www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Parishes being run into the ground in the Eparchy of Passaic

Is the change in Liturgy time just for the winter? I'm surprised he is making it a more manageable time for people to get there. 9:00 AM wasn't a good time for people traveling a distance.

Is the change in Liturgy time just for the winter? I'm surprised he is making it a more manageable time for people to get there. 9:00 AM wasn't a good time for people traveling a distance.


Our former pastor had 2 Liturgies on Sunday, 10:00 AM, mostly in Slavonic, and 12:00 noon - English. When we changed the clocks in the Spring the 12:00 noon Liturgy reverted to 8:00 AM, then back to 12:00 when the clocks changed again in the Fall. Our new pastor eliminated the 12:00 noon Liturgy, and made the one remaining Liturgy 9:00 AM. Yes, it has been a hardship for many of the parishioners who come from afar, and for the elderly in the winter because the roads can still by icey and such at that early hour. The early hour has effectively eliminated some parishioners. That's why I'm puzzled as to why the Liturgy is now being changed to 10:30. One thing I do know is that it can't be for a good reason; absolutely nothing that has taken place the past two years has been good.

Perhaps he's been reading the posts from the Newsday forum?

Didn't he verbalize to the congregation the time was going to change?

No, Fr. Harry did not verbalize to the congregation. It just appeared in the bulletin. And I am sure the posts in the Newsday Forum did not change his mind. The 10:30 AM time, I am sure, is to accommodate someone else?

Fr. Harry verbalizes nothing to the congregation. As soon as he pulls those new red curtains closed at the end of Liturgy, he's "outta there." Can't get into his car and leave fast enough. What little information we get (as little as possible) is put in the Sunday bulletin. Incidentally, all of us are wondering about the sudden appearance of the red curtains. No-one seems to know what religious significance they have, even parishioners who were born into the Eastern Rite. Anybody?

Perhaps you can post a picture to our photo section for a better explanation, but I'm guessing the 'curtain' is behind your icon screen? In most Orthodox churches and in some of our Eastern Catholic churches this is used to separate the Holy of Holies from the people. It is opened and closed at several times during the Liturgy. Its been back in favor in some parishes for at least 25 years. Some icon screens are solid and can't be seen through, making the curtain unecessary, I suppose. I don't know if it was used in our original pre-1930 parishes or not.

Isn't that nice. I'm guessing I wouldn't have a whole lot to say at this point, either. I give him a kudo for showing up, LOL

Yes, exactly; it's behind the doors, not the entire icon screen. Just another way to spend down the parish money, I suppose. Thanks for the information.

Dear Meg,

The curtain or "veil" is called for by the books of the Recensio Ruthena (this are the "official Slavonic books from Rome" that many here want the bishops to mandate):


So in this case, it sounds like your pastor has reintroduced a tradition which many on this forum are calling for.

Yours in Christ,
Jeff

While this is a wonderful thing, it's my understanding, from several priests, that the use of the veil in the Passaic eparchy (and perhaps the whole Pittsburgh Metropolia) is forbidden and that our "particular law" does not call for it's use.

Our pastor may have reintroduced one tradition by the veil of the Royal Doors; but he has eliminated many more that were truly important to the parishioners in Smithtown. At the one a week Divine Liturgy, the personal touch is non-existent; I doubt that he knows the names of more than 5 parishioners; and furthermore, he doesn't care to know more. The Servant of God,***, receives... words which lift each one of us by name and individual to a heavenly level, even if for just awhile, are now a blank. Sad loss of tradition.

I was informed on Sunday that our church is now a mission church and has been for a year. Google St. Andrew's in Westbury. I also have been told by friends upstate that the bishop will be around another year.

You have confirmed what I suspected, Winston. Yes, I noticed a long time ago that St. Andrew's had a nice website, while ours, which once was so beautiful, has been dismantled. Why all the secrecy? As parishioners, are we not all entitled to know what is being done? We really are being treated shamefully, and I hold out little hope that a new bishop will rectify matters. Our church has been destroyed, and has been practically non-existent for at least a year.

"Ekklesia", the gathering, isn't the parish or the diocese. It's the people.

Do what needs to be done to preserve the ekklesia. How the state, city, county, diocese, etc. decide to respond to this entity is their response. It doesn't in any way affect the reality of the people and their reality as 'ekklesia' or 'community/group'. How the Church determines it will address this reality is something that the the entities must discuss. And there are multiple possibilities.

Like the "Federation of Russian Orthodox Clubs" that published wonderful liturgical music, this group did its wonderful work OUTSIDE the parameters of the various Orthodox 'jurisdictions' in the U.S. (Metropolia, ROCOR, Moscow Patriarchal) in service to the Byzantine (Russian) heritage. Might there not be something similar for the Kievan (Ruthenian/Ukrainian) community?

All doors are open. It just requires dedicated people to accomplish the good deeds.

Blessings!

Dr John

So you have been informed that we are a now mission church. News (not really) to all the rest of us. Isn't that a great example of our pastor's communication skills...he writes and tells the people to go back to the jurisdiction to which they belong and thereby decimates the congregation. But he doesn't have the decency to speak or write to those of us who are left regarding our future. And he was supposedly a teacher of children at one time. What talent, what class! No wonder his background appears to consist of 2-yr. stints.
I have heard the same about the bishop;s retirement. Let us see if Smithtown will be his Last Hurrah!