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

Meg: When did you notice ours was dismantled? Also, do you know where the priests' retreat is this week?

It was shortly after Fr. Harry came. I have the site bookmarked in my favorites. For a short time, it remained the same as always, with the pictures of the folk dancers and bazaar, but the previous pastor's name was no longer on it. Next time I checked, it was "under construction." Then, an entirely new "homepage" appeared, but no information regarding the pastor, times of Liturgies, parish activities, etc. You can still click on "parish family" and get some bazaar pictures (including pictures of our previous pastor), and onto "resources" and get a list of links, but on the home page is a link that tells you to go to www.ChurchRes.org. [churchres.org.] But you can't get there. You get an error message - "http 403 Forbidden," with the note "The website declined to show this webpage. Most likely causes: This website requires you to log in." Makes one feel like you're in the middle of some kind of spy novel.

As for the retreat, I have no idea, but I'm sure we'll read about it in the next issue of Eastern Catholic Life.

Their retreat is at the San Alphonso Retreat House in Long Branch, NJ, same as always.

Thank you, Jeff, for this explanation. Sunday I will be able to inform those who have been inquiring about it. It's too bad some of the other beautiful traditions of the Byzantine Rite have been abandoned, as Spinrose has explained. We also never hear "Vicnaja Pamjat" chanted after a Liturgy for the deceased, and the deceased's name is never even mentioned during the Liturgy. In fact, most of the beautiful Slavonic hymns and chants seem to have gone by the wayside. We all miss these traditions very much.

[quote=Meg We also never hear "Vicnaja Pamjat" chanted after a Liturgy for the deceased, and the deceased's name is never even mentioned during the Liturgy. In fact, most of the beautiful Slavonic hymns and chants seem to have gone by the wayside. We all miss these traditions very much. [/quote]

Meg,
That may be because your biritual priest doesn't know Slavonic

That is outrageous and appalling. The communion of saints extends into the world to come, and some of them still need prayers. Also, God is outside of time, so He can apply prayers for the deceased to any point in a deceased person's life -- thus helping their salvation. To pray for the deceased is also a way to simply honor them and their memory. It is certainly a way to honor the grief that their still living loved ones are feeling. It is outrageous that this isn't being done. I am so very sorry for you, Meg and all the rest, and it makes me repeat my advice to flee from that place and to find a good Catholic or Orthodox parish instead.

-- John

Well, John, I thank you for allowing me to know I am not alone in feeling this way. Our Sunday bulletins are handed out by the sacristan after Liturgy, supposedly because our new pastor doesn't want us to be distracted during The Divine Liturby by reading them. Thus, when a Liturgy is being said for someone, and we weren't in church the Sunday before to obtain a bulletin, we don't know the name of the deceased or the intention of the Liturgy until after it's over. If I remember correctly, there are 3 points in the Liturgy where the name of the person the Liturgy is being said for is mentioned. This is no longer done. As for myself, I now have Liturgies said at a Roman Catholic church in my county that is run by order priests. These are very holy and devout men, as far as I can see, so I feel satisfied the deceased will be prayed for.

As for our new priest not knowing Slavonic because he is biritual, when we first joined our church 38 yers ago, we didn't know one word of Slavonic, but in a short time we were able to join in the singing. It takes a little effort, but almost every Roman Catholic in our church, whom our priest scorns and demeans, used to sing the responses in Slavonic, and so did all the children. Sunday Liturgy was so beautiful to be part of, with the entire congregation participating, that visiting priests used to comment favorably about it. Now, as Spinrose has mentioned before, it is cold - very cold. Sad.

Knowledge of Church Slavonic has little to do with it. The priest appears to be much more interested in the "visual effects"--veil of the Royal Doors, expensive re-gilding of the Gospel Book, candles, etc., rather than the "spiritual life"--of either the living or the deceased of the parish family. The once prayerful warmth has become an atmosphere of cold indifference.

In all fairness the curtin being restored...not singing eternal memory or having the deceased's name (or a Sunday Liturgy for the deceased for that matter) are things I actually applaud...the curtin is an old venerable tradition that as I understand it corresponds to the veil in the temple...and Sunday's being the day of resurrection I can see why eternal memory or having a DL for the deceased is discouraged...

The problem appears to be...as with all/most of these problems...the way they are handled...these are great things in my opinion, but if they are simply implemented without pastoral sensitivity, at least in the area of catachesis...(pastoral sensitivity is not well people complain so I won't change anything) they come across as heavy handed...when HT had its iconostasis installed and major renovations back in the 80's the Pastor bent over backwards to educate why this was being done...there were some vocal critics...but they remained and grew to "love the changes" over the initial reactions once it was understood an appreciation grew for those who did not know...

Ah, therein lies something huge: communication. Your pastor took time to explain that which he wanted to implement. There is no dialog here with the parish community. Things get added; things get subtracted (sold, dumped or perhaps given away); and apparently, it's not ours to question why. As has been written before, our pastor comes in the door, gets vested, recites the Liturgy, unvests, goes out the door and is gone. Perhaps he is very fearful of contracting something gross from this "blue collar country club" as he calls it.

Yes communication is the problem...the one thing I haven't been able to figure out though...(since this was clearly the problem with the final priest at HT) is this communication problem simply one of general communication...or is it designed to "tick people off"...to get them to leave...since I know the numerous times we brought this up it was always "brushed off" as not an issue...

Chris

What happened to today's postings???

Dear Job,

Generalized complaints were fast turning into individualized hearsay and rumors against one individual of the clergy, and the Administrators of this forum thought it wise to remove those potentially slanderous posts to our 'holding cell' until they can be further evaluated, rather than close the whole thread at this time.

Alice, Moderator

Thank you for the reply Alice...

Not sure, feel free to PM me if you don't want to discuss in open forum, what was "potentially slanderous" there are numerous people who could collaborate what was said...

Not to be disrespectful but the question I have is: Does the continuation of keeping these issues in the forefront of peoples minds cause "problems" or are the "problems" the havoc that has been reaked...apparently there are many out there who see it for what it is...otherwise these threads (this one and the prior one that was closed) would not have almost 10K "hits"

Chris

The poster who posted them (not you) has been warned/notified by the Administrators.

Thank you for your understanding.

Alice, Moderator