News and Events - November 2007
CANONICAL ORTHODOX BISHOPS IN THE WEST COAST GATHER TO CELEBRATE THE COMMEMORATION OF THE 16OOTH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE REPOSE OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
OF THE REPOSE OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
Los Angeles, CA - A Pan-Orthodox Commemoration of the 1,600th Anniversary of the Repose of St. John Chrysostom took place on Tuesday, November 13th, 2007, at St. Sophia's Greek Orthodox Church, Los Angeles, California.
On Monday, November 12, the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the West Coast held their third meeting of 2007. In attendance were His Eminence, Metropolitan GERASIMOS (Greek), His Grace, Bishop JOSEPH (Antiochian), His Grace, Bishop MAXIM (Serbian) and His Grace, Bishop BENJAMIN (OCA), along with the Deans of the four Cathedrals in the Los Angeles area: V. Rev. Great Economos Michel Najim (St. Nicholas Antiochian Cathedral), V. Rev. John Bakas (St. Sophia Greek Cathedral), V. Rev. Michael Senyo (Holy Virgin Mary OCA Cathedral), V. Rev. Nikola Ceko (St. Stephen Serbian Cathedral), and Archdeacon George Shishim (Assistant to His Grace, Bishop JOSEPH).
The hierarchs had a private meeting. Following the private meeting, the clergy were invited into the room to discuss the plans for the Divine Liturgy the next morning and for the Sunday of Orthodoxy in 2008.
On Tuesday, November 13, the hierarchs presided over Orthros and the Divine Liturgy for the Commemoration of the 1600th Anniversary of the Repose of St. John Chrysostom at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Los Angeles, California. In addition to the four hierarchs, His Grace, Bishop ELIA, an Albanian Diocese in the United States under the Patriarch of Constantinople. The celebrants were the four deans from the four Cathedrals in the Los Angeles area, assisted by two deacons from St. Nicholas Antiochian Cathedral, Deacon George Taweel and Deacon Paul Olson.
More than 400 people attended from the various jurisdictions. His Grace, Bishop MAXIM delivered the homily during the Divine Liturgy. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence, Metropolitan GERASIMOS greeted everyone and introduced the hierarchs. He thanked everyone for attending.
The clergy were invited to the hall where a sumptuous meal was served. Following lunch, the Very Reverend Josiah Trenham, Pastor of St. Andrew Antiochian Church in Riverside, California, gave a teaching about St. John Chrysostom.
Everyone left St. Sophia Cathedral filled with joy and love, and with great hopes for future Pan-Jurisdiction gatherings under the leadership of the Canonical Bishops in the West Coast.
Source: Diocese of Western America