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

Here's the link to a fellow in Manhattan that has been visiting and "reviewing" various parishes around the city. He recently stumbled on St. Michael's Russian Catholic Church. Read what he has to say:

Andrew visits St. Michael's [catholicmanhattan.blogspot.com]

Edmac--are you the gentleman that he mentions who was so helpful?

He got to meet Father Lawrence Cross--lucky stiff!

This is what we want. How do we get a Russian Catholic parish that can celebrate the Byzantine Divine Liturgy in Cleveland? The Ruthenian bishops have banned the Ruthenian Divine Liturgy and replaced it with a bad copy of the Vatican II Novus Ordo.

I am actually considering paying his church a visit in Melbourne when I go there next month.

Dear John K.

Yeah,that was me. The Reader Augustine (who is also the
official Parish Curmudgeon)and I are generally the ones
who welcome visitors and try to give them a little orientation. Funny,
visitors always hide in the corner by the utility closet for some reason.
Andrew did. Not that visitors are
hard to spot in our place.

It was a great pleasure having Fr. Larry with us Sunday.

Thanks to Andrew for his kind words.

Edmac

Check with Fr. Chrysostom Frank in Denver. I believe the Latin archbishop authorized him to start a Russian Catholic parish. Both He and matushka teach at his seminary as well! If there, why not elsewhere? Thirty-five years ago I heard of a similar permission granted elsewhere in the mid-west but the initiative did not come to fruition. The problem is not simply to obtain episcopal permission but to secure the service of a priest trained in the Synodal Russian tradition.

Here is a link to another "review" of Saint Michael's that was done on January 1, 2007 by a "Mystery Worshipper": http://www.ship-of-fools.com/mystery/2007/1390.html

St. Michael's sounds like a wonderful place

Dear "Lady Byzantine"
Christ is among us!
It is simply not true that the Hierarchs of the Pittsburgh Metropolia have "Banned the Ruthenian Divine Liturgy." And to call the revised Divine Liturgy "a bad copy of the Vatican II Novus Ordo" is simply untrue. I have yet to see a "Novus Ordo" Roman Catholic Church install an Icon Screen, nor direct its priests to celebrate 'Facing East." Could you tell us where in the Greater Cleveland area there was a Byzantine Catholic parish that fully followed the "Ruthenian Recension"? When I was in the Brecksville St. Joseph Parish, for example, before the revision so much was cut out of the Divine Liturgy that the "Saturday Evening Liturgy" was done in less than 50 minutes. Is that the style of "Ruthenian Liturgy" that you are talking about?
The Russian Synodal Liturgy is indeed quite beautiful, but I wonder if it is what you are expecting?

Lady Byzantine can speak for herself but I would like to comment.

I will disagree with Father Vladimir. It is currently forbidden in the Pittsburgh Metropolia for priests to celebrate the Divine Liturgy according to fullness of the Ruthenian recension. At best the RDL changes the form of abbreviation. Father Vladimir might take a look at the RDL Liturgicon and compare it with the 1942 (Slavonic) or the 1964 (English) and notice that whole parts of the Divine Liturgy were removed. It matters not a whit that the full Liturgy was not celebrated everywhere (or even in more than a few places).

I don't know about Cleveland, but I do know of a parish in Aliquippa, PA (northwest of Pittsburgh) that went from 30 on a Sunday to 140 on a Sunday once the Divine Liturgy went from a "Greek Catholic Low Mass" to the full Ruthenian Divine Liturgy. Since the RDL that parish has lost probably about half of its Sunday numbers.

The Ruthenian Divine Liturgy works! No need to copy the Russian Synodal style (though it is beautiful and used at the ROCOR Cathedral I usually worship in these days). The bishops most certainly did ban the full Ruthenian Divine Liturgy. This is demonstrable just by comparing the 1942 or the 1964 (which were complete) to the 2007 RDL!

As to the RDL being a "bad copy of the Vatican II Novus Ordo" that is certainly an overstatement, but not totally untrue. The principles of reform that were applied to the Byzantine Liturgy are the same failed principles used in creating the RC Novus Ordo. The RDL is a product of a Roman mindset, not a Byzantine one.

Beautiful!

St. Emilian's when Father Terry was pastor. He taught a course on the Liturgy, and everyone got Red Liturgicons from the seminary. It was a great success. And he celebrated the whole Liturgy. Every prayer. Every litany. Much more then in the Pew Book. Bishop John destroyed the Liturgy and our church with his RDL.

You can call him and ask him if you do not believe me.

Originally Posted By: Father Vladimir
Could you tell us where in the Greater Cleveland area there was a Byzantine Catholic parish that fully followed the "Ruthenian Recension"?

Try Protection of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church - and note that the parish retains the Julian Calendar.

Fr. Serge

It is!

Father ,

Of course, you are not in the slightest bit biased on that subject