- Dec 1, 2013
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We had a chrismation at Church on Sunday. Our parish - wow. So much change. I got in with the older folks (of which there were many!) when I first came - what, almost 10 years ago?
Sadly we’ve lost many and a few moved away. But our parish is getting FULL! It’s young people, some different ethnicities but mostly just “white American” and mostly young, and I find I don’t really know any of them as they are in their own circles. More of the Liturgy is in English. Our parish actually split some years back I’m told because some wanted English and some wanted to keep Greek. We’ve had 4 priests in the past 4 or so years, but hopefully this one is staying (I had hoped that of the former ones too).
It’s a lot of upheaval, but I’m thinking overall it’s good. I used to worry that the parish wouldn’t be viable long-term as not enough of the Greek children/grandchildren were remaining there in adulthood. We have lots of kids now! And me still just a bit too busy to teach Sunday school again. Father made it a point on Sunday to have everyone who had the workday before and pointed out that most of them were not yet Orthodox and none were Greek.
I feel disconnected, because my (insert bad word here) school made everything on Sunday, so it has usually been impossible to go to Church.
Now that I’m finished I’m getting back in though. It is nice, those familiar faces I do see.
This is in no way a complaint though - just an observation. It’s been this way every time I’ve managed to be there over the past year or two. And ultimately I think it will (hopefully) keep the Church going. It’s nice to see young people full of passion, even if I don’t know them (yet).
Sadly we’ve lost many and a few moved away. But our parish is getting FULL! It’s young people, some different ethnicities but mostly just “white American” and mostly young, and I find I don’t really know any of them as they are in their own circles. More of the Liturgy is in English. Our parish actually split some years back I’m told because some wanted English and some wanted to keep Greek. We’ve had 4 priests in the past 4 or so years, but hopefully this one is staying (I had hoped that of the former ones too).
It’s a lot of upheaval, but I’m thinking overall it’s good. I used to worry that the parish wouldn’t be viable long-term as not enough of the Greek children/grandchildren were remaining there in adulthood. We have lots of kids now! And me still just a bit too busy to teach Sunday school again. Father made it a point on Sunday to have everyone who had the workday before and pointed out that most of them were not yet Orthodox and none were Greek.
I feel disconnected, because my (insert bad word here) school made everything on Sunday, so it has usually been impossible to go to Church.
Now that I’m finished I’m getting back in though. It is nice, those familiar faces I do see.
This is in no way a complaint though - just an observation. It’s been this way every time I’ve managed to be there over the past year or two. And ultimately I think it will (hopefully) keep the Church going. It’s nice to see young people full of passion, even if I don’t know them (yet).
