"With the Blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion,
"Reader Polycarp Robert Sherwood will be ordained to the Diaconate this Wednesday and start a parish, St Mary the Virgin Orthodox Church. (Feast day August 15th) in Barrie, Ontario, Canada.
"Joseph Gagliano has been blessed for ordination to the Diaconate (date to be announced) and start a parish, Holy Mother of God Orthodox Church (Feast day- Tikhvin Icon- June 26th) in Maylene, Alabama, USA
"We ask your prayers for these our brothers as they assume the mantle of ministry, and for those whom they serve.
"Fr Anthony
"Pastoral Vicar for Western Rite"
6 comments:
I find it curious that the Russian and Antiochian jurisdictions are more welcoming to Western Rite activities than the OCA, which thinks of itself as the native American Orthodox jurisdiction.
May the Lord bless these new missionary endeavours of ROCOR.
Yes, this indeed an astute observation. I think that there are historical reasons why the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church is so very, very anti-western rite whilst keeping up a pretense to being the Orthodox Church for all Americans. The background for the OCA is strongly schismatic Uniate in composition and mentality. For Uniates, regardless of if they are still within the fold of the Roman Church or with one of the Orthodox jurisdictions, only view Orthodoxy as a question of exterior rite, not interior faith that transcends rite or tradition. Hence, for the OCA one must, in typical Uniate fashion, be Byzantine rite to be Orthodox. The same justification for the Greek Catholic church.
This mentality was re-emphasized by both von Schmemann as well as von Meyendorff who were both trained and educated by the Byzantine rite Roman Catholic Jesuits of the St George Russian Catholic school for boys. They had been, from an early age, taught that Orthodoxy was simply the Byzantine rite of the Roman Catholic Church, a mentality, unfortunately, still very much in evidence within the OCA.
I have heard that one OCA bishop was very open to the idea of the Western Rite. In fact, I was invited to visit with this bishop and possibly start a Western rite community in Canada under this bishop. I somehow felt this was not to be, and did not follow the kind advice. But there is sympathy in some quarters, in the OCA. Just not much overall, there.
How can I get in contact with the Maylene, AL Church? I'm an inquirer from Alabama and would love to visit.
Thank you and blessings!
Wow, Dale, that's a most amazingly opinionated and not fact-based collection of statements! It would be nice if you backed up your assertions with actual facts and citations.
-Someone in the OCA who is NOT Uniate and has a respect for the Western Rite.
And for the anonymous visitor - you are very close to two fine Orthodox churches if you are close to Maylene. Check the listings in Birmingham. I haven't seen any news of an Orthodox church in Maylene yet. May your journey be blessed.
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