St Nicholas Orthodox Church

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We welcome you to the website of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church. We are a growing community made up of members from a variety of backgrounds and drawn together by the healing and transfiguring Light of Christ, which we've found in the Orthodox Christian faith. The purpose of this website is to provide a brief introduction to the Orthodox Church and to our parish. We welcome visitors to our services, which are all in English. If you are a newcomer or a visitor from another parish, please contact our pastor, Fr. Daniel, with any questions you may have. If you are discovering Orthodox Christianity for the first time, we invite you to "come and see" as you join us in worship of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

Blessings on this 3rd day of the Nativity fast, on which we celebrate the feast of St. Gregory the Wonderworker. St. Gregory lived in the 3rd century, was made bishop of Neocaesarea against his will, and was known as a second Moses for all the miracles he worked. Here is a very edifying account from his life of how God delivers those who put all their hope in Him:

"While he was still at the school of philosophy in Alexandria, St. Gregory preserved the purity of his soul and his body, as he preserved it to the end of his life. In this, he was an exception among the dissolute youth of that time. This evoked envy and hatred among his companions. In order to debase Gregory, they found a harlot to help them carry out an evil plan. Once, when Gregory was standing in the square with eminent teachers and philosophers, the foul woman approached him and loudly demanded that Gregory pay her the remainder due for impure relations with her. Some of the people present were scandalized, while others were angry at this shameless woman and began to chase her away; but she shouted even louder, demanding money. The innocent Gregory blushed, as any decent man would before such coarse slander, but he displayed neither anger nor hatred, and asked a friend to give her the amount that she sought so she would leave. The friend heeded Gregory, and gave her the money she wanted. But at that moment God let an evil spirit enter the woman and she fell to the ground and began writhing and convulsing, gnashing her teeth, and foaming at the mouth. Seeing this, everyone was terrified. But St. Gregory, innocent as a lamb, prayed to God for her, and the woman was healed and arose. Thus, instead of humiliation, Gregory acquired even greater glory." ~ From the Prologue From Ochrid, Nov. 17
Services and Events this week:

- The Nativity of our Lord is coming! The Nativity Fast started this past Monday, Nov. 15. This is a lenten fast, with allowance for fish, wine and oil on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. For Nativity Fast resources for you and your family, see Fr. Daniel.

- Food Needed for Thanksgiving: The SB Rescue Mission has sent out a request for food to feed the homeless and needy at Thanksgiving. Especially needed are turkeys and hams, as well as pies and other desserts. Or, financial donations can be made so that they can purchase the needed food. If anyone would like to donate through the church, please bring your donations to the church by Friday, Nov. 19, and we will get them to the Mission. You can also bring your donations directly to the Rescue Mission. For more details, visit: www.sbrescuemission.com

- Thanksgiving Liturgy: The Feast of St. Catherine the Great and the Leavetaking of the Entrance of the Theotokos both fall on Thanksgiving this year. There will be festal services beginning with Great Vespers on Wednesday evening, and Liturgy on Thursday morning. Before you celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends, come celebrate the Eucharist (the truest Thanksgiving!) with your St. Nicholas family.

-Tolosa Baptism: On Saturday, Nov. 27 at 3pm we will baptize Evangeline Elisabeth Tolosa. Please come and welcome the newest member of St. Nicholas!

-Almsgiving opportunities: Remember to bring in canned/boxed goods for our ongoing food drive, and remember, during this Advent season to look for other ways to give alms to those in need. One way to give alms is to donate to our parish discretionary fund, from which we help those who come to us with special needs.

-Other Parish needs: We need donors for icons and other items in the church, as well as soil and plants (bulbs) for our new gardens. Also, if you can donate a little time and energy, we can use some help with the preparation of the flowerbeds. See Fr. Daniel for details.

Great success was noted at the 3rd Meeting of the Inter-Orthodox Network for Initiatives and the Study of Religions and Injurious Cults, which took place between October 1-3, 2010 at the Holy Monastery of Saint George-Hadjidimovo in Nevrocopi, Bulgaria.
Many research specialists on heresies and injurious cults took part in the conference: from Cyprus, Greece, Bulgaria, Russia, Belarus and Serbia. The networks third meeting had the following general topic:
The Neo-Pentecostal Movement. Pastoral and social problems and ways of facing them. Among other things, opening remarks were given by the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Nevrocopi Nathaniel (Bulgaria), the Most God-loving Bishop of Karpasia Christopher (Cyprus), Cypriot Member of Parliament Tasos Metsopoulos, Russian Professor Alexander Dvorkin, as well as the mayor and police chief of Nevrocopi.
From the submissions that followed, it became obvious that the teachings and proceedings of the Neo-Pentecostals have nothing in common with Orthodoxy, or more generally, with Christianity. Their beliefs are considered obscure (secret) and blasphemous (not only to the Orthodox faith but also to all Christians). Their proceedings are also wily, deceiving and harmful to the person, family, and to society at large.
The distinguished speakers provided many examples on the efforts of Neo-Pentecostals to infil-trate education, the health system, orphanages, old age homes, drug addiction treatment pro-grams and civilian life in general of Orthodox countries. In consideration of the infiltration efforts of the Neo-Pentecostal movement in Orthodox Churches, and generally throughout the world, the members of the network recommend a) alertness, b) exposure of the harmful activities of these groups, c) help from experts on heresies and harmful cults when necessary, d) educating and informing the Orthodox flock on the harmful methods used by these groups (such as the presentation of pertinent films, exposure of their real purpose which is the collection of money and power through deceit), e) that contact be made with the victims and not with the organiza-tions that take advantage of them, always carefully and with love, f) that the government enact new laws for the protection of the individual from brainwashing and from the crafty methods used by such secretive organizations, g) that the local Church place importance on the problem and h) that Orthodox catechism be reinforced as a defense against cultism. The Neo-Pentecostals with their falsehoods overturn the whole evangelical message and nullify salvation in Christ to their victims. The problem the activities of the Neo-Pentecostals create is not only theological and pastoral. It has dimensions and repercussions on all areas of mans life (personal, family, social, etc.), exacting terrible damage on their victims such as psychological, neurological and even physical damage, sometimes even leading to death.
At the conference the following pastoral findings and explanations were presented. It is observed that in our days a joint effort is being made by different factors (unfortunately even by members of the Church) to remove the clearly ecclesiological term heresy from our vocabulary. They do not acknowledge our pastoral right to stress the difference through the use of this term between Orthodox teaching and life and these Neo-Pentecostals and various other groups, even though they are highly harmful to the individuality and life of people.
We, the Orthodox shepherds and Christians, must first understand this ourselves but also make it plainly clear to all ecclesiastical, political and social bodies that our reference to heresies is not grounded in bigotry, nor does it aim at the annihilation or abolition of heretics but at the protection of the faithful members of our Church and of the social system in general.
Note: The complete proceedings of the 3rd Meeting of the network will be published soon.
From the Secretariat of the Inter-Orthodox Network for Initiatives and the Study of Religions and Injurous Cults.
Source (Greek):Pan-Cyprian Parents Union

Abu Dhabi, Nov 19: The newly-formed Brahmavar Orthodox Konkani Community of UAE held its first meeting with Yakub Mar Elias, the Brahmavar Diocesan Metropolitan at St George Orthodox Cathedral here recently.
The Community provides an oppurtunity for the Konkani community who share orthodox faith to unite. This was for the first time in the history of the church that members of different orthodox parishes in and around Brahmavar came together in the United Arab Emirates.
The meeting began with prayers in Konkani in the presence of the Diocesan Metropolitan and the parish priest Fr Johnson Daniel.
The Diocesan Metropolitan in his address stressed upon the need to keep up the orthodox faith and to unite under the orthodox belief and assured his full support and cooperation to the Brahmavar Orthodox Konkani Community.
Later in the meeting it was unanimously decided to form an organization under the banner of Brahmavar Orthodox Konkani Community, UAE and the following were selected as its office-bearers for the year 2010-11:
Yakub Mar Elias President

Vanisha DAlmeida – Joint Secretary
Members of the Community Prasan Suaris, Robby Rodrigues, Sunil G Lewis, Naveen Suaris, John DAlmeida, Anil Rodrigues, Milton DSouza, Venet Milton Olivera, Elyas DSouza, Antony DAlmeida, Steevan Sunil Dias, Praveen Lewis, Valerian Lewis, Steephan Lewis and Jakline S Banz were present.
It was unanimously decided to convene the next meeting in the month of January 2011 at Dubai to decide the future course of action.
Selvin Lewis proposed the vote of thanks and the meeting concluded with a recitation of Konkani hymns in vespers in the cathedral.

The Holy Assembly of Bishops decided Thursday to appoint Bishop of Lipljane Teodosije as the new administrator of the Diocese of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija, according to Serbian Orthodox Church Spokesperson and Bishop of Backa Irinej.

Irinej told a news conference that the post was open since the retirement of Bishop Artemije in May, and that the assembly decided that such a situation could not be prolonged indefinitely.
KFOR Commander Major General Erhard Buehler congratulated Thursday Serbian Orthodox Church Bishop Teodosije on his election as the new head of the Diocese of Ras-Prizren.
Buehler has gotten to know Bishop Teodosije as a “committed spiritual leader and an extraordinary person, who embodies tolerance, reconciliation and harmony,” KFOR said in a statement, which also notes that the KFOR commander has known the bishop for some time.
General Buehler wished Bishop Teodosije the best of luck in his new post at the top of the Diocese of Ras-Prizren.