One of the fruits of this program is the work of Children’s Hospice in St. Petersburg which our own diocese has supported.  Fr. Alexander Tkachenko, the founder of the Hospice, was a CPE student in Seattle and, upon returning home to Russia, immediately saw the need for hospice care. The Hospice services hundreds of Russian children and teens suffering from cancer and other diseases.  Largely through Fr. Alexander’s efforts, land has been given by the authorities of St. Petersburg for the construction of a building in which the doctors and other care-givers can better serve the suffering of the city.  It was the first such program in all of Russia.

Upon arrival in St. Petersburg, Bishop BENJAMIN and the diocesan administrative assistant, Reader Barry Migyanko, were met by Fr. Alexander and taken to the Moscow Hotel across the street from the St. Alexander Nevsky Lavra where they joined the other delegates for a dinner.  They were joined by Archimandrite Zacchaeus, the rector of the St. Catherine representation church of the OCA in Moscow.  The other members of the SCPS delegation include:  Pastor Dennis Anderson of Bethany Lutheran Church, Seattle;  Father John Anderson of the St. Seraphim Cathedral of Dallas, TX (OCA);  Peter Anderson, of the Ecumenical Commission of the RC Archdiocese of Seattle;  Father Ralph Carskadden from the American Episcopal Church, now retired and a member of the SCPS board;  Richard and Jane Carter  who have been involved in establishing “parish partner” relationships between individual parish churches of the Seattle area and St. Petersburg;  Jay and Lynne Charleston of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America;  Father Mark Miller rector of the St. John’s Episcopal Church in Seattle and former student of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy;  Nicole Nazzaro also a SCPS board member and film maker who would like to make a film about the Children’s Hospice;  Priest Christopher Swanson of St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church, Poulsbo, WA and Priest-in-Charge of our new mission in Spokane, WA;  and Sister Charlotte Van Dyke SP of the Sisters of Providence who has been a hospital administrator and director of corporate relations for a major health care system.

The first full day of the delegation’s program began with the Divine Liturgy at the little church of the Smolensk Cemetery that St. Xenia of St. Petersburg secretly helped to build.  His Eminence, Metropolitan VLADIMIR of St. Petersburg and Lagoda graciously blessed Bishop BENJAMIN and the Orthodox members of the delegation of join him and Bishop AMVROSY, dean of the Theological Academy, in the celebration of the Liturgy and a Moleben on St. Xenia’s feast day.

Following a meal in the parish house, the delegation was taken to see the St. Isaac Cathedral and the Church of the Resurrection (On the Spilt Blood) that was built over the spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated.  These two incredible churches, while serving as museums and tourist destinations, are presently used by the Russian Church for services.

Exterior of St. Isaac Cathedral

Interior of St. Isaac Cathedral

Church of the Resurrection (On the Spilt Blood)

Apse of the Church of the Resurrection

Saturday, February 6, the delegation was taken to Tsarskoe Selo to visit the Catherine Palace, after stopping briefly at the Monument of the Defenders of Leningrad in Victory Square.  This memorial is a tribute to the thousands who perished during the famous siege by the Nazis of the city for over 900 days during the Second World War.  Among those who endured the bombings and starvation were many of the older men and women who met us the day before at the Smolensk Church.  Following the visit to the Catherine Palace, the delegation met with Fr. Valery Shvetsov and his family.  Fr. Valery traveled to the United States several times and knew several members of the delegation from previous exchanges.  He and his family have devoted themselves to the rebuilding of a parish church in the town of Pavlovsk.

St. Nicholas Church, Pavlovsk

The Exterior of the Catherine Palace

As is clearly evident from the photographs, it was rather chilly at Pushkin and Pavlovsk.  But the reception given the delegation by Fr. Valery and his family was very warm and very Russian.

1. Russia (Bishop’s travel log)
2. The Passion of Our Lord Continues

1. Memory Eternal Archpriest Joseph Hirsch

No related posts.

Before the Sunday morning Divine Liturgy was started, the parish was joyfully blessed with its first-ever tonsuring. Glenn Martin Rebne was ordained to the position of reader by His Grace. With his wife, mother and son looking on, Reader Martin served the remainder of the service at the bishop’s side. This was a wonderful opportunity for the parish to reflect on its growth.

After the Liturgy, the Bishop was presented with a handmade cross by the members of the parish. There followed a beautiful lenten meal, celebrating the mission’s feast day. The bishop’s visit was a wonderful experience for everyone who attended (including many visitors), and another milestone for the growing parish of Saint Katherine.

1. Bishop Benjamin in the Desert
2. Bishop Benjamin Visits St. Anne Church in Corvallis
3. Bishop Benjamin visits St. Innocent of Alaska Church of Livermore, California.

The teen retreat every winter has two purposes: it gives Orthodox teens to come together in fellowship and encourage one another in their faith, as well as an opportunity to deepen their knowledge of who they are as Orthodox Christians. And of course, Colorado Springs gets a chance to whomp on everyone in broomball (okay, to be truthful, this year was the first in a long time that “the south” came out on the winning end).  The retreat is such an important part of my Christmas break every year — the priority of God can get lost in the hustle and bustle of highschool and work five days a week. The Winter Retreat is a place to have fun and grow in my faith with people I love.

This year’s retreat brought together 56 participants from six parishes across three jurisdictions.  It was easily my favorite Winter Retreat so far. When we weren’t scrabbling around on a frozen pond with duct taped brooms after a volleyball, we were tackling Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.  We took a close look at the letter itself, listening to Fr. Anthony Karbo’s expositions as well as working in small groups on worksheets.  We supplemented the text with additional readings and some history notes on the Ephesus itself.  We talked about how problems and conflicts we encounter every day were similar to those St. Paul addressed in his epistle, and how we can apply his teachings in our everday lives.  We talked about the fall of man and its relation to modern misconceptions, and how the devil works to tangle us up in ourselves and our mind. We also took a good look at concepts that our world teaches are normal — like jealousy, manipulation, suspicion, or distrust — through the eyes of the Scritpures and the Church Fathers.  For me, the retreat went beyond “good” or even “wholesome”: it was encouraging, rejuvenating, reassuring.

I came home more sore than I have been since…. well, last year’s teen retreat, and the sentiment was shared by more than a few of my fellows.  And for those that didn’t care for the chaos of broomball, there was tubing, broomball, foosball, broomball, cards, broomball, and board games.  The teen retreat provides the perfect balance of fun and thought.  More in depth than summer camp, it’s an environment that expects and receives maturity, responsibility and godliness.

Seraphima

1. Mission Deanery Retreat Registration
2. 2009-2010 Spiritual Retreat Schedule at the Monastery of St John
3. 2009 West Coast Pan_Orthodox Clergy Advent Retreat

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, faithful hierarchs, clergy and laity of the Orthodox Church in America,

All of us are familiar with the saying, “one picture is worth a thousand words.” And, during the past few days, as all of us have seen countless media images of the unimaginable human suffering taking place in Haiti as a result of this week’s earthquake, the truth of this saying has taken on new meaning.

A great deal can be said at a time like this. It is indeed tragic to witness one of the world’s poorest, yet so often forgotten, countries suffer yet another devastating blow; as one news commentator observed, “an entire country has been destroyed in a matter of seconds.” The media images flashing before our eyes — of destroyed homes and schools, of rescue teams working feverishly to uncover survivors buried in the rubble, of families whose lives are forever changed, seemingly left with little or no hope — offer us a chilling reminder that everything we hold precious can change in an instant and that nothing other than “the hope that is in us” is a certainty. Beyond this, what more can be said?

Any words we might utter must be given life through action — and, in this case, immediate action. With my blessing, the Metropolitan Council Charity Committee is sending $10,000.00 to International Orthodox Christian Charities, in the hope that the parishes and faithful of our Orthodox Church in America will join us by offering their own expressions of hope. Hence, I humbly ask that, on Sunday, January 17, special collections be taken in all parishes for IOCC’s Emergency Relief Fund, and that the offerings received be sent directly and immediately to IOCC, PO Box 630225, Baltimore, MD 21263-0225. Over and above this request, I encourage those families and individuals who can do so to send personal gifts, which may be made on-line at www.iocc.org, by calling toll free at 877-803-4622, or by mail to the aforementioned address.

By putting our words and faith into action — together — we can provide a ray of hope to those who so desperately need it at this time, the “least of the brethren.” In so doing, may we come to recognize that “our brother IS our life,” worthy of “the hope that is in us.”

With love in Christ,

+Jonah
Archbishop of Washington
Metropolitan of All America and Canada

Donate online at : www.iocc.org

1. Fr David Lowell brings message of FOCUS North America to Diocese of the West

1. 2009-2010 Spiritual Retreat Schedule at the Monastery of St John
2. OCA Holy Synod of Bishops issues statements at conclusion of 2009 Spring Session
3. 2009 Diocesan Assembly Registration Now Open

Saint Tikhon’s Seminary is an institution of professional Orthodox Christian theological education affiliated with the Orthodox Church in America, chartered by the Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and accredited nationally by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. The seminary offers a Masters in Divinity degree as well as a Certificate of Priestly Formation, the latter of which is awarded upon the successful completion of the non-degree secondary program.

The seminary’s primary mission is to provide the necessary theological, spiritual, and moral foundation for Orthodox Christian men to become good shepherds of Christ’s Holy Orthodox Church and for others to pursue advanced theological study and personal spiritual enrichment.

The Dean is the chief operating officer of the seminary and manages and supervises the seminary’s spiritual, educational, communal, financial, and legal activities on a daily basis. He also represents the seminary before all agencies — ecclesiastical, educational and civil — to which it is accountable.

Candidates for the position must be deeply rooted in the Orthodox Christian faith, must possess the general qualifications for a tenured position on the seminary faculty, and must hold a terminal degree. They should possess a demonstrated success in exercising effective spiritual, academic, pastoral, administrative, and developmental leadership skills and the ability to communicate the vision of the seminary and to interact effectively with the entire seminary community and its constituencies, supporters, donors, and potential students.

Applications should include a detailed letter demonstrating the candidate’s suitability for the position, a current curriculum vitae, and a list of the names and contact details of at least three [3] individuals who have agreed to serve as references. All communications will be held in strict confidence.

Completed applications should be mailed to the Dean Search Committee, Michael G. Herzak, Vice-Chairman, 6709 Springview Drive, Independence, OH 44131 and received no later than February 15, 2010, at which time the Search Committee will commence the formal review of all applications.

Members of the Search Committee include His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania, Chairman; Michael Herzak, Vice-Chairman; the Very Revs. Yaroslav Sudick, Joseph Martin, Theodore Boback, and Daniel Kovalak; Dr. Christopher Veniamin; Subdeacon Nicholas Blick; Leda Dzwonczyk; and Kory William Warr.

1. St Vladimir’s Seminary 2009 Diaconal Liturgical Practicum Scheduled for June 14-17

Although not finished with all the work, we can enjoy the space as we fulfill the City’s requirements. The beauty of the building, the wonderful acoustics and the “elbow room” make the services a joy to attend. Please come and join us if you are in the area. Our new address is 3721 Parish Ave., Fremont, CA 94536.

1. Susanville Mission Celebrates Patronal Feast
2. Bishop Benjamin in the Desert
3. Metropolitan Jonah Welcomed ‘Back Home’ to the Bay Area

St John the Evangelist Orthodox Mission (www.stjohnaz.org) is in its fourth year, and this past year was blessed to move from an inadequate storefront, to a facility that we all pray will be a property we can purchase as our permanent home.  Our new location consists of four former model homes on 2 acres on University Drive, the main access into ASU, about 1.5 miles from campus.

We have taken a Mountain Chalet and converted it to a Temple.  Another cabin houses our kitchen, office and restrooms.  The former model home office serves as offices for several ministries in our city: Tempe Christian Resource Center (a live-in, bible-based, rehab program), Christian Interface Ministries (whose mission it is to bring together Tempe churches and ministries to work together), and CARE (an outreach of the State Government Chaplain). The fourth house will be used for gatherings and classrooms.

We began the Mission four years ago in Bill and Cathy Gould’s living room with 4 families. After a few weeks, we moved from there to a chapel at a mortuary, until management changed. Next was a house in a residential area. We were constantly looking for affordable space zoned for “assembly”. At every turn the city nixed occupancy due to some city code. Finally, Fr Damian’s activity with CIM ministries and partnering with its director, Gary Bartlett, led to the mayor and his staff actively helping us.  With the help of city employees, we found this property just as the owner was closing operations and quickly worked through building codes and bureaucracy to use it as a church.

The chalet building was an unfinished shell. No plumbing, electricity, or insulation. Just the framing, exterior walls, windows and a roof. Much of the work to create a church was performed by a host of very good friends and even some folks we hardly know but thank God for.  With little in the bank, the vast majority of materials and labor were donated and the Diocese gave us a loan for the things we needed to purchase. Our prayer is that God will bring us people to serve.  Who knows what great things God will do? For He is with us. Holy Apostle, Evangelist and Theologian John, pray to God for us.

1. Bishop Benjamin Visits St. Anne Church in Corvallis
2. Bishop Benjamin Blesses New Chapel in Chico, CA
3. Kirkland welcomes Bishop Benjamin