Newly ordained priest, Fr. Seraphim Reynolds

[Light of the East]

I hope this is a blessing to all who view it. My good friend, Dave Reynolds, is now Fr. Seraphim Reynolds of the OCA parish in Lykens PA. I have linked below the site for the parish and if you scroll down a few inches, you will find a video of his ordination.

What is interesting about all this is he is one of six men who have left St. Ann BCC (Eastern Catholic) church and are now fully Orthodox. Two others are considering it. All of them very close friends whom I love and am joyful to see their conversion!

When I visited Christ the Savior OCA three weeks ago, I found a vibrant parish which gives every appearance of growing! I have the feeling on the contrary that St. Ann's is spiritually ill and very slowly dying. This is just my opinion, but it is based on conversations I have had.

Here is the link:

Holy Apostles Orthodox Church

 

[Light of the East]

Pray that the Lord opens a door for me, too, in the coming year. I am tired of being a hypocrite.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Thank you for sharing.

And prayers for you, LOTE!

 

[Principal Moo]

Pray that the Lord opens a door for me, too, in the coming year. I am tired of being a hypocrite.

Prayers for you!

 

[All4Christ]

I hope this is a blessing to all who view it. My good friend, Dave Reynolds, is now Fr. Seraphim Reynolds of the OCA parish in Lykens PA. I have linked below the site for the parish and if you scroll down a few inches, you will find a video of his ordination.

What is interesting about all this is he is one of six men who have left St. Ann BCC (Eastern Catholic) church and are now fully Orthodox. Two others are considering it. All of them very close friends whom I love and am joyful to see their conversion!

When I visited Christ the Savior OCA three weeks ago, I found a vibrant parish which gives every appearance of growing! I have the feeling on the contrary that St. Ann's is spiritually ill and very slowly dying. This is just my opinion, but it is based on conversations I have had.

Here is the link:

Holy Apostles Orthodox Church

Small world Father is a good friend of ours as well. We hope to visit his new parish soon.

So happy for him! May God grant him many years!

 

[ArmyMatt]

I have heard nothing but good about Fr Seraphim. may he labor well in the Lord's vineyard!

 

[Light of the East]

Small world Father is a good friend of ours as well. We hope to visit his new parish soon.

So happy for him! May God grant him many years!

Ahhhhhh...........you must be in Pennsylvania!!!

 

[ArmyMatt]

Pray that the Lord opens a door for me, too, in the coming year. I am tired of being a hypocrite.

Lord have mercy! although, I will say at least on here, you one of our least hypocritical guests.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Having family and other challenges toward conversion don't make you a hypocrite in the least! As far as I'm concerned, you already have one Orthodox foot in the door! We're just all trying to kick that second foot in!

Pray that the Lord opens a door for me, too, in the coming year. I am tired of being a hypocrite.

 

[Platina]

Fr. Seraphim is a wonderful man! May God bless his new ministry!

 

[Light of the East]

Lord have mercy! although, I will say at least on here, you one of our least hypocritical guests.

Thank you for those kind words. What I meant with the word "hypocrite" is having complete agreement with Orthodox doctrine and teaching and yet not being in an OCA Church. Please pray that somehow I can get headed in that direction. My deeply Roman Catholic wife is appalled that I would even consider not being under the headship of Francis and my parish loves me and the service I render to them as cantor and overall sacristan. So I have to find a parish with which I am comfortable and then have a door opened to me to get in. And I want to have the same kind of "leading" from the Lord that I had when I was asked to cantor at my current parish (Am I asking too much here???)

It is difficult, but let me say this: I absolutely REJECT everything that Rome has invented since 1054AD and make no apology for it to any of my Roman friends.

I am sure your continued prayers will be a great help on this journey. Thanks to all and best wishes for a happy and blessed New Year!

 

[All4Christ]

Ahhhhhh...........you must be in Pennsylvania!!!

That, I am Are you referencing St Ann’s in Harrisburg? I know several converts from that parish.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Thank you for those kind words. What I meant with the word "hypocrite" is having complete agreement with Orthodox doctrine and teaching and yet not being in an OCA Church. Please pray that somehow I can get headed in that direction. My deeply Roman Catholic wife is appalled that I would even consider not being under the headship of Francis and my parish loves me and the service I render to them as cantor and overall sacristan. So I have to find a parish with which I am comfortable and then have a door opened to me to get in. And I want to have the same kind of "leading" from the Lord that I had when I was asked to cantor at my current parish (Am I asking too much here???)

It is difficult, but let me say this: I absolutely REJECT everything that Rome has invented since 1054AD and make no apology for it to any of my Roman friends.

I am sure your continued prayers will be a great help on this journey. Thanks to all and best wishes for a happy and blessed New Year!

that's more a rough situation. keep praying and seeking, and the wife will come around Godwilling. all in God's time.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Hard situation to be in! But imagine your courage to leave for the beauty of Orthodoxy could eventually inspire your wife and other EC’s to convert as well.

If we could get Sister Anhelyna to FINALLY convert, AAAAAANYTHING is possible!!! Just don’t pull an Anhelyna! Give ole Gurney a heads-up!!

Seriously though, Our Lord did say He is not bringing peace to the family, but a sword. It will cause strife between husband and wife...

Thank you for those kind words. What I meant with the word "hypocrite" is having complete agreement with Orthodox doctrine and teaching and yet not being in an OCA Church. Please pray that somehow I can get headed in that direction. My deeply Roman Catholic wife is appalled that I would even consider not being under the headship of Francis and my parish loves me and the service I render to them as cantor and overall sacristan. So I have to find a parish with which I am comfortable and then have a door opened to me to get in. And I want to have the same kind of "leading" from the Lord that I had when I was asked to cantor at my current parish (Am I asking too much here???)

It is difficult, but let me say this: I absolutely REJECT everything that Rome has invented since 1054AD and make no apology for it to any of my Roman friends.

I am sure your continued prayers will be a great help on this journey. Thanks to all and best wishes for a happy and blessed New Year!

 

[Anhelyna]

Everything happens in God's time - not yours or mine - His.

 

[Anhelyna]

Oh - and Gurney - it wasn't just me - Going Byzantine said not a word until November - and he was Chrismated at Pascha !!

 

[Light of the East]

That, I am Are you referencing St Ann’s in Harrisburg? I know several converts from that parish.

Indeed I am. It was through St. Ann's that I left Protestantism for good and headed East (just not quite far enough East!)

As for converts, you must be referring to Reader Jim, Sub-Deacon John, Denny, and Heidi. All of them very dear friends. I was up at Christ the Savior the week before all those ordinations took place. Such a joy to see them again.

And, of course, Fr. Seraphim and Matushka Gina

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Oh how I wish I could go back in time and not have told you Jack Squat for that entire YEAR that I was considering Orthodoxy, then booooom! Being the honest and sharing soul I am without a trace of subterfuge or stealthy hyjinx, I thought it best to be a nice boy!!

Oh - and Gurney - it wasn't just me - Going Byzantine said not a word until November - and he was Chrismated at Pascha !!

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Preaching to the choir!!! I searched 18 years and spent over a year visiting my parish!

Everything happens in God's time - not yours or mine - His.

 

[Jesus4Madrid]

Thank you for those kind words. What I meant with the word "hypocrite" is having complete agreement with Orthodox doctrine and teaching and yet not being in an OCA Church. Please pray that somehow I can get headed in that direction. My deeply Roman Catholic wife is appalled that I would even consider not being under the headship of Francis and my parish loves me and the service I render to them as cantor and overall sacristan. So I have to find a parish with which I am comfortable and then have a door opened to me to get in. And I want to have the same kind of "leading" from the Lord that I had when I was asked to cantor at my current parish (Am I asking too much here???)

It is difficult, but let me say this: I absolutely REJECT everything that Rome has invented since 1054AD and make no apology for it to any of my Roman friends.

I am sure your continued prayers will be a great help on this journey. Thanks to all and best wishes for a happy and blessed New Year!

Prayers for you! Lord have mercy!

Are you still communing in the RC church? I became Orthodox long before I actually joined the Church-fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays, for example. I read so much about Orthodoxy I could have taught a catechism class by the time I entered.

What finally drove me over the line was that I no longer felt at peace in my old church. We should feel at peace, but I no longer could take communion in a place where I was not theologically in sync. I wasn’t in communion, so participating in the Lord’s Supper didn’t make sense anymore.

Now that I am Orthodox, I miss some things, but I am at peace. I say that in spite of my wife still being RC and our not being able to attend together. But I sort of felt that I was living a lie before and that caused me disquiet. Glory to God for His peace that passes all understanding.