Saints Cyril & Methodius

Bulgarian Orthodox Mission

(web address:  www.bocdc.org)

 

Meeting at St. Luke Orthodox Church

6801 Georgetown Pike,
McLean, VA 22101

 

 

St. Demetrius the GreatMartyr

(Commemorated October 26)

 

Sunday, October 25, 2009

 

His Beatitude, Metropolitan JONAH

Orthodox Church in America

Diocese of Washington

www.oca.org

 

 

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople Begins US Visit

 

 

  His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is visiting the United States for a three-stage visit that includes an Environmental Symposium on the Mississippi River and visits to New York, Atlanta and Washington D.C.

The Ecumenical Patriarch arrived in New Orleans, Louisianna on October 17. He will be staying there through October 25 and is currently leading the 8th Environmental Symposium titled "The Great Mississippi River: Restoring Balance." His All Holiness is the patron of this series of environmental symposia on various water bodies around the world and he is internationally known for his many efforts for environmental awareness and the well-deserved title "Green Patriarch."

  Following the Symposium, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will arrive in New York on Sunday, October 25. His All Holiness' program in New York will include two Patriarchal Divine Liturgies, meetings with the clergy, ecumenical leaders, members of the Archdiocesan Council of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the bestowing of an honorary doctorate degree from Fordham University.

  The Ecumenical Patriarch will then make a short visit to Atlanta on October 29, returning to New York the following day. Finally, from November 2-5, the Ecumenical Patriarch will visit Washington, DC.

 

 

Schedule of Divine Liturgies at

SS Cyril & Methodius and at St. George Bulgarian Church


Nov. 1 – (Services held at Holy Resurrection Church – St. George Church)

Nov. 8 - St. Michael the Archangel and the Bodiless Powers of Heaven
Nov. 15 – (Services held at Holy Resurrection Church – St. George Church)

Nov. 22 - Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple; Righteous Michael of Bulgaria
Dec. 6 - St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (ca. 345)
Dec. 13 – Services held at Holy Resurrection Church – St. George Church)

Dec. 20 - Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ

 

 

Saints Commemorated Today

20th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST — Tone 3 (5th of Luke). Martyrs Marcian and Martyrius the Notaries, of Constantinople (ca. 355). Ven. Martyrii (Martyrius) the Deacon and Martyrii the Recluse, of the Kiev Caves (Far Caves—13th-14th c.). Martyr Athanasius the Fuller, at Salona in Dalmatia (3rd c.). St. Tabitha, the widow raised from the dead by the Apostle Peter (1st c.).

 

†   May Their Memory Be Eternal   †

  The Archbishop GREGORY; the Priests Peter, Ishmael, Leo, Homer, Victor, and Thomas; the Matushki Mary, Platonida, and Barbara; the Readers John, Philemon, John, and Robert Michael; and the servants of God Alexander, Sophia, Shafik, Michael, Steven, Christo, Radka, Anna, Dale, Mary, Carmel, Thomas, Vasili, Mary Ellen, Andrew, Irene, Stamatia, Peter, Steven, Olivera, George, Marianthe, Panaigioti, Christophor, George, Rada, & Julia.

 

Those Who Are In Need of Prayer

  Priests Milorad, Photius, Anthony, and Joseph; Presbyteras Marie, Miriam, Artemis, & Marie; Magdelena, Stephen, Matthew, Oliver, Zell, Charlie, Theresa, Catherine, & Bojanka.

 

Organizational Structure of the OCA

QUESTION:
  Who does Metropolitan JONAH report to?  The Patriarch of Constantinople?  What is the relationship between the OCA and the Russian Orthodox Church?

ANSWER:
  As an autocephalous Church, Metropolitan JONAH, our Primate, does not "report" to any hierarch abroad. The OCA is not "under" any of the other autocephalous churches but, rather, is the youngest and 15th autocephalous Orthodox Church, having received autocephaly from the Mother Church of North American Orthodoxy, which is the Russian Orthodox Church. [It was the Russian Church which first sent missionaries to North America in 1794 and which first organized an ecclesiastical structure on this continent, being for many years a missionary diocese and then a metropolitanate of the Russian Church.]
  While administratively self-governing [autocephalous], the OCA is in communion with all of the other autocephalous churches throughout the world. While some of the latter have yet to recognize our autocephalous status -- a situation that, if one reads through the history of the Church, had been faced by every autocephalous church at one point in time -- all accept us as a canonical body with a canonical hierarchy. North America has posed unprecedented conditions for Church life, but as time goes on there is no doubt that the unique situation of the Church here will change.
  The Primate of the OCA is the Archbishop of Washington, DC, and is also Metropolitan of All America and Canada. The Metropolitan maintains brotherly relations with the other autocephalous churches as a part of his office. The Primate is the presiding hierarch of the Holy Synod of Bishops, which includes all ruling bishops of the OCA's dioceses. The Holy Synod meets twice every year. In between sessions of the Holy Synod, the Lesser Synod meets. Each diocese is headed by a ruling bishop and has oversight over the OCA's dioceses, each of which consist of a number of parish communities which are headed by parish rectors, who guide the life of the parish community in harmony with their respective parish councils.
  Parishes in a given region or area constitute a deanery which, unlike the national Church or the diocese, is not an administrative body.
  This gives a brief outline of the OCA's structure; it is in no way meant to exhaust the various administrative units and other elements of the OCA's structure and ministry, but it gives the basic "flow chart," so to speak.

 

Metropolitan Jonah Visits the Georgian Diocese of Batumi

  On Friday, October 16, 2009, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah of All America and Canada, by invitation of His Eminence, Metropolitan Dimitri of Batumi and Lazeti, visited several parishes, monasteries and social institutions of Batumi during his short stay there as a guest of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Metropolitan Jonah visits parishes, monasteries and social institutions in the Georgian Diocese of Batumi

  The day began with the celebration of a Service of Intercession before a wonderworking icon of Saint Nicholas of Myra and Lycia in one of the city's parish churches. From there, Metropolitan Jonah and those accompanying him went to the burial place of the Holy Apostle Matthias, where they entreated the saint's intercession before the Throne of God.

  Afterwards, Metropolitan Dimitri took Metropolitan Jonah and those accompanying him to a church he is building on the border with Turkey. The host hierarch also explained that the Diocese of Batumi, in addition to ministering to the spiritual needs of the people, is concerned for their physical welfare as well. Hence, he arranged visits to two diocesan orphanages and one nursing home for the elderly and infirm. Both social institutions, run by the local Orthodox Church, have chapels inside their main buildings, in which the residents can regularly participate in the Divine Services and receive the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion.

  Metropolitan Jonah was interviewed by local television stations during his visit to the parishes, monasteries and orphanages in Batumi. In the interviews, he constantly stressed how impressed he is with the blessed work being accomplished by the Almighty God through the hands of Metropolitan Dimitri for the good of people in need. He also expressed his thankfulness to His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia, for his kind invitation to visit the Georgian Orthodox Church.