I take this opportunity to convey my heartfelt appreciation to former Governor George Pataki for his initiative this afternoon to address the concerns of not only our own community but also citizens across our nation and the world regarding the rebuilding of St. Nicholas Church. Very soon after 9/11, the Governor expressed his commitment that this church would be rebuilt and this gathering manifests yet again that he is an honorable person who stands by his word. We are encouraged... Read more

Contrary to other voices opposed to building the “house of worship” at Ground Zero — I say, by all means, build it! Go here for video. The story. Read more

This week’s episode of the Orthodixie Podcast is taken from the forthcoming audio version of the book We Came, We Saw, We Converted … Here at the Orthodixie Headquarters we are blessed, from time to time, to receive letters and email from Ancient Faith Radio listeners. Just for fun, here’s a few: Dear Fr Joseph, I am new to Orthodoxy, having converted last Pascha, and since that time I’ve heard the phrase “back in the Old Country” many, many times.... Read more

Metropolitan Christopher was from Galveston, Texas, and was an alumnus of Nashotah House Seminary (see below). UPDATE: FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE NEWLY REPOSED METROPOLITAN +CHRISTOPHER OF BLESSED MEMORY: AUGUST 23, 2010 – Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, 10:00 AM, Monday, August 23, 2010, at Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, 5701 N. Redwood Drive, Chicago, IL 60631. – Funeral Matins, 7:00 PM, Monday, August 23, 2010, at Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, 5701 N. Redwood Drive, Chicago, IL 60631. AUGUST 24, 2010 –... Read more

I had lunch at a restaurant near the church today and they had little brightly colored signs advertising: August 17th, 2010 – Halfway to MARDI GRAS! The additional brightly colored chalk-written Mardi Gras drink specials revealed their aim. Drink up! Lent’s only 6 months away! Y’all? It just seemed loopy. (BTW, I checked, they were wrong. Fat Tuesday was six months ago.) Image Source Read more

The Church Year begins on September 1st and contains 12 Great Feasts. The first Feast of the year is the Birth of Mary, the Theotokos, on September 8th. The final Feast of the Church Year is the death of Mary — or, the Dormition — on August 15th. THEOTOKOS: Theotokos is a compound of two Greek words, θεος “God” and τοκος “parturition, childbirth.” Literally, this translates as “God-bearer” or “One who gave birth to God.” However, since many English-speaking Orthodox... Read more

The following, just for “fun” & FYI, is excerpted from The Writer’s Almanac: Today is Friday the 13th. Twenty million Americans are feeling unlucky today — people who suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia. It’s a 99-year-old word made up of a combination of the Norse and Greek roots words for “fear” and “Friday” and “13.” Folklorists say that the phobia itself is a combination of two separate superstition-induced phobias — 13 is unlucky in much of folklore and so is Friday. Whenever... Read more

Critics of the Manhattan Declaration — specifically those believing “members of communions other than their own should not be considered Christian” — are taken to task by S.M. Hutchens in a TOUCHSTONE editorial (Mar/Apr ’10, pp.3-4) wherein he quotes, among others, Father Seraphim Rose: “We should view the non-Orthodox as people to whom Orthodoxy has not yet been revealed, as people who are potentially Orthodox (if only we ourselves would give them a better example). There is no reason why... Read more

While at Camp St Raphael in July, I was pleasantly surprised when one of the teens asked: “Whatever happened to Fr Danislav Gregorio?” I said, “What do you mean – What happened to him?” “After you spoke with him about his book An Empty Church is a Peaceful Church, you knocked him out,” he said. “So, whatever happened to him?” You know, the young camper had a point. So, having not seen him since that interview back in November of... Read more

People are usually characterized as intelligent based on an incorrect usage of that word. It is not those who have studied the sayings and writings of ancient wise men that are intelligent. Rather, it is those who have an intelligent rational soul, who are capable of distinguishing good from evil, who avoid everything that is evil and bad for the soul, and who wisely show concern for the good and useful, and while doing so, render great thanks to God.... Read more