(UMS) - The Theotokos the "Queen of the Angels" / "Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles" Intercessor and Protectress of Los Angeles

From the official name of Los Angeles first given in 1781.

Painted at Holy Cenobium of the Annunciation of the Mother of God in Ormylia, Greece, this byzantine styled composition begins from the perspective of the Pacific Ocean, therefore closest to us are waves of the ocean sprinkled with white sailboats and dolphins. Just beyond the water, a landscape emerges, weaving downtown skyscrapers, mountains, highways and illuminated cathedrals. These recognizable cathedrals and churches include the Orthodox churches in Los Angeles. Colors abound in palms, vineyards and orange trees representing Los Angeles’ agricultural heritage. Centered in their midst, the Most Holy Theotokos, Protectress of the City rises to dominate the composition, just as the Theotokos, the Intercessor of Constantinople or Mount Athos. She is seen vertically on her Throne surrounded by Angels. The hierarchs and priests represented are in prayerful plea together with the faithful, while children of all backgrounds encircle joyfully, dancing with flowers in their hands.

Apolytikion of the Mother of God of Los Angeles
First Mode ("Rejoice, thou who art full of grace...")

Rejoice, virgin Mother of God, full of grace,
Queen of the Angels and protectress of the human race.
From you dawned the Sun of righteousness, Christ our God,
Who illumines through the Gospel all of creation and mankind.
Implore Him, o Mother of God and shelter of the 'City of Angels',
to guard all the children of God in the City
and in the Diocese of Western America
and to save our souls as He who alone loves mankind!

(Greek Reporter) - The Baltimore Council of Orthodox Churches sent a statement to the city of Baltimore condemning violence, but “encouraging the faithful, and all Baltimore citizens, to engage their constitutional rights and to follow their conscience in regard to participation in lawful and peaceful assemblies addressing perceived injustice, inequity, or concerns and grievances with the status quo.”

The Annunciation Cathedral faithful gathered for a special prayer service for the city, after the divine Liturgy on May 3, 2015.

The following statement was composed and sent to Baltimore City Hall on May 2, 2015, after Baltimore-area clergy and laity met to discuss the city’s recent turmoil in the aftermath of the death of Freddie Gray.

STATEMENT TO THE CITY OF BALTIMORE

“Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.” (Luke 11:17)

Countless Orthodox Christians have called Baltimore their earthly home for more than a century. Many of our ancestors and contemporaries fled to this country to escape poverty, persecution, oppression, imprisonment, torture, and murder, and to find a new life in a land that held the promise of peace, prosperity, and the rule of law. As devoted citizens of this city, we have of course been moved by the tragic death of Freddie Gray and the events that it has sparked.

It is with one voice that we Orthodox Christians add our prayers for healing, reconciliation, and peace in Baltimore.

In the name of Jesus Christ,

• We condemn any abuse of power or position with which a civil servant or other agent of civil authority is entrusted in a society that claims to abide by rule of law;
• We condemn any language or action motivated by or expressing disregard, disdain, or hatred for any human being or group of human beings for any reason, whether on account of their religion, gender, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, profession, or of any other defining characteristic;
• We condemn wanton violence and destruction of property that renders harm to our fellow citizens’ persons, property, and livelihoods.

Furthermore, we commit ourselves to our duty of prayer and repentance, that we may ever be faithful stewards of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to fulfill His admonition to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” and to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

We therefore humbly, but resolutely, call upon all our fellow citizens to join us in honest, dispassionate self-appraisal and reflection, to aspire to the greater good of self-emptying love and forgiveness, to encounter one another in dialogue with mutual respect so that we might, as a city, progress in a concerted movement toward the goal of lasting harmonious coexistence and genuine neighborly and brotherly love.

To this end, we encourage our faithful, and all Baltimore citizens, to engage their constitutional rights and to follow their conscience in regard to participation in lawful and peaceful assemblies addressing perceived injustice, inequity, or concerns and grievances with the status quo. Likewise, we encourage and support our duly elected officials and appointed law enforcement agencies in their efforts to govern, serve, and protect our city lawfully and honorably, as so many have done and continue to do.

We are told that “faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead” (James 2:17). In addition to prayer and the words expressed here, our communities are committed to ongoing support of and involvement in numerous and various Baltimore-area charities. International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), based in Baltimore, already has been able to distribute six thousand health kits to those in need in our city over the past week. However, the city’s needs extend far beyond current events and material goods, and we resolve to be attentive to them and to adapt our assistance as needed.

We stand firm in prayer before God and in service to this great city. Orthodox parishes in the Baltimore area will offer a special prayer for our city on Sunday, May 3, following the Divine Liturgy. We look forward to a bright future in Baltimore, and fervently ask God for His mercy and guidance to allow all people to do His will, for there to be peace on earth and goodwill among mankind.

Archimandrite Constantine Moralis
Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation

Archpriest Theodore Boback, Jr.
Saint Andrew Orthodox Church

Archpriest Gregory Mathewes-Green
Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church

Archpriest Theodoros Daoud
Saint Mary Antiochian Church

Deacon Michael Bishop
Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church

Constantine Triantafilou, Executive Director
International Orthodox Christian Charities

Andreas G. Houpos, Pastoral Assistant
Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation

Moscow (AsiaNews) – In order to compensate for its isolation from the West over the Ukrainian crisis, Moscow has revived its strategic alliance with Beijing, a step that includes the Church. Indeed, for the first time in 60 years, the People’s Republic of China has authorised the ordination of Chinese Orthodox priests.

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Synodal Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, made the announcement after an official visit to China (14-17 May), the TASS news agency reported. In Beijing, the Russian Orthodox Church official took part in the fourth session of the Sino-Russian working group for contacts and cooperation in religious matters.

Hilarion’s visit came a few days after President Xi Jinping travelled to Moscow (8 to 9 May) for the 70th anniversary of the Soviet victory over the Nazis, which was deserted en masse by Western leaders.

After the meetings with Vladimir Putin, Xi held talks with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who praised Beijing for the value China places on the "role of culture, traditions and the moral factor in shaping the lives of people and individuals."

"We had very constructive talks with the State Administration for Religious Affairs,” Bishop Hilarion said. “We agreed on the ordination to the priesthood of an ethnic Chinese who studied for several years in Russia. We hope that he will serve in Harbin at the Church of the Intercession,” which is currently undergoing restauration. “Until now it had no priest. Now, God willing, it will have a priest".

On 14 May in Beijing, Hilarion met Wang Zuoan director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs (pictured). “We agreed that two other seminarians will study in Russia, with a view to their possible ordination,” he explained. In fact, "I hope that Orthodoxy will grow in China with the help of God," added the Patriarchate’s ‘foreign minister’.

In Beijing, Hilarion also took part in a panel discussion with representatives of 'traditional religions' of Russia and China and visited the oldest mosque in the city. He then travelled to Labdarin, in Inner Mongolia, which has one of the largest Orthodox communities in China, where he celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Church of St Innokenty of Irkutsk, consecrated in 2009 by Michael Wang, the oldest priest of the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church.

In Labdarin, the representative of the Moscow Patriarchate also met with local political authorities and those in charge of religious affairs.

Orthodoxy in China

The Russian Orthodox Church arrived in China in the 17th century. The first communities were made up of Russian immigrants, mainly in the north of the country. Even today, most of China’s 13,000 Orthodox Christians are of Russian origin, concentrated mostly in Harbin’s Parish of the Intercession (Heilongjiang); in Labdarin (Inner Mongolia) as well as Kulj and Urumqi (Xinjiang).

The Chinese Orthodox Church acquired its autonomy in 1950, Kirill’s secretary Deacon Alexander Volkov said; however, the Cultural Revolution left the country without bishops and priests. Even today, the faithful have no priest, gathering occasionally on Sundays to pray.

There are, however, 13 Chinese students at Orthodox Sretenskaya Theological Academy in Moscow and the Academy of St Petersburg. Russian priests celebrate the liturgical services at Christmas and Easter in Russia’s embassy and consulates in China.

At the end of 2014, Kung Ming Cheung became the first ordained Chinese priest in Russia. He was sent to Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Hong Kong.

Cooperation between the Patriarchate and Beijing

The Patriarchate and the People's Republic have been cooperating for some years with Moscow involved in pushing Russian Orthodoxy on Chinese territory against its the traditional rival represented by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, which, from Hong Kong has tried to have relations with Orthodox Christians in the mainland and other communities in the Far East.

“Religious cooperation" was officially sealed in 2013 when President Xi welcomed Kirill for the first time at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

In fact, China has come to recognise the Patriarchate’s 'political' role in Russia. China’s State Administration for Religious Affairs had directly invited the Russian Orthodox primate, with Moscow de facto recognising the latter as the main Chinese interlocutor in religious matters.

This should come as no surprise since the Russian Church has a long history of making compromises with authoritarian regime. Unlike the Holy See, it has shown no qualms about dealing with political authorities even when the life of its own community of faithful is at stake. This the the barbed bit AsiaNews likes to throw into articles on Orthodoxy at least once or twice a story.

(LifeNews) - The NAACP has lost its legal battle to silence a black pro-life writer who parodied its pro-abortion stance by referring to the NAACP as the “National Association for the Abortion of Colored People.”

After LifeNews.com blogger Ryan Bomberger published his article at LifeNews, the NAACP threatened to sue LifeNews.com and Bomberger over the column that took the civil rights organization to task over its abortion position. The NAACP is upset about a column Bomberger wrote at LifeNews titled, “NAACP: National Association for the Abortion of Colored People” and a legal battle between it and Bomberger ensued.

Last year, a judge issued a ruling in the NAACP lawsuit against Bomberger. The judge indicated that Bomberger had no First Amendment right to lampoon the NAACP by calling it the “National Association for the Abortion of Colored People” in an effort to mock its pro-abortion position and opposition to pro-life legislation.

Today, the federal 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned that decision and ruled in favor of full free speech rights for Bomberger, his group the Radiance Foundation, and LifeNews.com. Judge Harvey Wilkinson wrote the opinion on behalf of the three-judge panel that unanimously ruled against the NAACP.

The ruling upheld Bomberger’s and LifeNews’ “expressive right to comment on social issues under the First Amendment.”

“We vacate the injunction against Radiance entered by the district court and remand with instructions that defendant’s counterclaims likewise be dismissed,” the court ruled, adding that it rejected the NAACP’s attempt to “obstruct the conveyance of ideas, criticism, comparison, and social commentary. Political discourse is the grist of the mill in the marketplace of ideas.”

As far as calling the NAACP the “National Association for the Abortion of Colored People” – the appeals court even went as far as saying Bomber’s piece at LifeNews wasn an inventive and effective parody.

“Biting, surely; distortive, certainly; Radiance’s ploy was nonetheless effective at conveying sharply what it was that Radiance wished to say,” it said. “The use of the satirical modification of the true NAACP name was designed, as many titles are, to be eye-catching and provocative in a manner that induces the reader to continue on.”

Before the decision, Bomberger said he was surprised the venerable civil rights group would sue him, a black pro-life person.

“This lawsuit should be shocking to any American who values truth and the First Amendment,” explains Bomberger. “The irony is painful. The NAACP is suing me—a black man—for exercising my Constitutionally-guaranteed right to free speech.”

“Rush Limbaugh has parodied the NAACP’s name since Clarence Thomas’s Supreme Court confirmation,” Bomberger points out. “But the NAACP hasn’t sued a wealthy broadcaster, with an audience of millions, for parodying them every time he refers to them. I’m honored they feel threatened by a small, life-affirming organization’s illuminating words.”

The ACLU has officially sided with The Radiance Foundation stating: “…the right to parody prominent organizations like the NAACP is an essential element of the freedom of speech.” The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which joined the ACLU in the Amicus Brief, expressed deep concerns “because a decision holding [The Radiance Foundation] liable for trademark infringement threatens a huge range of expression…Judge Jackson’s decision misreads both trademark law and the First Amendment.”

Bomberger says the real problem is not his free speech but the NAACP’s abortion advocacy.

“Abortion doesn’t advance people of color,” he said. “The NAACP is on the wrong side of this human rights issue, and they are wrong to try to silence our free speech, too.”

Following the piece, the NAACP sent Bomberger, the director of the Radiance Foundation, and LifeNews a threatening letter claiming infringement on its name and logo for including it in the opinion column. The letter accuses Bomberger and his group, the Radiance Foundation, of “trademark infringement” over an ad campaign that exposes the NAACP’s pro-abortion position.Stating that while “you are certainly entitled to express your viewpoint, you cannot do so in connection with a name that infringes on the NAACP’s rights,” the letter demands a response within a self-imposed time period.

In response to the letter, Bomberger asked a federal court to declare that the First Amendment protects his and the Radiance Foundation’s exercise of free speech and that his speech does not infringe on any of the NAACP’s trademarks or other rights. The lawsuit does not seek any damages.

In its countersuit, the NAACP’s counterclaim denies that the NAACP is pro-­-abortion or has even taken a position on the issue.

Despite the fact the LifeNews article in question simply parodied the NAACP’s name, criticized the organization’s documented pro-abortion actions, and used the NAACP’s unaltered logo to identify the civil rights group the judge refused to dismiss the case as a First Amendment issue.

Although the NAACP took offense at the article, Bomberger has frequently spoken out about the NAACP’s pro-abortion stance and its ignoring how abortion disproportionately targets black unborn children. The NAACP recently came under fire for opposing a bill to ban abortions based on race.

“The damage done is the loss of over 15 million black lives to abortion,” Bomberger, an adoptee and adoptive father., told LifeNews previously before the ruling. “How can the NAACP possibly claim neutrality over the abortion issue if they’re financially profiting from annual sponsorship from the nation’s largest abortion chain?”

Despite the NAACP suit, Bomberger says the Radiance Foundation’s www.TooManyAborted.com abortion awareness campaign will continue to expose failed leadership in the black community on the issue of abortion.

Abortion alone has taken the lives of over 16 million black children. For every 100 live births in the African American community, another 77 are aborted.

African-American teenage abortion rates are more than twice as high as the national average, according to a new study. The African-American abortion rate, according to the study conducted by the Guttmacher Institute, is 41 per 1,000 women among the 15-19 year old age group. The national average abortion rate is 18 per 1,000 women among 15-19-year-olds.

Alliance Defending Freedom allied attorney Charles M. Allen with the Glen Allen, Va. firm Goodman, Allen & Filetti PLLC is defending Bomberger and Radiance in U.S. District Court in The Radiance Foundation v. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division.

(mospat.ru) - May 18, 2015 – The Ss Cyril and Methodius Institute of Post-Graduate Studies (CMI) hosted a meeting of the working group on the development of academic cooperation between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church.

The Coptic Church was represented by Rev. Paul Abdelsayed, deputy dean of the Ss Athanasius and Cyril Seminary, Los Angeles, USA, and Rev. Poules Halim, press secretary of the Coptic Church. Participating in the meeting from the Moscow Patriarchate were Hieromonk Stephen (Igumnov), secretary for inter-Christian relations, Department for External Church Relations (DECR), Hieromonk Ioann (Kopeikin), CMI pro-rector for training, Hieromonk Roman (Modin), Kazan Seminary pro-rector for training, D. Serov, assistant to secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate commission for students exchange, and S. Alferov, DECR.

The questions under discussion included prospects for the development of cooperation in the academic area, particularly, the establishment of regular faculty and students exchange between the educational institutions of the two Churches. The meeting also discussed joint projects in Biblical theology and patrology to be implemented in academic conferences and experts’ meetings.

The meeting was held in pursuance of agreements concluded by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and the Coptic Patriarch Theodore II during the latter’s visit to Russia in October-November 2014 as well as the ROC Holy Synod decisions of May 5, 2015, on the establishment of a Bilateral Commission for dialogue between the two Churches. The Commission’s special groups are to develop cooperation in monastic, academic and media areas, in pilgrimage and exchange of experience in missionary ministry and social service, to coordinate efforts in opposing various manifestations of Christianophobia and defending traditional moral values and to promote theological dialogue.

(Pemptousia) - Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care at Divani Apollon Palace, Vouliagmeni, 7, 8, 9 May 2015.

The Internet represents a missionary challenge, but any launch into cyberspace requires proper preparation and the right timing. This, among much else, was stressed at the 1st International Conference on Digital Media and Orthodox Pastoral Care, which was held under the auspices of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew between 7 and 9 May 2015, in the Holy Metropolis of Glyfada. The conference, the first of its kind in the world, was organized jointly by the web sites ‘Pemptousia’ from Greece, ‘OCN’, the Orthodox Christian Network, from the Unites States, and ‘Bogoslov’ from Russia, and was attended by 75 speakers from 21 countries, covering all the jurisdictions of the Orthodox Church.

A whole host of issues regarding the uses of the Internet were addressed from various points of view in the papers presented over the three days. The negative aspects of abuse and misuse were noted, as were the unrealistic expectations fostered by the normal use of modern digital means of communication and information. Also, emphasized were the dangers threatening both the human person and the relationship of the faithful to God and the Church in the reality shaped by new technologies.

Nevertheless, many contributors also highlighted the missionary challenge which has now arisen from the new social factors and the multi-faceted pastoral duty which the new technologies have created. The response of the faithful people of God to the initiatives which have been taken in various places for contact with the treasures of Christian spirituality was also presented.

At the same time, the opportunity was afforded to a large number of our brothers and sisters from every corner of the globe to present their digital work and ways of utilizing digital media in order to shape an authentic Christian conscience. Also highlighted was the nascent relationship between Orthodox monasticism and the Internet, its adoption into the realm of ascetic tradition and the proposals submitted by monks and nuns regarding mission work and the (re-)evangelization of the world.

Those present were unanimous in their view that any launch into cyberspace could not be undertaken without preparation or under unsuitable circumstances. An appropriate spiritual background is required on the part of the person in charge, as is an elevated sense of pastoral responsibility and, most assuredly, soundness and a Gospel ethos in the presentation of their discourse. Moreover, it should not be forgotten that the Internet is no more than a means and that therefore we ought not to use it indiscriminately, but rather in an ascetic manner, which means we should be imbued with a spirit of mindfulness, restraint and responsibility in our dealings with it. Only then will we emerge from the illusions of virtuality and our activities render tangible and beneficial results in real life.

A number of contributors made particularly valuable suggestions regarding the prospects for developing and coordinating the world of spiritual web-sites. It was proposed that the work of the conference be extended into other events and also that a permanent organ be created which would promote understanding, skills and mutual updating among those responsible for these sites- which, it is worth noting, function by and large on a voluntary basis and are motivated purely by missionary zeal. Another issue raised was the need for an independent agency to endorse those sites which have been recognized by their public as being sound and spiritually constructive.

(HTS) - The publishing work of Holy Trinity Monastery is expanding into the academic field with the creation of a new imprint. Under the editorship of Dr Vitaly Permiakov, Holy Trinity Seminary Press will publish studies of the theology, history, and liturgy of the Orthodox Church. Liturgical texts and guidance for the spiritual life will continue to be the mainstays of Holy Trinity Publications’ flagship imprint, the Printshop of St Job of Pochaev.

Archimandrite Luke, abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery and seminary rector, commented on the new project: “Our mandate has always been to publish books for the spiritual edification of the faithful and for the conversion of the world around us. Now we seek to expand this mission to include works that elucidate the Church's Tradition in a scholarly manner. These books will both support our task of educating the next generation of Orthodox priests and address the growing challenges of an increasingly secularized academia.”

Assistant to the dean Priest Ephraim Willmarth sees a lack of traditional and patristic textbooks available for seminary courses in the English language. He hopes that the new seminary press “will have a significant impact on theological education in our seminary classrooms, in distance education, for those educating themselves, and in other seminaries.”

Towards this aim, HTSP will release Archbishop Averky’s The Four Gospels, the first volume in his series, Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament. Writing in the tradition of biblical exegetes such as St John Chrysostom and Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, Vladyka Averky allows the reader to see the life of Christ as an unfolding narrative in accessible, direct language. This translation will be an indispensable addition to the library of every student of the Gospels.

The first title released under the new imprint will be Chosen for His People: A Biography of Patriarch Tikhon by Jane Swan. Ninety years after St Tikhon’s repose, Dr Swan’s modest but carefully crafted monograph remains the only complete biography of this holy confessor available in English. This new edition has been updated and revised in light of newly discovered sources.

A pre-publication discount on both titles are available at the publisher’s website here.

(RNS) - From an email from the Rev. Dwight Lee Wolter of the Congregational Church of Patchogue (N.Y.):

“I have never been so down on my luck that I had little or no access to toilet paper ~ but that is not the case with many people. We at the Congregational Church of Patchogue want to thank you for helping us to help people meet their most basic needs: simple foods, toilet paper, soap, feminine hygiene products and other items. This photo is from “The Blessing of the Toilet Paper” at the church. We serve people without regard or question as to their address, age, preferences, orientation, ethnicity. The only requirement is that they seek what we have to offer. And what we can offer is up to you. Please send contributions to The Congregational Church of Patchogue, 95 East Main St. Patchogue, NY 11772. Write pantry or TP in the memo section. 100% of contributions go to purchase much needed items.”

“The Blessing of the Toilet Paper” will take place during the worship service on Sunday, May 17, at 10 a.m.

Moscow, May 22 (Interfax) - Famous poet, author of the anthem of the USSR Sergey Mikhalkov in Soviet times protected Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Athos from claims of Greek monks.

"For instance, Russian monastery on Athos should be thankful to Sergey Mikhalkov for not passing to jurisdiction of the Constantinople Patriarchate. When my father arrived there - the first Soviet person, in such a rank - monks met him with bell ringing," son of Sergey Mikhalkov, film director Nikita Mikhalkov writes in his new book of memoirs, its extracts were published on Friday by the Moskovsky Komsomolets daily.

According to him, seven or eight monks lived there then, the youngest of them was older than seventy.

"Greeks were quietly waiting when the last Russian monk will repose and they will occupy the territory of the Russian monastery and capture its riches (only the unique library collected from the ancient times costs a fortune!)" the film director writes.

When Mikhalkov came back to Moscow, he went to Leonid Brezhnev and told him about almost deserted Russian monastery, saying it was necessary to send young Orthodox monks there.

"First, my father spoke of historical traditions, spiritual heritage... Brezhnev could not understand what the poet wants from him. But seeing that it was difficult for the general secretary to go into the cultural notions, my father changed his arguments dramatically. "There are countless riches there!" And he vividly described monastic treasures that can pass away to Greeks. Brezhnev brightened at once, took the phone and ordered to arrange departure of young monks to Greece to join the Athos monastery," Mikhalkov writes.

Today 20 monasteries work on the Holy Mount. The governor of Athos represents secular authorities at the peninsula, he controls that the regulations of Holy Mount are observed. Mount Athos is under jurisdiction of the Constantinople Patriarchate.

The St.Panteleimon Russian monastery was set up in the 9th century. It keeps such shrines as the particle of the Lord's Cross, particle of the stone from the Lord's Sepulcher, relics of holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, the blessed elder Siluan, particle of relics of St. John the Baptist, St. John Chrysostom, St. Joseph, St. Thomas the Apostle, St. George the Victory-Bearer, Apostle and Evangelist Luke.

The monastery was conveyed to Greeks in the 17th century. Russian monks started returning there only in the 30s of the 19th century. The monastery flourished late in the 19th - early 20th century when it became Russian again. Up to 1800 brothers lived in the monastery in 1912. After the revolution when connections with Russia were lost and Russians were systematically pushed out from the Holy Mount, the number of brethren reduced dramatically. Only seven old monks lived in the monastery in the late 1960s. Today there are about 80 people together with novices.

Over 20 thousands of printed Greek, Slavonic and Russian books are kept in the monastic library. Hermitage of the Holy Virgin (Ksilurgu), Old Russik, New Phivaida and Krumnitsa are attached to the monastery.

Celebrations on the occasion of the 1000-year anniversary of the Russian presence there will take place on Athos in 2016.

(SVS) - St. Vladimir's Seminary Press (SVS Press), the publishing house of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, has launched a new series highlighting the history and spirituality of the ancient Coptic Orthodox Church. The first book in the "Coptic Studies Series," titled, The Life of Repentance and Purity, was authored by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III and is scheduled for release by December 2015. His Grace Anba Suriel (Guirgis), bishop of the Coptic Diocese of Melbourne and Affiliated Regions, Australia, who studied at St. Vladimir's from 1998–1999, is Series Editor for the new line of books.

Pope Shenouda's book was first translated from Arabic in 1989 by Bishop Suriel and was published in 1991 by the Coptic Orthodox Publication and Translation Committee in Sydney. The new translation, also by Bishop Suriel, will include editions and patristic references and will be a joint publication between SVS Press and St. Athanasius Press, the fledgling publishing house of St. Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Theological College in Donvale, Australia, where His Grace acts as Dean.

"This is a big step for us," noted Bishop Suriel. "Being in cooperation with SVS Press, which is well known around the world—even outside of Orthodox circles—will provide more recognition of our own theological press.

"I am deeply indebted to Father Athanasius Farag, Father Bishoy Lamie, Phoebe Farag, and several others who worked tirelessly to prepare the manuscript that was presented to SVS Press," he continued. "I am also grateful to Father John Behr, dean of St. Vladimir's, and to Michael Soroka and Dn. Gregory Hatrak, who are employed at SVS Press, for their hard work in assisting in bringing this work to light once more—in a much better edition!

"We hope to be able to publish more works in the future, especially with the new series, which we are very excited about," he said. "We want not only to raise the profile of our school but also to emphasize the importance of Coptic studies."

One of the titles that His Grace will propose for the "Coptic Studies Series" is a book about the life and work of Archdeacon Habib Girgis, former dean of the Coptic Seminary in Cairo, Egypt, who was recently canonized by the Coptic Orthodox Church. St. Habib Girgis greatly influenced the Coptic community by urging its members to develop educational curricula that would revitalize their faith, which in the early 20th century was being challenged by foreign missionaries.

"The ties between St. Vladimir's Seminary and St. Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Theological College have been strengthening during the past few years," acknowledged Fr. John Behr. "Both Bishop Suriel and I, as the Deans of two theological institutions—who also happen to be close friends—highly value theological education and acknowledge the importance of rapprochement between the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox traditions in the 21st century."

In 2013 Bishop Suriel hosted Fr. John during an eventful trip to Egypt, where he was guest of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria. During his visit Fr. John delivered a paper titled, "Orthodox Theological Education in the Twenty-First Century," at the "Theological and Ecclesiastical Institutes Seminar," which explored the spiritual formation of theological students. Held at the Anaphora Institute, a retreat and training center near the desert road between Cairo and Alexandria, the seminar featured talks by eminent Coptic bishops, clergy, and scholars.

Bishop Suriel visited St. Vladimir's campus in 2013, at which time he met with Fr. John Behr to discuss greater collaborative efforts between the two theological schools, including exchanges of students and faculty. As a result Fr. John, professor of Patristics at St. Vladimir's and globally renowned in his field, will be teaching a Patristics course at St. Athanasius in the fall of 2015. Further into the future, both deans envision a Coptic House of Studies on the Yonkers campus, at which faculty from the Coptic Church may provide special liturgical and pastoral formation to students from that tradition.

Bishop Suriel was featured in The SVS Vine: Annual Report FY 2014, which included a video of his plea for prayer for persecuted Coptic Christians.

(Assyrian Church) - Meeting between the delegations of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Ancient Church of the Church for the achievement of a unified Church of the East.

​A cordial and fraternal meeting took place in Chicago, IL USA at the premises of St. Andrew’s Assyrian Church of the East on Friday, the 22nd of May 2015.

The representatives of the Ancient Church of the East were:

1. His Beatitude Mar Yakoob Danil. Metropolitan of Australia & New Zealand

2. His Beatitude Mar Zaia Khoshaba, Metropolitan of Canada & the U.S.

3. His Grace Mar Gewargis Younan, Bishop of Chicago, IL

The representatives of the Assyrian Church of the East were:

1. His Beatitude Mar Gewargis Sliwa, Metropolitan of Iraq & Russia

2. His Grace Mar Iskhaq Yousif, Bishop of Nohadra, Erbil, & Russia

3. His Grace Mar Awa Royel, Bishop of California and Secretary of the Holy Synod

The common secretary of this meeting was the Very Rev. William Toma, Archdeacon.

The meeting began with the Lord’s Prayer in a singular love, as King David says in the Old Testament: “How very good and pleasant it is, when kindred live together in Unity!” (Psalms 133:1) Representatives of both branches showed sincere love and the desire in fulfilling a complete unification of the Church of the East, after nearly fifty years of separation within our Holy Church.

​The recommendations for unity of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Ancient Church of the East were submitted to each other through the representatives chosen by the leadership of each branch. They will be submitted and discussed in their individual Holy Synods. After the recommendations are discussed, a date and venue shall be designated for a second meeting – for further examination of the responses to the recommendations submitted today.

​In conclusion, the meeting came to a close with a positive awareness and belief of both delegations in the fulfillment of unification, as is the will of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who said, “That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be one in us” (John 17:21).

​​+Mar Gewargis Sliwa​​​​+Mar Yakoob Danil

​​ Metropolitan​​​​ Metropolitan

May 22, 2015

Chicago, Illinois USA