Holy Resurrection Monastery celebrates tonsure of Fr. Paiisi

NAZIANZ — A Divine Liturgy brought together four jurisdictions of Greek-Catholic communities, as well as the local Roman Catholic community, on Feb. 16 at St. Gregory Church. The liturgy celebrated the life tonsure of Fr. Paiisi into the monastic brotherhood of Holy Resurrection Monastery.

Catholics worldwide number around 1 billion, with the vast majority belonging to the Roman Catholic Church. About 20 million belong to the 21 Eastern Catholic Churches. The largest of these are churches of the Byzantine tradition, to which the monks at Holy Resurrection belong.

Fr. Paiisi, whose birth name is Patrick Firman, is a member of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. In honor of his faith background, Bishop Benedict Aleksiychuk, eparch of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy in Chicago, joined Abbot Nicholas Zachariadis, leader of the Holy Resurrection monastic community, for the tonsure ceremony, which is equivalent to a solemn profession in the Roman Catholic Church.

continue at The Compass

Oh how I wish it were a little closer.  I hope I can visit soon.

Chef-turned-monk puts baking skills to good use at St. Nazianz monastery

https://t.co/LdeDRvVbXV Chef-turned-monk, @AbounaMoses, puts baking skills to good use at St. Nazianz monastery pic.twitter.com/pAXryaBRpC

— The Compass (@thecompassnews) January 28, 2016

ST. NAZIANZ — The smell of freshly baked pies, cookies, pizzas and other tasty treats makes the kitchen at Holy Resurrection Monastery a shrine for the senses. Thanks to Fr. Moses Wright, a former chef and one of the monastery’s Byzantine monks, guests have another reason to visit, pray or make a retreat at Holy Resurrection.

Before joining the Byzantine-rite community, Fr. Moses, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., worked as a cook at various hotels and restaurants in the New York area. While serving as a private chef on a yacht in Greece, he said he was introduced to the Byzantine liturgy and spirituality and gave up the chef’s apron for a monk’s habit.

“I’ve always enjoyed cooking and it was a toss-up for me to become a chef or to join a monastery,” he said. Thanks to the opportunity to sell freshly baked goods as a fund-raiser for the monastery, “I’ve been able to do both.”

continue at The Compass

I would really like to get up to the monastery for a visit this year.

Notre Dame Looks East: University Begins Regular Byzantine Liturgy

Serving a growing international community in South Bend, a Melkite priest brings ancient traditions

Students and faculty at the University of Notre Dame who go to the university’s chapel on Sundays may be hearing something different from the usual Mass opening of “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

“Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever,” Father Khaled Anatolios recently chanted, as he made the sign of the cross with the book of the Gospels lifted high above the altar.

He faced the altar, away from the congregation, and there were icons on either side. Those in the congregation sang “amen” in response.

The first Byzantine liturgy on Notre Dame’s campus had begun, and once a month, at least in the beginning, those who are from Eastern Christian traditions and those who are just curious will have a chance to participate.

continue at Aleteia

Also Deacon's Bench

Holy Resurrection Monastery able to raise $35K on the way to repairing and restoring facilities

Generous Benefactors,
Brothers & Sisters,

WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE that, in conjunction with offline donations, we have managed to raise the $35,000 to begin the waterproofing of our monastery.

Abbot Nicholas spoke with the contractor yesterday and that particular company is now readying itself for the next step. We just have to sit back now and pray that all goes well.

We look forward to giving you updates on the repair work as well as our next goal: repairing the interiors destroyed by water damage (which is only $10,000; a third of what was needed for the waterproofing).

IN OTHER NEWS, this past week we were happy to celebrate the Great Feast of Pentecost. With many of the local families who have supported our ministry here over the years, our small church was PACKED on Sunday. [Ohhh how I wish I lived closer!]

We wish nothing but the best for all of you during this holy season of Holy Pentecost!

Our Church at Pentecost

GoFundMe: Help The Monks Survive

Byzantine Rite gets a Pentecost Season!  Who'd a thunk it!

If you haven't donated, please consider it!

Wisconsin History: Building a Community Among Early Arab Immigrants in Milwaukee

from an article in Wisconsin Magazine of History(summer 2013)

Like other immigrant groups that came to Wisconsin, most of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century Arab immigrants came to the United States for economic betterment, as well as political and religious freedom. Tom the start, most immigrants intended to work for a few years and then return to their villages and towns after accumulating some wealth, although that original goal evolved over time as many early immigrants found success in their new country. Most of the community originally settled in a tightly-knit community located in the Third Ward area. Over time, the settlement pattern of the Arab community changed as subsequent generations were Americanized.

The immigrants came from Greater Syria before World War I, which included today's Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, and Israel. After the war, the Arab community began to distinguish itself as Syrian Lebanese, and Milwaukee became the site of the largest Arab community in the state.' These immigrants established a thriving and energetic community that contributed to the social, economic, and religious diversity of Milwaukee society. 

Syrians belong to the Semitic ethnolinguistic group of peoples. Over the ages there has been assimilation with many other peoples through conquest, migration, and intermarriage. Today, the Arabs are the largest branch of Semitic people. They share language, customs, values, history, and geographical area, though they practice a variety of religions. While the vast majority of Greater Syria's population is Arab, several other minorities also live in the region, including Armenians, Circassians, Kurds, and Turks.

The story and the experience of one Syrian immigrant to Milwaukee, Najeeb Arrieh, exemplifies the hopes and determination many Arab immigrants carried with them to their new home in America. Arrieh was a twelve-year-old boy in 1906 when he immigrated from Ain al-Bardeh, a Syrian village in the Bekka valley located 55 miles west of Homs, Syria.  Arrieh chose to settle in Milwaukee to join his uncle from the Herro family. 

Did you know that Archbishop Fulton Sheen was a Bi-ritual Priest?

Post by The Museums of the Diocese of Peoria.

This page is definitely worth a like on Facebook.

Cardinal Burke recent visit to Byzantine Rite monastery in the Upper Peninsula

This July, with some six weeks notice, His Eminence, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, graced he still had family in Wisconsin and would, most likely, be relatively near by from time to time. Through the generosity of a benefactor, we were able to accept his invitation to the events surrounding his elevation to the College of Cardinals in November of 2010. We were in Rome for the Consistory and Papal Mass at St. Peter’s, we attended receptions for the new Cardinal at the North American College and at the Renaissance palace where the Apostolic Signatura meets, and our priest-monks were privileged to concelebrate his Mass of Thanksgiving, along with a dozen or so bishops and about twenty other priests. We were awed and humbled to participate in such august assemblies.

His own visit here was considerably less intense. Arriving on a Monday afternoon, he joined us for Vespers and afterward shared dinner and light conversation with the monks. He celebrated Mass in the morning following our Divine Liturgy and then had a simple breakfast before a quick tour of the monastery. A long-time purchaser of jam for gifts at Christmas and Easter, he took a keen interest in the workings of the again operative Jampot kitchen and availed himself of a few items in the sales room. Above the escarpment we described the intended development of certain areas and showed him our young orchard; he spent a few moments fish-gazing at the pond and walked a short leg of the trail. Then, after an hour’s in-depth conversation with our priest- monks, it was time for him to leave and resume his busy summer schedule.

We are most grateful for His Eminence’s acceptance of our long-standing invitation. Though less than twenty-four hours in duration, we see it as the most significant event of what has been an eventful summer. In particular, we appreciated the opportunity to speak with him directly and with an openness not possible at the large ecclesial events that had occasioned our previous encounters. We continue to pray earnestly for Cardinal Burke’s health and well-being and for the success of his work in service of the Holy Father and in behalf of the Church.

continue at Society of St. John's 

HT Diemish 

Byzantine Catholic priest expelled to Wisconsin

WOODLAND PARK, N.J. -  A Byzantine Catholic priest who was expelled following claims that he sexually abused boys in New Jersey is living in Wisconsin.

The Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic notified parishioners that 49-year-old Glenn Davidowich received and accepted notice removing him "from the clerical state" effective April 2.

He had been on leave since 2011, when the eparchy reached a $200,000 settlement with a 36-year-old Hopewell man who claimed he was abused.

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian told The Star-Ledger of Newark the eparchy settled a second lawsuit in June.

Property records show he lives in Manitowoc, Wis., with his partner in that venture.

continue at Channel 3000

First point) Banishment to Wisconsin is clearly a step up in the world from New Jersey.
Second point) If only priests were able to marry..... oh wait, Byzantine priests are allowed to be married.