These are both great feasts, so Orthodox Christians are expected to prepare for and receive Holy Communion on these days.
August 20/September 2: Afterfeast of the Dormition; Prophet Samuel
August 27/September 9: St. Poemen the Great
September 3/16: Holy Passion-Bearer Edward, King of England
September 8/21: Afterfeast of the Nativity of the Theotokos; Sunday before the Exaltation of the Holy Cross; Martyrs Menodora, Metrodora and Nymphodora
September 17/30: Afterfeast of the Exaltation. Sunday after Exaltation. Martyr Sophia and her daughters, Faith, Hope and Love.
ØCongratulations to the newly baptized, Elijah Venticinque, his godparents Reader Timothy Hawkins and Natalie Moczerniak, and his parents Herbert and Anna Venticinque. Many years!
ØFr. Peter and Matushka will be out of town October 1-5. Fr. Gregory Naumenko will be on call for emergencies. He can be reached at (585) 224-0554.
ØThe Parish Council will meet on Sunday, September 10, after Divine Liturgy.
ØTuesday, September 11, is the annual commemoration of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. This is a strict fast day, just like a Wednesday or a Friday.
vNatalie Moczerniak: August 26/September 8 (Martyrs Adrian and Natalia)
vAlexander Tkaczevski: August 30/September 12 (St. Alexander Nevsky)
vAlexander (Liam) Semanchuk-Enser: Aug. 30/Sept. 12 (St. Alexander Nevsky)
vEdward Akiwumi: September 3/16 (Martyr-King Edward of England)
vRaissa Semanchuk: September 5/18 (Virgin Martyr Raisa of Alexandria)
vMichael Tkaczevski: September 6/19: (Miracle of St. Michael at Chonae)
vAnne Riszko: September 9/22 (Sts. Joachim and Anna)
vSilouan Dudley: September 11/24: (St. Silouan of Mount Athos)
vSophia Cinelli: Sept. 17/30 (Martyr Sophia and her daughters Faith, Hope and Love)
vVera Hadzi-Antich: Sept. 17/30 (Martyr Sophia and her daughters Faith, Hope and Love)
МногаяЛета! Many Years!
MOSCOW: On August 13, Metropolitan Kyrill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, head of the Department of External Church Affairs of the MP, at a press conference with "Novosti", spoke of the joint position with regard to ecumenism that was worked out in the process of restoring canonical unity of the two parts of the Russian Orthodox Church. He also repeated three times, that the theme of relations with non-Orthodox should be discussed in the RussianChurch at the most serious theological level.
"As we examined the questions of ecumenism together, it became clear that we have no disagreements", thus the head of the Department of External Church Relations of the MP characterized one of the most important results of the process of reunion. Despite the "most profound crisis" in which, as he said, "the so-called ecumenical movement" now finds itself, all Christians are still "interested in overcoming divisions" in the face of common problems: "the elimination of Christian values from public life".
The Russian Orthodox Church rejects ecumenism as "a mixing of faiths, as a compromise in doctrine, as placing in doubt the uniqueness of the Orthodox Church as the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church"; Metropolitan Kyrill gave this definition, and added that such an interpretation had indeed evoked consternation in the Russian Church Abroad: "It seemed as if our contacts with others 'a priori' bore in itself a rejection of our positions". However, these alarms were mistaken: in Vladyka's words, "Never, in all the history of the Russian Orthodox Church's involvement with inter-Christian contacts, never did any hierarchy, any priest, layman or theologian give by his words any reason to think thus".
"The so-called ecumenical movement" is defined by the Metropolitan as "an effort of Christians to find a common doctrinal, theological language", however, he emphasized, that on this path there can be no "doctrinal compromises". In his words, the main task of the Russian Orthodox Church in the ecumenical movement is "to bear witness of the One, Holy, Catholic and ApostolicChurch of the Seven Ecumenical Councils, which fully continues her historic existence in Orthodoxy". Only Orthodoxy can be "the basis for any joining together: our Church has no other position; ROCOR has exactly the same position", noted the hierarch.
He again emphasized that "maintaining our positions does not exclude dialogue with others on those problems which today concern everyone: these are the problems of morality, humanity, life and death, the future of the planet". On these questions, Christians "should give a common answer, so that the whole world might hear".
In both the Orthodox and the CatholicChurches, there are both those who "regard the theme of dialogue positively" and those who consider that "dialogue may bring some harm". Metropolitan Kyrill noted with regret that in the RussianChurch there are forces that "use the theme of ecumenism in order to compromise the church authority, to create phobias in people's minds".
Overcoming these negative tendencies is possible only through a wide theological discussion of the themes of ecumenical dialogue. For dialogue, it is necessary to listen to the voice of another; "In order to bring about correct relations with the Catholics and even with the Protestants, we must listen to their voices. For our theology not to be cut off from reality, we must hear the voices of others, the voices of our brothers the Moslems". Such contacts do not carry a concealed threat of "betraying one's own foundations, one's own convictions", concluded Metropolitan Kyrill.
Blagovest-info/Sedmitza.Ru
Moscow Patriarchate and RussianChurch Outside Russia can compile single list of new martyrs already within a year - Canonization Commission
St. Petersburg, August 29, Interfax - A single list of new martyrs can be compiled by the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Church Outside Russia as now its part within a year, Archpriest Georgy Mitrofanov, a member of the Synodal Canonization Commission, has stated.
‘During its summer session in July, the Moscow Patriarchate Commission for Canonization set up a working group, which is to work together with the ROCOR working group for canonization to compile a single calendar list of saints including new martyrs’, Father Georgy told Interfax on Wednesday.
‘I believe the two working groups working together will be able to compile within a year a common list of new martyrs, that is, people who suffered for their faith at the hands of the Bolsheviks’, he added.
The work for drafting a common martyrologue will most probably start this autumn, the priest believes.
It is needed, he explained, because in its time the Russian Church Outside Russia canonized new martyrs altogether, including them in the list of saints all at once because it had no opportunity to look into the fate of each separately. In addition, the ROCOR had no access to the archives which documented the behavior of a particular person during interrogations.
‘The canonization in the Church Outside Russia was accomplished in this way: first the Assembly of the Saints was glorified with some names given and an icon was composed, depicting also those who were not named specifically, and only after that a list of names was compiled. We did it differently, as each canonization was accomplished individually. We worked slowly, carefully and thoroughly studied the archives’, Father Georgy explained.
Because of this ‘reversed’ order of canonization in the Church Outside Russia some oddities happened, the priest related. For instance, canonized together with the royal family were some of their servants of non-Orthodox faith.
‘If in compiling a single list, some disputable points arise, the name under question will not be included in our list. But no formal procedure of de-canonization will be pursued’, Father Georgy said.
The most outstanding person in the ROCOR list of new martyrs, who have not been canonized by the Moscow Patriarchate, is Archbishop Ioann Maksimovich of Shanghai, who was the spiritual leader of the Russian emigres in China after the 1917 Revolution. ‘He will not need a new canonization; he will be just included in the common list’, Father Georgy Mitrofanov said.
RussianChurch has not yet formulated its official opinion on the discovery of remnants which may belong to the royal family - Metropolitan Juvenaly
Mytischi, Moscow Region, August 29, Interfax - The Russian Orthodox Church has not yet formulated its official opinion concerning the discovery of remnants which may belong to Nicholas II’s two children - Crown Prince Alexis and Princess Maria, Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna, head of the Synodal Commission for Canonization, told Interfax on Wednesday.
‘Representatives of our Church have given comments on the discovery of these remnants, but no single attitude has been so far formulated in the Russian Orthodox Church’, the metropolitan remarked.
‘As a member of the state commission, which examined the remnants buried in St. Petersburg, I can say that it is necessary to carry out a considerable scientific research work to prove whether these remnants really belong to some members of the royal family’, he said, adding that the recognition of the remnant which were buried in Sts Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg is not on the Church’s agenda for the time present.
‘Scientists should prove whether there is any connection between those remnants which were buried in Sts Peter and Paul Fortress and the newly-discovered ones. Perhaps we will consider the recognition of only those remnants which have been discovered recently. Anyway, I do not want to make any sensational statements now. We should give time to scientists for their work’, Metropolitan Juvenaly concluded.
Only names of Orthodox Christians may be included. If you would like special prayers for your non-Orthodox family or friends, a moleben may be requested, but at the Divine Liturgy only Orthodox believers can be prayed for.
Instead of “Father ______”, use the specific title in your commemoration list: priest, archpriest, monk, hieromonk, igumen, archimandrite, deacon, hierodeacon, protodeacon, archdeacon. Otherwise, it is too ambiguous. “Father” is a term of address, not a title.
Do not use “Vladyka”, either, for the same reasons. Specify bishop, archbishop, metropolitan or patriarch.
Do not use abbreviated forms of names. Write “Maria” instead of “Masha”, “Alexander” or “Alexandra” rather than “Sasha”, etc.
