WASHINGTON, DC: April 11, 2012
St John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, DC, Hosts a Great Lenten Seminar

On Akathist Saturday, March 31, 2012, with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, St John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, DC, hosted a seminar in the parish hall following Divine Liturgy and a trapeza.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, led a discussion on the topic “Raise me above this world’s confusion” (from the seventh prayer of the morning rule). Over a hundred people from various parishes of the Greater Washington area gathered to heed the words of the important guest. His Beatitude’s talk continued for an hour and a half, everyone listened with baited breath. Vladyka Jonah touched upon many practical matters in the spiritual life of modern man, such as the proximity of God to one’s personal life; the Mother of God as the inspiration for a chaste life and the Orthodox attitude towards moral problems in today’s society. He also discussed monasticism and other topics.

A lively discussion ensued afterwards.