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I was visiting my (Roman Catholic) girlfriend this past weekend in Connecticut, and we went to Stamford for Divine Liturgy on Sunday (after going to the lovely and very Orthodox St. Michael's Russian Catholic Church in New York for Vespers on Saturday night). We went to what was described as being the "cathedral" of St. Vladamir. There was no sign out front of this tiny, distinctly unimpressive looking place, and it was stuck at the end of a dead-end residential street. Going inside, I was immediately scandalized into quasi-paralysis! It is a dark, squalid little church of the meanest design, full of cement-cinder blocks and cheap wood for construction, cartoonish stained glass figures, bad lighting, and several manifestations of Latin influence (confessional, stations of the cross, etc.). And then the Divine Liturgy began! Oy! What an oppressive experience that was. Half-mumbled, occasionally shouted, and only rarely sung, the entire thing was raced through in an hour, complete with a "homily" from a (visiting?) priest dressed like a Roman Catholic.
I don't wish to be polemical here, but my question is this: what gives with this place? Is it really supposed to be the cathedral? Why is it so appallingly bad then? I had heard very positive things about this eparchy but this left me breathless. Has anyone any further experience that they could share? (I keep telling my girlfriend of the beauties of the Byzantine tradition, and then she winds up with a clunker like this! How every will I convince her to marry me in the Eastern Church?!)

Adam,
Yes that is the cathedral for the Stamford Eparchy. Yes it is small and what you described. There is a popular trend in our Ukrainian Cath. churches to do a liturgy half talked and part sung. It is officially Bishop Basil's "home church" but Bishop Basil does do many services out of St. Georges parish in the Ukrainian Village in NYC. For example he celebrates old calendar Christmas there etc.etc. St. George's fro, what I recall does have its latinizations(it is a Basilian parish) yet it is quite pleasant. St. Nicholas Cathedral in Chicago is a monumental testimony to Byzantine design with its 13 domes but the 3 bars were taken down years ago. St. Josaphats in Parma, Ohio is a great example of eastern design and slowly but surely the mosaics are going up in the church. I have been to the Philadalphia cathedral but the other 3 are good churches to visit.
-ukrainiancatholic

Dear Adam:

If you want to impress your girlfriend come to St. Elias the Prophet Church in Brampton, Ontario, on Highway 7 & Heritage Road.

Vespers on Saturdays at 7:00 PM. Matins on Sunday mornings at 8:00 and Divine Liturgy at 10:00 AM.

This will convince her.
I kid you not.


PS.
They do the most beautiful Weddings [you wouldn't believe it].

defreitas

[ 02-05-2002: Message edited by: defreitas ]

GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST!!

Brother Adam --

If you are ever in Harrisburg on a weekend, be sure to come to St. Ann's. Some consider this church to be "the jewel of the Eparchy." Fr. Mike runs a tight ship when it comes to not having any "latinizations" and the singing and plain chant is just wonderful. Liturgies at 8AM and 10:30.

It sure "fills the bill" for me spiritually every Sunday and feast day.

Cordially in Christ, the Lord of the Eucharist,

Brother Ed

GLORY FOREVER!!!

Dear Adam,

No pun intended, but someone named "Adam" should know about the bad apples even in the Eastern Churches . . .

If you want to impress your girlfriend, take her to other places, including some excellent restaurants.

I would recommend Greece as a honeymoon destination as well. The two of you will really see the light there!

Alex

Orthodox Catholic,

Stop scandalizing this man!

Orthodox Catholic,

Dear RC@work,

Greece is no scandal, Servant of Christ, no scandal!

The beaches are warm, the white churches glisten against the sun, the food is great and the people are congenial.

It is truly a wonderful place for Adam's future wife to get to know her "First Man."

God bless y'a, and please accept my apologies for going overboard yesterday, I was a real devil, I know,

Alex

Orthodox Catholic,

NO PROBLEM! As you might guess the 'AmChurch' topic really struck a nerve with me. I have a cousin who is a Sister of St. Paul and we are presently in the same discussion. She tends to be a bit more liberal than I. There are some vocations in my family as well as some prominate Protestant professors/pastors. My mother always said I should be a lawyer because I really can argue So I tend to be a little hot headed sometimes.

God Bless!

FYI, My wife will be a Byzantine Catholic this Easter! I can't wait...

Dear RC@work!

Please call me "Alex!"

Good for your dear wife, and I will keep her, and you, in my prayers!

You have an illustrious family and that is always something to be cherished.

I love the Sisters of St Paul - I find their Order to be really dynamic.

I think you should take your wife to Greece to show her what being "Byzantine" is really all about!

God bless you both,

Alex

Alex,

Well one day if we feel safe we will go to Turkey. I think the next Byzantine thing we are going to do is to go up to Union Town this year. You know she founded the Byzantine Church all her own and wanted to join it without any of my influence. She is converting from the Baptist Church. She started this road to the Catholic Church while we were seperated a couple years back. I am really proud of her. She wants to start doing the skirt/head covering thing on her own (after we went to a Russian Orthodox Church).

FYI, the other vocation in my family is an uncle who recently passed away. He was a Jesuit Brother. My great uncle was the head of the theology department of Mass. University. He was Luthern Minister/Theologian. Basically, my mothers side is Protestant and my Fathers side is RC. So I am stuck in the middle

[ 02-07-2002: Message edited by: aRomanCatholic@Work ]

Dear RC@work,

I know how you feel, especially whenever I find myself between Reader Sergius and Kurt here!

I have a cousin who teaches Lutheran theology in Germany. He was in the seminary and fell in love with a divorced lady.

The seminary asked him to choose. And he did.

I think lying on a Greek beach is truly the best way to have a close-up of one's Byzantine roots . . .

O.K., O.K. I'll go away and work on some new material . . .

Alex

Hey, the Alex man gives great advice. It's oftentimes a real roll of the dice when going to a Constantinopolitan church. Some are just wonderful; some aren't quite so good. Others, well, you've been there.

Honeymoon in Greece? Yes indeed. (And this is not just parochialism from a Greek-American.) The environment is just wonderful and healthful. And the fact that one can be close to a Church makes it even more appealing.

It is the basis of many wonderful and happy memories that will serve a lifetime of marriage. I pray that you both will have many happy years. And that your memories will serve to cement your bonds of love and sharing with each other. (Just watch the garlic. Greeks love to put garlic in stuff; but it can ultimately be a real 'turn-off' in social environments!)

Blessings!

Thanks muchly for a conversation as amusing as it is informative! I am quite familiar with St. Elias, and count Fr. Roman as a good friend (he persuaded me to accompany him around Ukraine teaching English last summer, a trip that was an absolute highlight of all my travels). His parish is a place of fondest pilgrimage for me, and I have no hesitation in saying it's probably the most beautiful church in the country (which, this being Canada, is perhaps not much, but I intend that as high praise).
As for Greece, that is an excellent suggestion. One of my closest friends is Greek, and would no doubt concur in your opinion.