Orthodox seeker with a question

All4Christ

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This, well all of these posts are being very very helpful! There are many English speaking Ethnic Parishes where I live. I will go ahead and disclose that I am searching the Twin Cities metro area, Minnesota. I am a bit overwhelmed by the vast number of choices.

One thing that I like is the autonomy that churches have. At the same time, I have to face my feelings about the Pope Leaving his stewardship, is not intellectually difficult but, it a "feeling" I hold on to about the ideal of a "Church Father."

I believe that a holy man from the right Orthodox Parish can fill that leadership role that I look to. So I am willing to try many Parishes and even ask people for suggestions locally. Just haven't picked the very first one nor the day to go so I will start with that before I ponder which one to join. So I will get on there and pick one before Sunday God willing.
Check out St Mary’s OCA cathedral. I haven’t been there but I love their choir.
 
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GoingByzantine

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To the OP, I just want to say that so many of us have been down the same road as you. I too am a former member of the Catholic Church, who left to join Orthodoxy.

There have been days when being Orthodox is challenging, especially as an American convert, but making the change was a necessary step for me. I feel so much happier and uplifted since I threw off all the legalism and dogma of the Catholic Church for Orthodoxy, I cannot ever see myself going back.

That's not to say I dislike Roman and Eastern Catholics, it is quite the opposite in fact, but in Orthodoxy I have found the true "holy catholic and apostolic church", and that is something that I have longed for my whole life.

Don't let the ethnic ties of each church worry you too much. At the end of the day, it is all one church, just like Catholicism. Simply pick the place you are most comfortable going too, and move forward from there. I see your community even has Western Rite churches, so that is a possibility as well.
 
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SeekingServant

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This is good to know. Thank you. Are the Eastern and Oriental Churches in communion? I know of both and socially, I have more Ethiopian friends probably than any other Church.



Thank you for this, I had no idea that Western Rite existed. Kind of like when I found out about the Eastern Catholic Church. Is Western Orthodoxy Greek or Latin? Eastern Catholicism is pretty much Orthodoxy with a Pope I was told.

Western Rite Orthodox parishes are mostly under Antioch or ROCOR. The church I attend is under the Antiochian jurisdiction. My particular parish uses the Mass of St. Gregory, though there is the Mass of St. Tikhon as well. We use the Tridentine Mass in English and if you have ever gone to a Latin Mass you would find it very familiar. We use Gregorian chant and pretty much sing everything. It's quite beautiful.
 
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E.C.

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This is good to know. Thank you. Are the Eastern and Oriental Churches in communion? I know of both and socially, I have more Ethiopian friends probably than any other Church.
Administratively, no, but, socially, yes.

The Eastern and Oriental Churches are not in Communion with each other (yet), but there are agreements in place between bishops that do allow for Communion at each other's parishes. When I lived in Virginia, there was an Ethiopian family that attended my Eastern Orthodox parish because there was not an Ethiopian parish within reasonable driving distance. In Egypt and Syria there are inter-Communion agreements in place because of the persecutions that have been going on there since the so-called Arab Spring. We typically consider each other brothers and sisters, but we're not quite at full reunification. I think it could realistically happen within the next century or two.
 
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