These pics are from our second “Instructional Liturgy” celebrated in St Elizabeth Chapel as part of our Church School curriculum. Our first experience was last fall with the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. This past Sunday, it was the Pre-K through 2nd graders’ turn. One of the highlights is performing the Proskomedia, the bread prep, in the midst of the community. This service, usually done long before parishioners arrive — especially young children — helps us appreciate and understand... Read more

AFR founder John Maddex announced this week, “It is a joy to introduce our second streaming station at Ancient Faith Radio called Ancient Faith Talk. Our survey results this past fall revealed a common thread of thought from our listeners, ‘Please give us a second station to house all of the wonderful podcasts and keep your first station primarily music.’ So starting on Saturday, January 19, you will have Ancient Faith Music, Ancient Faith Talk, and Ancient Faith Podcasts (for... Read more

An Orthodox twist on Allen Sherman’s famous 60’s song parody, “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh” … Hello Jiddo, hello Yaya.Here I am at Camp for Martyrs.Camp is very entertaining,Today they say we’ll even study icon painting. I share my bunk with Joseph Spivy.He snores just like my Amou and my Tye-tee.Next you see me, I’ll be thinner …Because they serve lentils and rice each night for dinner. All the counselors hate the waiters,I swear the girls are instigators,And the Priest he... Read more

Where the flesh is one, one is the spirit too. Together they pray, together prostrate themselves, together perform their fasts; mutually teaching, mutually exhorting, mutually sustaining. Equally are they both found in the Church of God; equally at the banquet of God; equally in straights; in persecutions, in refreshments. Neither hides from the other; neither shuns the other; neither is troublesome to the other; the sick is visited, the indigent relieved, with freedom. Alms are given without danger of torment;... Read more

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Ancient Faith Radio Will Discuss Orthodox Unity in North America with Charles Ajalat on this Week’s Illumined Heart … Chesterton, IN—The Illumined Heart—a program of Ancient Faith Radio—invites listeners to tune in this weekend for a compelling discussion with attorney Charles Ajalat entitled Toward an American Orthodox Church: questions of unity. In this interview Mr. Ajalat will share his insights into the unique conundrum of Orthodoxy in America—that is, multiple jurisdictions who share the same doctrine, worship, canons, and spiritual... Read more

A parishioner sent the following note & accompanying link (which included the pic) …I thought that a new development, namely Pope Benedict celebrating the Roman Catholic Mass facing East, was a pretty important one, and I thought I would send you a link about it. Its the first time that this has been done by a Pope in public since Vatican II. Hopefully this important step the Pope made today will help with Orthodox and Roman Catholic relations in that... Read more

Reposting this review; the book, just released, is a really funny read (especially for Net Surfers with a goodly dollop of theoknowledgey). Dispatches from the Intersection of Christianity and Pop CultureTom Breen, authorFr Joseph Huneycutt, only the reviewerIt’s high time that someone finally wrote this book, but it should have been me. I’m a bit put off that there was not a more sufficient waiting period. Scout’s honour, I’m writing just as fast as I can. Please, in the future... Read more

Final pics of the Winter Service Retreat sponsored by St George Church, Pharr, Texas — again in Mexico …Part 1 … Part 2 … Part 3 … Part 4… Part 5 As evidenced by the tree in the background, the Retreat takes place each year just after Christmas. Youth from all over the country travel down to the Rio Grande Valley for a week of worship, fellowship, spiritual sessions, and service to the poor and needy. On this particular day,... Read more

More pics from the Winter Service Retreat sponsored by St George Church, Pharr, Texas — again in Mexico …Part 1 … Part 2 … Part 3 … Part 4On Thursday, January 3rd, our group of helpful retreatants visited Casa Amparo Orphanage to deliver collected school supplies, clothes, food, and other items. Teens! Working!Working AND smiling! (Do try this at home 🙂 I made them promise not to take my picture … unless I was (also) working. I believe I actually... Read more