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Glory to Jesus Christ!

I would like to direct your attention to the website: www.byzantineevangelization.com [byzantineevangelization.com]
This is the site of the Evangelization Movement in the Byzantine Catholic Church in America. This �Evangelization Movement� is not a political movement. It is not a �group� or �organization.� It is a response to the call of the Church for all of us to enter into a �New Springtime of Evangelization.�

The words �Evangelization Movement� is simply putting a name to what has been the movement of the Holy Spirit in the Byzantine Catholic Church and in the hearts and minds of many individuals in this Church. This �movement� is the same movement of the Holy Spirit reflected in such visionary efforts as the ByzanTEEN Youth Rally, the growing presence of youth at the Annual Pilgrimage at Mt. St. Macrina, the creation of the Cantor�s school, new Code of Eastern Cannon Law, the Diaconate formation, the restoration of Matins and Vespers in many parishes, and the accreditation of Ss. Cyril and Methodius seminary just to name a few.

Throughout the Byzantine Catholic Church in America there are flashes of life and vision. However, overall the Byzantine Catholic Church, like many Eastern Churches in America are in a state of rapid decline. We are at a crises point. But �crises� means �turning point.� The Evangelization movement sees �crises� as opportunity. Like the choice put before the Israelites in Deuteronomy 30:15-20, we will either �choose life or death.� The Evangelization Movement is committed to moving beyond all fears, complacency and negativity. We invite everyone to become part of the �New Springtime of Evangelization.� We encourage everyone to stay tuned to www.byzantineevangelization.com [byzantineevangelization.com] and choose life.

--Fr. Thomas J. Loya, STB., MA.

Does not "crisis" mean something like decision (and important or "critical" one). That ties into the choice God gives us in Deuteronomy, as mentioned above. I checked out the web site yesterday, and was excited to see the outline there. My Godson went to the meeting, but there was much to digest, and he was tired after returning, so i could not find out as much as i wanted, but this will spark much fruitful conversation.

In Christ,
Adam

Congratulations Father Tom and all the others attending this special meeting to spearhead a drive to make our population more aware of the Byzantine Catholic faith. From Alaska, I for one will join your quest. John

Tell us about your Church?

Dan L

Dear Father.

There will be no lack of fear, complacency and negativity as long as those who are apparently in charge of this movement in Parma insist upon walling themselves off from the dry bones of crisis and decline...and that means the people who are the casualities of years of eccliastical fatalism and weak and venal leadership.

You will wall off a ghetto Church only to build another ghetto in another language.

I am sorry that I have heaped the discomfort of the language of the real onto to the fair pages of your Springtime, but the language of "churches of convenience" and "dead wood" priest makes me sick in the pit of my soul.

When you can find people willing to speak to the dry bones and not exclude them, then you may have a hope.

"The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, and caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live... And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord" (Ezek. 37:1-14).

"[I] shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live." "Even so, come. Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20).

Blessings....Mary

Where do you get this from? I haven't seen you as being very active in this evangelisation other than being the most negative poster on the subject.
HUH? where did language come into the evangelisation movement that Fr Thomas spoke of?
Rather than being negative, tell us then what these dry bones should hear. While the dry bones may yet get up and walk, we must also keep in mind the living, lost bones who yearn for revitalisation as well.

I am puzzled by your continued and deliberate negativity on the subject of evangelization. Parma so far has done more for true evenagelization than Pittsburgh, Passaic or Phoenix-(Van Nuys), yet you INSIST upon maligning their efforts rather than seeing the postitive than is coming from this. With such a negative outlook there is ASSURANCE of a negative outcome!

So far what I have seen of this new evangelisation effort, and been a small part of, has been the most positive outlook for our church in decades. There is true yearning to improve our situation. It is brought forth from the laity, rather than the top-down approach that failed in Passaic.

Try to be positive just once. Once.

Steve

Mary,

Each time you post it becomes clearer that you have no interest in building up the Church. You appear to be interested only in attacking it in order to tear it down. You continued insults towards your fellow Christians, especially clergy, will not be tolerated on the Forum.

I ask you now to withdraw your comments and apologize publicly or to forfeit your posting privileges.

Admin

I have every interest in building up the Church, John and you are wrong to suggest anything else concerning me or my behavior.

I apologize to Father Thomas for any harm that I have done to him.

I apologize to the Metropolia for being a daughter and a sinner.

Mary

Now I would like to see a public apology for this false witness. If I speak a truth and am ordered to apologize for it, how much more should you beg my pardon for speaking that which is false against me.

I am still a daughter of this Church, John, and I do care and I do speak with love and with courage for we have been encouraged to confront the difficult in order to create anew.

Why then am I constantly chastised and presented falsely as you have done here?

Mary

I promise. But try to understand that in my mind the "dry bones" are living breathing people...some of them in the 80's and 90's who feel and have every right to feel that they have been abandoned.

I have seen, right here on this forum, their parishes called "parishes of convenience" and had it suggested that we close those parishes and move to the suburbs or if it is a rural "convenience" them move it to a larger place or get rid of it totally.

There are priests who also feel abandoned. I have heard them called "dead wood" out of the mouth of one of prime moves of the Parma initiative.

When I know that attitude is gone from the primary Evangelizers, then I will know that what I have to say that is positive will truly and really be heard.

Thus far all I have gotten for my efforts to point to the damage those very specific attitudes do to the Church is banned from the Forum, with my motives and heart maligned freely and without apology or remorse.

But I will try to be more constructive in my comments.

I thought the thread on the sanctity of the parish was a useful one but it has been closed and locked. [shrug]

Blessings....Mary

Mary,

You do not speak with truth. When one makes accusations against others and does not provide evidence to support the accusation then one is guilty of either being a poor presenter of their argument (at best) or of bearing false witness (at worst).

You have been asked on numerous occasions to either be charitable in your posts, and not accusing. Instead you almost always end up accusing others of evil deeds. When you are asked to back up your statement you consider yourself unfairly treated and present yourself as a martyr that everyone is out to silence. Such behavior is unacceptable for someone who calls herself a follower of Jesus Christ.

If you have evidence of wrong doing in the Church, then you have an obligation to take that evidence to the proper authorities (either Church or civil, as appropriate). I recommend putting together a team of five or six solid individuals whose testimony is the same as your own and meeting with the local bishop. If the local bishop refuses to act, then take your team to meet with the metropolitan. If the metropolitan refuses to act, then take your team to Washington to meet with the papal ambassador to the United States. When you keep complaining without taking action you cheapen any case you might have once had. If your case is legitimate and you are only willing to complain but never take real action, then you are doing as great a disservice those who have been wronged than those you are accusing of doing harm. If the matter is a criminal one, then notify the appropriate authorities and give them your evidence.

Making your accusations public without also providing rock solid proof does nothing but cause scandal in the Church. I will not allow you to use this Forum to cause scandal in the Church.

Yes, you most certainly are a daughter of the Church. But you do not post with either love or courage. You post with hatred and bitterness. It is possible you have good intentions but that they get lost and come out as bitterness and hatred in your posts. If you really do not think your posts are hateful, I can only tell you that they are and advise you to refrain from internet posting until you develop a demonstrably more charitable method of posting. If you are the cause of one more flair-up you will loose your posting privileges for at least 60 days.

The only response I will accept is one of acknowledgement. The matter is no longer open for debate.

Admin

I will keep you especially in my prayers, John, and have a healing mass said in your name.

I will never be able to post here without fear again, nor will I be able to approach my pastor without fear, nor my bishop without fear, for today I have publicly been judged, condemned and sentenced in the only formal public Forum in the Byzantine Church.

Blessings...Mary

I am sorry that you have chosen to behave in a manner which has caused such scandal. I wish you well and will pray for you. I thank you for your kind offer to pray for me.

At this time I will suspend your posting privileges for 60 days. If, after that time, you understand your offenses, acknowledge them and promise to do better, then you may ask to have your posting privileges reinstated.

Admin