www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization How Would YOU Evangelize The US Eastern Churches?

A really good, up to date, parish web site would be good. This way those who don't know what an Eastern Catholic or Byzantine Catholic is can learn without feeling dumb. It is also a good place to make clear that all are welcome.

In our humble little mission, no visitor, and I mean none, escapes after liturgy without being talked to. On occasion, we have had to chase someone out the door to greet them!

I had always assumed this was the norm, since I have always been talked to whenever I visited any Byzantine church of any jurisdiction. A while back, however, my family visited a church with about 100 folks in attendance, and stood in the narthex after the liturgy making ourselves all too obvious. Not a single person, none, not one, even so much as nodded their head at us. It didn't matter so much in my case, but I wonder how many opportunities have been lost in that church.

I agree!

In my view really good means lots of photos, icons, the iconstasis, the inside of the church, outside of the church, photos of the clergy, of the Divine liturgy and photos of the faithful worshipping in the Temple.

I've seen some really good Eastern web sites like I described.

Christ is our peace,

Paul

Sharon & Paul,

You could not be more right. We need to look at our brothers and sisters of the Protestant churches - they have been working well at this for much longer than we have. Protestant churches have long designated congregation members as being responsible for "greeting" or "hospitality" - usually named in their weekly bulletin.

I've never yet visited a Protestant church during any service other than a wedding or funeral when someone (usually several people) didn't take the time to greet me and invite me to "coffee" in the church hall, etc. For those who, like me, are only there for some specific reason, it may not have an impact - but for those who are there because they are "inquiring", it's certainly a great opportunity to be evangelized. If our Latin brothers and sisters have taken up this type of activity, more power to them - it's certainly taken Catholics - East and West - long enough to catch on - now we need to catch up.

La Familia is absolutely on target about the need for attention to websites. There are some wonderful examples and some pitiful ones out there. A lot of folks search the web to check out churches before visiting. The more meaningful and interesting and attractively presented the info there (and/or the better the available links - you don't have to reinvent the wheel or duplicate what someone else has already taken the time to do well), the better it is for evangelization purposes. (As an aside, our Orthodox brothers and sisters have some great parish websites.)

Another point about such sites though. When I read a church's on-line bulletin and then notice that the events described relate to dates 2 years prior, it doesn't inspire me to look further. If a church is going to host a website, it needs to be kept up, unless it's going to be just a static listing of the hours of services. If you can't keep it current, then stick to the basics, so you don't look as if you don't care.

And, lest anyone bemoan the time and effort required to put together and maintain an excellent and meaningful site, keep in mind that some of the most informative sites on the web are sponsored by churches which are relatively small - St. Michael's Byzantine Russian in NYC and Our Lady of Grace Italo-Greek-Albanian Society on Staten Island both have sites of which they can be extraordinarily proud, despite their relatively precarious situations vis-a-vis established parishes of the larger Byzantine or other Eastern Catholic Churches.

(It's also an especially sad commentary when there is no website available - or an inadequate one - for any Church's canonical jurisdiction. This issue seems to finally have been resolved with the long-awaited and welcome addition of Philadelphia's great new page to the web. Offhand, I can't think of any other Eastern Catholic jurisdiction in the US that still is without a site.)

Many years,

Neil

I also think that Bumper Stickers are a good idea. It sounds silly, but people will see it and perhaps inquire about it. In the very least they will look up the very informative and up to date web site for more information!

Dear Irish Melkite, LaFamiliaFelix,

You guys are right on about Protestants' welcoming of visitors. Catholics do need to catch up with them. And, Praise God, some parishes are doing just that.

I like this thread because YOU are bringing the "little ways" to evangelize to our attention. The kind of things we wouldn't think of on our own.

A Byzantine, Maronite, etc., bumper sticker would certaintly be a new message for almost everyone. Again, a small thing, but "letting our light shine."

All,

Take on one or two of these sugestions on this thread as your own, pray that the Holy Spirit and the Holy Theotokos come to your aid.

Now, let us, "Go therefore..." (Mathhew 28:19a)

Sincerely in our risen Lord,

Paul

Bumper Stickers? Like "Honk 40 Times If You're An Eastern Christian"?

Neil is right about websites. They need to be kept current. The lack of updates on many pages is often not the fault of the webmaster but the parish. If information, photos and other such things are not supplied, the webmaster can't do his/her job. Putting a weekly bulletin online can get very tedious after a while, so I find that a monthly calendar works well.

Dave

Dave,

I agree and suspect that being a parish webmaster (like many other parish ministries) is a thankless post in many instances. As to a weekly vs monthly calendar though, scanners should make easier the weekly posting of bulletins distributed to the faithful.

Many years,

Neil

There is a relatively new online forum at...

www.catholic.com [catholic.com]

... that seems to be gathering members at an extremely rapid pace. Although (no surprise!) it is heavily "Latin" in nature and membership, it intended as a forum for all Catholics (I've already recognized some others of "us" over there!). What an outstanding way to interject our Eastern perspective on theology and spiritually into the conversations that typically "lean to the West!"

I'd urge all my Eastern brothers and sisters to drop in there from time to time to share the riches of our Eastern Faith and Traditions with our Latin brethren. I don't say this from the standpoint of proselytizing from within our Catholic ranks, but more from the standpoint of educating, in most cases, fellow Catholics to the "Eastern Lung" of their own Church. You'd be surprised (...or not!) at how many of them haven't got a clue that we're even out here, offering a spiritual alternative they may truly be seeking within the Catholic Church!

I can think of no easier, more efficient way to evangelize the U.S. Eastern Catholic Churches!

a pilgrim

I agree, I have found that forum at least much more open and welcoming to Eastern Catholicism than most of the Roman Forums I have run across. They have fewer of the hard-edged regulars who have the habit of lecturing to EC's as if they were children, arguing with EC's about doctrine and praxis. Perhaps because it is still such a new site.

But this does present an opportunity to present ourselves to the world because a great many non-Catholic inquirers will click into that site since it is run by Karl Keating. There are many areas they discuss that can be relevant from an eastern Catholic point of view.

In Christ,
Michael

As regards greetings - I remember, many more years ago than I care to admit (!) attending Divine Liturgy at a small church to which I later became closely attached (and still am) that at the end of the Divine Liturgy a gentleman approached me and said that Mrs. So - and - So hopes that I would join everyone in the community hall for coffee. I was agreeably stunned (even though I don't care much for coffee), because that had never happened to me before. Anyway, I went up to kiss the Cross and the priest greeted me - which was also a new experience for me. These were among the factors that brought me bsck.
Note that this doesn't quite follow the Protestant model of greeting; nobody spoke to me until the Divine Liturgy was over, but as soon as it was the priest and the greeter made me welcome. Not only is this proper in our tradition, we really do not want to encourage a hubbub of conversations during the Divine Liturgy. So how's this for an idea: we could easily prepare a one-page, brief leaflet to use when someone comes in for the first time, making it clear that the newcomer is welcome, that he or she should come to the fellowship time after the Liturgy, and that everyone, including the newcomer, is expected to kiss the Cross and greet the priest at the end of the service. A similar announcement could appear on the parish web-sites and other informational materials. And the leaflet could also include a very brief explanation of the use of whatever languages the newcomer might be startled to hear. If the newcomer looks serious and has not come armed with a Liturgy book, the greeter could smile and offer one, pointing out the current page.
Incognitus

Pilgrim and Michael,

I have also visited Keating's The Catholic Answers Forum, actually spent several days there when my PC refused to take me here . I posted a few times in response to queries about the Eastern Churches and answered a couple of questions about "independent" Catholic Churches (e.g., Old Catholics, Polish National Catholics). Overall, I found only scattered interest in us.

There are a few Eastern Catholics there, some from this Forum (Pilgrim, DavidB, and Scotus come immediately to mind - Michael, you must be lurking , I didn't see you over there) and I came across a few others (1 each Ukrainian, Ruthenian, and Melkite, as I recollect) whom I didn't recognize.
Met a "closet-Melkite" (his description), a Latin, who often worships with Pani Rose's parish and a gentleman who will, hopefully, soon become a member (or at least regular visitor) to my own parish. Both our Alice and Don in Kansas were kind enough to supply me info that helped me answer a couple concerns folks over there had on specific topics.

Overall, though, the site is way too Latin and, generally, conservative, for my taste. A 19 year old former novice who authoritatively posts such things as a declamation that all Jesuits and Maryknollers are heretics (and who not only was going unchallenged in doing so, but was being acclaimed for the post) raised my hackles.

I had a pm exchange (which isn't finished yet) with one of their Moderators or Administrators about the fact that she capitalized Mass but not Divine Liturgy. I politely (yes, Alex, I was polite :p ) requested that she accord the same measure of respect to the liturgical celebrations of Eastern Catholics and Orthodox as she did to that of the Latin Church. This was the exchange:

Keating was asked (not by me) about the addition of an Eastern Catholic forum and seemed disinclined, as he didn't see enough interest to do so. All in all, I suspect that over time I would end up being banned from there (seriously); so, instead, I'll probably just avoid the place, once the Admin/Mod and I finish our exchange on terminology and style.

Many years,

Neil

Neill:

Overall, I found only scattered interest in us.

Overall, though, the site is way too Latin and, generally, conservative, for my taste.

I know what you mean. I have met so many "Traditional" Catholics who think we Easterners are all just dying to follow the Mass of Trent. Their thinking is that we have the Divine Liturgy because we don't know about the Tridentine Mass. It does no good to try to explain that our Divine Liturgy is roughly 1,000 years older than the missal formulated at Trent. Some of the "Trads" I know are becoming more and more cult-like in their beliefs and practices.

A 19 year old former novice who authoritatively posts such things as a declamation that all Jesuits and Maryknollers are heretics (and who not only was going unchallenged in doing so, but was being acclaimed for the post) raised my hackles.

One of the nice things about being 19 is that you are usually not aware of your own degree of ignorance. It seems we all encounter posters who are either dangerous because of their little knowledge, or because their greater knowledge has lead to great pride and arrogance. My own experience is that some of the most learned people I have met, were also some of the most humble.

so, instead, I'll probably just avoid the place, once the Admin/Mod and I finish our exchange on terminology and style.

Probably not a bad idea.

LOL, I remember when I used to know everything. Of course that wasn't that long ago.... I wonder how I became so ignorant so fast.

Of course, I still act like I know everything sometimes...

Jason

I wonder how I became so ignorant so fast.

It happens to everyone. I have become convinced that as I get older, I know less and less. It's interesting that the constant overload of information hasn't increased wisdom.

Of course, I still act like I know everything sometimes...

I won't tell if you won't I do it too, if that's any consolation.