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The cold and the snow did not deter the faithful from celebrating the first Divine Liturgy of the newly established Orthodox Mission in Parker, Colorado on Sunday, December 09, 2012. Inspired and led by Father Anthony Karbo, this group of 41 missionaries planted the seeds of Orthodoxy on fertile ground in an area of the Southeastern Denver Metro area containing 60,000 people but not one Orthodox Church of any jurisdiction. Faithful from Elizabeth, Parker, Aurora, Centennial, Colorado Springs and Littleton converged on this neighborhood community center to establish this foothold of Orthodoxy.
From the portable iconostasis to the angelic voices of the choir, this first service exceeded everyone’s expectations. This mission is a collaborative effort of three OCA parishes in the Rocky Mountain Deanery; Holy Theophany in Colorado Springs, St Herman’s in Littleton and Holy Transfiguration in Denver. Although this mission church is sponsored by the Orthodox Church in America, its goal is to become a pan Orthodox oasis for anyone to have a place to worship should they not be able to travel to other churches in the area. Attendees of today’s services acknowledged they travel anywhere from 25 minutes to over an hour to get to the nearest Orthodox church from their homes.
After the service, everyone shared in fellowship over a pot luck luncheon. For now, the mission will celebrate Diving Liturgy on the second Sunday of each month, starting at 9:30 am. Through God’s grace they hope to expand beyond the 41 people who attended this first service and reach out to others; providing the opportunity for many to worship our Lord and Savior who live in the Southeast Denver Metro area.
The Holy Spirit is indeed inspiring this group of missionaries as they spread the work of our Lord to a section of this Denver Metro area. All of the people involved in cultivating this vineyard of our Lord ask that you keep them in your prayers as they continue to spread his word. Inquiries pertaining to the mission can be addressed to Fr. Anthony Karbo at Holy Theophany Orthodox Church in Colorado Springs.
Nativity 2012
The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
(Matthew 4:16)
To the Clergy, Monastics and Faithful of the Diocese of the West:
Christ is Born!
We celebrate today the entry of the pre-eternal God into time and human history. We marvel at the humility of the God who comes to Bethlehem to be born in a cave. We stand in awe of the Creator who comes forth from the Virgin’s womb, not to accuse or condemn a sinful world that trembles in a darkness of its own fashioning, but to bind up its wounds and to show it love and compassion. He comes as the Samaritan, Who being rejected and discounted, nevertheless takes pity on mankind that has fallen among thieves, been stripped of everything, beaten and left to die at the side of the road.
Our fallen world still stumbles in the darkness and refuses to accept the gentle light that has appeared in the manger today. Human beings still love the darkness and choose madness. And when, as it did at that elementary school in Connecticut just over a week ago, it seems that the evil of men has prevailed and there is no hope, Christ is born and we are humbled by God Who still finds us worth loving, Who still sees something of value in us.
We have been called through baptism and chrismation to be animate icons, to make God’s presence known and felt in the world. God reaches down and touches the world through our hands. He hears the cries of His creation by means of our ears. He sees the harm that men do through our eyes. And, our lips are called to proclaim His message, the Good News that He loved the world so much that He sent His only-begotten Son to abolish death and restore Adam and his children to life.
I ask God’s blessing upon you and your families. And, I pray that God can find us all to be worthy co-workers in bringing healing and the Light that can dispel every darkness to this troubled world.
+Archbishop Benjamin
Download a hard copy of this message here.
On St. Spiridon's Day, December 12, at St. Spiridon's Cathedral in Seattle, His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin blessed Mr. John R. Cox, Coast Guard Veteran, Railway Engineer, and the Senior Bellringer of the Cathedral, as a Church Bellringer.
The Russian Church recently approved a service for the setting apart of bell ringers. It is believed that was the first time the newly restored order (chin) of Church Bellringer has been served in North America. Mr. Cox and several others have taken bell ringing quite seriously and His Eminence views this as a means of not only blessing, but encouraging this long-neglected art.
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.”
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.
