www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization Evangelization in the Byzantine Catholic Church

I think the suggestion to do outreach work regardless of parish size may be a real important key. Of course, it isn't our mission to be social workers first, but generally, when you help others and reach out, you're blessed by the effort, and... it gets your name on the map!

My church is growing, and you hear lots of babies at DL and there're a fair number of teens and young adults.When the gospel is read at least 15 children surround the reader.Those under 50 outnumber the over 50 set by a long shot.Fr. is bi-ritual.

We're the only english speaking byzcath church in the area that's not latinized or insularly ethnic.We're also near a conservative Catholic university and those who want 'early church tradition' come to us, though there are alternatives like Tridentine Masses and very traditional RC churches in the area. Why do they prefer us? I don't know.

The priest is also doing a lot of education and the Ruthenian churches in the state are equally eastern and give lectures at our church sometimes.

We use the RDL and the only complaint I've heard is the lack of Slavonic. But we still use some slavonic responses.
Some of the oldtimers are bewildered by the decidedly eastern focus. We are more than 95% converts now and are hungry for education whereas those who grew up in the faith are the least interested in growing or learning more about the faith. The church of their childhood is good enough for them. They are loyal though and are relatively open to newcomers.

All good, but I think we need to do some outreach. Well, many members work with the Pro-life organizations and the Church makes the social hall available to them for events. But, I still say we need a soup kitchen or something that reaches outside of the Catholic community, so we're not too insular.

Hi Maura,

The Passaic Eparchy of the Byzantine Catholic Church includes parishes in State College (Pittsburgh Eparchy), Wilkes Barre, and Hazleton (both within the Passaic Eparchy). There used to be one in Lopez, which, if it functions in some capacity is probably served by the priest in Wilkes Barre. Addresses and phone numbers are available from the website here

http://www.eparchyofpassaic.com/pa.htm

Although the distances vary, I hope this information is helpful!

A student

C. I. X.

�Semantics", we don�t see the forest for the trees. Every church is suffering because the boob tube society sees America successful TV program after program without the benefit of a church, any church. Yes once a year REBA or an African � American comedy might make it to a church, but who would really believe America�s success without a reason for the Christmas shopping season? Let�s get back to our own picture. First I must commend the Byzantine Forum, it gets BC, CROGC, OCA, UGC, UO, and more together with little blood shed. In reality the above mentioned alphabet soup came over on the same boat, they just marched under different flags, many of whose colors look the same to others.

Back to the subject by visiting another �thread�� In # 3 Parish Life and Evangelization�s MISSION=ORIENTED VS ETHNIC CHURCHES. I believe we determined there were not a � dozen affiliations but a trinity of styles. There is the mission oriented towards evangelization and ecumenism, the ethnic snuggled with mysticism and romance (mystery) and a third the foreign language parishes dealing with ongoing assimilation and issues of self - esteem and dignity of those perceiving themselves as second class citicens. Some parishes are a mix of two and a few a combanation of all three. Some of our churches are three parishes in one building offering a schedule of diverse services and activities.

We cannot stop here without visiting on # 3 VOCATION CRISES. Some parishes are run by a priest who knows his flock and delegate responsibilities while others are despots who just take without question or reason. Bachelor, monastic, married, second profession clergy all have their own baggage. Other parishes have Church Boards / Committees / Councils / Trustees which are mere honorary figureheads, others smart business managers and yet another with stubborn self - agenda pains in everyone�s seat. No matter which one a parish has they will probably tell you the grass is greener on the other side. Checks and balances with incentives will probably cure most temporal ailments.

Why stop here, in # 4 East � N � West�s CAN ONE REALLY BE EAST & WEST SPIRITUALITY with the exception of those shooting from the hip (Father David, I am at the top of that list) there is little argument between Eastern Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy over important things. Colors, vestment cuts, beards, seating and scheduling yes. Like they say in these parts, �If you want to know what is Orthodox just ask the Greek Catholics, they may not do it but they spend hours arguing it�.

Unfortunately most leaders like saints are only declared so after their death, during their life they were usually considered stumbling blocks or block heads. So who will read for us the writing on the wall, not as complaints but in positive possibilities for improvement? This may require a # 13 self help magazine chapter. The mission oriented could call it �WWJD� (What would Jesus do?) and teach us how to deal with spirituality that has been warped by the reformation or distorted by materialistic political correctness. While they are at it which Wesley or Neal (who do you think pioneered the English translation of the Eastern Church?) hymns would be appropriate at the beginning or end of our ritual services, so ex � protestant spouses will feel welcomed, or would that make us Uniats?. What is the expected American standard operating procedures? The ethnic parishes could call it �Martha, Martha�� (Luck 10 : 41) and tell us how to present ancient customs like Holy Supper in a new way http://www.ukraivin.com/ or shop for this vegan experience requiring only microwave worming with little preparation that includes chips and Christmas folklore. How about semi - homemade pascha bread using a bread machine while keeping the entombment incantations? Explain how to set the table on the feast of the beheading of St. John the Baptist without dishes, platters or knives and why. The foreign language contributors could call it BBC (Baba babchi skazala / Baba & granny conversing) or use something in Cyrillic or Slavonic as eye candy. They could help in translating passages or customs or stories. What we may see as chauvinistic Russian or they see as anti � American others may see as a quant customs whose Christian folklore did not survive the Soviet persecutions? Organic is as always the root here, not orchestration.

Well AMM, Byzantophile, EdHash, Serge Keleher, Simple Sinner, Two Lungs Ung � Certez and numerous others out there, "do - youes gyes" (inclusive language) think it�s time for productive brainstorming rather than support group therapy?

Forgive my pontificating. We do it so well, after all we possess an appropriate succession back to 1596, or was it 988, or was it 869, or was it 313, or was it 65...AD?.

Christ is Risen!!

Do you think part of the problem could be the fact that most people don't have a clue that these Churches even exist? The Church I am a member of<UGCC>I didn't even know existed here in Raleigh. I found it by accidentally running into their web sight while surfing the web. The folks there BTW are a warm, accepting, and loving community and ethnicity is not rammed down ones throat. I think our Priest has an Irish background. (-;

I understand what you guys are saying about parishes needing to be more open and not so insular but getting the word out that we exist would be helpful as well. Don't think that the Latin Church is going to advertise for us. It is very likely that when I converted to Catholicism 30 some years ago that I would have gone to the East at the beginning if I had known the Eastern Rite Churches existed.


In Christ:
Converted Viking

PS I did know of the Maronites as I was raised in the Middle East though I did not know they have a presence here in the states

In my opinion there is a two-step mentality that needs to be endorsed - getting people to the church as well as having the parishioners be welcoming to visitors. Parishioners need to invite people to church, be vocal about how much they value their parish, and be equipped to answer the standard questions an American will ask.

As I've said before in the forum even if a church adds a single family every month (for the normally small Byzantine Catholic parish) whether that be one person or a nuclear family that is a large increase in membership. Compare this to a DRE friend of mine who has 60 people in his RCIA program.

Very true! And I have seen the change in my short life thus far of 31 years. If you want more religion in TV, try the Spanish telenovelas on Telemundo. It's not uncommon to see people at church or praying the rosary. I remember one show even had a religious procession with a statue of the virgin.

Much of what you say regarding secular American society was being debated in the Latin Church here in the States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There was the assimilationist party of Archbishop Ireland and Cardinal Gibbons, and the traditionalist party of Archbishop Corrigan and Bishop McQuaid. (I would have sided with the latter--Corrigan was a man after my own heart.) Sadly the former won out and we see the assimilationist ideals come to fruition in the writings of Fr. John Courtney Murray and the other Jesuits of his time. These Jesuits helped to inspire succeeding generations of American Roman Catholics into creating the mess we have (and which the Holy Father is trying to fix) in this day and age.

This is all rather depressing to say the least. All I can say is that the tiny mission UGCC Church that I am a member of is filled with caring and loving people. I will say this from first hand experience at another Church, if a visitor is not made to feel welcome and the people there do not show any interest in the stranger in their midst that visitor will not come back. Also, when you go to a Church and you find it has the reputation for being a refuge camp for disgruntled, disenfranchised Latins you aren't going to go back. When I was led to the East I decided along with my Latin Rite wife that I could not straddle the fence and applied for a change in Rite. I suppose this is a bad analogy , but you can't be part of another family unless you marry in.
If this post has annoyed or caused grief to anyone I do apologize and ask for your forgiveness. There is to much of the "Oh there is no need to change rites" Yes there is ! If you are going to be an active member of a Byzantine Church then you have to be invested in it, you have to truly believe in it. God bless my wife, this has really been hard for her<seeing me leave the Latin Church>Even so she has supported me and has made sure that I followed the fasting rules of my new home. The excuse that I had, I am not actually a Greek Catholic yet because the paper work hasn't gone through and I was still under the Latin Bishops jurisdiction didn't hold water. God bless my wife.

Converted Viking

One of the things that has amazed me is the truly warm greeting we've received at every Byzantine church we've been to. The general habit of helping newcomers find their place in the books helps in this regard, too . . .

hawk, also "guilty" of all but dragging visitors to the social

X. B.

As much as we do not want to believe we are a pyramid church that goes from the top down, but organically from the bottom up it is those at the top that determines our outcome. A good administrator knows how to delegate responsibilities to his people giving them a feeling of self-worth, which they will want to share. If those at the top are sanctimonious despots (parish councils as much as pastor families) the peasants will not want to contaminate others while clinging to what solace they have left. The catholicity is whether we share or cling it is to the same stability, the risen Christ Jesus.