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Although Holy Cross parish observes the ancient Christian calendar, the Julian Calendar, and will be celebrating the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on January 7th, I want to greet all of my readers who are celebrating the Nativity of Christ today with the words, Christ is born. Glorify Him! Merry Christmas!
Sadly, Christmas Services had to be cancelled across Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa last night because of the unexpected winter storm that struck the midlands. There is good news though. Vast numbers of Orthodox Christians all across the world will gather to celebrate the birth of Christ on January 7th.
Whether or not you have celebrated Christmas today, you are invited to worship with us. Christmas is the Good News that God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son for our salvation. Who can get enough of Christmas joy? I know that I cannot. It is the most wonderful time of the year!
This Sunday is the Third Sunday in Advent - Rose Sunday - at Holy Cross Orthodox Church. Christian Education is at 8:45 AM, followed by Matins at 9:15 AM, with the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist at 10:00 AM. Fellowship and refreshments follow the Liturgy.
A Solemn celebration of the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist (The Divine Liturgy or Holy Mass) for the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be celebrated on Wednesday evening, January 6th, at 6:30 PM. A Christmas party will follow in the parish hall. Everyone is always welcome!
May God grant you every grace and blessing,
Fr. Victor+
TONIGHT'S FESTIVAL HAS BEEN CANCELLED
A Festival of Lessons and Carols scheduled for Thursday evening, December 24, has been cancelled due to the winter storm. We are planning to reschedule the Festival and I will keep the readers of Fr. Novak's Blog informed. Stay safe and warm. May God grant you every grace and blessing.
A FESTIVAL OF LESSONS AND CAROLS, Thursday, December 24, at 7:00 PM
A Festival of
Thursday Evening, December 24, at 7:00 PM
ORTHODOX CHURCH
"Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God" - Isaiah 40:3
"When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons" - Galatians 4:4-5
A Festival of Lessons and Carols is a beautiful English tradition that was first held in the Chapel of King's College, Cambridge in December 1918, just after the end of the First World War.
It quickly spread throughout the English speaking world and was first broadcast over the radio in 1928. Sometime in the early 1930s the BBC began broadcasting the Festival on its overseas programs. Since 1963 it has been filmed periodically for television.
We want to thank the Schola Cantorum of Holy Cross Orthodox Church under the direction of Victoria H. for their hard work in preparing for this Festival.
Everyone is invited to stand and join in singing the Processional Hymn and the Carols. You may sit during the reading of the Lessons with the exception of the final Lesson. Please stand for the reading from the Gospel according to St. John.
Refreshments in our parish hall will follow the Festival of Lessons and Carols. The public is warmly invited to attend. Visitors are always welcome.
We wish everyone a spiritually profitable Advent, and a blessed and merry Christmas.
ORGAN PRELUDE
Victoria H., Organist
PROCESSIONAL HYMN: Once In David's Royal City
OPENING PRAYER: Fr. Victor Novak
CAROL: O Little Town of Bethlehem
FIRST LESSON: Genesis 3:8-15, 17-19
CAROL: Break Forth, O Beauteous Heav'nly Light
SECOND LESSON: Genesis 22:15-18
CAROL: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
THIRD LESSON: Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
CAROL: Silent Night
FOURTH LESSON: Isaiah 11:1-4, 6-9
CAROL: It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
FIFTH LESSON: St. Luke 1:26-35, 38
CAROL: Sing of Mary
SIXTH LESSON: St. Luke 2:1, 3-7
CAROL: What Child Is This?
SEVENTH LESSON: St. Luke 2:8-16
CAROL: The First Nowell
EIGHTH LESSON: St. Matthew 2:1-12
CAROL: We Three Kings
OFFERING: Fr. Victor Novak
NINETH LESSON: St. John 1:1-14 (STAND)
CAROL: O Come All Ye Faithful
BLESSING: Fr. Victor Novak
Thank you for joining us for this Festival of Lessons and Carols. Everyone is invited to remain for Refreshments in our parish hall.
HOLY CROSS UPDATE
This Update contains a lot of important information. Please read it over carefully. Thank you!
CHURCH DECORATING
We will be putting up a Christmas tree and decorating the church and parish hall this Sunday during fellowship and refreshment time after Services. This is always a joyful time at Holy Cross parish. A big thank you to Subdeacon Michael and Tari C. who generously provide the church with a Christmas tree and evergreen hangings each year. Everyone is invited to bring poinsettias this Sunday to decorate the church. Let us make the House of God beautiful for this Holy Season!
FESTIVAL OF LESSONS AND CAROLS
We will have an Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols on Thursday evening, December 24th, at 7:00 PM. This will be the first time that we have kept this beautiful English tradition at Holy Cross parish and I am very excited about it. Everyone loves to hear the Christmas story from the Holy Scriptures and to sing Christmas carols, so I am sure that the Festival of Lessons and Carols will become an annual favorite.
The lessons begin in Genesis 3, the first prophecy promising a Redeemer that God gave man immediately after the fall, and continues with Messianic prophecies from the Old Testament, and then the Christmas story as told in the Gospel according to Sts. Matthew, Luke and John. The lessons or readings from Holy Scripture alternate with Christmas carols such as O Little Town of Bethlehem, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Silent Night, What Child is This?, O Come All Ye Faithful, and more, for a total of nine lessons and ten carols.
There is no sermon preached in this Festival because none is needed. The lessons and carols proclaim the Message of Christmas clearly and joyfully. If you have family or friends who wonder about the real meaning of Christmas you will want to bring them to this Festival of Lessons and Carols. They will be blessed, inspired, and will have a wonderful time.
After the Festival we will have refreshments in our parish hall. Members of our church family are asked to bring holiday refreshments to share. Visitors are our guests and do not have to bring a thing. This will be a joyful evening and everyone will leave knowing that Jesus is the reason for the Advent and Christmas seasons and will understand the true meaning of Christmas, so please be sure to invite family and friends. O Come All Ye Faithful!
A big thank you to everyone who contributed to our parish food bins and to Paul N. who delivered our most recent donation of food to the Open Door Mission. By the grace of God we were able to contribute another 374 pounds of much needed food to feed those most in need. Our food bins are now empty, but the needs are great. I would like us to be able to make one more delivery of food to the Open Door Mission before the end of the year and we have only two Sundays remaining in 2015. As we look forward to time with family and friends and to joyful dinners, let us not forget those who struggle to feed themselves and their children. Let us redouble our efforts, increase our giving of food, and refill our parish food bins so another delivery can be made before the year ends. Thank you!
Everyone receives gifts at Christmas time, but the One whose Birth we are celebrating is often forgotten. We are coming to the end of the year and this is a wonderful time to make a special offering to Holy Cross parish. Donations to churches are tax deductible so instead of giving your money in taxes why not make a special offering to Holy Cross parish so that we may more effectively advance the Work of Christ's Church. Thank you!
Our parish librarian, Ben J., has begun a new series of Christian Ed classes on the theme of Advent and Christmas. This is his third Advent season teaching on this topic, and I look forward to it every year. Ben is a life-long Christian with a Master Degree in history. Believe me, you will learn a lot in this class and will be edified as well. Class begins on Sunday morning at 8:45 AM. I hope to see you there!
WEDNESDAY SERVICES
No Services on December 23 and 30
The Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist will not be celebrated on Wednesday, December 23, or Wednesday, December 30. The Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist will be celebrated on Wednesday, January 6th, at 6:30 PM for the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Our regular Wednesday midday Mass will resume on Wednesday, January13, at 12:10 PM.
THE WONDERWORKER
Have you read the Advent issue of The Wonderworker? The Wonderworker is the official publication of the ROCOR Western Rite Orthodox Communities. You can download it for free from the ROCOR Western Rite Facebook page, the Holy Cross Parish Facebook page, or from the ROCOR Western Rite website. I hope that you will take time to read it so you can keep up with what is happening in the ROCOR Western Rite Communities.
Christmas isn't a birthday party, - it is a Mass. Let us keep Christ in Christmas and the Mass in Christmas. Christmas without Mass is not Christmas. We will celebrate a Solemn Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist, a Solemn Mass, for the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ - Christmas - on Wednesday evening, January 6th (Christmas Eve according to the ancient Christian Calendar), at 6:30 PM. After Mass, a celebration will follow in the parish hall. By being on the Old Calendar we are blessed to be able to celebrate Christmas without commercialism, and to focus on the reason for the season and the true meaning of Christmas. All Christians in Great Britain and the American Colonies used the Old Calendar until the year 1752. When we united with the ancient Orthodox Church we returned to the ancient Calendar of our forefathers. Please be sure to invite family and friends to our Christmas Mass on Wednesday evening, January 6th, at 6:30 PM. Joy to the World!
Christian Education is at 8:45 AM, followed by Matins (Morning Prayer) at 9:15 AM, with the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist at 10:00 AM. Fellowship and refreshments follow Services in our parish hall. The Orthodox Church welcomes you. We are a faithful, friendly and active parish, and we have a place for you. I hope to see you on Sunday!
May God grant you every grace and blessing in this Advent Season,
ADVENT I - HOLY CROSS UPDATE
Sunday, December 13, is a big day in the life of our Church. It is the Feast Day of St. Andrew the Apostle and the First Sunday in Advent. St. Andrew's Day is the beginning of the new Church Year.
When you come to church on Sunday you will immediately notice some seasonal changes. The liturgical colour will change from the green that we have been using through the long Trinity-tide to royal purple as we prepare for the coming of the King of Kings.
We will be beginning a new adult Christian Education class on Sunday. Our parish librarian will be teaching on the themes of Advent and Christmas. This class begins at 8:45 AM, and you will not want to miss it!
Matins (Morning Prayer) follows Christian Ed at 9:15 AM. With Advent season there will be a beautiful new Canticle and a new Office Hymn. The Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist follows Matins at 10:00 AM. The Advent Hymns and Propers will prepare our hearts for the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (Christmas Day). Our Processional Hymn will be a great favorite at Holy Cross parish that dates back well over a thousand years: O Come, O Come Emmanuel. The Holy Eucharist is the greatest gift that Christ could give us. Jesus Himself said, Take, eat, this is My Body, and drink ye all of this, for this is My Blood.
This Sunday marks the beginning of a new Church year. If you have not been coming regularly to church or have not been going to church at all, Advent is a time for new beginnings. If you have not been living a serious Christian life, Advent is a time for deeper conversion. If you have left the Church, Advent is a time to return home and start again. If you have been living a serious Christian life, Advent is a time for you to grow ever closer to our Lord who gave Himself for our salvation. Jesus is the reason for the Advent and Christmas seasons. Come and be blessed. The Orthodox Christian Church welcomes you!
Please remember those who are struggling to feed themselves or their family and bring a food donation for our parish food bins with you on Sunday. Thank you!
At Holy Cross parish we always seem to be behind the times. Why do we refuse to change with society? G. K. Chesterton put it very well when he said, "[True] Christianity is always out of fashion because it is always sane; and all fashions are mild insanities... The Church always seems to be behind the times, when it is really beyond the times; it is waiting till the last fad shall have seen its last summer. It keeps the key of a permanent virtue." Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, and so is His Body the Church. The Orthodox Church was established by Jesus Christ Himself in AD 33. It is the Body of which He is the Head, and His Church is ever the same, proclaiming an unchanging message to an ever changing world. Do not settle for a substitute. Insist on the original. The Orthodox Church welcomes you!
Sunday Christian Ed is at 8:45 AM, followed by Matins at 9:15, and the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist at 10:00 AM, with fellowship and refreshments after the Liturgy. We are a faithful and friendly congregation and we have a place for you. See you on Sunday!
V. Rev. Victor Novak
HOLY CROSS UPDATE - November 13, 2015
The weather is turning colder. That means that many people will have to choose between paying for heat and buying food. The needs of the Open Door Mission greatly increase with the coming of winter. Let's do all that we can to help them to feed those most in need. If you have ever been cold and hungry or very short on money you know what it feels like. Please bring a donation of food with you on Sunday for our parish food bins. Let's fill them up so this much needed food can be taken to the Open Door Mission. Thank you!
In the Gospels, our Lord Jesus Christ repeatedly teaches the importance of feeding the hungry and visiting the prisoner. At Holy Cross parish we have long supported three area homeless shelters: the Open Door Mission, and the Francis and Siena House shelters, but we are now also in the process of launching a ministry to the incarcerated. We are working in conjunction with the national Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM). I am very excited about this new parish ministry. Please keep it in your prayers.
We often decry what is going on in our society, and rightly so as post-Christian America has embraced what has been aptly described as the culture of death. But cursing the darkness will not change anything. We must take the light of Christ to our society. How? America will only be changed when men's hearts change, and hearts can only be changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We will not change our culture, our society, our country, by going to church. We will only change them by being the Church and doing the Work of the Church. Christ calls each of us to be pullers at the oars, not mere riders in the boat. Let us each roll up our sleeves and invest our time, talent and treasure in advancing the Great Commission that Christ has given His Church.
Next week we will celebrate the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist on Monday, November 16th and on Wednesday, November 18th.
The Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist will be celebrated at 12:10 PM, on Monday, November 16th, for ALL SOULS DAY. Holy Mass will begin at 12:10 PM and will conclude about 12:50 PM. Please plan to attend this Liturgy if at all possible. On ALL SOULS DAY we remember family and friends who have entered eternity, express our faith that they are alive and our love for them, and pray for the repose of their souls. It is an act of faith, hope and charity to pray for the dead.
The Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist will be celebrated at 12:10 PM, on Wednesday as usual.
Everyone has the opportunity participate in the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist and to receive the Blessed Sacrament of Holy Communion three times this coming week (Sunday, Monday and Wednesday). The Holy Eucharist is the centre and summit of our spirituality as Orthodox Catholics. As St. Augustine of Hippo said, "God in His omnipotence could not give more, in His wisdom He knew not how to give more, in His riches He had not more to give, than the Holy Eucharist." Jesus says to us, "Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will refresh you." Let us go unto the altar of God. "O Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps. 34:8).
Mark your calendars for Thursday evening, December 24th, the Thursday after the Second Sunday in Advent. At 7:00 PM we will have a beautiful Advent Service of Lessons and Carols. This will be the first time that we have kept this wonderful English Advent tradition. The Service consists of nine Scripture lessons and nine carols. Our Schola Cantorum will lead us in the caroling, but the entire congregation will join in the singing. There will be refreshments and fellowship after the Service. Please be sure to invite family and friends. Everyone will enjoy and be blessed by this beautiful English tradition, and will hear the Good News that Jesus is the Reason for the Season!
Sunday Christian Education is at 8:45 AM, followed by Matins at 9:15 AM, with the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist at 10:00 AM. Fellowship and refreshments will follow the Liturgy. The adult Christian Education class is studying the Gospel according to St. John the Divine.
We are an unchanging Church with an unchanging and unchangeable message to an ever changing world. Jesus Christ is the Truth Revealed and Orthodox Christianity is the Truth Lived. Holy Cross parish a faithful and friendly congregation, and we have a place for you. The Orthodox Church welcomes you. I hope to see you on Sunday!
FALL HAYRACK RIDE, BONFIRE AND POTLUCK - Saturday, October 24, at 6:00 PM
Our annual Fall Hayrack Ride, Bonfire and Potluck will be held on Saturday, October 24th at 6:00 PM, at Santa's Woods, 3764 State Highway 133, Blair, Nebraska 68008. Santa's Woods is located between Omaha and Blair, on Blair High Road (State Highway 133), and they have a large sign by the Highway so you cannot miss it.
This event is not a parish fundraiser. We are simply charging what Santa's Woods charges the church. Adults are $9.00 and children 5 to 12 are $6.00, with children under 5 free. Participants are asked to bring a main dish, or a side dish and a drink or dessert for the potluck.
Please arrive no later than 5:45 PM as the hayrack ride begins at 6:00 PM sharp. Santa's Woods is a working farm and the Hayrack Ride will take us through recently harvested fields. When we return to our private site we will find a roaring fire. There will picnic tables for our use, with electrical outlets for coffee pots and crock pots.
The public is invited to attend, and please sure to invite your family and friends. We have been enjoying this annual event for years and everyone always has a great time. For more information email me at: venovak@hughes.net or call the church at: (402) 573-6558. The Christian life is the good life at Holy Cross Orthodox Church. Everyone is always welcome!
REPORT ON THE 2015 ROCOR WESTERN RITE CLERGY CONFERENCE
My wife and I attended the 2015 Western Rite Clergy Conference of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) last week. The Conference opened on Monday, September 28, and concluded on Thursday, October 1, at the Mount Alvernia Retreat Center in Wappinger Falls, New York. It was the largest Western Rite Clergy Conference held thus far. There was tremendous enthusiasm and energy, as well as complete unity as everyone there agreed in Faith and morals, and on the mission of the Church.
In addition to ROCOR Western Rite clergy, we had some Antiochian Western Rite clergy in attendance, as well as visiting clergy — mostly Anglican - who have an interest in Western Orthodoxy. I was surprised by how many Benedictine monks there were in attendance from various Western Rite Orthodox monastic communities, including the abbot of one monastery and the prior of another. I was excited to learn that one of the monasteries consists of 600 acres in the mountains of rural Colorado.
Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch (primate) of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and Ruling Bishop of the Western Rite Communities was with us for the entire Conference. Metropolitan Jonah, who is well known to Anglicans for his talks at the 2009 and 2012 provincial synods of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) was scheduled to be with us, but had to cancel at the last minute because of a family medical situation.
The Conference opened on Monday afternoon with welcoming addresses from Metropolitan Hilarion and from the Dean of the Western Rite Communities, Fr. Mark Rowe. Fr. Mark is a former Anglican Canon and has served the Western Rite tirelessly as Dean. He seems to be almost constantly on the road visiting clergy and churches, and attending Western Rite ordinations — of which there are many. He is learned, personable, pastoral, committed to the growth of the Western Rite and the restoration of the Western Church, and has proven to be an effective organizer, consensus builder and leader.
After the opening addresses we gathered in the chapel for Vespers. After Vespers we had dinner together in the refectory. Dinner was followed by Compline (the Night Office). After Compline, confessions were heard. Four priests were assigned to hear confessions and were stationed in the four corners of the chapel. Having been shriven, we were ready for the Conference to really begin on Tuesday morning. After Compline there was a social hour in the refectory with wine and various cheeses. It was all very English, with port wine and gourmet cheese and crackers. The social hour — really hours as it went on as long as people wished to remain — was so popular that one was held on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings as well.
Having always experienced non-Orthodox synods and conferences held in hotels with plush rooms, soft beds, and the intrusion of the world through television, clock radios and wifi, this Conference was refreshing. The rooms — really cells — were small and quite Spartan: two twin beds, hard, thin mattresses, and no television, radio or wifi. Each room did have a private bathroom though, and that was appreciated.
Morning began very early with Matins scheduled to be prayed in our rooms, followed by Holy Mass in the chapel at 6:15 AM. On Tuesday morning all of the Orthodox clergy concelebrated a Solemn Votive Mass of the Holy Ghost in red vestments. The Mass was sung and the Propers chanted according to the ancient Gregorian chant tones.
After Mass we had breakfast in the refectory and then got to work. This was not at all like a convention. The emphasis was on the spiritual, and on learning. Beginning Tuesday morning, daily Matins was scheduled to be prayed in our rooms, followed by Holy Mass in the chapel at 6:15 AM. Sext was prayed in the chapel at noon, with Vespers at 4:15 PM, and Compline at 7:00 PM. All of the Offices were chanted, and all of the Masses were solemn celebrations in the presence of a greater prelate at the throne.
Over the course of the four days we had many helpful presentations. At 9:00 AM on Tuesday morning, Fr. David Straut, an Eastern Rite priest spoke to us about jail ministry in a presentation called, Orthodox Ministry to the Incarcerated. After a break, Fr. Christophe Lepourte spoke to us about his counseling ministry. With an education in counseling and decades of experience in individual, marriage and family counseling, Fr. Christophe is a resource that priests can use when it is time to refer people to a professional counselor. Although he is based in Virginia, Fr. Christophe's ministry can help people nationwide through Skype.
The next presentation was by Fr. Ephraim Willmarth, an administrator at Holy Trinity Seminary. Holy Trinity Seminary is a residential seminary, but it also offers distance learning programs in Liturgical Music, and Theological Studies. These distance learning programs are excellent for late vocations, for those already involved in ministry and for active laypeople who want to deepen their understanding of the Faith and become more effective in advancing the Work of the Church. The Certificate in Theological Studies consists of sixteen classes taken over a period of two years. There is online access through Populi, and costs are very modest at around $150.00 per class.
The presentation by Holy Trinity Seminary was followed by one from a student at St. Tikhon Seminary. He is a former Anglican layman who was involved in six Anglican (ACNA) church-plants before entering the Orthodox Church and enrolling at St. Tikhon's. He heads up an important ministry called Elijah's Mantle that passes on used vestments and church supplies — both Eastern and Western Rite - free of charge to needy clergy, new church-plants and struggling missions. We also learned that there is growing interest in the Western Rite at St. Tikhon Seminary, and that six to eight students have requested monthly Western Rite services at the seminary. Arrangements have been made for a nearby ROCOR Western Rite priest to celebrate Vespers and then Holy Mass the next morning according to the Western Rite on a monthly basis.
On Tuesday afternoon a private ROCOR Western Rite Clergy meeting was held with Metropolitan Hilarion and Dean Mark Rowe. There was no voting. Everything was done by consensus, and consensus was easy to achieve because we all believed the same thing and were on the same page. It was decided that in odd years we will have a national Western Rite Clergy Conference at Mount Alvernia Retreat Center in Wappinger Falls, New York, with the next national Conference scheduled for 2017. The Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate holds their national meeting every two years in even years. By alternating the ROCOR and Antiochian national Clergy Conferences more Antiochian Western Rite clergy will be able to attend ROCOR Conferences and more ROCOR Western Rite clergy will be able to attend Antiochian Conferences.
In even years, beginning next year in 2016, there will be four regional ROCOR Western Rite Clergy Conferences: East, South, Midwest and West. We were asked by Metropolitan Hilarion through his Dean, Fr. Mark Rowe, to host the 2016 Midwest Regional Clergy Conference at Holy Cross parish in Omaha, and I immediately and enthusiastically agreed. Metropolitan Hilarion told me that, God willing, he will be there, so we will be blessed to have his Eminence at Holy Cross parish again in 2016.
During the private ROCOR Western Rite Clergy meeting, non-Orthodox clergymen and other attenders participated in an Open Meeting with Seekers of Western Rite Orthodoxy.
After the Western Rite clergy meeting I delivered my presentation titled, Step By Step Church Planting. Everyone attending received a copy of the book, A Guide to Western Rite Orthodox Church Planting, a copy of our Liturgy booklet, four of our self-published tracts, and a brochure on Website design and development.
On Wednesday we had Holy Mass at 6:15 AM as usual, along with Sext, Vespers and Compline at their appropriate times. The first presentation began at 9:00 AM. It was on Iconography and focused on ancient Western Iconography in the Celtic and Romanesque traditions. The speaker was Fr. Silouan, a skilled Iconographer and a Hieromonk at Holy Cross Monastery Setauket, New York. The presentation was both enlightening and helpful. We have a wonderful Western Iconographic tradition that was lost with the coming of the Renaissance and needs to be recovered and restored.
The next presentation was by Fr. Benedict Simpson, and was called Engaging Today's Youth With an Ancient Faith. Fr. Benedict is an engaging and informative speaker. After lunch Deacon Nicholas Griswold spoke on The Historic Diaconate. This excellent presentation was on what is sometimes called the permanent diaconate and covered the life and ministry of deacons.
On Thursday morning at 6:15 AM, Dom James, Abbot of Christminister Benedictine Monastery, celebrated a Requiem Mass for the deceased Western Rite clergy. It was such a blessing to be at the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist for three consecutive days and to receive Holy Communion daily!
There were two more presentations on Thursday. Hieromonk Ezekiel, a Western Rite Orthodox priest-monk — that is what Hieromonk means — gave a very helpful and moving talk titled, An Orthodox Approach to Death and Dying. This presentation was invaluable.
The final presentation, called Planning For Successful Mission Growth, was delivered by Fr. Anthony Bryant, a Western rite priest and the rector of St. Katherine's Orthodox Church in South Carolina.
Holy Trinity Seminary Bookstore had a large book table set up and I came home with sixteen books. Thankfully, for every two purchased the buyer received one free. At our rectory books are like friends, and Matushka and I have already begun visiting with them.
One of the highlights of the Conference was the time we had to socialize with one another. I saw old friends, met people that I have corresponded with or talked to by telephone, met many co-laborers in our Lord's vineyard, and made new friends.
We were able to spend a lot of time with Fr. Joseph Gleason, rector of Christ the King parish in Omaha, Illinois. Fr. Joseph was the founder, editor and publisher of the only orthodox Anglican theological journal in North America: The North American Anglican, and I was a writer for it. His parish entered the Western Rite of the Antiochian Orthodox Church about a year before Holy Cross was received into Orthodoxy. It was great to be able to spend time with him. Another priest that I really enjoined spending time with was Fr. Kentigern of Hanceville, Alabama. Fr. Kentigern is a tentmaker and supports his family by farming just as Matushka and I used to.
Fr. Joseph Mai and I had become friends over the telephone, and it was wonderful to finally meet him in person. Fr. Joseph is Vietnamese and he pastors a large Vietnamese parish in San Diego that came into the Orthodox Church from the Anglican Church in America (ACA). Fr. Joseph gave me a copy of their Liturgy booklet. It has the Liturgy of St. Tikhon in Vietnamese on one side and English on the other. His parish, Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church, conducts its Services in Vietnamese. The Orthodox Church is Catholic (Universal), and although we belong to the Russian Orthodox Church we have both Eastern and Western Rites, the Roman, English and French (Gallican) Uses of the Western Rite, and Services are held in North America in English, French, Spanish, Vietnamese and Church Slavonic.
A high point of the Conference for me was to meet up with an old Anglican confrere that I had not seen in at least fifteen years. He and his assistant pastor and their congregation are all being received into the Western Rite of the Orthodox Church. We were also able to spend time with another Anglican priest and his wife who are beginning the process of being received. Father and I had corresponded by email, but it was great to meet him in person, and it was a blessing to hear him announce that they had taken the first step at the Conference.
The Clergy wives also had two outings together. Cheri enjoyed her time with the ladies very much. During their time together they made plans to stay in close touch between Conferences through the Internet.
It is sometimes charged by skeptics that the Western Rite is only there to transition Western converts to the Eastern Rite, but there is no basis for such a charge. In fact, there was one parish represented at the Conference that actually made the change from being Eastern Rite to Western Rite.
The Western Rite Clergy Conference was a time of spiritual refreshment and renewal, and Cheri and I were really sad to see it end. We are looking forward to the Midwest Regional Western Rite Clergy Conference at Holy Cross parish in the summer of 2016. The Conference will be open to ROCOR and Antiochian Orthodox Western Rite clergy and their wives, as well as to other clergy who are interested in Western Orthodoxy and who would like to come and experience it.
The Orthodox Church is growing rapidly in numbers in America and throughout the world with some 300 million members worldwide. The percentage of growth of Orthodox Christianity in America was higher than any other major classification of Christianity mentioned by the Encyclopedia Britannica in 1995. According to a formal study by the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in North and Central America in 2010, membership in the Orthodox Church in the United States grew in the 75 years between 1936 and 2010 by 131%. For a shorter window of time, during the decade of 2000 to 2010, the total number of Orthodox communities in the United States grew by 15%. The 2008 US Religious Landscape Survey showed that 23% of all Orthodox Christians in America today are converts.
In recent years Anglicans made up the second largest group of converts to Orthodoxy, and today they are the largest group. About one out of four Orthodox Christians in America are converts, along with 30% of all clergy and 41% of all seminarians. In the city where I pastor there are nine Orthodox priests and six parishes. Of the nine priests, six are converts, and five of the six are former Anglicans. Of the six parishes, two are Western Rite and both have full time rectors.
The Orthodox Church is experiencing explosive growth all around the world. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian Orthodox Church has opened more than 26,000 churches; that is more than three churches a day, each and every day, for a quarter of a century, and there is no slowdown in sight. In addition, since 1991, the Russian Orthodox Church has established more than 800 new monastic communities.
The Russian Orthodox Church has gone from a marginalized and persecuted body of believers with only around 7,000 open churches in 1988, when it celebrated the Millennium of the Baptism of Russia, to a resurgent Church with more than 160,000,000 members world-wide in 2007, of whom 55,000,000 are outside of Russia. All this in about a quarter of a century. This is a miracle, and can only be the work of God.
This spiritual revival and resurgence of the Orthodox Church is not limited to the Church in Russia either. It is a world-wide movement of the Holy Spirit. There is good news to report from every continent on earth, including the frozen Antarctic where the first Orthodox church was opened in 2004.
The Patriarchate of Alexandria in Egypt has jurisdiction over the continent of Africa, and marvelous things are happening there. In the last eighty years the membership of the Patriarchate of Alexandria has grown ten-fold. The Orthodox Church is also growing rapidly in Asia and in South and Central America.
There are now around 2,000 Orthodox parishes in the United States, plus hundreds more in Canada. Monasticism has always been considered a good way to gauge the health of the Church, and monasticism is thriving and growing in North America. There now are around eighty monastic communities in the United States with others in Canada.
As Western Rite Orthodox congregations and monastic communities we have preserved the fulness of our Western cultural, liturgical and spiritual heritage and patrimony in full sacramental communion and visible unity with the 300 million-member Orthodox Church. This is the fulfillment of the Vision Glorious of the Oxford Movement and an answer to our Lord's High Priestly Prayer for unity among His disciples. For more information about Holy Cross parish or Western Rite Orthodoxy please email me at: venovak@hughes.net or call the church office at: (402) 573-6558. The Orthodox Church welcomes you!
Cheri and I returned home safely from the ROCOR Western Rite Conference last night. I wish you could have been there. It was wonderful. The Holy Spirit is at work and the Western Church is being rebuilt at a rapid rate. There was so much enthusiasm and energy. Everything was positive throughout the entire week. This was bigger and better than any clergy conference or diocesan synod I have ever attended, and Metropolitan Hilarion was there for the entire time. I have much to report tomorrow at the Liturgy. The future is bright indeed.
I also have some exciting news for Holy Cross parish. God is good!
I hope that you will plan to be at church tomorrow, October 4, so you can hear all about it. Cheri and I are looking forward to being at church, and to seeing you there.
Christian Education is at 8:45 AM, followed by Matins at 9:15 AM, and the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist at 10:00 AM. Fellowship and refreshments will follow the Liturgy. We are a faithful and friendly parish, and we have a place for you! See you soon.
SUMMER CHURCH PICNIC - Sunday, September 20
This Sunday, September 20, is our annual Summer Church Picnic at Halleck Park in Papillion. The picnic follows the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist at church. The park is only a short drive from the church.
Halleck Park is a beautiful 70 acre park that offers many opportunities for fun, including a stocked fishing lake. We have reserved the large covered pavilion at the park that we use every year. You can't miss it!
Here is a link to the Halleck Park Website that will give you more information on the park as well as directions:
http://www.papillion.org/parks_halleck.cfm
We have reserved the covered pavilion from Sunday morning until 2:00 PM, but you can remain at the park as long as you like. This Sunday only we are moving up Services by half an hour because of the picnic. Matins will begin at 9:00 AM, followed by the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist at 9:30 AM.
The forecast for Sunday is for beautiful weather: partly sunny and pleasant with a high of 75 degrees. We will be grilling hotdogs and hamburgers. Members of our Holy Cross church-family are asked to bring two side dishes, or a side dish and a desert. Visitors are our guests and do not have to bring a thing. The event is free, so please be sure to invite family and friends.
Matins is at 9:00 AM, followed by the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist at 9:30 AM, with our annual Summer Church Picnic at Halleck Park immediately after the Liturgy. The Picnic is free, and there will be plenty of good food and fun for everyone, so be sure to invite family and friends. We are a faithful and friendly congregation, and we have a place for you. For more information email me at venovak@hughes.net or call (402) 573-6558. See you on Sunday!
AN UNFORGETTABLE EPISCOPAL VISIT
"I want to thank you once again for your kind hospitality and for the opportunity to serve and pray with you and your community. It was a wonderful and unforgettable experience for me" - Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral)
Metropolitan Hilarion's visit to Holy Cross parish this past weekend was a joyous and grace filled event. On Sunday, August 23rd, the church was full, with an overflow into the parish hall. After arriving back in New York on Monday afternoon, His Eminence wrote to me saying, "I want to thank you once again for your kind hospitality and for the opportunity to serve and pray with you and your community. It was a wonderful and unforgettable experience for me." It was a wonderful and unforgettable experience for us as well.
Metropolitan Hilarion was scheduled to arrive in Omaha at 10:00 PM on Friday, August 21st, but his takeoff in New York was delayed for 53 minutes. He had eaten on the plane so we checked him into his hotel around midnight.
I picked Metropolitan Hilarion up at his hotel on Saturday morning, took him to the church and showed him around. We had ladies from our parish sisterhood there who were decorating the parish hall for the Reception that evening and the catered Luncheon on Sunday. They were putting white cloth tablecloths on the tables with candles and other decorations. The parish hall looked very elegant.
After a late lunch, I took his Eminence back to his hotel room for some rest before Vespers, but he didn't rest. Instead, he studied our Western Rite Pontifical. Metropolitan Hilarion has a real gift for liturgy. He wanted to fulfill all of what a Greater Prelate says and does when assisting pontifically at the throne, and he did it at Vespers, Matins and Holy Mass flawlessly. He seemed to really love the Liturgy of St. Tikhon. After the Solemn Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist he came to me and said how beautiful he thought it was.
By the time I picked His Eminence up for Vespers late on Saturday afternoon the sky was filled with dark clouds and it was beginning to rain. I had been receiving worried phone calls from parishioners who told me that Omaha was under a severe thunderstorm warning and a tornado watch. I shared with Metropolitan Hilarion my concern that the weather might affect attendance, but he simply reminded me that where two or three gather together Jesus is in their midst. Despite the weather we had thirty-two for Vespers. Fr. Stephen Walinski joined us for Vespers and remained for the Reception, and was seated at the Metropolitan's table. Some of the faithful left immediately after Vespers because of the weather, but most remained for the Reception. Saturday was a commemoration of St. Herman of Alaska (the translation of his relics), and since we have relics of St. Herman in our church Metropolitan Hilarion preached at Vespers on the life and work of St. Herman.
Early Sunday morning Fathers Lev and Maximos from St. John the Wonderworker parish in Des Moines, Iowa, and two ordinands joined us. By 9:30 AM the church was nearly full, and soon after it was completely full with an overflow into the parish hall. Metropolitan Hilarion was greeted at the door with bread and salt. He then kissed a crucifix, aspersed himself with holy water and then aspersed the clergy and the faithful according to the ancient Rite of Receiving a Bishop at the Door. We then processed to the sanctuary for Solemn Matins. At both Vespers on Saturday evening and Matins on Sunday morning the Ordinary and the Psalms and Canticles were all chanted according to Gregorian chant tones. During Matins one man from Holy Cross and one from St. John the Wonderworker were clothed in the cassock, tonsured and ordained Reader.
After Matins we vested for the Solemn Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist. The long procession of our Schola Cantorum, two visiting priests, three ordinands, the ministers serving at the altar, the Celebrant, and the Metropolitan wound through the church while the Processional Hymn, St. Patrick's Breastplate (I Bind Unto Myself Today) was sung. It was a missa coram episcopo, and Metropolitan Hilarion served beautifully. You would have thought he was a Western Rite bishop!
As usual, all of the minor propers of the Mass: the Introit, Gradual and Alleluia, Offertory verse and Communion verse were chanted to Gregorian chant tones. The music for the Ordinary was Merbecke. After the Collect of the day one Reader from Holy Cross and two from St. John of San Francisco were ordained to the Subdiaconate.
The Homilist at the Mass was Metropolitan Hilarion who spoke on the Gospel reading for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity - The Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee.
At Communion-time Metropolitan Hilarion administered the Body of Christ to the faithful while I assisted with the chalice. In the Western Rite Holy Communion is received kneeling at the altar rail, with the Body of Christ received on the tongue, and the Blood of Christ from the chalice. Non-communicants may kneel at the altar rail with their arms crossed (X) as a sign that they would like a blessing.
At the conclusion of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Hilarion gave the Pontifical Blessing, and the long procession returned to the sacristy to the singing of the Recessional Hymn, Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones. Following the prayers after Communion chanted by our Cantor, everyone went to the parish hall for a catered Luncheon in honor of Metropolitan Hilarion and the newly ordained Readers and Subdeacons.
The parish hall was filled with people. I met visitors from Omaha and Blair, Nebraska, Sioux City, Iowa, and as far away as Kansas City, Missouri. Matt Willkom, the News Director of KVSS Radio (the regional Roman Catholic radio station), and a good friend of our parish was there with his family as well. Everyone had a wonderful time.
Both Metropolitan Hilarion and I made after dinner addresses. I was the preliminary speaker and he was the featured speaker. I spoke about the amazing growth of the Orthodox Church in the United States today where 23% of all Orthodox Christians are converts, as are 30% of the clergy and 41% of the seminarians. This is the fruit of a move of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Cross Orthodox Church is a former Anglican parish. In recent years Anglicans made up the second largest group of converts to the Orthodox Church, but today they are the largest group. The restoration of the Western Rite is another sign of this movement of the Holy Spirit. Today there are Western Rite congregations and monasteries in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and on the Continent of Europe. Western Rite Orthodoxy is thriving and growing, and the Orthodox Church as a whole is experiencing explosive growth all around the world.
Metropolitan Hilarion spoke about his commitment to the Western Rite and its growth. He said that as a youth in Canada he used to listen to the Anglican liturgy on the radio and always found it very dignified. He also said that among the first Orthodox periodicals that he began reading as a youth was Msgr. Alexander Turner's magazine Orthodoxy. Alexander Turner's Society of St. Basil had been made up of Orthodox-minded Old Catholic congregations who wanted to be received into the Orthodox Church while continuing to use the Western Rite. The Society was eventually received into the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese and formed the nucleus of their Western Rite Vicariate, with Archpriest Alexander Turner as the first Vicar General. Metropolitan Hilarion had once told me that he has been a supporter of the concept of Western Rite Orthodoxy since he was a youth in Canada.
After his address, Metropolitan Hilarion presented Holy Cross parish with a hand-written (hand painted) icon of St. John the Baptist for use in our church. Holy Cross Orthodox Church then presented the Metropolitan with a gift.
It was a wonderful and grace-filled weekend and I was sorry to see it end. The Metropolitan's visit was undoubtedly the most important event in the life of our parish thus far, and I am sure it will have lasting good effects. Metropolitan Hilarion wrote, "It was a wonderful and unforgettable experience for me." We feel the same way.
METROPOLITAN HILARION OF ROCOR TO VISIT HOLY CROSS ORTHODOX CHURCH ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 22 AND SUNDAY, AUGUST 23
is pleased to announce that
HIS EMINENCE METROPOLITAN HILARION,
First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia
and Ruling Bishop of the Western Rite Communities,
will Visit
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, AND SUNDAY AUGUST 23, 2015
6:00 PM, Solemn Vespers in the Presence of a Greater Prelate, followed by a reception for His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion.
9:30 AM, Rite of Receiving a Bishop at the Door, followed by Solemn Matins in the Presence of a Greater Prelate and the Tonsure of Readers.
10:00 AM, Solemn Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist with His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion assisting pontifically (Missa coram episcopo), and the ordination of Subdeacons, with Metropolitan Hilarion preaching.
A catered Luncheon will follow the Liturgy in honor of Metropolitan Hilarion and the newly ordained, and will include an address by His Eminence.
There will be visiting clergy and laity, and five ordinations from area churches. The public is invited to attend all of the events.
For more information call the church at: (402) 573-6558 or e-mail Father Victor at: venovak@hughes.net
Holy Cross Orthodox Church Welcomes You!
METROPOLITAN HILARION TO VISIT HOLY CROSS PARISH ON AUGUST 22, AND AUGUST 23
His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and Ruling Bishop of the Western Rite Communities will be visiting Holy Cross parish on Saturday evening, August 22nd, and Sunday morning, August 23rd. Metropolitan Hilarion ranks just below Patriarch Kirill, and has world-wide responsibilities.
It is almost unheard of for such a high ranking bishop to visit a parish our size, and he is doing us a great honour. By coming all the way to Nebraska to be with us he is demonstrating his commitment to the Western Rite and to its growth.
Metropolitan Hilarion was born and raised in rural Canada to Ukrainian-immigrant parents. He told me that he has been a supporter of the concept of Western Rite Orthodoxy since he was a youth in Canada.
You will want to mark your calendar, invite your family and friends, and plan to be at Holy Cross on Saturday evening, August 22nd, and Sunday morning, August 23rd. There will be a reception for the Metropolitan on Saturday evening after Vespers, and a catered luncheon after Services on Sunday.
There will be visiting clergy and laity, and five ordinations from two area Orthodox parishes. This will be the biggest event in the life of Holy Cross parish thus far.
6:00 PM Solemn Vespers in the Presence of a Greater Prelate, followed by a reception for His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion in the parish hall.
9:30 AM Rite of Receiving a Bishop at the Door, followed by Matins in the Presence of a Greater Prelate and the tonsure of Readers.
10:00 AM Solemn Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist with His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion assisting pontifically (Missa coram episcopo), and the ordination of Subdeacons, with Metropolitan Hilarion preaching.
A catered luncheon will follow the Liturgy in honour of Metropolitan Hilarion and the newly ordained Readers and Subdeacons, and will include an address by His Eminence.
The public is invited to attend all of the events and everyone is always welcome!
For more information e-mail Fr. Victor at venovak@hughes.net or call the church at (402) 573-6558.
I hope that you will join us for these important Services. You will be blessed. The Orthodox Church welcomes you!
THE HOLY EUCHARIST - Christ's Great Gift to His Church
"O taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps. 34:8)
WHAT DOES THE WORD "EUCHARIST" MEAN?
The word Eucharist comes from the Greek and means Thanksgiving. The Lord's Supper is called the Holy Eucharist because when Christ instituted it He gave thanks, "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me'" (1 Cor. 11:23-25).
THE PLACE OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST IN CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
The Holy Eucharist is the principal act of Christian worship as it is the one Service instituted by Christ Himself. Other religions have prayer, readings, hymns and sermons, but only Christians celebrate the Eucharist.
Following the example of the Apostles and early Christians, the Church has assembled on the Lord's Day (Sunday) week by week for nearly 2,000 years to celebrate the Holy Eucharist. "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread [the Eucharist], and in prayers" (Acts 2:42).
THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION
In the Sacrament of Holy Communion the Body and Blood of Christ are received. At the Last Supper the Lord Jesus Christ said, "This is my body" and "This is my blood." He did not say, "This represents my body" or "This is a symbol of my blood."
Jesus said, "'I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.' The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, 'How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?' Then Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven--not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever'" (John 6:48-58).
Just like today, many of the disciples who heard these words would not accept them. "Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, 'This is a hard saying; who can understand it?'" (John 6:60). Yet Jesus did not take His words back, or explain that they were only meant to be taken "symbolically." And just like today, "From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more" (John 6:66).
The Apostles and early Christians understood that Christ meant his words to be taken literally. The Sacrament of Holy Communion does not merely represent the Body and Blood of Christ, but actually presents the Body and Blood of Christ. The true Body and Blood of Christ is received in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
The Apostle Paul wrote, "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" (I Cor. 10:16).
Because Christ is really present in the Sacrament of Holy Communion, St. Paul goes on to warn, "Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body" (I Cor. 11:27-29).
The early Church believed in the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and so did all Christians everywhere for some 1,500 years until the Protestant Reformation in Western Europe in the 16th century.
St. Ignatius, an early Church Father, lived from AD 30 to 107. He was Bishop of Antioch, and was martyred for his faith. He was a disciple of the Apostle John. While awaiting martyrdom he wrote a number of epistles (letters) to various churches. To the Church in Ephesus he wrote, "obey the bishop and presbytery with an undivided mind, breaking one and the same bread, which is the medicine of immortality, and the antidote to prevent us from dying, but that we should live forever in Jesus Christ" (Epistle to the Ephesians, c. AD 105).
In his Epistle to the Romans, (c. AD 105), St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote, "I desire the bread of God, the heavenly bread, the bread of life, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who became afterwards the seed of David and Abraham; and I desire the drink of God, namely His blood, which is incorruptible love and eternal life."
St. Justin Martyr (AD 100-165) wrote, "And this food is called among us the Eucharist... For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh" (First Apology).
St. Cyril was an early Bishop of Jerusalem, the Mother Church of Christendom. Around the year AD 350 he delivered introductory lectures to his classes of catechumens. Regarding the Eucharist he said, "The bread and wine of the Eucharist, before the invocation of the holy and adorable Trinity, were simple bread and wine; but, after the invocation, the bread becomes the body of Christ and the wine becomes the blood of Christ" (Mystagogical Lecture 1.7).
St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430) said, "I am mindful of my promise. For I promised you, who have now been baptized, a sermon in which I would explain the Sacrament of the Lord's Table, which you now look upon and of which you last night were made participants. You ought to know what you have received, what you are going to receive, and what you ought to receive daily. That bread which you see on the altar, having been sanctified by the word of God, is the Body of Christ. That chalice, or rather, what is in that chalice, having been sanctified by the word God, is the Blood of Christ. Through that bread and wine the Lord Christ willed to commend his Body and Blood, which He poured out for us unto the forgiveness of sins" (Sermons).
WHO CAN CELEBRATE THE HOLY EUCHARIST?
In his Epistle to the Smyrnaeans (c. AD 105), St. Ignatius of Antioch, a disciple of the Apostle John, wrote, "See that ye follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery [the priests] as ye would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is [celebrated] either by the bishop, or by one to whom he entrusted it [a priest]."
The Orthodox Church is the historic Church which Christ Himself established. We have a verifiable and unbroken history going back nearly 2,000 years, and our bishops, priests and deacons are in historic succession to the Apostles. Our Faith does not change. We still believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament of Holy Communion and our bishops and priests still celebrate the Holy Eucharist every Lord's Day. We are an unchanging Church with an unchanging Message for an ever changing world. Insist on the original and do not settle for substitutes.
At Holy Cross Orthodox Church we celebrate the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist every Sunday at 10:00 AM. Come and see. The Orthodox Church welcomes you!
A FESTIVAL OF LESSONS AND CAROLS, Thursday, Decemb...
FALL HAYRACK RIDE, BONFIRE AND POTLUCK - Saturday,...
REPORT ON THE 2015 ROCOR WESTERN RITE CLERGY CONFE...
METROPOLITAN HILARION OF ROCOR TO VISIT HOLY CROSS...
METROPOLITAN HILARION TO VISIT HOLY CROSS PARISH O...
THE HOLY EUCHARIST - Christ's Great Gift to His Ch...


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White Lung – "Paradise"
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Have you ever tried to listen to White Lung without thinking about the release date? You can feel like this music teleports you directly in the late 60s, a period in which early punk was giving way to punk rock who was springing up.
White Lung is a punk band from Canada formed in 2006. The band consisting of Mish Way-Barber (vocals), Kenneth William (guitars), Anne-Marie Vassiliou (drums) and Lindsey Troy (bass) who has joined the band in 2015. They have released four albums between 2010 and 2016: It's the Evil (2010); Sorry (2012); Deep Fantasy (2014); Paradise (2016).
The trio reached its peak with the album of 2014: Deep Fantasy that in 2016 Rolling Stone listed as #38 on "The 40 Greatest Punk Albums of All-Time". The 2014 album is often labeled as "feminist punk record" because of its lyrics that speaks about rape, culture of violence, insidious ways affects society ("I Believe You") and about the fear of getting drink spiked in a club ("Down It Goes"), body dysmorphia and personal addiction.
On May 6th, 2016's "Paradise" was released and it represents the musical maturity for this band. Lindsey Troy helped to give greater weight to the sound with a more incisive sound of bass-guitar, before played by Kenneth William. The sound is more complex, melodic and the tracks have a punk-anthem structure. In one word, it's more sophisticated. The album is less dirty but the sound is as aggressive as the previous one. A masterpiece of punk, rare bird during nowadays.
28 minutes, 10 tracks. The album's rhythm is relentless, Barber-Way has a powerful high-pitched voice. Drums run, taking high the rhythm and the guitar is a mix between punk and metal, unleashed during each track.
If the previous album is to ascribe as a classic punk work, with this new one White Lung bring into their music more dynamism, imagination and creativity.
"The great thing about growing up in a punk band and doing everything your own way is that we can adapt"
Surely, the lyrics' subjects changed: topics are more various. Whereas before the lyrics were more autobiographic, now Way-Barber writes more story-centric songs. In particular some subjects of the songs were inspired by the TV programme "Investigation Discovery: women who kill".
"Demented" is about Fred and Rosemary West, a married couple that killed at least a dozen women during 60s. "Sister," written according to the perspective of Karla Homolka, who, with her husband Paul, did the same to three women, including Homolka's sister.
"That freedom of fiction allowed me to take on new characters, so when I'm singing those songs it's like I'm putting on a new character. It makes those feelings easier to summon."
However the autobiographical theme is still present into "Paradise", title track and the last one of the album; it is about her and her husband: "This record is a collection of other people's stories I wanted to retell … There isn't a lot of anger on this album. It's colorful, bright, cotton candy, oversaturated, neon signs and glitter … just paradise." "Dead Weight" is an attack against the Republican party concept of female bodies as pliant reproductive vessels.
Compared to the previous album this work is more coherent, track by track. There is an underlying sound that explodes into the song "Narcoleptic" followed by the lightest song of the album "Below" in which the band begins to approach goth-pop unlike anything we've ever heard before from them, telling about modern unfair games of beauty . "Paradise" is an album which proves that after four decades, punk isn't just alive and well, but that it still has the power to take your breath away".
"Hungry" tells about fame and the human desire to simply be seen and heard. It's an enigmatic lyrics that from one side criticizes everyone and on the other side it also a criticism to themselves as a warning that any kind of celebrity can rip you into pieces.
XXI century punk looking for a new foundation towards a future to write and White Lung are the right band to write it: a new punk perspective.
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Shapeshifter has been heralded as a musical phenomenon for their ground-breaking live shows and unique blend of heavy soul/drum and bass. Their reputation as pioneers of modern music was built by an unique approach to electronic music which had previously been restricted to computer based studio musicians and has earned them widespread critical and commercial acclaim.
In 2001, Shapeshifter released their debut LP entitled Realtime. The album included a collaboration with sublime vocalist Ladi6 on the track "Move With Me" as well as Kaps (Fabel) and Tiki (Salmonella Dub) on production. Realtime was awarded the 'Best Electronic Release' title at the 2002 BNet NZ Music Awards, and was also nominated at the RIANZ NZ Music Awards for 'Best Electronic Album'.
In late-2003, vocalist Paora Apera (aka P Digsss) joined Shapeshifter's live line-up, making the group an even more formidable and soulful 5-piece with a stronger stage presence.
In 2004, Shapeshifter then released their second album Riddim Wise. This was their most advanced and appealing work and a definite step towards a more atmospheric style of drum and bass. Recorded at the groups own home studio in Melbourne, the album features collaborations with Aotearoa's most prodigious and exciting vocalists.
The band's third album Soulstice was released in August 2006, with lead single "Bring Change" receiving extensive video and radio play. Soulstice obtained Gold sales status in New Zealand in three weeks and has since achieved Platinum sales. In 2007, Shapeshifter released a live album entitled Shapeshifter Live which was recorded on 29 September 2006 at the Christchurch Town Hall – the final show of their orchestra tour and in the band's hometown.
November 2009 saw the release of the band's forth studio album entitled The System Is A Vampire with lead single "Dutchies" which has received widespread radio play. In September 2009 during a tour of Australia, drummer Redford Grenell left the band. He was replaced by producer and well-known drummer Johnny Hooves.
Main Divide To Be Shapeshifter's Last Gig of 2009!


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echo "Texinfo: `makeinfo --version | head -n1`"
xz --version | head -n1
echo 'main(){}' > dummy.c && gcc -o dummy dummy.c
if [ -x dummy ]; then echo "Compilation OK";
  else echo "Compilation failed"; fi
rm -f dummy.c dummy

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
NEW TOOLING TIMES FOR OLDHAM COMPANY Close Window
The Oldham based leading toolmaking company has rebranded as MTOOL to celebrate growing investment in the company and a new customer service approach to toolmaking.
Formerly known as Mould Teknik Tools, the new stylish modern brand and new name is the first step in the company's bid to position it as the market leader of plastic injection, compression and transfer mould tools.
The revamped identity will compliment the increased investment and ongoing expansion that has been a gradual process under the leadership of directors Gary Smith and Neil Richardson for the past five years.
Neil said: "We wanted to step away from the old - and tired - company image. The new corporate identity reflects the culture of the company, the state of the art equipment, the level of customer service and represents the company moving forward in the 21st century."
Using the latest techniques in a fast changing industry, MTOOL is a proven leader in the domestic, automotive and electronic industries.
Under the leadership of Gary and Neil, the company has grown year on year and continues to invest in innovative technology to ensure clients receive the highest service available.
From concept design and project management through to the finished product, MTOOL uses the up-to-the-minute design technology to build high quality, high precision injection mould tools up to two tonnes in weight.


I am glad to announce that on 1st July 2014, I received an email from Microsoft on being awarded as the Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) in ASP.Net/IIS. I got really excited to see the award and that Microsoft has recognized my contributions I did in the community.
I am more impassioned and certainly increases my motivation to contribute more in the community.
I would like to thanks Microsoft for acknowledging my efforts and especially Microsoft Innovation Center, Pakistan for sponsoring my technical sessions/events and giving me opportunity to contribute and participate in Boot camps and Tech Ed events.
Looking forward to continue my efforts and share the knowledge as much as I can to help the community.
Congrats sir for being MVP..


What does it take to get healthy and change your lifestyle? Join us as we chat with Nikki, a healthy living enthusiast who can often be found running, biking, playing tennis, or baking something interesting in the kitchen. She shares her journey online at GrabYourKicks.com.
Figuring out her diet – especially due to a lot of pain while running – was a big challenge of Nikki's. She talks about the journey of overcoming this big challenge.
Nikki knows how good she feels when she's living a healthy lifestyle and uses that as the motivation she needs to stay on track.
Find something that you love, and do it for yourself.
Seafood: shrimp, crab, lobster dish.
Click To Tweet: Listen to this inspiring discussion with @grabyourkicks on the Lifestyle Accountability Show: http://bbyb.ca/OFCc2L.


Chad Skelton, an award-winning data journalist, is a consultant and trainer based in Vancouver.
Chad worked as a data journalist at The Vancouver Sun until 2015. In 2014, Chad won an international Data Journalism Award for his portfolio of work in the previous year. Chad has received the Jack Webster Award, B.C.'s top journalism prize, six times, most recently in 2013 for a series of articles on political donations and lobbyists.
His reporting on fraud by lottery retailers led to an official investigation by B.C.'s ombudsman and the firing of the president of B.C. Lotteries in 2007.
Chad is an expert in using Freedom of Information laws to ferret out controversial documents from government agencies.
He's skilled in using social networking tools to drum up interest in stories — you can follow him on Twitter — and knows how to use search-engine optimization techniques to get stories and blog posts at the top of Google searches.
Chad has taught at Kwantlen since 2005, receiving consistently high marks from his students — click here to see actual feedback from past students in Citizen Journalism.
Want to know more? Check out the list of Frequently Asked Questions. You can also drop Chad a line by emailing him at chad.skelton@kpu.ca or leaving a comment below.


경영전략은 관리동에서 제공되는 기능으로 자금 ( ), 명성치 (★) 또는 과학점수 (⚛)를 어떻게 사용할지나 한 자원을 다른 종류의 자원으로 얼만큼 전환시킬지 따위를 선택하는데 사용됩니다 (예를들어 자금을 과학점수로 전환한다던지 등).
이 경영전략을 설정하는데는 제법 많은 비용이 필요하므로, 현명하게 선택하시기 바랍니다. 또한 선택한 경영전략의 교환비율을 크게 설정할수록 더 큰 비용이 필요하므로 주의하여 선택하셔야 합니다.
경영전략 소개를 위해 (오른쪽 그림을 봐주세요), 우선 희망하는 전략을 클릭하여 선택해주세요. 다음 단계로 해당 전략의 교환비율을 Commitment라고 제목이 붙어있는 슬라이더(slider)의 막대를 좌우로 움직여 정해주세요. 적정한 비율을 설정하였고, 설정비용도 그럭저럭 감당할 수준이 된다면 슬라이더 옆의 선택단추(✓)를 누르시면 선택한 경영전략이 최종적으로 채택될 것입니다.
부유한 커발인들의 후원뿐만 아니라 그들 지갑속의 내용물도 받을수 있음을 상기시킬 새로운 성공적 모험들로 주목을 끌어 얼마간의 자금을 모아봅시다. 다만 이게 좀 뻔뻔한 일로 비춰질수 있으므로, 대중들의 반발을 상대할 준비가 필요할 수도 있습니다.
학부 연구자들에게는 우리의 위대한 연구에 참여할 수 있는 기회가 되고, 우리는 각 자료의 양(Mit)에 따라 과학점수를 얻을 수 있으니 일석이조요 누이좋고 매부좋으며 꿩먹고 알먹고 아니겠습니까. 인턴이 비록 무급이긴 하지만 우리처럼 대단한 기관에서 일할 수 있는 기회는 쉽게 오는게 아니죠, 오히려 영광으로 알아야 하는것 아닌가요?
좀 더 독선적인 입장으로 협상을 하여, 하청업체를 쥐어짜면 좀 더 좋은 거래를 성사시킬수 있... 크흠. 뭐 기꺼운 마음이야 안들겠지만, 우리식대로 강하게 압박하면 우리 뜻을 관철시킬수 있을 것이오. 딴 놈들이 뭐라 생각하든 뭐 대순가, 안그렇소?
우주단지에서 먼 곳에 착륙한 기체를 회수하려면 비용이 많이 들죠. 하지만 이 추적장치를 달아서 발사하면 회수비용이 대폭 줄어들거예요. 무슨 생각하는지 알아요. 그래요, 추적장치가 싸지는 않소이다. 근데, 이것만 달면 기체를 추적하기가 쉬워지고 회수시 더 많은 가산점을 받을 수 있게 된다는거 아닙니까. 심지어, 커빈 반대편에 있어도 말이지요. 어때요, 한번 달아보실라우?
↑ 원문은 We can likely raise some money by exploiting the attention that we get out of new successful ventures to remind the well-to-do Kerbals out there that we could use their support, and the contents of their wallets. This is probably going to be seen as a bit cheeky of us, so be prepared to face some backlash from the public. 번역이 맘에 들지 않네요. 뉘앙스가 이게 아닌것 같은 느낌이 ㅠㅠ. 영어의 문제보다는 우리말을 능숙하게 사용할 분이 필요할듯 합니다.
↑ 원문은 Our science data can be worth a lot of money by selling licenses for other organizations to use our patents. The added book-keeping required will probably add some extra work for the R&D team, but the financial benefits could be worth their reduced output. 급여를 적게주고 일을 더 많이 시킬수 있다는 식의 생각을 하는 악덕기업주를 비꼬는 의미인듯합니다.
↑ A program where undergrad researchers are given the opportunity to work in our great Space Program, to boost the science earned out of each Mit of data. The Interns don't get paid, but the prestige of working with such a grand organization as ours surely is its own reward, isn't it?
↑ Why do all the data-crunching ourselves when we can contract external research labs to help us process the data we receive. These services aren't exactly cheap, but their R&D facilities are very impressive.
↑ We could definitely improve our image by putting some effort into reminding Kerbals everywhere of just how great the Space Program is. Advertisement space isn't free, however.
↑ Even though we went through great lengths to get our scientific data, making it available for free to all of Kerbalkind can only be seen as a good thing. R&D will probably not be at its peak efficiency however, with all the noise these outside opinions tend to generate.
↑ We can get better deals with our suppliers by taking up a more... assertive stance on our negotiations with them. They probably won't see this as a friendly move, but we can definitely have it our way if we press them. It's not as if we care what others think, do we?
↑ Recovering parts landed far away from the Space Center can be very costly, but I reckon we can reduce those costs by installing better transponders on the parts we launch. These units are not cheap, but they should make it much easier to find parts, improving the recovery value even if they're half-way around Kerbin. What do you say?
This page was last edited on 2 May 2015, at 15:17.


The season is nearing and your head is full of scenarios with fantastic seasonal jobs in exciting destinations? Do not let the opportunity pass by – sign up!
The season is coming, which opens a lot of new job opportunities and greater employment opportunities. We believe that you all love working the season so to increase the budget for the months ahead. We hereby inform you that we are open for all inquiries. Applications for the season have officially started! If you are responsible, hard-working, diligent, communicative, sociable and foremost interested in working in the hospitality sector, book your place for work on time and we will assist you. Do not wait until 1.7. since by that time most of the places are already filled and the season is in full swing. Our bartenders have worked all along the Adriatic coast and beyond, so you are guaranteed a diverse range of bars, nightclubs etc. For all positions in which we employ, we stand behind you and guarantee your behalf, and you represent our team. Jobs that you can apply for are – bartenders, waiters, hostesses, DJs and other, for what you think you are qualified and capable for.
Please send the completed application forms below to our e-mail: [email protected] along with an attached brief resume with past experience and photograph, so we could be able to form teams that will best represent our brand.


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Co-op director Margaret Casely-Hayford is Coventry University's first woman chancellor
The respected lawyer says she wants universities to overcome the town vs gown divide and work with their communities
By Miles Hadfield
Coventry University's engineering and computing building (Photo: Coventry City Council)
A board member of the Co-op Group, and former director at the worker-owned John Lewis Partnership, has become the first female chancellor at Coventry University.
It's the latest in a long line of achievements for Margaret Casely-Hayford, who is the first black woman in the UK to be made a partner in a City law firm.
Ms Casely-Hayford is also chair of international development charity Action Aid UK, and co-manages rap artist Kelvyn Colt.
Margaret Casely-Hayford praised Coventry's commitment to diversity
At Coventry, where she takes over from former BAA and Land Rover chief executive Sir John Egan, she will lead the university's work on corporate responsibility, social mobility and community engagement.
She said: "Coventry is an energetic university which dares to be different and where social mobility and inclusion complement a truly entrepreneurial spirit.
"It shares my commitment to equality of opportunity and I will be shouting out Coventry's message that a university can be world-class while admitting talented students from a range of backgrounds."
She added: "Helping people reach their potential and seize opportunities is more important than ever before as today's graduates emerge into a highly competitive global marketplace.
"I am chair of Action Aid UK, a charity which aims to get some of the poorest people in the world out of poverty, and which considers feminism as having the power to help make that happen.
"Feminism is really about creating this equality of opportunity for everyone, including young men who are underrepresented at all levels of education.
"The role that Coventry plays in raising ambition and skill levels in our communities is one step to achieving that level playing field and it is wonderful to see how staff here empower students and give them the confidence they need to succeed."
She added that she was keen to help the university continue to develop its efforts to establish and support businesses.
She told the Times that universities should work to overcome the town vs gown mentality and find ways to engage with their communities to improve workers' skills, create marketing hubs and support local businesses.
"We go out to third world countries to teach about education and offer skills training," she told the newspaper. "Why don't we give this to our own adults in our communities?"
Ms Casey-Hayford was appointed as a member nominated director of the Co-op Group in May last year, and sits on the Remuneration Committee.
She was director of legal services for the John Lewis Partnership from 2006 – 2014 and on the board of the British Retail Consortium for four years to 2014.
Her career began with a law degree at Oxford University, and was called to the bar in 1983. She joined Denton Hall Law Firm (now SNR Denton) four years later and was made partner in 1998.
She has also served as a non-executive director of NHS England, and sits on on the Metropolitan Police Oversight Panel to investigate corruption.
Ms Casely-Hayford also champions the representation of young people, women and ethnic minority groups on boards of directors and chairs the advisory board of Ultra Education, working to develop young entrepreneurs.
In 2014, she was named Black British Business Person of the Year.
Margaret Casely-Hayford
The Co-operative Group
Miles Hadfield
Miles is the Co-op News digital editor.
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2018 Kia Rio test drive
The 2018 Kia Rio is an all-new effort from the Korean car manufacturer. New in design and mechanical make up, but a repetitive concept. The plan for Kia has always been, give car buyers the most value for their money. The entry-level segment of the market has to be the most difficult to...
Audi A4 Allroad to feat...
The all new 2017 Audi A4 Allroad with be the first vehicle coming to Canada and the United States with Audi's new Quattro Ultra all-wheel-drive system. When I – or you – get up in the morning, we go through a routine. Our routines are all different, all individual. I do the same...
The 2016 Honda Civic hopes to continue being Canada's best-selling passenger car – a title it's held for 18 straight years. Bolstering its chances to repeat this year, the 2016 Honda Civic is improved in many areas. The made-in-Canada Civic sedan gets completely redesigned from the...
Wörthersee Tour 2014 Au...
Nestled in far Eastern corner of Austrian Alps adjoining Italy and Slovenia sits Lake Wörthersee. A large glacial fed lake that defies logic in being the warmest body of water in Austria. A haven for the wealthiest of Austrians and Germans, every spring the small town of Reifnitz hosts...
2015 Volkswagen Golf un...
The 2015 Volkswagen Golf was unveiled to the Canadian public at the 2014 Toronto Auto Show. This version of the Golf is the seventh generation of the long running model by German car maker Volkswagen, or VW as it is affectionately known. Originally introduced in 1974 and marketed in North...
2015 Nissan Micra at th...
The biggest news of the 2014 Toronto Auto Show was likely the unveiling of the all-new 2015 Nissan Micra. Why? Well with a starting Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of just $9,998 CDN, it is officially the lowest priced car in Canada. How does that compare with its price in...
2015 Honda Fit revealed...
Honda Canada unveiled the all-new 2015 Honda Fit at the 2014 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto. Looking faintly similar to the current class leading compact car, the new Honda Fit features a new front grill and a massive raked windshield. Running down both sides are dramatic...
While marketed as the Jazz worldwide, Honda chose the model name "Fit" for its North American launch in 2006. The Jazz was a worldwide success with many different versions sold Worldwide. Perhaps the most intriguing were the four-wheel-drive units sold in Japan. The Fit is not your...
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Starting a franchise is proven to be one of the least risky options of going into business for yourself. And the reason for that is that, with a franchise, you aren't left by yourself. Instead, you are handed the blueprints to a business model that, if you follow the processes correctly, means you will be successful. A good franchisor will have ironed out most of the mistakes a new business owner will make.
They'll have a documented system for you to follow, and personnel within their organisation to train and support you while you build your new business. All you need to do is follow that model, apply common sense and be prepared to put in some effort in the business-building phase. Your success as a franchisee, then, is determined by your application and aptitude, not your skills or any prior experience.
A key advantage of starting a franchise, too, is the ability to switch careers later in life. Plenty of ex-police officers and military personnel have started franchises straight out of the force.
And there's nothing stopping a chemist becoming a coffee shop owner or a cost-reduction specialist, it that's what they fancy turning their hand to. Successful franchisees come from all walks of life and from a wide variety of diverse careers. The experiences they've amassed on their CVs, though, are less relevant than you might think.
There will be some franchise opportunities, of course, in which your career history is more important than others. If you're thinking of starting an accounting franchise, for example, you will typically need some experience in the financial or business sectors. Or if you want to start a hands-on franchise that requires practical skills then, clearly, you'll be less successful if you struggle with basic DIY tasks.
In most cases, though, when you're reading through a list of franchise opportunities, you'll find the advertisements themselves are quick to point out that previous experience isn't required.
When a franchisor is considering your application, they'll show some interest in your CV. But a lot less interest than if you were applying for a job. To them, your ability to learn something new is more important than anything else. Added to that, you'll need to convince them that you have self-belief and a belief in their business too.
Having a passion for that particular franchise – especially if, like in most businesses, you'll be involved in selling your products or service – is vitally important. It really does make things easier – and in turn, you'll be more successful – if you both like, and believe in, what you are selling.
The average age of a franchisee in the UK is mid-40s. So, typically, they'll have had at least a couple of decades work experience under their belts. And of course, that counts for something. But more importantly, they've amassed life experiences by that age, and have a level of maturity that will be an advantage when starting a new business.
Perhaps that's one of the reasons you're statistically far more likely to be successful when starting a franchise than going it alone. Whatever you're age or background, though, there are hundreds of great franchise opportunities out there. So, don't let a lack of experience prevent you from starting a new career in franchising.
← Which businesses boom during Christmas?


The palest of pastels are perfect for mixing and matching with all things summery, especially the basic white wardrobe edit.
Made from a crisp blue linen and lined in soft kid leather, these kitten heels are the prettiest summer shoes you can find. They can go from smart-to-casual in a heartbeat. Great with cropped capris, elegant with a frock.
Average fit, adjustable slingback, 4cm kitten heel, smart buckle detail, quality leather-look sole. These shoes have been Scotchguarded and are reasonably weather-and-stain resistant. Very comfortable! A useful wedding stop gap.


La Soiree is a French-American Gastronomy & Wine experience showcasing what the bay area does best in food & wine. La Soiree has become one of the most incredible epicurean experiences in San Francisco; attracting 800 gourmands and connoisseurs, as well as music lovers.
Each year, 800-1000 guests enjoy more than 40 foods and wine booths featuring chefs, winemakers, and culinary personalities creating a gastronomy experience like no other.
Celebrated annually the third Friday evening in November, the 2018 festival will take place November 16, 2018.


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HIGH-SCHOOL-SPORTS
Junior Cougars rally to win tourney
The Izard County Junior Cougars rallied from a 12-point deficit in the last three minutes to stun the top-seeded Tuckerman Junior Bulldogs, 44-43, to repeat as Bill McCurley Invitational Tournament champions on Saturday at Sloan-Hendrix High School in Imboden.
The second-seeded Junior Cougars (4-0) finished the game on a 16-3 run behind 15 points from Coby Everett and 13 from Rifle Comstock. Noah Everett hit two big 3-pointers during the closing minutes and finished with seven points for the Junior Cougars.
Chase Orf added six points and Gunner Gleghorn had three points for Izard County, which trailed 15-8 after one quarter, 25-18 at the half, and 38-28 after three quarters.
The Junior Cougars defeated Mammoth Spring 42-35 in the semifinals on Thursday as Coby Everett tossed in 23 points. Izard County defeated Hillcrest, 61-32, in the first round.


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"Успение Богородично" е българска православна църква в софийското село Караполци. Храмът е част от Софийската епархия.

История
Храмът е построен в 1920 година в центъра на селото. Иконостасът е дело на дебърски майстори от рода Филипови. Н 2014 година църквата е ремонтирана.

Обявена е за паметник на културата с местно значение.

Бележки

Паметници на културата в Софийска област
Църкви в Софийската епархия
Община Горна Малина
Произведения на Дебърската художествена школа

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


We're pleased to announced that Mr. Stefan Kramer has recently agreed to join the Open Data Foundation Executive Management team. His extensive experience in data/metadata management and familiarity with the archive and research communities are welcomed addition to our group.
Since April 2012, Stefan heads the new Research Infrastructure department at the DIW Berlin, which merges the library and IT departments with a new focus on enhancing research data management and collaboration. From 2007 through 2011, he worked as a social science data (management) librarian at Yale University Library and then the Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research at Cornell University. From 1999 through 2006, he was Director of Library Services at Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California, serving primarily mid-career graduate students in a distance education setting. Prior to choosing librarianship as a profession, he worked as a data analyst for a small, non-profit survey research firm. He has a Master's degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Washington in Seattle, and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the California State University in Fullerton. His research interests are in enhancing the discoverability and open access of government and research data, and he recently joined the management team of the Open Data Foundation. He has also been an active participant in the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) Alliance from 2007 through 2011.
The Open Data Foundation is always looking for individuals willing to contribute in various ways to its activities and vision. Do not hesitate to contact us at info@odaf.org or visit http://odaf.org/?lvl1=about&lvl2=contributing should you be interested in pro-actively support the organization, promote your project or publication under the ODaF umbrella, organize an event, of have any question/suggestion.
We're pleased to announced that Mr. Samuel Spencer has recently agreed to join the Open Data Foundation executive management team.
Sam is currently working for the Australian Bureau of Statistics where he is a member of the Data management team, with a focus on DDI and related metadata issues. He's has been a proponent of DDI and SDMX, and has a popular blog dealing with DDI and related topics. He has presented at IASSIST and EDDI, and has been working on an open-source tool called Virgil, which is a simple classification management tool based on DDI.
We expect to put Sam's technical skills and passion for technology to good use. Besides helping with the day-to-day management of the organization, his focus will be on maintaining and strengthening the ODaF IT infrastructure, in particular in terms of expanding ODaF's presence across social networks, which has been recognized as a priority following the success of our LinkedIn group. He will also continue to contribute to DDI in general through its support of open source projects and participation in various events. Sam can be reached at sspencer@odaf.org.
The Open Data Foundation is always looking for individuals willing to contribute in various ways to its activities and vision. Do not hesitate to contact us at info@odaf.org should you be interested in pro-actively support the organization, promote your project or publication under the ODaF umbrella, organize an event, of have any question/suggestion.
The 38th IASSIST conference will be held in Washington, DC June 4th-8th, 2012.
The theme of this year's conference is Data Science for a Connected World: Unlocking and Harnessing the Power of Information. This theme reflects the growing desire of research communities, government agencies and other organizations to build connections and benefit from the better use of data through practicing good management, dissemination and preservation techniques.
Visit http://www.iassist2012.org for information or to submit your paper.
A workshop on health data management, sponsored by the UK Medical Research Council and the Open Data Foundation, will be held at the Institute of Child Health, London, on Thursday August 11th, 2011.
The purpose is to examine the potential benefits of information standards such as the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) and the Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange Standard (SDMX) to support effective data management and sharing amongst the public health research community and promote greater transparency to the funding agencies and general public.
The event aims to bring together stakeholders from both medical research and social science communities to provide an opportunity for more detailed discussion of the emerging issues associated with research data management and reuse. This workshop is designed to inform, provoke discussion and potentially help to shape MRC corporate support for data management.
This symposium-style workshop will bring together representatives from major longitudinal data collection efforts to share expertise and to explore the use of the DDI metadata standard as a means of managing and structuring longitudinal study documentation. Participants will work collaboratively to create best practices for documenting longitudinal data in its various forms, including panel data and repeated cross-sections.
Longitudinal survey data carry special challenges related to documenting and managing data over time, over geography, and across multiple languages. This complexity is often a barrier to building efficient systems for data access and analysis. DDI (Data Documentation Initiative) Lifecyle, a metadata standard that addresses the full life cycle of social science research data (formerly referred to as DDI 3), is designed to provide an efficient structure for the documentation of complex longitudinal data. In this workshop, participants involved in longitudinal data projects around the world will work together on issues involved in documenting longitudinal data.
Intended audience: Individuals with expertise in longitudinal social science data; knowledge of DDI is desired but not required. The intent is to have a mix of participants with substantive and technical skills. Participants should provide access to materials describing their projects, which can serve as use cases in applying DDI. The workshop is in English. This is the second Dagstuhl workshop on the topic; the first took place in October 2010. The upcoming workshop will continue the in-depth discussion begun last year, expanding into additional topics.
Participants will write best practice papers, to be published in the DDI Working Paper Working Paper Series. Last year's workshop produced a series of best practice papers on longitudinal data.
These topics are often more salient for longitudinal data, making it even more critical manage these metadata in a structured form over time and countries. The current possibilities of DDI Lifecyle will be explored and areas for future extensions identified.
Additionally, participants can suggest their area of interest.
communication. Accommodation costs at Dagstuhl including full board is 60 Euro/day/person (subsidized rate).
This workshop is sponsored by the DDI Alliance, GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, Minnesota Population Center (MPC), and Open Data Foundation (ODaF).
The names of interested organizations and individuals should be sent to ddi-expert-workshop@icpsr.umich.edu. Please provide contact information, area of interest, and area of expertise for each individual, information regarding DDI Lifecyle implementation, and a statement of what each individual can contribute to the workshop. Direct questions to ddi-expert-workshop@icpsr.umich.edu. Twenty-one participants will be accepted.
The Data Governance and Information Quality Conference, formerly the Data Governance Conference and IDQ Conference, will be held at the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa in San Diego on June 27-30, 2011.
This event is the world's largest conference dedicated to data governance and information and data quality.
The SDMX Global Conference will be held on 2-4 May 2011 in Washington DC and to be jointly hosted by the World Bank and IMF. It will be devoted to making a business case to Statistical Managers, sharing SDMX experiences in country and for capacity building.
The SDMX Global Conference 2011 will be focusing on SDMX advocacy and capacity building, keeping it as non-technical as possible. Efforts are being made to reach subject domain experts to make them aware of SDMX and ask them to promote SDMX in this Global Conference.
The ODaF Europe 2010 meeting will take place at the Library and IT Services, Tilburg University, Netherlands on July 7th-8th. This year's theme focuses on the rapidly growing topic of Semantic Statistics. The presentations and discussions will focus on recent activity regarding SDMX, DDI, ISO/IEC 11179, RDF serialization, and the standards and technologies involved in the Linked Data Web.
(rob.grim@odaf.org). If you are unable attend and wish to submit questions, ideas or suggestions to the speakers and participants, we encourage you to submit by email to Rob.
Please visit our web site at http://odaf.org/events/odaf_europe_2010.php for further information and agenda.
We would like to express our thanks to our sponsors – Tilburg University, DANS, SURF and LarKC – for their generosity, support and assistance in making this event possible.