Anastasios Hudson Ordained Deacon
Posted on 01/05 17:48
Astoria, New York, April 13/26, 2008.
Anastasios Hudson, the mission president of St Mark the Evangelist in Raleigh, North Carolina, was ordained to the Diaconate by His Eminence Metropolitan Pavlos, at the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St Basil. He later served the Paschal liturgy with two bishops, seven priests, and two fellow deacons. We are grateful to His Eminence for having faith in our small mission and supporting us in our Holy Struggle.
A photogallery is available here:
http://www.thegreekorthodoxchurch.us/index.php?option=com_rsgallery2&Itemid=102&catid=25
Anastasios Hudson, the mission president of St Mark the Evangelist in Raleigh, North Carolina, was ordained to the Diaconate by His Eminence Metropolitan Pavlos, at the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St Basil. He later served the Paschal liturgy with two bishops, seven priests, and two fellow deacons. We are grateful to His Eminence for having faith in our small mission and supporting us in our Holy Struggle.
A photogallery is available here:
http://www.thegreekorthodoxchurch.us/index.php?option=com_rsgallery2&Itemid=102&catid=25
Contact Info
Posted on 31/03 20:58
Mission President
St Mark the Evangelist Orthodox Mission
Raleigh, NC
(919) 827-4945 (office)
email: gocraleigh@gmail.com
AIM: anastasios0513
YahooIM: anastasios0513
Matins and Typica is celebrated every Sunday at 10 am. Call for directions.
We are under the omophorion of His Eminence Metropolitan Pavlos. His assistant bishop is His Grace Bishop Christodoulos. If you need to, you may contact Bishop Christodoulos directly at Smyrna1922@aol.com.
What is the Orthodox Faith?
Posted on 31/03 20:02
The Orthodox Church: An Introduction
(excerpted from the book The Orthodox Church by Timothy Ware).
The Orthodox Church was founded by our Lord Jesus Christ and is the living manifestation of His presence in the history of the mankind. The most conspicuous characteristics of Orthodoxy are its rich liturgical life and its faithfulness to the apostolic tradition. It is believed by Orthodox Christians that their Church has preserved the tradition and continuity of the ancient Church in its fullness compared to other Christian denominations which have departed from the common tradition of the Church of the first 10 centuries. Today Orthodox Church numbers approximately 300 million Christians who follow the faith and practices that were defined by the first seven ecumenical councils. The word orthodox ("right belief and right glory") has traditionally been used, in the Greek-speaking Christian world, to designate communities, or individuals, who preserved the true faith (as defined by those councils), as opposed to those who were declared heretical. The official designation of the church in its liturgical and canonical texts is "the Orthodox Catholic Church" (gr. catholicos = universal).
In the wider theological sense "Orthodoxy is not merely a type of purely earthly organization which is headed by patriarchs, bishops and priests who hold the ministry in the Church which officially is called "Orthodox." Orthodoxy is the mystical "Body of Christ," the Head of which is Christ Himself (see Eph. 1:22-23 and Col. 1:18, 24 et seq.), and its composition includes not only priests but all who truly believe in Christ, who have entered in a lawful way through Holy Baptism into the Church He founded, those living upon the earth and those who have died in the Faith and in piety."
The Great Schism between the Eastern and the Western Church (1054) was the culmination of a gradual process of estrangement between the east and west that began in the first centuries of the Christian Era and continued through the Middle Ages. Linguistic and cultural differences, as well as political events, contributed to the estrangement. From the 4th to the 11th century, Constantinople, the center of Eastern Christianity, was also the capital of the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine, Empire, while Rome, after the barbarian invasions, fell under the influence of the Holy Roman Empire of the West, a political rival. In the West theology remained under the influence of St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) and gradually lost its immediate contact with the rich theological tradition of the Christian East. In the same time the Roman See was almost completely overtaken by Franks. Theological differences could have probably been settled if there were not two different concepts of church authority. The growth of Roman primacy, based on the concept of the apostolic origin of the Church of Rome which claimed not only titular but also jurisdictional authority above other churches, was incompatible with the traditional Orthodox ecclesiology. The Eastern Christians considered all churches as sister churches and understood the primacy of the Roman bishop only as primus inter pares among his brother bishops. For the East, the highest authority in settling doctrinal disputes could by no means be the authority of a single Church or a single bishop but an Ecumenical Council of all sister churches. In the course of time the Church of Rome adopted various wrong teachings which were not based in the Tradition and finally proclaimed the teaching of the Pope's infallibility when teaching ex cathedra. This widened the gap even more between the Christian East and West. The Protestant communities which split from Rome in the course of centuries diverged even more from the teaching of the Holy Fathers and the Holy Ecumenical Councils. Due to these serious dogmatic differences the Orthodox Church is not in communion with the Roman Catholic and Protestant communities. More traditional Orthodox theologians do not recognize the ecclesial and salvific character of these Western churches at all, while the more liberal ones accept that the Holy Spirit acts to a certain degree within these communities although they do not possess the fullness of grace and spiritual gifts like the Orthodox Church. Many serious Orthodox theologians are of the opinion that between Orthodoxy and heterodox confessions, especially in the sphere of spiritual experience, the understanding of God and salvation, there exists an ontological difference which cannot be simply ascribed to cultural and intellectual estrangement of the East and West but is a direct consequence of a gradual abandonment of the sacred tradition by heterodox Christians.
At the time of the Schism of 1054 between Rome and Constantinople, the membership of the Eastern Orthodox Church was spread throughout the Middle East, the Balkans, and Russia, with its center in Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which was also called New Rome. The vicissitudes of history have greatly modified the internal structures of the Orthodox Church, but, even today, the bulk of its members live in the same geographic areas. Missionary expansion toward Asia and emigration toward the West, however, have helped to maintain the importance of Orthodoxy worldwide. Today, the Orthodox Church is present almost everywhere in the world and is bearing witness of true, apostolic and patristic tradition to all peoples.
The Orthodox Church is well known for its developed monasticism. The uninterrupted monastic tradition of Orthodox Christianity can be traced from the Egyptian desert monasteries of the 3rd and 4th centuries. Soon monasticism had spread all over the Mediterranean basin and Europe: in Palestine, Syria, Cappadocia, Gaul, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Slavic countries. Monasticism has always been a beacon of Orthodoxy and has made and continues to make a strong and lasting impact on Orthodox spirituality.
The Orthodox Church today is an invaluable treasury of the rich liturgical tradition handed down from the earliest centuries of Christianity. The sense of the sacred, the beauty and grandeur of the Orthodox Divine Liturgy make the presence of heaven on earth live and intensive. Orthodox Church art and music has a very functional role in the liturgical life and helps even the bodily senses to feel the spiritual grandeur of the Lord's mysteries. Orthodox icons are not simply beautiful works of art which have certain aesthetic and didactic functions. They are primarily the means through which we experience the reality of the Heavenly Kingdom on earth. The holy icons enshrine the immeasurable depth of the mystery of Christ's incarnation in defense of which thousands of martyrs sacrificed their lives.
(excerpted from the book The Orthodox Church by Timothy Ware).
The Orthodox Church was founded by our Lord Jesus Christ and is the living manifestation of His presence in the history of the mankind. The most conspicuous characteristics of Orthodoxy are its rich liturgical life and its faithfulness to the apostolic tradition. It is believed by Orthodox Christians that their Church has preserved the tradition and continuity of the ancient Church in its fullness compared to other Christian denominations which have departed from the common tradition of the Church of the first 10 centuries. Today Orthodox Church numbers approximately 300 million Christians who follow the faith and practices that were defined by the first seven ecumenical councils. The word orthodox ("right belief and right glory") has traditionally been used, in the Greek-speaking Christian world, to designate communities, or individuals, who preserved the true faith (as defined by those councils), as opposed to those who were declared heretical. The official designation of the church in its liturgical and canonical texts is "the Orthodox Catholic Church" (gr. catholicos = universal).
In the wider theological sense "Orthodoxy is not merely a type of purely earthly organization which is headed by patriarchs, bishops and priests who hold the ministry in the Church which officially is called "Orthodox." Orthodoxy is the mystical "Body of Christ," the Head of which is Christ Himself (see Eph. 1:22-23 and Col. 1:18, 24 et seq.), and its composition includes not only priests but all who truly believe in Christ, who have entered in a lawful way through Holy Baptism into the Church He founded, those living upon the earth and those who have died in the Faith and in piety."
The Great Schism between the Eastern and the Western Church (1054) was the culmination of a gradual process of estrangement between the east and west that began in the first centuries of the Christian Era and continued through the Middle Ages. Linguistic and cultural differences, as well as political events, contributed to the estrangement. From the 4th to the 11th century, Constantinople, the center of Eastern Christianity, was also the capital of the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine, Empire, while Rome, after the barbarian invasions, fell under the influence of the Holy Roman Empire of the West, a political rival. In the West theology remained under the influence of St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) and gradually lost its immediate contact with the rich theological tradition of the Christian East. In the same time the Roman See was almost completely overtaken by Franks. Theological differences could have probably been settled if there were not two different concepts of church authority. The growth of Roman primacy, based on the concept of the apostolic origin of the Church of Rome which claimed not only titular but also jurisdictional authority above other churches, was incompatible with the traditional Orthodox ecclesiology. The Eastern Christians considered all churches as sister churches and understood the primacy of the Roman bishop only as primus inter pares among his brother bishops. For the East, the highest authority in settling doctrinal disputes could by no means be the authority of a single Church or a single bishop but an Ecumenical Council of all sister churches. In the course of time the Church of Rome adopted various wrong teachings which were not based in the Tradition and finally proclaimed the teaching of the Pope's infallibility when teaching ex cathedra. This widened the gap even more between the Christian East and West. The Protestant communities which split from Rome in the course of centuries diverged even more from the teaching of the Holy Fathers and the Holy Ecumenical Councils. Due to these serious dogmatic differences the Orthodox Church is not in communion with the Roman Catholic and Protestant communities. More traditional Orthodox theologians do not recognize the ecclesial and salvific character of these Western churches at all, while the more liberal ones accept that the Holy Spirit acts to a certain degree within these communities although they do not possess the fullness of grace and spiritual gifts like the Orthodox Church. Many serious Orthodox theologians are of the opinion that between Orthodoxy and heterodox confessions, especially in the sphere of spiritual experience, the understanding of God and salvation, there exists an ontological difference which cannot be simply ascribed to cultural and intellectual estrangement of the East and West but is a direct consequence of a gradual abandonment of the sacred tradition by heterodox Christians.
At the time of the Schism of 1054 between Rome and Constantinople, the membership of the Eastern Orthodox Church was spread throughout the Middle East, the Balkans, and Russia, with its center in Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which was also called New Rome. The vicissitudes of history have greatly modified the internal structures of the Orthodox Church, but, even today, the bulk of its members live in the same geographic areas. Missionary expansion toward Asia and emigration toward the West, however, have helped to maintain the importance of Orthodoxy worldwide. Today, the Orthodox Church is present almost everywhere in the world and is bearing witness of true, apostolic and patristic tradition to all peoples.
The Orthodox Church is well known for its developed monasticism. The uninterrupted monastic tradition of Orthodox Christianity can be traced from the Egyptian desert monasteries of the 3rd and 4th centuries. Soon monasticism had spread all over the Mediterranean basin and Europe: in Palestine, Syria, Cappadocia, Gaul, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Slavic countries. Monasticism has always been a beacon of Orthodoxy and has made and continues to make a strong and lasting impact on Orthodox spirituality.
The Orthodox Church today is an invaluable treasury of the rich liturgical tradition handed down from the earliest centuries of Christianity. The sense of the sacred, the beauty and grandeur of the Orthodox Divine Liturgy make the presence of heaven on earth live and intensive. Orthodox Church art and music has a very functional role in the liturgical life and helps even the bodily senses to feel the spiritual grandeur of the Lord's mysteries. Orthodox icons are not simply beautiful works of art which have certain aesthetic and didactic functions. They are primarily the means through which we experience the reality of the Heavenly Kingdom on earth. The holy icons enshrine the immeasurable depth of the mystery of Christ's incarnation in defense of which thousands of martyrs sacrificed their lives.
First Liturgy in Raleigh, North Carolina
Posted on 14/11 12:05
Saint Mark the Evangelist Orthodox Mission in Raleigh, North Carolina began reader's services with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Pavlos in November 2006. His Eminence blessed the construction of a Chapel, which was completed recently and which His Eminence named after Saint Mark the Evangelist.
The inaugural Vespers and Liturgy was celebrated on the weekend of October 28-29 (November 10-11 n.s.), 2007 by His Grace Bishop Christodoulos, assisted by Father Laurence Girard and Hierodeacon Savvas.
Photographs can be seen here:
http://hotca.org/index.php?option=com_rsgallery2&Itemid=102&catid=14
The inaugural Vespers and Liturgy was celebrated on the weekend of October 28-29 (November 10-11 n.s.), 2007 by His Grace Bishop Christodoulos, assisted by Father Laurence Girard and Hierodeacon Savvas.
Photographs can be seen here:
http://hotca.org/index.php?option=com_rsgallery2&Itemid=102&catid=14
Mission named Saint Mark the Evangelist
Posted on 04/11 12:14
With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Pavlos, the GOC Mission of Raleigh received the name Saint Mark the Evangelist on Saturday, October 22/November 4, 2007.
Bishop Christodoulos to Visit Raleigh Mission
Posted on 09/10 11:51
His Grace Bishop Christodoulos will visit Raleigh the weekend of November 10 and 11 to serve Vespers (evening prayer) Saturday evening and the Divine Liturgy (communion service) Sunday morning.
His Grace will give a sermon for spiritual edification and will also be available to answer questions for those interested in the Orthodox faith.
The event is being sponsored by the Raleigh Misssion Parish of the Genuine Orthodox Church. Those seeking information about the event may email Anastasios at gocraleigh@gmail.com or telephone him at (919) 827-4945.
Bishop Christodoulos is an assistant bishop in the Metropolis of America and resides in New York, NY. He has been a monk since 1990 and a bishop since September 2000. You may see his brief talk on prayer here.
Our mission website: www.gocraleigh.org
Our diocesan website: www.hotca.org
His Grace will give a sermon for spiritual edification and will also be available to answer questions for those interested in the Orthodox faith.
The event is being sponsored by the Raleigh Misssion Parish of the Genuine Orthodox Church. Those seeking information about the event may email Anastasios at gocraleigh@gmail.com or telephone him at (919) 827-4945.
Bishop Christodoulos is an assistant bishop in the Metropolis of America and resides in New York, NY. He has been a monk since 1990 and a bishop since September 2000. You may see his brief talk on prayer here.
Our mission website: www.gocraleigh.org
Our diocesan website: www.hotca.org
Welcome to the GOC Mission of Raleigh
Posted on 21/03 19:49
Welcome to the GOC Raleigh Website, which is being reconstructed. Typica is celebrated every Sunday at 10am. Call Anastasios Hudson @ (919) 827-4945 or email him at gocraleigh@gmail.com for more information.
