7 November 2015. Patriarch Kirill with Young Athletes… Why We Don’t See Likewise from Tikhon Mollard

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A while back, one of the Cabinet was bitchin’ and moanin’ that Tikhon Mollard doesn’t show up at athletic events sponsored by our parishes. Let me try to explain that. Firstly, Mollard doesn’t have the all-inclusive view of the Faith that we do… like most zapadniki, he sees it as a “religion”, and that blessing athletic events is “not done”. HH, being Russian, knows that the Faith touches all aspects of life, including those not specifically “religious” or “spiritual”. The Western newbies are either “religious hobbyists”, rightwing political activists, or simply overzealous clueless novices (as one can clearly see in Paffhausen, Dreher, Reardon, and Mattingly). They don’t care that X parish has sponsored a basketball team for decades or that the bowlers at St Nick’s brought home the trophy yet again. Cut them some slack. They’re either going to leave us or grow up. After all, we’re talking of people obsessed with homosexuality and abortion… when the Holy Church focuses on worship and the Incarnation. They’re going to wise up and find their way to the Only Homely Home or they’re going to leave us (and excoriate us for impurity as they do so). That’s the way it is…

BMD

21 June 2015. A Little Bit of Russia in America… St Tikhon Monastery in South Canaan PA USA

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St Tikhon Zadonsky Monastery is the oldest Russian Orthodox monastery in the USA. St Tikhon Bellavin, who later became Patriarch of Moscow and all the Russias, founded it in 1905 as a monastery and orphanage when he was ruling bishop in the USA. It still exists today, but the orphanage no longer exists. However, a seminary opened on the grounds in 1938, which still operates. Every year, on the American Memorial Day weekend, there’s a monastery open house and pilgrimage that draws hundreds of believers from throughout the USA (but mostly from the Northeast, especially from NEPA).

BMD

20 August 2011. The Faces of the Church… It’s Rumoured that You Can Find Them in Pennsylvania, Too…

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Mr Potato Head-sky…

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Relics and icon of St Maksim Sandovich… many of the po-nashemu people in the Church are blood-kin to those repressed by the Hapsburgs and interwar Poles. The Uniates were the willing stooges and hangmen of their Catholic overlords (just as they were eager to do the bidding of the CIA in the 90s)… you should never forget that. The Uniates refuse to honour St Maksim Sandovich, St Aleksei Kabalyuk, and the Martyr Gavriil Kostelnik (killed by a Uniate fanatic). That’s the reality behind their smiles… 

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A letter written in 1914 from St John Maksimovich of San Francisco (then, a layman) to St Maksim Sandovich (who was to be murdered by the Hapsburg authorities later that year).

Correction 22.08.11:

The letter from St John was written to St Maksim’s son whilst he was in seminary… not to St Maksim.

Noted and posted… this came from one of my reliable sources… 

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These are cookies for St Herman’s feastday… spruce trees, dontcha know!

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Here’s the REAL Church… sometimes sublime, sometimes hutsky-klutsky, sometimes inspired, sometimes fumbling… but always the Church, and always the Holy Place. NEVER EVER forget that when you hear this-or-that about the latest escapade from the usual cast of suspects. God likes the Church as it is… He founded it , after all! Light a candle, say a prayer, confess, commune, and do whatever good that you can do… is that all? It’s ENOUGH… if it was good enough for baba n’ dede, it’s good enough for me!