Word has reached us of an orphanage located in Santiago, Chile run by a group of Orthodox Nuns.
The St. John of Kronstadt Hogar is a home for girls and is located right in the heart of the city and no one has been heard from. If anyone has more information please post it in the comments section.
The Website of the Hogar is here and is still active.
President Obama said the “devastating” earthquake that rocked Chile early Saturday had unleashed a tsunami, rolling across the Pacific, that could soon reach American shores at Hawaii, Guam and American Samoa.
A tsunami warning has been issued in those places, the president said, “and people have been alerted to evacuate coastal areas.” Citizens on the West Coast should also be prepared for the possibility of “dangerous waves and currents throughout the day,” he said.
In a statement from the White House Rose Garden, Obama said “early indications are that hundreds of lives have been lost in Chile, and the damage is severe. On behalf of the American people Michelle and I send ouir deepest condolences to the Chilean people. The United States stands ready to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts.”
Obama said he had “reached out” to Chilean President Michelle Bachelet “to let her know that we will be there for her, should the Chilean people need assistance.” Earlier, Obama led a conference call with his cabinet and White House staff to get an update on the destruction in Chile and subsequent tsunami warning in the Pacific.
Chile’s TVN cable news channel reported that at least 120 people had perished, but communications were spotty near the center of the quake, the city of Concepcion in the south of the country.
“Once again, we’ve been reminded of the awful devastation that can come at a moment’s notice,” Obama said in Washington, “We cannot control nature, but we can and must be prepared for disaster when it strikes. In the hours ahead, we’ll continue to take every step possible to prepare our shores and protect our citizens. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said, “We are closely monitoring the situation, … Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Chile, and we stand ready to help in ths hour of need.”
The State Department said it was ready to help “as rapidly and effectively as we can.” The U.S. government activated a disaster response team and alerted two search and rescue teams, the Washington Post said.
Chile’s President Bachelet declared a catastrophe in central Chile after the magnitude-8.8 quake, the Associated Press reported. The news agency quoted Bachelet as saying a huge wave swept into a populated area in the Robinson Crusoe Islands, 410 miles off the Chilean coast in the Pacific Ocean. Property damage was widespread, and Bachelet called for calm.
In Washington, a Department of Homeland Security official said FEMA was monitoring the quake and staying in touch with emergency workers in Hawaii where a tsunami warning was issued, the New York Times reported. Sirens wailed alerting residents to check radio and television reports for guidance.
The AP said tsunami waves could crash on Asian, Australian and New Zealand shores within 24 hours of the quake.
Jenifer Rhoades, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), told CNN, “it is a serious situation. People in these areas need to move to higher ground and away from beaches.”An tsumani “advisory” — a less severe notice than a warning — was issued for the West Coast of the United States, meaning people should stay away from beaches, NOAA said.
h/t Politics Daily
The following come from the Adventures of an Orthodox Mom Blog
Communicable Diseases and the Common Cup
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
A Blessed Lenten Season!
It is with much sadness, pain of heart and love for our Holy Church that I write these lines only a few days after the first Sunday of Great Lent, the Sunday of Orthodoxy, which is the culmination of her many and great victories against heresy.
There was something different however about this particular Sunday of Orthodoxy in the Americas. I honestly did not expect to witness this sort of thing in my lifetime. It seems that my holy elder (A. Mitilinaios) was justified in teaching that ecumenism leads to secularism and faithlessness.
On this Sunday of Orthodoxy 2010, most of the parishioners of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Rutland Vermont (Diocese of Boston), separated themselves from the Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church. Alas! They were administered “hold communion” with an individual plastic spoon!!!
The liberal and anti-orthodox agenda of the New York based newspaper National Herald, well known for the anti-monastic and extreme views of its theological section is what propagated this most sacrilegious and impious action. During the Christmas season (as most liberal newspapers spill out their anti-Christian venom to please their patron, Satan), the “theologians” of this Greek-American newspaper (most of its subscribers are Greek Orthodox) published a commentary by a Dr. John Collis a “distinguished physician and a former member of the Archdiocesan council” (God help us.), on the perils of contracting the H1N1 virus via the Eucharistic, or Common Cup.
His purely scientific, rationalistic, and secular views on this most central and profound mystery of the Body of Christ, of the Orthodox Church, is characteristic of the higher echelon of the scientific community. Tragically, that commentary sowed a great many seeds of doubt in the already darkened minds of the readers of this very popular newspaper.
The tares that he sowed (Matt.13:25) this past Christmas season in the minds of “these little ones for whom Christ died”, did not take long to sprout and grow according to the audacious testimony of a Theodore Corsones who seems to be quite proud of the innovationist spirit of his parish priest. I hereby include the contents of his entire letter to the editor of the National Herald issued 2/20-26/2010.
RUTLAND, VERMONT CHURCH PROVIDES PLASTIC SPOON
To the Editor:
In response to the article written by John Collis, M.D., this is to inform you of the procedure in use this winter at our Greek Orthodox Church in Rutland, Vermont (St. Nicholas Orthodox Church).
The priest instructs the parishioners who prefer to use individual plastic spoons to be first in line. Then, as each one of them approaches, an altar server provides a plastic spoon and the priest administers hold communion (???) to each of then with a plastic spoon. Each spoon that is used is discarded!!! How!!! Where!!! [Emphasis is mine].
Then, those that wish to receive Holy Communion with the common spoon do so immediately afterwards. It works very well and all are pleased with this procedure.
During this winter season, most parishioners are using individual plastic spoons.
Theodore Corsones
Rutland, Vermont
I tried to refrain from any further comments on this travesty but I cannot resist enumerating some of my personal questions on this matter:
1. Did the parish priest receive a blessing from his Metropolitan Methodios?
2. Is he still using the Divine Liturgy of St. John the Chrysostom/Basil?
3. Does he still summon the communicants to draw near with: Fear, Faith and Love? What for?
The fear of God does not exist: It has been replaced by the fear of H1N1!
The faith in this awesome mystery has evaporated. Those scandalized by the Herald and Dr. Collins no longer believe that what they partake is the very Body and Blood of our Creator but a possible disease agent!
The Love for God, which is the first and foremost of the Christian commandments, has been superimposed by self-love, which according to the Fathers is the main source of many evil passions.
In closing I humbly suggest that the Metropolitan of the Holy Diocese of Boston should consider spending less time organizing dialogues and pilgrimages to the Vatican with his Papist friend Archbishop O’Malley, because it sends the wrong signal to his priests and confuses the weak members of the only Church of Christ – the Orthodox Church. More time needs to be spent to immunize the flock with the antibodies of traditional orthodox spirituality so they can once again worship our Lord with fear, faith and love.
For more information please refer to two of our past homilies: Communicable Diseases and the Common Cup. They can be found under the Question and Answer category #8 and #9 and can be downloaded (at no charge) from www.Philokalia.org.
Asking your ardent prayers to have this great temptation expunged from His Holy Church, and to grant forgiveness to His sinful servant Constantine.
**EDITOR’S NOTE: Please read this excellent post, entitled Poly-phenols and Not-So-Poly Faith, on the blog Orthodox Quiet Revolution.
1 15.5 oz can of Black Beans
1/4 cup finely chapped onion
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Drain and rinse the beans. Drain again. Mash beans well with fork or potato masher. Mix in remaining ingredients. Form into 4 burgers. Place burgers on preheated grill or in a preheated broiler and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Serve on buns or in pita bread with choice of oil-free condiments.
Serves 4
I am reminded time and again that the full fasting laws of the church were designed by monastics for monastics and at some point in history they were adopted by parishes in the whole and I find it very difficult for “regular” people if you will to adhere to the strict fast. I think there is much guilt in people if they cannot follow all of the rules.
Fr. Ted Bobosh has a great post today on the nature of fasting. I would suggest you read and re-read his words as they shed much light on the fast.
Remember it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person but what comes out!
We are reminded that humanities sin has deprived us of the blessed life with God and our existence on earth is in exile. It is Christ our Savior who opens the door of paradise to all who follow Him.
In our parish here it is the custom at the end of the Divine Liturgy for all the faithful to come forward and ask and receive forgiveness from all assembled. This way we begin Great Lent with a clean slate if you will.
Below is a link to the sermon I preach on the Sunday of Forgiveness.
Give me tears, Lord, as you did once to the sinful woman; make me worthy to wet your feet, which freed me from the way of error and to offer you as a fragrant ointment, a pure life built in me through repentance; so that I may also hear your cherished words: “Your faith has saved you, go in peace.” Great Compline
During the reign of the emperor Claudius II (268-270), St Marinus together with his wife Martha and their sons Audifax and Habakkuk journeyed from Persia to Rome, to pray at the graves of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul. During this time fierce persecutions and executions befell the Roman Church. St Marinus and his wife and sons helped Christians locked up in the prisons, and also to request the bodies of executed martyrs. At one of these jails they met a prisoner named Cyrenus and they helped him, since he had endured many torments for faith in Christ.
The persecution spread, and even more Christians were arrested. During this time 260 Christians, among whom was the tribune Vlastus, had been sent under the court sentence to dig ground along the Salerian Way, and were executed by archers. When they learned about this vicious murder, Marinus, his family, and the presbyter John went by night and took the bodies of the martyrs to be buried in the catacombs. They returned later to the prison where St Cyrenus was incarcerated, but did not find him. He had been executed the day before and his body was thrown into the Tiber River. Doing their holy duty, Sts Marinus and Martha and their sons took the body of the holy martyr from the river and committed it to the earth. The holy workers were among Christians, who continued secretly to perform the divine services under the leadership of the holy Bishop Callistus, and hid them from their pursuers.
In consummation of their great charitable deeds the holy family was deemed worthy to glorify the Lord by martyrdom. The pagans beheaded the courageous confessor Valentinus the Presbyter, and the imperial gardener Asterius who had been converted by him, and the holy ascetics from Persia were arrested and given over to torture. By order of the emperor, Sts Marinus, Audifax and Habakkuk were beheaded in the year 269, and St Martha was drowned in a river.
The relics of the holy saints are in Rome at the Church of St John the Hut-Dweller, and the relics of St Valentinus are in the Church of the holy Martyr Paraskeva.
Troparion (Tone 4)
Thou hast become like the Apostles in their states, a successor to their throne, finding indeed the intelligential ladder, O thou God-inspired. Therefore, thou hast followed the Word of God in righteousness, and striven unto blood for the Faith. O Martyr among Priests, Saint Valentine, intercede with Christ God to save our souls.
We are our Brothers Keeper!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glny4jSciVI]
Into the Desert a Lenten Youth Blog, begins on Monday, February 15, 2010.
This blog is offered to all Orthodox Christian Youth, to help them make the most of the Lenten Season. Each day of the forty day Fast, a new entry will be added to the blog which will challenge its participants to grow spiritually by following suggested activities and lenten disciplines.
Follow this link to enter the blog.
h/t Byzantine Texas