www.byzcath.org Forums Mysteries: The Life of Worship Vespers, Matins & the Divine Liturgy The Revised Divine Liturgy Keep writing to Rome! Letters do work!

If there is no hope to restore the full Ruthenian Divine Liturgy like we had in our prayer books all these years then there is no point of staying in a Byzantine Catholic Church. It is such a shame that they are driving so many people away. They force us to leave with a really bad liturgy and then blame us when we go. But Archbishop Basil is the one who did all this.

Can anyone recommend a parish within 10 miles of Pittsburgh that has a really good Divine Liturgy? Not a RDL but a real Divine Liturgy. Everything. Nothing skipped. Good singing a must. Choirs ok but not necessary.

Maybe it is a conspiracy to get all Byzantine Catholics to join the Orthodox Church. You think?

Is 10 miles the limit you will travel for "a really good Divine Liturgy?" Within 50 miles there are several parishes still using the Blue Books and/or old music. Can't promised nothing skipped and good singing is in the ear of the listener. I don't know of too many parishes with choirs either.

Fr. Deacon Lance

EM - I trust that was said in jest

I am willing to drive a half hour each way on a regular basis. Byzantine Catholic, Ukrainian Catholic, or Orthodox. I don't expect any Byzantine Catholic Church to have a decent liturgy.

Wow a whole half-hour! Unfortunately, I don't think any Byzantine Catholic Church will meet your expectations. What super parishes with nothing skipped and good music were you attending before the RDL?

Here's an OCA parish in the south side of Pittsburgh.

http://www.oca.org/DIRlisting.asp?SID=9&KEY=OCA-WP-PITHAC

I can guarantee that you will hear a full Liturgy without inclusive language there. Also Vespers on Saturday night.

Why is it unreasonable to expect to find one Byzantine Catholic, Ukrainian Catholic, or Orthodox parish within a half hour of Pittsburgh that celebrates the whole liturgy and has good singing? I think it is unreasonable for Archbishop Basil to force the RDL on a church that didn't want it.

Once every few months we would drive the hour out to St. George's in Aliquippa. If we could we would have gone there every week. The singing was wonderful and there were lots of kids there. This year we went there during Easter. They take the RDL. It's almost empty now. You should be embarrassed for what Archbishop Basil has done and not complain that it is people like me who have caused all the problems.

Can you give me a list of parishes that still take the Byzantine Liturgy? Maybe we can go to one of them once a month. We need to support them.

I know where that is in South Side! But I've never been in it. Maybe we can go there on Sunday.

Of course that statement about the conspiracy was said in jest, but then Archbishop Basil seems to be shooting himself in the foot. What reasonable person would do that?

PB,


Even before the RDL, it was impossible to find a Byzantine Catholic parish that did not omit verses of the antiphons, Little Litanies, Litanies of the Catechumens and Faithful, and at least one of the Litanies of Supplication in the Archeparchy, St George in Aliquippa during Fr. Elias' tenure being the exception. So why is the RDL now the straw that broke the camel's back? If your criteria is a complete Red Book Liturgy with the old music then I am afraid you will be disappointed. If a Blue Book Liturgy with the old music is acceptable you have many options, you just need to look around and be willing to drive an hour maybe. I don't have a list but it is fact some parishes didn't even purchase the new books.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Fr. Elias's church was not the exception, there were probably five or six others who were fortunate enough to experience a fuller Divine Liturgy. Why is it an issue now? Maybe because it appears that it will remain a reality, and the RDL still feels foreign after an entire year.

This Sunday at choir practice a discussion ensued regarding the RDL. I can tell you that this wound is still as fresh as it was last June. People likened it to "our Vatican II."

It's just so sad to watch your church be ripped apart at the seams, and you have absolutely no control over it.

I visited a church in the Archeparchy's jurisdiction and it was not a full Divine Liturgy like I experience in the Cleveland-area. The only ones who lost are the churches who were doing a fuller Divine Liturgy -- everyone else has kept what they had, and only added the word smithing. The Liturgy police need to take a road trip to see what's really going on -- I guarantee they'll be surprised -- it's not what's printed in those turquoise books.

This statement boggles my mind. In the almost two years since I've been Orthodox, I am used to, and expect nothing less than the full Liturgy I get every Sunday.

Why was Aliquippa and the handful of other parishes who took the "Red Book" allowed to be the exception? Personal preference of the priest? Give me a break! How can one parish be so Eastern, and the next one be so watered down?

I'm getting a headache. If I didn't have family still in the BCC, I wouldn't even be typing right now.

Dobre Notc.

Brat' Etnick,

What's that old Rusyn proverb?:

"As the Priest goes, so goes the Typica"?

Ung

Brat' Ung,

Would that be Vostochnik vs. Latichnik?