THE SAD STORY of the DRUNK MONK INSIDE Pastors Message
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THE SAD STORY OF THE DRUNK MONK INSIDE Pastors Message ........................... 1 A story told by Hiermonk Paisios The Sad Story of the Drunk Monk BY FR. JOHN MEMORICH President’s Message ..................... 2 Faces of the Parish ....................... 3 At one time on Mount Athos there Some of the monks protested and Elena Boyd: Recet HS Graduate lived a monk who resided in the tried to explain to the Elder who they From The Choir Loft ..................... 3 Karyes Monastery. He drank and got were talking about, thinking that this Priest Appreciation ....................... 4 drunk every day and was the cause pious man did not understand. Birthday’s & Anniversaries ............ 8 of great scandal to numerous other August Calendar ........................... 9 monks and especially to the pilgrims Father Paisios, however, assured them Stories From Church Camp ........ 10 who visited the monastery. Eventually that he did. Furthermore he explained Cathedral of Christ the Savior .... 11 he died and many were relieved to them: “This particular monk was Woodside Event Center Update 13 that he was now dead and would no born in Asia Minor, shortly before the Health Tips ................................. 14 long be an embarrassment. Some destruction by the Ottoman Turks. Transitions ................................... 14 of these monks went to tell the holy It was their policy to gather all the Upcoming Events ....................... 14 Elder Paisios, who lived in a small hut boys to be taken away to become Sponsors ..................................... 15 outside the monastery, that they were janissaries – heartless slave warriors. Event Ads ................................... 16 delighted that this monk had died and The boys would be beaten, brutalized, a “problem” was finally solved. brainwashed, and forced to fight and to elder of the monastery who told kill each other for food. Only the him to do prostrations and prayers Father Paisios listened to the monks strongest would survive. Then they and beg the Blessed Virgin Mary to as they spoke of and berated this would be forced to accept Islam and help him reduce his consumption by alcoholic monk, but the elder told turned into a bloodthirsty slave army one glass. them that he had already knew that he to fight against Christians. was dead. “After a year he managed with “In order to save their son from this struggle and repentance to make “But Holy Father,” said the monks, fate and to keep him as a Christian, his the 20 glasses a day he drank into 19 “he just died. How could parents hid him and put glasses. This struggle continued over you already know before raki (ouzo) in his milk so the years until he reached 2-3 glasses, we came to tell you?” that he would sleep and with which he would still get drunk. not cry. Then they could “Because,” responded take him with them into “The world for years saw only an Paisios, “I saw a legion of the fields and hide him as alcoholic monk who scandalized the angels coming to collect they worked. Therefore, pilgrims, but God saw a fighter who his soul and take him to this boy grew up as an fought a long struggle to reduce his heaven.” alcoholic. passion. Therefore, without knowing what each person is trying to do or The monks stared at the “When he became an fight against, what right do we have to Elder, perplexed and adult he decided to enter judge his effort?” bewildered. Were they the monastic life and fight talking about the same against his disease. He monk? The alcoholic? confessed his addiction Volume 19 Issue 6 * August 2018 FROM THE PARISH PRESIDENT the Dear Parishioners, Archangel I hope summer is treating you well. It’s such a busy time of year with church camp, Archangel Michael Orthodox vacations, family reunions, and of course Church our nation’s holiday celebrations. 5025 East Mill Road Broadview Heights, OH 44147 Your church board has been hard at work Office: 440.526.5192 making sure we are tending to St. Michael’s [email protected] business. In these President’s Corner www.StMichaelsCleveland.org messages, I will share some of the things we are working on. I hope that when reading Woodside Event Center these messages you will learn that we are at St. Michael’s working hard to serve our great parish. Offce: 440.526.9696 [email protected] Sunday School is a subject that has been brought up and discussed www.WoodsideEventCenter.com in our past board meetings. We believe, same as you, that raising our youth in our faith is extremely important. We trust our teachers with the V. Rev. Fr. John Memorich, task of developing a curriculum that will give our youth the knowledge Rector and faith to be strong in Orthodoxy. After meeting with many of the Home: 216.524.9795 Sunday school staff and discussing this with Fr. John, I have learned [email protected] St. Michael’s follows the Orthodox Church of America Sunday school curriculum with some added materials from the Greek Orthodox Church Protodeacon Dennis Lucak Sunday school curriculum. In terms of changes, we will assign a Sunday Home: 440.230.9410 school superintendent to oversee scheduling and curriculum at each grade level. Deacon Daniel Kovalak Home: 216.524.3414 We issued a survey to our current Sunday school parents and plan to administer one to parents with even younger children to understand Ryun Louie everyone’s questions and needs regarding the program. We look Parish Council President forward to learning what will strengthen our Sunday school program, Cell: 216.224.8646 such as when is time the best time to hold it, how many years a student should remain in Sunday school, and what measures will maximize Joachim Wyslutsky attendance among our youth. Sunday school is just a segment of our Choir Director children’s growth as we know that most of this work is done at home. I’m Cell: 330.620.9270 sure I’m now preaching to the proverbial choir. Kathy Paulsen, Editor I will continue to let you know our progress on issues and challenges we Home: 216.281.5217 face today and in the future at St. Michael. Always feel free to approach [email protected] me or any of your board members with your feelings and concerns. Through strong faith and strong communication, we can keep up the Joan Benny, Helen Gaborick, & traditions of our faith now and into the future. Patricia Patrick, labeling Follow Us In Christ, Ryun Louie, Parish President /StMichaelsCLE 2 The Archangel FACES OF THE PARISH GETTING TO KNOW YOUR FELLOW PARISHIONERS ELENA BOYD What is the biggest obstacle that you have had to overcome? Recent High School Graduate It was difficult when I had to go from a small school to Strongsville High School which had over 2000 students. Name, high school, what you did outside of school (hobbies, activities, jobs) Elena Boyd, Strongsville High School. Who are your heroes and why? My parents are my heroes. They went to Russia to adopt I really like dogs so I would take care of my neighbors’ me and I am grateful that they did! dogs when the families were not at home. I was a member of a club at school that had a different activity each month. I also like hanging out with my friends. What has been your best vacation ever? My best vacation was our trip to What are your plans after high school graduation? Slovakia in the summer of 2017 to I just started a dog sitting business with a friend. I enjoy visit family. The first time I went walking the dogs and giving them lots of TLC. to Slovakia I was only four years old so I don’t remember very What is your favorite TV show? much. The best part of my recent My favorite TV shows are Hawaii Five-0 and NCIS. I like trip was being with my cousins action shows and enjoy watching people solve cases. and other family members. I also enjoyed sightseeing (castles, Tatra What memories do you have of St. Michael’s that you mountains, historical village), would like to share? attending the Rusyn festival in my I really enjoyed Pre-Teen Club (Russian dances, playing in grandparents’ home village of Bajerovce, and exploring the gym, crafts) and the Sunday School Yolka. my grandfather’s family home. I will also never forget eating all the delicious food. I am very lucky to be able What does Orthodoxy mean to you? to communicate with my cousins in Slovakia through the It is my Faith. It also gives me hope. internet. We are looking for both new and longtime parishioners to volunteer to be featured in this section. Our main objective is not only to introduce new families to the parish, but to introduce our longtime members to our new families. Please contact the church office at [email protected] to volunteer! FROM THE CHOIR LOFT BY JOACHIM WYSLUTSKY, CHOIR DIRECTOR Sing praises to our God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing Praises! (Psalm 47:6) This psalm verse, also commonly heard as the Tone 3 Resurrectional Prokeimenon, is written in the iconography above the choir loft. We know from this we are called to praise God with our voices, but why is it important to sing in church? Mother Christophora of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, on one of my many visits there, referred to the service of singing in the church as three times prayer. The first part is the prayer of the hymns, or responses that are being offered are at their very core. The second, is the leading of the people of the church in prayer as you sing.