www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News St. Michael's Russian Catholic Church reviewed!

When it comes to our parish community, I'm absolutely blind-sighted! Slava Bogu!

Saint Michael's has been getting a lot of attention this year.

The latest comes from the Sept 27-Oct 3 edition of the National Catholic Register newspaper, in which there is a nice article written about the parish. Included is a photo of Father Russo standing before the royal doors.

The online version of the article (without the photo) can be read here: http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/19121

1. I'm sure the Russian Catholics would stress they are in communion, not union, with Rome.

2. Some day, a Catholic publication is going to get the difference between "rites" and "Churches" correct. That day will be the Parousia.

3. Who cares that the Feast of the Three Archangels is celebrated on 29 September in the Latin Church?

Other than that, the reporter did a not-too-bad job. He must have taken very good notes while Father Russo was explaining things to him.

I think the information is relevant given that this piece was published in the Sep. 27-Oct. 3, 2009 issue of the National Catholic Reporter. It makes the story more relevant for Latin readers.

That said, it would have been nice if the journalist had also pointed out that in the Byzantine Churches, the Archangel Michael is commemorated on Nov. 8.

Also the significance of St. Michael Archangel in the Byzantine Tradition, and especially for the Russian Orthodox.

I note that the article said very little about the formation of the Russian Catholic Church, or its fidelity to the Tradition of the Russian Orthodox faith.

Stuart:

Explaining the history would not do many favors in a Roman-Church oriented article.

It would raise the ire of a significant subset of the Latin-Traditionalists, who also feel the only purpose of unitiatism is to make them all into Trent-Liturgy Catholics.

Many Roman Church Catholics would simply be confused, unless the whole system of Sui Iuris Churches were explained.

The structure that has served as Saint Michael's Chapel since Father Andrew Rogosh of holy memory began the parish was actually built in the nineteenth century and was the chancery of the Archdiocese of New York before the construction of the new Saint Patrick's Cathedral and adjacent chancery. Back to Saint Michael's, it is within the walls of the old cemetery, although one enters the chapel directly from Mulberry Street. Every year the two nearby gates in the old walls are opened to permit the midnight Procession of Holy Pascha to circle the chapel.

Fr Serge

Since Pope John Paul II's pastoral letter Orientale Lumen, directed at the Latin Church, urged greater knowledge of, familiarity with and sympathy for the Churches of the East and their spiritual treasures, this would seem like an excellent opportunity to fulfill the late Pope's directives.


There's a plaque on the exterior wall that gives the origins and background of the building.