October 18, 2009 Email AMBO

Ambo ST. THEODOSIUS ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL 733 Starkweather Ave. October 18, 2009 Cleveland, Ohio 44113 19th Sunday After Pentecost Mailing: 733 Starkweather Avenue Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke Cleveland, Ohio 4411 ST JOHN THE ABBOT OF RILA IN BULGARIA T 216 741.1310 (October 19) F 216 623 1092 www.sttheodosius.org • Archpriest John Zdinak Dean • Priest Svetislav Mirolovich • Dn. Daniel Boerio • Subdeacon Theodore Lentz • Reader Julius Kovach Ecclesiarch & Choirmaster Divine Services Eve Sundays & Feast Days 5:00 PM Confessions 6:00 PM Great Vespers Sundays and Feast Days 8:40 AM 3rd and 6th Hour 9:00 AM Divine Liturgy Fr. John Office Hours Tuesday & Wednesday 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM *Articles for publication in the AMBO should be sub- mitted to: [email protected] by Wednesday of each week before noon. St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral Ambo - Page 1 Saint John of Rila – the Miracle Worker, who is this country’s patron, is treated with reverence by most Bul- garians. He was born in 876 in the village of Skrino, South western Bulgaria. After the death of his parents, John gave away his family’s possessions and sought solitude in the monasteries nearby. First he went to Mount Vitosha by present-day Sofia and then to Mount Rila, South western Bulgaria. Several years later he became a monk and after studying the holy Writ, he left the monasteries. Observing a strict fast and spending his days and nights in prayer, the hermit spent almost 40 years in the mountains. Throughout these years he had no roof over his head or any way of warming himself; he ate berries he found in the forest and roots. And although it was his ardent wish to remain anonymous, shepherds and hunters spread his fame far and wide. People came from distant places to obtain his blessing, to be instructed and healed by him and this made him all the more famous. Concerned about his numerous followers, the hermit advised them to build a monastery. In the course of around 10 years, John was the abbot of this brotherhood. When he realized that his days were numbered, Saint John of Rila left the monastery and died in complete isolation at the age of 70 not far from the monastery itself on August 18, 946. On that date, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church marks the saint’s assumption. In the 60’s of the 10th century his body was found, untouched by decay. Since that day, his remains have never been buried – they are preserved in a sarcophagus, where believ- ers still flock. First they were displayed in the city of Sredetz (the Medieval name of the present Bulgarian capital Sofia), and later in the capital of the Bulgarian Kings from the 12 to the 14th century – Turnovgrad, Northern Bulgaria. After the city’s fall under Ottoman domination rule at the end of the 15th century, the remains of Saint John were taken to the Rila monastery, where they remain to this day. Bulgaria’s Saint John of Rila, Miracle Worker Monastery Bulgaria’s biggest monastery, named after Saint John of Rila, the Miracle Worker, also known as Rila Monastery, is one of 9 national landmarks on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The monastery is the most influential spiritual centre in the country and the second biggest on the Balkan Peninsula. Located in the north western part of Mount Rila at an altitude of 1150 m above sea level, near two mountain brooks, amidst magnificent scenery the monastery is only 120 km away from the Bulgarian capital city Sofia. Founded in the 10th century by the monk hermit, who was later named Bulgaria’s patron saint, John, and his disciples during the reign of King Petar (927-968 A.D.) the Mon- astery originated near the cave in which he dwelt. The saint preached incessantly the Or- thodox faith, which the Bulgarian nation had adopted a century earlier. Saint John of Rila became the forefather of the first monastic brotherhood in the Bulgarian lands. He was canonized in 946 soon after he passed away. His relics are being kept at the Monastery to this day. St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral Ambo - Page 2 Over the centuries Rila Monastery has known days of glory and decay. One thing is certain though: the site has always enjoyed the favour of the ruling medieval monarchs, who have made generous donations. Around 1335 the local lord Stefan Dragolov, nicknamed Hrelyo, built the initial compound, which consisted of a residential wing, a turret and a single nave church. Unfortunately, only the tower has survived to this day, and has been named after the lord’s name, Hrelyo Tower. On the top floor stands a small chapel, named after God’s Transfiguration. The chapel is richly decorated with murals and authentic icon paintings of intran- sient artistic value. The earliest among them date back to the 14th c. and represent three scenes from the life of Saint John of Rila. The oldest preserved icon of the saint also dates back to that time. During the centuries of Ottoman domination Rila Monastery had been set to fire and reduced to ashes, and the monks had been driven away. But in the late 15th century three brothers set to the task of rebuilding the holy site, Joasaphus, David and Teophanous assisted by the Russian monastery on Mount Athos. Rus- sian monarchs and Moldovan chieftains also gave their contribution to the preservation of the monastery as a stronghold of Orthodoxy and Orthodox literary legacy. With the onset of the National Revival Movement, after the second half of the 18th century, the Monastery experienced a period of upsurge. The present-day compound was built in the early 19th century. It is rectangular in shape and spreads over a territory of 8,800 sq.m. The Hrelyo Tower and the Holy Virgin Nativity main church stand in the Mon- astery’s courtyard, whereas the four-winged residential area houses more than 300 monk cells and four smaller chapels. The Monastery’s murals and wood carved ceilings are the work of Bulgaria’s foremost icon painters and woodcarvers, amongst whom the names of Zacharias, the Icon Painter, Stanislav Dospevski, and Dimitar and Simeon Molerov stand out. The Gospel scenes are dominated by representations of Bulgarian, Russian and Serbian saints. The iconostasis at the main altar is pure tracery gilt woodwork, and has been covered in gold-plate. It is one of the masterpieces of the Samokov School of Master Wood Carvers. Another invaluable work of art kept at the Monastery’s Museum is the only one of its kind wood carved crucifix made by monk Raphael in the 18th century. The piece is 81cm x 43cm and contains 104 religious scenes and 650 miniature figurines. It took the artist 12 years to complete, by which time he had gone completely blind. The Rila Monastery is shelter to some 250 manuscripts from the 11th to the 19th century, 9,000 religious incunabula, music scores, etc. The most valuable among those are the Glagolithic Papers from the 10th-11th century, two Gospels on parchment from the 13th century, a psalm-book, the famous 1577 Gos- pel with a gild-plate by a famous 16th century Sofia goldsmith, and of course, the Written Legacy of the Pa- tron Saint to his followers. The most important thing in life is to have faith and to live by God’s laws. Gluttony and greed keep man off God’s path, the Legacy reads. The Monastery has always served as a source of eternal comfort for the Bulgarian soul. It has always held services in the Religious Slavic language and the clergy has always preached to the parish in the Bul- garian language. St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral Ambo - Page 3 PRAYER REQUESTS DEPARTED: Gloria Gindlesperger (Sister-In-Law) Hannah Ward (God Child of Fr. An- drew Stevens) Elena Dascalescu + 9/12/09 Larry Gindlesperger (Brother-In-Law) Phyllis Gindlesperger Harrison Ward (Lavinia Morris’ Mother) (God Child of Fr. Andrew Stevens) Julia Grabowski Charles Vorell + 9/12/09 Helen Zawisza (John Vorell’s Brother) Maria Hanzel (Joseph Rusynyk’s sister) Fr. Michael Conrad + 9/23/09 Donna Jacak Julia Zimmerman Nina Novak + 10/02/09 Paul Kappanadze (son of Fr. Jason Denise Zweifel Kappanadze) (Sister of Marshall Prock) Sarah Kersey Ill Afflicted & Grant & Stephanie Dever Dorothy Laskovich Special Intentions & Unborn Child Paul Laskovich (Fr. John’s Niece) Fr. Anthony Dimitri Fr. Stephen Jula Shane, Sierra and Taylor McNeilly Anthony & Nikol Gammalo Helen Antonik Brian Nemec (Frank Tkacz’s Godson) (Nickol Zdinak) & Unborn Child Dan Arangelovich Walter & Grace Parhamovich The Catechumens (Karen Felon’s parents) Jerry Arangelovich Erik & Gwen Hasselquist Alice Artino Natalie Ponomarenko & Unborn Child Helen Baldner David Roman (Nephew of Margaret Rusynyk) Miki McNally John Baranich & Unborn Child Mary Ann Silberhorn Carol Bohurjak (Cindy Zdinak’s Cousin) Elsie Sudnick John Conrad Nathan & Chelsea Pozderac Barbara Thompson (Phyllis Eugene Erhardt & Unborn Child Gindlesperger’s Sister-In-Law) (Cindy Zdinak’s Nephew) Tony Eschuk Donald Tipka Dome Lighters Donations to offset the cost of lighting the domes can be made for the health of or in memory of your loved ones. Contact the Parish Office if you are interested. For the week of October 18 In memory of Ann Shleva by the Tabeling family. For the weeks of October 18 - November 8 In loving memory of Grandparents, Joseph and Jennie Shutelock Smodich and Mother, Frances Louise Smodich Cline (15th Anniversary) by Mary Lee Cline Erhardt May their memory be Eternal. BIBLE READINGS FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 18 October 18 2 Cor.

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