Morning and Evening Prayers

A helpful new resource for the ordering of the domestic church--the home--according to the traditions of the Western Rite.

Morning and Evening Prayers in the Western Rite, from sources approved for use within the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, may now be found here:

http://tinyurl.com/7kn627r

The prayers are given in parallel Latin and English columns. (File updated Feb. 18, 2012.)


"In the morning shall my prayer come before Thee."

Pontifical Mass, Oct. 5, 2011

There are some very nice photos from the Pontifical Mass which was celebrated on Oct. 5, 2011, the feast of Sts. Maurice & Companions, Martyrs, during the Western Rites Conference in Wappinger Falls, New York. The Conference, in which clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church, Antiochian Orthodox Church, and Carpatho-Russian Diocese participated, included a Pontifical Mass in the Tridentine Use of the Roman Rite, an Anglican Liturgy, and a Gallican Liturgy.

Here is a picture from the Pontifical Mass in the Roman Rite:



More pictures here.

Travelogue here.

A DVD from the Conference is in preparation and will be offered for about $10 after video-editing is complete.

After the opening address by Metropolitan Hilarion, primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, there were workshops and presentations regarding the Roman Rite; Phyletism; Growing a Parish; Monastic Life in the Russian Western Rite Vicariate, and its history; etc. There were discussion sessions. Above all, every day began with the celebration of the Liturgy or Mass, and was punctuated by the little Hours (sung at their proper times throughout the day), Vespers, and Compline. There was a movie showing, a women's meeting, and excellent meals in the refectory, including Lenten meals on Wednesday and Friday.

This was an historic event, and its high level of success is due very largely to the Force of Nature also known as Fr. Anthony Bondi, Pastoral Vicar to the Metropolitan for Western Rite.

Bp. Jerome Interviewed About W. Rite

On Friday, Oct. 14, 2011, an interesting interview was posted on the website of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and South America. The interviewer was mainly asking Vladyka Jerome about questions pertaining to the newly-constituted Assembly (which has apparently replaced the old SCOBA group) and pertaining to inter-Orthodox cooperation in general.

During the second half of the interview, Bp. Jerome was asked some questions relating to the Western rite in the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, whether it will be accepted as a phenomenon by the other constituent jurisdictions in the Assembly, and about what transpired at the Canonical Western Rites Conference which was held in Wappinger Falls, New York, from Oct. 4 to Oct 7, 2011.

http://assemblyofbishops.org/multimedia/conversations

(It is necessary to then click the forward arrow to hear the interview.)

Canonical Western Rites Conference 2011

From Tuesday, Oct. 4, to Friday, Oct. 7, 2011, the Canonical Western Rites Conference was held in Wappinger Falls, New York, with a number of monastics, clergy, and clergy families in attendance from both the ROCOR Western Rite Vicariate (RWRV) and the Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate (AWRV).



above: Clergy, monastics, servers in the borrowed Franciscan church at the Mt. Alvernia Retreat Center, which was the site of the historic conference. Click the image to see more detail.

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DAY ONE - Tuesday.

The conference opened with an address by Metropolitan Hilarion of the ROCOR. Vladyka asked the Western rite priests to work towards their integration into the life of the Russian Orthodox Church as a whole, and he encouraged the clergy to learn the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom as a secondary rite.

Vespers and confessions, supper, and Compline rounded out this day 1 of the conference.

DAY TWO - Wednesday.

In the early morning, there was a pontifical Mass in Latin celebrated by Bishop Jerome of Manhattan, with Gregorian chant, Anglican chant, and William Byrd's "Mass for Four Voices," all the priests concelebrating with the bishop.

Pontifical Mass:



After breakfast, the day consisted of presentations alternating with Hours of the divine office. Each day the activities were punctuated with the Hours; this is the way the day proceeds in a Western rite monastery. There were talks on the building up of a parish by Fr. Peter Guilianotti, on phyletism by Fr. Irenaeus Watson, on RWRV monastic life and its history and proto-history by Dom James of Christminster, and so forth. Participants were able by this time to meet each other and come to know each other a bit.

Vespers, supper, Compline. You get the drill.

DAY THREE - Thursday.

After a St. Tikhon Mass in English celebrated by Fr. John Connely of the AWRV, and breakfast, there was conference work on various liturgical and paraliturgical questions, a two-part presentation on the Roman Mass by Fr. Nicholas Alford of Washington, D.C. (AWRV), and other features. Sext. Lunch. By this time various participants were able to make good connections with the other men and women participating in the Conference. Part of these days included choir rehearsals for various services. In the evening many of us got pizzas.

Vespers, supper, Compline. There was an evening showing of the movie "The Island" ("Ostrov"), a Russian film about the repentance and salvation of an Orthodox monastic. This film was quite edifying.

DAY FOUR - Friday.

After a Gallican Liturgy celebrated by Fr. Lev Smith of Iowa (RWRV),



we had breakfast.

On this day there was another conference session to work out some details of our WR observances, and the manner in which we conduct our public outreach. Suggestions on next year's conference, which it is thought will include a Sarum Mass to be celebrated by Fr. Hieromonk Aidan (ROCOR) and a Fraternity Liturgy. After this meeting, lunch. Sext. Regretful but mandatory farewells.



above: Clergy, their families, servers, monastics at the Conference. Click the image to see more detail.

This conference was well planned and was remarkably rich and varied in its content. Next year we hope to have some practicums, and we discussed a few minor points for improvement in the execution of the conference. Fr. Abbot David hopes to be able to attend next year's conference, and celebrate the Sarum Mass together with Fr. Aidan, and it is hoped that many of the clergy who had originally planned on attending this year's conference, but in the end were not present, will be present at the 2012 Conference.

Throughout, our Franciscan hosts were kind, gracious, accommodating, and showed a hospitable and irenic spirit. We are grateful to them. And most especially we are grateful to Fr. Anthony (Bondi), RWRV, who was the foremost planner and Force of Nature behind this successful Conference.

Deo Gratias. (Thanks be to God.)

- by a Participant