www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News HORIZONS and Pax Christi

Edwin, I don't share those opinions, but I get the feeling that the PTB (powers that be) who control the Horizons content may.

There is so much that can be written about our Church -- and related Eastern Churches -- for an eparchial newspaper, but to compare it with the paper of a RC diocese is not completely appropriate. Our eparchies cover a much, much wider territory and so the local news that fills much of the typical RC diocesan paper would be not as appropriate in a Byzantine eparchial paper. (Of course, there are papers that do this anyway, e.g., the Ukrainian Eparchy of Stamford prints parish news in its paper that even says the names of people that were baptized/chrismated, died, etc.) Not to mention the less-frequent publication schedule and greater delivery time that our papers must consider.

Plus, as a part-time editor myself, I know that to get content you need writers. If material is submitted to Horizons and is not being published, then there's a real problem. However, if the underlying reason is a lack of material being submitted, then all the complaining in the world won't accomplish the writing. Maybe those people like Edwin and Sharon who are active in Parma parishes can add some more insight to the situation.

Our other eparchial papers have mostly part-time staff (clergy) -- and I suspect that the amount of "relevant" material they publish is directly proportional to the amount of material they receive from parishes; they probably don't have time to write much themselves from scratch.

RichC,

I can understand about not having writers to submit articles, but if they are willing to cut-and-paste articles teaching us about Islam, then why not cut-and-paste articles from Orthodox sources? How about an article about St. John Chrysostom for this month? If the only news worthy to print are dinner festivities, then why bother? Maybe people DO want to know what is happening in their church on the other side of the mountain. We aren't poor peasants living in 18th century Rus'. It would be nice to hear about our missions and to learn about the existence of other eparchies in this country. Local news seems out of the question as well as national news, unless it is about Roman Catholics and Islam. I used to open the pages of HORIZONS and learned something about the Byzantine Church and faith.

Sharon asked about posting a schedule or something about the Uniontown pilgrimage, but she was turned down. People out of state, including Parma people, DO attend the event every year.

There is nothing more pathetic than reading about Catholics in African and Asian countries, but nothing ever mentioned about Eastern Christians who were living there since the time of Christ.

I don't receive the paper anymore, so can you tell me if "Bishop Schott"* is still listed as the editor, the way Bishop Andrew was? If so, then I guess the bishop is ultimately responsible for the content, whether he has a hand in putting the issue together or not.

I completely agree with your other points.

* Apparently Horizons doesn't know that in the Byzantine Tradition we refer to our bishops by their FIRST names, if we mention their surname at all...

RichC,

Yes, you are correct that Byzantines refer to their bishop by their first name and that HORIZONS use of their last names is, indeed, a Latinization. Excuse me while I go back to finish reading its articles on Islam. I want to make sure I get those Islamic terms correct. This is so important for us Byzantine Christians. Maybe our catechists can use these articles to teach the children about this wonderful faith?

I will stop my rage, now.

[ 11-13-2001: Message edited by: Edwin ]

Wow, these articles sound fantastic. I can't wait to get the issue thye are in (it takes over a month for the paper to get out here to the arren wastelands of Missouri). Some of our Parishoners here subscribe to the Passaic paper, which I understand to be more timely and relevant to Eastern news.

The Byzantine Catholic World is the official publication of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh. Annual subscription is $10. ($12. Canadian) Anyone can subscribe thru the mail. If interested in receiving this newspaper in the mail, send a check for $10 to:

The Byzantine Catholic World
66 Riverview Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA. 15214
----------------------------------------

Joe Prokopchak
archsinner

[ 11-14-2001: Message edited by: Nicky's Baba ]

Well, I think we also need to remember that the publication of the eparchial newspapers, as well as all sorts of other "duties as assigned" (including religious education, liturgical commission, pastoral council, priests' council, syncellate duties, 'defender of the bond', chancellor, dean, etc., etc.) all fall upon the shoulders of priests who are already responsible for not one, but oftentimes two or three parishes.

I wouldn't be too hard on those guys. Let's face it, it's easier to cut-and-paste wire copy than write and edit new material, especially some of the grammar school stuff that gets forwarded from organizations and parishes.

Yes, it is critically important that parish events and photos be included. Yes, it is critically important that 'official announcements' be printed. Yes, it is critically important that articles on our customs and traditions be included for the education of our peoples, whether cradle or not. But it's a job. And it takes worth and a great deal of time.

Of course, having a lay editor hired would help, but there's the issue of $$$. And the issue of making sure that the content is "kosher" (don't want to step on the bishop's or someone else's toesies by saying something 'inapropos').

So, we'll have to muddle through, and perhaps subscribe to multiple Eastern diocese newspapers. It provides the money support, and will perhaps give a wider perspective than the info coming from just one diocese. Do the Melkites have something interesting? I would recommend the "Orthodox Observer" from the Greek Archdiocese -- a monthly and rather insight-giving. (The middle section is in Greek.) Do the Ukies have something (in English)?

Blessings!!!

Dr. John,

You are so balanced & level headed what would we do without you?

Nicky's Baba

This topic of diocesan newspapers is a sore topic for me. I'm firmly convinced that there can be another way in regard to newspapers for the Byzantine Catholic Church.

How about having ONE newspaper covering all four dioceses? That way everyone gets it and hears what's going on all over the church. News is local, yes. But having a page or two for each eparchy inside, supplemented with various instructional/educational, liturgical, or general articles for the rest should suffice. Maybe a real spotlight on a parish each issue. A seasonal reflection or prayers? Where to obtain Eastern Christian reading and devotional materials or icons. Conversations/interviews with iconographers, cantors, priests/religious, or even the bishops working in our parishes and dioceses. The list could go on.

How about a GOOD, RELEVANT children's page? Maybe something that can also be used as a supplement in ECF classes? There's SO little material for teaching our children.

How about more articles about other Eastern Churches? At least the "ECL" gives news from other Eastern Churches, including the Orthodox Churches.

How about more lay involvement? Then there's the issue of "Editors" and "Associate Editors" and "Business Managers." At least in Passaic, all priests. Isn't there a better way to use our priests?

How about making it a MONTHLY publication, more substantial in size? I'm not sure of the cost implications of all this, but it seems as though alot of time is spent on low grade or cut and paste work that really isn't worth reading for the average reader.

Of course this is all easy for me to say, and I'm so far removed physically from where all this takes place that it's easy to criticize. I would just think that in this age of evangelism and consolidation/closing of parishes, that a good, worthy, well-written and presented publication for the WHOLE Church in America could only help!

We already have it and it has been published for more than 80 years. Its called the GCU Magazine. It is a monthly, it is lay edited, it is national, and it has had a significant role inthe history of our people in America. I am sure many will pontificate as to its shortcomings. To them I would suggest, put out something better and more popular, otherwise, quit your whinning.

K.

John K,

I remember the days of BCW until Parma began publishing HORIZONS. Then I forgot that BC Churches existed outside of Parma. I lost touch with the rest of our church until ... until ... until byzcath.org came along! It is nice to know we have churches still existing out West or in Florida.

Your idea of one Byzantine Catholic newspaper nationwide is great, but that would suggest cooperation. Having separate eparchial newspapers makes as much sense as each eparchy having its own seminary.

Kurt,

Good grief! A national paper covering local sporting league events!

We would need a paper that concerns the rest of the Byzantine Catholics not just bowlers.

John's suggestion sounds more realistic and broader for the entire community.

[ 11-15-2001: Message edited by: Edwin ]

A clip from an Associated Press article dated Nov 14.

- - - - -

The teen-agers paid their respects at ground zero while attending a Seeds of Peace International Youth Conference called "Uprooting Hatred and Terror" that was organized in response to the Sept. 11 attacks.

Shani Manor, a 17-year-old from Israel, was teary-eyed as she emerged from the rubble of the twin towers where her cousin died. She was shocked at the size of the hole where buildings once stood.

Manor described herself as a peace activist, but said she would have stabbed Usama bin Laden had he had been standing beside her.

- - - - -

No comment.

[ 11-15-2001: Message edited by: Edwin ]

My question is:

Are these parish events submitted by the pastor or the public relations coordinator to "HORIZONS" or the other Byzantine Catholic newspapers the day after they happen, or does the pastor forget about sending the events of the parish to "HORIZONS" until he cleans off his desk?

When I was a sports editor at a small Northwest Ohio daily newspaper, people would telephone me and say, "Why isn't such-and-such [like a basketball game] in the paper?" I would say that we have a limited amount of people {me and two part-timers} to cover sporting events of 10 schools and a college and that the coaches and the athletic directors were telephoned before the season started and given the toll-free number to telephone their games into the newspaper. I couldn't be everywhere! If people didn't let me know about the events, I had no way of knowing about these events.

Why, by the way, are Byzantine Catholics interested in what the Orthodox churches are doing? Their newspapers focus on what is happening in the Orthodox world and not what is happening with Eastern Catholicism and Roman Catholicism.