Do the eastern-rite churches have secular orders as they do in Rome? For example, SFO (secular franciscan order), or OP (Dominican laity)? And if they do, how does one go about finding an eastern-rite order in their area?

Just curious,
Walt

Walt,

There are Byzantine SFO fraternities. They are largely in the Pennsylvania area, with one in Northeastern Ohio, and a group forming in Arizona.

There is also a preliminary move afoot to form some type of group which will wed Carmelite and Eastern spirituality. This is an outgrowth of the "East Toward Carmel" weekend which took place at the Mt. Carmel Spiritual Centre in Niagara Falls this past summer. I'm not sure if this is intended to be a Secular order per se, or what.

What part of the planet do you call home?

Sharon


Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor & sinner
sharon@cmhc.com

On a related note, though it is not a third order, the Irish-based lay group the Legion of Mary helped interested people in Greece set up Greek Orthodox branches of the Legion before Vatican II and not as a vehicle to get Greeks to leave Orthodoxy. These groups used icons instead of statues, used Orthodox prayers instead of the Rosary and were completely under the local Orthodox authorities. I don’t know if the Orthodox Legion of Mary groups still exist.

Old World Rus’

[This message has been edited by Rusnak (edited 12-04-2000).]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Sharon Mech:
[B]Walt,

There are Byzantine SFO fraternities. They are largely in the Pennsylvania area,

There is also a preliminary move afoot to form some type of group which will wed Carmelite and Eastern spirituality.

Sharon,
Do you have additional information on thee groups, as well as the potential East to Carmel group?
Thanks!
God Bless,
Maura

Maura,

Check with our moderator Monk Elias, in whose holy hands the ball now rests.

Best,

Sharon


Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor & sinner
sharon@cmhc.com

Sharon, et al,

You may want to check out this site:
http://www.byzantinefranciscans.org/

Enjoy!

Pax et bonum,

Gordo, sfo

Of course, the well-known Orthodox community of New Skete (now in the OCA) began as a Byzantine Franciscan community (and, in many ways, have retained key aspects of Franciscan spirituality in their present life).

Brendan

In the East, all of our 'voluntary communities', i.e., monastic and convent communities followed the Athonite rule. Lay folks who were interested in a higher level of commitment formed themselves into brotherhood and sisterhoods. While many of these devolved into more or less social groups, the concept is still true.

Why would we want to import alien organizations from the Western "orders"? Let's do our own.

Just to build on what Dr. John mentioned...

Saint Ephrem, the fourth century Syrian Deacon, had his community of layfolk called "The Sons and Daughters of the Covenant".


Gordo, sfo

PS: "Alien orders"?

Dear Dr. John, Sharon, Gordo, et al

Christ is in our Midst!

There are many such "confraternities" in the Eastern Orthodox Church---especially within the Greek and Antiochian Orthodox Churches.

In Greece there is the "ZOE Brotherhood" a lay missionary society that publishes literature and holds eduational and spiritual conferences---society members hold to certain prayer practices---it is seen as very evangelical.

Of course there are the Archons of the Ecumenical patriarchate and the St Ignatious Society of the Antiochian Patriarchate that serve to provide funds and support for the patriarchs and the church.

In the United States there is also, the Society of St. John the Evangelist in many of the American Antiochian Dioceses --- they have a specific prayer rule and focus on the support of the evangelism in the Orthodox Church. They publish literature, provide CDs and tapes of Orthodox music and services, and also personally pursue the spread of the Orthodox Christian message within US Society. Of course for women there are the various sisterhoods within the Parishes and Diocese with varying levels of prayer rules.

Are confraternities, Byzantine---Yes!
May we have more form to perform our christian mission and duty.

Your brother in Christ,
Thomas

Dr. John,

I don't believe there are any alien communities on the planet at this time, though the day is yet young.....

Why join a Byzantine-ized Latin Secular order? Because as far as I could find out at the time (I only looked for a decade or so, and I may not have looked in the right places) there simply wasn't anything else available to me.

The Athonite model would be interesting to explore - I know nothing of it (except for the prohibition against women on Mt. Athos), or of lay associations which may follow it.

As far as I can tell, the Desert Fathers didn't leave a "third order" behind. The Byzantine Franciscans aren't nearly a perfect "fit," but so far, we're making do.

We've commented before on the idea that public, corporate worship should follow the rubrics & be proper to the Church, but that there is wide lattitude in one's personal prayer life. Lacking anything "fully Byzantine" in the way of spiritual organizations/secular orders, etc., some folks have found these "hybrid" groups to be useful in that personal prayer & spiritual life.

Maybe that makes me spiritually sloppy or something. If so, please forgive me.


In Christ,


Sharon


Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor & sinner
sharon@cmhc.com

Ah, dear Sharon, exactly the point: It's January, 2001. We are here in the U.S. WE have a lot of needs. Who better than YOU to establish a community of praying folks? You are learned in the needs of contemporary Byzantines in the US; you have a spouse (I hope he's doing well!) and children. You recognize the need of prayer in our traditional modes and you work with your parish (and therefore, with the church as a whole) to nudge us along the way.

Personally, though I've not met you in the flesh, I think there is no-one better to establish a new 'sisterhood', 'brotherhood' or 'peoplehood' (Oy!) to bring folks together. I'm not being a flatterer, but in reality, this is how we Byzantines do stuff.

What'cha say?

I'd join in a minute. (Just say when and where: I'll be there, and I'm sure that there would be a number of others who'd show up. Love ya'!)

[This message has been edited by Dr John (edited 01-27-2001).]

Hey Sharon, Dr John's got a good idea! And I HAVE met you

a very unworthy monk

You might be interested in the Benedictine Oblates sponsored by the Byzantine Benedictines. There are sisters at Queen of Heaven Monastery in Warren, Ohio. There are monks at Holy Trinity Monastery in Butler, Pennsylvania. The Benedictines pre date the mutual unpleasantness and would be considered at least in some fashion orthodox, I think; they are clearly monastic; and lay men and women find value for living life in the school of the Lord's service that is the Rule of St. Benedict.

Please don't let the written expression impede the meaning.

Joy!

Hokay!

This here is the O-Fishul Announcement of the foundation of dis Order of the Byzantine Hood. (hats optional)

No meetings, no dues. Since I am first among sinners, I must be in charge.....

Rule # 1: Pray
Rule # 2: See Rule # 1
Rule # 3: Follow the direction of Mother Jones, who said "Pray for the dead, and work like hell for the living."
Rule # 4: In the immortal words of Fr. Bryan
Eyman, "If God gave you a beautiful voice, give it back to him as a gift. If He gave you a lousy voice, afflict Him with it."
Rule # 5: Check with your spiritual father
for everything else.

Th-th-th-th-that's all, folks!

Takers???

Sharon


Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor & sinner
sharon@cmhc.com