To view a photo collection from the weekend’s events, see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8135007@N03/collections/72157612808480334/

 

Mexican Exarchate elevated to Diocese

 

Submitted by Fr. Antonio Perdomo,

Rector of St. George Orthodox Church, Pharr, Texas.

 

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” ~ Matthew 28:18-20

 

 

[Pharr] On Sunday, January 18, 2009, it was apparent that the Holy Spirit gathered Christ’s Church together in Mexico City for a significant event. Metropolitan Jonah, most Hierarchs from the Holy Synod of Bishops, clergy, monastics and a multitude of the faithful from throughout Mexico, the United States and Canada gathered at La Catedral de la Asención de Nuestro Señor. Hundreds witnessed the blessed occasion of the Auxiliary Bishop of Mexico’s elevation to Ruling Bishop and the Exarchate of Mexico into a full Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America. The celebration of this momentous event found Bishop Alejo [Pacheco-Vera], surrounded by several of the founding Clergy of the Orthodox Church in Mexico, including Priest Ramon Merlos and  Priest José Raul Valencia, as well as long-time Exarchate of Mexico Hierarch, Archbishop Dmitri. All present rejoiced at participating in this long awaited and critical next step towards bringing the fullness of the Church into the culture of Latin America. Native Mexican Priest, Ramon Merlos, Rector of Our Lady of Kazan Russian Orthodox Church in San Diego, California said, “This was a very historical event for Mexico. For the first time ever, we had six guest Bishops plus the Metropolitan, come here to support and pray with us as the holy Orthodox Church in Mexico. The people present had a deeply spiritual experience.” 

 

In Spanish, Metropolitan Jonah shared how awesome it is to at last elevate the Church in Mexico from Exarchate to Diocese of the OCA, and to fully equip the Church there to accomplish the task Christ has set before it. At the end of the installment services, each visiting Bishop in turn offered their wishes and congratulations for Bishop Alejo and the new Diocese of Mexico. Archbishop Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada stated that the Church in North America is like a sandwich, with Canada and Mexico being the bread and the USA being the nourishing filling. The Metropolitan added that now there exists the Orthodox Church in Mexico, in America and in Canada, and that between all of these is an indivisible unity of mutual love and purpose.  

 

Among the many apparent things during this weekend was the grace of the Holy Spirit and how the gospel of Christ is being shared with the indigenous people of that land. With the foundation now laid, the fields are ready for harvest. The Diocese of Mexico currently contains nine churches and missions, including the Cathedral of the Ascension in Mexico City, and several thousand faithful. What is needed indeed is for all of us to pray the Lord of the harvest to prepare and send workers to this field.

 

Mexican seminarian from St. Tikhon’s Seminary in Pennsylvania, Sub Deacon Abraham Labrada said, “It is good to experience, participate in and help build the Orthodox Church in Mexico as it now enters into this new chapter of its story.”  Guests from the St. Tikhon’s Seminary Mission Choir sang during Saturday evening’s Vespers service. The Mission Choir joined the Cathedral Choir and guests from St. George Orthodox Church Choir in Pharr, Texas during the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and Enthronement.  The beauty of Christ and His Church were tangibly reflected in the liturgical services of the weekend. Everyone present acclaimed that the Orthodox Church is alive and active in Mexico. “It was a wonderful and awe-inspiring weekend. We were very blessed to be here,” said guest choir director, Analucia Perdomo of St. George’s Orthodox Church in Pharr, Texas. The University of Texas Pan American student continued, “Through our many visits over the past several years, we’ve been blessed to see the Mexican Exarchate grow, become a Diocese and now come into its own. It is great to, in some small way, have been part of it all.”

 

Besides Metropolitan Jonah and Bishop Alejo of Mexico, other hierarchs in attendance at this notable event included Archbishop Dmitri of Dallas and the South, Archbishop Nathanial of the Romanian Diocese, Archbishop Seraphim of Ottawa and Canada, Bishop Benjamin of the West and Bishop Tikhon of Eastern Pennsylvania. Clergy attending included Priest Ernesto Rios, Priest Ramon Merlos, Priest Dennis Pihach, Priest José Raul Valencia-Salinas, Igumen Nazario Ipac-Uribe, Priest Jorge Barrera-Zermeno, Priest Antonio Perdomo, Priest José Luis Serna-Estrada, Hieromonk Victorin Torres-Martinez and Hieromonk Serafin Mendoza Segundo. A number of deacons, sub-deacons and monastics were also present for the weekend. 

 

The intent of the first Orthodox missionaries who came to Alaska was to share the good news of the gospel and evangelize the natives of North America. Evangelization has been a continual theme handed down to all Orthodox Christians from apostolic times to this day. This continued commission was most recently witnessed by many as we gathered in Mexico City for the installation of Bishop Alejo as the Bishop of Mexico City and Mexico. A giant step forward occurred as the Orthodox Church in Mexico was brought into a fullness which now allows it to fulfill the commission of our Lord, and therefore manifest the grace of God and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Edinburg, Texas university student, Cristina Perdomo added, “The weekend in Mexico was deeply moving. It was filled with the grace of the holy spirit as well as the undying communion of the entire church, as Mexico was elevated to become its own Diocese.”

 

 

It is feasible that many might be surprised by the previous statement. Often, when the subject of Orthodoxy in Mexico comes up, the question most often asked is if the Orthodox Church even exists in Mexico. It does and has for nearly 45 years. In 1965, Bishop José [Cortes - Olmos], and his clergy contacted the rector of St. Seraphim's Church in Dallas, Texas, Father Dmitri [Royster], now the Archbishop of Dallas and the South. Archbishop Dmitri, instrumental in converting many Mexicans to Orthodoxy, translated many Orthodox liturgical services into Spanish. Archbishop Dmitri presented the case of the Orthodox Church in Mexico to the hierarchy of the OCA. After a number of exchanges and informal visits, the Holy Synod officially sent Archbishop Dmitri to visit Mexico and to report on his findings. That report, studied by the OCA's Department of Canonical Affairs, recommended the acceptance of the Mexican communities into the Orthodox Church in America.

 

In 1971, Bishop José petitioned for the acceptance of the Church into the Orthodox Church in America. He and other priests of his community were received in their Roman Catholic rank of priest. Prior to his consecration as Bishop of Mexico City, Father José studied at St. Vladimir's Seminary. He was consecrated at the Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in New York City on April 22, 1972.

 

On January 28, 1983, Bishop José fell asleep in the Lord after a relatively short bout with cancer. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Ireney, presided at the funeral service in Mexico City on February 1, 1983.  It was not until 2005 that a successor to Bishop José was found. On May 28 of that year, at St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania, Archimandrite Antonio Alejo [Pacheco-Vera] was consecrated as Bishop Alejo, the Auxiliary Bishop of Mexico City within the Exarchate of Mexico. As of this past weekend, both Bishop Alejo and the Diocese of Mexico have been elevated, to the Glory of Christ and His Church.

 

It is my hope that in the future, questions will not be asked about if there is an Orthodox Church in Mexico, but rather, how we can help support its work. Now, more than ever, the entire Orthodox Church in America can become aware that throughout Mexico and Latin America, there exists an alive and active Orthodox Church made up of our brothers and sisters in Christ. The Diocese of Mexico is part of us; part of our body; the body of Christ. It is a part of us which we can all share in and support through our ongoing prayers and ministry efforts.  Truly, the historic event witnessed by hundreds gives us the hope that the gospel will take hold and bring forth much fruit in Latin America. If you or your parish would like to learn more about or assist in supporting missionary efforts in Mexico and Latin America, please feel free to contact Father Antonio Perdomo at 956-781-2388 or 781-6114 or by email at padreantoniop@aol.com. 

 

To view a photo collection from the weekend’s events, see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8135007@N03/collections/72157612808480334/

 

 

 

 

Okay, folks. This is my very first ever try at this sort of thing.  After many hours of editing, trial and error, I think it's almost okay to watch. The format (SoundSlides) won't let me put it up on YouTube, so you'll have to view my "baby" production on this WebNG site.

So - without further adieu - here's "Man in Black" - a tribute to all the men in black we know and love so well.

Man in Black          To read the captions/lyrics of the song as you watch, click on the bottom right hand side of the media screen where it says, of all things, "Captions."

Or link at: http://www.webng.com/mateliza/Man%20in%20Black/

 

Let me know what you all think, okay?  Our Parish website (which tells about activities at which these photos were taken) can be found at: www.stgeorgepantry.org

Our Flickr photo site with many sets of pics is at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8135007@N03/sets/

Photo: The "Hermit Elder" - a Sage on "Little Mount Athos" - came out to talk to the young people after they boated

over to the holy island.

 

St. Peter the Aleut Orthodox Summer Camp, a Pan-Orthodox Christian Summer Camp, held in June/July 2008 at the YMCA Camp in Possum Kingdom Lake in North Texas. Clergy Chaplains were Fr. John Anderson, of St. Seraphim's Orthodox Cathedral in Dallas, Texas and Fr. Antonio Perdomo, of St. George's Orthodox Church in Pharr, Texas. In addition to daily prayers and various liturgical services, there were many fun activities throughout the week. These included archery, sailing, riflry, canoeing, swimming, some very puzzling craft projects, blobbing, horseback riding and a ride out to what has been dubbed as, "Little Mount Athos Island" where a wise old sage, a hermit of the mountain, came out and spoke to the young people. The week was sprinkled with spiritual topic sessions. This year's topic was on relationships: between friends, family, courtship and marriage. Nightly campfire question and answer discussions also took place with the older youth, young adults and clergy. The week ended with a talent show and some truly - amazing - skits and musical presentations. Before everyone left, each camper received an "award" for that which they contributed to this year's camp experience. After the obligatory group photos, all were sad to leave. Until next year... enjoy the photos.

 

All of the photos we have from the St. Peter the Aleut Orthodox Summer Camp can be viewed at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8135007@N03/sets/72157606112852751/    Have fun, folks!

 

P.S.  Just a Musical Hint: I found that it's really nice watching the photos as a slide show while listening to Aaron Copeland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" and then "The Rodeo Ballet", "Billy the Kid", "Appalachian Spring" et all...

 

 

An Orthodox Statement on the Environmental Crisis

With these words, the Liturgy captures the heart of the Orthodox vision and understanding of our relationship both to creation and creator. Creation- ourselves included – is of God. We do not own creation but are the free agents through whom creation is offered to the creator.

The purpose of creation is summed up in its worship of the creator. This is most beautifully expressed in the Christmas Hymn.

“What shall we offer Thee, O Christ, who for our sake was seen on earth as man? For everything created by Thee offers Thee thanks. The angels offer Thee their hymn; the heavens, the star; the Magi, their gifts; the shepherds, their wonder; the earth, the cave; the wilderness, the manger; while we offer Thee a Virgin Mother, O pre-eternal God, have mercy upon us…”

(Hymn for vespers, Christmas Day)

The whole of the universe worships and offers gifts to its Creator. In the very shape of the churches and the placing of icons, mosaics or frescoes within them we find a microcosm of the universe which clarifies the role both of humanity and the rest of creation in relation to God. For it is an expression not just of what is on earth today, but of what exists in heaven and what is to come – the eschatological promise and the redemptive transformation of all creation through the salvation wrought by Christ Jesus. This is expressed by St Paul in his letter to the Romans, Chapter 8. As the Greek Fathers have also taught,

“God became man so that man can become God, while creation can be transfigured by the action of the uncreated energies of God (St Gregory Palamas).

In worship, the Orthodox Church conveys this profound understanding of creation. In particular, the role of humanity as the priesthood of creation is most clearly shown. For instance, the prayers and psalms tell us of the sanctification of all creation. Every day in our Vespers, we sing Psalm 103 which says:

“Bless the Lord all his works. In all places of his dominion, bless the Lord O my soul.”

It is captured in our blessings for all manner of elements of creation. The blessing of waters shows us the sanctifying and redemptive power given to an element of creation through the invocation of the Holy Spirit by the Church. The blessings for all manner of natural elements such as the fields, vineyards, first fruits, wheat etc, show how the Church recognises the transformation of all aspects of creation through the salvation and glorification of humanity and thus of all creation.

“Therefore, O King who lovest mankind, do Thou thyself be present now as then through the descent of Thy Holy Spirit, and sanctify this water. And confer upon it the grace of redemption, the blessing of the Jordan.
Make it a source of incorruption, a gift of sanctification, a remission of the sins, a protection against disease, a destruction to demons, inaccessible to the adverse powers and filled with angelic strength: that all who draw from it and partake of it may have it for the cleansing of their soul and body, for the healing of their passions, for the sanctification of their dwellings, and for every purpose that is expedient.
For thou art our God, who hast renewed through water and spirit our nature grown old through sin. Thou art our God, who hast drowned sin though water in the days of Noah. Thou art our God who, through the waters of the sea, at Moses’ hand set free the Hebrew nation from the bondage of Pharaoh. Thou art our God who, has cleft the rock in the wilderness: the waters gushed out, the streams overflowed, and thou hast satisfied Thy thirsty people. Thou art our God who by water and fire through Elijah has brought back Israel from the error of Baal.
Do Thou Thyself, O Master, now as then sanctify this water by Thy Holy Spirit. Grant to all those who touch it, who anoint themselves with it or drink from it, sanctification, blessing, cleansing and health.”
(Prayer for Blessing of Waters and Theophany)

Orthodox worship is about the celebration and thus the use of all aspects of the senses. It is about sight, sound, taste, smell and touch. It uses and appreciates the material - be that wood and paint, writing materials, bread and wine or burning incense.



In iconography it takes the material and sanctifies it. The use of materials to make icons and the presence of elements of the natural world in most icons – animals, plants, countryside, mountains, rivers – all affirm the God-given nature of creation; its transfiguration and its place with us in salvation. The anti-gnostic teachings of the Church mean that the material world is held to be of God and is thus, in its essence, good.

In a similar way, Byzantine Churches were built in harmony, one might even say communion, with their natural surroundings. The art and architecture were not autonomous, but together with iconography and chant they contribute to the ethos of worship, giving it its physical, material expression. Thus it was natural that absolute symmetry was usually avoided; each architectural feature retained its own character while maintaining complete harmony with the overall conception.

At the centre of worship is the Eucharist. The Eucharist is also the most sublime expression and experience of creation transformed by God the Holy Spirit through redemption and worship. In the form of bread and wine, material from creation moulded into new form by human hands, is offered to God with the acknowledgement, spelt out in the words that started this Orthodox Statement:



- meaning that all of creation is God’s and that we are returning that which is His - in the sense that this captures the primordial relationship of Adam to both God and Creation. It is a sign of the restoration of that relationship and even more than that a foretaste of the eschatological state of creation. When we partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, God meets us in the very substance of our relationship with creation and truly enters into the very being of our biological existence.

From this, we know that humanity occupies the most special place of all creation - but that it is not the whole of creation. We know that, since everything comes is from God (as is revealed for the instance in Job 38-39) we must respect creation and acknowledge that we are not its owners, but only the ones who may enhance it with the use of our technology and skill so as to offer it again to its creator. There is no escape from the conclusion that we are responsible before God for the care of creation. It is our responsibility to protect its extraordinary richness and conserve, through wise use, its resources, not least that of the greedy exercise of that power.

Just as the priest at the Eucharist offers the fullness of creation and receives it back as the blessing of Grace in the form of the consecrated bread and wine, to share with others, so we must be the channel through which God’s grace and deliverance is shared with all creation. The human being is simply yet gloriously the means for the expression of creation in its fullness and the coming of God’s deliverance for all creation.

“He who speaks contemptuously against the humble man and does not consider him an animate creature, is like one who has opened his mouth against God. And through the humble man is contemptible in his eyes, his honour is esteemed by all creation. The humble man approaches ravening beasts, and when their gaze rests upon him, their wilderness is tamed, they come up to his as to their Master, wag their heads and tails and lick his hands and feet, for they smell coming from him the same scent that exhaled from Adam before the fall, when they were gathered before him and he gave them names in Paradise. This was taken away from us, but Jesus has renewed it, and given it back to us through His Coming. This it is which has sweetened the fragrance of the race of men.”
Homily 77 from: The ascetical homilies of S.Isaac the Syrian.

But when we look today at our world, we see a very different picture. Humanity’s rebellion, pride and greed has shattered the primordial relationship with Adam. It has ignored or discarded the Church’s understanding of our role as priests of creation. For now we behave like the exploiters and robbers of creation. By doing so, we have brought not just species but entire eco-systems to destruction. Our world is facing a crisis of death and corruption to a degree never before experienced. The Fathers of the Church, while being able to recognise sin as the basic cause, never had to experience such all-embracing and life-threatening consequences of sin to creation as we do today.



Throughout the world, forest are being destroyed by fires and logging; wetlands are being drained for development and agriculture; species are disappearing as a result of greed and ignorance; natural resources are being wasted faster than they are being replenished; waters are being soiled and skies polluted. The global crisis is threatening the very world upon which we human beings depend.

We must attempt to return to a proper relationship with the Creator AND the creation. This may well mean that just as a shepherd will in times of greatest hazard, lay down his life for his flock, so humans may need to forego part of their wants and needs in order that the survival of the natural world can be assured. This is a new situation – a new challenge. It calls for humanity to bear some of the pain of creation as well as to enjoy and celebrate it. It calls first and foremost for repentance – but of an order not previously understood by many.

“Love all God’s creation, the whole of it and every grain of sand. Love every leaf, every ray of God’s light. Love the animals, the plants, love everything. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things. And once you have perceived it, you will begin to comprehend it ceaselessly, more and more everyday. And you will at last come to love the whole world with an abiding universal love. Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and untroubled joy. Do not therefore trouble it, do not torture them, do not deprive them of their joy, do not go against God’s intent.” Fyodor Mikhail Dostoevsky

But repentance – words- without action are meaningless. As Christ says:



But we must call for an approach to give expression in our everyday life, to this repentance.

The monastic and ascetic traditions of the Orthodox Church have important insights for us.
• 1. They develop sensitivity to the suffering of all creation. There are many stories of great saints living side by side with other creatures, sharing their everyday life.
• 2. They offer a celebratory use of resources of creation in a spirit of “ enkrateia” and liberation from the passions. Within such a tradition many human beings have experienced a more profound joy and a more lasting satisfaction than the ephemeral and illusory pleasures of a consumer society would lead us to consider possible.
• 3. The emphasis on community rather than individual in the cenobitic monastic tradition is central to a balanced understanding of our needs

It is in this asceticism that many of us will experience the pain which is that of the shepherd willing to suffer for the sake of his flock. For without substantial changes in how we live and what we expect from life, we will fail to fulfil our God-given role in creation.

Many, too many, of us have allowed greed, selfishness and simple ignorance to alter our world and the way we relate to it. Our agricultural land, once clean and productive, has been spoiled by excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. By burning out fast-disappearing forests, unscrupulous land grabbers are destroying a fragile resource simply to gain illegal title to land. Developers who dump raw sewage into our once crystal-clear seas and who build haphazardly on out beaches are attacking not only those of us who are content with living in harmony with nature, a nature that is fast vanishing, but are attaching so many aspects of creation as a whole.

We cannot continue plundering God’s creation without reaping the results of its eventual destruction. We should also note that we cannot look at creation and decide what is useful, what is not. Jesus taught us that it was through those things which men call foolish that God has often spoken to us. The weak, the ‘useless’, the foolish, the broken, have to be taken as part of the whole of creation, for through them we can often glimpse more of God than through the great, the powerful and the useful.

Who on earth would look at a pink, tiny forest flower and guess that the rosy periwinkle is responsible for virtually eradicating childhood leukaemia? Should the needs of sea turtles to nest and reproduce on Zakynthis and Akamas - virtually their only Mediterranean nesting sites - be recognised as fully as those of the tourists to enjoy themselves? Nature abounds with thousands of examples of seemingly useless or even harmful pests, reptiles, plants and mammals. Yet when examined more closely, what is harmful or useless to some species maybe crucial to others. We are in no position to make that judgement. He who is has not set a sliding scale on the value of that which will be allowed to survive and that which will not.

We need to constantly encounter and be challenged by the profound teachings of the Church and by the cry of creation. It is the flock over which we have been set but which now lies victim to our faithlessness. Our model can only be the One who came to be the shepherd: Jesus Christ.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate, 1990
Assisted by WWF, with the translation and publication in a booklet made possible by Theodore and Margarita Samourka, and the Samourkas Foundation.

 

From: http://www.arcworld.org/faiths.asp?pageID=121

 

 

 

A few more photos are found on St. John the Wonderworker Church in Atlanta, GA's website at:

 Some on my friend, Andrea Elizabeth's Wordpress blog at:

http://bloggingsbetter.wordpress.com/2008/06/30/divine-liturgy-at-the-cathedral-in-dallas/

And, some are also on the DOS website at:

Day Three at the DOS Assembly   (18 images) view slideshow >

 

 

Newly returned from our Diocese of the South Annual Assembly held in Dallas, Texas, I wanted to share our photos from the journey. However, they are currently being held hostage by certain daughters who are still lingering up in the Weatherford, Texas area, with the somewhat flimsy excuse of attending St. Peter the Aleut Orthodox Summer Camp this coming week, begining Monday... So, you and I will all just have to wait for the 500+ photos they have on their various camera chips, and content yourself with a few I've "snaggled" from other more punctual internet sites. Above. one can see the backs of many dearly beloved people, including a number of special backs (see table to lower left). Our daughters and their friend Joanna are to the immediate left of these young gentlemen. We are seated several tables forward, just out of their sight...