The south Florida Orthodox Christian community from Ft. Pierce to Miami is anticipating the events planned for Cheesefare Saturday of the Souls at the newly-opened Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Miami Lakes, Father Philip Reese, pastor and Dean of the Diocese of the South - OCA. His Eminence Nathaniel, Archbishop of Detroit and the head of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, will concelebrate the Divine Liturgy with area clergy of all jurisdictions beginning at 9:00 am. The faithful will bring the names of their loved ones who have fallen asleep in the Lord so that they can be remembered during the Liturgy.
Following the Liturgy at 11:00 am, the fellowship brunch co-hosted by the Cathedral Sisterhood of the Holy Cross and Orthodox Christian Laity will be served. Archbishop Nathaniel, Father Peter Gillquist and Father Gordon Walker will provide perspective on the meaning of the journey to Orthodoxy twenty years later. The video Coming Home will introduce the program. Questions from the faithful will be part of the informal session.
About the speakers:
His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel was consecrated to the Episcopacy in 1980 and was enthroned as ruling Hierarch of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America in 1984. In 1999, the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America elevated him to Archbishop. He is an eloquent advocate for Orthodox Christian Jurisdictional Unity in North America. He is Episcopal Moderator for the Pastoral Life Ministries Unit of the Orthodox Church in America, Chairman of the VD Trifa Romanian American Heritage Center in Grass Lake, MI, organizer of the “Help for Romania Fund” and co-founder of the “Help the Children of Romania,” Chairman of the Congress of Romanian Americans, and President of the Board of the Center for Orthodox Christian Studies in Detroit.
Father Peter Gillquist is the Director, Department of Missions and Evangelism, Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America. He is the well-known author of Becoming Orthodox, the inspiring story of a group of evangelical Christians on a search for the Church of the New Testament who found it in the Eastern Orthodox Church. He travels extensively helping found new missions throughout North America and is a popular and engaging speaker. He is a member of the Board of Orthodox Christian Fellowship - the campus ministry program of the Orthodox Church.
Father Gordon Walker, D. Min. was accepted into the Orthodox Church in 1987 through the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. He has coordinated the work of New Church Development within the Department of Missions and Evangelism and has established many mission churches. He is the founding pastor and Pastor Emeritus of St. Ignatius Orthodox Church, Franklin, Tennessee. He serves as president of Grace Ministry which funds Orthodox Christian mission projects worldwide. Fr. Gordon is committed to having Orthodox Christians accept Americans, and America to accept Orthodox Christianity.
Archbishop Nathaniel, Father Peter Gillquist and Father Gordon Walker are advisory board members to Orthodox Christian Laity, a co-sponsor of the South Florida Pan-Orthodox Event, which is a model for Orthodox jurisdictional unity, and the first of a series of events celebrating the 20th anniversary of Orthodox Christian Laity. OCL was incorporated as an independent, pan-Orthodox, national voice of the laity in 1987. It was founded to strengthen the role of the laity in the life of the Orthodox Church so that the good order in church governance could be maintained to foster spiritual renewal. The role of the laity is one of Synergy with the clergy and bishops to foster greater accountability and transparency in the administration and spiritual life of the Church. The establishment of an administrativel-united, self-governing Orthodox Church in America under the stewardship of an American Synod of bishops is the goal of OCL. In this Orthodox Way, the Church can fulfill the Great Commission of our Lord and its apostolic mission of bringing the Good News to all people in the Americas. Visit OCL on its websites: www.ocl.org and www.orthodoxnews.org. E-mail us at ocladmin@ocl.org.
For additional information, contact: George Matsoukas, Executive Director at 877-585-0245.
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