Thank you Serge,
I have full member status to look forward to

My father was the youngest in his family, with next older child about 15 years his senior. My mother a Baptist American. Then my parents divorced.

I, through pure grace managed to hold on to my Catholic gift, but I never had an opportunity to learn another language. Public school choices limited, so I studied some french, and quite loved that.

The peace of Christ

Yey, I'll get to be a "member"

Sharon

CHRISTOS ROZDAJETSJA!
SLAVITE JEHO!

Brendan wrote:"... Yes, the Slavonic community there follows the Julian calendar..."

If this is for St.Nicholas Cathedral in Washington, DC, the entire Cathedral is on the Gregorian Calendar. They have been since Metropolitan Theodosius changed the calendar back in the early 1980's.

They do have Slavonic services, vespers on Saturday evening and Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning.

The least servant of the servants of God....

Medved --

Actually, the Slavonic community at St. Nicholas Cathedral celebrates the great feast days (and some other prominent Russian feasts) according to the O.C. Last year, for example, His Beatitude served Christmas Liturgy twice -- once on 25 December and once, again, on 7 January.

Brendan

I have several comments

as a former member of St Mary's -- geography is one reason and the second reason is there is no socialization at the church. -- I remember Father when he was fresh out of seminary. And he was a very spirtual and kind man. But I think he has lost contact with his flock. I was disturbed when Father said he was to busy to have an evening service the night befor a funeral for a long time parishoner. Yes I do not know the whole story but I can't imagine what was so pressing that he could not rejuggle his schedule. Could he not comfort the family.

But I digress--I am not saying that the entire service should be in Slovonic. But you have to look at your audience and then service them. There is no reason why St mary's should not have a full church on Sunday morning. If that means that saying part of the mass in Slovonic so be it. It is part of our heritage. Our we not suppose to go back to our roots. Besides the melodies fit the SLovonic better.

To Rich -- not everyone is so spiritual. If that was the case we would all be Trappist monks or hermits praying to God. Man is a social creation of God. Does it not say it is not good for man to be alone. The church should be a community. An communities are diverse. So mix it up. A prayer here and there in Church Slovonic through out the mass would be good. As a community we do things-- many things together. We pray, we mourn, we socialize, we comfort each other.

If Socializing brings people together and to church that what our priest should be encouraging.

Liitle Green Coat

Dear Brendan,

Happy Armenian Christmas, Friend in Christ!

We recently had a bit of a "dust-up" with the parish priest over celebrating two calendars.

He is a "one calendar" sort of guy, (read "new").

He called in my father-in-law, who is the head of the parish committee, to say that "he just can't take it anymore" with celebrating two calendars.

Dad simply said, "Fine, let's stick to the Old Calendar, period."

Our priest was so taken by his convinced attitude that he immediately agreed!

I think you should go to the Old Calendar too, Brendan.

That way, your Christmases will be side by side, and, oh yes, don't forget the Boxing Day sales!

Alex

And this comment is directed at me why? I didn't even give my personal opinion about anything in this thread. I was merely relating my observations, none of which that I can see would merit such a remark.

Incidentally, was St. Mary's on 15th St. one of the multitude of churches in Manhattan that opened its doors for prayer on September 11? Or was it, like St. George's on 7th St., closed?

Wow, so much criticism.
I think that one good point IS that we don't know what is pressing and taking up the time of the ONLY priest for ALL 5 boroughs of NY. Perhaps we should thank God that Father has not collapsed and give him the benefit of his word...something was pressing.

Too much slavonic, not enough slavonic, old calender, new calender, too many calenders.

We cannot ALL have our particular way.

Let's pray to trust that the Holy Spirit is guiding our Church, knows better than we, and perhaps learn a little love and tolerance for the needs of others.

In Christ,
Sharon

[ 01-04-2002: Message edited by: roseofsharon ]

"I think you should go to the Old Calendar too, Brendan.

That way, your Christmases will be side by side, and, oh yes, don't forget the Boxing Day sales!"

Ah, yes, one of the big advantages of being on the O.C. Warning, joke coming: I've been told that the main advantage of being Old Calendar is that you have 13 days warning of the second coming and the final judgment -- so while all your New Calendar friends are being judged, you have 13 days left to, um, clean house.

Seriously, my wife doesn't celebrate Armenian Christmas -- we celebrate Christmas once, according to the N.C., as does our local Orthodox parish.

Brendan