New Release of the Complete Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in English!

NEW RELEASE: Cappella Romana's highly anticipated two-CD release of the Divine Liturgy in English set to Byzantine Chant.
A male ensemble led by Alexander Lingas chants the service's hymns, psalms, and responses in a resonant natural acoustic according to the most authoritative Byzantine traditions, including works adapted from Petros Peloponnesios (+1778), Nileus Kamarados (+1922) and St. John Koukouzelis (+ca. 1341). The Very Rev. Dr. Archimandrite Meletios Webber (priest) and the Rev. Dr. John Chyrssavgis (deacon) render in full all of the litanies and prayers of the entire Eucharistic assembly. Issued with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop +GREGORIOS, this 2-CD set employs the official translation of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain, and features a 40-page booklet with an annotated text of the service and essays on Orthodox worship and Byzantine chant by the Very Rev. Archimandrite Ephrem (Lash), Alexander Lingas, and John Michael Boyer.
For full information see: http://www.cappellaromana.org/

OrthodoxWiki - IT IS NOT Wikipedia

Check it out! It is a very good resourse for informaiton on many aspects of Eastern Orthodoxy! Use their serach box, it will surprise you by the many subjects that are covered.

"It is not Wikipedia. They borrow heavily from Wikipedia's structure, use the same software as Wikipedia, and link to Wikipedia, and a number of their articles find their initial source in Wikipedia, but OrthodoxWiki is completely unaffiliated with Wikipedia or the Wikimedia Foundation. "

See: http://orthodoxwiki.org/Main_Page

As the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos approaches...

From St. Vladimiar's Seminary Press web site -

"Since the time of the early Church, Orthodox Christians have honored Mary, the Mother of God, with special solemnity on August 15. From the sixth century on, that celebration has been explicitly associated with her death, as the culmination of a human life uniquely "full of grace," uniquely involved in the Mystery of our salvation and transformation in Christ. This volume brings together the earliest attempts by Greek theologians and preachers to interpret Mary's Dormition, or "falling asleep" in the Lord, in the light of the whole Paschal Mystery. In addition to the sermon of Bishop John of Thessalonica, the earliest "official" retelling by an Orthodox bishop of the traditional narrative of Mary's entry into heavenly glory, the collection includes eleven other homilies from the seventh and eighth centuries, as well as a metrical translations of St John of Damascus' canon for the feast.

Some of the authors, like St John of Damascus, St Andrew of Crete and St Germanus of Constantinople, are well known and others less so. All of the works gathered here represent profound and original efforts to integrate the celebration of Mary's death into the wider context of the Christian theology of redemption.

Most of these works have never been translated into English before, and some are not available in any modern language. They offer Christian readers of all Churches an unparalleled new glimpse of Mary's central importance in Christian faith and spirituality: as the one in whom God's Word has become human, and in whom the community of Jesus' disciples sees the first full realization of its own share in the risen life of Christ. In the event and the liturgical celebration of her Dormition, these ancient preachers offer to us a kind of icon of Christian hope for the transfiguration of our common humanity, both at the time of our own "falling asleep" and at the end of history. "

See: http://www.svspress.com/product_info.php?cPath=43_8&products_id=185

The ceremony, which awes the souls of Christians, takes place in the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem. The date for Pascha is determined anew for every year. It must be a first Sunday after the spring equinox and Jewish Passover. Therefore, most of the time it differs from the date of Catholic and Protestant Easter, which is determined using different criteria. The Holy Fire is the most renowned miracle in the world of Eastern Orthodoxy. It has taken place at the same time, in the same manner, in the same place every single year for centuries. No other miracle is known to occur so regularly and so steadily over time. No other miracle is known to occur so regularly and so steadily over time. It happens in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the holiest place on earth, where Christ was crucified, entombed, and where He finally rose from the dead.
For more information see: http://www.holyfire.org/eng/

Sermons by Saint Gregory Palamas is the title of a new series from Mount Thabor Publishing, in which many of St. Gregory's extant homilies are arranged thematically, principally for the benefit of the layperson interested in the rich Biblical tradition of the Church Fathers. Mary the Mother of God, the first volume in this series, is a collection of some of the greatest homilies ever written on the Mother of our Lord, including the most celebrated of all St. Gregory's works, his sermon "On the Entry of the Mother of God into the Holy of Holies". Additional upcoming titles include: The Saving Work of Christ: Sermons by Saint Gregory Palamas and On the Saints: Sermons by Saint Gregory Palamas.

For more information see: http://www.thaborian.com/

Congratulations! Second Diocesan Pastoral School Graduation

On Saturday, July 26, 2008 final exams for graduating seniors of the Diocesan Theological School were held at the Diocesan Cathedral of the Protection of the Mother of God in Des Plaines (Chicago), IL. Defense of the seniors’ theses and oral final exams began at 8:00 a.m. and continued until nearly 5:00 p.m. The review committee consisted of His Grace, Bishop Peter of Cleveland, Very Rev. Fr. Martin Swanson, Dean of the Pastoral School, and two members of the faculty of the Pastoral School: Very Rev. Fr. Andre Papkov and Rev. Fr. Gregory Joyce. Graduation ceremonies were held immediately following the Divine Liturgy at the Protection Cathedral on Sunday, July 27. Those successfully defending their theses, passing their final exams, and receiving diplomas from His Eminence Archbishop Alypy were: Subdeacon Victor Ganson, Holy Epiphany Church, Boston, MA; Subdeacon Silouan Hoefler, St. Basil the Great Church, St. Louis, MOSubdeacon Michael Merren, St. Vladimir Church, Ann Arbor, MI; Reader Andrei Vlassenko, St. Basil the Great Church, St. Louis, MO; Mr. James Whitacre, St. Elizabeth Church, Rocky Hill, NJ. For more information on the Diocesan Pastoral School, please see the school’s web site: http://www.orthodoxtheologicalschool.org/ and http://www.chicagodiocese.org/

Alexander Solzhenitsyn - Memory Eternal!

(Photo by ITAR-TASS)

Moscow, August 4, Interfax - Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia condoles with the widow of the late Alexander Solzhenitsyn who died late on Sunday. "I offer my sincere condolences to you, his children, relatives and close ones. Please, accept the words of sympathy and support on the day of severe loss," Alexy II statement reads.The Church primate reminds, "Alexander Isayevich was a talented, original and active person, but he had a difficult way of life and work.""He faced many trials with humility and Christian dignity. He experienced all hardships of World War II, unrighteous tribunals and camps and exile from Motherland," the Patriarch writes. Though Solzhenitsyn lived in involuntary emigration, "he continued to witness to truth and Russia's difficult destiny in the 20th century" and his "outstanding, bright works won deserved affection and deep respect of many people in Russia and abroad," Alexy II noted.According to the Patriarch, Solzhenitsyn spared no effort to preserve Russian literature, to secure the succession of traditions. He actively participated in the public life, was an active citizen and reacted to the development of social, cultural and spiritual life in new, renovated Russia."He initiated many good doings and undertakings. Alexander Isayevich was inspired with renewal of our original national traditions and preservation of its rich cultural heritage. The deceased has many plans, but this year has become the last in his life," the Patriarch writes and promises to pray for "the rest of the late God's servant Alexander in the dwellings of the righteous "where there is no pain, sorrow, and suffering, but life everlasting.""Memory eternal to him!" Patriarch Alexy said in conclusion. Solzhenitsyn will be buried in the graveyard of Moscow's Donskoy monastery on Wednesday.Solzhenitsyn himself chose the place of his repose. For more information see: http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=dujour&div=173

Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM)

In the summer of 2007, the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) was permitted to photograph Greek New Testament manuscripts from the Albanian National Archives in Tirana. The CSNTM is a five-year-old non-profit institute dedicated to high-resolution digital preservation of ancient handwritten copies of the New Testament. For additional information and to view sample images from the Albanian State Archives see: http://www.csntm.org/Default.aspx