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VERY REV. ARCHPRIEST ROMAN STAR PARTICIPATES IN
THE CELEBRATIONS ON THE OCCASION OF THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF ST.
THOMAS ALBANIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (OCA) |
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19/10/2005 |
| On 15th of September, 2005, Upon the invitation of the retired Primate of the Orthodox Church in America Metropolitan Theodosius the Assistant Dean of the Central States Deanery of the Patriarchal parishes in the USA, the Very Rev. Archpriest Roman Star concelebrated Great Vespers with His Beatitude, His Grace Bishop Nikon (Albanian Diocese) and other attending clergy. The Great Vespers was celebrated on the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of St. Thomas Albanian Orthodox Church (OCA). Father Roman, who is also President of the Council of Orthodox Christian Churches of Metropolitan-Detroit, attended the anniversary banquet on Sunday afternoon, thus representing more than 35 churches of various Orthodox jurisdictions. |
| russianchurchusa.org |
 Pictures THE VISIT OF MIRACULOUS ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD OF SITKA |
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18/10/2005 |
| On
October 16, 2005, with blessings of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy
II of Moscow and All Russia, His Beatitude Metropolitan Herman of
America and Canada, and invitation of the Administrator of
Patriarchal Parishes in the USA Bishop Mercurius of Zaraisk, the
wonder-working Icon of the Mother of God of Sitka (variation of
Kazan Mother of God) came to the St. Nicholas Patriarchal
Cathedral in New York City. Half past 10 in the morning before the entrance to the cathedral Bishop Mercurius of Zaraisk, bishop Nikolai of Alaska and Sitka (OCA), who officially escorts the icon on the pilgrimage in the USA, and many clergymen were welcoming the icon. With the singing of tropar “Peerless Protectress”, the Icon was carried in under the arches of the Cathedral and the moleben service started. Afterwards hierarchs celebrated the Divine Liturgy during which Bishop Mercurius of Zaraisk ordained Andrei Ageyev, reader from the St. Nicholas Church in Reading, PA, a deacon. After the liturgy the hierarchs along with clergymen of the cathedral commenced a moleben and akafist before the icon. In his address, the Administrator of Patriarchal Parishes passed along “greetings from the heart” from the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church – His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, to all the guests and praying. He also asked Vladika Nikolai to relay his sincere gratitude to His Beatitude Metropolitan Herman. The Sitka Icon of the Mother of God was at the Patriarchal Cathedral until 3 in the afternoon. Before the departure his Grace Bishop Mercurius with the clergy and guests performed the dismissal moleben in sacred order. Under the sound of Cathedral’s Bells and singing the magnification to the Mother of God, many praying passed underneath the leaving Icon and the bishop blessed all the gathered with the miraculous icon from the Cathedral’s portico. |
| russianchurchusa.org |
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ARCHPRIEST ROMAN STAR REPRESENTS THE CENTRAL
STATES DEANERY AT THE OFFICIAL VISITATION OF THE SITKA ICON OF THE
MOTHER OF GOD IN THE METRO-DETROIT AREA |
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13/10/2005 |
| As the Assistant
Dean of the Patriarchal Parishes’ Central States Deanery, V. Rev.
Archpriest Roman Star represented the Deanery at the official
visitation and Divine Services held in the metro-Detroit area for
the Sitka Icon of the Mother of God, at Holy Transfiguration Church
(OCA) in Livonia, Michigan. As President of the Council of Orthodox
Christian Churches of Metro-Detroit, Father Roman also officially
represented the 35 local Orthodox churches. Archpriest Roman
concelebrated with other area clergy the Akathist to the Sitka Icon
on Wednesday evening, 5 October, and anointed (with oil from the
lampada that burns in front of the icon in Sitka) the hundreds of
faithful who came to venerate the wonder-working icon. Father Roman also concelebrated the Divine Liturgy on Thursday 6 October before the miraculous Sitka icon, and gave Holy Communion to the many communicants. This was also the feast-day of the Glorification of St. Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow and Apostle to America. It was very moving to celebrate his feast day with his large icon together with the Sitka icon, for it was St. Innocent who had received the large and beautiful Kazanskaya Mother of God icon at his newly completed St. Michael’s Cathedral in Sitka (New Archangelsk) in 1850. Following the Liturgy Fr. Roman helped to carry the icons in a cross-procession with both the Sitka icon and the icon of St. Innocent, after which he concelebrated a Moleben to the Sitka Icon. Archpriest Roman has been the Pastor of St. Innocent Orthodox Church on West Chicago Road in Redford, Michigan, for over 21 years. Many of his parishioners attended the Akathist and Divine Liturgy-Moleben for the Sitka Icon of the Mother of God, as she makes her historic two-month pilgrimage across |
APPEAL OF CONSCIENCE FOUNDATION ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER
12/10/2005
Appeal of Conscience Foudation Annual Awards Dinner took
place at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City on September 21,
2005. This year the World Statesman Award and the Public Service Award
were presented for the 40th year.
Appeal of Conscience Foundation, founded by Rabbi Arthur Schneier, is an
interfaith coalition of religious, political and business leaders. It has
been actively involved in furthering religious freedom, human rights and
tolerance in order to advance reconciliation, peace and stability.
This year awards have been honored to John Howard, the Prime Minister of
Australia, and Jorma Ollila, the Chairman and CEO of Nokia Corporation.
With the blessing of Bishop Mercurius of Zaraisk, the Administrator of
Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, Rev. Alexander Abramov, the Secretary of
the Representation of MP in the USA, attended the reception and addressed
the honored with a greeting and words of congratulations.
PRAYER SERVICE ON THE EVE OF THE OPENING SESSION OF THE 60TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY AT THE AT THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY FAMILY
12/10/2005
A special service marking the opening of the 60 th General
Assembly of the UN was held on September 12, 2005 at the Church of the
Holy Family in New York City (Roman Catholic Church). The service was
initiated by the Catholic Archdiocese of New York and the Permanent
Observer Mission of the Holy See. Church of the Holy Family is also the
United Nations Parish for the Catholic Diplomats. The service began with
the [??? anthem “We Are Together/United”], after which Rev. Robert
Robbins the rector of Church said a grateful prayer asking for the success
and blessing for the work towards peace and harmony for the all people of
the world.
Archbishop Celestino Miglore, the Ambassador of the Holy See Mission to
the United Nations, Edward Cardinal Eagan, the Archbishop of New York, and
Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General addressed all the gathered.
The Secretary of the Representation of MP in the USA Rev. Alexander
Abramov and clergyman of the St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral in New
York deacon Rodion Shamazov attended the service also.
| Pictures FIFTH ANNUAL PRAYER SERVICE OF THE STANDING CONFERENCE OF THE CANONICAL ORTHODOX BISHOPS IN AMERICAS |
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12/10/2005 |
| On October 11,
2005 the Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA Bishop
Mercurius of Zaraisk took part in the fifth annual prayer service
for the UN that has been annually commenced in New York City by the
Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in Americas (SCOBA). Traditionally this service commenced in the mid autumn and it brings together UN diplomats and staff that represent the countries where Orthodoxy is a major religion. Since Orthodox Church in America was granted canonical autocephaly in 1970 by the Moscow Patriarchate generally bishop of Russian Orthodox Church does not officially participate in SCOBA activities, however in recent years the Administrator of Patriarchal Parishes was invited for the main events in respect of the role Russian Orthodox Church. This year the Great Vigil Service was commenced at the Holy Trinity Cathedral (Constantinople Patriarchate) in New York. The prayer service included special asking regarding the United Nations success in world peace and social service. The permanent representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN M. Pritza, and Metropolitan of the Serbian Orthodox Church of Canada and America addressed all praying. The speakers reminded of a moral responsibility that Christians must not forget when making important international decisions. This responsibility should be especially considered when decisions are made on the subjects of war and military conflicts. Secretary of the Representation of MP, Rev. Alexander Abramov, participated at the service also. |
| russianchurchusa.org |
ARCHPRIEST ROMAN STAR HOSTS A GROUP ON A HISTORY TOUR OF METRO-DETROIT
PARISHES
12/10/2005
On Monday, 19 September 2005, V. Rev. Archpriest Roman
Star, Pastor of St. Innocent Orthodox Church, Redford, Michigan, and
Assistant Dean of the Central States Deanery, hosted a group of about 35
women and men who were participating in an all-day bus tour of several
local Orthodox churches. The theme of the tour was to learn about the
history of some of the smaller, less well-known parishes among the
approximately 35 Orthodox churches in the metro-Detroit area. The tour was
sponsored by the Orthodox Christian Women of Metro-Detroit, a group
started in 1993 at St. Innocent Church by a member of the parish, with Fr.
Roman’s blessing and participation.
Father Roman explained that an important aspect of the 38-year history of
the parish are the amazing sixty-one life-size, full-length icons of
primarily recently canonized/glorified saints that cover every wall (plus
the Pantocrator and angels on the ceiling), and contribute enormously to
creating a very spiritual environment for prayer and worship. Because the
saints literally surround the worshiper, they graphically convey the
reality that in divine worship, we are very literally elevated to the
heavenly realm, where we “represent the cherubim” who constantly sing
the Lord’s praises around His throne.
Father Roman is entirely responsible for the magnificent icons that
transform an architecturally simple building into a small jewel. He
explained how, after doing considerable research, he personally chose
which saints would be portrayed on each wall. The iconographic program is
unique: it includes all eleven American saints, plus women and men saints
of many different countries—reflecting the multi-ethnic character of the
parish and of Orthodoxy in America—along with some older national patron
saints. The iconographic work has been done in six stages between 1991 and
2004 by the master iconographer, Archpriest Theodore Jurewicz of Erie,
Pennsylvania.
After Father Roman’s presentation, the people had a chance to ask
questions and then to look closely at the icons. They left St. Innocent
awestruck by the magnificence of the icons, and the very peaceful
atmosphere of the small gem that is St. Innocent Church.