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Metropolis of the Orthodox Western Rite
Western Orthodox Christian Church
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"Never, never, never let anyone tell you that, in order to be Orthodox, you must be Eastern..."
~St. John Maximovitch
Archbishop Gabriel, Titular Archbishop of Tarsus, incensing and praying the prayers of Absolution at the end of the Funeral Liturgy. | ||
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Archbishop Gabriel, Titular Archbishop of Tarsus | The Feast of the Divine Motherhood of Mary, the Theotokos | |
The Metropolitan distributes Holy Communion to First Communicants. | ||
Metropolitan Joseph extends Chirothesia. | Metropolitan Joseph extends solemn chirothesia. | These items are used during the Western Orthodox consecration of a bishop. |
Bishop Gabriel receives his certification as a Board Certified Chaplain from the National Association of Veterans Affairs Chaplains. | Bishop Fucci, Bishop of Chaplaincy Services for the WOCC, celebrating the Divine Liturgy at a military chapel in California. | Bishop Fucci as chaplain, counseling our Armed Forces Service men and women. |
Our own Father Sam Rake, Pastor of St. Augustine's Orthodox Church celebrates Pascha according to the Eastern usage. As Western Orthodox we will accommodate those communities that want to be in Eucharistic communion with us and continue to use the Eastern usage of Liturgy. | The Servant of God received the Precious and Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of his sins and eternal life. Amen | |
Bishop Fucci, Military Ordinary preaching during Holy Mass. Bishop Fucci serves the chaplaincy needs of military personnel. | ||
Metropolitan Joseph and Bishop Fucci with Rear Admiral Margaret Kibben, ChC, U.S. Navy. | Panel Discussion with the Armed Forces Chiefs of Chaplains. | Metropolitan Joseph with Bishop R. Mackey of The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches during the AFCB (DOD) meeting with ecclesiastical endorsers. |
Chaplain (Major General) Dondi E. Costin, U.S. Air Force addressing the various ecclesiastical endorsers at the annual Armed Forces Chaplains Board Endorser Conference. | Chaplain Costin addresses the ecclesiastical endorsers. | |
Metropolitan Joseph and Bishop Fucci with Chaplain (Major General) Paul K. Hurley, U.S. Army during the annual Armed Forces Chaplains Board meeting with ecclesiastical endorsers. | L to R: Bishop Fucci, Diocese of the Western United States/Chaplaincy Services, Chaplain (Major General) Dondi E. Costin, U.S. Air Force and Metropolitan Joseph. | |
L to R: Rt. Rev. Jeff Anderson, PhD (Episcopal Missionary Church) Metropolitan Joseph and Rt. Rev. Donald Lerow (Anglican Catholic Church). | Bishop Lerow and Metropolitan Joseph | "Grant O Lord that what we have taken with our mouths we may receive in purity of heart. And let this temporal gift avail for our healing unto life eternal. Amen." |
Requiem Liturgy according to the Western Orthodox Church | Holy Communion: "The servant/handmaid of God receives the precious and holy body and blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of his/her sins and life everlasting. Amen." | |
Bishop Thomas leads the invocation at the annual Christmas dinner for the PA Association of Realtors. | ||
As Western Orthodox Christians we retain our culture and heritage received from the West and foster it in our Orthodox Christian lives. | ||
January 1, 2015 - The Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord. | ||
Preparing for Christmas midnight Liturgy. | ||
The altar in preparation. | On Holy Thursday during the Holy Mass, the priest removes the chasuble and begins the Washing of the Feet in imitation of our Divine Lord during the Last Supper when Christ washed the feet of the Holy Apostles. Twelve men are chosen to represent the Holy Apostles. | "El Senor sea con vosotros" (The Lord be with you). This is the liturgical greeting rendered unto the assembly during Holy Mass before any prayer, calling the assembly to be attentive to the prayer to be offered and collecting their prayers to be offered to our Father in Heaven. The assembly returns the liturgical greeting to the priest by saying: "Y con tu espiritu" (And with your spirit). Msgr. Thomas celebrates our Divine Liturgy in Spanish for the community he serves. |
Father Thomas during the Incensation of the altar and the gifts of bread and wine offered during the Divine Liturgy on Holy Thursday 2014. The altar server to the left removes the Missal from the altar during the incensation and stands at reverent attention. | Father Joseph Thomas celebrating the Divine Liturgy at his ministry. |
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