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On Thursday and Friday, Nov 29 and 30, 2012, the clergy of the Rocky Mountain deanery gathered at St Andrew the Apostle Orthodox Church in Delta, Colorado for a deanery meeting, and to concelebrate the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle.
Joining us, specific to the Deanery Meeting, was Fr Sergios, abbot of St. Tikhon's Monastery, who presented a two=part reflection on the Mystery of the Divine Liturgy. Fr. Sergios brought with him the myrrh-streaming icon of St Anna, Foremother of God, and the epitrachelion of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Both the icon and stole were accompanied by corresponding relics of the saint. The deanery meeting was a time of reflection, sharing, “sharpening”, and encouragement, “our best ever!” stated one participant; surely referencing not only the ever-deepening sense of brotherhood, but also by virtue of the grace of the saints present with us.
Driving to Delta, several of us noted the disconcerting lack of snow atop the continental divide, and extremely low water levels in the Blue Mesa Reservoir. Lack of water in the Colorado Rockies threatens water supplies for much of the diocese. In light of this, immediately following Liturgy on Friday morning, the parish and clergy processed around the church with the wonder-working Icon, beseeching our Lord to send rain on our parched western lands. This was done in reference to a Romanian account of the Foremother of God alleviating a drought on behalf those who interceded before her icon.
In all, the icon visited five parishes within our deanery. Each service was truly a "mini-Pascha" for the host parish, complete with paschal procession. Much grace was tangibly present for all the faithful: our thirsty souls were quenched even as we sought rains upon the land, and blessed we were with gentle rains and snow in the mountains the following day!
Each year between Christmas and New Year's Day, Orthodox Christian Fellowship hosts Conferences for Orthodox college students across North America. These conferences are a time for college students to learn from and interact with some of the greatest speakers in the Orthodox world as well as join in prayer and fellowship with other students and young adults from all over.
Our College Conference – West will be hosting Fr. Damascene Christensen as our Keynote speaker this year at the St. Nicholas Ranch in Dunlap California. Please encourage your college students and young adults to register. Registration details:
OCF College Conference West – December 27-30, 2012 – St. Nicholas Ranch, Dunlap Calif.
Join college students and young adults from across the country this winter at OCF’s College Conference. This year’s theme comes from Hermas, one of the seventy, “Remember, never fear the power of evil more than your trust in the power and love of God.” Speakers include Fr. Damascene from St. Herman of Alaska Monastery in Platina, Soap Opera star Jonathan Jackson, and more. Limited grants are still available. For more information and to registration go to: www.ocf.net.
If you have any questions regarding College Conference or OCF in general, please contact Programs Manager John Mahfouz.
Phone: (661) 412-2267
Website: www.ocf.net
Email: programs (at) ocf.net
The whole diocesan family of the Diocese of the West wishes Many Years and a very happy 80th birthday to our former diocesan hierarch, His Grace, Bishop Tikhon. His Grace celebrated his birthday on November 14. May God bless him with many more years of health and happiness.
Clergy and lay delegates from the Diocese of the West traveled to Holy Trinity Church in Parma, Ohio, along with hundreds of other delegates from throughout other parts of North America to attend the 17th All-American Council. The Council had but one item on the agenda - the election of a new Metropolitan of All America and Canada. On Tuesday, November 13th, the Feastday of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, after a first ballot did not give anyone the required 2/3 vote for election, the second ballot nominated two candidates for election to the Holy Synod: His Eminence, Archbishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and His Grace, Bishop Michael of New York. After the bishops retired to the sanctuary to elect, it seemed good to the Synod and the Holy Spirit to elect His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon as Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of All America and Canada.
All the Faithful Clergy, Laity and Monastics of the Diocese of the West congratulate His Beatitude and assure him of our thoughts, best wishes and prayers as he begins his ministry as Primate of the Orthodox Church in America. Axios! Many Years!
For detailed stories and biography of His Beatitude, go here.
A UPDATED page with pictures and biographies of all Diocese of the West seminarians is now available on the website. You can access the page under the "Directories" tab or by clicking here.
It is hoped that diocesan parishes and individuals will find the desire and resources to help those of our diocese who are studying at the seminaries and may be future leaders of the Church. Scholarship assistance can be sent to the appropriate seminary with the seminarian's name included.
St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary
PO Box 130
South Canaan, PA 18459
www.stots.edu
St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary
575 Scarsdale Road
Crestwood, NY 10707
www.svots.edu
Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in Denver played host to the annual Assembly of the Diocese of the West October 2-4, 2012. Archpriest David Lowell and his wife, Elaine, shared a number of pictures from the week. Thanks to the whole cathedral family for their hospitality and generosity.
Fremont, CA – After 3 years of trying to find someone who could make a durable metal cross for their temple, St. Christina of Tyre Mission was able to install an Orthodox-style cross made of pure aluminum at the end of this past August.
The cross was water-cut by a local metal fabricator and then coated with a special gold surface which is used on high-rise buildings with a 20-year warrantee. The cross was blessed by His Eminence Archbishop Benjamin during his archpastoral visit for our patronal feast day and then installed at the end of August. According to Fr. Michael Anderson, rector of the mission, “We were blessed to have the help of a wonderful Ethiopian Orthodox carpenter who created the base for the cross as well as a electrician who had helped us with our initial rewiring of the building before we moved in who used his cherry-picker truck to elevate the cross into place. We wanted an Orthodox-style cross that was familiar to Orthodox people of the many backgrounds in our mission. It is the crowning jewel of all the incredible work that has been done to make what was a decaying building into a beautiful icon of the Kingdom of God. You can see the cross from every direction as you enter the neighborhood.”
On August 24th, Metropolitan Hilarion (ALFEYEV), head of the Department of External Affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, visited the diocesan chancery in San Francisco. Archbishop Benjamin greeted His Eminence at the doors of the cathedral, and told him of the history of the oldest Orthodox parish in the lower 48 while the Metropolitan venerated the vestments of St Tikhon of Moscow and the pectoral cross of St Philip of Moscow.
Afterwards the two hierarchs enjoyed a private, fraternal conversation in the chancery.
On August 27, Archbishop Benjamin concelebrated the Festal Vigil for Dormition (Old Calendar) with His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion (ROCOR), His Eminence, Metropolitan Jonah (OCA), His Eminence, Archbishop Kyrill (ROCOR), His Eminence, Archbishop Justinian (MP), and His Grace, Bishop Theodosius (ROCOR) at Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral, the Joy of All Who Sorrow (ROCOR) on Geary Ave in San Francisco. On August 28th His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokalamsk (MP) served at the festal Divine Liturgy with the other hierarchs concelebrating.
Other clergy concelebrating from the Orthodox Church in America included Archpriest Basil Rhodes, dean of the Pacific Central Deanery; Archpriest Stephan Meholick; Archdeacon Kirill Sokolov; and Deacon Brendan Doss.
Afterwards a formal banquet was served to all the hierarchs, clergy, and VIPs on the cathedral grounds.
On Saturday, August 25th, Hierarchs, Clergy, and Faithful from the OCA, ROCOR, and Moscow Patriarchate came together at the historical Fort Ross site in Jenner, CA to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Russian military outpost. His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev), head of the Department of External Affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, concelebrated the hierarchical liturgy with His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York (ROCOR). Also serving were His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West (OCA), His Eminence, Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada (ROCOR), His Eminence, Archbishop Justinian of Naro-Fominsk (MP), His Grace, Bishop Peter of Cleveland (ROCOR), and His Grace, Bishop Theodosius of Seattle (ROCOR). Also in attendance were His Eminence, Archbishop Gerasimos of San Francisco (GOA) and His Grace, Bishop Daniel of Dragovitsa (Bulgarian Patriarchate). Many clergy from the OCA, MP, and ROCOR churches served, with many faithful and pilgrims attending in prayer from all over the country and abroad.
The metropolitans were greeted at 9:30 am and presided over a beautiful open-air liturgy under a tent set up in the middle of the fort. Two choirs sang the responses – one in English from St Seraphim’s in Santa Rosa led by Nicholas Custer, and one in Slavonic from Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral in San Francisco (ROCOR). After the liturgy there was a cross procession around the fort, followed by a procession to the cemetery where a panikhida was sung for the souls of those Russians, Aleuts, and native Kushaya buried there.
Finally, fellowship was enjoyed by all within the walls of the fort, where traditional Russian song and dance troupes performed and a banquet was held for the celebrating clergy.
The Diocese of the West is the geographical district of the Orthodox Church in America consisting of the Western United States. The diocese has active parishes in Montana, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii. San Francisco is home to the diocese’s cathedral, Holy Trinity, as well as the Chancery offices. The diocese is led by His Grace Vasily, Bishop of San Francisco and the West.
