Comments on: The times, they are a changin

By: George Michalopulos

George Michalopulos — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:46:14 +0000

Fr John, I heard wonderful things about this conference. We need “real” monks and “real” bishops too. (Only the OCA’s bishops are ordinaries, I’ll leave others to think about the implications of that as far as the other jurisdictions are concerned.)

By: Fr. John

Fr. John — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:49:11 +0000

Thank God the thaw is progressing among the ‘black clergy’ of ROCOR and OCA. We need to continue to build community, a network of Orthodox spiritual support all over America. I see this shaping up wherever I look.
Recently my diocese’s clergy conference was headed by three ‘real monks – His Beatitude, the former Abbot of St John’s Monastery in Manton, Abbot Meletios of the same community, and Abbot Gerasim of Platina’s St Herman Monastery. The conference was definitively about spiritual healing; therapy has come to the American Orthodox at last. It took our getting really sick for us to pick up the phone and call the Doctor! May Christ heal our sickly church, and soon (before I am old, I hope)!

By: Fr. Johannes Jacobse

Fr. Johannes Jacobse — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:46:14 +0000

Thanks for pointing this out. Made the correction.

By: Christ's unprofitable servant, Seraphim

Christ's unprofitable servant, Seraphim — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 05:16:18 +0000

FYI: The photo incorrectly labels the figure on the left as Metropolitan Jonah when it is in fact Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphia, hence the black rather than white klobuk ; ) An important point, as His Grace was at first a monk in obedience and then later the “deputy” (i.e. de facto) abbot of St. Tikhon’s Monastery for quite a few years during the tenure Metropolitan Herman (who was the official but absent abbot) until Father Sergius was elected abbot in 2009. Although no longer the abbot Bishop Tikhon still plays a special role as the monastery’s spiritual adviser given his personal connection to the monastery as well as the members of the community.