This year, the Church of St. Nicholas of Myra in Crofton, MD, was blessed to have His Grace, Bishop Demetrius of Boston, visit on its feast day. His Grace arrived on Wednesday, December 5/18, and was present for the vigil of the feast. The next day he served the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, concelebrating with Fr. George Psaromatis, the pastor of the parish, and Archdeacon Agathangelus from Holy Ascension Monastery in Bearsville, NY. Before the beginning of Liturgy, Nicholas Snogren was tonsured a reader. There was a meal following the service, and the faithful had the opportunity to visit with His Grace.
On Friday, December 7/20, Paraklesis was served and many of the faithful attended. On Saturday at 5pm, the Bishop came and visited with the children attending Greek school. The children had the chance to speak with His Grace. They were greatly edified by his words. Many faithful were present for the vigil that followed.
On Sunday, December 9/22, His Grace served another Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, concelebrating with Fr. Nicodemos Gayle from St. Seraphim of Sarov Orthodox Church in Glen Allen, VA, Fr. George Psaromatis, and Archdeacon Agathangelus. John V. Psaromatis was made an ecclesiarch before the Liturgy. The grace felt by the clergy and the faithful during the Liturgy was beyond words. After Liturgy, a banquet was held with a question and answer period. The faithful were greatly edified by His Grace's words and presence.
Many years to Nicholas Snogren and John V. Psaromatis and may St. Nicholas always protect them and all of us and intercede on our behalf.
In the early 20th century, the idea of promoting the union of Churches (Orthodox and heterodox) began to gain ground among circles in the Eastern Orthodox Church by establishing a "Communion of Churches" modeled on the League of Nations.
The Patriarchal Encyclical of 1920 foresaw a series of steps toward the “union of the Churches,” of which the first was the change of the calendar for the simultaneous celebration of feast days by all the “Churches.” The content of the encyclical was kept secret from the faithful and only after a few years became known. Read more...
Jonesboro is a town located near the Eastern border of Arkansas, with a population of approximately 60,000. From a human standpoint, it’s not the most likely candidate for a traditional Orthodox mission, but for an Orthodox Christian who orders his priorities around Christ and His Church, it makes perfect sense. Read more...
2025 Youth Conference
Please join us for the 2025 youth conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada! To learn more, visit the conference website.
Q. Are the prayers in the blue prayer book [A Prayerbook for Orthodox Christians by the Holy Transfiguration Monastery —ed.] compulsory for everyone? I mean their morning prayers and the service of Small Compline. My confessor gave me a special rule but wasn’t clear about whether this replaced the book prayers or was in addition to them. Read more...