12.22.08
News From Around The OCA
• Syosset NY
In a wide-ranging interview with Nicole Neroulias of the Religion News Service posted on ReligionNews.com this past week, Metropolitan Jonah revealed he will be making official visits to Constantinople, Romania and Russia during the coming year, including participating in enthronement celebrations for the new Patriarch of Russia, scheduled for February 1, 2009, in Moscow.
(Read more here)
New Reflection
LOOKING BACK ON AMERICAN
ORTHODOXY 2008 (Read it here)
George Matsoukas
Executive Director, Orthodox Christian Laity
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12.15.08
After Seven Years,
Balance of 9/11 Fund Allocated
For the second time in a week, the OCA has announced a resolution to a long-standing problem stemming from the years of scandal. More than seven years after an October 2001 Church-wide “Emergency Relief Appeal” raised more than $285,000 for victims of the 9/11 attacks, the OCA Treasurer announced that the last of the monies raised have finally been allocated. In a posting on its website late Friday, December 12th, the Orthodox Church in America stated: (Read more here)
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12.10.08
OCA Offers "Regrets" To Sidebottom
• Synod Admits no liability, but confirms EEOC
found Sidebottom's allegations "credible"
• Admits he was discharged in retaliation for
making the allegations against +Nikolai, Brittain.
• "Recognizes" and "regrets" distress caused by
slow investigation
On Wednesday, December 10, 2008, the Orthodox Church in America issued the following statement regarding the allegations of sexual harassment and retaliatory discharge made by Paul Sidebottom in June 2007 for events that took place in May 2007: (Read more here)
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12.9.08
Sidebottom Complaint Settled
Sources close to the case report that late last week the OCA reached a settlement with Paul Sidebottom, former Acting Dean of Students at St. Herman’s Seminary in Kodiak, Alaska. The settlement came after months of investigation and mediation of Sidebottom’s formal complaint filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in February 2008. The complaint alleged sexual harassment by former Alaskan Chancellor, Archimandrite Isidore (Brittain), and retaliatory discharge by the former OCA Bishop of Alaska, Nikolai (Soraich). (Read more here)
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12.3.08 Archbishop Job writes:
A JOYFUL EPISTLE
to the venerable Clergy, Monastics and Faithful of the Diocese of the Midwest
"Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving." (Colossians 4:2)
My Beloved in the Lord,
Glory to Jesus Christ!
It is the afternoon of Thanksgiving Day, and after a joyful and peaceful Divine Liturgy my thoughts, in a stress-free, joyous sense of calm, run to pondering on the drama of the last few weeks emanating from an extraordinary 15th All American Council. In what I have termed 'a joyful epistle', in contrast to others of a sorrowful nature that I have written, I will attempt to share with you my newly-found 'joyous sense of calm', as well as my own experience and observations of that remarkable week in Pittsburgh. (Read more here )
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12.2.08 From the Washington Times (December 1st, 2008)
Orthodox leader seizes own
"Obama moment"
Elected after 11 days as bishop
by Julia Duin
".... In an interview with The Washington Times, the new metropolitan said he hopes to establish "trust and good will" among OCA members. Although the previous bureaucracy has been discharged, he said, a change in mentality is still needed."
(Read the full article here)
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12.1.08
Diocesan Investigation Turns Up Additional $1.25 Million Mortgage on St. Tikhon’s Monastery Lands
Lawyers hired by Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphia to conduct a full title search on the Eastern Pennsylvania Diocesan Center have discovered that the Monastery land on which its Diocesan Center is located (some 86.5 acres) has been mortgaged for $1.25 million. Who authorized this mortgage of St. Tikhon’s Monastery lands, when, and for what purpose, was not disclosed. According to the OCA Statute, it is the Metropolitan Council alone that "decides on the purchase, sale, or mortgaging of property of the Church." (Article V, Sec. 4j.)
The lawyers' findings were first reported to diocesan authorities on November 6th, and then reported to the annual Diocesan Assembly on November 22nd by the Chancellor of the Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania, Fr. John Kowalczyk. In his report to the Diocese, Fr. Kowalcyzk stated that titles to the Monastery and its related properties are a “mess”, with titles under various names. In short, it is not always clear who owns what, or who is now legally responsible for what. None of this, however, was reported to the Metropolitan Council during its recent meetings at the All-American Council.... (Read more here)
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