- Aug 4, 2013
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- Eastern Orthodox
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When I was going to the UCC parish I last attended, I made close friendships with a number of people there. One of them was Vinny (No, not my cousin Vinny). Vinny was a very traditional Roman Catholic and we struck it off well. Always loved to see him at coffee hour and to talk with him.
Got this email from him this morning as he found my email address and wants to reconnect:
Will write more but have to head off to work soon. Back in November I realized it had been 7 years since I first found Orthodoxy, and I always have known 7 as a number of completion in the bible, and I just didn't know if I could wait any longer for my wife. One morning I left Traditional Mass and decided to check out an Antiochian church I had previously identified near my house. I stayed for a bit and then the next week I did a double duty and slowly by the time mid-December had come I did not even go back to Mass. I know we will have much to discuss about leaving Rome.
Fr. Elias has been a wonderful priest and being from Syria himself it has been very enriching. Also, ironically, he had pastored the Antiochian Church in Tucson, though we had never crossed paths. I miss the deep culture of DC, so for the midwest, we have a deeply cultural church, but also the convert stories have been amazing. It amazes me how many protestants who have come into the church from all over, and we all have the same story some how, despite never having met.
I am not a catechumen yet, I just know I have to not be so impulsive, but truly living my faith. I think soon I will latch on to the catechumen path. We do need to talk more. I miss our talks and seeing you every weekend. Of the many things that kept me at this church, one for sure was the fellowship after. Particularly after all the pandemic garbage, to be able to sit an have coffee and learn from others has been fantastic. In the Traditionalist circle, while I did love the liturgy and I know the priests were doing the best they could, I sensed a tragically melancholy and depressed way about the attendees. I never met anyone. Everyone shuffled in and out. More to say on that.
Love you brother, be well. I have just a few years left and then may retire. Who can suffer this administration much longer?
Vinny
Got this email from him this morning as he found my email address and wants to reconnect:
Will write more but have to head off to work soon. Back in November I realized it had been 7 years since I first found Orthodoxy, and I always have known 7 as a number of completion in the bible, and I just didn't know if I could wait any longer for my wife. One morning I left Traditional Mass and decided to check out an Antiochian church I had previously identified near my house. I stayed for a bit and then the next week I did a double duty and slowly by the time mid-December had come I did not even go back to Mass. I know we will have much to discuss about leaving Rome.
Fr. Elias has been a wonderful priest and being from Syria himself it has been very enriching. Also, ironically, he had pastored the Antiochian Church in Tucson, though we had never crossed paths. I miss the deep culture of DC, so for the midwest, we have a deeply cultural church, but also the convert stories have been amazing. It amazes me how many protestants who have come into the church from all over, and we all have the same story some how, despite never having met.
I am not a catechumen yet, I just know I have to not be so impulsive, but truly living my faith. I think soon I will latch on to the catechumen path. We do need to talk more. I miss our talks and seeing you every weekend. Of the many things that kept me at this church, one for sure was the fellowship after. Particularly after all the pandemic garbage, to be able to sit an have coffee and learn from others has been fantastic. In the Traditionalist circle, while I did love the liturgy and I know the priests were doing the best they could, I sensed a tragically melancholy and depressed way about the attendees. I never met anyone. Everyone shuffled in and out. More to say on that.
Love you brother, be well. I have just a few years left and then may retire. Who can suffer this administration much longer?
Vinny
