Hats off to the people who took the time and effort to post material, even though its Easter. This was posted today, after it happened today. Now, that’s how it’s done. You don’t give smarmy excuses on the top of an official website as some did. God bless the folks at Mayfield… they did the right thing… and that’s no small beer.
BMD
Interior shot of St John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Mayfield PA
An eyewitness reported to me that Paffhausen showed up in Mayfield PA at St John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cathedral and apologised for the OCA’s nastiness towards the parish in the 1980s. Of course, there’s more involved in it than a mere recital of words… especially from an insincere former salesman such as JP. You simply do not say, “It’s over”, and everything is put right… that’s not the way of it in the real world. What our Russian Orthodox Church here in the diaspora needs is Unity… a figure to bring us all together. Paffhausen isn’t that figure. He should resign and go to a monastery to live out his days in peace (that is, we should treat him like Nikon Mironov of Yekaterinburg… remove him from office, but not depose him). Paffhausen not only lacks the competence and grit to unify us… he lacks the moral standing to do so. I personally passed Paffhausen a letter through his deacon three years ago… I’ve never received a reply… that makes the point, doesn’t it?
I’d say to His Holiness… “This is a good sign… a VERY good sign. Now, it’s time for UNITY, so, send us someone around whom we can UNIFY. We have no one here that fits the bill”. Note well that there was nothing posted on this on oca.org, the official ROCOR website, or the site of the parish where this occurred. I have an eyewitness account, from a trustworthy person. WHERE WERE THE OFFICIAL WEBSITES? Yes, indeed… where were they?
It’s time to go home…
Barbara-Marie DrezhloTuesday 29 May 2012
Albany NY
This Just In Department:
A friend wrote me:
As for JP, he’ll say whatever the audience wants to hear.
I quite agree. That’s why I’m NOT jumping up and down with glee. HH had best watch himself around that lying, duplicitous, and conniving salesman (he has the knack of the good salesman of making his audience believe his sales patter). Fathausen has lied many times in the past… he’s an unrepentant follower of Gleb Podmoshensky and he’s never kept his word to the OCA Holy Synod. JP’s also a fanatical supporter of the crowd that wants to “canonise” the questionable Dmitri Royster, and he supported the litigation-happy Ray Velencia. In short, he COULD be on the straight and narrow, but the chances of that are rather slim, given his past actions, his habitual casual disregard for the truth, and his all-consuming paranoia. He’s a Fox News rightwinger, and that lot has a “creative” attitude to fact and fancy. If he’s honest and wants to truly help the Church, he’ll resign. That’ll clear the decks for a REAL leader. He’s too covered in shit to go on. I, for one, do NOT trust him at all. I’m NOT alone…
BMD
On Sunday, an 11-mile journey over the mountains reawakened a custom at St John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Mayfield PA. About 30 participants, both local and visiting, gathered after the Liturgy to walk from the cathedral to St Tikhon of Zadonsk Orthodox Monastery in South Canaan Township in Wayne County, where the 108th annual pilgrimage is under way. After the liturgy, Protodeacon Joseph Matusiak, 37, said, “St Tikhon Monastery was founded in 1908 by a priest from this parish”. The pilgrimage used to be a tradition, but it had fallen into abeyance since the 1980s, after a division between the two communities. Matusiak went on to say, “A bridge has been built. This pilgrimage is part of that, walking in the footsteps of our forefathers”. He added that he hoped that the “grassroots” casual gathering of walkers would become a yearly tradition, joking that it’ll take that long to recover from the long, hilly, walk.
Fr John Kowalczyk, public relations director of the monastery, said that the people from Mayfield weren’t the only pilgrims headed to St Tikhon Monastery, saying, “There are people who are going to be travelling from different parts of the United States to arrive at St Tikhon’s. For the day, they are finding some solace and some peace to break from the regular mundane routine of a life filled with all sorts of anxiety. It’s an opportunity to pause and reflect on one’s spiritual life”. Events at the monastery shall continue on Monday with Divine Liturgy at 07.30 EDT at the Monastery Church. Hierarchical Divine Liturgy is set for 10.00 EDT at the open pavilion church. At 13.30 EDT, the Akathist to St Alexis will be sung at the church, and at 14.00 EDT, a service of Thanksgiving to the Most Holy Theotokos and anointing of the sick, infirm, and of all pilgrims is planned at the Monastery bell tower. Vespers at 16.00 EDT will conclude the pilgrimage.
27 May 2012
Wilkes-Barre (PA) Citizens Voice
http://m.citizensvoice.com/news/church-monastery-reconnect-through-pilgrimage-1.1321439
A kolyadka sung by the choir at St John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Mayfield PA USA
The “Gubas” still live in po-nashemu Pennsylvania!
Another kolyadka sung by the choir at St John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cathedral
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