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[Liturgical dance, Byzantine Catholic style:] The Redemption of Bathsheba before the beautiful gates

Byzantine, Texas
July 23, 2013
http://byztex.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-redemption-of-bathsheba-before.html

The Redemption of Bathsheba - "A collection of dances that evoke the spirits of the Bible's most intriguing women." - Saint John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church, Pittsburgh, PA. Even if done outside the Liturgy, is this appropriate inside a sanctuary?

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More pictures at the parish website at http://www.sjcbcc.com/bathsheba2012.html

And on their Facebook [facebook.com]

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Sigh. I don't know how things work in the BCC. Could the pastor decide this on his own or would he need a blessing from Metropolitan William? I imagine the parish old timers at Rus'ka Dolina were not amused. I could see a choral concert of religious themed music, even a Warhol retrospective in the vestibule if properly catalogued and curated, but this? No way.

Oh no, the Ruthenians have gone mad!

It's beyond me just how this could even be considered normal tradition in a sanctuary. I see another gray hair in my gray patch blooming.

How to mortify other Eastern Catholics, and set ecumenism back a century. As an Eastern Catholic of another ritual Church it embarrasses me to see this. I've been tempted to write their bishop myself.

I can say, sadly, these women have more fabric on their bodies, granted it's sheer, than do a lot of the young women at the Holy Virgin Cathedral (ROCOR) where the detail of covering one's head seems to be enough to justify dresses skin tight, pronounced cleavage, and often well above the knee. The Greek Orthodox Cathedral isn't much different. I don't expect them to dress like the stereotype yiayia or babushka, but...

As far as "The Redemption of Bathsheba", the catechesis has been literally misplaced.

Someone else can look up the actual instructions, but I know in the Latin Church if a lecture or concert etc is being presented in the church the Blessed Sacrament is to be removed from the tabernacle and reposed elsewhere. I have certainly witnessed this many times, including the Lessons and Carols in the Dominican Priory chapel last Advent. I have also seen it not happen...

I have no idea about any special provisions in the East. We did have a Roman Catholic priest give a lecture recently in our chapel, and our priests have also lectured in there. We don't yet have a real iconostasis so no Royal Doors. The curtain was closed across the area of the Royal Doors.

Surely there are seismic anomalies near St John Chrysostom parish cemetery from the wild spinning in the graves of the departed builders and benefactors of the parish. "Boze moj'" as my Baba undoubtedly would have said.

Slava Isusu Khrystu!

Liturgical Dance has no place in a Byzantine Church! Especially in the sanctuary! The Church is a place for reverence and decorum NOT DANCING!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dancing is for night clubs!

This is the strangest thing I have seen in any BCC parish. As a member of the Byzantine Catholic Church I feel that this is sad. It almost looks like they used the grave where the shroud is placed on Good Friday as a prop in the background. I am so saddened that such a historic church which played a very important role in the history of The Rusyn Greek Catholic Churches is being used for such purposes. I don't know how many members still belong to St John Chrysostom these days, but it seems as if the church is already being used as a museum rather than a temple of the living God. Very Sad indeed.

It is sad, my grandfather briefly attended there before World War one and moving to New Jersey. He was angry about much that happened in the Ruthenian Greek Catholic world of his times, however, this would have saddened him greatly.

What was the pastor thinking?

This surely would have broken the heart of the venerable sage and historian of our Rusyn forefathers, the late Michael Roman, of that parish if memory serves me right, who chronicled our people's struggles for over fifty years through the pages of the GCU Messenger.

As a member of the BCC, I'm not only mortified and embarrassed, I am horrified. What were they thinking? I know we have our problems, but this? It's really disheartening.

And I don't know the configuration of this church, but unless there is a Eucharistic Liturgy going on or the reading of the Gospel at that point in a non-Eucharistic Liturgy, the Royal Doors should not be open!

Want to see some videos of it?
https://www.facebook.com/SJCBCC

Well, the only "good" thing I can say is that the dancers have great legs and look terrific in those see-through skirts!

But how sacrilegious to do this before the Holy of Holies.

Alex

In looking at the photos it appears the Royal Doors are closed. The Doors seem to be very minimal.