JULY/AUGUST 2015 VOL. LXXX Nos. 7-8 THE HERALD JACKSON, MI SOLIA — THE HERALD (ISSN 0038-1039) VICE-CHAIRMAN: is published bi-monthly for $15.00 per year: Right Rev. Bishop Irineu Duvlea United States, $20.00 per year: Canada, and $25.00 per year in other countries by The Ro- ENGLISH EDITOR / SECRETARY: manian Orthodox Episcopate of America, 2535 Grey Tower Road, Jackson, MI 49201-9120. Archdeacon David Oancea Periodicals postage paid at Jackson, Michigan, and additional offices. Phone: (517) 522-3656, ROMANIAN EDITOR: Fax: (517) 522-5907. E-mail: [email protected]. Fr. Dan Hoarste Internet: http://www.roea.org. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: SOLIA — THE HERALD, P.O. Box 185, Grass STAFF: Lake, MI 49240-0185, U.S.A. V. Rev. Dr. Remus Grama CHAIRMAN: Photo submissions: Use high resolution/ Archdcn. Sebastian Dumitrascu quality digital camera settings (at least 300 dpi). Most Rev. Archbishop Mr. Mark Chestnut Articles and news published in SOLIA do not necessarily reflect the views or the endorsement Nathaniel Popp Mr. Richard C. Grabowski of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America. CONTENTS HELP A MISSION English Section Image “Not-Made-By-Hands” of Our Lord MISSION KITS NEEDED Jesus Christ from Edessa .............................. 3, 15 Looking for a place to lend th 67 Annual ARFORA Congress, Adela M. Price .....4 a helping hand and help the 2015 Family Life / All-Auxiliaries Conference, Church at the same time? New- Lucy Pop ........................................................ 5, 7 ly-established Mission parishes A 35th Anniversary Reflection – Nathaniel Popp, need several items to be able to Archbishop, Dianne Scott Farah ............... 6, 7, 15 function liturgically. Mission kits First American Orthodox Chaplain Attends World consist of the following items: Scout Jamboree ....................................................8 Set of Priest’s vestments, set of CONVOCATION – The 83rd Annual Episcopate holy vessels, censer, Gospel book Congress ..............................................................9 (Romanian & English), Blessing cross, Baptismal kit, Wedding crowns, Liturgy Special Electoral Session Convocation ..................10 book, Book of Needs, Book of Hours, Vespers Candidates Nominated for Office of Auxiliary book, Matins book, Epistle book (Romanian & Bishop ...........................................................11-12 English), Triodion, Pentecostarion, Epitaphion. Hierarchal Schedule ........................................13, 14 One Kit, which includes all of the FOCUS – Fellowship of Orthodox Christians above items, may be purchased United to Serve ..................................................14 for approximately $1,500. How- St. George Toronto Parishioner Receives Master in ever, any amount you are able to Theological Studies ............................................15 offer, combined with the offerings Financial Report ....................................................16 of others, will help provide the needed items. Doxacon Meets Harry Potter .................................16 Please send your tax-de- Romanian Section ductible donation to: Roma- Mari Duhovnici Români Contemporani, nian Orthodox Episcopate of Dr Stelian Gomboș ................................ 17-18, 24 America, PO Box 309, Grass Invățăm de la Sfinții Părinți ............................ p. 19 Lake MI 49240-0309 with the Povățuire pentru Preoți, Sf Ioan Gură de Aur .......19 notation: “Mission Kit”. You Convocarea Congresului Episcopiei 2015 .............20 may also call the Episcopate Office at (517) 522-4800 ext. Convocarea Congresului Electoral ........................21 205 to put your donation on Yoga, Dr. Leon Brangk .................................... 22-23 your credit card, or visit the Episcopate’s website at http:// COVER: The Holy Mandylion (Image “Not-Made- www.roea.org/donate.html and By-Hands” of Our Lord Jesus Christ from Edessa) with donate online with your credit the account of King Abgar captured in four scenes on card or PayPal account. the framing banner. 16th Century, Tempera painting on wood, 55 × 89 cm, Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava, Slovakia. See the article on page 3. 2 PRAY AND WORK FOR ORTHODOX UNITY IN NORTH AMERICA SOLIA JULY/AUGUST 2015 IMAGE “NOT-MADE-BY-HANDS” OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST FROM EDESSA The transfer from Edessa to Constan- up with a board and with bricks. tinople of the Icon of our Lord Jesus Many years passed, and the people Christ Not-Made-by-Hands occurred in forgot about it. But in the year 545, the year 944. Eusebius, in his HISTORY when the Persian emperor Chozroes I OF THE CHURCH (I:13), relates that besieged Edessa and the position of the when the Savior was preaching, Abgar city seemed hopeless, the Most Holy ruled in Edessa. He was stricken all Theotokos appeared to Bishop Eulabius over his body with leprosy. Reports of and ordered him to remove the icon the great miracles worked by the Lord from the sealed niche, and it would spread throughout Syria (Mt. 4:24) and save the city from the enemy. Having reached even Abgar. Without having opened the niche, the bishop found the seen the Savior, Abgar believed in Him Icon Not-Made-by-Hands: in front of it as the Son of God. He wrote a letter was burning the lampada, and upon the requesting Him to come and heal him. board closing in the niche, a copy of He sent with this letter to Palestine the icon was reproduced. After a church his own portrait-painter Ananias, and procession with the Icon Not-Made-by- commissioned him to paint a likeness Hands had made the circuit of the city of the Divine Teacher. walls, the Persian army withdrew. Ananias arrived in Jerusalem and saw In the year 630, Arabs seized Edessa, the Lord surrounded by people. He was but they did not hinder the veneration not able to get close to Him because of of the Holy Napkin, the fame of which the large throng of people listening to the preaching of had spread throughout all the East. In the year 944, the Savior. Then he stood on a high rock and attempted the emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitos (912-959) to paint the portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ from afar, wanted to transfer the icon to Constantinople, and he but this effort was not successful. The Savior saw him, paid a ransom for it to the emir of the city. With great called to him by name and gave him a short letter for reverence, the Icon of the Savior Not-Made-by-Hands Abgar in which He praised the faith of this ruler. He and the letter which He had written to Abgar, were also promised to send His disciple to heal him of his brought to Constantinople by clergy. leprosy and guide him to salvation. On August 16, the icon of the Savior was placed Then the Lord asked that water and a cloth be brought in the Tharossa church of the Most Holy Theotokos. to Him. He washed His face, drying it with the cloth, There are several traditions concerning what happened and His Divine Countenance was imprinted upon it. later to the Icon Not-Made-by-Hands. According to Ananias took the cloth and the letter of the Savior to one, crusaders ran off with it during their rule at Edessa. Reverently, Abgar pressed the holy object to Constantinople (1204-1261), but the ship on which his face and he received partial healing. Only a small the sacred object was taken, perished in the waters of trace of the terrible affliction remained until the arrival the Sea of Marmora. of the disciple promised by the Lord. This disciple According to another tradition, the Icon Not-Made- was St Thaddeus, Apostle of the Seventy (August 21), by-Hands was transported around 1362 to Genoa, where who preached the Gospel and baptized Abgar and all it is preserved in a monastery in honor of the Apostle the people of Edessa. Abgar put the Holy Napkin in Bartholomew. It is known that the Icon Not-Made-by- a gold frame adorned with pearls, and placed it in a Hands repeatedly gave from itself exact imprints. One niche over the city gates. On the gateway above the of these, named “On Ceramic,” was imprinted when icon he inscribed the words, “O Christ God, let no one Ananias hid the icon in a wall on his way to Edessa; who hopes on You be put to shame.” another, imprinted on a cloak, wound up in Georgia. For many years, the inhabitants kept a pious custom Possibly, the variance of traditions about the original to bow down before the Icon Not-Made-by-Hands, Icon Not-Made-by-Hands derives from the existence when they went forth from the gates. But one of the of several exact imprints. great-grandsons of Abgar, who later ruled Edessa, fell During the time of the Iconoclast heresy, those into idolatry. He decided to take down the icon from the who defended the veneration of icons, having their city wall. In a vision, the Lord ordered the Bishop of blood spilt for holy icons, sang the Troparion to the Edessa to hide His icon. The bishop, coming by night Icon Not-Made-by-Hands. In proof of the validity of with his clergy, lit a lampada before it and walled it Cont. on page 15 SOLIA JULY/AUGUST 2015 PRAY AND WORK FOR ORTHODOX UNITY IN NORTH AMERICA 3 67TH ANNUAL A.R.F.O.R.A. CONGRESS The guest speaker at the ARFORA Luncheon was Matushka Valerie Zahirsky, M Div. who spoke on the topic, “Six Things Every Orthodox Woman Should Know.” This was an election year for A.R.F.O.R.A. His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel appointed Rev. Fr. Florin I. Soare to be Spiritual Advisor. The 2015-2017 Executive Board is: President, Adela M. Price; Vice President, Adelina Balog; Secretary, Deborah Moga; Treasurer, Mary D. Sankey; 1st Auditor, Lucy Pop; 2nd Auditor, Corina Phillips. Members At Large: Psa. ARFORA Delegates with Archbishop Nathaniel and Bishop Loredana Soare, Dorina D. Riscutta, Louise Gibb. The Irineu session was adjourned with a prayer and blessing by The 67th Annual ARFORA Congress was held at Archbishop Nathaniel.