Newsletter
of
Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church
285 French Hill Road
Wayne, NJ 07470-3976
Telephone: (973) 696-6572
Web Page: www.heisrisen.org

September 2010

IN THE WORLD, BUT NOT OF THE WORLD

Dear Ones,

God blesses us with the gift of life, and off we go as soon as we come forth from our Mother’s womb.  However, our life as a Christian begins in baptism. Through this sacred act, we die to this world which will pass away, and are born into the world to come, which is eternal—it will never end!

In Orthodox Christianity, the Byzantine Calendar (not to be confused with the Julian or Gregorian Calendars) has been in use since the seventh century as the Church’s liturgical calendar. The Byzantine Calendar year begins on September 1st and ends on August 31st. Personally, I like this approach to my calendar year since it conforms to life as we experience it: summer vacations are over, children go back to school, and participation in parish life returns to “normal.”

The Twelve Major Feast Days of the Church begin in September with the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, celebrated on September 8th, and ends in August with the Feast of the Dormition/Asumption of the Virgin Mary, celebrated on August 15th. The Feasts honoring Jesus: His birth, (December 25th), His baptism, (January 6th), His presentation (February 2nd) and His Resurrection (celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring) are also incorporated into this festal cycle each year.

Preparing for Pascha—the Resurrection—for example, is for many a time of conflict and stress. Annually, at least one mother will come to me and say, “Keeping Great Lent is so hard for me and my family.  The fasting, the services, etc. make my life very difficult if not impossible. I just can’t keep up. By the time I pick up the kids, take each of them to “X”, “Y” or “Z”, I don’t have time to come to the Lenten services, etc. I’m already on overload! What can I do?”

If you can relate to this dilemma, you are not alone.  Most of us probably identify with thoughts concerning time pressures. But what solution do we have? After careful thought, I would like to suggest the following:

Instead of organizing your life according to the January 1st to December 31st calendar year which is “of this world,” (i.e. the Julian or Gregorian Calendars) why not consider using the Byzantine Calendar as your template? By doing so, you will be able to incorporate your life into the “spiritual cycle” available to us.  If you make it your “primary” calendar, then the Church celebrations will become the basis for your decision-making regarding all other activities and the practical allotment of your precious time.  Let your soul, rather than your physical body, receive the attention and nourishment it needs. The results will surprise you!

With gratitude,
Fr. Paul

***  PLEASE NOTE  ***

Beginning Sunday, September 5th, the Divine Liturgy will begin at 10:00 a.m.  Vespers will remain at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday evenings.

BIRTHDAYS

As a new feature to the Monthly Bulletin, we will list those parishioners having a birthday during the month.  If your birthday is not listed, please contact the parish office so that our data can be corrected.

9/1   Susan Bernier          9/15 Joseph Addesso             9/22 John Chasse’ 
9/3   Debra Tosi              9/16  Alexis Geeza                 9/22  James Robinson
9/6   Lea Sassin              9/19  Louise Kapura               9/24  Katerina Engler
9/8   Robert Sharrock       9/19  Larissa Tosi                  9/25  John Burk 
9/12  Nicholas Halchak      9/20  Marianna Van Blarcom    9/29  Paul Vichiconti
9/12  Alexandar Mijaljevic  9/20  Diane Vatchev              9/30  Dora Dugan
                                                                             9/30  Alexa Ostrowski
       

SUNDAY EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO BEGIN

Education programs for children, teens, and adults will begin on Sunday, September 19th at 9:00 a.m.  The morning will begin with a brief prayer service.  The children and teens will receive their class assignments and a group photo will be taken.

Please be sure to register your child/teen by September 5, 2010.  You can return the form to the candle desk, mail it to the office, or e-mail your information to office@heisrisen.org.  We ask that adults register for the Sunday class by September 12, 2010 by contacting the parish office.

PARISH FAMILY PICNIC

To kick off the new season of educational programs, the parish will host a family picnic on Sunday, September 26th following Divine Liturgy.  The parish will provide the hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, and beverages.  All are invited.  We ask that you sign up in advance so that we can properly estimate the amount of food to purchase.  If you are able to, please sign up to bring a salad, side dish, or dessert to share.

LIBRARY NEWS

The development of the library and resource area of our parish center is moving forward. New acquisitions have been identified and are being ordered to increase the materials available in our general collection of books and other materials.

At present, the children and young people’s section is “under construction.”  Shelf units have been installed and with as much input as possible from the students, teachers and parents, appropriate materials will be purchased during the next few months.  A parishioner who wishes to remain anonymous has contributed $1,000 to help this project along.

Recently, with the concurrence and support of the Parish Council, a shelf unit was also purchased for another area of the library and will be designated as the “Inquirers’ Corner.”  It will be located to the right as you enter the building.  Our librarian, Carnetta Frances-Minor has gathered materials from our general collection appropriate for an initial introduction to Orthodox Christianity.  This unique collection will make it possible particularly for those investigating Orthodox Christianity as their possible spiritual home, to have resources readily available that present the essentials of the Faith without the need to search through our entire collection.

The library is here for you, too.  Come and make a visit.  Carnetta will be glad to help you find what is available to satisfy your needs.

INQUIRER’S DISCUSSIONS TO BEGIN

Beginning this month, an Inquirer’s Discussion session lasting one hour will be offered on the second Saturday of each month beginning at 6 p.m.  The program will consist of four themes: (1) The Nicean Creed, (2) Holy Scriptures in the Church, (3) Walking the Path of Salvation, and (4) Our Ministry to the World around Us. It will be repeated a second time later in the year.

Anyone with a curious mind is welcome to participate. This is for you if you are an Orthodox Christian who wants to grow in an appreciation of the Faith.  It is also an appropriate opportunity for anyone who is not of the Orthodox Faith who wants to enroll as a Catechumen or simply be more knowledgeable concerning the life and teachings of the Orthodox Church.

For more information, contact Father Paul by email at: frpaul@heisrisen.org or by telephone at (973) 696-6572.   

ORTHODOX EDUCATION DAY – ST. VLADIMIR SEMINARY

On Saturday, October 2, 2010, St. Vladimir Seminary will host their annual Orthodox Education Day on the seminary grounds.  The day will begin with Divine Liturgy at 7:30 a.m.  An open house will follow featuring food, music, workshops, panel discussions, and the keynote address by Archpriest Michael Oleksa on native Alaskan history, culture, and religion.  For more information, visit www.svots.edu and search “Education Day 2010.”

BISHOP MICHAEL TO VISIT

We are honored to have our new Bishop Michael (Dahulich) visit us during the weekend of November 12 – 14, 2010.  The visit will begin on Friday evening and will continue with a full-day of activities on Saturday.  His stay with us will conclude with Divine Liturgy and luncheon on Sunday.

Due to his full schedule, Bishop Michael can generally only visit each parish approximately once per year.  Please adjust your personal schedule so that you can attend the parish events for that weekend.  It is guaranteed to be worth your while.

WAYNE INTERFAITH NETWORK

As always, thank you for your generosity towards our neighbors.  It is much appreciated.  Please note, bulk boxes of individually wrapped items are acceptable (i.e. granola bars, fruit roll ups). 

Help is still needed to deliver our offerings to the food pantry.  An easy time to do this is right after Divine Liturgy and it will take about ten minutes.  The pantry is located within a five minute driving distance from our church (directions and a map are located on the food barrel).  All that is necessary is to drop off the food – you don’t need to sort or distribute anything.

Coming soon -- the annual turkey plea!  Holy Resurrection is once again providing frozen turkeys for Thanksgiving baskets to needy local families.  Please keep this in mind as often local grocery stores have give-aways associated with their frequent shopper programs. 

COAT DRIVE

Cleaning out closets?  If so, we ask that you save your unwanted adult coats.  Our parish will be collecting clean/gently used winter adult coats this December for a homeless outreach service.  If you can, please hold on to the coats until December.  However, if you wish to donate now because of storage, please see Trish Vichiconti or contact the parish office.

IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO BE A ‘PEW POTATO”

Unless you belong to the mineral kingdom, God intends you to grow.  Growth is a natural, normal, and expected element of Christian life.  In the Divine Liturgy we pray for “growth in life and faith and spiritual understanding.”  Parishes also must grow—not to make the finances easier, but to further the Kingdom of God.  Every person and each parish should be aware of the various means of growth in Christ and look for ways to increase their effort for growth.

INTERNATIONAL BOUTIQUE

The boutique continues to be open Sundays following Divine Liturgy.  If you would like to special-order an item, please see June Lopen or Evelyn Tosi.

COFFEE HOUR

Thank you to those who have already signed up to help with Coffee Hour.  The September sign-up is available.  Please take the time to review your schedule and decide on which date you are able to help.  If you have any questions, you may speak to Eleanor Race or contact the parish office.

WINTER DEFICIT APPEAL

As you know, the council has created a special appeal envelope to help defray some of the costs associated with a harsh winter and also to shore up our cash flow position through the summer months.  A goal of $10,000 has been set.  Thank you to those who have been able to make a donation.  We have already collected $7,355 – 73% of our goal! 

A letter with an extra appeal envelope was mailed to your household last week.  We will have one last push to try to reach our goal.   Thank you again for your generosity.

WELCOME

We welcome Paul Scott into our parish community.  Paul currently resides in Oakland, NJ.  Paul has expressed his desire to become an Orthodox Christian and is moving in that direction.  We are happy to have him as a member of our parish family.

The Nativity of the Mother of God (September 8)

The Church’s veneration of Mary has always been rooted in her obedience to God, her willing choice to accept a humanly impossible calling.  The Orthodox Church has always emphasized Mary’s connection to humanity and delighted in her as the best, purest, most glorious accomplishment of human history and of man’s quest for God, for ultimate meaning, for the ultimate content of human life. 

If it is understood that Christ’s “co-nature” with us is Christianity’s greatest joy and depth, that He is a genuine human being, that He is one of us and forever united to us through his humanity, then devotion to Mary also becomes understandable, for she is the one who gave Him His human nature, His flesh and blood.  She is the one through whom Christ can always call Himself “The Son of Man.”

This feast is first a general celebration of Man’s birth.  Secondly, we now know whose particular birth, whose coming we celebrate:  Mary’s.  We know the uniqueness, the beauty, the grace of precisely this child, her destiny, her meaning for us and for the whole world.  And thirdly, we celebrate all who prepared the way for Mary, who contributed to her inheritance of grace and beauty.  How much faith, how much goodness, how many generations of people striving to live by what is high and holy were needed before the tree of human history could bring forth the most pure Virgin and All Holy Mother!  And therefore the feast of her Nativity is also a celebration of human history, a celebration of faith in man, a celebration of man.    Taken from “Celebration of Faith” by Alexander Schmemann

SAINT ANDREW’S CAMP

Last month I wrote about the camp my children had been attending for many years at St. Tikhon’s.  But this year, my children also attended Teen Week at St. Andrew’s Camp in Jewell.  I decided to volunteer my time there as well, rather than face two trips in one week (it’s about a five hour drive up to Lake Oneida, if there’s no traffic).  Christopher had attended that camp in 2004, but Tabitha had never been there.  I had only viewed the campus while dropping Chris off, and had no direct knowledge of this camp; I only knew that Father Eric Tosi would be the priest on hand for that week.

But a week or so before camp, Father Eric had a change of plans.  So now I was volunteering at a camp where I didn’t know anyone! 

The ride up to the camp was long, scenic, and luckily, free of traffic.  We arrived at the camp late in the morning, and the campgrounds, on the shore of Lake Oneida, looked very inviting.  St. Andrew’s Camp is more intimate than St. Tikhon’s, with a little under two dozen campers and counselors attending Teen Week.  That allowed the teens more opportunities to get to know their fellow campers.

The teens had kickball games, some swam in the lake, and others tried archery or volleyball.  There were discussions with Father James Worthington, the priest from Sts. Peter & Paul Orthodox Church in East Herkimer, NY.  Father James befriended this group very quickly, and my children looked forward to the sessions with him.  Bishop Michael was also at the camp mid-week, and had several frank, open Q-and-A conferences with the attendees.  The teens were not shy about asking questions, and Bishop Michael was quite open and frank with his answers.  The topics were contemporary, and not limited to church life, which was probably an eye-opener for teens that had never had an opportunity to speak with a bishop before attending St. Andrew’s Camp. 

The food for Teen Week was cooked by a former camper, Natasha Soussanin, who also runs a catering business in the Washington D.C. area.  She catered a breakfast for our parishioners earlier this year.  Natasha also made batches of jam from fresh fruit, which were for sale to help raise funds for the camp.

The grounds are scenic, and the girls’ dorm is a very nice building.  The boys’ dorm is more rustic.  The chapel is tiny, but has air conditioning.  There were two liturgies during teen week; one on Wednesday with Bishop Michael attending, and the other for the Feast of the Transfiguration on Friday, August 6.  The camp celebrated the feast with both the blessing of fruit and of Lake Oneida.  After Liturgy, Father James had a procession to the dock, where 4 teens (including both Christopher and Tabitha) waited in the swimming area.  After praying on the dock, Father James threw the cross, without a tether, over the heads of the swimmers, anticipating a quick retrieval.  The children dove several times, searching for the cross.  Finally, a hand holding the cross was thrust up out of the water.  Chris had retrieved the cross from the bottom of the lake!

Saint Andrew’s offers many unique opportunities for children who attend; there is a Music Week, Horseback Riding Week, an Ecology Week, and Teen Week.  Although it is a ten hour round trip from our area, it may be worth the ride!

LIVES OF THE SAINTS

In each newsletter, we will highlight the American saint whom we will commemorate during the month.  During this month, we commemorate St. Peter the Aleut and St. Juvenaly.  The icons of these saints are located on the right wall of our church.

St. Juvenaly

Jacob Govoruchkin was born in 1761 of a middle-class family in the Ural Mountains of Russia.  After military service, he entered the St. Alexander Nevsky Lavra monastery and was given the name Juvenaly.  In December 1793, Father Juvenaly, along with several other monks, set out on what was called the “Valaamo Mission to Kodiak.”  Their assignment was to be missionaries from the Diocese of Irkutsk in Siberia.  The North America Trading Company in Alaska was to assume responsibility for support of the mission.  They arrived on Kodiak Island in September 1794.

By all reports, Father Juvenaly was well suited for missionary work, with great energy and enthusiasm.  The mission expanded and within two years, more than 12,000 Alaskans had embraced the Gospel.

Father Juvenaly left Kodiak during the summer of 1796 and headed for mainland Alaska. He spent the winter evangelizing and baptizing faithful.  He was working his way toward the shores of the Bering Sea where a Russian settlement was rumored to exist.  It was after making his westward crossing of the mountains near Lake Iliamna, that Hieromonk Juvenaly was never heard from again.

Local oral traditions among the Alaskan peoples relate the location and events of the martyrdom of Father Juvenaly and his guide.  Father Juvenaly arrived by boat near the mouth of the Kuskokwim River where he stood in the boat to speak to the natives.  A Yupiat medicine man ordered that these intruders be killed immediately.  Father Juvenaly’s body was taken up into the mountains and buried.

Father Juvenaly’s missionary activity was brief but it covered hundreds of square miles.  His tremendous success in bringing the Gospel to the Native Americans was due to his God-given sensitivity to their own culture, beliefs, and individual humanity as being created in the image of the Holy One.  He was recognized as a local martyr and saint by the Diocese of Alaska in 1977.

St. Peter the Aleut

The Alaskan settlements of the Russian-American Company were not self-supporting.  They needed food and other provisions that were not available locally.  They established a California outpost called Fort Ross.  It was located on the Pacific coast, just 80 miles north of San Francisco.  The Russian-American Company sent 320 employees there to do the farming and ranching.  For the next 28 years, Fort Ross was a primary source of food and other goods necessary for the Russian settlements in Alaska.

At the time, Spain owned this area of California.  They demanded that Fort Ross be closed and ordered a halt to all Russian trading and trapping.  The Spanish governor ordered the immediate arrest of nearly one hundred Russians and Aleuts who had not obeyed the previous orders to leave.

In 1815 a party of 14 Aleut seal and otter hunters from the Russian-American Company were captured and taken to San Francisco for trial.  Among these hunters was a young man named Cungagnaq, who took the Christian name Peter when he was baptized years before.  The Spanish priest-inquisitor tried to persuade the captives to accept Roman Catholicism, but they all refused.  He then gave the order to cut off each finger of Peter’s hands, one joint at a time, eventually cutting off his hands altogether.  Peter died of his tortures, but he would not renounce his Orthodox Christian Faith. 

St. Peter the Aleut was glorified as a saint by the Diocese of Alaska as a local saint in 1980.

Taken from “Portraits of American Saints” compiled and edited by George A. Gray and Jan V. Bear.