastorate, he served as a Spanish instructor at Southern Methodist University – a position he held for a number of years. He also taught at Tulane University in New Orleans for a brief period during his tenure as student.

During the early years of Saint Seraphim’s, Father Dmitri continued his missionary activities among Mexican Americans, but was intent on developing the new community placed in his care. As a direct result of his desire that people from all walks of life hear the message of Orthodox Christianity, the cathedral remains to this day a multi-ethnic parish, consisting of both life-long Orthodox Christians as well as converts.

While functioning as priest and university instructor, Father Dmitri also found time to help his sister with her restaurant. As children, responsibilities in the family restaurant provided an appreciation for the art of cooking. As adults, the two came to be regarded as gourmet chefs. Not surprisingly, celebrations at the Archbishop’s home in honor of specific religious holidays were awaited with great anticipation by members of the Church and local Dallas clergy. Following the teaching of Saint Paul, he was enthusiastically “hospitable” [1 Timothy 3:2]. At such gatherings, the Archbishop sometimes would recall certain struggles of the Depression. He did not dwell on the subject, but it seemed that the experience of going without, of laboring to put food on the table, was never far from his consciousness. He lived modestly and was generous to a fault, not only giving beyond the tithe to his cathedral, but donating to seminaries, charities, diocesan missions, and persons in need.

While working outside the Church and tending to priestly responsibilities, Father Dmitri found time to print his own original articles in a weekly Church bulletin. In the 1950s and 60s, Orthodox theological works in English were sparse, especially on a popular level of reading. He saw a need and sought to address it. Later, the curriculum for catechumens he used at Saint Seraphim’s would be published by the Department of Christian Education of the Orthodox Church in America, with the title, Orthodox Christian Teaching. The Dallas community grew steadily. He had a unique gift for relating to all people, and young and old alike looked to him as a loving father.

From 1966 to 1967, Father Dmitri studied at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, while concurrently teaching Spanish at Fordham University. He studied with people like Protopresbyters Alexander Schmemann and John Meyendorff and Professor Serge Verhovskoy. In 1969, he was elected to the episcopate, and was consecrated Bishop of Berkeley, CA as Auxiliary to His Eminence, Archbishop John [Shahovskoy] of San Francisco on June 22 of that year. His consecration is regarded by some historians as the first consecration of a convert to the episcopate in America (although another individual, Ignatius [Nichols], had been consecrated in 1932, but subsequently left the Church). In 1970, he was reassigned as Bishop of Washington and Auxiliary to His Beatitude, Metropolitan Ireney. He would later recall the helpful training he received as an Auxiliary under both Archbishop John and Metropolitan Ireney, especially his many hours of instruction in Church Slavonic.

On October 19, 1971, Bishop Dmitri was elected Bishop of Hartford and New England. In 1972, the Holy Synod of Bishops brought Mexico under the auspices of the Orthodox Church in America, which had received its autocephaly in 1970 from the Moscow Patriarchate. Given his knowledge of and fondness for Mexican culture and the Spanish language, Bishop Dmitri was given additional responsibilities by the Holy Synod as Exarch of Mexico. He was as much beloved by the Mexican people as by those in his own Diocese.

In 1977, at the 5th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America in Montreal, Bishop Dmitri received a majority of popular votes in the election for a new Metropolitan. For the sake of continuity – at that time, a life-long Orthodox Christian occupying the Office of Primate See was seen as more in keeping with the challenges of a young territorial Church – the Holy Synod chose instead His Grace, Bishop Theodosius [Lazor] of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylania, who became an advocate and supporter of missionary work in the southern United States.

In 1978, the Synod of Bishops took the important step of creating the Diocese of Dallas and the South. Bishop Dmitri became its first ruling hierarch, taking Saint Seraphim Church as his Episcopal See. Christ the Saviour Church, Miami, FL, a prominent community in the South, became the second cathedral of the newly formed Diocese. Archpriest George Gladky, a veteran missionary and rector of Christ the Saviour, was named Chancellor. He and Bishop Dmitri worked admirably with others to establish churches and teach the faith in a region of America in which Orthodox Christianity was relatively unknown. The first Diocesan Assembly of the South was held in Miami August 25-26, 1978.

In 1993, the Holy Synod elevated Bishop Dmitri to the rank of Archbishop. He also chaired various departments of the Orthodox Church in America. Early on, he was instrumental in speaking with representatives of the Evangelical Orthodox Church [EOC] who were seeking entrance into canonical Orthodoxy. His understanding of Christ as central to the Faith helped guide these discussions. As an example, an episode occurred in which members of the EOC wanted to focus on particulars of worship during initial dialogues. It is said that the Archbishop offered words of caution: “Let’s first discuss our approach to Jesus Christ, since everything that we have in Orthodoxy proceeds from that core set of teachings.”

On September 4, 2008, following the retirement of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, the Holy Synod named Archbishop Dmitri Locum Tenens of the Orthodox Church in America. His Eminence, Archbishop Seraphim [Storheim] assisted him as Administrator. In November 2008, Archbishop Dmitri’s role as Locum Tenens ended with the election of His Grace, Bishop Jonah [Paffhausen] of Fort Worth as Metropolitan.

On March 22, 2009, the Archbishop requested retirement from active ministry as a diocesan Bishop, effective March 31, 2009. Under his leadership, the Diocese of the South grew from a dozen communities to its present 70-plus parishes and missions.

After his retirement, Archbishop Dmitri lived peacefully at his home, writing, making occasional visits to diocesan communities, and maintaining a quiet involvement with the life of Saint Seraphim Cathedral. He was blessed in his last days to have many parishioners who visited and cared for him at home 24 hours a day, as well as medical professionals who came to his bedside to treat and evaluate his condition. The community in turn received a great blessing from the love and courage with which the Archbishop welcomed them and approached his illness. He remained courteous, hospitable and dignified throughout, even attending Church when his strength allowed. These unexpected visits to the cathedral by the Archbishop were sources of joy and inspiration to the faithful.

For his former Diocese and the Orthodox Church in America, Archbishop Dmitri leaves a progressive vision of evangelism and ecclesial life, a solid foundation upon which to develop future communities and schools. He leaves the faithful the experience of having had a compassionate father whose enthusiasm was contagious, inspiring many to look profoundly at their own vocations in the Church.

Archbishop Dmitri’s greatest joys – as well as sorrows – were connected to his episcopal ministry. The establishment of new missions, the ordinations of men to the priesthood or diaconate, and the reception of others into Orthodox Christianity, were continual sources of delight. He patiently dealt with clergy and laypersons who needed correction. In fact, it would be difficult to recall an instance in which he strongly reprimanded anyone, at least publicly. Private, gentle advice when needed was more “his style.” At times, his approach confused and frustrated some who believed that his manner of oversight should be stricter, or that he should be more demanding in his expectations. But this was never his way. It was not in his character to remind people bluntly of their responsibilities. He chose to lead by example rather than by decree. Ultimately and personally, this became a source of his extraordinary influence and popularity. Mere suggestions were readily received as directives because of people’s fondness for him. More than once the comment was made, “you cannot buy that kind of authority” – authority that proceeds from integrity and proven dedication, from a loving relationship between a father and his children.

As stated, Archbishop Dmitri’s episcopacy was strongly characterized by a single-minded devotion to the person and work of Jesus Christ. His publications are a testimony to his dedication, and include books titled The Sermon on the Mount, The Parables of Christ, The Miracles of Christ, St. Paul’s Epistles to the Romans and to the Hebrews, The Epistle of St. James, and The Gospel of St. John. His works also include the aforementioned Introduction to Orthodox Christian teaching, as well as A Layman’s Handbook on The Doctrine of Christ. Some of these have been translated into other languages, enthusiastically received as instructional tools by the faithful abroad. When asked to document his personal thoughts concerning evangelism or American Orthodoxy, the Archbishop consistently hesitated, preferring instead to dwell on the teachings of the Fathers regarding Scripture and Church doctrine.

For many years, Archbishop Dmitri served as editor of the first diocesan newspaper in the Orthodox Church in America, The Dawn. This modest publication was a primary means of education and an instrument of unity among members of a diocese that spanned over one million square miles. One full page in every issue of The Dawn featured his Spanish-language translations. Later, he included a page in Russian to minister to the needs of new immigrants.

The dignity that Archbishop Dmitri brought to his episcopacy was well known. People commented on his bearing, the way he carried himself as a Bishop of the Orthodox Church. Some found it surprising that such an august figure possessed great love and respect for others, and that he presented himself as one of the people. Without exaggeration, it can be said that he was a rarity, a unique combination of faith, talent, intelligence and charisma. For the Diocese of the South – indeed for the Orthodox Church in America – he was “the right person at the right time.” Throughout the 42 years of his episcopal ministry, every day was offered in service to Christ, with Whom he now enjoys the blessedness of the Kingdom. We pray for his continued prayers, and we thank the Lord for having given His flock the gift of Archbishop Dmitri.

May Archbishop Dmitri’s memory be eternal!

Source: http://oca.org/news/headline-news/the-repose-of-his-eminence-archbishop-dmitri

A visitation for Chief Petty Offier John Weston Faas, 31, one of 22 Navy SEALs killed with eight other US troops when their helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan on August 6, 2011, will be held at Holy Trinity Church [OCA], 956 Forest St., St. Paul, from 6:30 until 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 21.

A parishioner of Holy Trinity Church, Faas is the second known Minnesota casualty of the attack. He was a 1998 graduate of Minnehaha Academy, where he was co-valedictorian of his class and captain and quarterback of the football team.

“John was a man of unquestionable integrity and courage, as were those he served with,” his family said in a statement released to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “He became a SEAL to serve his country and to make the world a better place for those less fortunate. John made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting the ideals of our nation; while doing a job he loved and while serving with the people he loved. Although his life was tragically cut short, his spirit will live on in his family and friends, and the brave men who served by his side until his death.”

He is survived by his parents, Gretchen and Robert Faas of Minneapolis; aunts, uncles and cousins.

Interment will take place at Fort Snelling Cemetery at 2:30 p.m. The Funeral will be celebrated at the cemetery chapel at noon. A reception will follow at Minnehaha Academy North Campus, 3100 West River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN.

May John’s memory be eternal!

The Society for Orthodox Christian History in the Americas (SOCHA) is pleased to announce a new, affiliated academic publication, the Journal of American Orthodox Church History (JAOCH). JAOCH consists of articles, book reviews, and translations of historically significant texts, is peer reviewed by established scholars within the field, and published electronically annually. The first edition is available through Prairie Parish Press and the cost is $10 per issue. More information, including the table of contents and an introduction to the first issue, may be found on the website of Prairie Parish Press: http://prairieparishpress.com

The Antiochian Orthodox Church recently launched “Discover Orthodoxy,” an informational and apologetic website to explain the Orthodox faith to seekers. Topics include:

• Introducing Orthodoxy: Come and see!
• What is the Church? The Church is the Body of Christ.
• Who Is God? The Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• Feasts and Fasts: The cycle of the Christian year.
• Liturgy and Worship: Service to our Lord.
• Our Sacraments: God meets us in the physical.
• Our Scriptures: The Bible in Orthodox life.
• Entering God’s Kingdom: The Orthodox spiritual path.
• People of Faith: Our Orthodox role models.