To Love Is To Remember

Dear Fr John,

I am a reader of this site since its inception. Our humble words will never satisfy, Mr Mark Stokoe, as "MASTER" of this site.

The Orthodox Faithful in the Midwest are very special to the OCA as a whole, and to this site too.

Fr John,

Thank you for reminding us of the Archbishop's +Job work, love for young people, and for the priests ministering within his Diocese and within the American Orthodoxy as a whole.
Your outstanding presentation makes us speechless. You hammered the nail properly.

However, I do remember the time the OCA was in crisis, and the time His Eminence of blessed memory Archbishop +Job, questioned the entire OCA Synod / establishment ... "ARE THE ALLEGATION TRUE, OR ARE THEY FALSE?" ... November 22, 2005.

At that time, no member of the OCA Synod say too much because of the fear from sultan Herman, who finally was kicked out from the OCA Synod, but ... not yet defrocked. WHY?

Fr John,

You know better the late Archbishop +Job’s struggle for the truth, accountability, transparency. He opined for transparency, accountability, fear of God and love for those called to minister to God. Unfortunately, the whole OCA Synod acted like a "Corporate American Business Entity", not like a Church = Body of Christ, in that time of Crisis, and ever since = “business as usual”.

At the present time we are still in the tunnel. Mark Stokoe posting on January 25, 2010 is outstanding. But, I would say we are still in the tunnel. The ray of light which started to be seen at the horizon on November 12 / 13, 2008 does not bring enough light to the OCA, or to the Orthodoxy at large.

The current OCA Metropolitan got engaged to the same "OCA / Syosset business as usual." It looks that the new OCA Metropolitan +Jonah got high jacked by the "Old Guard OCA Synod hierarchs”, and he is impotent = he does nothing, as came out since the SIC report was submitted to the public at large, including the OCA hierarchy / membership. Is it anything wrong in saying that we do not trust the new OCA Metropolitan, and he is in fear to acting properly?

I personally think that Mark Stokoe statement posted on January 25, 2010 or 1005 genuinely accurate, “None of these issues have been settled, resolved, or even dealt with in some instances, a full year later. If this is to be the pattern for our Synod, led by the new Metropolitan, truly we are going to need bigger and bigger rugs in the OCA.”

To my dismay, there are so many things to say about the late Archbishop +Job, than it was said on December 22, 2009, in Chicago’s cathedral by the OCA Chancellor. I could say much more. Should I? I will try to do so.

Even though this question belongs to me, I would like to respectfully give credit to the OCA Metropolitan, Archbishops, Bishops, to say something. Never is too late, just do it.

It was a great blessing for me to attend the Funeral Vigil on December 22, 2009, at the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church Cathedral, in Chicago, IL, and it was also a big shame for the OCA hierarchs to say “NO WORD” about their brother fell asleep in the Lord, who help everyone to see the OCA crisis coming to “an imaginary end.” The OCA Crisis is not over yet.

Fr John,

You have been in Church for the Funeral Vigil, I saw you, and I understood you frustration at the end of the service WHEN, no OCA hierarch said nothing. The improvised eulogy delivered by the current OCA Chancellor V Rev Fr Alexander Garklavs, did not bring honor to the OCA Synod / membership. He said nothing about Archbishop +Job’s endeavor regarding the coming to an end of the OCA Crisis.

He did not even mention the historical statement of late Archbishop +Job "ARE THE ALLEGATION TRUE, OR ARE THEY FALSE?" ... November 22, 2005. Was the current OCA Chancellor, directed by the OCA Metropolitan +Jonah to deliver such a poor eulogy?

So many hierarchs besides the OCA ones attended the Funeral Vigil, and some of them talked to the people about that poor eulogy of Fr Garklavs, … stating that … “Archbishop Job deserved much more.”

In the Chicago Cathedral, everyone could see the smiling faces of some of the OCA hierarchs looking at the coffin where Archbishop +Job was placed, and thinking that “St John the Baptist of the OCA Synod” is gone, and Herod and his allies can go on with “their business as usual.”

Late Archbishop +Job, was less honored in death as in life by the OCA hierarchs. Shame. Shame. Shame.

However, time came at its fullness, and on Sunday January 24, 2010, a PANIKHIDA SERVICE, was done in the memory of our Archbishop +Job at the Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral, 11 21 N Leavitt, Chicago, IL, by our Fr Dean John Adamcio.

We love this priest with all our hearts, and we cannot express in words our joy for the “wised, inspired, and outstanding” eulogy done to our Archpastor +Job, at the end of the Panikhida Service.

That was the kind of eulogy the Cathedral Chicago Dean V Rev Fr John Adamcio had to deliver on December 22, 2009, following the Funeral Vigil. His words were very moving, articulated, important for our OCA as a whole, went to the soul and heart to everyone present at the Cathedral for Sunday Services, and we hope the Almighty God did hear our Fr Dean John Adamcio, eloquently speaking about our Archpastor +Job.

We post this message on the ocanews.org with a heavy heart sentiment for the poor job and representation the OCA bishops demonstrated while in Chicago on December, 22, 23, 2009, attending the entire Funeral Services for our beloved Father, Pastor, Archbishop, Saint like speaking hierarch, and outstanding servant of Jesus Christ the Supreme Hierarch of the Orthodox Church.

Also, we post this message with hope that the OCA hierarchy will learn something in regards to the future Funeral Services for one of the OCA Synod brother who will be called by God out of this world, to come well prepared and to deliver the best to the attendees. A hierarch should speak about a hierarch, not a … substitute.

By the way, before to end this message, a question is striking my mind, “Nobody from the OCA Synod ever attended any other Funeral Services for any other hierarch, seeing the “main in charge hierarch of that church” speaking about the loved one called by God? Just remember when the former Russian Patriarch Alexey fell asleep, how eloquently he was eulogized, by actual Russian Patriarch Kirill, etc.

OCA Synod of Bishops,

Please, stop this un – orthodox = less orthodox practice in delegating the OCA chancellor to speak at the Funeral Vigil Service for any future OCA Synod Bishop God will call him.

Please, be mature in speaking as God is expecting you to do.

Please, stop placing your image in a false light. In case it is not a false light, than come to the brightest light and deliver your best.

I hope you can follow my Christian advice given to you this way.

Fr John,

Your message will be well regarded, as well as the outstanding and masterly job, done by Mark Stokoe too.

May the legacy of Archbishop +Job inspire us, survive and be used like a torch and a visible light.

May the blessing of God be abundantly upon us today and forever.

May the memory of our Archpastor +Job be eternally blessed by the Almighty Heavenly God.

An anonymous Orthodox from the Midwest. 01 / 27 / 2010