Category Archives: Blog

Bishop John has asked each parish in the Eparchy to take up a special collection to assist Catholic Relief Services with their humanitarian work in recently earthquake ravaged Haiti.  If you are able to help please donate in the collection or online on our website (Mark donations for “Haiti”).  Thank you! From CRS:   Catholic Relief […]

From our Book club text, Everywhere Present, Chapter two, Fr. Stephen Freeman writes about his experience at the monastery of Mar Saba that when a monk dies the other monks never say that such a one died, but “we always say, in the words of Scripture, they have ‘fallen asleep’. But mostly we say this because we see […]

The St. Mary’s Proto-Cathedral book club is now reading Everywhere Present and Filling all Things: Christianity in a One-Storey Universe. The Introduction reads, “In the ‘one-storey universe’ has become a dualistic segregation of God from human life in the ‘two storey’ model, in which God is absent from the first floor, and people begin to wonder […]

This sufferer for Christ, the most glorious of martyrs, was born in Nicomedia. His father, a rich and illustrious man, was by faith a pagan, ardently devoted to idolatry; his mother was a Christian who had learnt the holy Faith from her parents and who fervently served Christ. Thus, his father and mother were united […]

“God’s great love for the human race saw the prophet sorrowing over the great transgressions of all. Elijah was enraged, and he hurled these unmerciful words to the Merciful One: Become angry and cry out against those who turned against You, O just Judge. Move the heart of every good person to torment your enemies. […]

Byzantine Saint Stories for Little Ones Vladimir the Great, Equal to the Apostles- July 15 Saint Vladimir lived in Kiev, a city in modern day Ukraine, 1,000 years ago.  He was a prince, but worshipped items that were made by men instead of the one God who made everything.  He decided to send messengers all over the world […]

There is a tendency in our culture to separate the mind from the body, as if the mind is who we really are, while our body is merely a machine that we move wherever we want. Even some Christians would go so far as to say that as long as man believes that Jesus is […]

Today’s Scripture readings speak of faith, which is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The Epistle tells us, “now that we have been justified through faith, let us have peace with God.” In today’s world, we desperately need peace. All over the world, and especially our own […]

 From Community of Grace, Chapter 5, “Come Take Light” For today as from a bridal chamber, Christ has shone forth from the tomb, and filled the women with joy, saying Proclaim the glad tidings to the apostles! –Paschal Matins In this week’s chapter, a story tells about an Alcoholic named Al. Al is unconvinced about God, […]

Byzantine Saint Stories for Little Ones:  Theodora and Didymus – Feast Day May 27 Theodora was a young woman who wanted more than anything to be a nun.  At that time, it was illegal to be a nun, and even to be a Christian.  Trying to get her to deny her faith, the authorities forced […]