Dear Friends,
Just a recap of yesterday's ordination of Fr. Geoffrey Korz.
He was ordained at Christ the Saviour OCA parish on Follis Avenue in Toronto at the hands of Bishop Seraphim (a four hour long, wonderful service!).
A deacon was also ordained and an Archpriest received the "palitsa."
(I also heard the bell rung 12 times during the Creed and the ripidia used extensively, just like at St Elias'
).
His Grace Vladyka Seraphim is clearly a "people person."
He smiles and is at ease with himself, putting everyone else around him at ease.
For his sermon, he walked to the middle of the church where most of the people were and asked why they weren't up at the front, before the iconostasis? ("I've mentioned this to you all three times now!")
His smile is warm and his style is affectionate.
During the ordination, he stood with Fr. Korz at the Royal Doors, holding up the vestments while singing "Axios!"
And then, at the end, Fr. Korz's Presbytera, Linda, came up and offered the Bishop her husband's new pectoral Cross which the bishop blessed and placed on Fr. Geoffrey.
As Fr. Korz walked away to the back, the Bishop looked at the people and gave a wonderful, holy smile of contentment and satisfaction!
As I went up to congratulate Fr. Korz, he introduced me personally to the Bishop and said, "This is the man who brought me to Orthodoxy!"
Bishop Seraphim said "what a surprise . . ."
(Since I'm not Orthodox, I thought it truly was too
).
I wore an icon pin of St Seraphim of Sarov, Vladyka's episcopal Patron and Vladyka blessed my Lestovka that he recognized as St Seraphim's form of the prayer rope.
I've known the Reverend Father Geoffrey Korz for some years now and I know how hard he worked and how much he struggled to see the blessed day of his priestly ordination.
I've never seen him so happy, giving Communion for example and raising the Chalice so people could kiss the edge etc.
He also looked terrific in his priestly robes with the hooded Epitrachelion and the beautiful Orthodox pectoral Cross his dear Presbytera gave him.
Coming from a strong Evangelical Christian tradition, Fr. Korz brings with him a solid grounding in the Scriptures and a very strong Biblical sense of Christian ethics and morality.
Many, many years of service in the Vineyard of Christ to the Reverend Father Geoffrey Korz and Presbytera Linda!
Mnogaya Lyeta!
Alex
