JUNE 2003 VOLUME 47 NO. 6

2 The Word

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The Most ReverendMetropolitan PHILIP, D.H.L., D.D.

Primate

The Right ReverendBishop Antoun, Auxiliary

The Right ReverendBishop Joseph, Auxiliary

The Right ReverendBishop Basil, Auxiliary

The Right ReverendBishop Demetri, Auxiliary

Founded in Arabic asAl Kalimat in 1905

by Saint Raphael HawaweenyFounded in English as

The Word in 1957by Metropolitan Antony Bashir

Editor in ChiefThe Very Rev. John P. Abdalah, D.Min.

Assistant EditorJoanne M. Abdalah, MSW

Editorial BoardThe Very Rev. Joseph J. Allen, Th.D.

Anthony Bashir, Ph.D.The Very Rev. Antony Gabriel, Th.M.

The Very Rev. Peter GillquistLinda Hopkins

Anne Glynn Mackoul, J.D.Ronald Nicola

Najib E. Saliba, Ph.D.The Very Rev. Paul Schneirla, M.Div.

Design DirectorDonna Griffin Albert

MemberThe Associated Church Press

Conciliar PressEcumenical News International

Orthodox Press ServiceEditorial Office:

The WORD635 Miranda Drive

Pittsburgh, PA 15241e-mail: WORDMAG@AOL.COM

FAX: 1-412-831-5554

Subscription Office:358 Mountain Road

PO Box 5238Englewood, NJ 07631-5238

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CONTENTS

COVER

THIS 15TH CENTURY ICON OF THE DORMITION OFTHE THEOTOKOS was done in the Allepan style and is kept inthe Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand. In the icon, the eventssucceed one another under the same heaven. The apostles aretransported on clouds toward Jerusalem to show reverence to theMother of Life. In the center of the scene, Christ holds in His arms aswaddled newborn, and the image of the immaculate soul of HisMother. Elsewhere in the same icon, the iconographer shows theVirgin being placed on a bier. The action culminates in glory: in themidst of a shining mandorla, the Mother of Life is handing hersacred belt to Saint Thomas.

3 EDITORIALby Very Rev. John Abdalah

4 ORTHODOX TEACHINGABOUT WAR AND PEACE

by Rev. Fr. William Olnhausen

8 A BRIEF PARISH PROGRAM FORMARRIAGE PREPARATIONAND/OR ENRICHMENT

by Very Rev. John Abdalah

14 ARCHDIOCESAN OFF ICE

19 ARCHDIOCESE BOOKSTORE

28 TEEN SOYO

29 VILLAGE VIEWS AND VIEWPOINTS

36 THE PEOPLE SPEAK …

38 ORTHODOX WORLD

41 COMMUNIT IES IN ACTION

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPT ION:U.S.A. and Canada, $20.00Foreign Countries, $26.00Single Copies, $3.00

THE WORD (USPS626-260), published monthly except Julyand August, by the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese ofNorth America at 358 Mountain Road, PO Box 5238, periodicalspostage paid at Englewood, New Jersey 07631-5238 and at addi-tional mailing offices.Postmaster send address changes to: THE WORD, 358 MountainRoad, PO Box 5238, Englewood, NJ 07631-5238ISSN 0043-7964 www.antiochian.org.VOLUME 47 NO. 6 JUNE 2003

Letters to the editor are welcome and should include the author’s fullname and parish. Submissions for “Communities in Action” must beapproved by the local pastor. Both may be edited for purposes of clarityand space. All submissions, in hard copy, on disk or e-mailed, shouldbe double-spaced for editing purposes.

EDITORIAL

CHRIST IS RISEN!

I AWOKE THIS MORNING TO THE NOW-famous television public service announce-ment designed to promote tolerance of

Americans for one another. You probably knowthe one I mean — people from many different eth-nic backgrounds proclaim their nationality asAmerican. Like the folks appearing in thatannouncement, I am an American. I was born inBoston, Massachusetts of Lebanese-American par-ents who also were born in Boston. My father,along with his and my mother’s male siblings, allfought for America during World War II. Likemany second-generation Americans, I speak onlyAmerican-style English, and eat Chinese-American, Greek-American, Arab-American andMexican-American food. I owe my lifestyle andfreedom to the United States of Amer-ica and am proud to be an American.

However, I also have been blessedto be an Orthodox Christian, and thisperspective not known by mostAmericans is important for America tohave in order to make good choices. Itis my patriotic duty to America, as anOrthodox Christian, to speak the truth and helpAmerica understand some of the complexities ofOrthodox Christianity and the Middle East thatmost of America does not understand. Americanfreedom of speech allows for America to receivesuch information; indeed, She does better for it.

This year, The WORD printed statements ofthe Patriarchs of Antioch and Moscow, MiddleEastern Religious Leaders, American MiddleEastern Religious Leaders and the World Councilof Churches. In these documents, people whoseperspectives are based on different life circum-stances than those of most Americans, called forAmerica to use diplomacy in the volatile region ofthe Middle East. In response, letters came to TheWORD containing strong declarations of differingopinions, and, in some cases, anger: “outrageous,”

“anti-American,” “propaganda,” “How dareyou?” Is it outrageous and anti-American to sharea view other than that of the President? One read-er wrote that our Church must be “against God,”because George W. Bush speaks for America andAmerica speaks for God. According to that reader,Orthodox Americans cannot disagree with thePresident. I wonder if America was speaking forGod when She promoted Saddam Hussein topower, or when She armed and trained OsamaBin-Laden? America’s Middle Eastern policy hasnever been characterized as fair or consistent; andhindsight reveals that it has not been good forAmerica or for the Middle East.

It is my personal opinion that those Americanswho understand complicated and complex socialstructures throughout the world have a responsi-

bility to share that information withthe American leaders and people. I alsobelieve that Orthodox Christians whohave worked to stabilize political ten-sions between Muslims, Christians andJews have a special responsibility toplay today. We must speak truth andteach differing groups about each

other. Orthodox Christians have an understandingof both eastern and western religion that no othergroup has. Orthodoxy also has centuries of experi-ence teaching people of the three major monothe-istic groups about each other. Orthodoxy has mostoften offered a model in which people can com-municate and live together. This is why it isimportant for the United States to hear fromPatriarch Ignatius and Metropolitan Philip, as wellas from religious leaders of both the Orthodoxworld and the Middle East.

I acknowledge that not all Orthodox agree asto how and when America should use force to pro-tect innocent people and American interests. TheWORD does not claim to have special powers, orthe ability to speak for God on this matter. Wehave not endorsed any political party, thought, or

June 2003 3

I AM AN AMERICAN

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EDITORIALBY

Very Rev. John P.Abdalah

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peoples in America and in the Middle East. Onlyfair and diplomatic methods will stabilize theMiddle East for the long term and be for the bet-terment of the people of America and of theMiddle East. I do not apologize for giving the read-ers of The WORD a perspective that they wouldnot find elsewhere. It is good to share differingpolitical views. Our American democracy and her-itage is built on freedom of expression. As Ortho-dox Christians we must work to understand God’srevelation and to bear witness to the truth. Let usalways endeavor to accomplish this mission.

4 The Word

WAR AND PEACE

leadership in America or in the Middle East. TheWORD does, however, feel a responsibility to shareinformation that is important for America, infor-mation that otherwise would not be shared withthe majority of its readers.

Speaking the truth and disagreeing with aPresident is as American as the Constitution ofthe United States, and The WORD stands by itschoice to publish information from religious lead-ers that the American press has ignored. TheWORD further calls on the American governmentto be even-handed and honest in its future MiddleEastern policies and actions, for the good of all

ORTHODOX TEACHING ABOUT WARand PeaceBy REV. FR. WILL IAM OLNHAUSEN

(Sermon delivered at Saint Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church — Cedarburg, WI on Sunday, February 2, 2003)

W AR AND PEACE AREcontroversial topics today,so I would rather not talk

about this at all. However, we are atthe edge of war, and the Church’sTradition speaks to the subject. TheOrthodox Church is concerned notonly with the salvation of souls butwith the building of good societiesand a just world. Orthodoxy hassocial and ethical teachings. How-ever, we do not live in an Orthodoxcountry. What is passed off as tradi-tional old-fashioned Christianity inour society is often not traditionalChristianity. If you do not hearOrthodox teaching on war andpeace here, you probably won’t hearit anywhere. So I think I need to dothis. Furthermore, it is better to doso before we get into war, becauseonce war begins it is harder to thinkstraight about it, whatever one’sopinion. This past week I decided I’dbetter move fast. Thank God we livein a country where these things canbe openly discussed. This topic isparticularly relevant to St. NicholasChurch, since one of our youngmen, Igor Lobanov, is even now inthe Persian Gulf. Pray for him, as we

do daily in church.In what follows, I do not intend to

promote partisan politics in anyway. If you think I overstep at anypoint, please tell me. My purpose isto set forth Orthodox principles inhistorical context, in order to helpyou (and me) think about the sub-ject in an Orthodox way. How youapply it is up to you. Also, I will tryto be objective. However, no one isever entirely objective, so again, ifyou think I have failed please let meknow. I have drawn especially onthe work of Father Stanley Harakas,retired professor of theology at HolyCross School of Theology inBrookline, MA.

Where did the very early Churchstand on war and peace? We knowthat Mohammed led an army. Weknow that Jesus did no such thing.When Peter took to violence, Christtold him to put his sword away, say-ing, “those who live by the swordwill die by the sword” (Matthew26:52). Jesus taught: “You haveheard that it was said, ‘An eye for aneye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But Isay to you: Do not resist an evil per-son. Whoever slaps you on the right

cheek, turn the other to him also …You have heard that it was said, ‘Youshall love your neighbor and hateyour enemy.’ But I say to you, Loveyour enemies, bless those who curseyou, do good to those who hate you,and pray for those who spitefullyuse you and persecute you”(Matthew 5:38-39, 43-44). Whateverone may think of these teachings,they are very clear. A misleadingcolumn in the New York Times lastTuesday was titled “The Prince ofPeace was a warrior too.” Yes, Hedid make war, but on Satan, not onpeople. Yes, Jesus said He came tobring not peace but a sword, but it isclear He was speaking of the divi-sions He could cause within fami-lies, between those who believed inHim and those who did not. Yes,Jesus drove the money changers outof the temple, but His concern waswith the defilement of worship. No,in the wars between nations andpeoples, Jesus was not a warrior.The people turned against Jesus pre-cisely because He did not drive outthe Roman oppressor, because Hewho had all power chose to be anoncombatant.

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It appears the earliest Christiansfollowed Him in this. So far as Iknow, there is no evidence in theNew Testament or from any first orsecond century source of Christiansserving in the military. Justin Martyrwrote that Christians “who formerlykilled one another … refuse to makewar on [their] enemies.” Origenwrote that Christians “no longertake up the sword against anynation, nor do we learn the art ofwar any more. Instead … we havebecome sons of peace through Jesusour founder.” There are other simi-lar references. This, of course, was afairly easy stand to take when theempire was pagan, there was no mil-itary draft, and the Church wassmall and uninvolved in worldlyaffairs.

Was the early Church pacifist onprinciple? Some scholars say yes.However, I think the evidence, judg-ing by the Church calendar, is thatit was not, or at least not for long.For the Church honors many thirdand fourth century military men assaints — not because of their mili-tary activity, rather because theywere executed and became martyrsfor refusing to deny Christ. But thepoint is that, on principle, they sawno conflict between serving in themilitary and being a Christian. Nordid the early Church disown themfor being in the military. After theconversion of the Emperor Con-stantine it became more commonfor Christians to serve in the armedforces, defending the Christianempire.

As time went on, eastern andwestern Christians began to divergeon the subject of war. First, let’s takea brief excursion west. In the westin the 5th century, St. Augustinebegan to teach what came to becalled the “just war theory,” thatunder certain conditions it isacceptable, even a good thing, forChristians to take up arms, thatsome wars are ordained by God.Soon, a kind of Christian cult of theglory of war began to develop in thewest. Remember that the west atthat time was being overrun by bar-barians from the north. Augustinehad seen the fall of Rome. Western-

ers wanted to know: was it morallyright for Christians to defend them-selves and their society? TheChurch also wanted to try to applysome standards to war other than“might makes right.” So the just wartheory was developed. I repeat: thisis not official Orthodox teaching,but it is the source of modern inter-national law, and today people on allsides justify themselves, using itsterms perhaps unknowingly. It mayhelp us in our thinking to look at it.

The basic points of the just wartheory have varied somewhat overthe years but generally it includesthese requirements: (1) the warmust be authorized by properauthority; (2) the war must bedefensive, in defense of territory or

of established human rights; wars ofaggression are unjust; (3) everyeffort must be made to avoid civiliancasualties on grounds of compas-sion. Christians are to respect thedignity of all human life, from con-ception to the grave. Our enemiesare human beings, created in theimage of God, for whom Christ died— other peoples ’ children andgrandchildren and husbands andwives; (4) there must be a reason-able hope of success in the war; itmust not be fought to no purpose,simply to assuage pride or anger.There are sometimes other points,for example that war must be thelast resort; all other options must beexcluded first. But how to apply theprinciples of the just war theory?This gets tricky. Consider:

(1) What is proper authority?Once it was clear: the emperor orthe pope. Most scholars say thattoday each nation’s laws should befollowed. However, the Constitutionof the United States seems to requirea formal Declaration of War, and noAmerican wars during the past fiftyyears have been declared. Were theyall therefore unjust? Do members of

the United Nations need specific UNauthorization, or do they not? Whodecides these things? The just wartheory does not say.

(2) What is defensive war? Whatis aggression? This principle hasbeen applied very erratically. WhenGermany and Japan attacked othercountries, we rightly called it aggres-sion. However, when westernEuropean nations built theirempires by military invasion, theycalled it not aggression but “thewhite man ’s burden.” When myancestors drove native Americans oftheir lands and confined them toreservations, we described it not asunjust aggression but as “manifestdestiny.” When in 1947 the UnitedNations, led by the United States

and Great Britain, established Israel,driving Palestinians from theirancestral homes and lands, thewestern powers did not call thatunjust. However, when Palestiniansand their allies tried to defend andrecover their land, that was consid-ered unjust by the west. Take a cur-rent issue: preemptive (“preven-tive”) war. By the traditional stan-dard, the attack the United States isnow planning against Iraq would beconsidered aggression and unjust,since Iraq has not attacked us.However, since modern attacks canbe launched and completed within amatter of minutes, some moral the-ologians now argue that a preemp-tive attack to head off imminentattack by an enemy is justified. Butthis is a two-edged sword. We nowhave troops in place to make a pre-emptive attack on Iraq. Why thenwould it not be just for Iraq tolaunch a preemptive attack on us?Furthermore, if many nations followour lead and launch preemptivewars against their potential enemies,not ruling out nuclear weapons,what will keep the world from quick-ly being thrown back into pre-

....CHRISTIANS “NO LONGER TAKE UP THE SWORDAGAINST ANY NATION, NOR DO WE LEARN THE ARTOF WAR ANY MORE. INSTEAD...WE HAVE BECOMESONS OF PEACE THROUGH JESUS OUR FOUNDER.”

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6 The Word

Christian barbarism? Is the tradi-tional prescription against preven-tive war correct?

(3) It was easier to avoid civiliancasualties in earlier times, whenmost wars were fought on battlefieldsoutside cities. Beginning with WorldWar II, the great powers generallyabandoned this principle. Civilianswere intentionally attacked, begin-ning with Hitler ’s blitzkrieg ofEngland and other countries, and fol-lowed by Allied saturation bombingof German cities and Americannuclear bombing of Japanese cities.In the Viet Nam War Americanbombing killed between 500,000 and1,000,000 civilians. With modern“precision” bombing we have recent-ly tried to recover the principle ofavoiding civilian casualties, but withonly limited success because of theimmense power and imprecision ofour weapons. In the 1991 Iraqi Warwe killed between 50,000 and100,000 Iraqis, most of them civil-ians. Can the requirement of avoid-ing civilian casualties be fulfilled inany modern war?

The just war theory has hadmixed results. It has allowedChristians to defend their home-lands without guilt. It justifiedAmerican intervention in World WarII, without which the world mightstill be living under the NaziThousand Year Reich. On the otherhand, it led to, for example (let metake something ancient and there-fore safer to talk about), theCrusades, which were originally jus-tified by the just war theory. Thesewere to be the good war, properlyauthorized by the pope, to liberatethe Holy Land from Muslim aggres-sors. But in fact the Crusades didimmense unintended harm. Cru-saders ravaged Muslims andChristians alike, soldiers and civil-ians. Crusaders sacked and occu-pied Constantinople; the Byzantineempire never recovered, and thiswas the chief cause of its being con-quered by the Turks. Crusaders lit-erally caused blood to flow in thestreets of Jerusalem, both the bloodof Muslim conquerors and that ofChristians and Jews. Christianswere still in the majority in

Jerusalem before the Crusaders “lib-erated” it, but never since then.What so-called just wars intend andwhat they accomplish may be twovery different things.

According to Father Harakas, inthe east the Church took a differenttack. Orthodoxy never developed ajust war theory, probably becauseduring the patristic period in theeast the empire was usually at peace— enemies were mostly at a dis-tance, and hired mercenaries keptthem at bay — so theories aboutwar weren’t crucial. In any event,eastern Christians (not ruled by bar-barians as in the west) were proba-bly more prone to leave decisionsabout war and peace to theirOrthodox emperors.

The Orthodox Fathers held thatwar is always an evil. Sometimeswars could be the lesser of evils, butthey never taught that war could begood or glorious. Killing in war wasseen as a sin, requiring repentance.As late as the tenth century, whenthe Empire was hard pressed by ene-mies, Nicephoros II Phocas suggest-ed that men who died in battleagainst the Muslims be considered asmartyrs. The Church refused. (J.M.Hussey: The Orthodox Church in theByzantine Empire, pp. 112-113)

While Orthodox laymen couldserve in the military, the Churchcontinued its original ideal of nonvi-olence in the clergy. By canon lawclergy were forbidden to serve in themilitary. In the Byzantine empireclergy were forbidden even to entermilitary camps. To this day, Ortho-dox clergy may not engage in com-bat. According to Orthodox canonlaw, a man who has killed anyone,even unintentionally, may not beordained. Orthodox clergy are to bepeacemakers, signs of God’s peace.

Here is a summary by the Britishhistorian Steven Runcimann (AHistory of the Crusades, Volume I,Book II, Chapter I):

The Christian citizen has a funda-mental problem to face: is he enti-tled to fight for his country? His reli-gion is a religion of peace; and warmeans slaughter and destruction.The earlier Christian Fathers had nodoubts. To them a war was whole-

sale murder. But after the triumphof the Cross, after the Empire hadbecome Christendom, ought not itscitizens to be ready to take up armsfor its welfare?

The eastern Church thought not.Its great canonist, Saint Basil, whilehe realized that the soldier mustobey orders, yet maintained thatanyone guilty of killing in warshould refrain for three years fromtaking communion as a sign ofrepentance. This counsel was toostrict. The Byzantine soldier was notin fact treated as a murderer. But hisprofession brought him no glamour.Death in battle was not consideredglorious, nor was death in battleagainst the infidel considered mar-tyrdom; the martyr died armed onlywith his faith. To fight against theinfidel was deplorable, though itmight at times be unavoidable; tofight against fellow Christians wasdoubly bad. Indeed, Byzantine histo-ry was remarkably free of wars ofaggression. Justinian’s campaignshad been undertaken to liberateRomans from heretic barbarian gov-ernors, Basil II’s against the Bulgarsto recover imperial provinces and toremove a danger that menacedConstantinople. Peaceful methodswere always preferable, even if theyinvolved tortuous diplomacy or thepayment of money. To western his-torians, accustomed to admire mar-tial valour, the actions of manyByzantine statesmen appear cow-ardly or sly; but the motive was usu-ally a genuine desire to avoid blood-shed. The princess Anna Comnena,one of the most typical of Byzan-tines, makes it clear in her historythat, deep as was her interest in mil-itary questions and much as sheappreciated her father’s success inbattle, she considered war a shame-ful thing, a last resort when all elsehad failed, indeed in itself a confes-sion of failure.

The western point of view was lessenlightened. Saint Augustine himselfhad admitted that wars might bewaged by the command of God; andthe military society that hademerged in the West out of the bar-barian invasions inevitably sought tojustify this habitual pastime. The

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code of chivalry that was developing,supported by popular epics, gaveprestige to the military hero; and thepacifist acquired a disrepute fromwhich he has never recovered.Against this sentiment the Churchcould do little. It sought, rather, todirect bellicose energy into pathsthat would lead to its own advantage.The holy war, that is to say, war inthe interests of the Church, becamepermissible, even desirable. PopeLeo IV, in the mid-ninth century,declared that anyone dying in battlefor the defense of the Church wouldreceive a heavenly reward. PopeJohn VIII, a few years later, rankedthe victims of a holy war as martyrs;if they died armed in battle their sinswould be remitted (pages 83-84).

Anna Comnena was to note withhorror that while her Church triedhonestly to avoid warfare on holydays, the western knights attackedConstantinople during Holy Week,while their armies were full ofarmed and fighting priests (page 87).

Father Harakas says that theOrthodox Fathers wrote chiefly notabout war but about peace, the con-ditions that promote and establishand maintain peace, defined notonly negatively in the sense of lackof hostilities, but peace in the posi-tive Biblical sense — shalom, salim,fullness of life. For Orthodoxy, thepriority is peace. Listen to theemphasis on peace in the DivineLiturgy: “In peace, let us pray to theLord … For the peace from aboveand for the salvation of our souls …For the peace of the whole world,the good estate of the holy churchesof God, and the union of all men …For healthful seasons, abundance ofthe fruits of the earth and peacefultimes, let us pray to the Lord.” “TheOrthodox servants of God … thatthey may have mercy, life, peace,health, salvation …” “All thingsgood and profitable for our souls andpeace for the world … That we maycomplete the remaining time of ourlife in peace and repentance. Grantthis, O Lord.” “For all civil authori-ties, and our armed forces; grantthem, O Lord, peaceful times, thatwe in their tranquility may lead acalm and peaceful life in all rever-

ence and godliness.” “For the peaceand stability of the whole world …”“Give peace to thy world, to thychurches, to the priests, to the civilauthorities, to the armed forces andto all thy people …” In theOrthodox understanding, peace isthe foundation of all else that isgood on earth. The peace of God inour hearts leads us to be at peacewith other people, peace in theworld. Peace in the world providesthe stability which makes civilizedsociety possible, allowing people toseek God in peace.

Note, however, that in Orthodox

worship we also pray often for thearmed forces. In the Orthodoxunderstanding, the function of themilitary is to preserve peace — notto make war but to establish peace.This is expressed perfectly, I think,in the Liturgy of St. Basil: “Be mind-ful, O Lord, of all civil authoritiesand of our armed forces; grant thema secure and lasting peace; speakgood things in their hearts concern-ing thy Church and all thy people,that we in their tranquility [i.e. thepeace they provide] may lead a calmand peaceful life in all reverence andgodliness.”

John Chrysostom summed up theOrthodox approach, applying it nat-urally not only to personal relation-ships but also to the internationalscene, since he was patriarch in theimperial city. (Why should Christ’steachings about peace and how weshould do good to our enemies notapply also to leaders of nations andhow they should deal with their ene-mies?) Chrysostom wrote:

God is not a God of war and fight-ing. [Therefore you should] makewar and fighting to cease, both thatwhich is against yourself and thatwhich is against your neighbor. Be atpeace with all men. Consider howGod saves them. ‘Blessed are thepeace-makers for they shall be calledsons of God.’ Such [peacemakers]

always imitate the Son of God; youmust imitate him too. Be at peace.The more your brother wars againstyou, so much the more will be yourreward. For hear the prophet whosays, ‘With those who hated peace, Imade peace’ (Psalm 120). This virtuewhich is beyond understandingmakes us near to God. Nothing somuch delights God as [for us] toremember no evil. This sets you freefrom sins, this looses the chargeagainst you. But if we are fightingand clashing, we come to be far fromGod: for conflicts produce hatred,and from hatred springs remem-

brance [not of God but] of evil.”Those are the Orthodox principles

regarding war and peace. What doesall this tell us about the proposedsecond Iraqi war? How should weapply them? That is for you and meto decide. We do not have to cometo the same conclusions. Unlikesome other religious groups, theOrthodox Church does not requireor expect her members to hold thesame political views. Only thinkabout it in a Christian and Orthodoxway, and “inform your conscience”as is sometimes said, so that youcome to a conclusion which you canjustify before God.

I think there are two chief pointsto be remembered: first, if we go towar, whether we win or not, fromthe Orthodox point of view it will bea failure. War is always failure, theresult of not having done the things(often for many years) that Christcommanded which would havemade for peace: love your enemies,do good to those who mistreat you,bless and do not curse them, repayno one evil for evil. Second, thechief work of Orthodox Christians isnot negative but positive. We are todo the things that make for peace.

Fr. William Olnhausen is pastorof St. Nicholas Orthodox Church,Cedarburg, WI.

THE ORTHODOX HELD THAT WAR IS ALWAYS AN EVIL.SOMETIMES WARS COULD BE THE LESSER OF EVILS, BUTTHEY NEVER TAUGHT THAT WAR COULD BE GOOD ORGLORIOUS.

8 The Word

MARRIAGE PREPARATION

I T SEEMS THAT EXPERTS ONmarriage are telling us what lifeand marriage are about at every

turn. From Doctor Phil to documen-taries on the science channels,everyone has free and frequentadvice. For myself, I look to theliturgical expression of the Churchfor direction. The OrthodoxMarriage Ceremony offers a valuableperspective on marriage, both forthose preparing to be married, andfor those already blessed with thispathway to salvation. In my ownministry, I quote the marriage ser-vice so often that I have committedmuch of it to memory. In this briefarticle, I offer a program that can beused in parishes, based on the wis-dom of our Church as gleaned fromthe text of the marriage ceremony. Isuggest pastors lead small groupsthrough three sessions of marriageenrichment, based on the marriagetext and using the following outline.Other readers of The WORD couldbenefit from reading what followsand discussing it with family orfriends.

SESSION I :THE BETROTHAL SERVICE

Educational goals of the first ses-sion are as follows: 1) to identify

Christ as the “Priest of theMarriage;” 2) to recognize thatChrist is involved in our marriagesand works with us as persons inmarriage; and 3) to define fidelityand commitment.

Begin by asking couples why andhow they chose their partners. It isalso helpful for each of them to iden-tify what attracted him or her to the

other. Discuss the Betrothal serviceline by line, and demonstrate thatmarriage is God ’s action. TheBetrothal service is a non-sacramen-tal rite which at one time fulfilled therequirement of legal designation ofthe Byzantine Empire. It was mostoften done before dating began, andwas not done in the Church. In theAntiochian Archdiocese, theBetrothal service is done in conjunc-tion with the Crowning service.

In the ceremony, each member ofthe couple is asked: Have you, N., agood, free, and unconstrained willand a firm intention to take untoyourself to wife this woman N.,whom you see here before you?Bridegroom: I have. Priest: Haveyou, N., a good, free, and uncon-strained will and a firm intentionto take unto yourself to husbandthis man N., whom you see herebefore you? Bride: I have. TheChurch has long valued the freedomof the bride and groom to choose tomarry or not, and to whom to bemarried. It is interesting to note thatthe Church discourages marriage forsuch purposes as keeping the for-tune in the family, merging compa-nies or states or guaranteeing a con-tract or peace accord. Pregnanciesare also generally understood as aconstraint of will.

After a brief introduction to theBetrothal service, ask the couplespresent to identify things theywould pray for in the service if theywere writing their own ceremony.The instructor will list these prayerson newsprint at the front of theroom, to be considered later.

Following these expressions offree will, the presbyter begins the

service with the exclamation,“Blessed is our God always nowand for ever.” By blessing God, weunderstand the special relationshipwe enjoy with God as His people(Exodus 6:7). The congregationresponds with “Amen,” making thisprayer their own. The Great Ekteniafollows. This setting forth of peti-tions further expresses our relation-ship with God and places us beforeHim in prayer. The people respondto each petition with “Lord havemercy,” expressing the relationshipbetween God and man as mercifulmaster to accepting servant.

“In Peace let us pray to the Lord”reveals that it is in Christ, fromwithin His body, that we offer oursupplications to the Father. We arereminded that Peace is in Christ, forin Him is the correct and right rela-tionship with God. We have beenbaptized into Him and it is fromwithin Him and through Him thatwe offer all prayer.

“ For the Peace from above, andfor the salvation of our souls, let uspray to the Lord.” This peace is apeace that comes from God, and ishere linked to our salvation. WhenChrist appeared to His disciplesafter His crucifixion, He began byoffering His Peace. This peace is agift that comes from God, andaffirms His participation in our livesthrough His own presence and gift ofHis own life.

“For the peace of the world, forthe good estate of the Holy Churchesof God and for the union of all, letus pray to the Lord.” We pray forthe peace of the world, becausewhen the world is at peace, we canrespond to God without the distrac-

A Brief Parish Programfor Marriage Preparation and/or Enrichment

By VERY REV. JOHN ABDALAH

June 2003 99 The Word

MARRIAGE PREPARATION

tions of fear and of war. The Churchis the model and source of grace andknowledge of God, so when we prayfor the building up of the Church,we do well to have the Church as astronger support for our marriagesand lives. “For the union of all men”is understood to refer to the unity ofhumankind as well as the unity ofthe Churches of Christ that havebeen divided throughout the cen-turies. Again, with the union of theChurches and humankind in thetruth that comes from Christ, ourlives and marriages are enriched.

“For this holy House, and forthose who with faith, reverence,and fear of God enter therein, let uspray to the Lord.” We pray for ourspecific parish church because thisparish will directly impact the life ofthe new married couple and family.It is through their relationships withthis parish, with its people of faithand their awe for God, that the cou-ple will learn about marriage andlife. When a couple comes to naturalimpasses and periods of growth, itmay be members of the faith com-munity that become the source ofhelp.

“For our Metropolitan N., for thevenerable Priesthood, the Diaconatein Christ, for all the clergy and thepeople, let us pray to the Lord.” Justas the parish supports the couple,the bishop as overseer and the cler-gy and people of the Archdiocese

support the parish. We entrust inthe person of a bishop in relation-ship with the diocese, the functionof keeping the faith pure and undi-vided. In this petition, we lift up thissource of guidance and of life uponwhich we will support and build ourmarriages.

“For the servant of God, N., andfor the handmaid of God, N., whonow plight each other their troth,and for their salvation, let us prayto the Lord.” In Orthodox cere-monies, the use of names is veryimportant, because particular per-sons are to be recipients of particu-lar graces and gifts from God. Weare praying here for the couple byname, as they promise their fidelity

to God and to each other as theybegin to live their lives together asone. They “plight each other theirtroth,” or promise to marry oneanother, and this promise is linkedto the couple’s salvation in this peti-tion.

“That He will send down uponthem perfect and peaceful love, andHis help, let us pray to the Lord.”Perfect and peaceful love are giftsfrom God, and go beyond humanexpressions of love, which are self-ish. This love reflects the unity andlove of the Trinity and is understoodas a gift. Marriage brings us closer toGod by offering us an opportunity toreplace human love, which still hasa selfish element, with selfless lovethat reflects God and brings us clos-er to Him.

“That He will preserve them inoneness of mind, and in steadfast-ness of faith, let us pray to theLord.” Human understanding is lim-ited by our experiences and inter-pretations. Disharmony comes fromdifferent interpretations and biasesbased on past experiences and inter-preted in consideration of goals andideals. If two who marry accept the

goals and truths that come as giftsfrom God, and put away sinful bias-es or distortions through a processof forgiveness and healing, the cou-ple will be able to be blessed by Godwith a oneness of mind and stead-fastness of faith. Even this ability isunderstood as involving the mercyand action of God with our owncooperation and choice.

“That He will bless them with ablameless life, let us pray to theLord.” In this petition we pray forthe grace to avoid adulterating ourmarriage through temptations of thefallen world. This petition is similarto the request to be delivered fromtemptation and the works of the EvilOne in the Lord’s Prayer.

“That the Lord our God will grantunto them an honorable marriage,let us pray to the Lord.” One’s nameand reputation are of great value.The reputation of a family or mar-riage, like the reputation of an indi-vidual, is very fragile and vulnerableto slander. In this petition, we askGod to protect us from this kind ofharm.

“For our deliverance from alltribulation, wrath, danger andnecessity, let us pray to the Lord.”We ask God to deliver us from tribu-lation, by which we mean suchthings as civil unrest; wrath, whichsome interpret as natural disasterssuch as hurricanes, floods, earth-quakes; danger, which is anythingwhich compromises our safety; andnecessity, which includes any needsof life, because neediness distractsus from our relationship with Godand with each other.

“Help us; save us; have mercyupon us; and keep us, O God, bythy grace.” Again, we affirm God’sreal action in our lives, and theimportance of His grace for oursalvation.

“Calling to remembrance our all-

WE ARE REMINDED THAT PEACE IS IN CHRIST, FOR INHIM IS THE CORRECT AND RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITHGOD. WE HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED INTO HIM AND IT ISFROM WITHIN HIM AND THROUGH HIM THAT WEOFFER ALL PRAYER.

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holy, immaculate, most blessed andglorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the Saints, letus commend ourselves and eachother, and all our life unto Christour God.” By calling to mind theBirth-giver of God, and the saintswho in every generation have wor-shiped and loved her son, we nowcommend ourselves to the EternalWord of God. We offer this in con-trast with some other image ofChrist that may be distorted by ourown imaginations; rather we arededicated to the One who in historytook on flesh.

“For unto thee are due all glory,honor, and worship, to the Father,and to the Son, and to the HolySpirit: now and ever, and unto agesof ages.” In this exclamation, weaffirm the reasonableness to setforth our petitions and gathertogether as the Church.

After reviewing the petitions, com-pare the suggested prayers withthose contained in the expression offree will, the exclamation and theGreat Ektenia as prayed in theBetrothal service. I have never had aprayer suggested that was notincluded in the text.

The Great Ektenia has set us inour prayerful relationship with God.We have laid before Him our earthlycares, and now are ready to callupon Him as the author of marriage,to offer us His gift of Betrothal:

Priest: O eternal God, who hastbrought into unity those whowere sundered, and hastordained for them an indissolu-ble bond of love; who didstbless Isaac and Rebecca, anddidst make them heirs of thypromise: Bless also these thyservants, guiding them untoevery good work. For thou art amerciful God, who lovestmankind and unto thee weascribe glory: to the Father, andto the Son, and to the HolySpirit: now and ever and untoages of ages.In this prayer, the participants will

be asked to notice that it is theEternal God who brings separatepersons into unity. They will beasked to recall Isaac and Rebecca as

symbols of faithfulness and be askedto recognize that God gives unityand children as an expression of Hislove and covenant. Discuss how Godguides our lives and is active in ourrelationship and life. We will do wellto recognize our need for God andthe abundance of His gifts.

Following this Old Testamentimagery, the Church calls us to re-member the New Testament imageryof Christ and His Church. We contin-ue with a second betrothal prayer:

O Lord our God, who hasespoused the Church as a pureVirgin from among the Gentiles:Bless this Betrothal, and uniteand preserve these thy servantsin peace and oneness of mind.For unto thee are due all glory,honor and worship, to theFather, and to the Son, and tothe Holy Spirit: now and ever,and unto ages of ages.It is Christ who is Lord and who

espoused the Church as a pureVirgin. This is the One who is askedto bless the betrothal and unite thiscouple. We call upon Him to keepus in oneness of mind.

Following the second betrothalprayer, the priest takes the ring ofthe bride, blesses the couple threetimes in the name of the Father, Sonand Holy Spirit, then places the ringon the hand of the groom. He then

takes the ring of the groom, againblesses the couple three times andplaces the ring on the bride. Duringthe following prayer, the couple willexchange their rings:

Priest: O Lord our God, blessthe betrothal of these your ser-vants, N. and N., and confirmthe word which they have spo-ken. Establish them in the holyunion which is from thee. Forthou, in the beginning, didstmake them male and female,and by thee is the womanjoined unto the man as a help-meet. Wherefore, O Lord ourGod, who hast sent forth thytruth upon thine inheritance,and thy covenant unto thy ser-vants our fathers, even thineelect, from generation to gener-ation: Look thou upon thyservant, N., and upon thyhandmaid, N., and establishtheir betrothal in faith and inoneness of mind, in truth andin love. And, O Lord, our God,do thou now bless this putting-on of rings with thy heavenlybenediction: and let thine Angelgo before them all the days oftheir life: For thou art He whoblesseth and sanctifieth allthings, and unto thee do weascribe glory; to the Father ,and to the Son, and to the Holy

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Spirit; now and ever, and untoages of ages. Some theologians state that, “The

word which they have spoken,”refers to the many dreams andpromises that the couple has estab-lished throughout their courtingtime. Once again, emphasis isplaced on the idea that the unionbeing established is from God, whocreated us to fulfill each other as“helpmeet” from the beginning. Thehelpmeet fulfills and allows one tobe expressed in the other. If indeedwe are in the image of the triuneGod who expresses Himself in loveto the Son and Spirit, so too dohumans need the other to fulfillone’s self. This prayer makes it clearthat Guardian Angels are creaturesassigned by God to protect the mar-riage. Following this discussion, askthe couples to reflect on the signifi-cance of rings, and the idea thatGod, not us, makes marriage atransforming gift.

SESSION I I :THE CROWNING SERVICE

Before going through theCrowning service line by line,

discuss marriage as presence in theKingdom of God. The symbols ofprocession, wine and crowns, andtheir significance in the ceremony,

are explored. There are three educa-tional goals of this session: 1) toexpand the understanding of heavenand salvation; 2) to show the equali-ty of husband and wife within mar-riage, with reference to the Genesiscreation narrative and Ephesians 5;and 3) to discuss the couple’s voca-tion of prophet, priest and king.

Verses expressing the themes ofmarriage are taken from Psalm 128and sung before the Crowning ser-vice begins.

“Blessed are they that fear theLord, and walk in His ways.” Fearor respect of the Lord brings us tofollow His commandments. Blessedis often translated as “happy” or“content.” Contentment comes frombeing in a right relationship withGod. This relationship is one of awe.God is not a friend or pal, but ratherone who is awe-inspiring andrespected.

“Thou shall eat of the fruit of thylabors: O blessed are thou, andhappy shalt thou be.” We can behappy or content when our effortsfor our family are successfully com-pleted, and not distorted, misunder-stood or negated by others.

“Thy wife shall be as a fruitfulvine upon the walls of thy house:thy children like a newly-plantedolive orchard round about thytable.” The grape vine is a symbol of

abundance, growth, life and theEucharist. When clean water wasunavailable, the fruit of the vinegave man water for nourishment. Italso prefigures the miracle at Cana.Olive orchards are symbolic ofpeace, health, knowledge, joy,anointing and hope. At the time ofChrist, olives were available only if acountry was at peace, since con-querors routinely burned this valu-able source of medicine and food.Olive oil was used for light, allowingpeople to study after dark. Thus, itis a natural symbol of education ortruth. It was also used to anoint,thus revealing the covenant betweenman and God. Because it takes awhole life-time for an olive tree tomature, one only had olives if theyhad been planted by a parent; there-fore, the olive orchard is a symbol ofhope.

“Lo, thus shall the man be blessedthat feareth the Lord: The Lord inZion shall so bless thee, that thoushall see the good things ofJerusalem all the days of thy life.”We contend that marriage belongs toZion, or the Kingdom to come, andthat God from heaven makesmarriage.

“Yea thou shall see thy children’schildren, and peace upon Israel.”Marriage belongs to the kairos, or“time” of God, in which all thingsfrom God are connected in Christ.

The themes revealed in theseverses from Psalm 128 can be char-acterized as such: 1) working incooperation with God; 2) receivingfrom God life in Christ; and 3) expe-riencing in Christ the presence andconnection to the Kingdom of Godhere and to come.

The couple has come to theChurch to receive the gift of mar-riage from God, and we have setforth our petitions, prayed for thebetrothal with images from the Oldand New Testaments, adorned thecouple with rings, and sung thethemes of respect for God. Now weare ready to proclaim that our wor-ship will take place in the Kingdom,with our exclamation, “Blessed isthe Kingdom of the Father, and ofthe Son, and of the Holy Spirit: nowand ever, and unto ages of ages.”

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The ensuing petitions begin likethe Great Ektenia in the Betrothalservice: “In peace let us pray to theLord, for the peace from above ...[and] for our Metropolitan...”

We then pray: “For the servants ofGod, N. and N., who are now beingunited to each other in the commu-nity of marriage, and for their sal-vation.” Marriage in the OrthodoxChurch is an action of God, bothoutside and inside of time and place.There is no pronouncement of hus-band and wife, rather an under-standing that marriage, as a gift ofsharing life and responding togetherto God, is a life-long process. Surely,a couple who has shared fifty yearsof dreams, challenges and love are“more” married than a couple whohas been together a few minutes.Nevertheless, God is uniting thecouple who comes to Him to receivethis gift or way to salvation.

“That He will bless this marriage,as He blessed that in Cana ofGalilee, let us pray to the Lord.”God blessed the marriage at Cana byHis presence and by taking thatwhich is ordinary, water, and mak-ing it something of the Kingdom,wine, i.e., Eucharist. We look forGod to be present in the marriage,and to make that which is human apreparation for the Kingdom tocome.

“That He will make them gladwith the sight of sons and daugh-ters, let us pray to the Lord.”Children are understood as a bless-ing, for they share and magnify thelove of the marriage, and theyreflect the love of the marriage bedfrom which they are created.

“That he will grant to them andto us, all our petitions which areunto salvation.” Here, we leaveroom for recognizing that Godknows better than we do our needsand what will be beneficial, or not,to us in our lives. We ask God togrant those petitions which are untoour salvation.

Following the typical closing ofthe ektenia, which is the same as inthe Betrothal service, we begin ourfirst marriage prayer.

God is addressed as “the Priest ofmystical and pure marriage, theOrdainer of the law of the marriageof the body, the Preserver of immor-tality and the Provider of goodthings.” The prayer continues on,acknowledging that God made manto rule the earth and that womanwas made from man’s own flesh andable to be a helpmeet. The signifi-cance of this is that woman is creat-ed from the same essence as man,not from inferior or superior stock.Genesis is quoted: “For this reasonshall a man leave father and mother,and cleave unto his wife, and thetwain shall be one flesh.” God isthen called upon “to send unto [His]servants heavenly grace to allow thewife to please her husband and theman to love and cherish his wife.”By loving and cherishing one anoth-er, the couple can live according toGod’s will. Noteworthy is the con-cept that even loving and cherishingeach other is a gift that comes fromabove.

The couple is blessed as Godblessed Abraham and Sarah, Isaacand Rebecca, Zachariah andElizabeth. Each of these OldTestament couples was blessed witha child in their old age, and isknown for their fidelity and patiencetoward God. They are held upbefore the new couple as examplesof couples who were faithful.

The couple is further blessed with

images that God preserve them ashe preserved Noah in the Ark andthe Holy Children from the furnace,whom He preserved for their for-bearance and faithfulness as imagesof salvation. The couple is blessedwith the gladness and joy of St.Helena when she found Christ’scross. St. Helena sought God, andwas given joy through her discovery.Images of salvation continue withthe image of the Forty Holy Martyrsof Sebaste, who were frozen to deathin a lake, while they sang marriagesongs as God revealed crowns ofmartyrdom and victory from thesky. These saints, too, are known fortheir faithfulness and endurance.The prayer goes on to remember theparents of the bridal couple, recog-nizing that the prayers of parentswill not only support a good mar-riage, but will also allow the coupleto be no longer under their authori-ty but under God’s authority. Thewitnesses or sponsors are prayed for,recognizing the support of peers ashelpful for successful marriages.

Healthy children are prayed for,that they may be exalted like thecedars of Lebanon. The cedars aregigantic trees which the PsalmistDavid says are praying to the heav-ens. We also pray that the childrenwill be “like a luxuriant vine, havingsufficiency in all things and abound-ing in every thing that is acceptableto God,” thus living productive andobedient lives. We further pray thatthe couple will live long lives,“behold[ing] their children’s chil-dren, shining as the stars of heaven.”

These themes are repeated in thesecond prayer, which calls for GodHimself to unite the husband andwife in Himself.

The crowns are now placed on theheads of the bride and groom in thename of the Father, Son and HolySpirit. They are then exchanged asthe priest sings, “O Lord our God,crown them with glory and withhonor.”

After examining this section of theCrowning service, ask the class toreflect on the imagery of crowns,victory and martyrdom.

Following this exercise, the classwill turn its attention to the Epistle

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read at the Marriage service, whichshould be read from the NewTestament in the context of theentire chapter, rather than from thetext of the service. In Ephesians5:20-21, we find that everyone iscalled to address “one another inpsalms and hymns and spiritualsongs,” and “be subject to oneanother out of reverence for Christ.”It is noteworthy that everyone issubject to everyone else, male andfemale alike, as we are unto Christ.Only following this does St. Paul goon to ask wives to subject them-selves to their husbands as unto theLord. This giving up of oneself to atrustworthy partner who is lovingher as Christ loved the Church, andputting her needs and desires abovehis own, is beautiful. Following this,the husbands are told to love andcherish their wives as Christ doesthe Church. This text allows for, andrequires, much reflection and dis-cussion.

Next, read the Gospel for theMarriage service together, and askthe couples to share their ideasabout miracles today. The groupmay make a combined statementabout the miracle of their marriagesin the Church. Then, ask them toreflect on the Lord ’s Prayer, inwhich we pray Christ’s prayer frominside of Him, in the Kingdom ofGod. What does it mean to belong toChrist?

Following this, one member of thegroup should read aloud the prayerof the common cup, which points tothe Eucharist. What is the signifi-cance of wine that gladdens thehearts of mankind, expresses lifeand joy? What does it mean for thecouple to drink from the same cup?

Then, read the verses for thedance of Isaiah, which offer imagesof the prophets, martyrs and apostlesdancing at the reception of the bridalcouple into the Kingdom. Concludethis segment by reading though thedismissal prayers. As prophets, wespeak of God’s revelations with confi-dence. As kings, we act as stewardsover our share of the world that Godhas given. As priests, we offer to Godthat which is from Him, includingour lives. From inside Christ’s priest-

hood, the Christian husband andwife reveal God’s action for theirfamily and the world.

SESSION I I I :COMMUNICATION

Educational goals for the couplesin the group are the following:

1)to learn effective communicationskills; 2)to identify healthy bound-aries between nuclear and extendedfamilies; 3)to identify issues thatshould be resolved early in the rela-tionship.

In this session, talk about makinga new family and how to relate tofamilies of origin, and practice somecommunication skills. Under theguidance of the pastor or groupleader, practice communicatingabout difficult subjects like church-es, children, discipline and finances.Have each couple speak to oneanother in front of the entire group.Then, ask the group to questioneach of the part-ners to be sure thelistener accuratelyunderstood themessage of thecommunicator. Thecouples may alsobe asked to role-play family scenar-ios which involvethe discipline ofchildren, dealingwith extended fam-ilies around holidayissues, church at-tendance and themarital sexual rela-tionship. The cou-ples can becoached to be surethey understandeach other, demon-strating “a listeningand testing skill”which all canacquire. Each lis-tener will be askednot to respond untilhe or she can re-peat the message ofthe communicatorto the communica-tor’s satisfaction.

When discussing family of origin(the families we were born into) andnuclear family issues, ask the coupleto identify their ultimate goals ofmarriage and life. This wider per-spective is helpful. Is our marriagefor our salvation? Every family isdifferent, with different styles andrules. Our partner has more experi-ence than we do with his/her ownfamily of origin and may teach ushow to interact most successfully foreveryone’s well-being.

I usually suggest a fourth sessionwith each couple as follow-up forsummarizing the work done andmaking an evaluation of the pro-gram.

Fr. John Abdalah is Pastor of St.George Church in Pittsburgh, PAand holds a Doctor of Ministry inPastoral Care.

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14 The Word

SPRING MEET ING OF THEEPARCHIAL SYNOD OF THEANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOXCHRIST IAN ARCHDIOCESEOF NORTH AMERICA HELD

ON APRIL 30, 2003

The spring meeting of theEparchial Synod of the

Antiochian Orthodox ChristianArchdiocese ofNorth Americawas held onWednesday, April30, 2003 at theA r c h d i o c e s eHeadquarters inEnglewood, NJ.

His EminenceM e t r o p o l i t a nPhilip, Primate ofthe Archdiocese,presided. Inattendance werethe AntiochianBishops of NorthAmerica: HisGrace BishopAntoun, HisGrace BishopJoseph, His GraceBishop Basil, and His Grace BishopDemetri.

A wide range of important topicswere discussed which have impactnot only on the AntiochianArchdiocese, but also on Orthodoxyin North America.

Of extreme importance is the sta-tus of the detailed work which isbeing done to finalize the detailsunder which the AutonomousAntiochian Orthodox ChristianArchdiocese of North America willoperate. On November 20-22, 2002,a joint commission with representa-tives from the Patriarchate ofAntioch and the AntiochianArchdiocese of North America metin Geneva, Switzerland, to draft the

final operational details which willgovern the Autonomous Archdio-cese of North America. The outputof this meeting was the GenevaProposal, which was reviewed indetail by the Eparchial Synod. TheEparchial Synod approved 99% ofthis document, and expects theremaining details to be addressedwithout difficulty.

Another matter of extreme impor-

tance which was discussed is thecrisis which has been created by theillegal and shameful activities of thePatriarchate of Jerusalem in NorthAmerica. The Patriarchate ofJerusalem has established headquar-ters in Long Island, NY, under theleadership of ArchbishopDamaskinos. They have targetedlocations in North America wherewell-established and stableAntiochian and Greek Orthodoxparishes exist, with the express pur-pose of dividing these parishesthrough recruitment of parish mem-bers. Metropolitan Philip held ameeting with Archbishop Demetriosof the Greek Orthodox Archdioceseof North America to address this

serious issue, and to seek the assis-tance of Archbishop Demetrios tohalt this activity. When a similaractivity was undertaken in Australiain 1993 by the Patriarchate ofJerusalem, the EcumenicalPatriarch of Constantinople severedcommunion with the Patriarch ofJerusalem and excommunicated twoarchbishops on his staff, Arch-bishops Timotheos and Isychios,

until the activitywas halted; apledge was madethat it would notoccur again. It isexpected that thisprecedent-settingaction of 1993would be repeat-ed now, giventhat the circum-stances are iden-tical and thatwell-establishedA n t i o c h i a nChurches arebeing threatened.

The EparchialSynod also dis-cussed the follow-ing matters which

represent important progress on thepart of the Antiochian OrthodoxArchdiocese of North America:

• The Metropolitan’s appeal to allArchdiocese parishes to collectmoney to assist the children ofIraq who are suffering fromyears of oppression, as well asthe effects of war;

• New procedures for the screen-ing of prospective seminariansand members of clergy to detectpossible impediments as earlyas possible in the process oftheir education and ministry;

• The need to maintain strongdiscipline and consistencyamong the clergy of the Arch-diocese. Metropolitan Philip de-

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June 2003 15

clared that discipline and con-sistency have always been, andwill continue to be, an impor-tant priority of thisArchdiocese;

• The tremendous growth of theOrder of St. Ignatius, the phil-anthropic and humanitarianarm of the Antiochian Arch-diocese in North America. TheSynod made a unanimouspledge to continue its strongsupport for the recruitment ofnew members;

• Reports by the Regional Bishopshighlighting the tremendousprogress in building, expanding,and renovating parishes, andthe vital lay ministries of ourTeen SOYO, AntiochianWomen, and Fellowship of St.John the Divine. TheMetropolitan commended theRegional Bishops for their dili-gent work as loving shepherds;

• The formation of the newDepartment of Marriage andFamily Ministry, headed byKhourieh Maggie Hock ofOmaha, NE. This departmentwill develop and deliver pro-grams to insure that the healthand well-being of marriages andfamilies within the Archdioceseare being maintained andimproved.

It is expected that the next meet-ing of the Eparchial Synod will be

held in conjunction with the bienni-al convention of the Archdiocese,which will be held in Miami, FL,July 21-27, 2003.

ORDAINED

Deacon GEORGE AQUARO to the holypriesthood on March 29, 2003 at St.Timothy Church in Lompoc, CA. Heis assigned as the pastor of thatchurch.

Deacon MICHAEL GILLIS to the holypriesthood on April 13, 2003 at St.Innocent Church in Everson, WA.he is assigned as the pastor of thenew mission in Langley, B.C.,Canada.

Deacon ELIAS EL-FERZLI to the holypriesthood on Sunday, May 11, 2003at Our Lady of Balamand Monastery,Balamand, Lebanon.

Sub-deacon JAMES BRYANT to thediaconate on October 27, 2002 atSt. Paul Church, Brier, WA. He isattached to the St. James Mission,Modesto, CA.

Sub-deacon FRED PFEIL to the dia-conate on March 23 at St. MaryChurch, Wilkes-Barre, PA. He isassigned to that parish while hecompletes his seminary studies.

Sub-deacon NABIL FINO to the dia-conate on the Feast of theAnnunciation (evening of march 24)at St. Mary Church, Brooklyn, NY.

He is assigned to Virgin MaryChurch, Yonkers, NY while he com-pletes his seminary studies.

Sub-deacon JEAN EL-MURR to thediaconate on March 30 at St. GeorgeChurch, Montreal, Quebec. He isassigned to that parish.

SAVA S. LEIDA to the diaconate onSunday, April 6, 2003 at St. GeorgeCathedral in Wichita, KS. He isassigned to St. Thomas Church inSioux City, IA.

APPOINTED

Priest THOMAS ZELL as the pastor ofthe St. James Mission in Modesto,CA, effective March 26, 2003.

RECEIVED

The parish of St. Nicholas Mission,Asheville, NC, effective April 11,2003.

Deacon MICHAEL DAVENPORT, effec-tive April 11, 2003. He is attached toSt. Nicholas Mission, Asheville, NC.

REINSTATED

Priest JOSEPH HUNEYCUTT as a priestin the Antiochian Archdiocese,effective April 11, 2003. He isappointed as the pastor of St.Nicholas Mission, Asheville, NC.

DECEASED

Priest JOHN PAUL PRO on April 19,2003 in Greensburg, PA. Fr. Johnserved St. George, New Kensington,PA, St. George, Pittsburgh, PA andSt. Philip Church, Davie, FL. Fr.John is survived by his wifeKatherine.

RELEASED

Priest MICHAEL ROME to theOrthodox Church in America,Diocese of the West, effective April1, 2003.

DEPOSED

The former priest ANTHONY CREECHof Spokane, WA, effective April 22,2003.

LAIC IZED

The former priest MALATIUS HUSS-NEY, effective April 18, 2003.

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DAILY DEVOTIONS

JULY, 2003

by Very Rev. George Alberts

1. ROMANS 7:14-8:2; MATTHEW 10:9-152. ROMANS 8:2-13; MATTHEW 10:16-22 (FAST)3. ROMANS 8:22-27; MATTHEW 10:23-314. ROMANS 9:6-19; MATTHEW 10:32-36, 11:1

(FAST)5. ROMANS 3:28-4:3; MATTHEW 7:24-8:46. ROMANS 5:1-10; MATTHEW 6:22-337. ROMANS 9:18-33; MATTHEW 11:2-158. ROMANS 10:11-11:2; MATTHEW 11:16-209. ROMANS 11:2-12; MATTHEW 11:20-26 (FAST)

10. ROMANS 11:13-24; MATTHEW 11:27-3011. ROMANS 11:25-36; MATTHEW 12:1-8 (FAST)12. ROMANS 6:11-17; MATTHEW 8:14-2313. TITUS 3:8-15; MATTHEW 5:14-1914. ROMANS 12:4-5, 15-21; MATTHEW 12:9-1315. GALATIANS 1:11-19; JOHN 10:1-916. ROMANS 15:7-16; MATTHEW 12:38-45 (FAST)

17. ROMANS 15:17-29; MATTHEW 12:46-13:318. ROMANS 16:1-16; MATTHEW 13:4-9 (FAST)19. ROMANS 8:14-21; MATTHEW 9:9-1320. JAMES 5:10-20; MATTHEW 8:28-34; 9-121. ROMANS 16:17-24; MATTHEW 13:10-2322. 1 CORINTHIANS 1:1-9; MATTHEW 13:24-3023. 1 CORINTHIANS 2:9-3:8; MATTHEW 13:31-36

(FAST)24. 1 CORINTHIANS 3:18-23; MATTHEW 13:36-4325. 1 CORINTHIANS 4:5-8; MATTHEW 13:44-54

(FAST)26. ROMANS 9:1-5; MATTHEW 9:18-2627. 2 TIMOTHY 2:1-10; MATTHEW 9:1-828. 1 CORINTHIANS 5:9-6:11; MATTHEW 13:54-5829. 1 CORINTHIANS 6:20-7:12; MATTHEW 14:1-1330. 1 CORINTHIANS 7:12-24; MATTHEW 14:35-15:11

(FAST)31. 1 CORINTHIANS 7:24-35; MATTHEW 16:12-21

DAILY DEVOTIONS

AUGUST, 2003

by Very Rev. George Alberts

1. 1 CORINTHIANS 7:35-8:7 (FAST)2. ROMANS 12:1-3; MATTHEW 10:37-11:1 (FAST)3. ROMANS 15:1-7; MATTHEW 9:27-35 (FAST)4. 1 CORINTHIANS 9:13-18; MATTHEW 16:1-6 (FAST)5. 1 CORINTHIANS 10:5-12; MATTHEW 16:6-12 (FAST)6. 2 PETER 1:10-19; MATTHEW 17:1-9 (FAST)

HOLY TRANSFIGURATION7. 1 CORINTHIANS 10:28-11:7; MATTHEW 16:24-28

(FAST)8. 1 CORINTHIANS 11:8-22; MATTHEW 17:10-18 (FAST)9. ROMANS 13:1-10; MATTHEW 12:30-37 (FAST)

10. 1 CORINTHIANS 1:10-18; MATTHEW 14:14-22 (FAST)11. 1 CORINTHIANS 11:31-12:6; MATTHEW 18:1-11

(FAST)12. 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-26; MATTHEW 18:18-22, 19:1-2,

13-15 (FAST)13. 1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-14:5; MATTHEW 20:1-16 (FAST)14. 1 CORINTHIANS 14:6-19; MATTHEW 20:17-28 (FAST)15. PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11; LUKE 10:38-42, 11:27-28 (FAST)

DORMITION OF THE THEOTOKOS

16. ROMANS 14:6-9; MATTHEW 15:32-39

17. 1 CORINTHIANS 3:9-17; MATTHEW 145:22-34

18. 1 CORINTHIANS 15:12-19; MATTHEW 21:18-22

19. 1 CORINTHIANS 15:29-38; MATTHEW 21:23-27

20. 1 CORINTHIANS 16:4-12; MATTHEW 21:28-32 (FAST)

21. 2 CORINTHIANS 1:1-7; MATTHEW 21:43-46

22. 2 CORINTHIANS 1:12-20; MATTHEW 22:23-33 (FAST)

23. ROMANS 15:30-33; MATTHEW 17:24-18:4

24. 1 CORINTHIANS 4:9-16; MATTHEW 17:14-23

25. 2 CORINTHIANS 2:4-15; MATTHEW 23:13-22

26. 2 CORINTHIANS 2:14-3:3; MATTHEW 23:23-28

27. 2 CORINTHIANS 3:4-11; MATTHEW 23:29-39 (FAST)

28. 2 CORINTHIANS 4:1-6; MATTHEW 24:13-28

29. ACTS 13:25-32; MARK 6:14-30 (STRICT FAST)

30. 1 CORINTHIANS 1:3-9; MATTHEW 19:3-12

31. 1 CORINTHIANS 9:2-12; MATTHEW 18;23-25

ARCHDIOCESAN OFF ICE

June 2003 17

DAILY DEVOTIONS

SEPTEMBER, 2003

by Very Rev. George Alberts

1. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:10-15; MARK 1:9-152. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:15-21; MARK 1:16-223. 2 CORINTHIANS 6:11-16; MARK 1:23-28 (FAST)4. 2 CORINTHIANS 7:1-10; MARK 1:29-355. 2 CORINTHIANS 7:10-16; MARK 2:18-22 (FAST)6. 1 CORINTHIANS 1:26-29; MATTHEW 20:29-347. GALATIANS 6:11-18; JOHN 3:13-178. PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11; LUKE 10:38-42, 11:27-28

BIRTH OF THE THEOTOKOS9. 2 CORINTHIANS 8:16-9:5; MARK 3:13-19

10. 2 CORINTHIANS 9:12-10:7; MARK 3:27-27 (FAST)11. 2 CORINTHIANS 10:7-18; MARK 3:28-3512. 2 CORINTHIANS 11:5-21; MARK 4:1-9 (FAST)13. 1 CORINTHIANS 2:6-9; MATTHEW 10:37-11:114. 1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-24; JOHN 19:6-35

(STRICT FAST)15. 2 CORINTHIANS 12:10-19; MARK 4:10-23

16. 2 CORINTHIANS 12:20-13:2; MARK 4:24-34

17. 2 CORINTHIANS 13:3-13; MARK 4:35-41 (FAST)

18. GALATIANS 1:1-10, 20-2:5; MARK 5:1-20

19. GALATIANS 2:6-10; MARK 5:22-24, 36-6:1 (FAST)

20. 1 CORINTHIANS 1:26-29; JOHN 8:21-30

21. GALATIANS 2:16-20; MARK 8:34-9:1

22. GALATIANS 2:11-16; LUKE 3:19-22

23. GALATIANS 2:21-3:7; LUKE 3:23-4:1

24. GALATIANS 3:15-22; LUKE 4:1-15 (FAST)

25. GALATIANS 3:23-4:5; LUKE 4:16-22

26. GALATIANS 4:8-21; LUKE 4:22-30 (FAST)

27. 1 CORINTHIANS 4:17-5:5; LUKE 4:31-36

28. 2 CORINTHIANS 4:6-15; LUKE 5:1-11

29. GALATIANS 4:28-5:10; LUKE 4:37-44

30. GALATIANS 5:11-21; LUKE 5:12-16

Individual Contributions to Archdiocese FundsJanuary 31, 2003

GENERAL FUNDMetropolitan Philip.............................................. $2,000Bishop Antoun........................................................ 1,000Anonymous .......................................................... 30,000Mr. Ralph Abercia — Houston, TX....................... 20,000Mrs. Elaine Heider — Johnstown, PA .................. 15,000Mr. Fawaz El Khoury — Westboro, MA ................ 12,000Anonymous .......................................................... 10,000Mr. Edward Assile — Cresskill, NJ ....................... 10,000Dr. David Bojrab — Ft. Wayne, IN ....................... 10,000Dr. George Farha — Wichita, KS ......................... 10,000Dr. Elias Hebeka — Park Ridge, NJ...................... 10,000Mr. George Joseph — Toledo, OH ........................ 10,000Mr. William Morrison — Wheaton, IL .................. 10,000Mr. William Nassir — La Jolla, CA ....................... 10,000Mr. Naseeb Saliba — Encino, CA ......................... 10,000Mrs. Adele Soffa — San Marino, CA..................... 10,000Ms. Ruth Nimee — Worcester, MA....................... 10,000Mr. Robert Laham — Chestnut Hill, MA................ 8,000Mr. Ernest Saykaly — Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 7,500Mr. George Nassor — Wyckoff, NJ ......................... 7,000Mr. Nicola Antakli — Troy, MI................................ 6,000Mr. Mansour Rayan — Lincolnwood, IL ................ 6,000Anonymous ............................................................ 5,000Mrs. Anne Glynn Mackoul — Princeton, NJ .......... 5,000Dr. Raymond Kyriakos — Colts Neck, NJ .............. 5,000Mr. Dave Tax — Newport Beach, CA...................... 5,000

Anonymous ............................................................ 5,000Mr. Ernest Younes —

Willowdale, Ontario, Canada........................... 4,000Mr. Philip Haddad — Charleston, WV.................... 3,500Mr. Sam Newey — Jacksonville, FL ....................... 3,000Dr. Donald Howard — Davie, FL............................ 3,000Dr. Sam Kouri — Wichita, KS ................................ 3,000Dr. Eugene Sayfie — Miami, FL ............................. 3,000Mr. George Darany — Dearborn, MI ...................... 3,000Mr. Hafiz Nassar — Toledo, OH.............................. 3,000Mr. Alan Abraham, Grand Rapids, MI .................... 3,000Mr. Samira M. Deeb — Oregon, OH ....................... 2,200Mr. Walid Khalife — Bloomfield Hills, MI............... 2,000Mr. Kenneth Laham — Chestnut Hill, MA ............. 2,000Mr. Anthony Thomas — Louisville, KY.................. 2,000Ms. Jean Sam — Duluth, GA.................................. 2,000Mrs. Rudy George — Parma, OH ........................... 1,500Mr. John Dalack — Staten Island, NY .................... 1,500Dr. Alan Matook — Cedar Grove, NJ ..................... 1,500Mr. Richard Ayoub — Los Angeles, CA.................. 1,000Dr. Yousef Hamati — Spring Lake, MI.................... 1,000Mr. Walter Parhamovich — Las Vegas, NV............. 1,000Dr. Raymond Rishwain — Stockton, CA ............... 1,000Mr. Adeeb Sadd — Encino, CAS ............................ 1,000Dr. Anthony Bashir — W. Roxbury, MA................. 1,000Rt. Rev. Paul Doyle — Torrance, CA...................... 1,000Army Chaplain Fund — Arlington, VA ..................... 177

ARCHDIOCESAN OFF ICE

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Ms. Violet Kavan — Toluca Lake, CA........................ 100Mr. Raif S. Geha — Belmont, MA.............................. 100Chaplain John Shaloub — Jacksonville, FL................ 75Rev. John Salem — Houston, TX ................................ 50FOR THE PATRIARCHATE OF ANTIOCHAlexis Shwayri, Dr. Ali Shwayri and Nicholas Shwayri

(Church of St. John, Kafarhata, El Koura) .... 14,000Fadi Twainy (St. George Hospital) ......................... 9,000Drs. Antoine and Mirna Tohmeh

(Monastery of St. Sergios, Beit Sybat, Syria) .. 1,500Mrs. Anne Glynn Mackoul...................................... 1,000Fadi Twainy (St. George Cathedral) ...................... 1,000Nicola Antakli (St. Peter and Paul, Homs, Syria) .. 1,000Nicola Antakli (Al Nasyra, Damascus) ................... 1,000Dr. Sabah S. Tumeh

(Monastery of St. Sergios, Beit Sybat, Syria)(Archdiocese of Houran) .................................... 500

Raif Geha(St. George Church, Bechmezzine, El Koura).... 400

Michael K. Atallah ....................................................... 50ARCHDIOCESE SEMINARY FUNDMrs. Elaine Heider.................................................. 1,000Anonymous ............................................................... 500Mr. Nicola Antakli...................................................... 500Dr. George Farha ....................................................... 500Sam F. Hamra Memorial Fund................................... 500Mr. Dave Tax.............................................................. 500Order of St. Ignatius

St. Mary of Pawtucket, RI Chapter ..................... 300Mr. Walid Khalife ....................................................... 250Mrs. Rudy George...................................................... 250Mr. Philip Haddad...................................................... 250ARCHDIOCESE SEMINARIANS FUNDChristopher Elias Memorial Scholarship Fund.... 10,000Dr. Donald Howard................................................. 3,000Mrs. Anna Mackoul................................................. 1,000Mr. George Nassor .................................................. 1,000Mr. Nicola Antakli...................................................... 500Anonymous ............................................................... 500Mr. Dave Tax.............................................................. 500Mr. Walid Khalife ....................................................... 250Mr. Phillip Haddad..................................................... 250Mr. Sam Newey.......................................................... 200Mr. Raymond Mansour ................................................ 50ANTIOCHIAN WOMENMr. Ralph Abercia................................................... 1,600Mr. Sam Kouri............................................................ 500Mr. Dave Tax.............................................................. 500Mr. Philip Haddad...................................................... 250FELLOWSHIP OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINEMr. Ralph Abercia................................................... 1,000Dr. Sam Kouri ............................................................ 500Mr. Nicola Antakli...................................................... 300Mr. Philip Haddad...................................................... 250Mr. Walid Khalife ....................................................... 200NAC TEEN SOYOMr. Ralph Abercia................................................... 1,000Dr. Sam Kouri ............................................................ 500Mr. Nicola Antakli...................................................... 300Mr. Philip Haddad...................................................... 250

Mr. Sam Newey.......................................................... 200Mr. Walid Khalife ....................................................... 200MIDWEST TEEN SOYOMr. Nicolas Antakli .................................................... 200VERY REV. MELETIUS KOURY SCHOLARSHIP FUNDVarious Donors ....................................................... 2,965THE AMEROSE MEMORIAL FUNDMrs. Mary Mabardie, Ridgewood, NJ ...................... 3,000LEON SALIBA CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUSTMr. Leon Saliba..................................................... 15,000BALAMAND UNIVERSITYMr. William Nassir ................................................ 10,000MISSIONS AND EVANGELISMMrs. Elaine Heider.................................................. 1,000ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE CAMPDr. Donald Howard................................................. 3,000Order of St. Ignatius, New England Region Chapter. 200St. John of Damascus, Dedham, MA ........................... 50Nirvani Budhram......................................................... 50CHILDREN’S RELIEF FUNDAnonymous ............................................................... 500ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN PRISON MINISTRIESMrs. Elaine Heider.................................................. 1,000NATIONAL ORATORICAL CONTEST SCHOLARSHIPSMr. & Mrs. Robert Laham....................................... 3,000YOUTH DEPARTMENTMr. Dave Tax.............................................................. 500CLERGY BENEFITS FUNDMr. Ralph Abercia................................................... 1,600Dr. Donald Howard................................................. 1,000EASTERN REGION ORATORICAL CONTESTSCHOLARSHIPSMr. & Mrs. George Nassor....................................... 2,000ANTIOCHIAN WOMEN’S SCHOLARSHIP FUNDMrs. Elaine heider .................................................. 1,000ANTIOCHIAN WOMEN’S FOUNDATIONMrs. Elaine Heider.................................................. 1,000THE V. REV. PAUL W. AND HILDA K. MOSESBENEVOLENT FUNDV. Rev. Paul W. Moses........................................... 20,000BISHOP DEMETRI MIDWEST MISSIONARY FUNDMidwest Region .................................................. 100,000Holy Resurrection Church, Hobart, IN ..................... 200MIDDLE EAST RELIEF FUNDDr. Elias Hebeka, Park Ridge, NJ............................ 5,000Dave Tax, Newport Beach, CA .................................. 500Sadie Shaheen, Canton, OH...................................... 500

In memory of Carl ShaheenMISSIONARY FUNDFares Foundation, Houston, TX ........................... 25,000George Nassor, Wyckoff, NJ ................................... 1,000Mrs. Elaine Heider, Johnstown, PA ........................ 1,000Dr. George Farha, Wichita, KS .................................. 700Dave Tax, Newport Beach, CA .................................. 500Adiba Ibrahim, Sterling, MI....................................... 500

In memory of Susu MorrowPhilip Haddad, Charleston, WV................................. 200Sam Newey, Jacksonville, FL .................................... 200St. Peter Orthodox Church, Dallas, TX..................... 100Denise Loli, Brooklyn, NY ........................................... 75

ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN ARCHDIOCESEPUBLICATIONS DEPARTMENT

358 Mountain Road, Englewood, New Jersey 07631PHONE: 201-871-1355 FAX: 201-871-7954

Book Listand

Order Form2003-2004

TITLE PRICE QUANTITY TOTAL COST FOR OFFICE USECHRISTIAN EDUCATION:

CHURCH SCHOOL MATERIALS:PRESCHOOL

The Wonder of It All (Teacher) $ 8.50The Wonder of It All (Student) 7.50God, My Friends, and Me (Teacher) 8.50God, My Friends, and Me (Student) 7.00

KINDERGARTENTogether with God (Student) 8.00Together with God (Teacher/Parent) 9.00Birth of Jesus (Flannelgraph) 11.00Teaching Pictures (1 Package, 4 Sets) 35.00

GRADE ONEGod Loves Us (Student) 7.50God Loves Us (Teacher) 12.00Lenten Lotto 4.95Teaching Pictures (1 Package, 4 Sets) 35.00

GRADE TWONew Life in Jesus (Student) 8.00New Life in Jesus (Teacher) 15.00Making Things Right (Student) 5.00Making Things Right (Activity Packet) 3.00Making Things Right (Teacher) 10.00God is with Us (Teacher/Parent) 8.00We Return to God (Teacher/Parent) 2.00Teaching Pictures (1 Package, 4 Sets) 35.00

GRADE THREENew Life in the Church (Student) 8.00New Life in the Church (Teacher) 9.00The Icon Book (Student) 7.00Forty Saints Text Book (Teacher) 3.00Forty Saints Coloring Book (Student) 3.00Divine Liturgy Flip Chart 15.00Teaching Pictures (1 Package, 4 Sets) 35.00

GRADE FOURJesus, The Promise of God (Teacher, New) 11.00Jesus, The Promise of God (Student, New) 10.00Jesus, The Promise of God (Teacher) 8.00Jesus, The Promise of God (Student) 7.00Icon Cards: Miracles of Christ (Student) 4.00Icon Cards: Life of Christ (Student) 4.00Finding Your Way Through The Bible (Student) 5.00Teaching Pictures (1 Package, 4 Sets) 35.00

GRADE FIVEOur Life in the Church (Student) 7.00Our Life in the Church (Teacher) 8.00Divine Liturgy Flip Chart 15.00Teaching Pictures (1 Package, 4 Sets) 35.00

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TITLE PRICE QUANTITY TOTAL COST FOR OFFICE USECHRISTIAN EDUCATION:

CHURCH SCHOOL MATERIALS:GRADE SIX

In the Beginning (Student) 7.50In the Beginning (Teacher) 8.50Exploring How the Bible Came to Be 5.00Teaching Pictures (1 Package, 4 Sets) 35.00

GRADE SEVENThe Young Church (Student) 7.00The Young Church (Teacher) 8.50Acts Map and Chart (Teacher) 12.00Teaching Pictures (1 Package, 4 Sets) 35.00

GRADE EIGHTHeroes for Truth (Student) 7.00Heroes for Truth (Teacher) 8.00Heroes Worksheets (Student) 2.50Teaching Pictures (1 Package, 4 Sets) 35.00

GRADE NINENew Frontiers (Student) 7.00New Frontiers (Teacher) 8.00Frontiers Worksheets (Student) 2.50Teaching Pictures (1 Package, 4 Sets) 35.00The Way, The Truth and The Life (Student) 15.95The Way, The Truth and The Life (Teacher) 19.95

GRADE TENCelebrations: Feast and Holy Days (Student) 8.00Celebrations: Feast and Holy Days (Teacher) 10.00Teaching Pictures (1 Package, 4 Sets) 35.00

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS FOR GRADES 1-3Lenten Lotto 4.95The Ten Commandments 4.95Teaching the Parables of Jesus 6.00My Lenten Journey 7.00The Divine Liturgy for Children (Set) 10.00The Divine Liturgy for Children (Text) 7.00The Divine Liturgy for Children (Activity Book) 7.00Birth of Jesus (Flannelgraph) 11.00Divine Liturgy Flip Chart 15.00Come Bless the Lord Icon Packet (Teacher) 15.00Byzantine Coloring Books:

*Volume 1 — Sunday Gospels 3.95*Volume 2 — Liturgical 3.95*Volume 3 — Feast Days 3.95*Volume 4 — Parables 3.95

Children’s Literature 6.00Scope and Sequence Chart 2.00The Icon Book (Student) 7.00Total Parish Education 6.00Teaching Pictures (1 Package, 4 Sets) 35.00

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS FOR GRADES 4-8The Ten Commandments 4.95Teaching the Parables of Jesus 6.00The Parables (Archbishop Dimitri) 9.95My Lenten Journey 7.00The Divine Liturgy for Children (Set) 10.00The Divine Liturgy for Children (Text) 7.00The Divine Liturgy for Children (Activity Book) 7.00Divine Liturgy Flip Chart 15.00Praise the Lord: A Christmas Workbook 3.00The Lenten Workbook 3.00Biblical and Liturgical Charts (Student) 3.00Build Your Own Church (Exterior) 9.00Build Your Own Iconostasis and Altar 9.00Build Your Own Bishop, Priest and Deacon 9.00Iconostasis (Paul Clarensky) 10.95Bible for Today’s Family 10.95Desk Outline Map of the Ancient World (Pack) 10.00Desk Outline Map of the Ancient World (Individual) 1.00Teaching Pictures (1 Package, 4 Sets) 35.00

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JUNE 2003 ORDER FORM JUNE 2004TITLE PRICE QUANTITY TOTAL COST FOR OFFICE USE

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS FOR GRADES 4-8GRADE SIX

Come Bless the Lord Icon Packet (Teacher) 15.00The Children of Promise (Western Rite Catechism Book) 8.95Children’s Literature 6.00Scope and Sequence Chart 2.00The Icon Book (Student) 7.00

MATERIALS FOR YOUTH WORKGetting Along with Parents 7.95Lifestyle Discipleship 12.00Holy Cross Society 5.00Reruns, Reruns 4.00Second Helpings 1 5.00Second Helpings 2 5.00Retreat & Study Guide 6.00Focus on You (6 Programs, 30 Sessions) 40.00Film and Values (Supplemental program to Focus on You) 10.00Him Again (Supplemental program to Focus on You) 12.00Youth Dynamics Cassette Leadership Training 25.00Sourcebook for Youth Work 6.00Challenge Questions on Orthodoxy

A to Z for Students (Gayle Woloschak) 9.95Sacred Symbols that Speak: A Study of the

Major Symbols of the Orthodox Church*Volume 1 12.95*Volume 2 12.95

The Story of Icons (Hallick) 14.95Bible for Little Hearts 9.99Child’s Garden of Bible Stories (Groll) 7.99My Bible Story Book (Fletcher) 10.99One Hundred Bible Stories 9.99

ADULT STUDY TEXTSSecond Time Around 6.00The Doctrine of Sanctification 8.00Christian Community 3.00Liturgy and Life, Fr. Alexander Schmemann 6.00Inner Way, Fr. J. Allen 10.99Pillars of the Church 6.00New Apostles of Christ 6.00

MATERIALS FOR TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANSTeaching Dynamics Cassette Teacher Training 25.00Teaching Dynamics Workbook 1.00Playing It Up for Christmas (6 Christmas Plays) 9.00Children’s Literature 6.00Foundations for Christian Education 11.95Foundations for Christian Education (Cassettes) 7.00Reading and Parish Library Guide 3.50Intentional Parenting (Cassettes) by Dr. John Dalack 24.95The Growing Child in the Christian Home (Cassette) 7.00

YOUNG CHILDREN’S BOOKSChristina Goes to Church 8.50You Are Special: An Alphabet Book for Children 8.50My Orthodox Counting Book 8.50Christina Learns the Sacraments 10.00Byzantine Coloring Books:

*Volume 1 — Sunday Gospels 3.95*Volume 2 — Liturgical 3.95*Volume 3 — Feast Days 3.95*Volume 4 — Parables 3.95

Icon Coloring Books:*The Miracles 5.00*Special Edition 5.00*The Old Testament 5.00*Journey to Pascha 5.00

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JUNE 2003 ORDER FORM JUNE 2004TITLE PRICE QUANTITY TOTAL COST FOR OFFICE USE

*The Nativity 5.00*Great Feasts of the Church 5.00

The Book of Jonah 13.95The Story of Mary the Mother of God 13.95The Praises: Psalm 148 16.95Guardian Angels Prayer Book 15.95We Pray to God — A Prayer Book for Children 2.00Celebrate the Earth, Psalm 104 13.95North Star, St. Herman of Alaska 15.95Prepare O Bethlehem, The Feast of the Nativity 16.95Bible for Kids 8.50

FAMILY ITEMSHow About Advent 6.00Bible for Today’s Family 10.95The Biggest Birthday Party (Family Advent) 5.00Praise the Lord (Family Advent Workbook) 3.00The Mystery of Love (Cardinal Basil Hume) 13.95101 Questions Children Ask About God 11.95103 Questions Children Ask About Right From Wrong 11.95The Divine Liturgy — A Text for Students 2.00Icon of St. Romanos 5.00Making God Real in the Orthodox Christian Home 12.95The Great Bible Discovery: Discovering the Baby King (Video) 12.99The Savior is Born (Video) 12.99Contemplating Icons (Video) 19.99The Growing Child in the Christian Home (Cassettes), J. Boojamra 7.00The Icon Book (Student) 7.00Teaching Pictures (1 Package, 4 Sets) 35.00Encyclopedia of Major Saints and Fathers of the

Orthodox Church (Basil Eleftheriou, Ph.D.)*Volume 1 12.95*Volume 2 14.95Both Volumes 25.00

Women of the Bible: A One Year Devotional Studyof Women in Scripture (Spangler/Syswerda) 20.00

Mom’s Devotional Bible 24.95CATECHISM MATERIALS

The Faith — Understanding Orthodox Christianity:An Orthodox Catechism (Carlton) 22.95

The Way — What Every Protestant Should KnowAbout the Orthodox Faith (Carlton) 22.95

The Truth — What Every Roman Catholic Should KnowAbout the Orthodox Church (Clark Carlton) 22.95

Homeland of Your Heart’s Desire — The OrthodoxTeachings on How to be Saved (Carlton) 9.95

Orthodox Christians in America (Erickson) 24.00In Peace, Let Us Pray to the Lord: An Orthodox Interpretation

of the Gifts of the Spirit (Trader) 22.95The Treasured Traditions and Customs of the

Orthodox Church (Hallick) 14.95The Orthodox Faith (Fr. Hopko)

*Volume 1 — Doctrine 8.00*Volume 2 — Worship 8.00*Volume 3 — Bible and Church History 8.00*Volume 4 — Spirituality 8.00*Complete Set (Vol. 1-4) 30.00

Baptism (Fr. Paul Lazor) 3.00The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony (Fr. John Meyendorff) 2.00Holy Wednesday & Holy Thursday (Video) 29.95Great Friday & Resurrection (Video) 29.95

**Set of Both Videos 50.00Holy Matrimony (Video) 29.95Baptism & Chrismation (Video) 29.95An Orthodox Catechism (New Edition) 4.00Studies in the Greek Church 6.00

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JUNE 2003 ORDER FORM JUNE 2004TITLE PRICE QUANTITY TOTAL COST FOR OFFICE USE

Renovation of the Heart (Dallas Willard) 24.99The Gospel for Real Life (Jerry Bridges) 19.00The Pursuit of Holiness (Jerry Bridges) 11.00The Orthodox Companion (Abramtsov) 9.00Meeting the Orthodox (Fr. Thomas Hopko) 2.00Orthodox Catholic Instruction Books:

*Beginners’ Course 3.00*Primary Course 3.00*Junior Course 3.00*Intermediate Course 3.00

Orthodox Christian Catechism 8.95The Orthodox Church (Ware) 14.95The Orthodox Way (Ware) 10.95Orthodox Study Bible — New Testament & the Psalms:

*Hardcover 27.95*Softcover 21.95

*Bonded Leather Edition 39.95*Genuine Leather Edition 49.95*Thumb-indexing, per Bible, add extra 6.00

The Third Millennium Bible 36.00Coming Home (Fr. Peter Gillquist) 8.95Welcome Home, A Journey to Antioch (Audio) 25.00Anglican/Orthodox Pilgrimage (Fr. F. Billerbeck) 5.00Becoming Orthodox (Fr. Peter Gillquist) 12.95One Lord, One Faith (Archimandrite V. Bakoyannis) 9.00Suffering & Salvation (Archimandrite V. Bakoyannis) 6.00Introducing the Orthodox Church (Coniaris) 14.95Introduction to Western Rite Orthodoxy (Fr. Michael Trigg) 5.00Intentional Parenting (Cassettes) by Dr. J. Dalack 24.95

SERVICE BOOKS:GENERAL SERVICE BOOKS

Service Book of the Archdiocese 10.00Divine Prayers and Services (Nassar) 25.00Service Book of the Orthodox Church (Hapgood) 22.00The Divine Liturgy for Clergy and Laity 8.00The Pocket Prayer Book (Paperback) 3.50The Pocket Prayer Book (Vinyl: Red or Black) 4.00Western Rite Service Book 22.00The Funeral Service Book. New Limited Edition 8.00The Divine & Holy Gospel Book 100.00The Liturgikon 50.00Current Liturgical Guide 20.00Psalm Verses of the Orthodox Church 20.00Old & New Testament 15.00

SPECIAL SERVICE BOOKSEvening Divine Liturgies — Phase I (10 Vol.) 30.00Evening Divine Liturgies — Phase II (12 Vol.) 35.00Individual Copies for Christmas 3.00Individual Copies for Epiphany 3.00Individual Copies of Phase II 3.00The Typica Service 1.00My Daily Orthodox Prayer Book 7.95A Manual of Eastern Orthodox Prayers 5.95The Service of Supplication to Our Father

Among the Saints, Raphael 5.00Hymns from the Feast of St. Raphael Hawaweeny (CD) 15.00The Service for the Chrismation of Converts into the Orthodox Faith 2.50

LENTEN SERVICE BOOKSThe Service of Holy Unction 3.00The Little Compline & Akathist Hymn 3.00Now the Powers of Heaven (the Presanctified Liturgy) (CD) 18.00Set of Text and CD 25.00The Presanctified Liturgy of St. Gregory (Text) 7.00

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JUNE 2003 ORDER FORM JUNE 2004TITLE PRICE QUANTITY TOTAL COST FOR OFFICE USE

Liturgy of St. Basil the Great (Pastor’s Text) 2.00Liturgy of St. Basil the Great (Layman’s Text) 2.00Services of Holy Week and Pascha (Fr. J. Rahal) 22.00

BILINGUAL SERVICE BOOKS (ENGLISH/ARABIC)The Divine Liturgy for the Pew 8.00The Little Compline with the Akathist Hymn 7.00The Funeral Service for Lay People 7.00The Funeral Service for a Bishop or Priest 7.00The New Testament 8.00International Bible 22.00Arabic Life Applications Bible (Hardcover) (Limited Edition) 22.00

ARABIC SERVICE BOOKSThe Arabic Service Book (Kassab) 40.00The Small Arabic Service Book 10.00Divine Liturgy in Arabic (Vinyl) 12.00Divine Liturgy in Arabic (Hardcover) 20.00The Large Euchologian (in Arabic) 20.00The Small Euchologian with the Service of Holy Unction 15.00Altar Gospel (Arabic) 100.00The Little Compline & Akathist Hymn (Arabic) 3.00Services of Holy Week & Pascha (Arabic) 20.00Gospels and Epistles in Arabic 15.00Old & New Testament in Arabic 15.00The Easter Service in Arabic 5.00

MUSIC BOOKS:BYZANTINE PROJECT (BASIL KAZAN)

Byzantine Project No. 1: Vespers 20.00Byzantine Project No. 2: Matins 25.00Byzantine Project No. 3: Holy Week (2 Vol.) 40.00Byzantine Project No. 4: Pentecostarion (3 Vol.) 60.00Byzantine Project No. 5: Triodion (2 Vol.) 40.00Byzantine Project No. 6: Hymns of the Menaion 100.00

DIVINE LITURGIESThe Divine Liturgy for Clergy and Laity 8.00Tschaikovsky Divine Liturgy (Meena) 5.00Three Divine Liturgies (Hilko) 5.00Divine Liturgy (Abboud) 2.00

OTHER MUSIC BOOKSHymns of Praise: Troparia and Kontakia (Meena) 5.00Hymns from the Festal Menaion (Karam-George) 5.00Orthodox Hymns in English 5.00Great Friday Service of Lamentations (George) 5.00The Resurrection Service (George) 5.00Vespers (Abboud) 2.00Holy Matrimony (Abboud) 2.00

BOOKS AND PAMPHLETSA History of the Patriarchate of Antioch 1.00Guide to the Convents and Monasteries in the

Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch 1.00Lebanon Twenty Poems for One Love (Tueni) 9.95History and Rituals of the Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch 12.95Christians in the Holy Land

(Edited by Michael Prior and William Taylor) 16.95Dying in the Land of Promise (Donald Wagner) 16.95The Date of Easter (Abboud) 1.00Orthodox Lent, Holy Week & Easter (Hugh Wubrew) 10.95Beyond the Walls: Churches of Jerusalem (Aviva Baram) 14.95Jerusalem Easy Walks (Aviva Baram) 22.95Duties of Church Members 1.00The Priest’s Guide, Constitutions, etc. (revised) 5.00Altar Server’s Guide (revised) 4.50

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JUNE 2003 ORDER FORM JUNE 2004TITLE PRICE QUANTITY TOTAL COST FOR OFFICE USE

Beginning to Pray (Anthony Bloom) 8.95The Art of Prayer (Arabic) (Adnan Trabulsi) 15.00On Prayer (Archimandrite Sophrony) 10.95Prayer of Jesus — Prayer of the Heart 12.95If We Confess Our Sins (Fr. Thomas Hopko) 3.00Confession — Met. Anthony Khrapovitsky 9.00Partakers of Divine Nature (Arch. C. Stavropoulas) 8.95Let Us Commit Ourselves (Anthony Coniaris) 8.95Liturgy and Life (Fr. A. Schmemann) 6.00Understanding Orthodox Liturgy (Najim) 13.95Of Water and the Spirit (Schmemann) 10.95Harvest of Antioch (lives of the Antiochian Saints) 3.00On the Priesthood — St. John Chrysostom 9.95On Marriage and Family Life — St. John Chrysostom 9.95On Wealth and Poverty — St. John Chrysostom 9.95On the Divine Images — St. John of Damascus 9.95The Apostolic Fathers (Fr. J. Sparks) 14.95Poets & Hymnographers of the Church 6.00We Praise God (Constance Tarasar) 2.00Out of the Depths (Saliba/Allen) 9.95Mystery of the Incarnation (Cardinal B. Hume) 13.95Mystery of the Cross (Cardinal B. Hume) 12.95Mystery of Love (Cardinal B. Hume) 13.95Mystery of Fidelity (Allen) 6.95Orthodox Synthesis (Allen) 10.95The Church & Social Reform (Boojamra) 20.00A Light from the East (Fr. Michael O’Carroll) 12.95The Faith We Hold (Archbishop Paul, Finland) 8.95Feed My Sheep (Metropolitan Philip Saliba) 8.95Inner Way (Fr. J. Allen) 10.99The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha 39.99Metropolitan Philip, His Life and His Dreams (Paperback) 5.00Metropolitan Philip, His Life and His Dreams (Hardcover) 10.00Metropolitan Philip, And He Leads Them (Paperback) 20.00A New Era Begins: Proceedings of the 1994

Conference of Orthodox Bishops in Ligonier, PA 7.95The First 100 Years — A Centennial Anthology 20.00Emigration from Syria and Lebanon (N. Saliba) 10.00The Centennial Jewelry Box 25.00The Ministry of the Church (Fr. J. Allen) 11.95Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre (Hawaweeny) 6.95Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre (Arabic) 6.95The Parables (Archbishop Dimitri) 9.95Twenty Parables of Our Lord 3.00The Miracles of Christ (Archbishop Dimitri) 9.95Our Father Among the Saints, Raphael of Brooklyn (Paperback) 12.00Our Father Among the Saints, Raphael of Brooklyn (Hardcover) 15.00Jesus, Politics and the Church (Tony Nassif) 13.00Christmas Poems (John Hollander) 13.95

PERIODICALS & AUDIO VISUALThe Word Magazine (USA & Canada) (Annually) 20.00The Word Magazine (Foreign) (Annually) 26.00The Word Magazine (Individual Copies) 3.00

PERIODICALS & AUDIO VISUAL MATERIALSJoy of the Soul (by Metropolitan Philip), Album 6.00Joy of the Soul (by Metropolitan Philip), Cass. 7.00Bless the Lord O My Soul (Eng., 2 cassettes) (Fr. Elias Bitar) 16.00God is With Us (Eng.) (Cassette) (Fr. Elias Bitar) 9.00Orthodox Byzantine Hymns in Arabic (Cassette) (Fr. Elias Bitar) 9.00

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INSTRUCTIONS AND TERMS

(1) Payment MUST accompany all orders. No COD’s, BILLINGS, or CREDIT CARDS.(2) Prices are net.(3) Make check or money order payable to the Antiochian Archdiocese, in US funds.(4) Use this form by completing the first two columns. Keep a copy for your records.(5) Please see guidelines below for postage charges.(6) If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact our office: (201) 871-1355.

PAYMENT:Total of order $ ________________

1) Shipping in US, add 10% postage $ ________________

2) Shipping to Canada & Overseas,add 20% postage $ ________________

3) If the order is under $20, withinthe US, add $2 for postage $ ________________

4) If order is under $20, to Canada& Overseas, add $4 for postage & _______________

5) Total Amount Enclosed (US $) $ ________________

SEND ORDER TO:

Name __________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Send all orders to:

ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN ARCHDIOCESEPUBLICATIONS DEPARTMENT

358 MOUNTAIN ROAD, ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY 07631

TITLE PRICE QUANTITY TOTAL COST FOR OFFICE USE

Christ is Born: Music for the Nativity of Christ (Cassette) 12.00

Antiochian Village CD 15.00

Antiochian Village Cassette 15.00

Seven Deadly Sins: The Human Person’s Struggle with Sin

(Dr. J. Dalack, 8 Cassettes) 37.00

The Human Person in Orthodox Spirituality

(Bp. Kallistos Ware, 12 Cassettes) 53.00

CD of the Complete Service of St. Raphael 15.00

CD of the Presanctified Liturgy 18.00

It is Truly Meet: Byzantine Chant in Arabic and English

(St. George of Portland, OR Choir) 15.00

Chants from Balamand (CD) 16.95

Divine Liturgy in Arabic (CD) (Fr. Elias Bitar) 15.00

Divine Liturgy in Arabic (Cass.) (Fr. Elias Bitar) 9.00

Intentional Parenting (Dr. J. Dalack, Cassettes) 24.95

AIDS, An Orthodox Perspective (Video) 19.95

Divine Liturgy Video (Holy Trinity Cathedral, NY) 29.95

Centennial Video 30.00

The Great Bible Discovery: Discovering the Baby King (Video) 12.99

The Savior is Born (Video) 12.99

Contemplating Icons (Video) 19.99

Holy Matrimony (Video) 29.95

Baptism & Chrismation (Video) 29.95

Holy Wednesday & Holy Thursday (Video) 29.95

Great Friday & Resurrection Service (Video) 29.95

***Both Holy Week Videos 50.00

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June 2003 27

ARCHDIOCESAN OFF ICE

Charles Sopp, Camilus, NY ........................................................................... 50Najat Rayahin, Morton Grove, IL .................................................................. 40

In memory of Jamil RayahioRose Zrake, Brooklyn, NY ............................................................................. 25

For the health of her familyAndrew Abraham, Wilkes-Barre, PA ............................................................. 25

In memory of Madeline AbrahamBetty J. Farha, Jacksonville, FL .................................................................... 10

F INANCE COMMITTEE

On May 14, 2003, the Arch-diocese Finance Committee

met at the Archdiocese headquar-ters in Englewood, NJ. The mainorder of business was to develop theArchdiocese budget for the 2005 fis-cal year, which begins Feb. 1, 2004,and ends Jan. 31, 2005. After muchanimated and sincere discussion

about priorities for this upcomingperiod, the committee developed anoverall budget of $4.4 million, anincrease of approximately 10% overthe previous budget. The proposalsfor funding this increase will be pre-sented to the Archdiocese Board ofTrustees for their approval, and ulti-mately to the General Assembly atthe Archdiocesan Convention inMiami in July.

Come joinus for the4th of JulyCelebration

Radisson Hotel Centre

Utica, NY

$69 per night

Reservations: 315-797-8010

Ref: St. George

50th AnnualCan-Am Parish Life

ConferenceJuly 3-6, 2003

Radisson HotelUtica, New York

Clergy Wives Dinner, Hafli,Arabic Band, Karaoke on therooftop under the Fireworks,Child Care, Enliven to Christ

guest speaker Rev. PhilipMcCaffrey, Youth service

project, youth retreat.AREA ATTRACTIONS:Baseball Hall of Fame

National Running Hall of FameMunson William Proctor Art

InstituteUtica Zoo

Utica Club Brewery40 min. from the beautifulAdirondack Mountains.

Turning Stone Casino

Join us for a memorableweekend. Enjoy the foothills

of the AdirondackMountains.

Hosted bySt. George Antiochian

Orthodox Church, Utica, NYhttp://mysite.verizon.net/vze3gktp/id10.htm

315-735-7465

28 The Word

SOYO

The St. John ChrysostomSeminary Fund

“Train up a child in the way he should go …” Proverbs 22:6

ONCE IN A WHILE, SOME-one has an idea that strikesyou in a unique way. You

hear it and, immediately, whatcomes to your mind is, “Yes!that’s it! There it is!” Theseare some of the things thatcame to my mind whenAlexa Younes, NAC SOYOPresident, shared with me avision that she had. Sheenvisioned a SOYO thatwould plan and save todayto ensure the stability of itsown future. She envisioneda group of teens that desireso strongly to understandand live the gospel of Christthat they would help pre-pare their teachers. Sheenvisioned an NAC board ofteens who are so concernedwith the fruits of the parish-es in our beloved Arch-diocese that they would settheir focus on their greatestneed — to be led down thepath of Christ, to walk withthose who will give them thestrength to remain on the path, andto be loved from the onset of thejourney! My beloved, this is the St.John Chrysostom Seminary Fund, afund established by the teens of ourArchdiocese to support those whodesire to serve them as youth direc-tors.

As I’m sure most of you know, thenumber of full-time youth directorsin our Archdiocese is growing rapid-ly. As a result of this, the number ofparishes that wish to hire someoneon a full-time basis is also growing.Unfortunately, many of our highlyqualified candidates are studyingfull-time, or have graduated collegeand are putting their studies to use.What NAC SOYO hopes to do,

through the St. John ChrysostomSeminary Fund, is to help preparepeople for the field of YouthMinistry, so that there will be candi-

dates trained and ready to serve ourparishes. Scholarships will be avail-able for men and women who desireto study solely for this great pur-pose. The teens of NAC SOYO are sograteful for the support of Metro-politan Philip on this vision, andhope to present the intricacies ofthe project to the regions at theirParish Life Conferences this year.

I am so thankful to know manypart-time youth workers who havedone wonders for the children oftheir parishes. Although giving anytime at all to our youth is a beautifulthing, nothing is more of a blessingthan being able to give all your time.There are countless advantages forthe full-time youth director, thatextend to the children. Not only

does the youth worker have thetime to plan multiple week-nightevents, but he/she, more important-ly, has the time to establish one-on-

one connections. Whetherit’s lunch after school, tutor-ing, or just a late afternoonchat at home, there’s noth-ing more important thantruly knowing each child.Who are they? What aretheir struggles? Where arethey on their spiritual walk?I hope and pray that thegood people of ourArchdiocese whole-hearted-ly support this great effort ofNAC SOYO. The St. JohnChrysostom Seminary Fundwill ultimately fund yourchildren’s education in thefaith. By supplying otherswith knowledge, your chil-dren will be supplied withthe knowledge of who theyare as children of God.

Every parish in thisArchdiocese needs a consis-

tent community for their young peo-ple to belong to and grow from.Every child should feel constantsafety and comfort with their broth-ers and sisters at their parish. Thiscommunity must be overseen bysomeone who has a great love forthe gospel of Christ and knowledgeof the gospel of Christ, someonewho wishes to live it through theirservice to our most precious posses-sions — our children. Let us all praythat the St. John ChrysostomSeminary Fund will produce muchgood fruit, and that, through theguidance and love of our youthdirectors, our children will be pro-ducers of the fruits of the HolySpirit.

June 2003 29

ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE

Antiochian Village BreaksGround for New Wing

Architectural drawing of interior space

T HANKS TO THE GENEROSI-ty of the Antiochian Board ofTrustees, parishes, organiza-

tions and many individuals, con-struction is officially underway for anew, $2,000,000, 16,600-square-footaddition to the Antiochian VillageHeritage and Learning Center inWestern Pennsylvania. On Saturday,April 12, 2003, Bob Laham,

Chairman of Village Council, joinedwith architect Peter Cecconi, Jr.,AIA, and contractors to sign officialdocuments and break ground for theproject.

The new wing will house theEastern Heritage Museum’s collec-tion of more than 700 icons, reli-gious relics and cultural artifactsand will include a Rare Book Roomaddition to the library, which willhelp preserve and make usable forresearch its collection of more than150 rare or historical theological

books, manuscripts and other docu-ments. The expansion will occur atthe south end of the present facility,becoming a connected and contigu-ous part of the present structure.Additionally, it will contain a slopedseating lecture/performance hall,several seminar rooms, offices, andancillary support areas.

Funds to begin construction of thefacilities were raised within theArchdiocese, primarily by contribu-tions from members of theArchdiocese Board of Trustees, with

30 The Word

ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE

donations also coming from church-es, organizations and other individu-als. To date, $1,320,500 has beenpledged. There are still many “nam-ing opportunities” for donors forspecific spaces such as the newauditorium, seminar rooms, rarebook room, archival/work room,museum and lobbies.

“After much planning, we areexcited to finally begin constructionnow as we head into nicer weather,”said Robert Laham. “I am extremelypleased that our Orthodox faithfulbelieve in what we are trying tocommunicate and convey in thisnew museum project and libraryexpansion. They have shown suchincredible support financially, forwhich the Council and Archdioceseare most grateful,” he concluded.

Architect for the project, PeterCecconi, Jr., AIA, designed the pro-ject’s exterior using materials toconnect to the existing facility in amanner reflective of the religiousheritage of Byzantine tradition. R.E.Crawford Company of Springdale,PA was awarded the bid to overseethe project as General Contractor;Griffith and Petz of Johnstown, PA

won the mechanical contract; andBECA Electrical ContractorAssociates of Crabtree, PA receivedthe electrical contract. Constructionis expected to begin the fourth weekof April, with completion expected

in early 2004.Father Michael Massouh and the

Very Reverend Nabil Hanna con-ducted a ceremony to bless the pro-ject prior to the first shovels beinglifted. “It is very important for usnot only to preserve pieces of ourChristian and cultural heritage thatcome from Syria, Lebanon andother areas of the Middle East forour future generations,” said FatherMassouh, Executive Director forAntiochian Village, “but is also criti-cal for us to share it with all peopleto foster a better understandingamong people of all faiths.”

Fr. Massouh added, “The newmuseum will provide an opportunityfor us to share our heritage and ourfaith with visitors and residents inthe region by providing regularhours for public access while main-taining the security and preserva-tion of the collections. It will fostermoving the Village to a ‘spiritualoasis’ where people can pampertheir hearts, further enrich theirminds, and find refreshment in soli-tude either individually or collec-tively,” he concluded.

The Heritage Museum will houseand display delicate items behindglass enclosure walls where a con-stantly monitored, controlled atmos-

Holy Bible Vol. 1 Dated 1635 (open); Holy Bible Vol. 2 Dated 1635 (closed — black);Early King James Bible 1617 (closed — brown), Hidayah al-qawimah ila al-imanah al-mustaqimah 1792 By Anthimos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, donated by the Order of St.Ignatius.

Byzantium wrought bronze ceremonial incense shovel from 5th-6th century

June 2003 31

ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE

phere of 72 degrees and 50% humid-ity is maintained. Lighting systemshave been designed to avoid thedamaging effects of ultra-violet rays.Less sensitive items of metal andglass will be displayed in securedcasework located in what the plansdesignate as “display lobbies.”Public areas will be equipped with

conventional heating, cooling andlighting systems.

The Rare Book Room will expandupon the existing library. The col-lection will be housed in a securedglass wall enclosure with a con-trolled atmosphere. Other configura-tion changes will occur in thelibrary to improve security and bet-

ter accommodate library manage-ment and use.

The Auditorium will be anacoustically treated, tieredamphitheater that will be equippedwith a motorized projector platformand projection screen, completesound system, and a multi-con-trolled lighting system. It willaccommodate a variety of educa-tional or entertainment venues.

Presently, the Village museum col-lections include 106 icons datingfrom the 12th through the 20th cen-tury, representing 14 different coun-tries or regions of the world outsideof the United States. An additional634 artifacts, relics and items reflectthe Middle Eastern and EasternEuropean ancestry of the OrthodoxChristian heritage and culture.Among religious relics are itemsbelonging to St. Raphael, a 5th cen-tury Byzantium incense shovel, aholy water flask from the 1700’s, aMiddle Eastern pectoral cross fromthe 1700’s, several religious plaquesand tetraptychs and triptychs fromthe 18th and 19th centuries in avariety of media, vestments, chal-ices, crosses, and liturgical items.

Ancient artifacts include a 2ndcentury BC Syrian pottery bowl, aSyrian 3rd-5th century funeraryrelief, a pair of Tunisian pottery oil

Handcarved wooden triptych of 31 individual scenes. Russia, 17th century

Museum exterior design in Byzantine tradition

32 The Word

ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE

lamps dating to the 5th-6th century,some bronze fals (coins) from theEastern Mediterranean from 690-700, a 7th century Byzantium finial,and a 70-million-year-old fossilizedfish from the mountains of Lebanon.

The artistic and decorative artscollection features musical instru-ments, wood carved artifacts fromthe 17th century, prints, pho-tographs, furniture, a variety ofitems with inlaid craftsmanship, awide selection of metal works, somedating to the 19th century, embroi-dery pieces and textiles, a doll col-lection, and jewelry, all representingMiddle Eastern culture and heritage.Other items include householditems, coins from the 12th century,armaments, clothing, maps, and avariety of other items from the pastseven centuries.

The rare books, manuscripts anddocuments holdings include suchitems as one of only two copies inthe world of a Coptic Psalter, theoriginal excavated in Egypt anddated to the 4th century; a 1663

Syriac text New Testament Bible; an1848 Arabic text of the Life of St.John Chrysostom that was writtenby hand with reed pens; Hidayah al-qawimah ila al-imanah al-mus-taqimah, which is a 1792 collectionof Eastern Orthodox doctrines inArabic by Anthimos, Patriarch ofJerusalem; a 1614 Psalter vowelledin Arabic and Latin texts in parallel;and a number of Holy Bibles datingto the 1600’s.

The new wing and its facilities willarticulate boldly the Antiochianlegacy through knowledge andunderstanding of its ancient and his-torical past and cultural contribu-tions. Upon completion, the muse-um will be open to the public withregular hours.

UPCOMINGEVENTS 2003July 4-6, 2003Villager’s Alumni Reunion Weekend

There will be lots of fireworks andfellowship this weekend! Come joinold friends and meet new ones! Costfor 2 nights lodging, 5 meals and 1snack are: Single occupancy: $200per person; Double occupancy: $142per person; Triple occupancy: $122per person; and Quad occupancy:$114 per person. For more informa-tion visit the website at antiochi-anvillage.org.

July 30-August 3, 2003Sacred Music Institute

This year ’s institute theme is“Outreach Through Music,” with theVery Rev. Sergei Glagolev as keynotespeaker. Sessions include: newlycomposed music for the DivineLiturgy, new feast day music, chil-

Drawing of Museum Display Lobbies

June 2003 33

ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE

dren’s music, vocal training, con-ducting classes, Byzantine chantingand more. A $25.00 deposit isrequired to register. Cost includes 4nights lodging, 10 meals, 3 snacksand materials. Single occupancy:$315 per person; Double occupancy:$230 per person. Add chantingclasses and pay — Single occupan-cy: $422 per person; Double occu-pancy: $306 per person.

August 15-17, 2003Rat Race — Young AdultConference

Cost includes 2 nights lodging, 4meals, and 2 snacks. For Singleoccupancy: $190 per person; forDouble occupancy: $130 per person;for Triple occupancy: $110 per per-son; and for Quad occupancy: $102per person.

August 24-September 5, 2003Antiochian House of Studies

Cost includes 5 nights lodging, 14meals, 1 banquet, and 1 snack. ForSingle occupancy: $496 per person;for Double occupancy: $346 per per-son. There is a $25.00 registrationfee.

August 29-September 1, 2003Family Camp (at the Camp)

Family Camp is an opportunity foryour family to get away from every-day life to grow closer to Christ. Theweekend includes favorite campactivities and Christian educationfor both campers and parentstogether as well as separate youthand adult groups. Lodging isassigned by cabin for each family atthe Village Camp. The cost for 3nights lodging, 9 meals, snacks andall activities is $195 for the first par-ent and $50.00 for each additionalperson — parent or camper.Families of 5 or more will pay $395total per family. Children under 5are free, but must be in the care of aparent at all times. Call the VillageCamp for information or a registra-tion flyer at 724-238-9565.

August 29-September 1, 2003Missions and Evangelism

Cost for 3 nights lodging, 6 meals,1 banquet, and 3 snacks for single

occupancy: $305 per person; doubleoccupancy: $215 per person.

September 19-21, 2003Sts. Thekla and Raphael Pilgrimage

November 6-9, 2003Orthodox Institute

**Antiochian Village hasarranged with US Air for dis-counted airfares. Please call tollfree 1-800-874-7687 & refer toGold File Number 40152550. Forground shuttle service contactMajesty Shuttle at 1-877-794-3400as part of the Antiochian Villagegroup.

Village Alumni EventRemember 70 ’s night in the

Pavilion? Eating your Gimme Shopcandy in the Gathering Place?Chanting bombers in the dining

hall? Perhaps it has been a while,but if you were a part of theAntiochian Village — as a camper, acounselor, volunteer, or “hoodedboy” — wait no further to be a partof the Village again.

In 2003, the Village Alumni havebecome an active part of the An-tiochian Village camping program.We’ve started getting together withineach region to see old friends, meetnew ones, share Village memoriesand become an active part of localparish and SOYO life.

If you are headed to Miami for theArchdiocese Convention in July, besure to see us at registration andmake sure you’re on our e-mail list.And come to the Antiochian VillageAlumni Cocktail Party — for onehour right before the Grand Hafli.For more information, go towww.antiochianvillage.org and clickon “Alumni.”

34 The Word

ANTIOCHIAN VILLAGE DONATIONS

The Camp and the Heritage &Learning Center at AntiochianVillage gratefully acknowledge themonetary and in-kind donationscontributed during the 2003 fiscalyear ended January 31, 2003. Thecampers, the guests, and the staffappreciate everyone’s generosity.Should you care to make a restrict-ed or unrestricted gift to the Campor the Center please inquire of Fr.Michael Nasser or Fr. MichaelMassouh.

Monetary Gifts$5,000 and overAnonymous$4000 and overAdvanticom$2,000 and overGreg KaleelPinewoodPam Samara$500 and overSandra M. ConcaSandra Conca, Barbara SamraDaly Foot CareMichael KaufmanEstate of Ann S. LewisAnne Glynn MackoulDr. Joseph J. & Marlene Samra$400 and overAnonymousViola KazanMary Ann Kouri MemorialMary Ellen Tiberio$200 and overMr. & Mrs. Stephen KouryDn. Kenneth & Elizabeth McMillanThomas & Hoda OliverMichael John Tskalos$100 and overJay BannaFr. & Mrs. David BetrasD.R. KaleelAlexander E. & Marlene H. MamaryGary RihaniSacred MusicJoseph SamraSt. Michael’s Choir, Geneva, NYJames & Janet E. SchillawskiJohn & Grace SchmidtMr. & Mrs. Russell Wilbur, Mary

Samra, Lorice Hallal

Russell H. & Elaine S. Wilbur$50 and overAnonymousBrendan FergusonMr & Mrs. Kenneth HewittDolores HovitchJoyce E. NaimySt. Michael Church, Greensburg in

memory of Adele RomahKhalil SamaraMr. & Mrs. John Troutman$25 and overLaila AbudJustin ElkouriMr. & Mrs. Alex FadilJacqueline M. & Robert L. LyszakRonald S. & Nancy Roum NicolaMr. & Mrs. David WilsonUnder $25Marianne Kost

In-Kind ContributionsAnonymous — Medical Supplies

(Karen Hanna)Dr. Leddy Anton, Medical SuppliesDr. Pamela Barkett, Dental SuppliesRose Bendekgey — TapestryDr. Henry Bitar, Aerial Photographs

of Antiochian VillageEvonne Chala — 78-rpm recording

of Metropolitan GermanosChehade

Fr. Isaac Crow — Ignacio Peña, TheChristian Art of Byzantine Syria(Madrid: Garnet Publishing,1997)

Dr. George Farha, Framed portraitAntonio Ganem — Three photo-

graphs of descendants of BishopRaphael

Lori Gaydosh, Medical SuppliesDavid Ghiz — Pool SuppliesMr. & Mrs. Sheldon Kaufman, VanAnne Glynn Mackoul — W.A. Visser

‘t Hooft, The Genesis andFormation of the World Councilof Churches (Geneva: WCC,1987)

Bradford E. Mooney, Fort Ligonier,Antique Manuscript Display Case

Fr. Michel Najim, Ancient ChristianCommentary on Scripture:Matthew (Downers Grove, IL:

Inter Varsity Press, 2001, 2002),2 Volumes

St. George, Boston — CampSilverware

Isam Salah, Medical SuppliesBarbara Shoop, Four-Record Album

Set by Archbishop Samuel DavidEric Snee, Lodge FurnitureMark Strauss, Lodge FurnitureYvonne Younes — One of her origi-

nal oil paintings

Contributors to the Father JohnNamie Fund Fiscal Year 2003

Anonymous $20Anonymous $1,000Dr. Lee Anton $100Kyrene Azar $50Jennette Bacevius $40Mr. & Mrs. Demetrios Bogris $25Mr. & Mrs. Peter Boyle $75Albert, Jack, & Nayla Daly $500Ben DeLee $75Laila Ellias $100Mr. & Mrs. Rick Garlitz $20Karen Hanna $139Luke Jacobs $25Tarek Joseph $25Henry Kaim $100Michael Kaufman $500Carrie Sadd Khouri $25Anne & Sabry Mackoul $500Mr. & Mrs. Michael Nassif $500Fr. & Mrs. Michael Nasser $250Jamil Samara $350Khalil Samara $50Pam Samara $200Mr. & Mrs. James Schillawski $50St. George Boston Campers $100Total $4819

Donations Received at Antiochian VillageFrom February 1, 2002-January 31, 2003

June 2003 35

MEMORY ETERNAL

Rachel Betros Blair

R ACHEL BETROS BLAIR, ADame of the Order of St.Ignatius of Antioch, fell

asleep in the Lord at the age of 93on March 12, 2003. Rachel was bornin Rochester,Pennsylvania, but spentnearly all of her life inCanton, Ohio. She was acommitted, very activemember of the AntiochianChurch for her entire life.She will be rememberedfor the many local andnational activities inwhich she engaged. Shewas a loyal follower andfriend of the lateMetropolitan AntonyBashir and worked tire-lessly with him in hisefforts to shape theAntiochian Church inAmerica. She continuedthat loyalty and friendshipwith Metropolitan Philip,whom she first knew as apriest in Cleveland. Sheheld numerous offices inthe local and MidwestSOYO and was a fixture atthe various SOYO andArchdiocese conventions,attending her lastArchdiocese Conventionin Los Angeles at the ageof 92.

In addition to her activi-ties with the Order of St.Ignatius, Rachel was oneof the earliest members ofthe Antiochian Women’sOrganization (AOCWNA).In recognition of herefforts she received the MetropolitanPhilip Award of Merit from theMidwest Region. In Canton, she wasa member of Holy Cross OrthodoxChurch. She was an early advocateof strengthening relationships

between all of the local Orthodoxchurches and other ecumenicalefforts beyond the OrthodoxChurch. She served as president ofthe Stark County Council of

Orthodox Churches. She was alsoactive in many community and cul-tural activities. She had been aboard member of the Women ’sCommittees of: Walsh University,Malone College, The Cleveland

Orchestra’s Blossom Music Center,the Canton Symphony, the CantonWoman’s Club, The Canton Museumof Art, the Canton Ballet and theStark County International Festival,

among many others. Shewas a former board mem-ber of the FairmountChildren’s Orphanage andwas active in the UnitedWay and activities onbehalf of the mentallyhandicapped.

An Orthodox funeralwas held in Canton onMarch 15 conducted bythe Reverend FatherDavid Betras, Pastor ofHoly Cross, assisted byVery Reverend LouisMahshie, Deacon BasilShaheen, ReverendFather Michael Massouh,Very Reverend TheodoreE. Ziton, Very ReverendGeorge Treff, ReverendFather Elias Meena andVery Reverend JosephCervo. Rachel is survivedby her daughter, NancyJoan Blair, and son,William P. Blair, and bysisters Elizabeth Betrosand Roseanne Kelly ofCanton and Ruth (Mrs.Edward) Fisher of WalnutCreek, CA, and by numer-ous nieces, nephews andgrand-nieces andnephews. She was lovedby all who knew her forher vitality and commit-ment to her Church andcommunity; she will be

greatly missed. May her memory beeternal!

Rachel Betros Blair+March 12, 2003+

West can do to help them.Again, thank you for print-ing such articles; theykeep the needs of ourbrethren in Palestine andthe Holy Land before oureyes … and in our prayers.

In Christ,William (Sdn. Irenaios)

AndersonHoly Transfiguration

Orthodox ChurchWarrenville, IL

Child SponsorshipProgram CoordinatorHoly Land Christian

Ecumenical Foundation(Chicago network)

email: irenaios@juno.com

Your Eminence:Christ is in our midst!

I am a seventeen-year-old high school student,and an active member ofSt. John of DamascusChurch in Dedham, MA. Ilistened attentively onPalm Sunday as our pastor,Fr. John Teebagy, readyour letter concerningyour support to the Iraqichildren. I am extremelyoverwhelmed by the plightof the injured and home-less in Iraq, especiallysince I heard about thebombing victim, AliIsmaeel Abbas. I wrote aletter about my concern,which was published intwo Massachusetts news-papers last week. In addi-tion, I sent copies toPresident Bush and mylocal representatives.

I am sending a copy toyou, as your reputation asa humanitarian and your

36 The Word

THE PEOPLE SPEAK …

Editor:Over the past 20 years

there have been somechurches within ourArchdiocese that haveresorted to charity casinosand bingos to assist infund-raising activities. Weas Christians should notlower ourselves to suchhideous forms of fund-rais-ing. Some parishionershave commented, “Howelse are we going to makemoney?” This practiceinterferes with the spiritualgrowth of a Church com-munity and destroys themoral standards in oursociety. We ’re takingmoney from the misfor-tunes and misery of others.

The Archdiocese needsto expound the necessity ofall churches to refrain fromutilizing gambling andbingo monies to fund theirparishes. We have to bemore creative than that.Does this glorify God?

Faithfully,Sam Salloum

4 Sienna Bay S.W.Calgary, Alberta T3H 2C8

Father, bless!As one who is concerned

over the plight of ourbrethren in the Holy Land,I was glad to see (in theMarch 2003 edition of TheWord) Fr. Peter Gillquist’sarticle, “What Do You Sayto Evangelical Zionists?”as well as the pieces in“The Orthodox World”section by William Hughesand Peter Kenny regardingthe state of Christianity in

Palestine and the HolyLand. As a former “Evan-gelical Zionist,” I found Fr.Peter’s words very helpfulas I seek to talk to peopleof this theological persua-sion. The articles by Mr.Hughes and Mr. Kennywere especially poignant,as the world’s attentionhas shifted from the diffi-culties of our people in theHoly Land to the war inIraq (although the humani-tarian work of IOCC inthis area needs to be sup-ported).

Not having the privilegeof growing up in theAntiochian Archdiocese, Istill have benefited greatlyfrom the graciousness ofits people, especially thosein the Midwest Region,since my family’s Chris-mation some eight yearsago. Although I had beenintroduced to Holy Ortho-doxy in Bethlehem duringthe summer of 1982, myfamily and I first experi-enced the warmth of ArabChristian hospitality bythe good people of St.George in Cicero, IL whilestill inquirers.

In response to this famil-ial affection, recently Ihave sought to be an advo-cate for IOCC’s work inthe Holy Land, our ownArchdiocese’s work withorphans (especially thoseof Lebanon), and the HolyLand Christian Ecumen-ical Foundation. This latterorganization seeks to edu-cate American Christiansregarding the fact thatthere are, indeed,Christians in the HolyLand and what we in the

passion for aiding those inneed are truly an inspira-tion.

In Christ,Ashley E. Close

Westford, MA(Ashley’s letter follows:)I saw the news clips on

CNN this week about thetwelve year old Iraqi Boy,Ali Ismaeel Abbas, whosurvived a devastatingbomb attack on his homein Baghdad. His mother,five months pregnant,along with his father,brother and seven otherfamily members, werekilled. Ali somehow livedthrough the carnage, butboth of his arms were tornoff, and large portions ofhis body were severelyburned. In a state of shockand overwhelmed at hissituation, Ali was said tohave whimpered, “If Idon’t get a pair of hands, Iwill commit suicide.”

Prior to showing thevideo of Ali, Wolf Blitzer ofCNN cautioned viewersthat the images could bedisturbing, and he wasright. I was terribly dis-turbed by this child ’sghastly wounds, and by thepathetic state of hisexposed body lying on arusted hospital bed. Butmostly I was truly dis-turbed by how much thisyoung boy reminded me ofmy brother. He had large,expressive eyes like mybrother, the same round,innocent face, and close-cropped hair. He was just alittle kid who probablyliked the same types ofthings my brother likes, aninnocent caught in a

)THE PEOPLE SPEAK …

)

June 2003 37

THE PEOPLE SPEAK …

vicious battle over whichhe had no voice or control.Ali is a statistic of war, andhis image will never leavemy mind.

When the missile landedon his Baghdad home, Aliand his family were sleep-ing. Suddenly, they be-came collateral damage ina campaign of liberationand salvation. And al-though Ali was not killed,his life is forever ruined. Ifthis preemptive war inIraq, a war that we, the“good guys,” started, wasinitiated for the better-ment of the Iraqi people,why is it causing so muchpain? How do we explainto a twelve-year-old boy,lying in a hospital bedburnt and armless, thatthis is being done for him,and that something won-derful will follow his suffer-ing? I have no doubt thatAli will get the best med-ical care that the worldcan offer, but I am not soconfident that the sufferinghe is presently encounter-ing will ever cease. In fact,the scars of his burns andhis limbless body will serveas constant reminders ofthis catastrophic event.Along with the tragic deathof his family and thedestruction of his home,Ali ’s future dreams andaspirations are also van-quished.

Having seen this horrificfootage, I am finding ithard to focus on normaleveryday activities here inmy peaceful hometown ofWestford, MA, without feel-ing a twinge of guilt forchildren like Ali. Westfordand Baghdad, thousands ofmiles apart, are completelyopposite to one another inmany respects — political,historical, cultural. Yetboth are identical in thatthey consist of living and

breathing human beings,most of whom want thesame things out of life. Ibet if Ali could choose, hewould pick the lives of hisfamily over the liberationof Iraq, any day.

Seeing Ali on CNN con-firmed to me that Iraqicivilians are not any differ-ent from American civil-ians, and they feel painand sadness and loss, justas we do. I don’t have tounderstand Ali’s languageto comprehend his agoniz-ing story, because hespeaks a universal lan-guage through his tearsand his suffering. Whenthis war started, we weretold time and again toexpect civilian casualties— that’s what happens inwar. Yet this little boylooked too familiar to me— and his injuries too real— to just accept his plightas a misfortunate casualty.While Americans areapplauding the success ofour military campaign inBaghdad, we should alsobe grieving for kids likeAli. Is this the cost of free-dom?

Ashley CloseJunior —

Westford AcademyWestford, MA

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38 The Word

THE ORTHODOX WORLD

IOCC TO DISTRIBUTEBLANKETS FOR

RUSSIA’S NEEDIEST

Baltimore (IOCC) —Russian winters are

notoriously long andharsh. Sustained periods oftemperatures below zeroare not uncommon. Eachyear, hundreds of people inthe Russian Federation diefrom hypothermia, andthousands more must betreated.

In preparation for nextwinter, InternationalOrthodox ChristianCharities (IOCC), in part-nership with the RussianOrthodox Church, will dis-tribute thousands of winterblankets to some of theneediest institutions in theRussian Federation, in-cluding hospitals, orphan-ages and homeless shelters.

The project is part ofIOCC ’s ongoing effort,since 1992, to meet themost basic needs of vul-nerable Russians, and willimmediately help thosefacing the extreme cold ofwinter. These physicallyand economically vulnera-ble people often live insubstandard dwellings,cannot afford to buy heat-ing oil or other fuel, andare often the victims ofheat and power shutdownsby authorities.

IOCC implemented asimilar program, even larg-er in scope, in theRepublic of Georgia from1995 to 2000. During thattime, about 40,000 blan-kets and 10,000 mattresses

were made and distributedto vulnerable Georgians.

In the Russia project,IOCC will purchase theblankets locally with fund-ing from Church WorldService and will ensuretheir distribution to insti-tutions and individualsthrough the RussianOrthodox Church. Four-teen dioceses will beincluded in the blanketdistribution project.

The Church ’s Depart-ment of Church Charityand Social Services hasaccess to thousands ofshelters, soup kitchens,orphanages and otherinstitutions, throughwhich IOCC is able toreach the needy. In theblanket project, IOCC willuse these networks toidentify and reach those inneed of blankets to helpward off the cold.

Factors contributing tothe hypothermia probleminclude homelessness,alcoholism, improper insu-lation in homes and unreli-able public heating utili-ties.

According to newsreports, the Moscow Ambu-lance Service responded to190 fatal hypothermiacases in 2001. Nearly 2,000people were hospitalizedwith hypothermia duringthe same time period.

The Russian EmergencySituations Ministry report-ed that, in mid-January2003, nearly 30,000 peoplewere without heat. Russiannews media showed theinterior walls of buildingscoated with ice and resi-

dents struggling to staywarm by bundling up andhuddling around electricheaters.

IOCC has been active inthe Russian Federationsince 1992, working toaddress the food and mate-rial needs of orphanages,homes for the elderly andother institutions. To date,more than $60 million inhumanitarian assistanceprojects have been imple-mented throughout theRussian Federation.

IOCC is the officialhumanitarian aid agencyof Orthodox Christians. Injust 10 years, IOCC hasdelivered more than $160million in humanitarianassistance in 21 countries.

To learn more aboutIOCC’s programs, pleasevisit www.iocc.org or calltoll-free 1-877-803-4622.

EXPERTS TOEXAMINE BURIALBOX OF “JAMES,

BROTHER OF JESUS”

By Ross Dunn

Jerusalem (ENI) — TheIsrael Antiquities

Authority announced onApril 1 the formation oftwo committees of expertsto examine whether alimestone burial box,almost 2000 years old,may provide the oldestauthentic archaeologicalrecord of Jesus.

The receptacle for thebones of the dead, orossuary, bears the inscrip-tion “James, brother ofJesus” in Aramaic, andsome French scholars

believe it dates back toabout AD 63.

Such boxes were com-monly used by Jewish fam-ilies between 20 BC andAD 70 to store the bonesof their relatives.

Aramaic, an ancientSemitic language, wascommonly used in theMiddle East for severalcenturies, including byJews during the lifetime ofJesus.

Noted palaeographerAndré Lemaire of Paris’sEcole Pratique des HautesEtudes (Sorbonne), anexpert in the study of an-cient inscriptions, says theAramaic words on the sideof the ossuary show a cur-sive form of writing usedonly from about AD 10 toAD 70. He believes theinscription is authentic.

Now two committees ofIsraeli academics havebeen asked to give theirconsidered opinions on thematter.

What is at stake is thepossibility of confirmingphysical evidence aboutSt. James (referred to asJames the Less), who inthe New Testament isrecorded as either Jesus’“brother” or part of his“brethren,” depending onthe translation. Accordingto tradition he was thehead of the first Christiancommunity in Jerusalemafter Jesus’ death, oftencalled the first bishop ofJerusalem.

The job of the first of thetwo committees, estab-lished by the Israeli gov-ernment, is to check what

THE ORTHODOX WORLD

June 2003 39

THE ORTHODOX WORLD

it calls “the scientificaspects in the writing andstyle [to be able to] con-firm the authenticity of thewriting.” The task of thesecond committee is tocheck the “originality ofthe patina” on the stone’sengraving and the stonematerial itself.

The American journalBiblical ArchaeologyReview describes the pati-na as a substance of “thinsheen or covering thatforms on stone and othermaterials over time” andsays that it “has a cauli-flower-type shape knownto develop in a cave envi-ronment; more important-ly it shows no trace ofmodern elements.”

As the Review also says:“This container providesthe only New Testament-era mention of the centralfigure of Christianity andis the first-ever archaeo-logical discovery to corrob-orate Biblical references toJesus.” These claims arenow to be put under themicroscope by the experts.

IOCC AID “L IFT INGBURDENS” FOR

SUFFERING IRAQICIVIL IANS

Baghdad (IOCC) - Thestreets are filled with

litter and sewage. Theshops are shuttered. Foodis still scarce, and unem-ployment is rampant.

Despite these and otherproblems faced by post-war Iraq, humanitarianassistance is starting toflow into the country, saidDavid Holdridge, ChiefOperating Officer forInternational OrthodoxChristian Charities(IOCC), who has justreturned from a five-daytrip to Iraq.

“Baghdad has a tremen-

dous humanitarian need,aggravated by the longweeks of bombing, and thelack of electricity andwater,” Holdridge said. “Ididn’t have electricity theentire time I was there.There is very little food.”

Holdridge was in Iraqfrom April 24-29 to assessthe needs and begin emer-gency relief distributionson behalf of IOCC, the offi-cial humanitarian aidagency of OrthodoxChristians. His missiontook him to Baghdad andMosul, where he met withOrthodox leaders andinterviewed members oftheir communities.

Holdridge attended HolyFriday services at anAntiochian Orthodoxchurch in Baghdad andEaster services at a 13thcentury Orthodox churchin Mosul. His 590-mile tripfrom Amman, Jordan, toBaghdad was without inci-dent.

In another development,IOCC will be able to assist1,000 Iraqi families withtheir food needs now thata humanitarian relief con-voy has departed fromAmman. IOCC will distrib-ute 1,000 food parcels forIraqi families in need aspart of a six-truck convoyorganized by the MiddleEast Council of Churchesand Action by ChurchesTogether.

IOCC also expects to setup offices in Baghdad andMosul in the coming weeksand begin distributions offamily food parcels, first-aid kits, stoves and cook-ing utensils, tents and mat-tresses, hygiene parcels,and water pumps. Suchassistance will meet someof the most pressing needsin Iraq - hunger, malnutri-tion, lack of clean drinkingwater and transmission of

diseases. Distributions of emer-

gency food and medicinewill be done through localparishes and the MiddleEast Council of Churches,Holdridge said. “Theyknow who the neediest arein their communities,” hesaid. “It gets down to theindividual families veryquickly.”

Humanitarian relief sup-plies will be purchased inIraq or in Amman, Jordan,he said.

During his aid-and-

assessment mission,Holdridge met Fr. YounanYagoob, an AntiochianOrthodox priest inBaghdad. Fr. Younan is theshepherd of a smallAntiochian Orthodox com-munity in Baghdad whichwill partner with IOCC inits humanitarian missionto needy Iraqis of all eth-nic and religious back-grounds.

“He has an abiding peaceand humor,” Holdridgesaid of Fr. Younan. “He dri-ves a beat-up old car with

Iraqi Orthodox priest Fr. Yanoun Yagoob censes during HolyFriday services at Baghdad’s Antiochian Orthodox parish.Orthodox Christians in Iraq will assist IOCC in the distribution ofhumanitarian assistance to needy Iraqis.

IOCC photo by David Holdridge

Members of Baghdad’s Antiochian Orthodox community, shownhere in procession on Holy Friday, will be able to help IOCC iden-tify and assist needy Iraqis. IOCC photo by David Holdridge

THE ORTHODOX WORLD

40 The Word

a broken windshield and amotor which could die atany time. Even so, heinsisted on driving mearound Baghdad. He keptmany families with him inthe church during thebombing.”

Christians in Iraq consti-tute three percent of thepopulation in this predom-inantly Muslim country.Most Christians in Iraqbelong to the AssyrianChurch of the East and theChaldean CatholicChurch, while about140,000 are OrthodoxChristians.

Fr. Younan said some ofthe most pressing needs inhis country include medi-cine, clothes for childrenand transportation.“Thank you for your par-ticipation in lifting bur-dens from the people ofthis country,” he said.

Holdridge said the needi-est communities in Iraqinclude the Shiite Muslimsof Saddam City, on theoutskirts of Baghdad. “It’sjust a great, sprawling citywith a lot of overcrowding,trash lying everywhere and

sewage in the streets,” hesaid.

In response to the cur-rent crisis, IOCC is appeal-ing for $1 million to pro-vide emergency relief, life-saving medicines and med-ical supplies to sufferingpeople in the Middle East.

IOCC’s parent body, theStanding Conference ofCanonical OrthodoxBishops in the Americas, isencouraging all OrthodoxChristians to supportIOCC ’s efforts in Iraqthrough prayer and giving.

IOCC has worked in theMiddle East since 1997and currently has pro-grams in the Holy Landand Lebanon. Since 1992,IOCC has distributed morethan $160 million in reliefand development assis-tance in 21 countries.

IOCC is an implement-ing partner of Action byChurches Together, aninternational alliance ofchurches and relief agen-cies.

Fr. Yanoun Yagoob, an Orthodox priest from Baghdad, Iraq, meetswith David Holdridge, Chief Operating Officer of InternationalOrthodox Christian Charities. IOCC and its church partners in Iraqwill deliver humanitarian assistance to needy Iraqis of all ethnicand religious backgrounds. IOCC photo by David Holdridge

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COMMUNIT IES IN ACTION

June 2003 41

COMMUNITIES IN ACTION

ST. JAMES ORTHODOXMISSION

WELLINGTON, CO

With the help of Godand Metropolitan

Philip’s blessing, St. JamesMission has after sevenyears finally moved intoFt. Collins, CO, where

there never has been anOrthodox Church. Wehave been located 10 milesnorth of Ft. Collins for thepast 7 years because rentand real estate price bothwere not affordable forMission work in Ft. Collinsproper. We are grateful toall who helped, even if itwas with a one dollardonation; we could nothave done it without your

help. The property, 13acres on Interstate 25 andat one of the major exits,was purchased this lastApril. It had a 5000-square-foot landscapingbuilding on it that we con-verted into our worship,parish hall, and classroomspace over the summer.His Grace Bishop Basilcame on September 1, theChurch new year, andblessed the new building.It was not consecratedbecause, with the help ofGod in the years to come,we will build a Churchbuilding and use this forour Parish hall, etc.

Thank you so much tothose of you who help us!We are so visible with 2domes and crosses on theroof that a year from nowno one in the Ft. Collinsarea will be able to say,“Where is St. JamesOrthodox Church?”

ST. GEORGERETREAT

FELLOWSHIP OFST. JOHN THE DIVINETORONTO, CANADA

The Sound of Silence

The morning of theRetreat started as it

had ended the previousevening — busy with thefinal preparations of food,tables, and audio/visualsetups. Parishionersentered the Church fromthe rainy weather to beginthe morning DivineLiturgy & Soul Saturday

service. The environmentsurrounding the eagerretreat-goers slowly begantransforming, unknowing-ly, to an environment con-ducive to silence.

Following the morningservice a short brunch wasoffered. There was alsoopportunity to networkwith other retreat-goersand the guest speaker,Marek Simon, AssistantDirector of the AntiochianVillage.

When it was time tostart, Father Iskanderintroduced Marek to agroup of approximatelytwenty who ranged in agefrom young adults to mar-ried couples with children,to seniors.

Marek ’s calm, serenevoice coupled with histhought-provoking andstimulating words beganthe presentation with ananecdote to which themoral was, “Just like soapused to cleanse is not anygood if it is not used, so isfaith.” This connected tothe theme of the presenta-tion, “Silence must be pre-sent in order to listen forGod’s voice.”

The presentation be-came interactive witheveryone sharing theirown personal experienceson positive memories ofsilence. Nature and thecompany of others werecommon ties back toachieving silence. “Thejourney to achieving thesound of silence, hence lis-tening for God ’s voice,should not be a journeytraveled alone. Whomever

Domes and crosses being attached to St. James in Ft. Collins, CO

Bishop Basil and Fr. Mark Cranor, the Pastor, September 1 for firstservices in Ft. Collins

COMMUNIT IES IN ACTION

42 The Word

you feel comfortable withas your spiritual mentorshould assist you in grad-ual steps,” said Marek.

As the members of St.John the Divine wereputting the finishingtouches on a wonderfullunch, Marek’s final wordsbefore lunch sparkedintrigue and uncertaintyamongst the Fellowshipmembers. He posed a chal-lenge that during luncheveryone remain silent asthey eat. He furtherdescribed what he meantby specifically mentioning“no talking, no reading, orno thinking about whatyou need to do after theRetreat — just free yourmind of any type ofthoughts.”

Although the beginningof this challenge was roughas everyone sat down toeat, the sound of silencewas eventually heard.Afterwards, some com-pared it to a quiescentwalk around theAntiochian Village grass inthe early morning; whileothers were just itching toburst out in sharing withtheir neighbor discussiontopics specifically reservedfor lunch.

As Marek gathered us

back again after lunch, here-iterated that learning toremain silent and freeingyour mind would requiretime and discipline.

The next event on theRetreat agenda — was astark contrast to the earli-er part of the day as wetransitioned into a spin-offof the game show, WhoWants To Be A Millionaire— The Orthodox Way!The computer-generatedquestions, visual and audioeffects made it feel like agame show studio. The onefeature lacking to make itcomplete was Regis him-self strutting his monotonecolored shirt, suit and tie!However, thanks to St.George’s artistic and tal-ented group, our Fellow-ship President, AftimNassar, portrayed the chat-terbox and cynical gameshow host very well!

The questions revolvedprimarily around what St.George’s Bible Bowl teamwas studying for the up-coming Parish Life Con-ference. A variety of con-testants attempted thechallenge of achieving thehighest prize while seatedin the chair. Our speakerand guest of honor, Marek,was one of the contestants

— who even with lifelines,only managed to achievethe one-thousand mark.Our very own FatherIskander also took thechair. After some minorstruggling with a few ques-tions and after using all ofhis lifelines, he accom-plished the one-millionmark!

Fun, humor and laughterdominated this portion ofthe Retreat; alas, though,the “best” was yet tocome. At the conclusion ofthe game show — justprior to returning to thesecond part of Marek’s pre-sentation — the prizeswere awarded. Instead offinding money in theamount they had won, therecipients opened theirenvelopes only to find thatthey had received a prizeof prostrations (non-refundable and non-trans-ferable)! Father Iskander,in his gracious fashion,tried to donate portions ofhis winnings to those pre-sent. Unfortunately, theone million prostrationsremained entirely his!

Marek’s presentation wasdivided up into a two-stepprocess, the first one deal-ing with what the goal is —achieving the Sound ofSilence. The second partfocused on how to accom-plish the goal — GivingUp In Order to Get. Marekdescribed the how part asgiving up or replacingexisting habits, like sittingon the couch watching TVor working on the comput-er, in order to set asidetime for silence. Heacknowledged that, in thebeginning, setting asidetime and balancing otheraspects of life would bechallenging; furthermore,those looking for an in-stantaneous fix were naive.One of the few tips shared

on how to handle extrane-ous thoughts from stayingin your mind when tryingto achieve silence was towrite the thought down.This allows the preserva-tion of the thought forlater in order to focus onsilence now. As Marek stat-ed, “It’s only through con-sistency, discipline andpersistence of your silenttime that you will perse-vere in hearing God inyour silence.”

On behalf of all thosepresent at the retreat, theFellowship of St. John theDivine, our technicalaudio/visual group and allthe members of St. GeorgeOrthodox Church, wewould like to thank Marekfor sharing his time andtalents with us. We lookforward to growing morewith future educationaland uplifting experienceslike this. (Marek, pleasekeep in touch and let usknow how your prostra-tions are going!)

Retreat participants at St. George, Toronto gather with retreatleader, Marek Simon

June 2003 43

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