The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

DIOCESE OF CHICAGO AND MID-AMERICA: October 22, 2010
Communique of the Fall 2010 Clergy Retreat of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America

Communique of the Fall 2010 Clergy Retreat
Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America
Russian Orthodox Church Abroad

The Fall Retreat of the Clergy of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America met the day after the celebration of the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God, the cathedral patronal feast, in the presence of the miracle-working Kursk-Root Icon, on Friday, October 2/15, 2010. Participants in the feast of the Protection included 36 clergymen, of whom four were bishops: His Eminence Archbishop Alypy of Chicago; His Eminence Archbishop Nicolae (Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese); His Grace Bishop Peter of Cleveland; and His Grace Bishop Dimitrios (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese).

On the day following the feast, we welcomed our main guest speaker, His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah of the Orthodox Church of America (OCA). Metropolitan Jonah shared with us his views and hopes for the future of Orthodoxy in America, the problems of the current jurisdictional overlap, and his assessment of the first meeting of the Episcopal Assembly of North and Central America.

We also welcomed Fr Vladimir Lecko, a retired OCA priest who has been serving our mission church in Wausau, Wisconsin, and gave us a report on the progress of the mission.

Bishop Peter welcomed new priests and deacons to the diocese.

Archpriest Roman Starr, Dean of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Midwest Deanery, discussed his experiences and problems in Orthodox prison ministry.

Bishop Peter stressed the need for greater participation by members of the diocese in the St John Kochurov Society, which in part exists to support needy clergy in the diocese.

Finally, we extend our gratitude to Fr Vladimir, to Fr Roman, and most especially to His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah for taking the time out of their busy schedules to come and hold these very enlightening and stimulating discussions with us.

Accepted unanimously by the assembled clergymen of the diocese.