Summer 1999

In This Issue
Volume 4, Number 2

The Official Publication of the

Diocese of the West of the From His Grace................................................1
Orthodox Church in America

Diocese of the West Diocesan Outreach to Refugees

650 Micheltorena Street
Los Angeles, CA 90026
Providing Help at Home and Abroad.........................2
Phone: 1-800-323-6921

Publisher
A Quick Look at Immigration Laws................6
His Grace Bishop TIKHON
Bishop of San Francisco and
the Diocese of the West
Homeless Shelter in Phoenix..........................7
Address all stories and
editorial comments to:
Clergy Wives Retreat at Point Reyes..............8
Editor-in-Chief
Priest Eric G. Tosi
14 Shadow Place
Completing the Cycle of Services....................9
Billings, MT 59102
Phone and Fax: (406)254-1194
Email: marsaba@aol.com
Scouting Helps Youth in the Church................10
Address all circulation
and advertising to:
St. Innocent Society Enters 2nd Year..............11
Office of the Chancellor
5400 Annie Oakley Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89120
Billings Mission Gets Own Church...............13
Phone: (702)898-4800
Fax: (702)898-0303
Diocese Forms Four New Missions This Year
The Orthodox Vision is published three times Bozeman, Chico, Kirkland, Walla, Walla.................14
a year by the Diocese of the West. It is free to
all parish members and outreach within the
Diocese. Subscriptions outside the Diocese
is available for $10 per year in the United From the Fathers
States and $15 per year in Canada.
Archimandrite Justin Popovich..............................16
The articles contained herein do not neces-
sarily reflect the views or policies of the Dio-
cese or the editors. The advertisements con-
tained herein are not necessarily endorsed
by the Diocese or Editorial Staff.

From His Grace Bishop TIKHON
Maximalism, Fundamentalism and Other Bugbears
We hear more and more often of Orthodox maximalists and funda-
mentalists and, with few exceptions, what we hear is on the order of
warning or deprecation, or even derision. At least one entire book
has now been published on the dangers and pitfalls of the latter, and
a recent article in an Orthodox periodical derided, albeit lamely, the
former. “Fundamentalist”, due to the history of specific American
Protestant fundamentalism and its bad press and place in cultural
history, is something no one would like to be called. The word
“maximalist” is not so widely known and used; in fact, it is part of a
professional jargon, to wit, language of the sophomore religious
student preparing for full-time Church service. The concepts, how-
ever, of fundamentalism and maximalism represent, both of them,
something eminently admirable and positive. It may fairly be said
that Christ’s Gospel message is both fundamentalist and maximalist
in essence. Further, our Creed, Symbol of Faith, is a fundamentalist
document par excellence, and our Typicon is the very embodiment
of a maximalist liturgic.
Such exhortations as, “Be ye perfect as your heavenly father is
perfect,” “Pray without ceasing,” and others, such as the restate-
ment of the First and Greatest Commandment, are clear calls to total
commitment, total involvement, and the narrowest of focuses, to
wit: maximalism and fundamentalism.
It seems to me that today’s anxieties and overweening defensive-
ness about Orthodox fundamentalism and Orthodox maximalism
would better be directed not at extremism, but at wrong extremism,
the wrong kind of fundamentalism - the wrong kind of maximalism.
No one advocates being overly scrupulous; in fact, it’s a kind of
pathology; however, one writer, anxious perhaps to gain some “anti-
maximalist points,” recently attempted to portray such an over scru-
pulous person as confessing to having drunk coffee before Divine
Liturgy! I doubt if any maximalist, scrupulous or not, would recog-
nize himself in such a picture.
It is not fundamentalism and it is not maximalism that are endanger-
ing anyone’s salvation today. It is secularism, indifferentism and
outright and practical unbelief and faithlessness, pride, which are
endangering our salvation today. This secularism and faithlessness
may even be infecting those that have made a monastic commit-
ment!
Even if one were to accept without question the doubtful hypoth-
eses of these inveighing against fundamentalism and maximalism,
one would have to be guided in confronting such spiritual patholo-
gies by the well-known and absolutely correct course of action given
to us by the Holy Apostle Paul in his First Epistle to the Corinthians:
“But meat commendeth us not to God - for neither, if we eat, are we
the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed
lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to
them that are weak ... Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend,
I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother
to offend.”
1
The Orthodox Vision
Again, the same Apostle
writes to the Romans:
“For one believeth that he
may eat all things: another
who is weak, eateth herbs.
Let not him that eateth de-
spise him that eateth not;
and let not him which
eateth not judge him that
eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou to judge another
man’s servant?”
Nowhere does the Church teach that even the worst sinner should be
mocked, let alone the Christian of “weak conscience”, and, certainly, it
is at least as problematic for a monk to ridicule a layman for using a
prayer rope, making prostrations, and slavishly following the advice
of a spiritual father, as it is for that layman to use the prayer rope, make
prostrations and slavishly follow the advice of a spiritual father!
In terms that may be more appropriate to our society, which some-
times seems to ‘be obsessed with ritual and the outer manifesta-
tions of the inner man, one may ask this question: “Who is offend-
ing against the Apostle’s advice: the man, characterized as obscu-
rantist, fanatic, and of a quite low forehead in general, who may
speak less than respectfully towards a shaven or beardless Priest or
Hierarch, or the other man, knowledgeable, of “informed faith,” with
the highest of homo sapiens foreheads who inveighs against or
otherwise fears and scorns anachronistic beards, and long hair?
There is an easy way to determine “who is right” in such controver-
sies that agitate our times as no others. The one who is right, ac-
cording to what the Apostle has written, is the man with a beard and
long hair who will quickly shave it off upon hearing that it offends
his brother, or the clean-shaven man that goes into seclusion to
grow hair on his face and head in order not to offend his brother. If
either man does not care to follow this scenario, he should, at the
very least, choose absolute silence vis-a-vis his brother’s habits.
Only those that may he among us that are living in the uncreated
Light that shines on all those that pray without ceasing, love the
Lord our God with all their hearts, souls, and minds (and their neigh-
bors as themselves) and are constantly striving to be perfect would
have any right to characterize other Christians, and these, it’s my
conviction, would never so judge anyone.
Finally, the same Foremost Apostle has written to the Colossians:
“Let no man judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of an
holyday, or of the new moon or of the Sabbath days.”
There can be no minimalist or surface approach to such exhorta-
tions!
✠ TIKHON
Bishop of San Francisco and the West
The Orthodox Vision
Diocesan Outreach for Refugees: Providing Help at Home and Abroad
By Nina Gramowich
Up to 1917 the task of the Orthodox Church was to minis-
ter to Orthodox immigrants coming to this country. In the
case of Russians, the Russian Orthodox Church supplied
the priests, ran the schools and the social services. At that
time there existed a Russian Orthodox Christian Immigrant
Society of North America (1908). The Society had offices
in Ellis Island and Washington D.C. It supported two immi-
grant houses (New York City and Baltimore) and had a full
time chaplain. The Society provided food, shelter, clothing,
jobs and recreation until the new arrivals could be estab-
lished. It operated a bank, a press, a library, conducted
classes in religious instruction and the English language. It
was funded many by the Russian Orthodox Mutual Aid
Society, the Holy Synod, and private benefactors. (See
Orthodox America 1794-1976 pp. 133-34)
With the onset of the Russian Revolution and the Soviet
Regime all this ceased. During the following 75 years the
Church eventually became the OCA through the granting of
autocephaly and the second and third generation members
became English speaking. The mission of the Church then
became to minister to the American people.
2
Now that the borders of Eastern Europe are open, one way
or another we are getting a continuous stream of immigrants.
Once again the Church is called on to minister to these im-
migrants but this time as an American Church.
Once more there is a need to set up a permanent program of
welcoming these people and helping them to settle here.
There is a great need for a center or office to where they can
receive advice, material and spiritual help as well as social
services such as housing, jobs and health care. They also
need a source for legal advice and assistance in immigration
matters as well as regular instruction in the English language.
Having come from atheistic countries they also need reli-
gious instruction. All of this is what led up to the establish-
ment of DOR.
Establishment of DOR
Perceiving this need, a group of San Francisco parishioners,
with the blessing of His Grace Bishop TIKHON and under
the direction of Constantine Chekene petitioned the Dioc-
esan Council to form an organization; the Diocesan Out-
 The Orthodox Vision

reach for Refugees (known as DOR). In May 1991, with a In our limited way we have tried to help where we could.
check for $500 as seed money, we begin our activity. At the We have a little informal job referral service where we can
time, the Diocesan office was located at 2040 Anza Street send these people who will work- “under the table”. For
in San Francisco and we were given permission to use it medical services we have made arrangements with the Clem-
three days a week. ent Free Clinic and the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic as well
as with Operation Access for minor surgery. In the case of
So we started, knowing very little about immigration but an emergency they go to our County General Hospital. The
learning as we went along. We went to the INS office for few times we had to make arrangements for pregnant women
information and literature. We devised a form so that every- we were quite successful. They were readily accepted, no
one coming to us would fill it out for our record. We col- questions asked and the maternity services were excellent.
lected all the various immigration forms that we found we Nina Gramowich, a volunteer is on the Community Advi-
needed. sory Board at one of the City’s Health Centers to try to
make available all the help we can.
At first, political asylum was a route that our Russians could
take, but with the end of the Soviet Union it no longer was
an option for most people. Nevertheless, there is a steady
stream of hopeful non-immigrant Russians coming to this Since its formation, DOR has helped close
country. Poorly informed about life in the U.S. many of them to 1,000 new immigrants to the Bay Area!
find themselves in difficult financial circumstances. However,
every new arrival is tempted, by the prosperity of our coun-
try to remain. Housing remains one of our biggest problems as the Bay
Area has the tightest and costliest housing in the entire coun-
Upon discovering themselves in a difficult situation and de- try. Some kind of shelter for temporary accommodations is
siring to legalize and extend their stay in the U.S. they turn to greatly needed as well as a gathering place such as a day
Orthodox churches or sectarian places of worship seeking room where they can meet, relax and socialize. Occasion-
help. While the Jewish, Protestant and Catholic communi- ally we have lent small amounts of money to desperate indi-
ties are well organized and are ready to help their needy viduals to tide them over. All of our clients have immigration
brethren, Orthodox churches at best can only offer limited problems and we have made arrangements for the services
monetary support on an individual basis. of an immigration attorney to come to our office once a month
for consultation.
The people we try to help have no work authorization, no
material or medical help of any kind. Some, being alone and In summary, our activities include translations of documents,
away from family and friends become stressed under the interpreting at the INS, extending visas, work permits, find-
pressures of trying to survive and need the kind of profes- ing work, finding shelter, accessing social services and medi-
sional help that we volunteers are not equipped to provide. cal services, green card lotteries, filing for permanent resi-
dency. To date, close to 1,000 people have come through
our organization.

We are all volunteers, mostly seniors. We have no paid help-

ers and are supported entirely by charitable contributions
and a yearly stipend from the Diocese. We have a small
group of regular loyal contributors and would like at this
time to especially single out the Elevation of the Holy Cross
Church in Sacramento and the St. Elizabeth’s Sisterhood of
the Nativity of the Holy Virgin Parish in Menlo Park. Any
contributions of time or money are welcome in this impor-
tant work as we continue to serve the new immigrants.

Cont. on next page

3
The Orthodox Vision
Hopes for the Future
1. Volunteer helpers are always needed, especially those who
can translate and interpret from Russian (and other languages)
into English. We need good interpreters who could accom-
pany our clients when they must appear at their interview
with Immigration. One of our longest and most loyal transla-
tors is Bruce Tingwall who learned his Russian at the Army
Language School.
2. We desperately need an office plus shelter where we can
temporarily house destitute newcomers. Our present facility
must be shared with our parish priest’s residence, our church
school, church library and church hall.
3. Some of the problems our newcomers face are of a social
service nature and we desperately need the services of a
trained social worker. If our meeting with the Mayor of San
Francisco proves successful and the Community gets a so-
cial worker, we will have the services of that person one day
a week.
4. A chaplain, is needed of the same generation as most of
our clients, mostly young men and exposed to atheistic in-
doctrination. To this end, His Grace, Bishop TIKHON ap-
pointed Igumen Gedeon as Chaplain. We hope that the chap-
lain will eventually be appointed as administrator of the pro-
gram as well. As an example: The San Francisco Irish Com-
munity run a very successful “Irish Immigration and Pastoral
Center” which we would like to establish for the immigrants.
5. Last but not least a source of regular funding from the
parishes of our Diocese so that we can plan and budget for
the future. We would like to share our experiences with other
parishes dealing with newcomers and coordinate our activi-
ties.
4
Humanitarian Aid to Russia
Collection and shipment of Humanitarian Aid to Russia be-
gan simultaneously with the opening of our Assistance to
Refugee Program. In late 1991 we assembled and shipped
three small airfreight shipments to Moscow. We were oper-
ating at Mr. Dakin’s office on Sacramento Street that he had
given to us free of charge. In the spring of 1992 we were
invited to participate with an ecumenical group to assemble
jointly and ship humanitarian aid to Russia. A larger group of
Greeks, Catholics, Lutherans, and other Protestant Chris-
tian denominations each assembled large quantities of par-
cels. The first shipment went by air to Moscow, and was
addressed to the Moscow Charity House. A group of local
representatives including the Greek Orthodox Bishop AN-
THONY, Susanne Robinson as administrator, Catholic priest,
Father Gerry O’Rourke, Katia Troosh and others flew with
the cargo to observe the distribution of the aid. The group
was greatly impressed by the efficiency of the distribution
system organized by the Moscow Charity House.
This has generated a prolonged contact and additional ship-
ments were made during 1991 and early 1992. In the mean-
time, the U.S. Government had initiated the program of free
Sea Shipment containers and we began, with the participa-
tion of the Congress of Russian-Americans, a steady flow of
shipments to the same distribution point. However, the U.S.
Government in 1996 terminated this program of free con-
tainers.
We have shipped approximately 300,000 pounds of aid
worth approximately $400,000.00. Our shipments consisted
of food and clothing parcels. Food was purchased on the
open market but Raphael House, Holy Cross Greek Ortho-
dox Church in Belmont and various private donors donated
the clothing which had to be sorted for women, men, teen-
agers and children. There were also packages of toys going
to the orphanages and greatly appreciated by the children.
Every shipment also included a quantity of medical supplies
donated by various Bay Area hospitals. Also included were
handicap aids such as wheelchairs, crutches, walkers etc.
Access International donated many. The Russian customs
have made it difficult to ship food supplies and it was termi-
nated from the years 1997-98, but reinstated in the spring
of 1999.
Since 1996, we shipped, at our own expense; two forty
foot containers of clothing and handicap aids. In the spring
of 1999 we resumed the shipping of food parcels and cloth-
 The Orthodox Vision
ing. Since 1997 our containers, whose shipments were fi-
nanced by DOR, were directed to a new correspondent
called Social Partnership under the administration of Valeri 1. Contact your members of Congress, particularly
Barshov, a member of the Russian Duma.
Our last shipment, which left March 24, was a twenty foot
container and included 492 food parcels and 246 clothing
parcels and some handicap aids. It is scheduled to arrive in
Moscow on May 10. In the assembling of this container, the
Russian American Community Services, Nikita Buick Ad-
ministrator, participated and donated $5,000 towards the
project.
The clothing sorting and assembly takes place in a basement
room at the Russian Center that is given free to DOR. The
assembly and shipment of the containers is made possible 2. Befriend the newcomers when they come to church.
by a special rate given to us by Interpak Services in San
Leandro. Alexander Bennet, shipping agent, manages the
container booking.
We would like to thank all those who supported us all these
years both in money and in kind. We would especially like
to mention the World Council of Churches (a two time ship-
ment to Sakhalin), the Russian Naval Officers Club, Holy
Cross Greek Orthodox Church, Raphael House, The Sa-
maritan House in San Mateo (Perry Schuckman), San Jose
Greek Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas and their
Philoptochos Society which gave clothing and money (Mimi
and Mary Karas), Belmont Holy Cross Greek Orthodox
Church Philoptochos Society, the children of the Cupertino
St. Stephen’s Antiochian Church for their very good
children’s’ clothing donations from Holy Trinity Cathedral
(Catherine Birk and the Sokolov family) and all the Greek
and Antiochian churches supporting us as well the many many
charitable individuals.
We would also like to commend our loyal and hard working
crew members Flora Tomashevsky, Nina Petrushansky,
Larissa Krassovsky, Vera Wasacz, Nikolai Malinovsky, ❍
Terry Verbish and her mother Helen who supplies us with
her hand made “designer” gift bags. For information about these employment opportunities write, fax
At this moment we are already collecting clothing and pack-
ing for our next shipment. Donations of clothing as well as
cash are always welcome. Children’s clothing are much
needed as well as soft children’s toys which may well be the
only ones the orphans get. Clothing should be clean and in
very good condition. Volunteers for packing at the Russian
Center are always welcome. We pack on Mondays from 11
to 4.
5
What Our Parishioners Can Do
those of you in the less populous states. We must
convince them that there is an Orthodox constitu-
ency so that they would pay more attention to our
needs. As an example, in San Francisco where the
mayor is up for reelection he contacted many of the
city’s Russian organizations including DOR. As a re-
sult our presence was made known and we convinced
him that there should be more Russians on the vari-
ous city boards. Also, together with some of the other
organizations we expect to have the use of a social
worker, a track and a van.
Volunteer to teach them conversational English as
well as introduce them to the customs of this coun-
try. Adopt a family or a person and teach them on a
one on one basis.
For further clarification or more information please
call DOR at:
Phone: (415) 668-5705 Fax: (415) 668-5785
Email: merci@wenet.net
We are open Wednesdays from 10 AM to 2 PM, Saturdays
from 2 PM to 4 PM, and Sundays from Noon to 2 PM
Employment Opportunities at St. Vladimir’s Seminary
❍ Pre-press Publication worker for Layout and Design for
SVS Press
❍ Administrative Assistant for SVS Press
❍ Development Officer for the Office of Advancement
❍ Administrative Assistant for the Office of Advancement
❍ Student Recruitment, Public Relations and Events
Organizer
Maintenance and Repair Worker
or email (no phone calls please):
Employment
St. Vladimir’s Seminary
575 Scarsdale Road
Crestwood, NY 10707-4507
Fax: (914)961-4507
Email: employment@svots.edu
The Orthodox Vision
A Quick Review of Immigration Laws
By DOR
Legal Immigration
According to the laws of the United States there are several ways in
which a person can immigrate to this country, become a permanent
resident (obtain a “green card”) and ultimately a citizen.
These laws are not all fair or equal to all groups of people because
they depend upon the political attitude of Congress at the time they
were passed. At present, the chances for Orthodox people are par-
ticularly small.
1. Immigrant Status:
A person coming under this category must meet the quota set for
his country. The quotas for immigrants from Europe are particularly
small ever since the quotas were changed in favor of Asia during
the Johnson administration. Today, because of the backlog it is
impossible for an Orthodox citizen to come under this category un-
less they:
a. Wins the green card lottery
b. Falls under the family reunion category
c. Has a professional job waiting which was approved in advance
by the INS
2. Refugee Status:
This status is defined by law (Lautenberg Amendment -Dem/N.J.).
To be considered a refugee one must apply to the U.S. government
while still in one’s own country to be recognized as such. In Russia,
only Jewish, Evangelicals, Baptists and Uniates are eligible to apply
for refugee status. A person in this status is eligible for all the
welfare benefits this country has to offer including subsidized hous-
ing, financial Assistance, food stamps and medical care.
3. Winner of the Green Card Lottery:
Those lucky enough to have won, must then apply for permanent
residency and are urged to apply as quickly as possible as the
government announces more winners than can be accommodated,
knowing that some people will not follow through with the applica-
tion. This program has now been operating for several years and is
run by the State Department.
4. Tourist Visa (B-2)
Most of our people come under this category, hoping that they will
be able to change their status once here; but this is increasingly
difficult to do. Business Visas (B-1) and tourist visas are for a limited
time only, usually for six months and renew one time for another six
months. One cannot stay in this country legally longer than one
year as a tourist. Unfortunately, a person with this type of visa has
no work authorization and is not eligible for any benefits. This cre-
ates a great hardship for those wanting to stay.
5. Other Options
a. Political Asylum:
This was once a means for many Russians to use when the Soviet
Union still existed. Today it is almost impossible. Political asylum is
6
very narrowly defined, one must prove persecution or fear of perse-
cution on one or more of five bases: race, religion, nationality, social
origin or political opinion. Occasionally Russians who were born or
residing in one of the newly independent Muslim Republics have
been successful. Applying for asylum does not include work au-
thorization. As of April 1, 1998, no one can apply for asylum if in the
U.S. longer than one year.
b. Exceptional Ability or International Renown:
Examples of this category are athletes, musicians, and scientists.
Must show what benefit they can contribute to this country.
c. Work Visa (Temporary):
This is only available to professionals working in specialized occu-
pations and must have completed a minimum of four years of uni-
versity education and possess a degree.
d. Marriage to an American citizen:
If the marriage is legitimate, the new spouse applies for a condi-
tional green card which is good for two years when the INS will
interview the couple.
e. Fiancé(e):
This visa is only available for three months and if one is a U.S.
citizen and the fiancé(e) is from abroad. This can be a very delicate
situation and has caused a lot of grief and disappointment for many.
f. Religious Worker:
Recently renewed by Congress but there is a quota and currently
there is a backlog of one year, even for those who were given a
priority date before November 1, 1996. Also, if the applicant applies
for this status while in this country there is no work authorization
while waiting.
g. Student Visa:
The school must accept the applicant and initiate the papers. The
student must pay out of state tuition. Also, one must prove ability
to pay this tuition and have money for living expenses in order to
qualify.
h. Canada/Australia/New Zealand:
These countries have a point system based on ability to speak
English (or French) have higher education, job skills, family reunion,
and family status.
Illegal Immigration
These are people who come to this country without passports,
visas or jump ship. They do not have permission to enter this coun-
try. Though some of our people have come this way, the over-
whelming majority do not.
As one can see there are not many options for people of the Ortho-
dox Faith. This is particularly in large part due to the fact that the
Orthodox and particularly the Russian community are not politically
active. There is no one in Congress to speak for them. Presently,
there are only a few Orthodox members in Congress and none of
Russian descent.
 The Orthodox Vision

St. Melania Orthodox Outreach Center

By Priest Rodion Pfeiffer
Families and individuals find themselves out in the streets nated. Many residents assist in maintenance and security.
because of loss of job, illness, or other problems. They Counseling of all types is provided: life style, job, drug and
have difficulty applying for jobs, because one of the first alcohol. Through Father Rodion’s lay job as a career coun-
questions on an application is address which they don’t have. selor many companies in Phoenix have made jobs available
So they can’t get a job. And with no job they have difficulty to the residents of the shelter.
renting or buying a house. So they are caught and still have
difficulty receiving medical assistance, welfare and food On December 31, 1998, His Grace Bishop TIKHON ap-
stamps. pointed Fr. Rodion to be the Chaplain of the Orthodox

In November of 1997 Father Rodion Pfeiffer with a small

group of faithful began an Orthodox community within the
confines of an already existing homeless center. It is located
at the Whole Life Foundation on N. 15 Ave. in Phoenix,
AZ, under the direction of its founder Isabel McMahal.

The Whole Life Shelter and other homeless shelters provide

an address. Families live in bungalows or individuals share
bungalows. Furniture and other furnishings are received
through donations and are available for those living at Whole
Life.

There is also a clothing room where residents can receive

clothing, toiletries, cleaning supplies and medicine. There is
Outreach Center, an institution of the Diocese of the West,
also a laundry room where they can wash their clothes. Many at the Whole Life Center, Phoenix, Arizona. His Grace
of the churches and synagogues in the area supply for the blessed the Priest Rodion to initiate a chapel at the Center,
washers and dryers. and the chapel and Center were placed under the heavenly
protection of The Venerable Mother Melania the younger
A kitchen provides three meals daily. Food is received from of Rome. The outreach center, is not a parish or mission, but
food banks and donations. Many of the residents volunteer a Diocesan charitable institution
in the kitchen by cooking and serving the meals. Others help
by picking up food, furniture and other items that are do- St. Melania’s Chapel is located in bungalow #7. A regular
cycle of Liturgical Services are held with many Orthodox
families attending. Some of the residents and especially the
children have begun to attend the services. We have from 6-
10 resident children attending services and Church School.

St. Melania’s Outreach Center and other area Orthodox

Churches have been of great assistance with the day-to-
day-needs of the shelter. We have collected many supplies
like toiletries, cleaning supplies, and over the counter medi-
cation. The collection of clothing, furniture, and household
furnishings is an on-going effort.

Many special projects have been done since our arrival. On

St. Nicholas Day, everyone living in the bungalows was
Cont on p.12

7
The Orthodox Vision
Clergy Wives Hold Second Annual Retreat
By Mat. Mary Sara Stanton
Over the weekend of May 14th through the 16th, nineteen
clergy wives came together at St. Columba’s Retreat Cen-
ter in Inverness CA, for the second annual Clergy Wives
Retreat. Both priest and deacon’s wives from the Diocese
of the West met under the theme, “The Vocation of the
Matushka”. Matushka Elizabeth Lien coordinated this year’s
retreat. Hieromonk Jonah Paffhausen was the keynote
speaker this year along with Archimandrite Nikolai Soraich.
. astery that is just down the road. The
Father Jonah’s talks centered on
three principles for clergy wives to
remember and to live by in their work
as Matushka. The first was prayer
and silence. This allows the women
to pursue their own salvation and in-
ner calmness that is the foundation
of their work at home and in the par-
ish. The second principle was not to
react. This is not to add to the prob-
lems with their own actions and words. And the third prin-
ciple was to not resent. This meant to not let the problems in
the parish and in the homes to build, destroying the calm
within them. Father Jonah’s objective was to show that with-
out God nothing can be accomplished.
Between the sessions with Father Jonah, the clergy wives
were able to meet for open discussion time to share their life
story, their parish’s story and life for them in the parish. One
of these discussion groups focused on what were the great-
8
est joys and greatest sorrows as a wife of a clergyman. There
seemed to be a consensus that the majority saw their great-
est joy was to see people at the divine services and the in-
crease of interest in the Church. The sorrows were the just
the opposite seeming to center on the lack of people at events
and services and the apparent lack of interest in spirituality.
Services were held during the weekend at St. John’s Mon-
services were full and complete giv-
ing all an opportunity for deep prayer
time. Also an extra spiritual bonus
was the veneration of the relics of
St. John of Shanghai and San Fran-
cisco. The opportunity to venerate
the incorrupt relics of one of
America’s saints was a great bless-
ing and inspiration.
In all, the time together was rich both spiritually and emo-
tionally. The lectures and services gave the women much to
think about and to strive towards. The fellowship brought
together many new friends. Everyone is looking forward to
next year’s retreat!
Next year’s retreat will be held at the St. Francis Re-
newal Center in Portland, Oregon from May 19 to 21.
Contact RTTate@ pacifer.com if you would like more
information.

Lately, our priest has been having something called, “Vigil” on
Saturday nights and some weeknights. Also, one of our neighbor-
ing parishes is having, “Matins” on Sunday morning, before lit-
urgy. I know that we have Vigil on Christmas Eve and Matins on
some evenings during Lent and Holy Week, but, is this weekly stuff
a change or is it something old that is being brought back?
In The Psalms, the Prophet David declares to God, “Seven times a
day will I praise Thee, 0 Lord.” The early Christians took this decla-
ration as a mandate and, within the first decade, had instituted the
practice of marking certain times or “Hours” of each day with public
or private prayer. The normal hours or times of prayer were:
Evening- After 4:00 p.m.
Midnight- Some time halfway between sunset and sunrise.
Cockcrow- Dawn or about 4:00 a.m.
Morning- Sunrise.
Which are times when Our Lord specifically commanded us to
“Watch and Pray, for ye know not when the Master of the House
cometh.” As well as:
Third hour- About 9:00 a.m.
Sixth hour- About Noon (When the sun was at its zenith)
Ninth hour- About 3:00 p.m.
These were times in the day when the Jews customarily offered
prayer, both privately and in the Jerusalem Temple. These hours of
the day are also connected with important events in Christian his-
tory. The Holy Spirit descended at the 3rd hour. Our Lord hung on
the Cross, at the 6th hour and gave up His Spirit at the 9th hour. We
can see, for example, in Acts, that St. Peter was praying at Noon
when he had his vision of the sheet descending from Heaven (Acts
Ch. 10).
As the Church spread, its first converts among the gentiles were
often domestic slaves or servants. For this reason, public or com-
munal worship had to be confined to the Evening and Night. Thus,
it became the custom of the early believers to gather before dusk
(VESPERS), to light lamps after dark and to pray through the night,
observing the midpoint of the night with the blessing of loaves,
boiled wheat, and wine and being anointed with olive oil. After this
pre-midnight meal they would continue singing psalms, reading from
the Gospels and Epistles and offering hymns and prayers until near
dawn. At this point, they would proceed with the Divine Liturgy
and then return, at early morning, to their labors. (Romans did not
have a regular day of rest, so Saturdays and Sundays were normal
workdays for most of the people.)
We can see, from this, that the early Christians considered prayer to
be very important, that they prayed a certain times and a certain
number of times, (The Muslim prescription of five times for daily
prayer was actually a relaxation of historic Christian practice.) and
that this prayer was sometimes communal and, at other times, it was,
of necessity, private.
As Christian monasticism developed, often far from a priest or temple,
it tended to produce one style or tradition of daily prayer which was
heavily dependent upon the Psalms, which every monk and many
ordinary Christian had committed to memory. On the other hand, the
communal worship of the city or village community, tended to en
9
The Orthodox Vision
courage a cycle of prayer which was filled, not only, with psalms,
which were sung antiphonallv, but with “Hymns and Spiritual Songs”
as St. Apostle Paul describes.
With the end of the persecution of the Church in the 4th Century,
both of these traditions existed, side by side. For centuries until
they, gradually merged together into our present cycle of services.
Some changes occurred in this process and some variations persist
up to our own time. For example, Compline or Bedtime prayers, came
to be server or prayed communally, Midnight Office or Nocturnes
fell out of Common observance, except in monasteries and on cer-
tain occasions. And, some of the services came to be grouped to-
gether in clusters or “Aklouths” which facilitated the organization
of the workday around meals and times of prayer.
Vespers, for example, was usually preceded by 9th hours. Matins
and its companion service of Lauds or “Praises”, were followed
directly by 1st hour. Further, 3rd and 6th hour were usually grouped
together at mid-day and were read before the daily Liturgy or Typika
service which replaces the Liturgy when it is not served.
At other times these services are combined differently, so that Ves-
pers and Matins may be prescribed to be served together on the
eves of Sundays and certain great feasts. By this combination of
services, called “Vigil” or “All-night Vigil” the ancient Christian pat-
tern of prayer “Through the watches of the night” is recreated. All
of this can be, and in fact is, very technical. What is simple and easy
to understand, however, is that the early Christians always observed
three elements in the Worship of The Lord’s Day. These elements
were:
* The Celebration of Salvation history from Creation to the
Awaited Second Coming of Our Lord with special emphasis upon
Our Lord as the “Light which Shines in the darkness.” Or “Light
which illuminates all”.
* Dawn- Which celebrates Salvation History, as it were, in
reverse, carrying us from the Last Judgement back to the Creation of
the Cosmos.
* And Eucharistic Liturgy - Which is outside of Time and
Empties us of the constraints of temporality into the anticipated
reality of the Kingdom of Heaven. (The Liturgy, it should be noted,
does not “Stand for” anything as it is the realization of what it
Figures and is, rather a liberation from Earthly meaning, than some
Cont. on p.12
The Orthodox Vision

Developing Our Youth Through Scouting the Campfire program. The award basically builds upon the St.
George program with the emphasis on a more advanced knowledge
By Priest Eric G. Tosi of spirituality, prayer, and liturgical life. Again there is a service
project that must be completed for
Many of the boys and girls in our parishes are involved in Scouting the parish.
programs such as Brownies, Cub Scouts, Boys and Girls Scouts. In
fact, many of our parishes sponsor Scout Troops that use their The highest level is the Alpha
facilities on a weekly basis. In some larger parishes, the Scout Omega award which is for youth
Troops are comprised entirely of Orthodox youth from the area giv- from 6th grade to High School who
ing them the opportunity to meet Orthodox from other parishes. It are involved with Boy Scouts, Girl
has grown so much that there is even an annual gathering in New Scouts or Explorer programs. Much
York exclusively for Orthodox Scouts. more in depth than the other awards,
it requires many hours of work with
While developing the character of our youth, Scouting can also be the priest and a considerable knowl-
used to develop their religious instruction. Scouting provides awards edge of the Church, spirituality and
that the youth work on to learn more about their own Church. These liturgical life. There is also a more
are all done in conjunction with their parish priest and all of the in depth service project.
material is readily available through the Eastern Orthodox Commit-
tee on Scouting (EOCS) which is now a part of SCOBA. Currently There is one final award called
there are three awards that the Scout can receive. These awards are Prophet Elias that reserved for adult
open to both boys and girls and are based on age and participation. Scout leaders. It is awarded to a
committed Orthodox adult who is
The first award is relatively new and is called the St. George Medal. deeply involved with both the Church and Scouting. It is awarded
It is for boys and girls from grades 1 to 3 who are involved with Tiger by the EOCS upon the recommendation of the priest, parishioners
Scouts, junior Cub Scouts, Brownies and Campfire Girls or Boys. and scout troop in recognition of the dedicated work in both the
The requirements for the award involve working with the parish parish and the Scouting program.
priest to learn basic elements of the Faith such as the significance of
their baptismal name, elements of prayer and the Liturgy. There is All of these awards are given separately from the actual Scout Troop
also a service project they must complete for the parish. in that the priest manages the program. He is free to work with the
scout at their own pace (as well as add more material.) All the
The second level is the Chi Rho that is open to boys and girls from material is provided at a minimal cost of $12.00. Often the scout
grades 4 and 5 who are involved in Cub Scouts, Junior Girl Scouts or meets with the priest once a week for a number of weeks to complete
the program and has to have the priest and the parents sign off
upon completion of each phase. Once completed, the actual awards
can be bought through the EOCS and it usually awarded by the
bishop or priest.

It must be understood that the award program is not meant to re-

place traditional Church School education but rather supplement it
by integrating it with the youth’s scouting interests. By combining
these two elements, the priest can bring the two worlds together to
positively instruct and encourage the spiritual and moral growth of
the youth in our parishes.

If you would like more information on Scouting, EOCS, the awards

please feel free to contact me or the EOCS directly at 862 Guy
Lombardo Avenue, Freeport, New York 11520 (516)868-4050.
10
 The Orthodox Vision

St. Innocent Mission Society Begins Parish

Presentations on Diocesan Missions
By Kitty Vitko
The growth of the Las Vegas Mission Deanery since its cre-
ation in 1994 has been phenomenal. God has truly blessed this
new Deanery’s vision. In just over five years, twelve new
mission sites have sprung up, thirteen new priests have been
brought into the deanery, and two missions have completed
OCA Planting Grants, with a third now under consideration.
And this is just a sample of the exciting developments in the
area of missions.

Our diocesan mission program is arguably the most proactive

and successful in the OCA. We have done so much with so
very little in both human and material resources. The work of
I c on w ritte n fo r the L a s V e g a s M is s io n De a n e ry bringing an Orthodox presence into communities where there
a n d d istr ib ute d to m e m b e rs o f th e S o c iety is none is a labor like no other. Few can of course tell us more
about the joy and labors associated with the work of missions
Society Membership than our beloved St. Innocent. He was so filled with apostolic
H en ry & An n et te A n d rus s zeal that after he returned to Russia from the mission shores
H o ly Ap o stle s C h u rch of Alaska he continued to find means to support the work of
Bev erly C la r k spreading the Orthodox Faith. One such means was the cre-
M . A . & C la u d ia D ub n e y ation of a mission society in 1868. In the inaugural address
An d y E va n s the saint points to the fact that in addition to the indispensable
Lu dm il la Er sh o v foundation of prayer, “... it is necessary to muster ... intelli-
P a m e la Ferg u so n gence, knowledge, experience, ability, activity, and energy.”
Jo a n n a F o rt o rn y
A n th o n y G o u le ta s In order to continue and indeed increase the missionary work
Ha r o ld Ho m yak in the Diocese of the West, St. Innocent’s Orthodox Mission-
O lg a & R o b ert H u gh es ary Society has been revived. Following his example, all soci-
E d ith M . K a p la n ety members are being asked not only to generously donate
Li n d a K o sh ell funds for the work, but to participate in the work itself through
Ar chp r ie st I a n M a c K in n o n prayer, visiting the missions, and keeping informed about the
Dal to n a n d M a u reen M ac Wi llia m s constantly changing status of the missions in the deanery.
Ri ch a rd M a h lk e
Ale xa n d er & A n n M a tiuk In order to keep the work of missions in the minds and hearts
S te ven Pr es co p of those who join the society, all members receive a copy of
Pr ie st L a w ren ce R u ss ell the deanery icon (see above), a copy of St. Innocent’s ad-
Pe ter S ch w a lb e n b er g dress, and a prayer for missions to include in their daily rule of
L eo n & Cla u d in e S n y de r prayer.
A r ch i man d r it e N ich o la s So ra ic h
Ja mes & A n d re a S p ri n kle In February the Mission Board started a series of workshops
C h risto p h er & C h ri st Y eat s to inform the people of the diocese about the history and work
D n . J o h n & K a t h erin e Vi tk o of our missions. Andy Evans and Kitty Vitko have traveled to
eight parishes to share a slide show about the missions and
missionary efforts of our Church. The parishes that have
Level of Support been visited have been very hospitable and it has been a joy
Charter member.....................$5,000.00 for Kitty and Andy to share with them the wonderful mission-
Sustaining member....$500.00 (per year) ary work that the Holy Spirit has blessed.
Supporting member...$100.00 (per year)
Student Member..........$50.00 (per year) The workshops will continue until all the parishes in the dio-
send donations to: cese have been visited. In the meantime, anyone wishing to
participate in the harvest, please, first, PRAY, therefore to the
St. Innocent Mission Society Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
P.O Box 5032, Santa Maria, CA 93455 (Mt. 9:38) and then, as you are able, send a donation to the
For Information, phone: (805)928-7386 St. Innocent Mission Society.

11
The Orthodox Vision
St. Melania
Cont. from p.7
visited by the Orthodox and received a copy of the life of St.
Nicholas and a small gift from the Chapel. During the Na-
tivity of our Lord the children of the shelter were provided
with Christmas presents. The children of the shelter were
taught about the Resurrection of Our Lord and Saviour and
the events leading up to Pascha, followed by an egg hunt. In
November we helped serve Thanksgiving dinner. The
Philoptochos (Women’s organization) of the 4 Greek Or-
thodox Churches in the area have made it their special project
to completely renovate the kitchen facilities at Whole Life.
After Pascha St.Melania’s held a Friendship Vesper service
outside the Chapel followed by a fellowship celebration for
the residents.
Unfortunately, there are many homeless in Arizona with its a
mild climate and there are not enough shelter to provide suf-
ficient housing for all of them. Many of those who are at
Whole Life and other shelter need “step-up” facilities before
they are able to go out on their own and move into their own
homes or apartments. St. Melania’s Outreach Center is look-
ing to provide a “step-up” shelter.
A local drug rehabilitation center is looking to team up with
St. Melania Outreach Center. They provide medical treat-
ment to help both drug addicts and alcoholics curb their hab-
its. The rehab center would like to refer families to St.
Melania’s to aid in their rehabilitation.
The Orthodox Outreach Center is looking to provide a more
suitable life style to replace their previous way of life. By
exposing the residents to an Orthodox way of life, we hope
to up lift them to a new life style that will be God centered.
We would like to have three cottage industries in our shelter:
furniture making, jewelry making and candle making. We
plan to have a bookstore to carry Orthodox publications,
supplies and other items. These four industries will also pro-
vide training for the residents of our outreach.
St. Melania’s is in the process of searching for suitable quar- If your priest has restored the ancient cycle in your Parish, than thank
ters for this purpose. We ask you to remember us in prayer. him and encourage him by attending Vigil more regularly. He is doing
Donations are being accepted at:
St Melania’s Chapel
P.O. Box 39225
Phoenix AZ 85069-9335
12
Vigil
Cont. from 9
alternative meaning of its own. For this reason, the time for Liturgy
in the scheme of the other services, changes, depending upon the
character of the Day being observed.
It has been the normal practice of EVERY ORTHODOX CHURCH in
every nation and culture to preserve these three elements of wor-
ship, at least on the Lord’s Day and Major Feasts.
In the Orthodox home countries, one of two practices is followed.
Either the Vesper Service is served in the evening and Matins fol-
lowed by Divine Liturgy the next morning or Vespers and Matins
are served together on the Eve with Divine Liturgy following in the
morning. The practice of serving Vespers and Matins together (The
Vigil Service) is the norm in the Russian tradition from which our
O.C.A. derives most of its tradition. This is also the normal practice
of most monasteries. Mediterranean Churches, on the other hand,
tend to serve Vespers on Saturday Night and to begin the Sunday
Morning Worship with Matins. Some of our parishes, under South-
ern Slav influence, have historically followed this pattern, as do the
Albanian, Romanian and Bulgarian parishes of the O.C.A..
But I suspect that the question you are asking is, “Why does this
seem to be new in my parish?” My answer would be that, over the
years, and decades following the Russian Revolution and the close
of our Seminaries, many bad practices developed in the U.S. Some-
times, the problem was that the priests didn’t feel that they had the
books, or music or singers or readers to do the services correctly. In
some parishes, Vespers was continued as a remnant of the Vigil but
the Matins portion was simply omitted. This comfortable pattern
satisfied the remembered need for an Evening Service, so gradually
the need for Matins was forgotten. Some “Modernist’ priests tried
to create a pseudo-Vigil consisting of most of Vespers and the
“Most exciting” parts of Matins.
In a few parishes, where Matins was served on Sunday Morning,
the priests intentionally abolished it, feeling that it had become a
“Low Mass” which people might substitute for the Sunday Lit-
urgy. Further, some of the parishes which had observed Saturday
Vespers and Sunday Matins, abolished the Saturday service on the
basis that, “Nobody comes to it”.
This idea, that Church services are “Theatrical productions” which
require audiences, rather than the Worship of the Life Creating
Trinity, has, perhaps been more responsible than any other factor
in the loss of the Vespers/Matins/Liturgy sequence of Sunday and
Holy Day Services.
nothing more than his ordination vows committed him to do. Those
whose parishes are not offering the canonical sequence of services
should let their priest know that they would be happy to help, to
support and to attend the services if allowed to. We certainly should
be, at least as eager to participate in the ordinary cycle of Orthodox
Prayer as were our spiritual forbears who left their slave labor every
Saturday afternoon so that they could enter into Heaven for a few
hours before returning to their daily travail on Sunday morning.
 The Orthodox Vision

Billings His Grace TIKHON Announces

Gets Own
Building 1999 Diocesan Assembly
After many long
September 21 to 23
years of prayer
and work, the Bill-
ings community fi- to be held at Mission San Luis Rey
nally closed on
their own building.
in Oceanside, California
Located in the (about 35 mile north of San Diego)
heart of the city,
the new church
building will be a Information will be coming this summer to the
visible sign of the
parishes from the Office of the Chancellor.
growth of Orthodoxy in the community. As the work will
progress on the building in order to adapt it for Orthodox
worship, it is hoped that it will become a beacon of truth for The parish is currently renovating the old iconostasis from
all in Billings. But finally after so many years, St. Nicholas Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral in Los Angeles for the building
has a home. with new icons being reproduced by Alex Teshin. A dedi-
cated parishioner, Brad Hines, is constructing all of the altar
On the evening of July 8th after the closing, over 60 of the furniture to match the inside. Future plans for the building
faithful gathered in the new building to offer a Service of will be the construction of cupolas, a bell tower and refinish-
Thanksgiving for God’s great mercy. Tears of joy perme- ing the rest of the building. It is hoped that many of the
ated the whole service as people embraced, realizing a dream projects will be completed by the Fall and plans can be made
that many had held on to for such a long time. On the Sun- for the consecration. The St. Nicholas community wanted
day before the first Liturgy in the new building, the priests to express their heartfelt thanksgiving to all the people who
and the faithful processed to each side of the building and donated time and effort over the past years to make this
blessed the foundation. The first Liturgy had over 80 people dream become a reality.
were present.

Getting Connected!!!
The Diocese of the West is pleased
to announce the launching of its
new website! To be online this Fall!

HTTP://WWW.OCADOW.ORG

❍ Complete Coverage of Diocesan Events

❍ Resource Material from all Depart-
ments
❍ Links to Parishes and Other Ortho-
dox Websites
❍ Copies of The Orthodox Vision for
Download
❍ And Much Much More

13
The Orthodox Vision
Four New Missions Formed in the Diocese This Year
This has been amazing year of growth for the Diocese of the
West. This year, four new communities were granted mis-
sion status. These missions represent the widespread re-
gion which the Diocese emcompasses as well as the diver-
sity of the communties. The newest missions were formed
in Bozeman, Montana, Chico, California, Kirkland, Wash-
ington and Walla Walla, Washington. Currently only Bozeman
is without a resident priest. The work of the Mission Board
and the Las Vegas Mission Deanery has ensured the contin-
ued growth of Orthodoxy in the West.
Bozeman Gets Its Own Mission
By Priest Eric George Tosi
Montana has a new mission, this time in Bozeman. After
some years of informal gatherings, the community officially
formed a new mission in one of the fastest growing cities in
the region. Bozeman is home to Montana State University
and has attracted an international gathering of people in the
state. The community is formed from Orthodox of various
backgrounds as well as a substantial number of converts.
The University also has a growing Russian community. As
the Orthodox presence becomes more pronounced in the
Montana, the faithful of Bozeman dream of a permanent
Orthodox community.
Initially, priests from Billings made a monthly journey of 120
miles to celebrate the Divine Liturgy at people’s homes. As
the community began to gather more people, the cycle of
services were increased. Beginning this year, the mission
moved to a conference room at a local bank. Currently, a
priest from Billings celebrates Great Vespers and Liturgy
one weekend a month. There are monthly adult classes and
during off weeks a Reader’s Service is sung on Sundays.
14
Beginning this Fall services will be increased to two week-
ends a month.
Already the mission has grown to close to 20 families with
more on the way. The mission averages over 30 people on
a Sunday. The dedication is evident as some families drive
over 2 hours to attend services. This year has been a mile-
stone in the mission’s life as it received official status, initi-
ated a stewardship program, completed a budget, elected
officers and has begun the search for a resident priest. The
mission has already put away a substantial amount of money
for its growth. The people in this community are hungry to
have weekly services and to find a permanent home so that
they can preach the truth of Orthodoxy in central Montana.
Chico Mission Continues Growth
By Priest Michael Rome
Through the desire and vision of two families commuting
from the Chico area to Holy Cross Church in Sacramento
(2 hours), the encouragement of their Priest and missions
dean, Fr. Ian MacKinnon, and the service and guidance of
Heiromonk Jonah (Paffhausen), the Chico Orthodox Mis-
sion came in to being three and one-half years ago.
Progressing from living room meetings to having liturgies
every other Saturday in a borrowed Anglican chapel, the
Chico Orthodox Mission is now a house-church with a per-
manent, fully equipped chapel, fellowship hall and living quar-
ters for its recently appointed acting Rector, Father Michael
Rome, and Matushka Rachel.
Located at 564 East Avenue, in Chico, California, we are
on a prominent corner, one block from a freeway, on a busy
 The Orthodox Vision

street in a mixed residential and commercial neighborhood.
Father Michael started serving the mission every Sunday
beginning in March 1998. We have celebrated all major
feasts and, when possible, daily Vespers since that time.
Recently, St. Katherine’s celebrated the last day of the Sun-
day School year with a picnic, games and fellowship in a
local park, reminding all of us of the importance of raising
our children in the Faith. The mission continues to grow and
attract people from the area.

We have also celebrated a marriage, three baptisms, one
Chrismation and one tonsure of a reader. We have a steady
stream of visitors, and are looking forward to continued
growth. In March we were fully erected as a mission, praise
be to God!
We enjoy the encouragement of having visitors! So please
come by if you are in the Chico area. Divine Liturgy is al-
ways followed by a warm time of fellowship locally touted
by some as the “gourmet” coffee hour.
The young church’s biggest challenge now is locating a new
facility, as the current quarters are bursting at the proverbial
seams as more and more people discover Orthodoxy. Or-
thodox everywhere are asked to pray for wisdom and
Christ’s guidance as St. Katherine’s ventures forth to a new
location on the East Side.

The Lord is at
Work in
Kirkland
By Karen DeJong

St. Katherine’s Mission

Church, a new mission
church in Kirkland, Wash-
ington, continues to grow A New Mission in Walla Walla
and thrive along with its other By Priest Seraphim Bell
Orthodox brethren in the
Puget Sound. Born from a desire of the Orthodox parishio- In the summer of 1998, 15 people moved with Fr. Seraphim
ners to have a church on the “east side,” just across the Bell from California to Walla Walla to begin an Orthodox
water from Seattle, the church sprang forth in August of 1998 mission. In September of that year an inquirers class was
after a number of organizational meetings, phone calls and begun. After a small chapel was established in the residence
emails among those interested. Leading the effort was Fa- of one of the parish families, the first service was held on
ther Timothy Perry, whose enthusiasm and optimism proved Zacchaeus Sunday, January 24th. On the following Satur-
to be contagious among his parishioners. The dedicated day, the Feast of the Three Hierarchs, three catechumen
faithful, together with a committed Steering Committee, have were baptized.
turned the dream into reality.
Today, we have from 35 to 40 people at our services. In
St. Katherine’s Missions to the Eastside, which began as the addition to the 26 Orthodox members of the mission, we
“Orthodox Mission to the East Side” was given mission sta- presently have 3 catechumen, and 6 families attend our in-
tus by the Diocese in 1999. The church recently achieved quirers classes. Daily vespers and matins services are held
its latest milestone, receiving its name from Bishop TIKHON. and liturgies are served three times each week and for all
In the meantime, the parish of approximately 50 members, major feasts.
has faithfully met in rented rooms in the Kirkland Congrega-
tional Church, celebrating weekly Sunday liturgy, baptisms, Currently the mission will be looking for a more permanent
chrismations, and its first Great Pascha. The mission church location to hold services. The mission looks forward to many
has had a Sunday School for the parish children since incep- years of growth in eastern Washington and in presenting the
tion, a choir, and recently added adult education as well. truth of Orthodoxy to the region.
15
 The Orthodox Vision

From the Fathers

A Sermon at the Consecration of a Church
By Archimandrite Justin Popovich

This is one of the rare sermons of Archimandrite Justin written in its entirety beforehand. It is preserved in a
manuscript with the date “Velika Gospojina, 1963” – Assumption (August 28), 1963. It is from a translation from
The Struggle for Faith, ed. Archimandrite Todor Mika and Archpriest Steven Scott (Grayslake, Il, 1989).
This place of ours also has its own heaven. It is this holy church.
For every holy church is also a piece of heaven on earth. And
whenever you are in a church, behold, you are already in heaven.
When the world torments you with its hell, hasten into a church;
enter it, and behold, you have entered paradise. If people perse-
cute you with their evil, take refuge in church, fall down before God,
and He will take you under His gentle and almighty protection.
Should it happen that entire legions of de-
mons attack you, flee into church – among
the angels; for a church is always full of an-
gels, and the angels of God will defend you
from all the demons of this world. And noth-
ing will be able to harm you. Do not forget,
brethren, that we Christians are strong in God.
Who then can be stronger than us? No one,
no one at all! No one among men, no one
among demons! And without God – what are
we, as human beings in this world? A play-
thing of sin, a plaything of evil, a plaything in
the hands of demons. O my brothers, my fel-
low man, the devil is laughing at you behind
each sin into which he causes you to stumble.
And if he causes you to stumble into many
sins, the giggling of demons echoes around
you on all sides.
When a man is not with God, he is always a
plaything of the devil. And the devil plays with him: one moment
he fills his soul with impure thoughts, another moment he kindles
his tongue with cursing, another moment he leads him into slander-
ing, into calumny, into thievery, into debauchery, and into every
other evil deed. And it continues this way until man remembers
God. Then – then he is entirely in heaven, and neither the human
evils of the world, nor sins, nor demons can touch him. At that
moment he is a fortress defended by the angels, defended by God’s
saints, and with the fiery ardor of their prayers they consume every
evil that is assailing him from men, from the world, from demons,
from hell.
Do you know, brethren, what man’s mightiest weapon on earth is,
an invisible and all-victorious weapon – do you know? Prayer!
Yes, prayer! That’s right, prayer! Because by means of prayer a
man commits his whole soul, his whole heart, and his whole life to
God; and God becomes his defender and his protector. What can
people, what can demons do to him then? Nothing! Absolutely
nothing! Therefore, the Lord commands us in His Gospel, “Pray
without ceasing.”
Why is there so much evil in the world today? Because people
have thrown away their most reliable weapon, the all-victorious
weapon with which every evil, every sin, and every demon are
assuredly vanquished on all battlefields. And this weapon is prayer
– prayer and fasting. It is the most reliable weaponry, because it is
God’s weaponry; the most reliable, all-victorious weaponry, be-
cause it is Christ’s weaponry – the weaponry of the only true God
in all realms. And He? He gave this weap-
onry to us Christians; it is preserved in the
Church, and it is bestowed in the Church.
The Divine mouth of the Savior revealed to
all the inhabitants of the earth this truth,
this absolute truth: through prayer and fast-
ing every impurity, every sin, every evil, and
every demon are cast out of men.
When people throw away this weapon of
Christ, they easily become the plunder of
every evil, of every sin. Alas! They become
the plunder of every demon. Why, why has
the modern world fallen into such great evil,
into such inescapable evil? Because it has
thrown away Christ, thrown away His Holy
Gospel, thrown away His all-victorious
weaponry: prayer and fasting. It has thrown
it all away, and wants to solve its problems
without Christ – and not only without Christ
but against Christ. And whoever wages war with Christ our God,
allies himself with demons. And what is left of such a person in this
war? A corpse, and nothing more than a corpse.
Today, thanks to the Lord, we have consecrated this church. And
a church, what is it for? For the sake of prayer to God, for the sake
of serving God in justice and in the light of truth. In a temple, in a
church of Christ, we entrust ourselves to God through prayer: and
He teaches us His eternal Divine Goodness. And thus we arm
ourselves with the ultimate weaponry of Christ: and with His Di-
vine Justice we subdue every worldly injustice; and with His Di-
vine Truth we defend ourselves from every worldly lie; and with
His Divine Goodness we crush every worldly evil. And the more a
man prays to God, the more he feels stronger than every evil, stron-
ger than every sin, stronger than every demon. And this comes
about because through prayer man grows more and more in every
Divine goodness, in every Divine truth and justice, and in every
spiritual joy. And this joy of his, this blessing, no one can take
away from him either in this world or the other. Remember, Saint
Sava both said and wrote: “For me prayer is the greatest blessing in
the world.”...

16
The Diocese of the West BULK RATE
The Orthodox Church in America U.S. POSTAGE
5400 Annie Oakley Drive PAID
Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas, NV 89120
PERMIT NO. 1274

In The Next Issue:

...Russian Women’s Home of Mercy in San Francisco
...Fort Ross Celebration
...Diocesan Assembly in San Diego
...Parishes Celebrate Anniversaries
...Adopting Children Through the OCA